[A/N]
Hello everyone! I'm back with another one-shot!
This one has a slightly different setting from the ones I have done traditionally. I have decided to separate this work from the original plotline of Kung Fu Panda 2 by allowing the Tower of the Sacred Flame to stand as the Furious Five botched their attempt at escaping the tower… you'll see why this is important later.
Alright, I shall stop rambling and allow you to read this one-shot… I hope you enjoy the introduction!
Flakes of burning ember descended to the floor like a vicious torrent. Their target, the previously vibrant factory was filled with screams of Shen's wolf army as the cannons came to a screeching halt on the conveyor belt. The wolves desperately attempted to push the cannons to safety but their objective was proven futile. Shen demanded the wolves retreat immediately as the factory was consumed by a mighty flame.
Tigress, alongside the Furious Five, were keen to make an escape… but alas, they were cut short when the general of the army, Wolf Boss, sacrificed his own life in the honour of Shen as the factory collapsed above them. His action proved to be effective, immediately trapping them in a fiery pile of rubble and debris as the wolf perished and the minds of the Furious Five were wiped of all feeling and emotion as their consciousness ceased.
An agonising set of minutes later, Tigress had managed to drag herself near the edge of the rubble. The cackle of that genocidal peacock was becoming too much for her to bear as Shen had demanded an immediate excavation of the fallen factory. Her heart pounded through her chest as her breathing quickened in pace. She silently repulsed a drop of blood from her mouth as she crawled forward, catching sight of the ill-witted peacock through the shroud provided by the surrounding dust.
"Those responsible for this act, those who foolishly attempted to stand in my way… their body shall be melted down to its bone as they will taste pain far greater than I have ever experienced," Shen's maniacal cackling only grew louder as Tigress observed the wolves digging closer. In an act to save her own life, she crept back as far as possible and watched in absolute horror as every individual member of the Furious Five were dug free, relentlessly beaten and shoved into an insultingly small cage.
The feline decided she would not stand for this, her code of honour blinded her too much for her to see that she was essentially conducting a suicide mission. As Shen peered around the rubble, Tigress emerged from the dust and immediately threw a large brick at the peacock's head; Shen merely laughed as he drew his guandao and pointed it in the direction of the emerging tiger.
"Out of all of them, I can tell you're stronger… more so than that stinking panda. I can tell your destiny was ripped away from you long ago…" Shen's metal talons grazed beautifully against the debris-filled pathway, Tigress growled in response to his arrogance.
"Unlike you, I learned long ago that swallowing the past will allow you to stride into the future. This panda was destined to be an obstacle for you. Shen, you are unable to avoid the responsibilities of tomorrow by dodging them today," Tigress hissed back, entering a defensive stance. "I hope that weapon isn't for show… this battle is going to be good."
"There will be no battle, sweetheart… for I have already won," Shen smirked evilly as a nearby wolf delivered a clubbing blow to the striped feline's head, rendering her immobile but still able to see and hear. "You will make a fine collection to my throne room, unlike the others, you posess spirit, courage and bravado. It will be nice to watch you suffer as the blade that dictates that panda's fate draws closer to his neck… place her in her own separate cage, I'm going to require some entertainment before I hunt down this panda and this war draws to a close…"
Dashishen proudly presents…
Trapped – A Kung Fu Panda one-shot.
Her words echoed throughout his mind like a perpetual lullaby, except it haunted him as he further delved into his thoughts. Po was sat limply in the corner of the cell which housed Ferocious Master Croc and Master Storming Ox. Storming Ox couldn't believe that the panda could look so hopeless and he began to wonder… is this it?
"The hardcore do understand… but I can't watch my friend be killed," Her limp release of his shoulder as she looked towards her comrades with a rekindled flame burning deep within her fiery eyes. 'But what if you get killed?' That same statement, repeated endlessly within Po's mind as the golden sun faded into dusk and eventual darkness. Master Ox and Croc attempted to provide sympathy for the distressed panda but their words were ineffective at damming the river of melancholy that flowed throughout Po's body.
Po swore he was about to enter another breakdown, as was becoming a routine for him after he reached out for an epiphany… but it seemed as if he had exhausted himself of his emotions. As a result, a new idea formed within his mind. The Dragon Warrior hated the idea of going against the words of his comrade, idol, most importantly, best friend. The fact Tigress accepted Po as her friend was a relief for the panicked panda's mind, the thought of losing her; alongside the very thing he worked so hard to attain ever since entering the Jade Palace, was overbearing to his mind.
