Kung Fu Panda: Apocalypse Now

by Mitchicus

Po has always wanted to make a difference for his country. Now that there is a war raging in southeast asia, and his friend has alreay joined, he will go as well. His goal: to survive. Who knows, he may even find the love of his life on the way through all of the death and destruction of 'Nam. Rated M for extreme violence and language.

10. The Fall of Kunee

Kung Fu Panda: Apocalypse Now by

Mitchicus

Chapter 10: The Fall of Kunee

A/N: This story has OCs from SilverTigerDirector (Koru and Yunwei, Jiu-Ne, Ko-Ri, and Tigress' real name, Hei-Wa), Racin Mason 24 (Xueren and Michael, with respect for his service), The Mysteriouswatcher (Kajirn), taskarrthetwisted (Kann), Gravidal The Dragon (Gravidal Bian), Psychic ninja (Jiraiya), Tigerizza (as herself), KungFuPandaFanatic (Devastator), and Keelin The Tiger (Keelin Falco). ATTENTION! Tai Lung's false name has been changed to Hoả Phong. This is the last chapter of Part I, and now to the final chapter!

April 21, 1968.

The day that tore the soldiers apart. The plan to wipe out the elite troops of Barracuda was now in motion. Tai Lung was eagerly waiting to be able to walk among the dead bodies of all of the Americans.

Po walked through the sand of the beach, the usual hueys filling the sky; nothing new. However, he knew that he would never see them, the beach, and most of the troops he commanded after their tours were over. Mitch stood knee deep in the water, watching as the sun rose with his M60 over his shoulder. Po looked at the sight of his friend in his pose as if he was an unstoppable hero; people knew not to fuck with him. However, no one is unstoppable…

"Mitch, you're last cigarette." Po said, making Mitch turn around.

The panda walked up to him and handed him the cigarette.

"In three days, we're out of this hell-hole." Po said.

Mitch smiled, and then frowned, and looked around the base, the sea, the beach…everything. "I'm going to miss this place…our troops…even Charlie."

"Shut the fuck up and take the cigarette, Mitch." Po said, making Mitch laugh. "I'm curious though; do you actually think that God sent you here for a reason?"

Mitch stopped laughing. "Yes, I do; with all my heart."

"After what you've seen, how many you've killed?" Po asked.

"I did what I had to for my country, and I saw things that my country would never do." The White Tiger said.

"That your country wouldn't do? What about My Lai?"

Mitch growled. "That is what happens when fear gets the best of you; when you talk with your friend one moment and the next he is chunks of meat from a mine he stepped on. When the villagers know of the mine and Punji Trap locations but do not tell us, and friends die because of it. Though what those men did was evil, I believe that their fear, frustration, and anger got the best of them for what had happened for their comrades."

"So certain, are you?" Po asked.

"You know who you're starting to sound like right now? One of those drugged up students who yells 'make love, not war' and other shit, not knowing what we're actually doing here, and fighting to save!"

Po glared at him, and then sighed. "You're right; we both know that we should be here. The only problem is that…I fear that it is too late."

"What do you mean?" Mitch asked.

"The enemy's headquarters for ALL operations in Vietnam is in Cambodia. The Ho Chi Minh Trail continues to bring supplies from the north into Vietnam. Even then, the communists can strike inside South Vietnam and retreat across the borders of Cambodia and Laos, where we are not allowed because they are 'neutral'. Neutral my ass. You heard what they have, you know, and they continue to bring the weapons, equipment, and everything they need into the country. Adding to that, we haven't even invaded North Vietnam! We could've invaded all these countries at the start of the war, with the American public still supporting it highly, and win the war quickly! Instead, Johnson has no balls and has lost the support. I wonder if Nixon has the balls, but I doubt the public will be able to withstand widening the war."

Mitch nodded. "I know Po, I know. I'm the one that knows that crap best; thanks for jogging it through my head the hundredth time."

Po laughed. "Glad to help."

Suddenly, the radio went crazy.

"They're everywhere!" They heard a GI yell.

Po put the radio to his ear. "Soldier, what's going on, over?"

