[A/N]

After a delay of 2 days and an official movement to weekly updates, I have finally returned!

I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter, I surely enjoyed writing it and all of your support is greatly appreciated!

I'll warn you now, this may be a slightly darker and slower-paced chapter that's sure to pluck at your heartstrings!

I'm going to stop rambling now and allow you to dive into the action within…

Chapter 4 – Prejudice…

3 AM – Po's bedroom – Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop…

Our young protagonist, Po Ping, rests peacefully on his makeshift bed. The bamboo foundation gently gnawed away from when he was a small child to the uneven support that kept the very structure up, this bed had truly lived through the ages. The panda went to roll over and was violently awoken when his bed collapsed into a crushed up set of sticks and thatch.

"WHA-HUH?" Po jumped up from his downed bed, rubbing his eyes whilst assuming a defensive stance. He assumed he was under attack until he turned around and lowered his head into his palm in shame. "Must've finally bit the dust… I'm not complaining, maybe I could make a new one sometime today-" Po was interrupted by a thunderstorm rumbling throughout his stomach as well as outside.

"On second thought… maybe I'll grab some dry dumplings and some grain and snack away. I almost forgot about this storm," Po sighed as the adrenaline was absorbed into his body and cleared from his system. "Hmm, I wonder what to wear…" The panda scratched his head before running his fingers across his black and white tunic and robe…

"It's been a while, now for pants…" Po's eyes scoured the room until they caught sight of a pair of white slacks that hadn't been worn in years. "You will do!" He sharply whispered as he slipped out of his pyjamas and into his new attire. The young panda recognised that he may not catch another wink of sleep and would simply stay up through the night.

After struggling with his clothes, he eventually managed to dress himself appropriately for the day ahead. His mind hadn't even thought about using a shower as the last thing he expects his opponents to do is sniff his armpits. Po quietly creaked open his door and tip-toed down the stairs, noting the eerie silence of the outside world. If he took away the erratic nature of the rain and the rumbling from the storm's mighty belly, all he was left with was a disturbing silence.

The panda limply rested against a kitchen counter as he rummaged through his cabinets in the hopes of finding something edible in the dark, after much searching, he received his answer… although he could swear he heard a thump from outside that didn't belong to him. After performing an impromptu sanity check, Po breathed a sigh of relief as he reached for a spoon, only to be interrupted by a tomahawk that whizzed past his ear and into the cabinet next door to the one he had his hand stuck in.

"You missed… it appears you've been doing that too often as of late," Po deadpanned as a familiar set of red eyes and a scaly body emerged from the shadows around him. "Zhao… what brings you here? Here to attempt another beheading?" Po cackled into the darkness, only to be met by a concerned look from his lizard rival.

"If I were here for your head, you would've been cooked alongside today's supper," Zhao coldly joked as he lit an orange lantern, dimly illuminating the noodle shop's kitchen in the progress. Po casually grabbed a spoon from the cabinet and begun chowing down on some grain as he went to open his ears for his rival-turned-friend. "However, young panda, that is not the reason why I'm here," Zhao implied, causing the panda to harshly gulp his food and essentially abandon the bowl that sat in front of him.

"If you're not here to behead or torment me, then why are you here?" Po asked, pinching himself to see if this was some strange dream… unfortunately for him, this was reality.

"A situation has arisen which requires your attention," Zhao's words further aroused the eyebrow of the bounty hunter as he assumed a more serious expression. "Now, you have known me since you were a child… the last thing I would do is joke around with you, especially in such a harsh context."

"You're coming to me… because of a situation? I thought you were well equipped to handle 'everything' – or has that legacy since faded?"

"I handle crooks and mercenaries. I even tried to handle you once you began invading my turf… but this threat is not something I can handle alone," Zhao admitted, his tongue vibrating violently as his icy stare further penetrated the soul of the black and white creature sat in front of him.

"What are we looking at then?"

"A private army belonging to someone known as Lord Shen," Zhao's words made Po's heart drop a thousand feet as he realised what Zhao was implying.

"He's finally coming to finish the job… after all of these years, he finally found me."

