Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I neither own the rights to DreamWorks, Kung Fu Panda, the Kung Fu Panda cinematic universe nor any of its associated media, derivatives or products. I do not profit from this work.
A/N: In repayment for the long wait and all the short chapters, please enjoy this fifty-page chapter, hot off the presses. (Head smacks down onto my keyboard.)
In all seriousness, if you didn't see the update for Chapter 7 a week ago, make sure to read that first or this chapter won't make any sense. Please enjoy, and leave a comment below!
[Scene: early in the morning. The offices of the Imperial Guard. The Five, Po and Shifu have been woken up and gathered around the map of the city. All the young masters are acting as expected: Crane and Viper are yawning (Viper more primly), Mantis is examining a pincer, Tigress is at attention and Monkey is tossing a ball and catching it with a combination of hands and tail. Po is sleeping in his chair. Shifu casts him a side-eye, and then his ears snap up just before the doors to the offices open.]
SHIFU: (Snapping) Panda! (Whacks him over the head with his staff; Po startles and leaps to his feet.)
PO: What? I'm up! I'm up!
(Across the room, Wu is hurrying in, seemingly alone, but as he stops at the table several mice leap off his armor, looking exhausted.)
SHIFU: Captain Wu. This is certainly an unusual hour; the matter must be urgent.
WU: (Tiredly) It is. (Reaches up to his shoulder and then lowers a female mouse in armor to the table.) This is Lieutenant Wei; she leads our best spy team here in the Capitol.
LIEUTENANT WEI: (Exhausted) How do you do. (The masters bow as the mouse gestures to her exhausted team, who are slumping against the ridges of the map table behind her.) We just got back—from the Den of Claws. (Immediately all of the masters snap to attention.) There's been an important development. General Zhong is in the Den.
SHIFU and TIGRESS: What!
PO: Whoa, whoa, wait. General Zhong is there? We have eyes on him?
LIEUTENANT WEI: Yes, for now. We have other intel too. (To WU) While some of the upper parts of the sewer are being used as offices or meeting rooms, much of the lower part of the sewer has been converted into storage. They're carefully guarded, we could only get into a few without being seen, and taking out the guards would have aroused suspicion. But it seems the Ten Thousand have been acquiring large quantities of black powder.
PO: You mean they have cannons?
LIEUTENANT WEI: Either they have them, or they intend to purchase some shortly.
SHIFU: (Rubbing his chin) That is troubling news. But if Zhong is there–
WU: (Cutting in) That is what I gathered you here to talk about. Our original plan was to have the Lieutenant and her team destroy the Den, but Zhong is too good a target to lose.
VIPER: (To Lieutenant Wei) Can your people capture him?
LIEUTENANT WEI: We're spies, not fighters—and sending a larger team to overwhelm him would alert the Den to our plans, giving him a chance to escape. General Zhong is too strong an opponent for us to match.
WU: But maybe not for the six of you. (The Five and Po look surprised.) You have infiltration experience, correct? If we sent you in, could you take out the Den and capture General Zhong?
TIGRESS: (Looking to her team) We're kung fu masters, not spies. But… it might be possible.
PO: But we can't do it alone, we're going to need help.
WU: Help the guard can provide. (Waves for an assistant, who hands him a rolled-up piece of paper. With a flourish, Wu opens it over the screen, creating a minor transition shot.)
[Scene: same room, now with the five gathered around looking at a sketched map of the sewer, as well as a small stack of official papers. On the top is a handwritten dossier of information, with an Chinese-style ink illustration of General Zhong in armor and missing eye.]
WU: General Zhong was one of the most dangerous followers of the Tiger Emperor back in the day. Reports of those who interacted with him back then describe him as a fearsome fighter as well as an extremely effective leader, alternating between charismatic and brutal as the situation required. It doesn't surprise me that he's managed to amass a small army within the city. Take him out, and hopefully the Ten Thousand will go with him.
TIGRESS: Those reports are thirty years old; what do we know about him currently?
WU: Honestly, not much. (Flipping to the third or fourth page in the dossier, which goes from paragraphs of characters to only a few random dates and accompanying lines of characters.) The reports we have of him prior to coming to the Capitol a few years ago are scarce and scattered across China; it seems he spent twenty years or so just wandering the countryside. We wondered why he would come back to the city now, but considering the intelligence you people have discovered, it seems he finally found the heir he was looking for.
SHIFU: Then you believe the rumors are true.
WU: General Zhong was famous for his loyalty to his lord. If he believes he's found the Tiger Emperor's son, then either it's true, or someone has done a very good con job on him. (Moves aside the dossier to reveal the map of the sewer, complete with added features from Lieutenant Wei's spies in red.) You will have three objectives in this mission: first and most important, take down the Den of Claws. Second, capture General Zhong—alive if you can, dead if you have to. (The Five and Po look a little uncomfortable at this; they are kung fu warriors, not spies or soldiers.) Third, see if you can find any information about where this rival heir is being kept.
VIPER: You don't think he'll be at the Den of Claws?
WU: Lieutenant Wei's people never saw hide nor hair of anyone of that rank, and I highly doubt they'd have such a valuable individual hiding out in a paramilitary base. No, I'm guessing they have him in a safehouse somewhere in the city. But remember, your main concern is to take out the base, and bring back General Zhong.
WU: (Cont'd; pointing to a sketch of the "warehouse" above the sewer) This warehouse here contains the upper entrance into the sewer; there are three plainclothes guards in it who change half-watch. That's not enough time to complete the mission, so you'll have to get in and out unseen. (As he talks the "map" flashes sideways into real-world view, showing us the same landscape they're discussing, including the warehouse guards lazing around and playing dice.)
CRANE'S VOICE: What does the entrance look like?
WU'S VOICE : The Lieutenant said it was a trapdoor. Not very big, and not very quiet; you'll have to be careful. (Flash-sideways to shot of the trapdoor.) You'll go in at the second gong, in the second watch of the night. You'll have until the third watch to find information, capture General Zhong, set the fuses in the black powder room and get out. (Flash-sideways to the city gong-tower.) At the third watch, my men will storm the tunnels and the shore to take any prisoners who survive the blast and interrogate them for information, as well as take General Zhong off your hands.
VIPER'S VOICE: What about civilians?
WU: We've checked out the other warehouses on the block. (Shot of the other warehouses; one is empty behind the first few rows of boxes; another seems to be run by a pig who is smiling in a greasy way as he shakes the hand of a wolf, exchanging money.) Turns out they're all false fronts, run by the Ten Thousand or collaborators.
MANTS'S VOICE: How long do the fuses last?
WU: Not long. (Flash-sideways to a coil of fuse-cord, burning quickly.) The fuses will burn for three minutes after they're set; after that—(the sparks reach the end of the coil and blow up a small powder keg) –anything they're attached to will go up in flames.
TIGRESS'S VOICE: That's not a lot of time; how do we get Zhong up and out through the warehouse? I don't imagine he'll go willingly.
WU: There are tunnels leading into the main drain, here and here. (Flash-sideways to the sewer tunnels, guarded by beefy lynxes in armor.) But they're heavily used and carefully guarded; you won't be able to use them. My men and I will be in the tunnel right above, working while you capture Zhong to remove the wall without being noticed. (Flash-sideways to several leopards in imperial armor, quietly removing stones in a bucket-chain formation.) That's how far you'll have to get, with Zhong in tow, to be safe from the blast.
(Flash-sideways; we're back in the office.)
WU: (Continuing) If the fuses haven't detonated by the third watch, we'll assume you've been captured and storm the Den. That's the worst outcome; Zhong is almost certain to escape and once we're in-range you won't want to set off the fuses. Even if we take the Den, the fight would be a bloodbath for me and my men. But if you can capture General Zhong and take out most of his men, it could bring down the Ten Thousand for good.
CRANE'S VOICE: (Whistling) That's a tall order.
WU: If you don't think you can do it–
MANTIS'S VOICE: No way; we've gotten ourselves out of way worse! Right, guys?
TIGRESS: (To Po) What about your vision?
(The rest of the table turns to look at him. Po hesitates.)
PO: ...I don't know. It's a good plan, but… I dunno, guys, something just feels off to me.
WU: If you don't think we should go through with it, Dragon Warrior, we'll have the Lieutenant carry out her original plan. But this is the best chance we've had to capture General Zhong in over thirty years.
PO: (Bites his lip, winces, and then sighs.) Yeah. Yeah, let's do it. (Brightens a little in his customary way.) Don't worry, Captain. We got this.
CAPTAIN WU: Glad to hear it. (Transition shot as the scene fades to a starry night sky, in shades of dark plum.) I'll tell my men to prepare. China's future is in your hands.
[The starry-night shot pans down to show the Capitol. In the Tiger Neighborhood, we see Sun's shop. Feng is sitting on the roof, clearly having climbed out without her father's knowledge, and is looking up at the stars and the sliver of the moon over the city. With an extended claw she's idly slicing the falling ginkgo leaves as they drift down from the tree branch over her house.]
(Suddenly, something catches her eye, and she stands up with a frown, moving aside one of the branches. Over the rooftops not far distant from her, she sees three, then four, then five figures moving stealthily along the rooftops—a graceful tiger, followed by a swooping crane, a slithering snake, a swinging monkey who appears dipping in and out from the roof gutters, and last of all a panda. Presumably an insect, too small to be seen from a distance, is with them.)
(Feng gasps in delight and steps forward, before she looks down at the roof below her. Brief shot of Sun sleeping soundly in his bed. On the roof above, his daughter hesitates, and then her face turns determined. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she takes several steps back, and then drops to all fours and rushes to the end of the roof, eyes squeezed tight.)
FENG: (Yelping) Ahh! (We get a brief shot of her flying across the sliver-moon and the large street with the gate leading into the Tiger Neighborhood, before she lands on a roof on the other side. Her eyes fly open in surprise as she looks down at the tiles under her feet, and then she lets out a little incredulous laugh.) Yes! (Now with confidence, she heads off across the rooftops, following the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior's silhouettes in the distance.)
(Ahead of her, the Five and Po are moving across the rooftops, making significantly less noise than the teenager. Even Po is being very stealthy; while the others are naturally graceful, flying across the rooftops like ribbon-dancers, Po's grace is clearly learned, rolling forward with his momentum every time he leaps onto a new roof. The neighborhoods fly below them, changing from richer to poorer. Po rolls as he hits a new roof and looks up. Tigress is leading the pack, while he is at the back. His eyes narrow slightly as he scans the upcoming horizon.)