"We're at Kunee Village! My platoon's getting hit by at least two thousand VC!"

"Hold your position and protect the civilians, we're on our way!" Po yelled, and put away the radio.

Mitch and Po ran to their troops barracks.

"Get your gear on! Get up!" Po yelled into each of the barracks, the troops hurriedly getting into their equipment and getting out of the barracks.

"Kunee Village is under siege by two thousand VC!" Po exclaimed. "We're going to go in there and hold the line while we evacuate the troops there and the civilians, and then get the hell out of there! Now get to your choppers! This is our last fight, gentlemen! Fight as those at Iwo Jima did! Go, go, go!"

The soldiers rushed to their helicopters, quickly getting into them. Po and Mitch got into Red's huey.

"I hope we'll get there in time." Red said nervously, the huey beginning to climb.

Po pulled out his radio. "Attention all forces! Fifty US troops are surrounded at Kunee Village by two thousand VC! My platoon and I are on our way now, but I request all forces available to evac the men there and the civilians, over!"

"This is Central Command at Saigon, roger; we'll do everything we can."

A/N: Please listen to "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber for this final battle.

The panda put up his radio, Mitch pulling out a cigarette and lighting it; the last cigarette of his life. Through the journey, the formation of helicopters finally saw the burning village come into view…and what seemed like the ground moving. They were actually the swarms of VC, camouflaged with leaves and vegetation and moving up towards the small number of defenders there.

Red fired four rockets into a mass of Vietcong, managing to kill them all and the other hueys raining down on the masses as well, being sure not to hit their allies and the village itself. Miniguns rained down on the Vietcong, as well as M60 door gunners. The hueys went lower, trying to land in the village as one huey was hit by an RPG.

The huey began to spiral in flames and exploded when it hit the ground, killing all inside of it. The helicopters only hovered over the ground, and the soldiers piled out. Terrified civilians were pulled on; until the helicopters were full, and then they took off to drop them off, then return for more.

"Set up the perimeter! Shoot everything you see!" Po commanded, everyone rushing to their posts.

The panda crouched behind a set of crates on the hill of the village, overlooking the jungle and the advancing Vietcong. He fired his M-16 into a mass of troops, dropping them all to the ground. Mitch went next to him, mounting the bipod and putting his left hand on the top of the gun to support it even more as he began to fire.

Kann emptied out his magazine, and then quickly reloaded a new one. He tossed a grenade into the Vietcong that killed five of them, and then began shooting with his M-16 once again. Tigerizza fired her rifle quickly, and then heard a "thunk" as a grenade landed next to her. Bravely, she grabbed the grenade and through it back at the Vietcong, killing four in the process, and then began to fight again.

Xueren hip-fired his M60 into the VC massing upon the village, while Jiraiya, Michael and Keelin opened fire with their rifles, all three killing an estimated twenty so far.

Koru, Kajirn, and Gravidal hit distant and important targets; taking out snipers, suicide bombers, and soldiers wielding RPGs.

A large formation of hueys sent to rescue the civilians arrived, piling in the civilians. Po left Mitch to fight the Vietcong alone while he ran into Tigress' house, finding her sitting at the table calmly with her parents.

"Po?" Tigress asked, shocked.

"Tigress, you and your parents have to get out of here now!" Po yelled.

"Thank you, Major." Ko-Ri said and helped his family out, Po covering them with his M-16.

They ran to Red's huey, and ordered him to take them back to the beach.

"Po, I won't let you die here!" Tigress yelled.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. And I'll see you again soon, Tigress; I promise." Po said and gave her a quick kiss, running back to his position next to Mitch while the helicopter took off.

The Americans were taking heavy casualties, although the Vietcong were suffering far greater losses. The Americans managed to hold on, holding the Vietcong at bay. Once all of the civilians were evacuated, Broken Arrow would be called, and every aircraft the United States had to offer would be at their aid.

The hueys returned, taking the last civilians with them.

"Mitch, make the call!" Po said, Mitch pulling out his radio while firing with one hand.

"Broken Arrow! I say again, Broken Arrow! Broken Arrow!" He shouted.

