Viper slowly woke up from being hit on the head, trying to gain a sense of her surroundings. The first thing she's able to figure out, was that she's in Fu-Xi's private house. Another detail she noticed, is that she was currently in his bed.

"Sister...please calm yourself. There's no need to panic. You're safe now." She heard the familiar voice in the darkness, amd she looked up to see Fu-Xi staring down at her with a look of concern. At this point, however, she was unsure if that look was genuine or not. She was tempted to avoid his gaze, but he kept eye contact by pushing her head gently so that their eyes met. "That two-legger almost got to you. I'm just glad that I got there when I could. I was afraid that he hurt you in some way, but it appears it was not the case." He hissed. "Do not worry, sister. Once I eliminate him and his friends, we can continue as we had planned."

Viper could hear the relief in his voice...but after her run-in with Po, she was beginning to question if he was actually being genuine with that kind of tone. He was being soft and gentle with her, then he smacked Po aside with extreme prejudice. Was...she acting like that? She never questioned it until now. It was always a nagging feeling in the back of her head that wondered if he truly cared about her or not. His eyes flashed with extreme hatred when he mentioned Po. Then she flashed back to what he said earlier:

Someone who teaches you to respond to hate with even more hate is not a good role model.

She didn't show it at the time, but she was very rattled by that statement. She was even more rattled by the fact that Po had taken a chomp made of steel, just so that he could get her to trust him. Usually when she chases off those who walk on two legs, they respond who equal hostility and are quickly taken down. Or they would run away before she could do so. But never had she witnessed someone risk serious harm to their being in order to prove they were not hostile. Then she remembered that it was he had his comrades stand back in order for him to try and reason with her eye-to-eye. While he was taking a beating from her. And not once did he strike back, all he did was dodge, avoid, and block at best. And then after she placed a beatdown on him and stopped, he still dusted himself off for the most part and asked her to be a part of his group of friends. He never held a hostile gaze towards her.

...Was she wrong?

...Was...Fu-Xi wrong? He had taught her that all two-leggers could not be trusted, and all of them were evil. One had just risked his life just to prove himself safe enough to have a conversation with. It was now clear that something was wrong with this picture. She only had one way to be sure. Gather up some much needed courage and stare down her so-called 'Big Brother'

"Master Fu-Xi..." She said cautiously, causing the cobra to look at her with an attentive look. "I...is everything you said...everything you say about 'two-leggers'...is it really true?"

"What is this about, Viper? You've never doubted me before."

"I know! It:s just that..." Viper looked down while feeling trapped by his gaze. "...You always say that they could never be trusted...that they have been, and always will be the evil ones...but...did you ever give them a chance to redeem themselves?" She asked him quietly. "You never told me...that there were nice ones. The panda was trying very hard to be nice and all I did was beat him up...I feel awful about it. He's not like the others that came before him. He's different..."

Fu-Xi paused as the young serpent before him spoke her mind. He didn't know what the panda said to her, but it only began to sink in just now. Her mind was shifting to questions she had a right to ask. Those were also questions that he could not truthfully answer, or else he would lose her as an ally. Though she'll be able to tell if he lies to her any more, because now she's paying extra attention to what he says and how he says it. He was stuck. Viper was a genuinely nice person, and she was being tricked into being so mean to others. If she found out the truth, most of his plans would be ruined. Viper is supposed to be his successor. Thanks to the panda, that plan was in jeopardy.

How he seriously hated that panda right now.

"Master Fu-Xi...?" Viper's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as his eyes met with hers. Her azure orbs were bordering on the verge of desparation and shame. She was desparate to know where Fu-Xi's alignment really lies, and she would be ashamed of herself for many reasons, if she got the answer she feared. He was silently going through all the options he had in restoring her now fragile loyalty to him...he could not find anything to say. Not anything that could dissuade taking steel jaws to the shoulder as a test of trust. A two-legger like the panda...nothing he has encountered before. He found no loophole to use this action against him. He left too much of an impact in such a short time.

He needs to be removed.

"Viper...just...just rest for a little while longer, okay? I have to go take care of something." Fu-Xi finally said, nodding to her and left his house, slithering out and closing the door. Viper gazed at the door for a couple moments, before she recalled something else Po said:

Be honest, Viper. Do you truly believe EVERY word Fu-Xi has been telling you about us?

