Chapter 12

Po searched the landscape, the shifting soil and chucks of rocks and tree trucks had finally settled, allowing the panda and snow leopard to drop back down from their shelter, yet try as he might he could see no sign of Tigress. Pain and anguish tore at his heart as questions ran through his mind. Where was she? How badly was she hurt? How could he have allowed this to happen to begin with? He was suppose to be the Dragon Warrior, if he couldn't even keep one person safe from harm then what good was he.

He came to sudden stop as he felt a soft touch along the arm and heard Song whisper beyond his shoulder, "We should really get going. It may have stop raining but—"

In a flash, Po spun around clutching her by the throat, eye narrow with a luck a fury on his face, lips pulled back in a feral snarl and as he held her in a tight death grip, he causal lifted her off the ground and turned back around so that she now dangled over the cliff.

"You…" Po started, his voice filled with rage, "you have done absolutely nothing but tease and belittle Tigress since we started this quest. Don't pretend I haven't noticed it, and because of you she's out there badly hurt or worse. Now you give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you off to go find her the hard way."

Song held onto Po's wrist the whole time trying in vain to free herself, holding his gaze with one of extreme terror, but as she spoke there was no trace of fear. "I had no choice; I cannot help my family or the villager on my own. I need you Po, they need you. What is the cost of one life compared to so many?"

Po held his stance, expression never once shifted; fingers tighten ever so slowly around the snow leopard's neck. It would be so easy, just a simple twist of his wrist and he would have his revenge for what happened to Tigress, and yet he knew he would never be the same ever again. In all the years of his training, he had never taken a life, never once saw the need for it, even Tai Lung had mention so many time how proud he was of him in how he value all life…even those who dared to steal it from others.

He could not allow himself to fall so far, not like this.

Slowly, Po took several steps back lowering Song to the ground; he said not a word before turning back up the path, making his way back to his pack and pulled out a long rope. "Come on," he said as he turned back to glare at Song.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to find Tigress," he said plainly, "if you want my help in saving your friends and the village, then you're going to have to follow me."

"You can't be serious," Song snapped jumping to her feet. "There is no way Tigress could have survived a fall from this height."

A sly grin formed on Po face as he tied one end of the rope around a sturdy tree throwing the rest over the cliff. "If Tigress can endure all the heartache and torment she's suffered over the years, then a fall like this would be nothing to her."

Tigress awoke with a jerk and a sharp pain in her arm. Looking up she could see they were chained to a cave wall with strange looking cuffs attached to her wrist. She struggled at first attempting to pull free yet to her surprise her efforts proved useless and only succeed in causing more pain in her wrist. Taking a moment to steady herself, she took noticed of several thin needles around the inside of the cuffs that pricked her if she moved in any certain way.

"Pretty impressive uh?"

Tigress snapped her head to the source of the voice to see a group crocs standing in the cave opening.

"I swiped those cuffs from a local rhino guard who was sleeping on his watch," one of them said with a low chuckle, "don't know how it works but those there beauties are made to sap a person's strength to make them easier to cart off to prison."

Tigress found herself breathing a sigh of relief. "Well then you should be happy to know that I'm not a bandit, my name is Tigress, a student of the Jade Palace and if you kindly release me I'm sure Master Oogway will pay you handsomely for rescuing me."

The first croc came to stand before Tigress, an evil grin on his face as he knelt before her. "Well we so happen to be bandits and whoever said we were planning on rescuing you."

After reaching the bottom of the mountain side, Po began searching the area truly leaving no stone or tree unturned as he tossed them about calling out Tigress's name. Song for her own part merely stood back, arms across her chest looking very annoyed with the panda.

"Po please, enough. We've wasted too much time already. I've told you that we wouldn't find her, and even if you had…I don't think you would want to at this point. Now come on, we have to get a move on."

Though he hated to admit, the snow leopard was beginning to make sense. As a warrior he knew this life was not an easy path and there always the threat of being killed, but the notion was always too hard to bear. He slowly turned around, shoulders slump as the realization of turning his back on Tigress, someone he thought of as close friend. Though as he did, a strange glint flashed across his eyes causing him to stop. Raising an arm to block out the light, he turned to locate the source and his eyes open wide. Rushing over, he bent down to discover a small wooden block with a gold chain attached to it. "She's alive," he said proudly.

Song released an annoying gasp. "Not this again. How can you still be so naive? What could possibly make you think she's alive?"

"Because of this," Po said revealing the object.

Scoffing Song rolled her eyes. "Geez, a stupid wooden block. That's really impressive."