MONKEY: (Looks down in surprise as Po drops to a lower veranda below him, running full-tilt and actually outpacing him, and then bar-vaults himself up onto the roof again using a roof-gutter.) Po?
(The panda ignores him, using similar moves—flipping onto upper roofs or using drain-spouts—to outpace Viper and Mantis. As Crane veers off to scan the area, Po falls into step just behind Tigress. She looks at him in surprise; Po's usually at the back of the group)
PO: (In an undertone) We gotta talk.
TIGRESS: Hahp! (Leaps onto another roof. Po follows, rolling.) About?
PO: My vision. I think something's up.
TIGRESS: I thought you said there was nothing to worry about.
PO: I didn't say that. I just said we shouldn't call off the mission.
TIGRESS: (Gives him a side eye. Their conversation is interrupted by having to leap sideways between alternating verandas. Once they're in a stable pattern again, panting slightly, she says:) A good kung fu master always trusts their gut.
PO: (Grinning) I've definitely got enough of it.
TIGRESS: But– hahp! (Leaps across an alleyway. Po follows.) I'm not turning back. This might be our only chance to take General Zhong alive.
PO: I know, but these people have it out for you, Tigress. (Dodges around a smoke-flue.) Just don't– I dunno, take any unnecessary risks. For me?
(Tigress is about to answer, but has to pause as they reach a shipping canal. She leaps down onto a barge crossing the river; when Po follows it nearly tips, and the boatman yelps, whirling around to see several black shadows fly across his path. When they reach the other side's roofs, she looks at him and gives a short nod.)
[Back behind them, Feng is still following, panting hard and clearly getting out of breath. The fact that she's running in a dress doesn't help. As they pass through one of the seedier sides of town, she looks down at the alleyway below her, a little worried; she's not used to being in such dilapidated areas. When she looks up, she comes face-first with a chimney.]
FENG: Ahh! (Scrambles to avoid it and loses her footing, tumbling down the backside of a roof. She lets out another scream as she falls and then lands with an "OOF!" in a refuse pile, mostly composed of vegetable scraps.) Ooh… (Sits up and rubs her head, wincing, before looking around.) Where am I…?
(The back door to the restaurant whose roof she just fell off suddenly opens, dim lantern light pouring into the alleyway and shining off her eyes. A gruff voice calls out:)
BOSS WOLF: What's going on back here?! This had better not be a– oh. (Sees the tiger girl covered in potato peels.) Uhh…
FENG: Um– s- sorry! (Stumbles to her feet, frightened of the scary-looking wolf man in front of her.) I was– um–
BOSS WOLF: (Advancing forward with a growl) Who sent you? The Ten Thousand?! Huh?!
FENG: No! No, I promise!
BOSS WOLF: Haven't you people taken enough from me?! Well if you wanna take this shop, you're gonna have to fight for it! I've got friends, you know, and–
FENG: I'm not with the Ten Thousand! I promise! I'd never– I was just following– (she claps a hand over her mouth. Boss Wolf studies her, frowning.)
BOSS WOLF: Following…who? (Feng doesn't answer, wide-eyed and intimidated.) Following who!
FENG: (Squeaking) The Furious Five!
BOSS WOLF: (Draws back, startled.) The Furious Five? (Looking around) What are they doing in this part of town? Unless– (Suddenly urgent, to Feng) Which way were they going?! Towards the river?!
FENG: I– um– I–
BOSS WOLF: (To himself) They're really doing it. (Curtly, over his shoulder to Feng as he disappears behind the door again.) This isn't a safe neighborhood. You need to go home.
FENG: W-wait! Where are you going?!
BOSS WOLF: (Emerges in a cloak, shutting the door behind him.) None of your business, kid.
FENG: Let me go with you! Maybe I can help! (Wolf laughs patronizingly and doesn't answer her.) You know where they're going, don't you!
BOSS WOLF: (Starting down the street) So what if I do.
FENG: (Following him) I'm coming too! A-and you can't stop me!
BOSS WOLF: Wanna bet? Look, the Ten Thousand are dangerous; a nice girl like you shouldn't be anywhere near them! Now go home!
FENG: Either you take me with you, or– or I'll scream!
BOSS WOLF: (Looks over his shoulder at her, surprised. Feng has stopped and crossed her arms.)
FENG: (Quietly) You're missing an eye. Even "kids" like me hear stories. (Wolf's good eye flickers away.) What happened?
BOSS WOLF: ...I left them. So they took my eye. (Growling.) And now they've taken a member of my pack.
FENG: (Nodding) They've threatened my father before, for not supporting them. He told me they were just customers, but I'm not stupid.
WOLF: You're really not gonna go home, are ya? (Feng's face is stony; he sighs.) Jeez… fine, it's your life. Just don't say I didn't warn you.
[Scene: row of warehouses by the river. The Five and Po are crouched down behind a stack of boxes, reviewing the plan.]
MANTIS: Once the fuses are lit, we'll only have a few minutes to get Zhong out with us.
VIPER: (Worried) It's going to be hard to set them and try to hold a captive at the same time.
TIGRESS: (Laying out a small hand drawn map on the ground of the Den.) We should move the black powder into position first, and then go searching for Zhong and information. Once we have what we need, Crane and Mantis will go back to light the fuses while the rest of us get Zhong to one of the tunnels.
PO: What if the four of us can't handle him alone? You heard what Wu said, he's got skills. Like, old-guy skills.
TIGRESS: That's a chance we're going to have to take. Crane, have you got the fuses?
CRANE: (Fluttering his wings, over which has been strung a back-pack like satchel.) Right here.
TIGRESS: Good. Let's move.
(They watch as a plainclothes guard walks past one of the windows, and then Mantis hops towards it. He hides behind a crate, waits, and then leaps up onto the windowsill, pushing the wooden shutter in enough to make a crack. With little "oofs" and "huffs" he manages to squeeze through to the other side, and then scans his surroundings. The window is behind a stack of boxes, and between the boxes and the wall, just below him, is a pair of plainclothes crocodile guards, playing dice by lantern light in the open center of the warehouse. He hops silently to the next row of boxes and peeks over the top. Below him is a trap door.)
MANTIS: (Whispering) Jackpot. (Hops back to the window and undoes the latch, before poking his head through and giving a "thumbs up" with his pincers. On the other side of the outdoor crates, Monkey gives him a "thumbs up" back.)
(One by one, the others stealth their way into the room, climbing right over the heads of the guards to the next row of boxes: first Viper and Crane, then Monkey and Tigress, who have to be more careful to not draw attention. Outside, Po sizes up the jump, wiggles his but, and jumps up towards the window–)
(And grabs it way too hard, his momentum swinging his feet into the outside wall.)
NOISE: (A quiet THUD.)
(The Five share panicked looks. Tigress is not yet hidden from view. The heads of the guards swivel towards the window.)
GUARD 1: What the–?
(Silence. The window area appears to be empty. Down behind the crates, Mantis, Monkey, Crane and Viper are frozen, crouched with panicked expressions. Tigress is clinging perilously to the ceiling by her claws right over the guards' heads. Po is clinging desperately to the window with a wince, knowing that the noise of dropping will alert even more attention. There's a horrible pause.)
GUARD 2: (Surreptitiously reaches over while Guard 1 is still looking suspiciously at the wall, and tries to turn one of the dice.)
GUARD 1: (Whirling back around) Hey, what do you think you're doing!
GUARD 2: Nothing!
GUARD 1: "Nothing" my furry tail! You were trying to cheat!
GUARD 2: Oh yeah?!
GUARD 1: Yeah!
GUARD 2: Oh yeah!
(As they bicker, Tigress claw-grips her way to the other side of the boxes and lightly jumps down. Po, grimacing, scrambles quietly into the window and, as quietly as possible, uses the rafters to gymnastics-flip his way onto the other side of the boxes. Tigress reaches up and helps him down.)
GUARD 2: After all these years I can't believe you still don't trust me!
GUARD 1: Trust you?! Trust you?! After you tried to date my mom?!
GUARD 2: Ohh, here we go again! Your mom and I had something special!
(Viper covers her mouth with her rattler to hide a snicker as Monkey opens the trapdoor, below which is an old city street with a manhole sunk into the bricks, but with no metal cover. One by one they hop down, Monkey last as he closes the trapdoor. Below is a tunnel with shallow steps leading down into the ground.)
(At the end of the steps the tunnel lets out into the open sewer—a massive brick structure several stories high. At the mouth of the tunnel is a large wooden platform which connects by staircases to several smaller wooden platforms around the walls of the sewer, which lead into other drain-tunnels. A series of pulleys are being used to lift hanging platforms of boxes, barrels and crates to the various levels.)
TIGRESS: Stay back. (The others shrink back into the shadows. She peers out into the sewer. There's no obvious way to get in without being seen. She turns back to the others.) There's no good cover. What do we do?
MANTIS: We can't stay here or we'll definitely get caught.
PO: (Trying to lighten the mood) Hey, maybe Tigress can vouch for us? (She shoots him a glare.) Sorry, not funny.
VIPER: Wait; that's an idea. Tigress, you can sneak in in some boxes!
TIGRESS: That's a non-starter; as soon as I show my face in there I'll be recognized.
MONKEY: But what if they couldn't see your face? (He points with his tail out of the tunnel. On a wooden landing just two staircases down, they can see a pair of guards wearing armor and war-helmets, presumably as protection for the heavy moving rather than actual combat. One is a leopard and the other a smallish Ussuri bear who, compared to Po, is positively huge.)
PO: Whoa.
MANTIS: Now that's a big fella.
CRANE: How do we get them up here?
VIPER: Leave it to me.
(The Ussuri bear and leopard are using the pulleys to lower a platform. Viper slithers onto the rope and twirls herself down closer to the platform, careful not to be seen. As it reaches the landing, the Ussuri bear and the leopard stop in surprise.)
BEAR: (Grunting) What the–
(Viper winks at them, and then suddenly shoots out, wrapping one end of herself around each neck and clonking their heads together. The leopard goes down like a sack of bricks; the bear's eyes spin in his head and then right themselves again.)
VIPER: Uh-oh. (Drops the leopard as the bear grabs for her head, enraged, and wraps herself around his fist.)