Viper recalled the behavior she has been told to practice. She was under the impression that she was doing the right thing. Now she's having thoughts about those actions being the opposite of what they're supposed to be. She's always trusted Fu-Xi...now she wasn't so sure about that.

The serpent had no choice, she had to figure out the truth about her 'Big Brother'. There's something he wasn't telling her, and she wanted to know what it was. So as quietly as she could, she slithered out of bed, gently placed her tail on the door, opened it slightly as she slithered out, then closed it. She quickly looked forward to see that Fu-Xi was still slithering onward, so she did her best to follow him while remaining in the shadows. She was taught to be stealthy when it came to stalking...she still thought that was not a good word for it.

Viper shakes her head to clear it from those thoughts, as she had to remain focused. Fu-Xi is still within her line of sight, and she realized they've been slithering for a very long distance. Her thoughts began getting in the way again as she wondered where he could be going so far out from his house. She hoped he wasn't actually going to go after the panda, there's a high chance that he hasn't recovered from the beatdown he willingly recieved from her. Fu-Xi will kill him for sure if that's the case. If he tries that...she might try to stop him. Attacking someone who can't defend themselves never sat well with her. She chases people off, but she was no bully.

At least she hoped she wasn't. Then she'd feel worse.

Her attention was once again directed to Fu-Xi's path, once again regaining her focus. They were finally reaching the end of the path, while she kept silent under the shadows of the trees she kept hidden under. At one point she stopped to see a warehouse which seemed awfully close to her village's water supply, which was the river. Why would he need a warehouse so close to it? Then she realized something else, she has never seen this warehouse before, and she's been everywhere around her village. What wasn't he telling her? She looked up as she saw Fu-Xi enter the warehouse door, her mind pushed her to follow silently. She slithered quietly but quickly to the door, keeping it open so she could look inside.

What she found wasn't what she expected.

She saw that there's a large container filled with fear-inducing venom, and it was almost completely filled. It looked big enough to contaminate the entire river if it was full to the brim. Her eyes were wide as she could see he was managing it with careful precision. It's highly unlikely that there are positives to this new image before her, her Master has been hiding things from her this entire time. Why would he be keeping something like this from her?

Her fear skyrocketed when the cobra turned around to face her, and she froze in place with her eyes wide open. He sighed while shaking his head in disappointment. "Whether the panda interfered or not...you would have found out about this, sooner or later." His eyes locked with hers, not needing her to say anything. The azure eyes that followed him with genunine loyalty was now demanding an explanation for whatever he was doing right here. "Viper...I haven't been completely honest with you, but I guess you've figured that out already."

"Fu-Xi...?"

"My fear-induxing venom is not enough if all I do is bite the two-leggers. Me contaminatinf the drinking water with this venom will assure that all of them will remain in a fear induced state so that no one will attempt ro resist us seroents. I was going to use fear to control this village...and eventually the rest of China. Fear will rule them, as we serpents were meant to. Please believe me, Viper. This is for the greater good. The two-leggers lost their chance to better themselves a long time ago. Now it is our time to replace them, and take our rightful place as rulers of all the land. Stay by my side, Viper. You'll become quite an inspirational figure to all serpents, just like myself."

Viper's eyes were still wide open as she shook her head very slowly. "He was right...the panda...Po...he was rifht. You're...not as good a person as you've been telling me." Fu-Xi's eyes narrowed at her as she spoke up with more bravery. "You're not really in it for the food of serpents, are you? You're using your tragic past to gain the sympathy and support of many other serpents...so they can help overcome China as a whole...and you're going to put yourself on top." She stopped shaking her head, now maintaining her glare towards him. "I want to stand up for other serpents, but I don't want to do that by ruthlessly antagonizing everyone else. I...I don't want to do this anymore."

*CLUTCH*

"NGH!" Viper suddenly found herself lifted up into the air a couple feet as Fu-Xi approached her swiftly and wrapped his tail around her next quicker than she could perceive. She had her guard down, and now he had her in a potential death grip.

"Little Sister, please. Don't make me do this. I desperately and genuinely tried to avoid this scenario." Fu-Xi stated with soft eyes, but she refused to look into them.