"You've built up a legacy, kid, I won't doubt that. A legacy so large that you can avoid my assassins. I may have trained you but you have become a real nuisance as of late. Unfortunately, for both of us, we must collaborate against this force, we will not be alone either…" Zhao trailed off whilst observing his surroundings superstitiously. "If we want to keep our heads, more importantly, keep the head attached to one of the only pandas left in China… we will be forced to forge alliances with the warlords and hunters of this valley as well as the local region," Zhao's idea almost made Po burst out in laugher.

"Are you kidding me? We have to align ourselves with one another… as well as our enemies? I will not become a part of this!" Po protested, slamming his fist onto the counter… inadvertently startling his father in the process.

"Panda. You must put your ignorance and grudges aside… we cannot risk the collapse of the valley, nor can we risk the collapse of the warlords."

"Why would I work with you, I could easily shoot up to the Jade Palace and tell them about this situation!"

"You work with the royals now?"

"It's… complicated, I'm technically their cook. I met a beautiful lady and warrior, her name is Tigress-" Po's words were obstructed by an intrusive goose as he entered the room holding a bright and white lantern.

"I see you boys are talking about girls again… why is there a knife in my cupboard!" Mr. Ping frantically pointed towards the pointed object that has sliced through the wood. "Whatever you're doing down here, keep it down!" Mr. Ping scolded the lizard and his son, completely unknowing of the situation unfolding as he trotted up the stairs; blowing out his lantern in the process and later falling into a deep slumber.

"Is he usually this intrusive?" Zhao turned to Po after an awkwardly long amount of silence.

"Get used to it, that's my father for you!" Po replied, rather chipper regardless of the situation that faced him.

"As I was saying, it's nice that you've met a royal that you have an interest within… but most of them are quite stuck up and only care for problems when it's under their noses- I know what you're about to say and I ask for you to exhale that breath without saying anything," Zhao paused as he witnessed Po exhale after he was about to protest. "Not all of them are heartless, this Tigress could be an exception… all I know is you won't be able to take your shift at the Jade Palace nor see your father for a little while," Zhao finished, Po sighed as he was dreading this day.

"You're saying we're going to assemble the Council of the Hundred Hunters? It's been a decade since that happened!"

"Pfft, hundred..? More like a dozen… we won't be needing to invite that many people to the meeting. Besides, most of the members of the council have fled to live in the cities or have perished," Zhao's icy remark sent shivers up the panda's spine.

"Can we keep the name? A Hundred Hunters sounds waaaay cooler than just a dozen!"

"Of course, you're always concerned more about show than you are about tell. We'll keep the name to honour the fallen members of the council, it's just a fact of life that many hunters aren't needed as crime is decreasing in their valleys… or their valleys have been completely levelled."

"I would bet my chances of getting with Master Tigress on the second one being a more plausible option," Po joked, Zhao just stared at him in a mix of admiration and sadness.

"Unfortunately, you would be right… what involvement do you have with these so-called kung-fu masters anyway?" Zhao perked his head up and listened in to the panda's words.

"It all began I'd say a day or two ago. Master Oogway randomly strolled into here and sought out my father to bestow a scroll upon me. This scroll was a draft of a 'fan letter that Master Tigress wished to send me. He told me her heart was beginning to darken and our meeting would give her the courage, warmth and light that her heart so desperately needs… I'm still a little stumped as to what that means," Po explained, the turquoise lizard observed the panda cautiously. Despite being rivals, he must take this information into consideration.

"It appears fate would be on your side. However, our fortune and time are undoubtedly running out, more specifically… yours. You may have risen as a mighty Phoenix, but the responsibility of your newfound adulthood is slowly soaring up to meet you at a halfway point."

"I may have been reckless in my early days, but I have built up a reputation of prestige… why are you so willing to assist me when you've attempted to kill me on multiple occasions?" Po's question initially confused the lizard as he too wasn't entirely sure as to why he was sat in front of the panda at that very moment.

"Your best opponent can be wielded as a mighty if both of their heads are placed under threat," Zhao responded with a vague metaphor, Po seemed to understand what the reptile was saying and nodded his head. "We must deal with these royals, we won't be killing them… just write a decree that dictates you won't be coming into work for an unforeseeable amount of time; for the love of the Spirit Realm, please advise them that their involvement could endanger our objective!" Zhao almost allowed his tongue to fly out of his mouth as his agitation clearly showed in his voice. After some thought, Po reached into a nearby cabinet and pulled out some ink, a pen and two sheets of paper.