(The entangled bear punches himself in the face, swoons, and keels over onto the platform, which shudders a little. A shot from below shows that no one on the lower landings or down below has seen this exchange, due to the platform blocking their view. Huffing and wincing, Viper drags the unconscious guards onto the platform. Up above, the others grab hold of the rope and haul it up. Tigress ties the knot off at the top to stabilize it as the others haul the guards into the tunnel and strip them of their clothes and armor.)
TIGRESS: The platform is filled with empty boxes.
MANTIS: Good, we can use those to hide. How's the armor fitting you, Po?
PO: (Holding up the massive leather cuirass.) Jeez. Hard not to feel a little, y'know, inadequate.
VIPER: (Consoling) Size doesn't matter.
PO: (Gives her a side-eye as he pulls the bear's clothes on, which are very baggy on him, and then tucks them into the armor. Once he puts on the helmet and kerchief most of the white parts of his fur are hidden except around his eyes, but the black still shows through.) How do I look?
TIGRESS: (Tying off her gauntlets.) Hopefully, like you fit in. (Pulls the helmet over her face. Standing in full armor with her stripes displayed and her face hidden from view, she looks like a proper member of the Ten Thousand.)
PO: (Voice slightly echo-y from his helmet.) Whoa. Spooky.
TIGRESS: Alright. Everyone else in the boxes.
(They tie up the guards with some spare rope and shove them into two larger crates which they leave behind in the tunnel, and then the others clamber into smaller boxes—Crane and Viper in one, Mantis and Monkey in the other. Po carries them anxiously out onto the platform, looking around, and then gives Tigress a nod, who unties the pulley and begins to lower him towards the ground. As the platform descends he passes by other guards on the various landings, who glance at him and then look away.)
(Inch by inch and foot by foot the platform descends to the bottom of the sewer. At the lowest level is a tiger foreman with a clipboard.)
FOREMAN: (Bored) Where's that going?
PO: Uh– storage room three?
FOREMAN: Fine, leave it here.
PO: No! (The foreman looks up at him, startled, and Po panics) I-I mean, uh, I've got to carry this myself! It's—very explosive!
FOREMAN: It's black powder, it's all explosive. (Leans closer, frowning.) You feeling okay, soldier?
PO: Great! Dandy! Just uh–
TIGRESS'S VOICE: He's with me.
(The foreman looks over as she walks off the last steps and strides up to them with an air of annoyance.)
FOREMAN: Sorry?
TIGRESS: He's a new recruit; I'm showing him the ropes.
PO: Literally! (Chuckles nervously. The foreman and Tigress both give him glares.) Sorry. Ma'am.
FOREMAN: O-kay…storage three is down the northwest tunnel, two lefts then take a right. Got that, rookie?
PO: Yessir! (Salutes. Tigress pinches the bridge of his nose.)
FOREMAN: Jeez. (Muttering to Tigress) Newbies are such a pain, huh.
TIGRESS: (Audibly smirking) You've got no idea. Soldier! (Po startles and stands at attention.) This way.
(They make their way down the tunnel, which is shadowy and lit only by red torches. Po and Tigress (with the rest of the Five in tow) cast nervous/wary glances at the occasional worker who comes from the opposite direction, but nobody questions them. They take the first tunnel branching off to the left, then the second, and then take a right. The end of this tunnel is bricked off but has a door in the middle.
TIGRESS: (Trying it) It's locked.
MONKEY: (From inside his and Mantis's crate) Let me give it a try. (Climbs out of the crate and studies the lock, then pulls out a small roll of cloth from inside a hidden pocket on his trousers. The cloth unrolls to reveal several sharp-looking lockpick tools.)
(The lock is picked; the warriors slip inside and Po sets down the crates. The others force the covers off, panting.)
CRANE: Ugh. It's stuffy in there.
VIPER: (Squinting) I can't see anything.
TIGRESS: Hold on, there's some torches over here. (There's a "scritch" sound and a flare of light, and then the torch illuminates the room in red.)
MANTIS: Whoa. That's… a lot of cannons.
(It's true. The torchlight is falling over the polished barrels of at least two-dozen cast-iron cannons on wheels, filling the storage room almost wall-to-wall. Unlike Shen's cannons, these cannons are simple, without decoration. Lined between the mouths of the cannons and the wall are wooden barrels and crates.)
TIGRESS: (Moving further into the room, running a paw over one of the cannons.) Where did they get all these?
MANTIS: (Hopping past her, smugly:) Doesn't matter; we're gonna blow them all sky-high. Po, what's in those barrels?
PO: (Opening the lid of one) Looks like more black powder.
MONKEY: Excellent.
TIGRESS: (Unswerved, frowning) There's no blacksmith in the city that could make all these without being caught…
VIPER: (Advising) Let's not worry about that for now. Mantis?
MANTIS: (Rubs a bit of black powder and sets it off) We can leave a fuse here. But Wu said we want to find the largest stockpile and use that to bring down the sewer.
PO: (Picking up a fistful of black powder and letting it run between his fingers) If this room's full of cannons, there has to be more black powder somewhere else. But we gotta hurry.
(As if to emphasize this, they hear the distant ring of the city gong, indicating the first quarter-watch is gone.)
TIGRESS: Right. Let's go.
[Scene: up at the upper entrance tunnel. GUARD 1 and GUARD 2 are walking down towards the sewer, sniffling and talking through their issues.]
GUARD 1: You know what, man? If you and my mom really got something special, then… (sniffling valiantly) I just want you guys to be happy!
GUARD 2: Aw, man, you mean it?
GUARD 1: I mean it! I really do! Bring it 'ere! (They both start bawling and pull each other into bro-hugs.)
GUARD 2: I swear, I'll be the best stepdad you ever had–! (Stops talking as he sees the two large crates in the tunnel.) Huh.
GUARD 1: And I'll be the best stepson YOU ever had!
GUARD 2: No, man, look. (They break apart and Guard 2 points at the crates.) Is that supposed to be there?
GUARD 1: No way, man, that's a hazard. Workplace safety and all that. Hey, let's get them on a pallet. (They try to move the crates.) Oof. (There's a "thud" from inside when he tries to move it.) What is in this?
GUARD 2: The top's loose… (They open the crate, and then look at each other.)
GUARD 1 & 2: Uh-oh.
[Shot cuts to Zhong's office, the same he was seen in at the beginning of the movie but now in warm light instead of shadow. We see him from behind as he's writing on a form of paper when the door suddenly opens, and LOI enters with the two guards behind him.]
ZHONG: (Rolling his eyes) Loi, you really need to learn how to knock. (Glances up and sees the trembling guards. Sighs.) What happened.
GUARD 1: Uh– well, um, it's a f-funny story–
ZHONG: Oh, I very much doubt that.
GUARD 2: It wasn't our fault! Honest!
LOI: (Scoffing and rolling his eyes) My lord, what these two imbeciles are too cowardly to say is that two guards were found stripped and bound in a pair of crates in the upper entrance.
ZHONG: (Standing, interested) Two guards? What kinds?
LOI: A leopard and a bear, my lord. Sir, this means–!
ZHONG: (Pleased) It means that someone, or rather several someones, has broken into the Den, in spite of the extra security.
LOI: Uh– m-my lord? (As Zhong walks up to the crocodile guards, who whimper and begin to quake even harder.)
ZHONG: (Ignoring him; to the guards:) Your incompetence has put not only the Den of Claws but also our entire mission in danger. (They cringe, clinging to each other. Zhong unsheathes the claws on his right paw, and both yelp and cower. Zhong studies them for a moment, and then uses his claws to pick a piece of lint off the shirt of the first crocodile guard.) However, it's nothing that can't be fixed. (Steps back) For your punishment, you'll sit the third watch as well tonight.
GUARDS 1 & 2: (Both panting with relief) Yes, sir, we will, sir! Thank you, sir!
ZHONG: Go on, then. (They turn and flee the room. Loi watches them go, and then turns back to his lord in confusion.)
LOI: My lord? Why aren't you upset?
ZHONG: This is the opportunity we've been waiting for. (Leaves the office and moves out into the tunnel, with the duck hovering anxiously a few steps behind him.) The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior are somewhere in the Den.
LOI: What!
ZHONG: Hurry along, Loi, we have work to do.
(They pass by another branching tunnel and disappear. A figure who'd been working in the tunnel turns and pokes his head out from behind the wall, watching them leave. It's the KID in standard Ten Thousand armor, looking nervous, but with a spark of determination in his eyes.)
[Scene: another store room. Po sets down the crates and takes off his helmet as Tigress hurriedly bars the door.]
PO: Okay, we're running out of time. This has gotta be the right one! (Tigress shines the torch in his direction, illuminating rows upon rows of black powder.) YES!
TIGRESS: Crane, the fuses. (He slings the backpack off his shoulder and begins clipping the cord with his beak with Monkey's help.) Mantis, does this look like enough?
MANTIS: Oh yeah, this is exactly what we needed. Give me some of those fuses. (Viper hands him a tail-full and he hops away, lining the beginning of each row of barrels with them.)
NOISE: (A distant gong, as if from miles overhead.)
PO: That's the second gong.
TIGRESS: Mantis?
MANTIS: (Hopping back over) Done. All we gotta do is light them.
CRANE: We've got some leftover cord here.
TIGRESS: Hide it in one of these barrels, under some of the powder. (Po quickly does so, scooping handfuls of black powder over the coiled cord.) Come on.
(They hurry out of the room, closing the door behind them.)
PO: We're half outta time; we need to find Zhong.
NOISE: Fzzt-THUD! (An arrow flies through the air, slicing off one of Crane's head-feathers and impaling itself into the door behind them. They all yelp.)
ZHONG'S VOICE: Consider it done. (They turn. A shadowy figure is standing in front of them, with a row of half a dozen archers followed by dozens of spear-guards behind him.) You five, on the ground.
PO: (Holding up his hands) Okay, okay. Everyone just be cool and VIPER, MASK OF DEATH! (Scoops her up and launches her bodily into the crowd, where she attaches to a wolf's face and chokes him out.)
(The fight is on. Arrows fly; one knocks down a torch, which falls onto a pile of empty boxes and lights the room up in golden flames. Tigress lunges over the archer's heads and attacks three spearmen, batting one, punching the other and kicking the third into Po, who belly-bumps him into the row of archers. They go down like a line of dominoes. Monkey grabs a spear, breaks it in half and uses them like two short jo-staffs, clubbing and butt-ending his foes, as Mantis hops over his shoulder with a double side-kick, knocking one particularly nasty crocodile back into his comrades bowling-pin style.)
