A/N: So I just realized something. I got Kai's name from a friend I had in middle school. The fact that he happens to have the same name as the villain from the third movie has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the plot of this story. It just happened to be a very strange coincidence.

Anyway, enjoy.

OoOoOoO

"Noodles?" Shifu frowned and stroked his chin.

"I know it sounds strange, but his handwriting was unmistakable." Viper replied from the table. Yù watched their conversation with mild interest as she ate her rice.

"Was there a trail or a path?" Shifu asked, but the two of them shook their heads.

"I separated off from the group with a hundred or so men. We searched for months, but there was no sign of him." Monkey folded his hands in front of him. "When we went to meet back up with Viper, we heard that her camp had been attacked."

"Me and about fifty people were able to get out. We wandered for quite a while before we heard from Crane." Viper looked to her avian friend.

"When she mentioned that she had come across Po's signature, I looked up maps of major travel paths. That one where they found the signal is a major roadway for traders." Yù frowned at what Crane said and stood from her place on the floor. They were too engrossed in their conversation to notice.

"That's what I have been trying to do." Said Viper. "We have had postings all along that road. Nothing suspicious."

Yù had gotten to the table, and she frowned at the map they were looking at. "That's because you were looking for the wrong thing."

The room went silent. "What do you mean?" Shifu asked.

"My dad was a trader. We traveled this route a lot whenever we came through China. It leads all the way to the sea." Yù pointed to the path she was talking about. "But I remember there were a few times that we took alternate routes. There is a small cut through here-" she pointed to an area three quarters of the way down the map, "that is barely visible. You really only know that it's there if you have been there before."

"Where does that path lead?" Viper asked quietly.

Yù hesitated. "Several minor villages. It's also a back way to Shang Zhi." She hadn't told them about her, or about what her father did. She hoped she wouldn't have to. However, considering the look Shifu was giving her, she might just have to come clean.

"That's near the Imperial city, right?" Crane asked.

"Yeah. It serves as the supplier for the palace's needs. Everything is taken by cart to the internal gates of the city. Security is tight." Mei Ling replied, speaking for the first time. "Do you think Po is in there?"

"No, hopefully not." Shifu shook his head. "He may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he is smart enough to not get caught."

"What about Tigress?" Monkey's question seemed to make the room go cold. Yù could see a darkness in Shifu that she hadn't noticed.

"He isn't wrong." Viper spoke up. "If Tigress was injured like you said she was, she could have been taken there. Can we have Mantis check into it while he's there?"

"Yes." Shifu's answer was quiet.

"Crane, go see if you can catch up to him. He left not too long ago." Mei Ling urged the avian. He nodded and ducked out the door, vanishing into the afternoon clouds.

"I sent him there hoping he could find out what they are up to. The wolves have been quiet for too long." Shifu spoke into the quiet of the room.

"I think I may know." Yù blurted out.

"Yù, you don't have to if-"

"If it helps you guys, then I'll tell you." Yù interrupted. "My mom died when I was a kit. I already told you that my father was a trader. He used to bring vegetables from the west to the ports. I would ride with him." She took a breath. "One day, a few years ago, we were traveling the path like normal when he suddenly decided to veer off course. He took one of the side paths towards Shang Zhi. We stopped there, he spoke with a few guards, and then something was loaded into the back of the cart."

"What was it?" Viper peered up at her.

"I was told not to ask. Six months later, our cart was pulled over by Imperial troops. I found out then that my father had been smuggling weapons-spears, swords." She sighed. "He was killed instantly. I was only twelve at the time. I managed to get away from them, and I started running. I've been on my own ever since."

"They were smuggling weapons out of the Imperial city?" Shifu frowned. "Do you know where they were going?"

"No." Yù replied. "We would meet whoever we were giving the cargo to on the mountain pass. They wouldn't tell us where they were taking it."

"If there are rebels in the Imperial city, things may not be as hopeless as they seem." Shifu stroked his beard. "We will wait, until the boys get back at least. We will need to come up with a plan."

"There's one more thing." Yù spoke up before the old man could leave the room. "I couldn't tell you exactly what they are planning, but I know it has something to do with the Emperor's son."

"His son?" Shifu turned back towards her with a frown." The Emperor doesn't have a son."

OoOoOoO

Tigress hadn't felt this helpless since Gongmen, when she was bound in chains. The cell, although a decent size, felt like it was closing in on her. A single window shone its light on the thin mattress and waste bucket. She had already tried to see if she could get out that way, but there was no way she would fit through it.

"Dinner." A bowl was shoved through a small cutout in her cell door by a guard. She wondered briefly if the smell of noodle soup was real, or if she was going crazy. She picked up the small bowl and sniffed it.

"Noodles?" She took a sip and frowned. The taste was so similar to Po's that she could have sworn he made it. She tried to make it last as long as she could, but quicker than she wanted she found herself staring at the bottom of the bowl.

She set it aside and leaned her head back against the wall, relishing in the warmth it had brought. The guards had told her she would only be spending one night in the cell. As much as she dreaded what morning would bring, she only hoped Kai was okay.

OoOoOoO

Although Mantis occasionally hated his size, this was the one time he was grateful for it. It meant that he could climb up the side of the palace walls and drop into the courtyard without being seen.

"Master Kai!" Mantis jumped into the bushes just before a guard rounded the corner. The wolf cocked his head, sniffing the air, and then took off again. Making a split-second decision, Mantis decided to follow him.

He kept to the bushes, following behind the canine as best he could, given his size.

"Master Kai, there you are." Mantis peered out of the bushes just a bit, just enough to watch the wolf approach a tiger. Mantis gasped a bit, not having seen a tiger besides Tigress. The two were very similar from behind, but when the feline turned, he could see that Kai was very young, and had a different build than his friend. Still, the kid could very well be his best hope at finding her. "Master Bái láng wishes to speak with you."

"I'll be in in a moment." The tiger dismissed the wolf. The guard vanished, and Mantis took that as his chance. He crept around the bushes, thankful that his green color blended in well. The sun was beginning to set.

The tiger sat on a bench, paws folded on his lap. His tail flicked irritably behind him. He seemed to be deep in thought. Mantis could see from his vantage point that the kid had a massive black eye.

"Pssssst." The feline's head jerked up. "Over here." The feline whipped around so quick that he slid off the bench and landed on the grass. Mantis took that to his advantage and hopped up on the bench, making him almost eye-level with the tiger.

"Who-who are you?" The kid looked terrified.

"Where is Tigress?" Mantis hissed. The feline frowned. "The other tiger. Is she here?"

"Yeah…..but who are you?" He stammered back.

"Master Kai!" There was a call from the other side. Mantis tensed, as did the tiger.

"Please, I'm a friend." Mantis pleaded.

"Are you part of the Furious Five?" asked the young boy. Mantis nodded. "She's talked about you." He stood slowly, rubbing his backside with a wince. The footsteps grew louder.

"Kid, I need to know she's alive."

The tiger hesitated. "She's in the dungeons. They plan to execute her in the morning."

Mantis' heart dropped. "Why?"

"It's a long story. Go!" Kai hissed. The guards rounded the corner and Mantis barely managed to make it back into the bushes in time.