"Why do you need two?" Zhao impatiently asked.

"One for the Jade Palace, one for my father… I just can't go disappearing on him, I've already done that one too many times this past month," Po silently said whilst reaching for the pen and ink as he was about to paint the paper with his words.

"Always so childish… even after reaching the age of 18, you still haven't abandoned the principles that made you so prominent despite the discrimination thrown towards you," Zhao had to admit, he admired Po for his perseverance, past and present. After a lengthy wait, Zhao was becoming irritated as to why Po had merely let the ink drop back into its container. "Well, are you going to write something or not?"

"Well, if I'm being completely honest… I've never written anything this formal. With my dad, that would be easy. However, addressing the Jade Palace is a separate manner.

"Perhaps I could help with that…" Zhao leaned in closer as he moved the dimly lit lantern closer to the paper and utensils, its glimmer shining off the surprisingly well-maintained paper and into his beady eyes. "Begin with a greeting and we'll work our way through."

30 minutes (yes, really!) of writing a formal decree later…

"What's the holdup? The sun is going to rise if you keep writing at this pace!" Zhao impatiently paced across the kitchen as Po had reverted to writing at a snail's pace. After finishing his message to his father, he was confronted with the task of writing to the Jade Palace; more importantly, Master Shifu.

"I'm just thinking… is this convincing enough? Or will putting in more details impress Shifu?" Po pondered, reading over his decree before signing his signature at the bottom to signify he was done.

"You don't need to impress the royals! As long as your message is straightforward and details things that need to be said then you're all good!" Zhao spat back, astonished by such an absurd question.

"If you say so… I'll go take this to the Jade Palace and then we can get a move on… it sucks that I'm getting involved with this sort of business at such an early time."

"Don't pity yourself, you were destined to reach this point eventually… fortunately for you, some of your rivals actually want to keep you alive," Zhao mused as they exited the kitchen and entered the outside world, Po kindly left his scroll behind for his father before disappearing into the distance to leave his message at the Jade Palace.

"STAIRS! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY STAIRS! WHAT ARE THEY GUARDING?" Zhao complained as he peered up towards the Jade Palace, the number of stairs seemed overwhelming to him. "Can I just… wait down here?"

"Leaving my father for this meeting was your idea! Don't bail out on me because you can't climb some stairs!" Po mocked the lizard, who grunted in response.

"Fine! We'll climb the stairs! I honestly wonder why you even considered joining this temple in your pursuit of a place of work in the first place...you're a panda! You aren't built to climb these stairs day in, day out."

"You'd be surprised what you can do when you've been training since you were 8 years old and have a burning passion to whip some tail! Stop complaining and climb the stairs with me!" Po shouted behind him as Zhao looked up at the Jade Palace one final time before emitting an audible gulp from the depths of his throat. "Don't tell me you're scared of heights!" Po chuckled as he ran up the stairs and into the night.

After some time, Po began to slow down and Zhao eventually managed to catch up… although Zhao was too late as Po was already calmly placing the scroll in the messenger basket that's destined to be read in the morning.

"There! We made it, must I go through that perpetual hell again or can we take a break?" Zhao was huffing and puffing as he desperately gasped for breath, the thin air made him extremely lightheaded as it had been a long time since he ascended to such great heights.

"We can walk down the stairs!"

"I swear, panda, once we're done with this… I'm going to strangle you lifeless!"

"That would make your current objectives pointless…"

"ARGH!" Zhao and Po marched into the wilderness… the Jade Palace warriors were completely oblivious as to the events that would transpire as they peacefully slept.

6 AM – Sleeping Quarters – Jade Palace…

The peacefully resting warriors of the Jade Palace lay in a state of serenity as their dreams eclipse any sense of the outside world… that is every warrior except Master Tigress, of course.