The Dragon Warrior slowly rose to his feet, greatly impressing both Storming Ox and Master Croc as they hadn't seen Po move any muscle besides his arms to clear his tears in several hours. His paw softly grazed across the wall as he stabilised himself. After shaking his head, he observed the orange glow that lit up the faces of the two legends of kung-fu that stood before him… they looked as they were upset, but an untamed flame was beginning to wake up within.
Their thoughts raced as Po stumbled over to the bars to lock eyes with the torch that rested a few inches away on the wall of the opposite cell, after staring for what seemed to be an endless amount of time, a long-awaited epiphany finally entered his fragile mind.
"We must escape… I didn't come this far to dishonour kung-fu," Po mumbled as he turned his attention to Ox, who was rattled by his words as his facial expression grew into one of astonishment. "I don't come to seek revenge for myself, I merely wish to gift the people with the justice they have patiently waited for."
After a lengthy pause, Storming Ox huffed and was almost on the verge of laughter, despite painfully watching the panda cry his eyes out for an eternity.
"You're insane…"
"Or do I wish to do the right thing..?" Po responded to the ox's ignorance, his face beginning to light up as fireworks in the form of ideas and motivation filled his mind. "Listen. I've looked up to both of you since I was a tiny little panda cub, we all hit low points… you've watched me sulk for the past few hours- I'd consider that reaching rock bottom. However, as with every pit we encounter, there is always a way out…"
"Kid, with all due respect… we aren't going to waste our time planning an escape when it's improbable that a rope can reach this low," Ferocious Croc stated, doubt filling his eyes as he pensively peered into the eyes of the panda from the stone slab that he was calling a bed.
"Improbable, but not impossible…"
"What are you leading to, panda?" Storming Ox's head lifted as his curiosity was further aroused.
"We break out… using force!"
"You think we haven't tried tha-" Storming Ox was cut off by Po.
"I've seen the marks… you guys have made dents, but the guards have most likely stood in your way before you made a breakthrough. I haven't seen any guards in several hours, I think we have a potential way out!"
"You're saying… throughout all of that sulking, you were secretly observing your surroundings?" Ferocious Croc was forced to his feet in astonishment.
"I may have hit a low point… this is a low point for all of us- but I will always remain an optimist!" Po's voice became louder and more pronounced as his posture rose alongside his spirits. "Students under Master Thundering Rhino… it's time for us to break free!"
"How?" Ferocious Croc's question was repelled by the panda as he forced himself into the bars. After the bars groaned and warped, they eventually submitted to the panda's weight, creating a sickening clang alongside a thud from a panda who landed on the opposite side.
"You made it look easy when you broke into our cell… no wonder you could break out," Storming Ox remarked as he exited the cell and the hallway for the first time in several days. "I thought the air would smell better…"
"Trust me, it's better once you get outside," Po declared as the two kung-fu legends halted his obvious movements towards the exit.
"Patience! We must be wary of wolves that still guard this place… we may have made it out of our cells but I do not want to end up back where I started!" Storming Ox continued to hold Po back as he looked for an alternative exit, his eyes met with a half-open door that led to a supply room of sorts. After sharing collective nods, the trio slowly crept to the door and slowly opened it… exposing an alternative route to the outside world in the process.
"Seems like the panic incited by your friends has opened up new opportunities for us… we must seize these opportunities before our window closes-" Croc was interrupted when Po let off a slight chuckle.
"Haha, yeah, because I'm going to fit through that" Po pouted as he pointed towards a window that appeared to be cracked open. Storming Ox stared blankly at Po before gesturing towards Ferocious Croc to investigate the window.
"If Ox can fit through, so can you!" He hollered as he slid out of the window with ease. Storming Ox huffed as he tried his best to slip out of the window with finesse. Instead, he ended up ripping the window off its frame and caused it to slam into the floor. Luckily for him, the glass and wooden frame managed to maintain their form and Po was able to stealthily escape Gongmen Jail shortly after.
"Now what?" Storming Ox asked whilst gazing at the panda with a hollow stare, almost as if he was being intentionally dense.
"We free the five, prevent Shen from reaching the harbour and restore peace to Gongmen City!"