"Roger, Broken Arrow. First help will arrive in thirty seconds." An operator responded, and Mitch put up his radio.

They continued to battle, a GI diving onto a grenade and saving two of his comrades as he died. Mitch ran out of ammo, and reloaded another large belt of bullets, beginning to fire again.

"There's too many of them, Po!" Mitch yelled, the fearless warrior even concerned.

"Every air unit is en-route now; we'll be fine!" Po said, firing his M-16.

They soon heard the roar of jets, as they dropped napalm around the perimeter of the village. Vietcong were incinerated by the flames, but they continued to come in seemingly endless numbers.

A North American F-100 Super Sabre dropped its enormous cargo right in front of Po, and then screeched away. A Douglas A-4 Skyraider opened fire with its machine guns, and then dropped the napalm on those it left as it flew away.

Gunships provided fire from the air; Red's huey staying low to the ground and Mason firing out the side.

"Shit, Red's too low to the ground!" Mitch yelled.

Po pulled out his radio quickly. "Red, gain altitude! They'll shoot you out of the sky!"

"We're fine, Major Ping." Chase said. "We've got you're back."

Suddenly, they watched as the helicopter took several rounds from a machine gun, making the helicopter smoke. Red quickly fired rockets at the Vietcong who shot the helicopter, and though the windshield had bullet holes in it and so did the bottom of the helicopter, it was still flying fine.

"We got him; anyone hit?" Red asked, turning to Mason and seeing that he was alright.

He then turned to Chase, his eyes widening. The co-pilot was putting pressure on a chest wound that was now gushing blood down his chest.

"I'm done…Red." Chase said weakly. "I'm greased."

The wolf slumped over, Red trying to shake him and wake him up, but he was already dead.

"Chase is dead! Repeat, Chase is dead!" Red yelled.

Po stopped firing, letting the fact sink in. The co-pilot that had been there for him since Ia Drang had finally died while supporting him.

"Po, snap out of it!" Mitch yelled, shaking Po out of his trance. "We've still got Charlie here!"

Red continued to provide cover fire, though Chase was dead in the seat beside him. Mason was enraged, raining down hell on the Vietcong for their loss. Mitch's gun was smoking, and another wave of hueys arrived, gradually withdrawing the troops.

Soon, it was only Po, Mitch, Koru, Kann, Xueren, Michael, Kajirn, Gravidal, Jiraiya, Tigerizza, and Keelin. Two hueys touched down, the soldiers ride home besides Red.

"Go, we'll cover you guys!" Po said as he and Mitch continued to fire.

After wishing them luck, Xueren, Michael, Kajirn, Gravidal, and Keelin headed to the two helicopters. Po and Mitch turned to the others, who watched as the two helicopters left.

"Why aren't you guys getting the hell out of here?" Mitch asked.

"We've got your back." Tigerizza said, smiling.

Mitch smiled back at her, and nodded. The group set up their last defensive positions, Red gaining some altitude and hovering around the area, providing cover fire.

They fought bravely, and then a bullet went through Po's chest, making him yell and fall to the ground.

"Po!" Mitch yelled and dropped his M60, running to his fallen friend.

"Shit, took it right in the chest." Po said.

Napalm was dropped all around them, giving them a small break from the advancing Vietcong. Mitch and Koru grabbed Po by the shoulders and dragged him to Red's helicopter as it landed.

Mitch put him on a bench, and looked at the others. They were still engaged in fighting.

"Everyone, let's get out of here!" Mitch yelled, the group running to the helicopter and piling in.

Just as Mitch took a step into the helicopter, his radio went off.

"Merindus, sound off. This is General Hoả Phong." Tai Lung said on the radio.

"Yes general?" Mitch asked.

"The Vietcong are going to regroup and send everything that they've got at you; I'm coming in a helicopter myself to pick you up when they regroup; we have urgent matters to discuss once we get airborne." Tai Lung said.

"Roger, general." Mitch said, and the radio went static.

Mitch got off, everyone's eyes widening at what he was doing.

"What the hell are you doing, Mitch?" Po demanded, wincing.