Tigress had been awoken in a cold sweat at 5 AM when she felt as if something wasn't right with her surroundings, or with the valley in general. She tried to brush these thoughts off as just mere symptoms of anxiety after she visited Mr. Ping's and more significantly, Po's bedroom. The feline warrior could still smell that corner of the panda's room, the sweet smell of a blooming lotus flower; despite there being none in sight. Tigress was seriously considering the chances that Po either wore perfume or naturally smelt that way, that was until the morning gong run and she sprinted over to her door to greet her master.

"Good morning, Master- Oogway?" Everyone looked up in confusion, as they were expecting the red panda to greet them as they have come to expect these past few years.

"Good morning, my grand students… follow me into the kitchen if you would please," Master Oogway held out his staff in the direction of the kitchen before patiently walking in the direction, the Furious Five nodded without questioning the wise master.

After a walk that seemed endless for Tigress, despite her traversing these same halls for more than a decade, the warriors arrived at the kitchen table to notice the absence of Po's noodle soup. As they peered around, they noticed more things were amiss. Master Shifu seemingly looked panicked whilst an arrow was piercing the top of some form of written decree… one by one, the warriors begun surrounding their master and peering onto the paper. Tigress was merely taken aback by the absence of that familiar lotus smell before she too peered onto the scroll, only to be gobsmacked by the words that her eyes grazed across.

Dear occupants of the Jade Palace… this is Po speaking, otherwise known as the bounty hunter, the Jade Palace chef or to Master Shifu… panda.

I wish to make it clear that this message was not forged by myself alone, In fact, I have had to flee the valley alongside a trusted ally of mine to seek refuge and conduct an operation. Lord Shen has returned… faster than anyone could've anticipated. He has heard about the legacy I have left behind inside of this valley, he wishes to destroy me but most importantly… he wishes to destroy the valley.

I will be luring his armies away in the hopes that I can brutally repress them and eventually return to the valley… this measure will be temporary and I will fill you in once I return, as for now… you are strictly warned NOT to follow in my footsteps, track me down or track down this army.

Any interference from the Jade Palace masters could completely obliterate our chances of this mission being a success, most importantly… it would obliterate my chance of survival. As one of the only panda's left in China, I must protect my legacy but I refuse to allow my rarity as a species eclipse the duties I have held to this valley since I was a young child.

I sincerely hope I have not disappointed you as a chef, Jade Palace students… but to Master Shifu, I hope I have not disappointed you as a potential student.

Signed by, Po Ping, Warrior of Black and White, Notorious Bounty Hunter and Jade Palace chef.

After every warrior finished reading the decree, each warrior individually fell back as they realised the true stakes the situation held. Not only did it hold significant stakes as masters… these stakes were heightened by the fact that a potentially innocent life could be on the line alongside hundreds more.

To most, this was the early departure of a newfound friend that would no doubt demoralise them, but to Tigress… she had met her idol and therefore been forced into departing. She was sure it wouldn't be for long but the absence of the smell of lotus petals filling her nose was already beginning to play with her mind as she realised this kind and thoughtful panda was living a life impacted by hate and prejudice.

The feline felt as if her eyes had been cursed by the text, Tigress hoped to the highest of the beings that flowed through the universe that this was some twisted joke… after making her first friend, he would be ripped away from her; unexpectedly. The worst part about it was Po's sincere tone, she had never heard him use such sophisticated grammar. Even if Po was assisted by a trusted friend of his, she knew that these words were the words he truly wished to speak.

'He won't be gone for long… he just needs to repress an army… what if he gets killed- THAT GOT DARK QUICKLY,' Tigress's thoughts swirled around her mind as she slowly lifted her paw that was placed upon the panda's signature, her ears falling as she fell into her seat.

A long, awkward and demoralising silence filled the kitchen. The smell of the sweet and love-filled noodles that Po had made quick work of was replaced with the lifeless smell of sandalwood incense. Only filling the air was the stray huffs and breaths taken by the warriors as they processed the news. This silence was broken when Viper began to break down mentally and unleashed a torrent of tears onto the table.

"He's lived such a difficult life! He comes to work here and YOU treat him with shame!" Viper wailed, Crane attempted to comfort her but her rage mixed with her sadness was too much to be contained. "All his life, he's wanted to be something, to bring happiness to someone… he's lived a life filled with angst, hatred and threat; you added onto that, how does that make you feel?!" Viper's tears began to turn to steam as hatred began to boil over her. Shifu merely looked down in a mix of regret and sadness, he accepted the serpents opinion as valid.