"It's not just a wooden block," Po said with a bold smile, "this is Tigress's domino piece, it's her most valuable treasure. She would never willing give this up without a fight." Turning back to where he found the block, he shifted the loose bits of leaves and pieces of wood about making out faint imprints in the muddy ground and a frown began to form at the sight of bits of green scales.

"Crocs."

"I'm telling you're making a huge mistake," Tigress said attempting to sound harsh though there was creak in her voice that reveal just terrified she felt. She had heard stories of slave traders and thugs like these mistreating females and horrors of what her future held flashed before her eyes. "You would be wise to simply trade me for an easy reward from Grand Master Oogway then try and sell me off and always have to look over your shoulder in fear wondering who might be hunting you. I have some powerful, highly trained friends, if they learn of this, not even the deepest hole in the ground will protect you from them."

The lead croc shifted his body, bringing his toothy muzzle so close to her face that his foul breathe ruffled her fur. "I'd like to see them try."

"Then you might want to turn around."

A sudden gasp ranged out from each croc bandit as they turned to face the entrance and low growl slipped through the bandit leader took sight of the giant panda.

"You," he growled standing up pointing a claw finger at him.

"Hello Fung," Po said in a causal manner, "how have you been?"

Fung reached for a mace swinging it about as if ready to pound someone. "You," he repeated, eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring, "you know my tail still hurts when it rains. You know how many times its rain this week?"

One of the crocs leaned in close to Fung whispering, "Well it is the rainy season."

"Back off Gary," Fung said with a low groan, "I'm having a moment."

"Oh right, well I'll be right over here," the croc said backing stepping though came back over adding, "and it's Gahri."

The snow leopard leaned in close to Po whispering, "What exactly did you do this croc?"

"The last time we fought, I grabbed him by the tail and when he turned on me, I managed to bring his tail in the path of his mouth just before he bit down."

A painful expression formed on the snow leopard's face as her tail swished sharply from side to side.

"Look Fung," Po said, the tone of his voice level yet a frown had taken shape, "I'm not really in the mood for a fight. So why don't you hand my friend over and we can go our merry way."

Fung took one more swing of the mace then turned his gaze beyond Po and the snow leopard, a sly grin forming on his face. "I would, but my little cause Lidong wouldn't like that."

"And just who is Lidong?"

A loud sudden thump sounded behind them, and Po glanced over his shoulder, having to tilt his head up in order to look in the eyes of the largest croc he's ever seen. Standing nearly two feet taller than him, bulking brute brought his hands up, giving his knuckles a loud crack which caused his plump biceps to flare slightly and smiled as he glanced down at Po saying a crude dimwitted tone, "Hi I'm Lidong."

"I knew this was a bad idea," the snow leopard said cringing behind Po, "I just knew it."

Po shifted to the side pushing against Song's shoulder just as Lidong swung a massive fist toward him. "You're a big one," he said with a sly grin, "but I've faced bigger."

The hulking croc narrowed his eyes, lips pulled back reveal thick sharp fangs and growled while saying, "No one is bigger than Lidong!" With that he swung his arm about, nailing Po across the stomach, sending him flying across the cave, knocking out several members of Fung's gang in the process. Fung looked on in shock, waving his arms about before taking hold of his spike helmet and tossed it the ground. "Ugh…Lidong, what I told you about taking out your own crew."

"Oops my bad cousin," Lidong said.

Shaking his head to clear the stars from his vision and rubbing the back of his neck, Po looked on with a bit woozy expression. "Whoa, big and thick as tree trunk. This might be a bit challenge," he paused as he took note of the crocs he was laying on, patting one on the back saying, "Say thanks for breaking my fall Gahri."

Among the lump of crocs a hand rose up followed by a grumbled, "Don't mention it."

Pushing himself off from the crocs, Po took on a firm fighting stance, arms up with one palm held open while the other was in a tight fist. "Alright Jumbo let's try that again."

Lidong growled as shifted to stand before the panda. "My name is Lidong!"

With that he took another swing at Po aiming for his face and yet the panda was ready this time, shifting his outstretched arm about to deflect the attack countering with one of his own, landing a solid blow to the massive croc's exposed shoulder causing him to stagger back a step. Lidong growled coming at Po once more, this time spinning around to use his tail like a whip. At the last instance Po flipped over the croc's tail shifting the weight of his body so that he drove the back of his foot crashing down upon Lidong's head. The blow left the massive croc staggered yet to Po amazement was still on his feet.