Unknown Compound – Lord Shen's throneroom – Tower of the Sacred Flame…
"Well, well, well… looks like someone decided to keep me waiting," Shen delivered a menacing smile to the feline, who happened to still be making sense of the very reality that confronted her.
After her vision focused and she could see Shen holding up a red lantern, she attempted to rush towards him and strangle him… only to realise that she was bound to the inside of the cage thanks to the chains that lined her paws and her body. Tigress struggled further and further, with every push, her movements became weaker as she felt herself shrink into her former and frail self. It almost felt as if she was reliving the very childhood she had escaped from thanks to the kindness of Master Shifu, being locked away, restrained and fed meagre rations.
"I'm going to make myself very clear. I am not here to perform any disgusting deeds on your body, quite honestly, the guards who do that around here are decaying souls and I should fire them. The reason I have isolated you from the others is simple, psychological torture…" Shen grinned and unleashed a demonic laugh as he continued pacing around the cage, Tigress's dazed expression was soon repulsed by one filled with rage. "I don't care enough to read about your history… but judging by your leadership position and dedication to this futile kung-fu, it's clear you have had a rough past and have confided within the art in an attempt to better yourself; only to realise that act was one of the worst mistakes you could've ever made."
Tigress growled and unleashed a roar as she made more futile attempts to leave the involuntary hell that she had been placed in. No matter how much progress she seemingly made, the chains that lined her body would simply tighten as she was forced back to her original position.
"You, alongside all of your friends… are destined to be a part of something beautiful, so long as you cooperate," Shen slammed his talons into Tigress's thigh, drawing a small amount of blood. "You will tell me where this panda is and you will be freed, if not… you're merely choosing to delay the inevitable whilst simultaneously proving your love for him," Shen's last statement caused Tigress to blush amidst her crisis.
"What? Didn't think I knew? I may be a genocidal maniac but even I can pick up on something as petty romance. I already knew you would be the hardest to break from the beginning… but I will hopefully have my ways with the others before I can allow you to rot, knowing your little panda lover is going to be the next head mounted onto my wall," Shen's statement sent shivers through Tigress as he retracted his talons from her thigh, causing those drops to become a steadily flowing river of blood before the peacock lazily strapped a cloth onto the wound and turned to blow out the lantern; only to face interruption from the feline that lay trapped in the cage.
"I may look like the most intimidating one… but I know the others uphold a high standard of honour. The last thing they will do is crack under pressure, especially if that pressure comes from you," Tigress verbally spat at the peacock as shock filled his face, prompting him to turn back towards the rebellious feline. "You have declared victory early, you have won the battle, but not the wa-"
"Oh, clam it! Everyone has used the same bravado on me… all of my opponents, purged of their existence. You're no different, your death will only echo louder than the ones before you," Shen snapped. Tigress maintained a cold expression but deep down, the peacock greatly terrified her and even brought some negative memories about her past to the surface.
"Your past only consists of pity… Po will be the one that either ends your existence or has mercy on you by allowing you to reflect on it for all of the time you spend in a cell, just like this one…"
"That's cute… you're using the panda's name as leverage against me. You know nothing of my past. You are oblivious to the past I have with kung-fu masters, the past I have with my parents and most importantly… the past I have with pandas.
"Oh, is that why you wish to nail his head to your wall? All because of some one-dimensional prophecy? Shen, the future cannot be laid out for you. I have struggled through decades of my life and that lesson is a lesson that is burned into my mind for eternity… I was mistreated as an orphan, mistreated as a daughter and mistreated as a warrior," Tigress's comments stunned Shen as he allowed his focus to break. "Ever since that panda… he has a name, Po. Ever since Po came into my life, my heart has been filled with light that I cannot describe, a beaming light that has lifted me from the depths of darkness. His heart as inspired me, your treatment of me inside of this prison will feel no different to those who have treated me with horror before."
"Do you really think I'm going to listen to a kung-fu master such as yourself… no matter how depressing your backstory may be, Master Tigress… there will always be one that outcompetes yours."
"Why would I ever wish to compete with someone because they share a darker past than I do? I didn't become a kung-fu warrior to tame some past demons… I became a kung-fu master because that is all I knew growing up as a girl. You're being awfully hypocritical too, I still see the way you wield that guan-dao. You had to compensate for your weak and fragile form by creating weapons of mass destruction; weapons that you could use to inflict damage to others whilst compensating for your own weaknesses," Tigress exhaled a huge amount, she couldn't believe she was attempting to belittle her own enemy, but it appears to be working in her favour.