"I admit… I have treated him as if I have no moral compass-" Shifu's attempt to surrender himself to his guilt was blockaded by a vicious growl from Tigress.

"

You should try telling that to the childhood you relentlessly destroyed…" Tigress whispered from under her breath, it fell into the oversized ears of the red panda as his sadness warped into anger.

"You think you've had it rough… Tigress, oh, just you wait until you get to my story…" Shifu retorted, his fist clenched so tightly to the point where the pressure could most likely crush a cannonball.

"Your past gives you absolutely no justification as to how and why you raised me this way!" Shifu attempted to turn his back against his daughter, but she merely kicked his chair, causing him to face her in shame as she looked down on her in disgust. "I've tried to prove myself to you for a decade… prove that I'm more than just a daughter, but a warrior… it honestly just seems like you forgot you were raising a daughter. You've treated me like a student my entire life… maybe it will take a panda to help you learn how being a father feels," Tigress coldly marched out of the room, the rest of the Furious Five silently slipped away in tow as Master Shifu prepared to retort… but was met by a familiar face looking down on him with pity.

"Who does she think she is? Disrespecting her own master like that-"

"Leave it, old friend… for it will take a wound to her heart for her to truly heal. This panda… he is many things, but your daughter holds him dear to her heart, even if it doesn't seem that way at first," Master Oogway comforted Shifu to his best ability, but even he had to admit that taming his temper was sometimes an agitating and time-consuming task.

"They only met yesterday!"

"Yet, their bond has existed for far longer…" Master Oogway's neck trembled as he prepared to bestow more words of wisdom upon his greatest student. "Tigress's heart has been slowly feeling with darkness as the light within seeps away… she is beginning to lose her basic sense of emotion and she will begin to devote herself fully to kung-fu if you refuse to act as a father figure. You cannot replace darkness with darkness, this panda will fill her heart with light. You have experience as a father, but you cannot allow yourself to travel down the same path twice…" Master Oogway silently exited the room as Master Shifu continued to ponder. He hated to admit but his wise and potentially senile master was right, he had abandoned fatherhood ever since his blunder with Tai Lung.

Master Shifu cautiously made an exit from the kitchen to consult the wilderness and serene view that welcomes all visitors, that place would be none other than the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. After a slow and humble journey, Master Shifu collapsed to his knees and burst into tears, he may be seeking an answer… but currently, he needed to let his emotions flow.

"The path to Inner Peace often begins once you find the source of your largest tragedies and your buried emotions…" Master Oogway ominously whispered into the direction of the peach tree, not expecting to be heard… but Shifu could swear the wind was attempting to play tricks on his weak mind.

10 AM – Training Hall – Jade Palace…

Tigress roared with ferocity as she struck down the hundredth training dummy with ease, splinters and chips of wood flying into multitudinous directions as if they were fireworks crafted out of timber as she confided within her anger for an answer. The remainder of the Furious Five had accompanied her to the training hall after she stormed off but abandoned her shortly after they found out she was using her knowledge in kung-fu and the act of training as a way to vent her anger instead of actually come to a rational conclusion.

"It's almost like my life is filled with tragedy!" Tigress screamed as she delivered a palm-strike to the remaining training dummy, forcing herself back into a backflip as she gracefully landed on the hardwood floor that sat above her. She desperately wished she could cry but her hardcore reputation would be permanently tainted if the Furious Five saw her in such a state.

"Let it flow…" As if Master Oogway's words were a spell, the comfort of her master and secondary father figure as well as the reassurance that they were alone was enough to force the tiger to burst into tears. Years of repressed emotions of sadness and guilt flooded the floor, creating a tsunami of emotions as she wept further… not even saying a word, just confiding into her emotions as the pain of her darkening heart finally reached its climax.

"I just don't understand- after all I have done, I have tried my hardest to please Master Shifu- to be more than just a warrior… just to end up with the answer of me just being a warrior to him, another occupant of the Jade Palace. His love most likely faded for me long ago…" Tigress wailed into the air, rubbing her eyes as she further collapsed into a puddle of tears.