"General Hoả Phong is coming to get me out by huey, and the VC are going to regroup soon. That will give me the break I need." Mitch said. "Take care of yourselves guys, and I'll see you back on the beach soon. Now get the hell out of here!"

Red nodded and the helicopter took off, Po watching as his friend vanished from view. Mitch picked up his M60 as three Vietcong breached the inner part of the village. He hip fired his machine gun, yelling as the enemies he killed dropped dead to the ground. He moved forward, spraying a long line of enemies and killing them all.

A lone Vietcong soldier snuck up behind him, and thrust a bayonet from his rifle into his back. Mitch grunted and spun around, drawing his machete and cutting off the head of the soldier that stabbed him. After he killed the soldier, he was shot in the leg, making him fall to his knees, and then through the shoulder.

He spun around, crouched, and shot down the ones that shot him. He heard the rumble of a huey's rotors, and knew that the general would soon be there to "pick him up".

The tiger panted from exhaustion, but kept fighting against the troops until they fell back to regroup, thinking there were still other Americans besides him there. Mitch stood up, smiling as he saw a huey landing in front of him. He sprinted to the side and opened the door to the helicopter, his eyes widening as he came face to face with Tai Lung.

The evil general grinned. "Hello, Merindus; it is time to tie up loose ends."

Mitch raised his gun to fire but was too late. The leopard had gotten out and kicked the gun out of his hands. The leopard pulled out a knife, and quickly thrust it into the tiger's stomach. Mitch wheezed and rolled to the ground, grasping the knife now sticking out of him.

He tried to get up, Tai Lung kicking him in the face and sending him back to the ground. Mitch laid on his back, breathing heavily.

"Goodbye, Major Merindus." Tai Lung said, pulling out his pistol.

He shot him in the chest, making Mitch wheeze and fall back, coughing up blood.

Tai Lung's grin widened, and he laughed evilly. "Congratulations, Mitch; you die for your country. It is only a matter of time before your friend dies for his as well."

"You'll never kill him." Mitch said, glaring up at him.

Devastator came out of the chopper, ready to finish Mitch but Tai Lung stopped him.

"Let the Vietcong hounds kill him. They'll mutilate him, strip him of his clothes, and behead him." Tai Lung said, the two of them getting back into the helicopter and flying away.

Mitch watched as it flew away, hearing the shouts of Vietcong preparing to finish him. He grabbed the knife that pierced him, and slowly pulled it out while he gritted his teeth through the pain. He pulled it out finally, throwing it to the ground and struggling up. He clasped the bullet wound on his chest with one hand and grabbed his M60.

Suddenly, the radio sounded off again.

"Major Merindus, this is Central Command; is everyone out of Kunee Village? We're ready to turn that place to glass with napalm."

Mitch took his hand off the wound and pulled out his radio. "Yes…sir. We're all out…drop when you're ready."

"Confirmed. ETA thirty seconds."

He threw his radio to the ground, and went to the center of the village, coming face to face with a long line of charging Vietcong. He yelled and opened fire, killing as many as he could. He managed to kill so many that they began to fall back and attack at a different point. Another bullet went through his stomach, making him cough more blood onto the ground and crouch over it.

A Vietcong soldier tried to finish him with a bayonet but he hit him with the butt of his gun and shot him while he was on the ground. Another wave came in, and he continued to fire, taking another bullet to his other leg, and making him fall to the ground.

Suddenly, the Vietcong began to retreat as they saw the jets approaching. Mitch picked himself up and grabbed his M60, looking at the approaching jets. The Vietcong fled, but they would not escape the sheer amount of explosives the jets would bring.

Mitch opened his locket and looked at Ryu's face, smiling at seeing her. He knew that he would never see her again. He closed the locket and grabbed his cross with one hand, squeezing it as they approached.

"Almighty God…" Mitch said. "…let your will…be done."

The jets dropped the bombs, and the village was consumed.

---

Po was taken back to the base, where he was put into a M*A*S*H*. Tigress was there, and held his hand as the doctors removed the bullet from his chest. He was moved to a bed with the rest of the recovering patients, talking with Tigress who sat on the side of the bed with him.