(Crane is the first to go down; encumbered by the narrow space, his usual evade-and-distract measures are unavailable against these heavier opponents, and he's quickly pinned.)
PO: Crane!
(He backfists a tiger and tries to help his friend, but the angry tiger snarls and knocks Po over, who is quickly beset by a pile of enemies. Mantis is likewise buried; Viper is grabbed mid-leap by a female wolf who ties the snake in a knot and throws her on the ground. Viper is quickly surrounded by spear-tips. Monkey yells and tries to attack, only to come face-to-face with Zhong himself. With two easy sweeps of his paw the superior master of weapons draws his sword, cuts the jo-stalves in half, and clubs Monkey over the head with the hilt. The simian falls to the ground, dazed, and as Tigress leaps over him to attack Zhong she finds herself pulled back by a sea of armored paws. By the time all is said and done, all the heroes are pinned, injured or half-conscious on the ground, with the exception of Tigress who is standing upright but being held by several guards.)
ZHONG'S VOICE: Well, that was…entertaining. (Stepping into the firelight, the heroes get their first good look at him. He's wearing ornate mountain-pattern armor, with gilding and an impressive beast-head belt. The jian sword at his waist, recently resheathed, glimmers with a golden tiger-headed pommel. In the flaring light from the fire the scars slashing across his eyes look even deeper.) Brief. But entertaining.
PO: (Finding his voice first) Big man, huh, coming in here with all your guards and archers. Why not face us yourself, you coward!
ZHONG: (Coming to a standstill before them, dryly:) Because this is a war, not some kung fu tournament. (To Tigress) Why did you bring him here?
TIGRESS: (Wryly) The Dragon Warrior? I keep him around for his cooking.
PO: Wait–(to Tigress:)–really?
MANTIS: (Grumbling, being held by a guard) What are the rest of us, chopped tofu?
ZHONG: (Ignoring them) You should have come alone.
PO: (Heroic laugh) Ha! (Tigress and Zhong both look at him) You should've known the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five would never split up in the face of e–
(General Zhong walks coolly over to Po, who trails off.)
PO: -E-evil…
ZHONG: (In a soft, even pleasant voice): I know you're used to being the center of attention, Dragon Warrior, but though it may surprise you you are not, in fact, the most important person in this room. (Before Po can even respond, he turns back to Tigress.) I didn't think you'd want to have this conversation in front of… outsiders.
TIGRESS: Like I told your messenger, I'm not interested in becoming one of your little recruits. The only conversation you'll be having is with the imperial guard—from behind bars.
ZHONG: (Eyes flickering between her and the others; a soft inward "ah" as he seems to work something out.) I see. (Turns to Loi and some guards:) Have them imprisoned—separately. (Glancing back at them; his gaze lingers briefly on Po, and then on Tigress.) Put the Dragon Warrior in the acupuncture cuffs.
LOI: And her? Sir?
ZHONG: An armed guard should suffice for now; put her in cell one. (Loi seems a little confused, but nods.) I'll return shortly; something tells me our— (with irony) esteemed guests, may have left us some surprises on their way in. (Suddenly all business) Commander. (A silent tiger gives a short, military bow.) Call your men; we will oversee a sweep of the facility.
TIGER COMMANDER: Sir. (He gives a nod. The pack of guards shove their prisoners forward.)
(Shot: four doors slamming in front of Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane.)
(Shot: the door slamming in front of a glowering Tigress.)
(Shots: the accu-pressure cuffs snapping over Po's wrists; him giving the nervous "heh" to an angry Usurri bear strapping back on his armor; the Ussuri bear's fist right before it slams into Po's jaw and knocks him clean across the cell.)
BEAR GUARD: And stay down! Stinkin' bamboo-muncher… (Slams the door and walks away, grumbling.)
PO: Ooh… (Sits up, wincing, and looks down at his handcuffs.) Aw man, not again.
(In Tigress's cell, she takes stance in front of the door, eyeing it. On the other side are two beefy armed guards, both tigers.)
TIGRESS: (Winds up her fist and sends a solid punch right into the weakest point of the door.) Hrah!
NOISE: TONGGGG.
(Her fist rebounds, not even denting the door. Tigress shakes her paw, looks down at it, and tries again.)
TIGRESS: Hrah! (Tongggg!) Hah! (Tongggg!) Ahrah! (Tongggg!)
(Outside the door, the two guards share a look, and then turn their eyes forward again, unmoved. From the other side of the door echo the repeated sounds of "Hrah!" and the ring of fist on metal…)
[Scene: street above. Across the canal, Boss Wolf and Feng are watching the warehouse from behind a pile of boxes. Feng, apparently bored from the stakeout, is leaning against a box and tossing a little pebble up and down.]
BOSS WOLF: Would you cut that out? (Grabs the pebble out of midair, much to Feng's dismay.) You're gonna get us caught… (Goes back to watching.)
FENG: (Hesitants, and then asks) So…who did they take?
BOSS WOLF: (Distracted) What's that?
FENG: That's what you're here for, right? To get back the person they took from you. Who was it?
BOSS WOLF: (Glances over his shoulder, and then back at the warehouse, ears drooping.) …My nephew. He's about your age, actually. Good kid. (Guiltily) I'm not even sure if he's still…
FENG: Oh.
BOSS WOLF: Yeah. (Almost to himself.) I've done a lot of bad stuff in my life. But taking care of him, after my sis died… That's the one thing I got right. I can't lose him. (There's an uncomfortable beat of silence, and then Wolf shakes himself.) Agh, why isn't anything happening! They didn't take this long last time…
FENG: You've met the Furious Five before?
BOSS WOLF: Uh– yeah. "Met." (Growling.) Enough of this waiting around; I'm going in.
FENG: (Immediately) I'm going too.
BOSS WOLF: Oh no you're not. That's the Den of Claws, it's way too dangerous for a kid like you. (Feng looks disappointed, but grudgingly nods.) I'll be back. Take this. (Undoes the ties on his cloak.) Good thing is you look like you belong, so if things get bad you can run and no one will follow you.
FENG: What are you going to do?
BOSS WOLF: Like I said, they've got a member of my pack. (Sweeps off his cloak. As he does so, we see that he's wearing his cuirass and carrying his war-hammer on his belt. Feng looks slightly awed.) I'm getting him back—whatever it takes.
[Scene: the KID is walking with his helmet down along a dim hallway lit by red torches, looking nervously as other members of the Ten Thousand pass on either side. One of them, a broad-shouldered bear, shoves the teenage wolf aside with his shoulder as he passes and then laughs. The kid closes his eyes with a wince and then keeps going, clearly terrified.]
(Takes a right into an even darker tunnel, this one mostly empty, and walks up to the older wolf keeping guard.)
GUARD: (Spotting him and giving him the head-nod) What's up.
KID: Uh– I-I'm supposed to relieve you, I think?
GUARD: You "think?" (The kid wilts a little, looking afraid.) Agh. I hate dealing with new recruits. Are you here to replace me or not!
KID: Yes! I mean, um, yes I am.
GUARD: Shape up, squirt. (Smacks the kid on the shoulder as he passes, who flinches.) You're a member of the Ten Thousand now, have a little pride.
KID: Um, right. Yeah. Sorry.
(The older wolf goes whistling down the passage. The kid watches him round the corner, and then hurriedly turns to the cell door, takes out a probably stolen key, and unlocks it.)
(The moment he opens the door, a hand drags him in and slams it behind him.)
KID: Whoa! (There's a loud "Thwang!" as a curled fist bops him on the helmet.) Hey! Ow! I'm trying to help you!
MONKEY: Wait– (steps back; the kid takes off his head and rubs his head) –don't I know you?
KID: (Looking up, stammering) M-Master Monkey.
MONKEY: (Excited) Yah, I do! You're that kid from the alleyway! Hey, you really helped us out back there! (Frowning) What are you doing here?
KID: (Sits up, kneeling with shoulders hunched) I… (Glances up; Monkey has tilted his head, confused, and the kid squeezes his eyes.) I–
MONKEY: Whoa, hey. (Stepping forward, concerned,) Are you ok–?
KID: I sold you out! (Monkey goes quiet.) I'm sorry! I didn't want to, b-but General Zhong was there, and he threatened my uncle, and– and–! (He's actually starting to cry now, head bowed.) That's how they knew you were coming. But I never wanted to join them! I'm so sorry!
MONKEY: (Looks surprised, and then smiles slightly.) Hey. (Swings himself forward on his hands, stopping in front of the teenager. The kid looks up.) It's fine; don't worry about it.
KID: (Still crying) Wh– what?
MONKEY: You're young, you made a mistake. It's okay.
KID: But– But I sold you out! To, like, really bad guys! …Why don't you hate me?
MONKEY: Ha! (The kid looks confused.) Listen, I did way worse when I was your age! Besides you were scared, and trying to protect someone you love. This does not exactly seem like your fault. (Grins at him as he swings himself towards the door.) Tell you what, you can make it up to me by helping me rescue my friends.
KID: But I've only got the one key.
MONKEY: Like I said– (reaches into the hidden pocket on his trousers and takes out the rolled-up lockpick kit, grinning full-teeth) –former child delinquent.
[Scene: a manhole to the upper street, closing shut. BOSS WOLF drops down as the moonlight vanishes; there's a "scritch!" and then a "fwoom" as he lights a red-burning torch. He waves it around a bit and then quickly descends the sloping tunnel. Decades-old trash, dead leaves and grime litter the ground.]
(Scene moves ahead in time slightly as he comes to the end of the tunnel. He stops when he sees the brick wall in front of him.)
WOLF: (Muttering, annoyed) That's new. (Puts his torch in an empty bracket on the wall and studies the bricks, red eyes gleaming in the dim light. He pulls his war hammer out of his belt, twirls it in his paw to test its weight, and then gives it a larger orbit and swings.)
NOISE: CRASH! (On the other side of the wall the bricks explode into rubble, startling several workers stacking boxes. As the dust clears, Wolf's shadow steps through the hole. The workers stare in shock.)
WOLF: (Growling) 'Sup. (Hefts his hammer and charges.)