"Deep down, a flame still burns that will bring light to Shifu's heart… but allowing yourself to be consumed by the darkness that he has bestowed upon your life will only hamper your experience as a daughter… as a woman," Master Oogway responded.

"I don't have experience as a daughter… with all due respect, Master. I was abandoned here long before I knew who my real parents were. I was treated like a rural peasant inside of the Bao-Gu orphanage, only to wind up with a father who treats me like a student," Tigress's cold words struck at the heart of Master Oogway, not only were the words of Tigress true… they were true in part thanks to him; as Oogway refused to do anything as destiny would 'take the wheel'.

"Your life has been harsh, Master Tigress… but it is often those harsh experiences that bring us to a new reality, to enlightenment and to Inner Peace. Attaining Inner Peace isn't possible through the use of a scroll, but through learning from your experiences and most importantly, nurturing your soul and stepping into the future," Oogway paused and leaned over the weeping feline. "We should not be spiteful for what we can't have, we should be thankful for what we do have… you may have not had parental guidance, but you have learned to guide yourself. You are an excellent student of kung-fu, you fight alongside your comrades with unimaginable courage and most importantly, you have found interest within a panda… a panda that will undoubtedly alter the lives of us all," Oogway's latter statement caused Tigress's ears to perk up as she facepalmed.

"I wasn't that obvious… was I?" Tigress light-heartedly stated, earning a short chuckle from Master Oogway.

"Tigress… the time will soon come where we are forced to abandon some of our principles… principles that I didn't even invent. I believe the restriction of emotion hampers each warrior's chances of attaining Inner Peace. Showing your feelings for a panda does not weaken you as a warrior, in fact, it makes you stronger. It shows that you can believe in yourself, that you can believe in others and that you care for them with all of your heart. Tigress, I have existed on these lands for more than 1,000 years… and I have still yet to experience everything! - It's not every day that you see a tortoise wandering the streets of China!" Oogway remarked, before remembering his past with previous lovers. "The gift bestowed upon me that is an overbearing capacity to live through the ages is often appreciated, but there are days where I consider it a curse… my life may be long in comparison to yours, but as I grow older, I begin to realise how short life truly is…" Oogway stood up after leaning on his stand, Tigress struggled to her feet after her meltdown as she realised Oogway was right… these turbulent times would pass, Shifu's overwhelming grief for Tai Lung has blinded him from loving her… but she has learned so much from being independent that his love is no longer a requirement for her to be happy.

Tigress looks forward to the day she reunites with the panda, no matter how short their presence alongside one another may be, the bond that was formed alongside that presence would live for eternity.

6 PM – Unspecified Trail – Bamboo Forest – With Po and Zhao.

"Why does this forest smell so much?" Po openly criticised the forest and their surroundings as they had been walking all day.

"Probably because your scent has been replaced by sweat from marching for miles…" Zhao deadpanned, he had to confess, he was tired too.

"Should we just call it quits for today and set up camp?" Po suggested as exhaustion crippled his body, his hands fell onto his knees as he attempted to fill his lungs to continue his journey.

"I will admit, panda… that sounds like a good idea…" Zhao allowed Po's hopes to reach the skies before he would drop a bomb that would force them to crash down. "But we need to press forth, it's getting dark and the surroundings are beginning to grow familiar with me… I remember this spot from the last meeting!" Zhao tried to heighten the spirits of the panda, but his hopes being crushed mere seconds prior made that move ineffective as Po loudly groaned before picking himself up and continuing his hike.

"I wonder how my dad's doing… you know, back at home with the noodles, customers but a lack of a big bulky panda carrying around ingredients!"

"You should probably be more worried about the royals that are using you to cook their food… I've only tasted your father's noodle soup once and if the legend is true about broth running in your veins, then I can only assume that your cooking abilities enchanted their taste-buds too!"

"You'd be surprised at how disgusting some of the diets are when it comes to the royals… Master Tigress may be badass, she may be a kung-fu goddess but her meal of preference is tofu!" Po's confession almost made Zhao dry heave as he remembered the days in which he was slightly poorer and couldn't afford the luxurious meals that he eats today. "Speaking of food, I'm getting a little hungry!"