"No! Don't call me that anymore! You're not my brother...you're just a stranger!" She shouted. "You can't drag me with you on your downward spiral of hatred. I will no longer be a part of it!"

The cobra sighed."Such a shame...I really wanted to avoid this conclusion...but I'm afraid you'll have to die. If you're not by my side, you know too much about me to keep you alive. I still care for you, Viper. So I'll make this swift and painless." Fu-Xi said as he continued to suffocate her by tightening his tail hold on her neck, as her eyes were half-closed and began to black out-

SMASH!

Both serpents turned their heads to the source of the commotion. The ceiling just collapsed, now having a large hole in it. Seconds after that, sosomething flew right through it and landed a couple feet before them. Their eyes we're filled with shock as they registered who crashed through the ceiling.

It was Crane. Along with Mantis, who was sitting atop his straw hat and looking quite shocked that Crane took such a drastic maneuver, as he assumed drastic was not his style. It truly wasn't, but that doesn't mean he didn't know how to pull it off. His wings we're spread out for a couple seconds, then he tucked them in. His eyes remained shadowed by his hat as he stood quietly around the rubble he caused. Fu-Xi was glaring at the avian with intense rage for finding his secret warehouse so quickly. Viper was just staring at him and Mantis in shock. They just busted through the warehouse ceiling. Why?

"Listen up." Crane said, his voice was gentle, but was clearly filled with anger. "It's bad enough that you lied to Viper for years, and manipulated her to your benefit most of her life. Now when she discovers the truth, you're going to kill her without a second thought? And you have the gall to keep calling her 'Little Sister'? How can you do such a callous thing? You're utterly despicable."

The cobra's face twisted onto rage. But Crane wouldn't have it. "Oh it's FAR too late to get angry, Fu-Xi. See, I may have a gentle, controlled rage around me, I can't say the same about Po or Tigress. Especially the latter. Once Po is done recovering, he'll pound you into the dirt. Then we'll have Viper come with us to join our team."

"How do we know that you won't try to manipulate her as well? Your kind can't be trusted." The cobra hissed.

"Because we're giving Viper a choice, unlike you. If she come with us, great. If she doesn't, that's her own decision. We move on, that's all there is to it." Crane looked up to the cobra, locking eyes with him. "I'll give you three. Three seconds before I wreck this warehouse AND your plans, as well as take Viper from you. You might as well. Any positive bond between you both is now nonexistent. Now...release her."

"I won't take orders from you!"

"So you choose to refuse. Very well." Crane said, raising his wings. "You've also lost your three seconds. Mantis. Do it."

Before the cobra could react Mantis shot forward and pressed a pressure point on his back, grabbed Viper, and jumped back at such a speed that he wasn't seen by anyone until he stopped. Fu-Xi tried to slithee free, but he was rendered immobile. "Don't bother. You won't be moving for a while." Mantis said with a cocky smirk. Viper was just as surprised as her former master. "Now Crane, what do you plan on doing?"

"Like I said I'm bringing this warehouse down. This venom must have taken a long time to gather, didn't it?" Crane said, gesturing to the large wooden container of fear-inducing venom. "You might as well kiss it goodbye." He turned towards the container with his wings still raised...then they began to flow a shining white.

Fu-Xi had an idea of what he was doing, but he would not be able to stop it. "No! Stay away from that, you wouldn't dare!"

"Wings Of Justice..." Crane muttered as he flapped his wings. What came next was a powerful gale that ripped the roof off the warehouse and blew the container away a far distance, away from any large group of people. The gale died down, and Crane tucked his wings in, walking out of the wreckage while tilting his straw hat upwards. "That takes care of that. Come on Mantis, Viper. We're leaving. How long until the paralysis wears off?" Fu-Xi was now struggling in vain to lash at Crane.

"We got thirty minutes, dude. Plenty of time." Mantis said, hopping on Crane's hat. "Serves him right." He turns to look down at Viper. "Now you see his true colors. Still wanna stick with a guy like him?"

She didn't have to be told twice. All her faith in Fu-Xi has been shattered in a day. She wasted no time slithering after the duo, leaving Fu-Xi writhing from his temporary paralysis. They would need to be with the others before he breaks free from it.