[Scene: Po sitting in his cell with his back to the wall, trying to pull out his fists out of the cuffs by 1.) sheer force of will, 2.) using his feet as a lever, and 3.) trying to gnaw on the metal. He's just reached the biting part when the door suddenly bursts open, revealing Monkey and the kid.)
PO: Monkey! Oh man, am I glad to see you! (Noticing the kid.) Who's this?
MONKEY: Another infiltrator. He saw we were in trouble, and came to help.
PO: Whoa! (The kid looks embarrassed.) Are you like, a spy for the Emperor or something?
MONKEY: Or something. Come on, we have to hurry.
(He, Po, and the kid successfully break Viper, Crane and Mantis out of their cells. When they check the rest of the row, however, they find they're empty.)
MANTIS: I don't get it. Zhong said she was in cell one.
KID: Cell one? That's up a level, near the command offices; we can't get there without going through the main drain.
CRANE: Maybe she can break out?
KID: (Shaking his head) The cell doors are solid iron; there's no way to get through them without a key.
MANTIS: Great. Any other good news?
KID: The security's gone up on the south and north tunnels; I don't know by how much, but there were people heading that way when I came to get you. (Nervously) On top of that, someone's definitely going to figure out I wasn't the real guard replacement pretty soon.
PO: (Sighing) We're totally screwed.
MANTIS: Wait. (Hopping onto Po's shoulder) You're saying that a bunch of guards, in Ten Thousand armor, are probably coming our way right now? (The kid nods.) That's great! We just do what we did before, knock 'em out and steal their armor!
CRANE: There is no way that trick is going to work twice. Besides, where would we put them?
(The six of them turn to look at the newly-empty cells in front of them.)
CRANE: Okay, fair, I see my mistake.
(Shot: a trio of guards getting clobbered. Several "SLAM!"s as the cell doors are shut in front of them.)
MONKEY: Nice haul (Putting on a helmet that makes him look like a small wildcat).
VIPER: Mantis and I can hide in someone's armor. Po?
PO: (Wheezing as he tries to squeeze into decidedly too small, and decided female, bear armor.) Don't think– that's gonna– work, Viper. (The snake winces.) Man, first too big, then too small—can't I get something that's just right?!
KID: You can come with me, Master Viper. (Lifts the edge of the cold-weather cowl he's wearing with his armor; Viper slithers up underneath the fabric.)
VIPER: (Hissing happily) Thanksss. (Vanishes under the fabric.)
MANTIS: (Hopping onto the kid's shoulder) What about Crane?
CRANE: I'll stay here and take out anyone else who comes looking for us. But that won't last for very long; sooner or later the disappearances are going to get suspicious.
PO: Okay, game plan: get Tigress, reset the fuses, get out. (Even as he says it they hear the distant gong, miles above. Three quarters of their time is gone.) Okay. Let's go.
(The rescue team runs off down the tunnel. Shot pans up through the rows of brick to Tigress in her cell one floor above, staring bloody-knuckled and out of breath at the ceiling as the last ringing of the gong fades away.)
[Scene: the ringing of the gong, much closer, fades away, as the Emperor dips his writing brush into the jade ink dish. He's in the Hall of Literary Glory, writing at his desk amid shelves of scrolls, with the door open to view the rest of the palace and the city beyond in front of him. A brightly-burning taper held by a candlestick flickers in an evening autumn breeze, and a pot of tea emits puffs of steam from where it heats on a brazier.]
NOISE: (A knock against one of the bookshelves. The emperor glances up, surprised, and Master Shifu pokes his head around the edge, looking embarrassed.)
SHIFU: (Bowing) Your Majesty. (As he rises:) Forgive me for my imposition, but would it be alright if I joined you?
EMPEROR: Grandmaster! Of course; no imposition at all. (Clears a few papers off the other side of the desk.) It's always welcome to have company on nights like these.
SHIFU: (Embarrassed) Thank you; I– this is very kind of you–
EMPEROR: (Tilts his head as Shifu sits down, still stammering.) Please, be at ease. Here, I was just reading this delightful book of poetry; I think you might enjoy it. (Shifu, grateful and abashed at the same time, accepts the book.)
SHIFU: Yes. Ah, thank you, your Majesty.
(The Emperor smiles knowingly to himself as Shifu begins to read; they sit in silence for a moment or two while the Emperor pours a cup of tea.)
SHIFU: (Letting out a sigh as the tension seeps out of his shoulders) Thank you. This really is helping.
EMPEROR: (Kindly, passing the tea across the desk) You know, it's good for me to know the concerns of my subjects—and people are so rarely honest with me about them.
SHIFU: (Admitting:) I'm just worried about my students. I thought reading would help clear my mind and remembered the palace's wonderful library; I didn't realize anyone else would be up this late. (The emperor waves a reassuring hand; as Shifu goes back to reading he adds with a chuckle:) Sometimes it's hard not to fret over them like a mother hen—especially when prophecies are involved! The Dragon Warrior excepted, they've been my students for over ten years, and Tigress even longer.
EMPEROR: Oh? (Pouring himself a cup of tea) I didn't realize kung fu masters took on apprentices that young. (Shifu hums.) Her parents must miss her.
SHIFU: (Offhandedly) Oh, Tigress does not have parents.
EMPEROR: (Looking up over his spectacles in surprise) What do you mean?
SHIFU: (Still reading) Master Tigress has been with the Jade Palace since she was a very young girl; I adopted her from an orphanage myself.
EMPEROR: Adopted… (Sets down his teacup, his face growing apprehensive) How…how old, exactly, was the master when you took her in?
SHIFU: Hm. About five years old, I believe? The matron said she believed Tigress was a few months old when she was left on the doorstep, and she'd been at Bao Gu for five years when I arrived.
EMPEROR: And…how old is she now?
SHIFU: Thirty years, or so we think. (Finally looks up again from the book, frowning.) Why do you ask?
(The emperor doesn't answer, instead wordlessly standing and going to the bookshelf, where he unfurls a navy-colored scroll to reveal a star chart.)
[Scene: an upper tunnel, this one distinctively nicer than the ones below; the floor is paved in better bricks, and there are dim lanterns rather than torches lining the walls. The KID pokes his head around, and then motions for the others to follow.]
KID: It's empty. Come on.
(The others creep into the tunnel, looking around.)
MANTIS: (Low whistle from inside the kid's helmet) Definitely an upgrade.
PO: (Loud-whispering to the kid) Where's the cell?
KID: I don't know for sure; I've only been up here a few times.
VIPER: (Slithering out from his cowl) Check all the doors.
(They quickly disperse, trying each of the doors, most of which are unlocked. Po finds one with an iron door that's locked fast and motions behind him.)
PO: (Whispering) Monkey! Help me with this one!
(Monkey picks the lock, and then goes to help Viper with another as Po opens the door. Warm light pours out from the crack; this is obviously not a cell.)
PO: Whoa…
(He steps further into the room, the golden light of a bright lantern falling on his face in sharp contrast to the dark hall outside. A shot of the room reveals the office Zhong was seen in earlier: we see the same desk with the same map, papers and lantern, but more importantly, we see what is behind it, which had formerly been out-of-frame or in shadow: a larger-than-life tapestry of a tiger in golden armor, seated, with a sword and bared claws.)
(Po stares up at it for a long moment, gape-mouthed—looking, maybe for the first time in his life, very small. It's only when the flame of the lantern suddenly gutters and then grows strong again that he snaps out of his trance. He hurries to the desk, looking over the map; there are various pins stuck in it, though it's not clear what they mean, and Po quickly turns his attention to the scattered pile of papers covering the left half of the map. He rifles through them; all of them bear an ink-sketch of some predatory animal, be it tiger, wolf, bear, bird of prey, etc.)
PO: General Chen… General Lin… Commander Hu… (Each of the papers bears the characters for "dead" or "alive," with the "dead" sketches also crossed out with ink. Suddenly he stops dead, and then holds one up to the light.)
(It's a picture of Boss Wolf, missing eye and all. The character for "dead" has been crossed out, and "alive" written beside it. Across Wolf's face another set of characters has been hastily written.)
PO: (Reading aloud) Captain Láng. "Not to be trusted…" (He looks at the page in shocked confusion, and then notices something just beyond the edge of the page. He sets Boss Wolf's page aside and moves a few more pages around, revealing a small stack of papers: fresh posters for Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, showing him and Tigress smiling out at the viewer). What the…
MONKEY'S VOICE: (From the hallway, loud-whispering:) Po! (The simian pokes his head in the doorway.) I think we found Tigress's cell!
PO: Oh. Uh– (He looks back at the pages, torn and bewildered; he clearly can't carry all of them, let alone the map.)
MONKEY: (Insisting) Po, come on! We can come back later!
PO: Right. Right! Yeah, I'm coming! (Shoves the picture of himself and Tigress in his pocket and hurries after Monkey.)
[Scene shifts; five heads poke slowly around the side of an offshoot tunnel and spy two guards there, standing at the door.]
PO: (Whispering as they all draw back into the tunnel) Okay, Monkey, do your stuff!
MONKEY: (Gives a thumbs up and grabs hold of a jutting-out brick above them, climbing onto the ceiling. He swings around the tunnel, keeping to shadowed parts of the ceiling, until he's right over the heads of the guards. Grabbing hold of two bricks with his feet, he swings down and yanks off their helmets.)
GUARDS: (Looking up) What the–
NOISE: CLONK! (Monkey grabs their heads and smacks them together. Both crumple to the ground.)
(On the other side of the door, Tigress—who has given up hitting it and is meditating in the middle—opens her eyes in surprise.)
PO: (Loud-whispering) Way to go! (Monkey grins and drops to the ground, picking the lock.) Tigress! (Po opens the door.)
TIGRESS: (Standing) Po! (She rushes out of the cell, looking around at the others.) What's going on? Where's Crane?
VIPER: He's downstairs, taking out witnesses. (Flash-downwards to a few guards walking into the cell-block tunnel when a crane-shaped silhouette swoops down from behind them; flash-upwards again). We have to hurry; we're running out of time.
(The run back down the path and stop in front of the mouth into the main drain, which is now in a flurry of guard activity. Security is beefing up around the two exit-tunnels, with troops of guards passing through them in a search-and-destroy effort for other intruders. The whole Den is on high alert.)
(One floor above them, Boss Wolf comes to the mouth of another tunnel and stops short upon seeing the ramped-up security.)
WOLF: Uh oh.