Kann, Tigerizza, and Koru walked in, solemn looks on their faces. Po's smile at seeing them faded.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Po asked.

"Mitch…he…he didn't make it." Kann said solemnly.

Po's eyes widened, and a tear went down his cheek. "No…no…no! He was going to get out! The general that was supposed to pick him up was Tai Lung…and he shot him. We weren't able to find a body."

"I'm sorry, Po." Koru said.

"God…why? I promised his wife…I promised her I would bring him back alive! God, why did I fail her?" Po said, sobbing into Tigress' chest as she tried to comfort him.

"He died like he said he would be proud to do; defending his country." Tigerizza said.

Po said nothing more that day, overcome with grief at the loss of his friend and the failure to bring him back home safely. Days later, he left the hospital and went home with the others to the United States. As the plane stopped on the runway, just as it had for Po and Mitch for two years…he was not with them. The back bay opened, each stepping out solemnly.

Ryu rushed to him, hugging the panda and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Where's Mitch?" She asked, smiling.

Po said nothing, a tear going down his eye.

Ryu's smile faded. "No…no…he can't be dead!"

"I'm so sorry, Ryu." Po said, Ryu embracing him and crying into his chest.

April 23, 1969.

One year later. The war escalated. Po went back to school, and managed to go to Medical School, still holding onto the guilt that he let his friend die. Then they came.

He walked down the street to his home, when a black limousine pulled up next to him. The window to the back rolled down, revealing a wolf.

"Major Ping, we need to talk." The wolf said.

"Who are you?" Po demanded.

"We'll explain; get in." The door opened, and Po slowly got in.

In the limo were two wolves; one was the wolf who just spoke to him, who wore a suit. The other was a colonel with a strange patch on his right arm.

"What is this all about?" Po demanded.

"My name is Johnston; I am an agent in the CIA. This is Colonel Brett, of the MACV SOG." The suited wolf said.

"Nice to meet you two." Po grumbled.

"We think you should have a look at this." Johnston said and handed him a folder.

Po took the folder and opened it. It read Mitchell Merindus. Age: 26 (last seen). Sex: Male. Affiliation: Green Beret.

Before he read on, Po glared at them. "Why are you making me read this? He is dead!"

"Read on." Colonel Brett said, crossing his arms.

He kept going. Status: Missing in Action. The panda's eyes widened, then went back to normal.

"You changed his status from KIA to MIA. You do know that they never found a body, so it makes sense that you did that. However, he was shot multiple times and had the fires of hell dropped on him; you're telling me that he survived?" Po yelled, throwing the folder to the ground.

Johnston smiled. "Then I presume you do not want to hear about 'the ghost', do you?"

Po stopped. "Go on."

"Shortly after your friend 'went missing', a mysterious soldier has been fighting alone in the jungles. He has brutally slaughtered the Vietcong and NVA; they call him 'The Ghost' for his lightning fast strikes. We have no idea who this guy is; he could be a rogue one of our soldiers, perhaps one of theirs, a mercenary, anything. But we believe that it could be your friend. Join the MACV SOG and you will go back to Vietnam and hunt down this 'Ghost'. It could be your friend, and if it is, there is no better candidate to bring him back to the United States. However, if you do join, you will not just do this mission; you will do many missions, thus being in another 'tour of duty', and if you find your friend, he as well. You have a choice; try and find your friend and help save your country from communism, or go on and forget about this chance, never knowing if he is still alive."

Po debated the decision, and then realized that he would go. He had to be sure he was dead. Knowing he had let down Ryu was eating him alive, and if he could bring him back, he thought he could correct his wrongs.

"I'm in." Po said. "But if this is not Mitch, and he is compromised, or if it is Mitch and he is compromised, what do I do?"

"Terminate him," Brett said. "With extreme prejudice."

End of Part I

A/N: Kunee falls and Po decides to return and try to find Mitch. This is the end of Part II, ushering in a more intense and more important set of chapters. Next chapter: The Ghost. Po returns to Vietnam to find Mitch or "The Ghost". What he finds will scare him. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!