(Great Master Viper's Palace)

Lidong's eyes slid open as he groaned from his headache. He was sitting outside...he wouldn't be able to fit in any of the rooms inside the palace so everyone was outside with him. He sat up, rubbing his aching head. Fung was the person he saw, who wore a smile of relief. "Glad to see you're awake, cousin."

"Oh...what happened to me...?" The larger croc asked, still slightly dizzy.

Monkey snickered. "You really wanna know?" Lidong nodded. "You got your butt kicked by a girl. That must have sucked, right?"

BONK! BONK! BONK!

Monkey was lying on his back with three bumps on his head, courtesy of Tigress, Mei Ling, and Fenghuang's fist/wing impacting his skull. "Can't...you three...take...a joke...? Ugh..."

"So Lidong, how are you feeling?" Mei Ling asked when the female's annoyance with Monkey has ended for the time being.

"I've had better days." The large croc muttered while staring at everyone. "How's Po?"

Po was doing just fine. His wounds, his shoulder most noticeably, has been properly treated and bandaged, and was in the process of healing. One who has been working with poison for so long would have many medicines as well, many would be good for some quicker healing. Po's injuries were no longer hindering his movement by much, so he was taking his short break to stuff his face with bean buns. Mr. Ping happily provided him with plenty.

Tigress smiled. "He's fine. I was concerned about him for a while, but he's healing pretty quickly. He's more durable than he looks, and I was honestly quite surprised about it."

"Yeah. He has plenty of endurance." Fenghuang yawned, spreading her wings out a little. "Don't know where it comes from, though."

"You say that as if you were fully aware of it." Shifu said.

"Nah. I just accepted it and kept going. It made training easier, anyhow."

Soon enough, Great Master Viper and his wife, Bǎihé(Lily), or just Mistress Viper, were coming out of their palace, though Master Viper now sported a bruise on his cheek, and a sweatdrop running down as he approached his guests. "Forgive me for the delay. I needed to relay the events to my wife. As you can see...she didn't take it too well." He said, awkwardly rubbing his bruised cheek. It was evident that he was slapped pretty hard. Well, at least Po knew where Viper's slaps come from.

Mistress Viper kissed the bruise, softly petting him. "I do admit...I overreacted quite a bit. Sorry, honey."

"Don't be. I should have called out on Fu-Xi's bluffing when I has the chance. And now it's gotten so much worse that others are beginning to suffer for it." He says while he glared at the ground. "To think this mess began with my arrogance...curse it all..."

"You didn't know what was going to happen. You're not completely at fault. The situation wasn't worsened by you."

"That may be, but I'm the one who instigated it. So much happened due to my poor judgement...and now my daughter suffers for it as well. I couldn't feel more shame and concerned than I do now."

"Allow us to relieve the concern part, then!"

Crane flew overhead, swirling around in the sky a couple times while descending to the ground. Mantis hopped off of his hat before going over to Lidong. "Lidong, you're awake! Feeling alright?"

"I've had better days...at least now I know how powerful my fists are on myself...they really hurt. That snake girl put quite a lot of work into 'why are you hitting yourself' didn't she?"

"Yeah dude. She owned your ass."

Lidong frowned, looking away from him. "Bet you didn't do anything to stop her. Puny Bug."

Mantis hopped on his snout and they glared at one another. "Don't call me puny,scaly jerk!"

"I'm not weak enough that I can't squash you!"

"Girls girls, please save this for another time. We have important business to discuss." Fenghuang said to them mockingly, causing the duo to glare at her angrily.

Meanwhile, Viper immediately slithered into the comforting coils of her loving parents, as she cried a bit from her ordeal. "Mom...Daddy...! I was...Fu-Xi has been..." Viper sniffed as she nuzzled her father's head. "He tried to choke me to death when I figured out what he's been doing and that's he's been lying to me this whole time!"

"He tried what?!" Her father hissed dangerously. "He's crossed the line this time! I'll kill him!"

Crane cautiously approached the raging serpent. "Fu-Xi wanted to poison the village's water supply with his venom, but we managed to stop him. He's probably on his way here right now...and he might want to kill me."

"WHERE IS THAT AVIAN?! I'LL SNAP HIS NECK IN TWO!"

"Yup...wants to kill me specifically. Aren't I a lucky one?" Crane laughed sarcastically, dusting off his wings. He was responsible for sending the venom container away through the sky, somewhere it can't do harm to anyone.