"Save your snacks for once we reach the location- wait, where are we?" Zhao looked around and noticed his surroundings were suddenly very unfamiliar, as if he had never explored this territory before. "Well, the map says it's around here somewhere… you know what, Po… get the camping supplies ready- I cannot bear walking another step!" Zhao collapsed to the floor to catch some air as Po threw his supply pack to the floor to do the same. After a minute of resting, both nodded as they knew it was time for them to begin work on building a campsite.

"I know you're one for aesthetics and all… but do we really need to make this specific campsite look as fancy as the ones before it?" Po hollered into the distance, Zhao rolled his eyes before nodding, which caused the panda to pout as if he were a young panda cub. "But why?"

"Because if we're hunted by any forest demons overnight, at least we'll go out in style!" Zhao optimistically responded, the lizard had a taste for camping and tonight's campsite would not disappoint him.

"Why do you have such absurdly high standards for useless things?"

"I could ask the same about your noodles, it's such an oddly specific thing to hone in on and refine but honestly, I'm not complaining!" Zhao said as his reptilian tail pierced through a nearby tree, knocking it to the ground as he began the process of cutting the tree into planks using his bare hands.

"Some of us do things out of passion, whilst others do it for glory. I practice kung-fu and cook noodles out of passion… but that passion has earned me glory, so who's the real winner here?" Po smugly commented as he slammed a tree to the floor.

"Alright, there's no need for your pathetic nuggets of wisdom… we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, building a campfire whilst trying to catch sight of the Hundred Hunter's meeting point…"

"You're so pessimistic… about your own ideas! No wonder why you couldn't kill me, spent too much time thinking about it than to act. When it was time to act before you thought, your ideas brought us here," Po's wisdom had broken through and the lizard sighed in defeat.

"Argh, you're right… at least we can enjoy the sunset whilst we build our site…" Zhao looked up towards the sun, trying to trick the gullible panda into looking directly at the glowing orb of orange and gold.

"Are you trying to blind me or something?"

"Sometimes, I wish I could…" Zhao mused as they observed sunset, their location lay dormant of nature as a blanket of darkness crept up and over them.

The duo of friend and foe wrestled with sticks, thatch and wood so they could have an ideal place to set up shop and rest for the night. Zhao actually cheered in victory as their day, now evening, had come to a close and they could finally settle down. However, Zhao's stomach, alongside Po's, had something to say about that resting part.

"Supper time already?" Po mumbled as Zhao nodded. "I see… well, I don't exactly have fresh ingredients, just dehydrated stuff and a few jugs of water… I'll see what I can do- hey, do you have anything?" Po's request caught the attention of the reptile.

"One emergency survival kit just in case things go south, I'll let you use the pot as long as you're delicate and gentle with the flame," Zhao opened his surprisingly large travel backpack and dropped a huge pot onto the grass, his senses picked up on a foreign presence during that process and he paused shortly afterwards.

"Zhao? Everything alright?"

"Yes- I- Po, continue cooking, I'm going to scout our surroundings… something tells me we're not alone," He ominously warned as he slowly crept into the distance, being cautious as to not to stray away from the panda whose life could very well be under threat. After a minute of searching the western side of the campsite, where the noise originated from, Zhao concluded that his mind must be playing tricks on him and he sheepishly scurried back to the campsite.

Despite being gone a mere minute, the intoxicating smell of Po's noodle soup was enough to excite him and for him to mentally declare that despite being unable to find the cave they were originally searching for, they had succeeded in a different form of mission; basic satisfaction.

10 minutes of noodle cooking and intermittent suspicious noises later…

"Order up!" Po cheered into the surrounding forest, Zhao had gone to investigate yet another noise that turned up a dead end. "I really think you should stop searching, there's nothing or no one out there!" Po yelled into the distance, Zhao returned to the campsite to fill up on noodles, but his face was filled with mild concern.

"Thanks for the noodles, old friend, but I get the feeling we're being watched…" Zhao nervously responded, scanning the area before rapidly slurping down his noodles.

"Woah! Watch the speed, they're still hot!" Po warned the lizard, whose face turned red upon realising the noodles were still boiling. "Are you sure you aren't hearing things again?"