[Scene-shift; the group comes skittering to a halt in front of Crane one floor down. He's perched awkwardly on a small pile of unconscious guards.]
CRANE: Uh, guys, I think this is getting out of hand.
TIGRESS: We're almost out of time; we need a plan.
MANTIS: Why not just wait here for Wu and his guys?
TIGRESS: We are not throwing the mission.
MANTIS: Well, we can't escape out the top; we'll definitely get stopped.
TIGRESS: Crane?
CRANE: (Ruffling his feathers anxiously) I-I could probably fly fast enough, but I can't carry all of you at once.
VIPER: I don't understand; it's like they knew we were coming. (Monkey and the Kid share an uncomfortable look.)
MONKEY: Who cares how they knew? The important thing now is to finish the mission and get out with our tails attached.
CRANE: We might not be able to do both.
PO: Tigress. (She glances at him.) This is your mission. Tell us what to do.
TIGRESS: (Debates with herself for a moment, and then makes up her mind.) Po and I will go and reset the fuses. Crane, give us five minutes and then fly others out the upper entrance. That'll draw their attention off of us.
VIPER: (Immediately) No way, Tigress, that's too risky! What if you don't get out in time; the blast could kill you both!
TIGERSS: The Ten Thousand don't know about the cleared tunnel, so they won't be guarding it. Po and I will go out that way. (Turns to Po, quietly:) I promised you no unnecessary risks. It's up to you.
PO: (Hesitates, and then agrees with his customary daredevil's confidence:) Let's do this.
[Shift to Shifu and the Emperor]
SHIFU: (Arguing) But thousands of children were orphaned by the war; there's no way to know for sure if—no, I refuse to even consider the possibility!
EMPEROR: You said she was only a few months old when she was left at the orphanage; for that to be true, she would have to have been born during the waning days of the war. By that point the Ten Thousand's army had been pushed all the way to the Western Mountains, far from most civilians. (Continuing, ignoring Shifu's frustrated huff:) Moreover, the Ten Thousand only began to reform properly three years ago.
SHIFU: (Defensively) I don't see how that's relevant.
EMPEROR: That was shortly after the Battle of Gongmen City; your students achieved fame across China for that victory. And then, here– (Points to a line of characters and dates on the page; Shifu reluctantly looks over.) Just a few months later, General Zhong is spotted here in the Capitol, for the first time in over twenty years! Grandmaster, that isn't a coincidence.
SHIFU: (Blustering) But– this is impossible, the prophecy clearly states that Master Tigress is supposed to preserve your dynasty!
EMPEROR: In all my years of study, Grandmaster, if there is one thing I have realized about prophecies it is that they mean what we make them mean. (Shifu, looking frazzled, begins to pace.) I am not claiming to know any of this for certain, but you cannot deny that the dates make sense.
(Shifu stammers and blusters wordlessly for a moment, pacing back and forth—and then stops. After a moment he abruptly turns on his heels.)
SHIFU: Show me those star charts again.
[Scene: Tigress and Po, in Ten Thousand armor, peek their heads around the end of a tunnel. They draw back as a small troop of guards passes by and then peer back out again.]
[The main drain around them is filled with people, all streaming in various directions. Tigress spies the two exit tunnels being stacked with guards, and then checks the tunnel Wu's men have secretly cleared. It seems to be free of guards.]
TIGRESS: (In an undertone to Po) We need to get down to the lower tunnels.
PO: (Glances around) I got an idea. Follow my lead.
(He steps out just as a group of guards heading down the stairs passes by; Tigress follows. They fall in step, blending in, and then peel off into a new group as the two pass each other. At one point they're forced to roll behind a stack of boxes—well, Po rolls, Tigress just crouches—to fall in with another group too far away.)
(In this way they make it down the stairs without being recognized. As they follow a group into the lower tunnel they needed, Tigress grabs Po's arm and pulls him into a small alcove of boxes. They wait for the group to round the corner, and then step out into the shadows of the tunnel again.
TIGRESS: Five minutes must have passed by now. Crane and the others–
(She's cut off as they hear a outcry erupt from the main drain behind them.)
PO: Oh boy.
TIGRESS: Come on. (They take off down a different tunnel, sprinting; Tigress drops to all fours to run faster as Po huffs to keep pace.)
[Up above, Crane wheels and dodges an arrow—no easy feat with the Kid and Monkey hanging from his talons.]
KID: AHHhh! (Panicking and wheeling his legs as he dangles over several stories of solid air.)
CRANE: Can you– stop him– from doing that?! Whoa! (Folds his wings to dodge another arrow; the subsequent drop makes the teenager scream bloody murder. Viper, who's wrapped like a scarf around his neck, tries to calm him to no avail.)
[Down below, Po and Tigress reach the re-locked storage room.]
TIGRESS: Kyah! (Kicks the door down.)
PO: Please still be there, please still be there– (Rushes into the room and clears the black powder out of the barrel hiding the extra fuse-cord.) Yes!
[Back to the others. Noise: a "fftt!" as another arrow shoots over Crane's head. He ducks, pumping his wings hard as he tries to both carry the weight towards the ceiling as well as dodge arrows.]
MANTIS: We're not gonna make it!
VIPER: We have to!
KID: (Shocked) Uncle!
MONKEY: What?
(Shot wheels and then focuses down below; Boss Wolf is looking up at them—specifically his nephew—in gape-mouthed shock.)
MANTIS: Wait a minute, don't we know that guy?
(Their distraction costs them dearly; down below, an archer takes aim and fires.)
CRANE: (Bird-screeches; the arrow has sliced straight through his wing. They drop in altitude, screaming and pinwheeling in a crash-course.)
EVERYONE: AHHHH!
[Back to Po and Tigress.]
TIGRESS: How many fuses?!
PO: Uh– (counting the rows) two, four– eight, we need eight!
TIGRESS: On it! (Winds the cord four times and cuts both ends with her fangs.)
(Back to the others; Crane is trying to slow the speed of the fall, but this only makes them more vulnerable to flying arrows. The teenager's eyes land on the wolf on the landing just below.)
KID: Uncle!
BOSS WOLF: Jump! I got ya!
KID: (Hesitates, squeezes his eyes shut and then swings himself out of the wheeling Crane's talons.)
(Slow-motion shot as he arches through the air, not sure to clear the gap.)
(Normal speed as Wolf wings his hammer out, catching the kid's body in the arch and pulling him back safely onto the landing. Crane, now with less weight to carry, is able to direct the fall onto the next landing down, which happens to be the one leading into Wu's tunnel. The group collapses and rolls; Monkey shakes himself off and looks up to see Wolf shepherding the kid away down the tunnel. A volley of arrows suddenly passes just over his head, smacking the wall behind him, and he picks up the bleeding Crane.)
MONKEY: I got you, buddy! Come on! (He, Viper and Mantis vanish into the tunnel behind them.)
[Back to Po and Tigress. Tigress grabs the torch off the wall bracket, holding it over the first fuse.]
TIGRESS: On my count. One– two–
(The city gong rings distantly overhead, three tones—the third watch.)
PO: That's three; let's go! (Tigress drops the torch and they run for it.)
[Shot flashes to Wu and his men in the cleared tunnel, hearing the gong.]
WU: That's the gong; move ou–
MANTIS'S VOICE: Incoming!
(MANTIS, Monkey, Crane and Viper swing around a corner and vault themselves over Wu's men; the sound of swords and snarls echoes down the hall.)
WU: Soldiers! On your guard! (The imperial soldiers draw their weapons and rush forward to meet the oncoming horde.)
[Back to Tigress and Po, skittering around a corner and into the main drain. The place is in chaos, guards storming the tunnels, people running every which way. Tigress spots Wu's tunnel and sees that it's overrun by Ten Thousand soldiers.]
TIGRESS: (Snarling) It's blocked!
PO: (Looks around, and then sees the pulleys and platforms.) Tigress! (She turns.) The only way out–
TIGRESS: (Dawns on her) –is up. (Spots the platform that matches the top landing) That way!
(They rush towards the platform; immediately a troop of guards recognizes them.)
GUARD: Hey! (He and his men charge them; Po blocks an with an axe while Tigress flips over him, smashing a spear out of someone's hand. Po catches the axe-man in a lock and swings him around into another guard.)
PO: Tigress, "Blade of My Enemies!" (Tigress sweeps a croc's leg and flips him up onto Po's back; the spin as he falls off sends his blade disarming the swords of Po's opponents). Ha-ha! Take that! (Grabs the falling croc and swings him into the disarmed guards, knocking them over.)
TIGRESS: Hah! (Blocks an opponent and sweeps his leg, punching him in the face as he hits the ground.) Kyah!
(The way's now clear; she and Po get on the pallet but find it covered in boxes. Tigress shoves one; they're too heavy to move.)
TIGRESS: Po, help me!
PO: (Joins her in shoving the crates.) They– won't– budge!
TIGRESS: I– Po! (He turns to see a very familiar pair of charging bears, one distinctly missing her plate armor.)
PO: Uh oh. Uh– (Looks at the first bear, looks back at the boxes, and then brightens as he gets an idea. Shot goes to slow-motion as he flips/rolls the charging bear straight towards the crates, and then speeds up again.)
NOISE: WHAM! (The bear hits the crates and smashes them off the pallet.)
PO: (Victory fist) Yeah-haAAHHH! (The unweighted platform skyrockets upwards, leaving the other bear and her followers snarling below; Tigress reaches out and yanks the pinwheeling Po back from the edge, holding onto the rope as they ascend. Arrows fly from below, peppering the bottom of the platform.)
NOISE: CRASH! (The platform hits the top of the pulley; Po and Tigress leap off it just in time, rolling into the upper entrance tunnel and coming up in a run.)
PO: (Shouting) How much time left?!
TIGRESS: No idea!
(Down below, in the chaos Zhong, Loi, and the Commander with his men have stepped out of a tunnel, watching the escape.)
LOI: Where are they going?
ZHONG: (Glances down, and then up at the vanish heroes again. Making a snap decision:) Follow me.
(Po and Tigress burst out the warehouse trapdoor to find the crocodile guards playing dice again.)
GUARD 1: What the–
PO: (Lunges up to the window and grabs hold; an arrow flies right over his hand and he lets go.) Outside bad! Outside very bad!
TIGRESS: To the roof!