"That's right… my past was awful," Shen admitted, his head falling low as he added hyperbole to every movement. "However, I consider the past to be a burden at best. I am no longer working on behalf of my past… I am working on my future as a lord! Meanwhile, you work as a mindless slave for those masters at the Jade Palace. Little kitten, you have a great amount of strength, strength that requires an immense amount of patience to tame. Yet your mental fort begins to crumble as you begin to realise that you are no longer doing this on behalf of that Master Shifu; you are doing this on the behalf of the Dragon Warror," Shen brought the lantern blindingly close to the tiger's amber eyes, all she could do is allow her ears to fall as the albino peacocks maniacal grin and articulate feather design fill her eyesight.
"I dare that panda to come and rescue you… perhaps it will provide me with some entertainment once I behead you alongside him. Ah, a true tale of love, reunited minutes before death and despair ensues! Be grateful, young kitten… for this entrapment is merely an act of mercy; on behalf of that panda as well as yourself…" Shen trailed off, his talons scraping across the floor and echoing across the room. He blew out the lantern before seemingly locking the large door that held Tigress alongside the cell she was trapped in.
"Trapped, tortured and left to rot… this is not how I expected my life to end," Tigress's eyes lit up once she remembered that Po was still alive and well, she had forced Po into hiding alongside Croc and Ox. "Po… where ever you may be, if you land somewhere safe, if you take down Shen or are forced to run. Just know that I- I love you. I look forward to our reunion, whether it be in the Spirit Realm or the Mortal Realm," Tigress expressed her thoughts into the thin air as she collapsed into a puddle of sorrow, unable to bear her emotions.
Shen may have been many things, but he was a strategic genius for breaking Master Tigress… even if he didn't have the satisfaction of being in her presence when she finally broke.
At the gates leading to the Tower of the Sacred Flame – Po, Ferocious Croc and Master Ox – Gongmen City…
"Seems like Shen raised the alarm!" Po hollered in the direction of the kung-fu legends that were fighting alongside him. Wolves began to pile up as the forsaken wolf that had brought his past demons to light as well as taunted him began leading a charge to surround them. Po looked back and saw the crater that he had created alongside Wolf Boss many hours prior as he came into earshot.
"It seems like you've come back to feel the fangs… awh, how cute, you brought your friends!" Wolf Boss taunted, his steely eyes penetrating the soul of Po as he aimed his blade at Po, Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc.
"It'll take a lot more than worthless bravado to get through us, wretched beast!" Storming Ox bellowed back as the circle of wolves began closing in on them, forcing the warriors to come together, back-to-back.
"I admire the tenacity! Unfortunately for you, it won't be enough to prevent you from going straight where you belong… the beheading station, especially you, panda," Wolf Boss alongside several of his disciples unleashed unhinged laughter as they crept closer to the panda. "You've caused our lord a great amount of trouble… but today, you will finally repent for your acts. We've already got the rest of your allies. Most importantly, we're holding your tiger girlfriend!" Wolf Boss was preparing to cackle but his laugher was cut short when Po delivered a vicious kick to his tenders, forcing the wolf to the floor.
"I think I'm done dealing with your mouth… it's time for you to feel the thunder!" Po readied himself for battle as did Ox and Croc. The wolves' throats began to emit trembling growls as they drew their weapons, prepared for combat.
After an awkward minute of standing off with one another, Wolf Boss eventually regained his footing and ignored the panda, instead choosing to creep closer to Ferocious Master Croc.
"You understand this life… being a bandit, working for the lords that'll pay you the right amount of money. Why are you working for roy-AAH!" Wolf Boss had unexpectedly crept too close to the crocodile and after wearing out his welcome, Ferocious Croc picked him up with his tail and slammed him into a nearby group of wolves, formally beginning the fight.
"Get them all, none of them should be left standing!" Wolf Boss commanded as he wisely decided to stay back and wait until the panda exhausted himself. His luck has officially run out when Po and the duo of kung-fu legends cleared through his first horde of wolves. Wolf Boss cringed in horror when Po glared at him with untamed blades being thrown into his soul, the panda was filled with a raging storm filled with determination and outrage. His mindset was still in the right place, he wasn't set on revenge for himself or his ancestors… his focus lay on his friends and more specifically, Master Tigress.