Po got up, stretched his arms, and adjusted his hat. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of him before he gets the chance. "

"Count me in. Reptiles needs to stick together." Fung said, patting Viper's head. "That includes beating the crap put if those who manipulate us. Fellow reptile or not, he needs to go down."

"I will join as well." Tigress said, standing up and placing her scarf around her neck. "Someone like Fu-Xi doesn't deserve the title of Big Brother..." She says this with a straight face, but there were deeper reasons behind this. Viper and Fu-Xi's relationship reminds her a lot of her own relationship with herself and Tai Lung. Except...their relationship was genuine. Fu-Xi was simply wearing a mask, pretending to be a caring sibling and using Viper's complications with her father to get what he wanted. And THAT made her want to tear Fu-Xi apart..

Viper for one, couldn't think properly for a moment. In the time span of a day, someone she trusted since she was a little girl had turned on her when her use has been exhausted. She didn't know what she was supposed to think about him now...except that he was the enemy.

The cobra busted through the walls of the courtyard, his hiss menacing and loud. "VIPER! I'm giving you one last chance to rethink this!"

Viper was standing by her decision, not wavering in the slightest, not anymore. "Give up trying to sway me back to your side. That's done, for good. Especially since now I know I was never supposed to be on your side in the first place! You used me...for your own ambitions...and tried to play it off as kindness...there is no way I will ever see tou as a brother, not even a friend. Not after this."

"You hear that, cobra? She's done with you." Fenghuang said.

Fu-Xi shook his head. "If only she hadn't met that panda...if only she believed me for a little longer...she would be much happier with me..."

Tigress folded her arms. "The irony hurts, doesn't it? People feared you because of the strength you possessed. When you began abusing it for your own needs, all you did was prove them right, and take many other serpents down with you. Viper is an unfortunate victim of your blind rage. And many more as well, had we not come when we did."

Po nodded. "Yeah! And I gotta be honest, dude. Your whole 'Two-Legger' deal is...uh..." He began, only to start scratching his head. "It's...um...what's that word...Master Fenghuang?"

"Bullshit." Fenghuang said bluntly.

"THAT'S the one! Thanks, Master!"

Great Master Viper was not at all surprised by this. He knew that Fenghuang was not well-behaved like everyone wants to think. And some of it rubbed off on the panda, it seems. Shifu for one, merely turned his head and stared up at Fenghuang with an exasperate expression. "I really wish you didn't teach him those kinds of words."

"I said I was going to teach him Kung-Fu, not mind my tongue. I told you before, I say what I want." She shrugged.

The red panda then turned to Mr. Ping. "Aren't you going to say something about this?" The goose shook his head.

"Now Shifu, Po is a big boy now. What he says is by his own accord. I don't have control over that." The red panda groaned at the lack of care people gave about the subject.

"Are you all mocking me or something?" Fu-Xi hissed.

"Probably." Po shrugged. "Now we shall commence with kicking the crap outta you."

"You truly believe that it will be that simple?"

"Not really. But it doesn't matter. You tried to mess Viper up. So now...I'm gonna mess you up." Po says with confidence, as he cracked his knuckles and his facial expression turned serious. "That's what true big brothers do. They stand up for their younger sisters. And needless to say, you're a crappy brother in my eyes. As far as I'm concerned, there is a far better candidate for being her big brother than you."

The cobra hissed, as he posed for a strike. "And who might this 'canidate' be?"

The panda smirked, as he raised one paw and pointing to himself with his thumb. "This guy."

The Viper Family's eyes widened at this, but the one most shocked was Viper herself. Po...even after all the physical pain I placed on your body...you want to be my big brother regardless...? He wants to be...my Big Brother...?

"Preposterous!" The cobra glared in full denial. "A pathetic sack of flesh like you, posing as her older brother!?"

Po smirked again. "It may look funny, sure. But at this point I'm confident she prefers a pretty awesome bro like me..."

Fung finished for him, pointing at Fu-Xi. "Over a pompous asshole like you!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" His patience now completely torn to shreds, he lunges at the trio of Po, Tigress, and Fung with lethal intent...

Part Three of Serpents Tooth, now complete. The final part will be out soon as I can write it. The first enemy to pose a legitamate threat to their lives...Fu-Xi.

See you soon!