PO: How do we– (Tigress doesn't wait for the question to finish, instead tossing him and kicking him upwards. He bursts through the roof, tiles exploding, and is followed by Tigress. An arrow whizzes overhead; the ground below is crawling with Ten Thousand guards.)
PO: Uh, Tigress!
TIGRESS: Just run!
(They sprint full-tilt across the rooftops towards the end of the block, ignoring the flying arrows which barely miss them.)
GUARD 1: (Bursting with GUARD 2 out the front door of the warehouse.) Why are they running like that? Shouldn't they be fighting us? (They share a look, and then suddenly their eyes go wide. They scramble to climb onto the roof.)
PO: We're not gonna make it!
TIGRESS: Yes we are!
(Far, far below, the barrels blow their tops off: one, two, three, and then the whole room–)
(A wave of fire rolls through the Den–)
NOISE: BOOM.
(The warehouse roof explodes and then implodes, collapsing into the crater below. The second warehouse follows, crumbling into the hole, and Po's head turns back to look at it in slow-motion, the fiery mushroom cloud blooming in the reflection of his eyes–)
PO: (Reaching the end of the last roof, waving Tigress and the two guards past) Come on, come on! (They leap as the last warehouse crumbles behind their departing paws, arching through the air.)
(Feng looks on in awe, Wolf and the Kid behind her, as Po and—to her—especially Tigress are silhouetted by flames–)
NOISE: SPLASH! (The four of them hit the river, plunging like cannonballs into the water.)
(There's a flurry of bubbles against the jade-and-turquoise water and a horrible moment of waiting, and then a black-and-white shape kicks its way through to the surface. Po's face bursts through the surface of the water, gasping for air, and then spies Tigress bobbing a few feet away. The two crocodile guards are bawling, clutching each other in the water.)
GUARD 1: (Sobbing) I want my mom!
GUARD 2: I want your mom too!
(Po, gasping, swims to the other side of the river, where he finds Crane, Viper, Mantis and Monkey waiting on the banks; Crane is bleeding heavily, in pretty bad shape. Po and Tigress haul themselves out of the water; Tigress shakes herself off like a housecat as Po collapses to the street.)
PO: Where's that wolf kid? Is he okay?
MONKEY: (Panting) He's fine. (Points to the alleyway behind him.) Crane not so much.
(Po looks and glimpses the Kid, Boss Wolf and a sliver of Feng's fur behind them, before Boss Wolf suddenly catches sight of them and quickly pulls the kid and Feng away down a side street.)
PO: Wait a minute. Wasn't that–
TIGRESS: Zhong.
PO: What? No.
TIGRESS: (Ignores him, looking the other way back across the river.)
PO: (Turning) Tigress?
(She drops to all fours and begins to run alongside the river. We see now what she sees: red torchlight emerging from a manhole near the river. General Zhong emerges, followed by Loi, the Commander and a small group of soldiers, and then vanishes down a side-street.)
(Tigress jumps onto a building, leaps across the river, and dashes into a side-street, taking a left and then a right, and then another left, past shocked civilians in their sleep-shirts, past two-bit vegetable shops, past rundown teahouses and warehouses, the red torchlight light always disappearing around some corner far ahead of her. She scrambles around a corner, down a side-street, onto another roof, and scans the area.)
(The red torchlight and the small group have disappeared without a trace. She snarls and punches a chimney, before slumping in defeat.)
[Back at the edge of the river, the others look up as Tigress comes stumbling back, out of breath. Po is healing the bloodied Crane, eyes closed and paw glowing.]
VIPER: Did you get him?
(Tigress opens her mouth to respond, but Wu and his men suddenly emerge from the back street.)
WU: You're all alive. Good. (Scans the area.) Where's Zhong?
TIGRESS: (Shaking her head with a growl) He escaped. We lost him.
WU: The Den's gone, at any rate, and that's the most important thing. (Seeing their despondent faces, he adds:) Chins up, soldiers. You did a good thing today, for the city and for China. (Grinning) I'm sure your Master Shifu will be very proud of you.
[Shot shifts to Shifu and the Emperor. They're watching the fire burning on the docks in the far distance.]
SHIFU: (Dazed) I have to tell Tigress.
EMPEROR: What? No, you mustn't! (Shifu turns to him, startled.) Grandmaster, nobody but us can ever know about our suspicions, especially not Master Tigress or the rest of your students. It's too great a risk.
SHIFU: Surely not telling her would put them in even greater danger–
EMPEROR: (Almost pleading) You must understand, I am an emperor; I have advisors, counselors—people to whom the stability of my reign means everything! I have to think of the empire before my own wishes. (Deeply apologetic:) I bear no personal ill will against your student, Grandmaster, but if there is any chance our suspicions are true—surely you see that the moment this knowledge becomes public, the pressure to eliminate even the possibility of danger to the empire will become too great to ignore, possibly even out of my hands. I do not want to put any of us in that position if it can be avoided.
SHIFU: But Tigress is—she wouldn't– but I've known her since she was a child! She would never–
EMPEROR: Are you certain? Can you be certain your students would never betray you?
SHIFU: (Opens his mouth, and then closes it again. Reluctantly:) …No. I am not… I could never be absolutely certain.
EMPEROR: Then this must stay between us, for her sake. (Shifu tries to speak again, but the emperor holds up his paw.) I am not asking you, Grandmaster. I am forbidding you to speak of this, to anyone. My word is final.
SHIFU: (Reluctantly) ...Your wish is my command, my Emperor.
EMPEROR: There's one last thing. (Shifu raises his eyebrows; the emperor hesitates, and then says with a grimace:) I want the Dragon Warrior in charge of the mission from now on.
SHIFU: …Understood, your Majesty.
(They turn back towards the window. In the distance, the fire burns.)
[Scene: outside the palace barracks. Wu and his soldiers, accompanied by the exhausted heroes, are pouring inside.]
WU: (Stopping Po and the Five) I need to make my report to the Emperor. I'm sure he'll be very pleased with what you've accomplished today.
TIGRESS: (Bowing fist-in-paw) The honor is ours.
WU: Excuse me. (He leaves, the rest of his guards dispersing into the building.)
PO: (To the others) I guess we should find Master Shifu, huh?
VIPER: (Sigh and rippling, as if rolling her non-existent shoulders) I'd rather just go to bed.
TIGRESS: Come on. (She leads the way towards the other palace buildings, but they've only gone a few paces when Master Shifu himself appears out of the library.)
SHIFU: There you are! (Stops and hops up on his staff, balancing to check them) Are you alright? Is anyone hurt?
PO: (Waving him off) C'mon, Master Shifu, we're fine. Little exploding, little espionage, nothing we can't handle.
TIGRESS: We didn't get Zhong. (Bowing) I'm sorry, Master.
SHIFU: We heard the explosion from here; I was– I– (clears his throat and hops down, trying to stop fretting) That is, I had full faith in you, my students.
MANTIS: Oh yeah, you're just brimming with confidence right now.
SHIFU: I'm glad you're all alright. (As they start walking back towards the barracks:) We've all had a long night; for now let's get some sleep. We can discuss matters more in the morning.
PO: Wait. (Stops, drawing the procession to a halt.) Did something happen while we were gone? Because that sounds like something happened.
SHIFU: (Unconvincing) What? No.
PO: Okay, but now it sounds like you're lying.
VIPER: He's right, Master.
MANTIS: What's up?
MONKEY: Yah, spill the beans.
SHIFU: (Looks around at them all, clearly outnumbered, and then sighs.) …Very well. I wanted to wait until tomorrow morning to tell you this, but… (They all stare at him expectantly; he pinches the bridge of his nose and then admits:) The Emperor has decided that the Dragon Warrior will take charge over the mission.
THE FIVE & PO: What?!
TIGRESS: (Continuing, angrily) Master, I don't understand. What is the point of this?
SHIFU: I'm...afraid I can't say, but his Majesty was insistent.
PO: But Master Shifu, I don't want–
SHIFU: (Sharply) It is not about what you want, Panda. (Looking frustrated himself, but restraining his tongue out of piety:) The order has been given; it is now our job to–
TIGRESS: Master Shifu, this makes no sense! (The other five turn to look at her as she steps forward, gesturing to herself angrily) We just took down the Den of Claws, under my leadership!
CRANE: Uh, pretty sure it was a team effort?
TIGRESS: (Ignoring him) I have served loyally—my entire life, you know that I have served China with perfect devotion! What can I have done to displease the Emperor!
SHIFU: I– I can't say.
TIGRESS: You can't say? What can you say! (Shifu looks harried as she advances on him.) Master, you know that I'm supposed to lead this mission, the prophecy says–
SHIFU: (Snapping) What the prophecy says is not your concern! The Emperor's wisdom is not to be questioned–
TIGRESS: But Master–!
SHIFU: (Shouting) -And for the record, I agree with him! (At this, Tigress finally stops short as if stung.) Now stand down, Master Tigress, and follow your orders!
(Tigress, stunned, steps back. Shifu turns and bows, fist-in-paw, to Po. The other Four follow. Po looks at Tigress, stunned speechless.)
TIGRESS: (Looking furious, and something more—deeply hurt—she hesitates a second longer than the others, and then puts her fist-to-paw and bows. As soon as she rises from the bow she turns and stalks into the barracks, tail lashing. Her name dies half-spoken in Po's mouth.)
CRANE: Oof.
PO: (Still staring at the door; in a small voice:) But… Master Shifu, I-I'm not…
SHIFU: (Tired) I'm sure you will serve the Emperor honorably, Panda. Come. (Pushes open the door, still half-ajar from Tigress's exit.) We can discuss this more tomorrow.
(The four and Po follow him inside, Po reluctantly. He pauses outside Tigress's door when he reaches the hallway, hesitates, and then thinks better of it and goes to his room. The lantern is already lit; he goes to his dresser where his Furious Five and Dragon Warrior figurines are arranged and studies them, before picking up his miniature self. The wooden Po Ping looks up at him with a confident grin very different from the look of anxiety the real life Po currently wears.)
PO: (Sets the figurine back down on the dresser and blows out the lamp. Then he lays down and stares up at the ceiling, sleepless and miserable.)
(In a shot from outside, Tigress's window glows yellow, and then is extinguished and falls dark.)
[Scene: early morning, just before dawn; a street on the seedy side of town. Few people are awake, including a vegetable vendor and a small street-food stand. A cloaked figure moves through the small crowd, stopping at the vegetable stall to speak to the vendor but not buying anything and then moving on.]