Po's rush of energy began to wear off after he cleared the second wave. The Dragon Warrior had successfully deflected countless arrows and disarmed two dozen wolves. Thanks to his exhaustion, Po had become slightly unorthodox and began using the weapons dropped by his fallen enemies as a way to defend himself, a tactic that Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc caught onto and adopted so they could avoid being beheaded on the spot.
The Dragon Warrior was temporarily distracted when a blunt object flew his way as Wolf Boss decided he had enough. It was time for him to finish the fight and his blade clanged against the stone-brick pavement as a clear reminder that he was no longer here to fight, he was here to kill. Po and Wolf Boss locked eyes, the panda had a brief flashback to the time in which he was a child stuck in that radish basket… however, he was finally able to shake himself free of that memory as he regained focus and Wolf Boss's blade came crashing down mere inches away from his face.
Po delivered a kick to the abdomen of the wretched wolf whilst tossing his weapon aside, distracting several incoming wolves in the process. Storming Ox was busy ramming the gates leading into the courtyard surrounding the tower when a nearby arrow missed his horns by mere millimetres. Conveniently for the decorated student, the arrow found itself penetrating the lock; therefore making Ox's job a thousand times easier as he pushed against the gates with all his might.
His groans and struggle could be heard throughout the pathway as Po was still dealing with Wolf Boss. Croc had found himself dealing with a set of wolf archers, which he disarmed with graceful finesse. Wolf Boss realised he was alone in this fight and attempted to run, but his retreat was circumvented when Po grabbed him by the paw and rammed his face into his knee. He didn't render the wolf unconscious but he dealt enough damage to heavily restrain him with a nearby rope. Shortly after successfully restraining Wolf Boss, Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc reunited to finally give the gate one massive shove; exposing the courtyard as well as the Tower of the Sacred Flame to the rebellious group of heroes and to the public.
As if Shen had personally commanded it himself, dozens of wolves rushed out of the tower and formed a gigantic shield wall in the hopes of deterring the trio of kung-fu masters.
"If one of you moves a muscle, he gets it!" Storming Ox had to admit, his bluff was extremely risky as well as dishonourable. However, he had no real choice as to what he could do. If he fought early, he could compromise the progress that he alongside Po and Croc had made… that's when Po got an idea.
"Guards of the tower! If I am to hand over Wolf Boss, you are to surrender to us… if you wish to see the return of your most presentable general, lay down your arms and put your hands behind your back!" Po shouted at the shield wall, some wolves chuckled until someone on the right dropped their shield as well as their curved blade and surrendered.
"What? We're kind of… you know, useless without him!" The wolf protested, he was initially called a coward by his comrades… soon enough, the entire right flank had fallen to surrender.
"He's right… I surrender," One of the wolves on the left side admitted, his declaration of surrender caused a rippling effect to occur as each wolf laid down their arms and put their paws behind their backs. Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc cleared the pathway as well as the surrendered wolves of their weaponry before walking past them. Ox nodded at Po to release Wolf Boss, of which he gladly obliged.
Wolf Boss limply waddled to his comrades as he attempted to motivate them to fight, they merely sighed in shame as they picked themselves up from the floor and began to walk out of the courtyard.
Po observed the panicked wolf as he watched his army essentially desert him… it's not like he could've run back for the weapons as both legends of kung-fu had taken them inside of the tower with him.
"Wait!" Wolf Boss cried before Po slammed the doors to the tower shut behind him. "I can be your bargaining tool… I can relay your message to Shen, convince the wolves that guard the interior of this tower to surrender. This has gone on for far too long!" The nervous wolf's gesture greatly interested the Dragon Warrior as he creaked open the door to reveal the stunned faces of Ox and Croc.
"You captured this naive idiot not 5 minutes prior… what makes you think that he could be of serious use whilst disarmed and free of any bravado?" Storming Ox said as he aggressively huffed in impatience. "We need to finish this. We can't sit around and wait for Shen to form an escape plan!"
"If Shen wants to escape… he'll just fly away, I let it happen the first time… that tower has windows, you know!" Po sheepishly commented as Storming Ox glared at him in fury.
"The fact you let him get away was one thing… but allowing him to keep his windows open, are you insane?"
"There's nothing I could've done… he had his gorilla guards open them up as he prepared to fire the cannon. We couldn't disarm him and his cannon fired, but we cleared out of the way in time," Po protested, Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc merely shared a collective sigh as they peered at the trembling wolf with intimidating stares.
Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc whispered to each other for a minute as they debated whether or not Wolf Boss would be of any value… as they noticed the growls from the outside as well as within the interior of the tower grow louder, they decided it would be best if they allied with Wolf Boss as an attempt for them to ease the pain of their objective.
"Fine! You're with us, but you best behave!" Storming Ox stomped his foot against the floor to warn the wolf before turning his attention to the stairs. "I really didn't miss this part…"
Tigress's Cell – Shen's throneroom – Tower of the Sacred Flame…
Silence had filled the room for the past half hour… for Tigress, it was quite an unnerving experience. She had become so atone and used to the evil cackling of the peacock to the point where the abrupt ceasing of his psychotic manner had her in a panic. She wasn't fearing for her safety any longer, she accepted that at this point, she would either be rescued or she would rot behind these bars for eternity.
Her mind chose to continue torturing her emotional capacity by replaying moments from when she first interacted with Po… how courageous and persistent he was, despite the fact he was being looked down upon.
'You don't belong here…'
'Uh, yeah, of course. This is your room-'
'I mean... you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You're a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning...'
Those words still pained her soul, despite her obvious advancements and even some questionable feelings she had experienced when in the presence of the Dragon Warrior. Although Po had been forgiving of Tigress, something within her told her that he would never forget such a monumental event. Meeting his childhood idols was one thing… but them treating him with such disrespect was an act that Tigress still regrets to this day.
"I wish I could've been more open-minded… more like Crane. I should've put that childhood training of patience to good use. I wish I could've been more welcoming… more like Viper. She's always had a kind heart and it's shameful that I let my dedication to kung-fu blind me from seeing the wonders contained within friendship. I wish I could've been more light-hearted… more like Monkey. He's always had a great sense of humour and seemingly lightens the mood despite the dark opposition we face. I wish I could've been more spontaneous… more like Mantis. He's always been the sharpest when it comes to high-intensity situations and his witty attitude at the dining table is a trait I don't give him enough credit for…" Tigress paused during her epiphany, the jade eyes of the panda that was single-handedly responsible for reshaping her world caused her soul to melt euphoria.
"I wish I could've been more humble… more like Po. Despite all of the training that was forced upon him, all of the turbulent times he has had to endure… all of the nitpicking made by the public. He has always managed to keep an optimistic personality whilst remaining in tune with the universe and his own nobility."
Tigress's open thought process and epiphany were interrupted once Shen unbolted the door leading to her room and revealed himself in a panicked form… it was clear he was attempting to stay ahead of his anxiety but he was failing miserably at achieving such a complicated feat.
"It appears your panda lover has arrived… a little earlier than anticipated. He's brought along two friends as well," Shen's words were almost like a painful lullaby for the distressed feline; despite his clear intentions to lure her in like a gullible fox, Tigress allowed her eyes to glimmer with hope. "I wouldn't keep your hopes up for too long… it's only a matter of time until I unchain you whilst you both reunite in handcuffs and your blood spills across these very floors. I will now be personally dealing with this problem… I look forward to our final reunion!" Shen's psychotic chuckling echoed throughout Tigress's holding room as the doors slammed shut on her for presumably the final time.
"Shen… little do you know, if you've already allowed him to creep this close without learning your lesson. You will end up as the one who will be retreating from this place," Tigress confidently mumbled into the air as she noted the cold air blowing in from under the door, signifying that Shen had already created an escape plan despite his arrogance.
Stairs leading to the throneroom – Tower of the Sacred Flame – Po and company…
"Just a few more flights and we'll reach the second outpost… you guys killed it with the first!" Wolf Boss optimistically cheered as Po huffed and puffed whilst trudging up the steps.
"A few more flights? You said that the first time and- HOO- it lead us on for 5 minutes until we saw any wolf activity!" Po complained as he made it to another resting platform, he lazily slid his arm across the glossy red and gold wooden support bars before continuing up the next flight of stairs.
"For once, he isn't deceiving you, look up!" Storming Ox pointed up to see the entrance to the throne room as well as an entrance to another guarding station.
"This is where they've amassed, I recommend taking caution!" Wolf Boss warned as they reached the flight of steps leading to the guard post, a few wolves stared at the warriors with intensity before seemingly waving at Wolf Boss.
"Are my eyes deceiving me or are you on the side of the bad guys?" One of the wolfs shyly commented as Wolf Boss optimistically waved back.
