The melancholy tune that Mantis was tapping on the bars of his little cage was cut short when Sao strode into the central hall. Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Mei Ling all looked up as the fox made his way up to Long Feng, who was poring over a small map at the table. "Sir, we've searched half the palace. No sign of the panda so far, but we're still looking."

"Good. It's only a matter of time, now." Long Feng did not look up from the map.

"Sir, you don't look well."

"Any word on Ember or the creature?" Long Feng spoke her name like it was a curse.

"Izumi is on her way. I should warn you, she does not look happy."

Mantis peeked through the bars at the rhino. Long Feng had broken a sweat, and his thick hand was a fist as he clutched the map. Sao's right. Long Feng's been on edge for hours.

"Got him." Mei Ling whispered suddenly.

"Huh?" the boys asked.

"That croc in the corner by the archway. He's got our keys."

She gestured with a finger. They all looked and saw which soldier she was talking about.

"That's great, except he's way over there and we're chained to a pillar." Mantis muttered.

"Well, one thing at a time." Mei Ling replied.

At that moment Izumi entered, followed closely by several soldiers and the masked man. They'd rushed into so quickly that three other soldiers, including the croc, were knocked aside before they could move. With a face like thunder Izumi stopped before Long Feng and Sao. "With all due respect, general, was there anything you didn't tell me about this creature?"

"Nothing. Your guess is as good as mine!" Long Feng said impatiently. "What the hell happened?"

Along with his friends, Mantis listened as Izumi explained how she and her team had succeeded in sealing the creature and the Dragon Warrior in their trap in the prison, only for them both to escape.

"They got out?" Long Feng asked, his voice rising with every word. "You locked them in and they got out?!"

"Don't blame me! Somehow the creature deactivated the defence system! Before we could restart it that monster and the panda escaped!"

Long Feng rolled up the map and slammed it on the table, startling the nearest soldiers. "Sao, go straight to the prison at once and find that panda! "

Sao didn't move. "Sir, we are in over our heads! You have to speak to Lady Hei Nuwang and ask for her help!"

Long Feng turned away, muttering under his breath. "I bet she released them. Ember..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Just go!"

As Sao left, Izumi stepped closer. "Sir, I have another plan to catch that monster, but I'm going to need a few things."

"Well?"

While Izumi leaned into Long Feng's ear and spoke softly, Mantis's attention was drawn to the group of soldiers which had stopped close to their pillar. One in particular caught his eye, standing a mere three feet from them. In a moment the soldier glanced at him. Mantis saw a pair of amber eyes above the mouth cover and started grinning like an idiot.

Izumi stepped back from Long Feng. "Do I have your permission?" She asked.

"Do whatever you want, so long as you don't let it escape again!"

Izumi saluted him and turned back to her soldiers. "We're leaving."

The masked man muttered unhappily as he and Izumi led the soldiers out. No-one but Mantis noticed the amber eyed soldier flick their wrist. A tiny object sped through the air in a faint blur that only Mantis's keen eyes could see, and he caught it as it flew through the bars of his cage. He quickly hid it behind his back, the key that the soldier had procured from the croc as they bumped into him, and watched said soldier leave the hall with their comrades.

Thanks a bunch, Tigress.

He was about to stealthily stick the key in the lock of his cage when he noticed the paper wrapped around it. Upon unrolling he found it to be a tiny hand drawn map of the palace grounds. A building he recognised as the library had been circled, and someone had written a short message next to it.

The royals are being held here. Help them.


In the royal library that stood north of the guard tower, Emperor Xian was flabbergasted. He'd been taken prisoner by the rogues who had taken over his city. He'd been chained up along with his family and tied to a column in the middle of the cavernous room. None of those things had stunned him more than this.

If any guards were in the room, he would have asked them this. "Alright, I understand that orders are orders, and you were ordered to invade my city, hold me hostage, and basically throw your weight around like the thugs you are. I understand that perfectly. By why... why exactly is he here?"

And then he would have pointed at the goose with the noodle bowl hat who had been chained between him and Haoxin De Nushi. They'd brought in Mr. Ping some time ago and put him with the others, giving no explanation as to how and why they'd abducted him. At least Haoxin was happy to see him, and they'd exchanged a few kisses and starting talking non-stop since the guards had left. Xian didn't bother stopping them. Considering their current predicament, they had nothing better to do. At least Zan seemed to be taking his captivity well, looking perfectly comfortable sitting next to his anxious mother, Zu Chunhua. As for his adopted grandson, Lu Kang, thank heavens Xian had sent him out of the city to visit a friend before the invasion began. He doubted that the Children of Nuwa would go after him, not when they already had the emperor himself in their clutches.

Speaking of guards, Xian was starting to think that they had been gone a long time. As emperor, he was the most valuable hostage in the city, so Long Feng would be mad to not have him guarded at all times. The guards who brought Mr. Ping in had left immediately after they'd heard a commotion outside, but had yet to return. Something wasn't right. He just knew it.

"What about Di Tan Master Eagle?" Mr. Ping asked after Haoxin was unable to inform him of Po's whereabouts. "Are they alright?"

"I do not know." Haoxin replied with distress. "We have not seen them since the palace was taken. Besides, it is Master Eagle Jr."

"Oh, of course!" Mr. Ping would have smacked himself on the forehead if it weren't for the chains. "I hope they're alright."

"Me too. Mr. Ping, what on earth are you doing here?"