"I didn't hear something that time… I saw something, a torch in the distance; perhaps a lantern. I didn't see it for long but it appeared to be rapidly blown out shortly after I caught sight of it. The forest has been deathly quiet ever since too," Zhao replied, his concerns about the surrounding sparked the imagination of the young panda. "I'm sure it's nothing, let's just enjoy our meal and investigate later…"

"Alright, if you say so… just know you're responsible for my well-being when it comes to this little expedition we're on!" Po joked as he began digging into his noodles. Unbeknownst to him, he had inadvertently put himself in a major amount of danger by resting in their location.

Po and Zhao rapidly finished their noodles after noticing the approaching noises were slowly advancing and gaining in size. They packed up their utensils and almost empty noodle bowls as they threw the backpacks around their shoulders and flagged down a nearby light.

"You were right, people are here!" Po pointed towards the light as Zhao's eyes narrowed. The weapons he observed were extremely industrial, forged from molten metal and reinforced wood.

"Looks like we've found a scouting group… they're probably days ahead of their brethren but we need to take them out fast!" Zhao commanded as he rushed into battle, delivering a rapid array of strikes to the poor soul who was holding the lantern.

"Hey! What was that for?" One of the guards demanded an answer as the lizard locked eyes with him, the soul-penetrating stare startled the guard as they ran off into the night… instead of allowing them to escape, they followed and were shocked to discover the cave they were attempting to look for… laying mere metres away from their noses.

"Po, come, we've found our destination! I hope we're not too late!" Zhao gestured towards the panda before his moment of genius was interrupted by an extremely large bull.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES… OR YOU WILL BE TORN TO SHREDS!" The bull, wearing a dimly lit and ripped white tunic pressured the two warriors as they gulped and looked towards his steely eyes.

"Hunter Zhao, this is Po… hunter Po, he's a known legend in the Valley of Peace," Zhao calmly responded.

"THIS HUNTER IS VERY YOUNG, ARE YOU SURE HE IS A QUALIFIED MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL?" The bulls booming voice was almost ear-shattering to anyone within a miles radius.

"If he's with me, he's qualified…"

"VERY WELL, YOU ARE PERMITTED ENTRY, COMPLIMENTARY BEVERAGES ARE TO YOUR LEFT, SNACKS TO THE RIGHT, THE MAIN HALL IS DOWN THE MIDDLE PATH AND YOU'RE EXPECTED TO BE THERE IN A FEW MINUTES!" The guard almost exhausted himself by shouting and straining his voice. Po and Zhao awkwardly nodded as they entered the cave, noting how the interior was dimly lit by red torches and was eerily silent.

"We must be the first ones here… it's always silent when you're the first," Zhao breathed a sigh of relief as he continued trekking down the uneven pathway. "Say, I'm glad we got here… it's a miracle we survived that interaction, it's just a shame we didn't walk a solid 2 minutes further."

"Come on! Our bodies wouldn't have handled that!" Po protested whilst pointing to his heart, making an 'explosion' gesture with his hand. The panda also found it fascinating when his voice echoed throughout the cave before approaching a set of ominous doors.

After a seemingly eternal wait, the doors slowly creaked open, the noise echoing throughout the cave. Po and Zhao were greeted by various bounty hunters sitting at a large table, peering at their direction with anger and irritation filling their eyes.

"YOU! You're the one we're here for? How can this clown even defend himself?" A young female lynx, barely older than Po, shouted from the back in amusement. A few of the older bounty hunters peered at her with intimidating glares.

"This… this is the Warrior of Black and White, I've heard many things about you," One of the wolves went to shake the hand of the panda as he took a seat conveniently placed near the ignorant lynx. Po gave her as well as the wolf a friendly nod as he shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Po sharply responded back as the doors closed in response to their arrival.

"Silence! The council is now in session!"

To be continued…

[A/N]

I'm getting evil with these cliffhangers, aren't I?

As always, I thank you all for reading this chapter of Bounty Hunter and look forward to bringing the next once it's out.

If you enjoyed this chapter or would like to leave criticism, feel free to do so by using the review box at the bottom!

Farewell! - We shall meet again in due time...