"I'm on the side of justice… either lay down your weapons or get hurt, these guys mean business," Wolf Boss pointed towards the place in which his armband used to stand, it was relentlessly ripped off by Po and tossed to the side like common street garbage… it was clear the wolf had been wearing this specific armband for some time and it had almost melted into his fur as the days passed by.
"We've been getting our asses kicked a lot recently… I would rather sleep," The other wolf nudged his buddy as he walked into the guard station. 2 minutes later, the wolves marched out in a single file line without their weapons and lined up against the wall.
"Alright. I want you all to march with us, we're putting an end to this!" Ferocious Croc stormed up the stairs, closely followed by Po and Storming Ox. Wolf Boss nodded at all of his comrades and they all marched up with them shortly after.
"GREETINGS, PANDA, WE MEET AGAIN!" Shen's unhinged voice echoed throughout the throne room as he revealed himself with his guan-dao, tossing a feathered blade in his direction.
"I've brought a surprise!" Po wittingly replied as he caught sight of the room that was presumably holding Master Tigress.
"Po?" Tigress cried from the other side of the door… the panda was currently too far out of ear-shot to hear anything.
"Where's Master Tigress… and the rest of the Furious Five? I know you have them!"
"Oh, you're so naive… killing your kind was made a lot easier thanks to your dimwitted mindsets!" Shen cackled as he lunged at Po with his guan-dao, Po merely defended by swooping Shen to the side before an army of wolves finished their march up the stairs, all carrying weapons of varying times.
"Finally, cease them!" Shen commanded as he pointed towards Wolf Boss and then the panda.
"No," The one-eyed wolf bellowed in defiance.
"Why wouldn't you… we could have everything, the surrender of this panda will bring death to kung-fu!"
"You don't understand… you still rely on kung-fu. Overcompensating with craftsmanship has lead to your mind becoming unhinged. This conquest of yours is worthless and designed to satisfy your own ego. If anything, I should be the one ceasing you," Wolf Boss's statement was retorted by him firing a feathered blade in panic. The wolves began to close in on Shen as his primal urges told him to evacuate from the premises.
"Argh! I'll get you eventually, panda!" Shen threw his guandao to the floor as he rushed towards the window and exited the room. It was at that moment in which Po turned his attention towards the ominous door and the chains wrapped around it and he ventured towards it.
"Po? Are you there… hello?" Po could hear Tigress on the other side, but instead of her sounding brave and optimistic, she sounded as if she was battered and decaying.
"Tigress?" Po called through the door after hearing her voice through the door. "Are you okay?"
"Yes… I'm a little trapped but I'm glad you're here!" Tigress's optimistic attitude greatly surprised Po as he finally busted through the door, revealing Tigress's chained form held up against a stone wall, trapped within a cell. Po was left speechless.
"Is this how he was treating you?" Po rushed over after he found a key and unlocked the cell door. Upon opening the door, he made quick work of the shackles binding Tigress as she fell from the wall and onto the floor.
Without even thinking, Po stretched out his paw and helped Tigress get to her feet… instead of using words, Tigress merely brought Po into another warm embrace.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Po squealed as Tigress's embrace grew tighter. "Woah- seems like someone is very happy to- see me- ow! You're squishing me, Tigress!"
"It's possible to squish you… thought this 'flab' made you immortal," Po scratched his head after Tigress gave him such a light-hearted answer.
"I may be an optimistic Dragon Warrior… but even I would break under the pressure of this room."
"I did break, but I was able to heal…" Tigress's cheeks were engulfed within a fiery red as she looked Po in his beautifully glimmering jade eyes.
"How did you heal?" Po was absolutely awestruck when Tigress leaned in and delivered a passionate kiss to his cheek. Soon enough, they moved over to softly kissing one another's lips as Tigress leapt into Po's embrace. Tigress kissed Po for a persistent minute as both warriors flushed heavily. Wolf Boss, Storming Ox and Ferocious Croc happened to walk in on them at that exact moment… that wasn't going to deter Tigress's honesty.
"Because I thought of you."
The end…
[A/N]
Hello and welcome to the end of this one-shot!
This was a different approach in comparison to what I usually do with my one-shots and I hope you enjoyed reading this!
As usual, I've created another TiPo one-shot… my apologies, just force of habit!
If you'd like to offer constructive criticism or merely leave a friendly review, feel free to do so, every review is welcomed with open arms!