(A close-up under the cloak shows that it's Tigress, trying to keep a low profile and not attract attention. Someone brushes past on her left side and she pulls the hood down a little further.)
(As she passes under an overhang, a shadow drops behind her. Tigress turns.)
BOSS WOLF: (Smirking) Little birdy told me you were looking for me.
TIGRESS: (Coolly) And now I have found you. (Wolf falls into step next to her.) You ran off last night; I had some questions for you.
BOSS WOLF: Last night? I spent last night in my shop, helping my darling nephew with his schoolwork. (Lowers his voice) And after that little explosion your people caused, there's no one left alive who can say otherwise.
TIGRESS: Except General Zhong. (Wolf tilts his head.) He escaped. I saw him and his men fleeing the Den.
WOLF: (Growling) Of course he did. If Zhong's got any brains, he'll leave us alone from now on. (Tigress nods.) What do you say we get a drink, catch up? It's been a while since Gongmen City.
TIGRESS: On your turf? I don't think so.
WOLF: Oh come on, I'm a respectable businessman now! I own a perfectly legitimate establishment that serves the needs of the community!
TIGRESS: (Glances around at the slowly growing crowd.) Fine. Lead the way.
(Wolf leads her to a gated hutong off the main street, with ramshackle wooden buildings overhanging the narrow street. Dirty paper lanterns provide insufficient light, and things crawl and eyes watch from the shadows. A few crocs are playing dice outside one of the shops; they glance up as Wolf and his cloaked friend pass, suspicious.)
(Soon enough they reach a small pub with a sign reading "The Busted Snout" in characters, creaking in the light wind.)
WOLF: After you.
(Tigress glances at him suspiciously and then opens the door. The inside isn't much nicer than the outside; there are rickety tables and chairs scattered throughout, and a few patrons are already drinking despite it barely being the break of day. Wolf gestures to an empty table, and Tigress takes a seat.)
WOLF: (Sitting down in the opposite chair, yawning) What's with the hood? There's no one here; take a load off. (Tigress reluctantly does so; Wolf waves down a server, who turns out to be the KID.) House special for the little lady here.
KID: (Casting a side-eye at Tigress) You got it, uncle. (Leaves, looking as tired as they do.)
TIGRESS: (Glancing around the seedy bar) "Perfectly legitimate establishment," huh?
WOLF: Hey, all I said was my business is legal. I don't pry into my customer's lives.
TIGRESS: (Opens her mouth to respond, but pauses when the KID sets down a cup of something smoking in front of her. She eyes it suspiciously.) Fair enough. Either way, I've got bigger lentils to fry today. (Leaning forward; in a lower voice:) You've been following me around. Why?
WOLF: (Countering) Why'd you let me go in Gongmen City?
[Flashback: in a golden memory-haze, we see Tigress getting her broken ribs bandaged and tended to in an infirmary in Gongmen City. She turns her head as another patient is carried out from the back room on a stretcher and set down on a recovery cot. The one-eyed WOLF, with a mess of bandages around his neck and looking like he's been through the medical wringer, looks blearily over at her.]
TIGRESS: (Voiceover) I saw you stand up to Shen. [The flashback-Tigress stares at him for a moment in shock, and then closes her mouth and pointedly looks away, pretending not to have seen anything.] He was a worse shot than you; if you'd fired on us, we would all have been killed.
[Back to the bar.]
WOLF: I didn't do it for you; I did it for my men.
TIGRESS: I know. (Picks up the smoking drink, sniffs it suspiciously, and then puts it back down. Wolf smirks.) But whatever your reasons, you saved our lives.
WOLF: Fair enough. You gonna drink that or not? (Tigress pushes the drink across the table to him; he takes a sip and smacks his lips.) Anyway, I owed you a favor. After I recovered I left Gongmen City with what was left of my men, and we set up here in the Capitol, finally went straight. (Gestures around to the other workers; Tigress, recognizing a few, gives a nod.) It's been nice. Real step up from being mercenaries, I'll tell you that. When I heard about the plan to capture you at the parade I decided to make good on my debt; been trying to keep an eye on you ever since.
TIGRESS: How did you know about the Ten Thousand's plan?
WOLF: (Chuckling) How do you think I lost this eye?
TIGRESS: (Dawning on her) You're one of them.
WOLF: Me? Nah. Like I said, I've gone straight. (Darkly) Used to be, though. (Her eyes narrow.) Look, I'm not proud of it, but it is what is. I was young and stupid, didn't know what was good for me. Anyway… Zhong's been sending his guys around here, trying to get me to join up again. Some of the younger ones are idiots, they talk too much, let things slip. (Glances around, and then lowers his voice further.) Listen, kid, I know what they've offered you, and trust me, it's not worth it. (Points to his clawed eye.) This was the Tiger Emperor's signature move. The Ten Thousand, well, they've got no loyalty to anyone or anything but their cause. They always turn on each other in the end. If I were you, I would get as far away from this city as you can.
TIGRESS: (Coolly) I don't need your advice, Wolf, I need information. General Zhong keeps trying to recruit me instead of kill me. I want to know why.
WOLF: Why? Isn't it obvious? (Tigress doesn't answer.) You know, the prophecy?
TIGRESS: You know about the prophecy?
WOLF: It's only the worst-kept secret in the criminal underground. (Tigress frowns.) Jeez, why do ya think the Ten Thousand have been getting so many new followers lately? It's because of you.
TIGRESS: Me? I don't understand–
WOLF: Look, kitten, I don't know how to break it to you, but you're famous! Everyone from Gongmen to here in the Capitol heard about you and your little friends taking out Lord Shen's army—and as soon as Zhong matched up your stripes to those on the scroll, he issued a rallying call to all his old buddies, me included.
TIGRESS: But I'd never seen Zhong before a few days ago–
WOLF: (Snorting) Oh please, he didn't need to see you in person. Your posters are plastered all over China. There are action figures of you.
(Flash-sideways to a kid at Mr. Ping's restaurant jumping up and down as their parent buys them a Master Viper figurine from the gift shop; there's a paper sign saying "Complete the Whole Set!" hanging from the stand's post.)
(Flash-sideways back to Tigress, who looks abashed.)
TIGRESS: The Jade Palace has a lot of upkeep costs (almost to herself) and Po is surprisingly good at marketing–
WOLF: (Cutting her off) All of China knows who you are.
TIGRESS: (Growing annoyed) Alright, so all of China knows who we are! We're the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior; it's our job to protect people. (Pressing) I know Zhong is still out there, and I—we need to find him. Do you have any information I can actually use? Names, locations? Upcoming attacks?
WOLF: (Defensively) Look, you're the one who came here looking for answers. I don't make a habit of hanging out with the Ten Thousand these days; you know everything I know.
TIGRESS: (Eyes him as if sizing him up, and then growing cool again) Fine. If they come around again, give them a message (standing up).
WOLF: (Drawling) Yeah? And what's that?
TIGRESS: That they should quit trying to recruit the person who's destined to defeat them, and instead find a dark hole to find in—before I come looking for them. (Turns to leave)
WOLF: Wait a minute. (As if something is dawning on him.) You– you don't know, do you.
TIGRESS: (Pauses, and then turns back.) ...What are you talking about–?
WOLF: (Chuckling, cutting her off) Oh, it all makes sense now! You really don't know! What did they do, drop you at the door of some orphanage?! (Tigress's eyes narrow.) Oh, that's too rich! Master Tigress of the Furious Five–
(He is abruptly cut off by a fist yanking him to his feet.)
TIGRESS: (Teeth bared) So you do know something. Answers, Wolf. Right now.
WOLF: (Blinks at her, frightened, and then lets out a shaky laugh) Okay, okay. Jeez. Claw my other eye out, why don't you. (Tigress releases him and he sinks back down into his seat.) You want answers? Yeah… yeah, I'll give you answers. (Eye refocuses up at her; more solidly now:) I don't know what your Master Oogway or the Emperor told you, but there's more than one interpretation of the prophecy. When the Tiger Emperor died there were only a few who stood by him. Me, I turned tail long before.
TIGRESS: You were a traitor.
WOLF: (Growling) I was loyal to my men. Anyway…General Zhong was with him almost to the end. (Paper-cutout flashback of a younger Zhong, with both eyes, kneeling at his lord's side.) Word has it he wouldn't leave the Tiger Emperor's side until his lord ordered him away.
TIGRESS'S VOICE: What does this have to do with the proph–
WOLF: Patience. (Back to present. Tigress's eyes narrow.) I'm getting to it. (Flashback; the snow blows as Zhong, stricken with grief and protesting, grips his lord's paw) Zhong refused the order; he wanted to die at his lord's side. Too many ideals and not enough self-preservation, I always said. But the Tiger Emperor ordered Zhong to go– (the tiger emperor's other arm suddenly lunges upwards, clawing Zhong across the eye and knocking him into the snow) –and ensure his heirs would rule China after his death.
(Brief shot of Zhong stumbling down the mountain, looking broken and clutching at his eye—blood seeping through his fingers—as the gray silhouette of the imperial army looms out of the snow. Behind him, the silhouette of the tiger emperor struggles to his feet on a last stand, and rushes into the snow.)
(Back to present.)
TIGRESS: But the Ti– the usurper's sons died in battle.
WOLF: Sons? (Tired half-laugh.) Heh… yeah, his sons all died in the war. But before she passed, the Tiger Emperor's wife had given him one final heir. (His one good eye looks up to meet hers.)
(Flashback to Wolf holding the crimson-flame torch up to Tigress's face as she and the others hang in Shen's chains.)
WOLF: (Voiceover) A daughter... (Past-Wolf's eyes narrow as he draws back, watching her face in the light of the torch while Shen monologues.) ...who he vowed would carry on his legacy—a dynasty without war or insurrection, of perfect imperial control over the masses. (Past-Tigress growls, teeth bared.) A dynasty of a thousand years of peace.
(Back to present. Tigress looks like she can't breathe, eyes snapped wide. Wolf gives picks up his cup, studying the smoking drink. There's the briefest of flashbacks to a tiny cub, with her exact markings.)
WOLF: (With a reminiscent chuckle) You were a cute kid.
(Tigress stumbles back, knocking over the chair. Wolf glances up at her and gives a tired smirk. She backs away one shaky step, then two–)
(The door to the bar bursts open as she flees the establishment and into the red dawn.)
END ACT ONE