Mr. Ping had already explained how he was abducted from his noodle shop ten days ago, so he cut right to the chase. "As leverage against my son. Apparently my son has escaped."

Xian smiled for the first time since his imprisonment. Maybe all was not lost.

"What about Grandmaster Beetroot and the Five?" Haoxin asked.

"What about Tigress?" Zan called from the other side of the pillar.

"All missing, from what I overheard." Mr. Ping replied. "It's an absolute mess. If it gets any worse I'll have another heart attack!"

"Mr. Ping! Do not speak like that!" Haoxin exclaimed. "The last thing we need is your heart condition making a comeback!"

"Your what condition?" Zan asked with a little less levity.

"Nothing, dear." Haoxin said quickly. "Speaking of which, Mr. Ping, you are still feeling alright, aren't you?"

"Like a million freshly boiled noodles." Mr. Ping assured her. "Honestly, my lady, I'm fine."

"I am sorry for being such a fusspot, but after my own sickness, I worry about you."

Xian grimaced. The day Haoxin had been diagnosed with a terminal heart condition had been a dark day for all of them. It had been two years before the fire. Haoxin had collapsed during a Xian and his beloved Yujin's wedding feast. She'd been given two months at the most to live. A day later a miracle had happened. She'd sprung up out of bed and eager to prepare for her daughter's fifth birthday, To this day no doctor had been able to explain her recovery, but Xian would be forever thankful to the gods that had seen fit to let her live. After the loss of his family, Haoxin had been like the mother he never had.

The doors opened at last, and in walked Izumi, the masked panther, and a dozen soldiers. They stopped dead. "Where the hell are the guards?" Izumi asked.

"Don't ask us, we're in chains." Xian replied snidely.

"Where are they? Spit it out, blue blood!"

"Take these chains off and I'll tell you."

Izumi and the masked panther shared a troubled look, and Xian knew his earlier suspicions were correct. Something had gone wrong.

Izumi's expression hardened and she approached the captives with a set of keys. "Come on, your highness. It's time to make yourself useful."


Po was almost out. After escaping the prison trap of blinding purple evil, he'd dived face first into an empty barrel in the corridor outside, and stayed as still and silent as possible as Izumi and her brainwashed thugs scoured the prison for their lost quarry. Eventually the corridor fell silent, and after five minutes with no sign of Izumi, her soldiers, the masked man or the creature, Po climbed back out.

Well, he would have if his butt could make it past the head hoop. He wiggled his legs, twisted his hips, and pushed at the bottom, but all he achieved was a painful tumble on his side.

"Ow. Great. Ow." At least now he could punch out the bottom with both fists. It was a tight squeeze, but ultimately he pulled himself free. After giving the barrel a small kick for his trouble, Po continued on his way. He met no soldiers or monsters when he reached the wide, darkly lit stairs leading out of the prison and into the bottom of the guard tower. Po saw high they went, so high he couldn't see the top of the shaft, and crossed his arms. "We meet again." He huffed and puffed and started to climb.


Sutoraiki gazed at the weapon in Lady Hei Nuwang's paws with genuine interest. It looked nothing like that of a traditional knife. It looked to be made of pure white crystal, with black-blue flecks in the sharp edge of the blade. His mistress had walked into the laboratory with the knife just as Sutoraiki was relabeling the needles containing all the chi he used in his experiments.

"My lady, if I may be so bold, that is no ordinary knife, is it?"

"Oh, so you noticed." Hei Nuwang said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She did not look happy.

"I heard about the situation in the city. I'm sure General Long Feng has it under control."

"And what if he doesn't? Remember what happened last time a general of ours went up against that bi-" She stopped and all emotion disappeared from her face. "I just don't want a repeat incident. Anyway, I came here to tell you that I am leaving for the Imperial City to deal with the situation myself, and I don't know when I will return."

"I know you will return quickly."

"Until I come back you are to continue your work. If there is anything you need, talk to my colleague."

"I will, mistress. Good luck."

Sutoraiki nearly asked about the knife again, but Hei Nuwang was already gone.


With one last, shuddering gasp, Po dragged himself through the open trapdoor at the top of the stairs and sprawled himself on the floor. "Dragon Warrior... one... Stairs... zero."

He turned over, grabbed a helmet off a paralysed soldier, and threw up into it. Then he realised what he was lying next to and jumped to his feet.

Po counted four of them, all lying frozen on the floor, still holding their blades and spears. He hoped the crazy dragon lady who did this wasn't still here.

Just to make sure he'd entered the right guard tower, Po found the nearest window in the wide room full of barrels and looked out. There was his destination, the central building, right next door to Po's tower. This was definitely the place, he thought with relief. He noticed something else. The sun, slowly sliding down the darkening sky that still shed its embers. Hadn't Top Dog said something about-

Po groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had totally forgotten about Ember's plan to launch an attack on the royal palace at sundown. Hadn't that been the original plan? To wait until sundown and use the attack as a distraction while he looked for his friends? True, Ember had woken him up hours before then, but if he had still waited, then he wouldn't have had to worry his butt off about being spotted. The soldiers would have been too busy fighting Ember's glassy eyed citizens.

"You stupid little idiot." Po muttered. Once, just once, could things just go in his favour?

"Hey! Who you callin' little?"

Po heard an explosion of wood. One of the nearest barrels had been blasted apart. In its place stood Mantis with a big grin on his face.