As Lidong rubbed the portion of his muzzle where Po kicked, he narrowed his eyes upon the panda, fire burning in his eyes. "That hurt."

"Okay I guess this is going to be even a bigger fight than I thought," Po said moving back into his stance.

Tigress looked on with annoyance as Po and Lidong fought trading one blow for another. She felt so completely helpless with these cuffs about her wrist cutting off her strength. A part of her felt a bit giddy thinking back to all the times she wished she had never been cursed with such power. She struggled a few more times hoping that it would loosen the bolt nailed into the wall to where she could be of some use to Po but it was no good. Sighing deeply, Tigress slump down along the ground figuring that he best option would be for her to wait for Po to save her.

She heard a soft thumping sound and glanced over to see Song slipping along the shadows toward her. The sly grin on her face boiled her blood, but was a bit happy to see her. Moving past Fung who was busy watching the fight, the snow leopard crept forward until she came to knelt beside Tigress and pulled out a small scrap of cloth from within her vest.

"Took you long enough," Tigress whispered through clenched teeth.

"You try tracking a group of crocs and a lone wayward tiger after a mudslide." Song replied in kind. She then unrolled the cloth revealing a set of picks of various widths. Picking out two of them she went work on the cuffs. "Just be lucky that big panda over there cares so much for you."

He cares about me? She thought turning her attention back to Po.

Lidong was driving Po along the length of the cave with series of punches and tail swings. From a simple glance it looked as though the huge croc held the upper hand, yet as Tigress took a closer look she could tell that Po had the advantage. True Lidong was twice Po's size in terms of height and muscle, but Po was more agile relying on his training to stay one step ahead of the croc while at the same tiring the big lug out. After a few more swings, in which Lidong clearly missed, a smile formed on Po's face as well as Tigress knowing full well that the panda had him right where he wanted him.

Po took a step back eyeing Lidong with a sly grin waiting for the croc to make the next move. The croc was breathing hard, shoulders slump, clinching and relaxing his hands several times. "I'm getting tired of this stupid game. I'm going to crush you."

"That's funny," Po said, "and here I thought you were trying to crush from the very beginning."

Lidong seemed to regain more of his strength, eyes narrow lips bulled in a feral snarl then brought his hand back and drove it toward Po with the full intent of driving the panda into the ground.

Yet at the last moment, Po shifted his arms about, took a firm grip of the croc's arm twisted around, pulling against Lidong's arm, using the croc's own strength and mass against him to hurl him over his shoulder while at the same time flexing his muscles to increase the force of his action so that when he finally slammed the croc into the ground the blow sent him several feet into the hard stone floor.

Lidong laid completely motionless, only the subtle groan showed that he was still alive. Po stood beside the massive croc, giving him a few soft taps with his foot before slumping over, breathing hard. "Man he's heavier than I thought." He then turned to face Fung taking on more firm stance. "Well then where we were? Oh yeah that's right you were about to let my friend go."

Fung looked on in shock though shook his head several times to glare at Po with a fierce expression. "As if, you have no idea how much money I'm making on this deal, I'm not about to walk away…they'll kill me."

Just then, a fur hand took hold of his shoulder and shoved him up against the far wall. The sudden blow left him daze and blinked several times before looking on in terror as he gazed into the narrow amber eyes of Tigress. "I don't really know who might have hired you and your lugs. But if you're afraid of what they might do to you," she paused as to causally lift Fung off the ground, "then maybe you should start to think about what I might do to you."

Tigress was trembling as she left the cave, blinking as rays of sunlight caught her in the eye. She never felt more scared in all her life. First the mudslide that nearly took her life and those of two poor goats, and then getting caught by the crocs who threaten to do god know what. But it wasn't just that that terrified her, it was the notion she had almost lost control of her emotion once more. She wanted to hurt Fung, hurt him in such a means that he would never dare lay a hand on anyone ever again.

She shuddered as she felt something soft took hold of her and glanced over her shoulder to see Po gazing into her own. Those jade eyes glittered in the sun light and a look of worry covered his face. "Are you alright? I was really worried about you Tigress. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you."

"Do you…" she stammered unable to keep the fear out of her voice, "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," he said with a boyish grin, "I mean we're friends right."

Tears flowed from her eyes, brought a hand to lips to hid the look of anguish and before she knew what she was doing, Tigress turned on Po wrapping her arms around him in tender embrace, and at that moment she didn't care who ever might see or know that she has feeling for him, right now all she wanted for someone to hold her and keep her safe, and she was pleased when she felt Po return the gesture.