The incredibly large crocodile tossed a sack into the cart, adding to the multiple that had pretty much already filled it up. Handling the weight of all that was going to be extremely difficult, as noted by the crocodile's partner who, despite being much smaller than him, was involuntarily given the task of moving the cart. He had every right to believe that it wasn't his job to do so; yet, saying that aloud to someone who was way bigger than him wouldn't be the smartest idea in the world.

It was another day by which the childhood victim turned bully, known as Lidong, exercised his pride in intimidating his peers to complete tasks for him. Several of the other crocodiles, notably Fung and Gahri, had been unavailable for reasons unbeknownst to him, but that didn't stop Lidong from finding someone to help him rob a couple of pigs that happened to be transporting rice into the village.

"You pathetic bandits, the Dragon Warrior shall come and defeat you!" one pig exclaimed angrily, comically struggling to free himself from some rope which tied him and the other glaring pigs to a boulder.

"You'll be back in prison where you belong!"

"Shut it, piggies!" Lidong snapped, glaring right back into their faces. He seemed to be getting more frustrated by the minute. He tossed the final sack into the cart, creating a mountain above the edges. It looked like enough rice to feed the entire village for months. Lidong surely would be proud when they got it back home.

"Why do I have to carry the cart?" the other crocodile pouted, "You're more bigger and stronger than I am."

"Quit being a wimp, Wong," Lidong retorted, smacking his comrade across the muzzle.

"Ow. S-sorry," the anxious crocodile quickly apologized, nursing the temporarily sore spot from the smack.

"You let me talk to you like that, man?" one pig asked in disbelief, completely disregarding the size difference between the crocodiles. "What a coward."

"I said shut it!" Lidong spat directly in the pig's face. Nevertheless, the smaller creature, as well as the others, remained unfazed, keeping his glare fixed. "Or else I'll send you pipsqueaks down the river. I just might do that anyways."

"That're right, you know," Wong said, "And are ya sure we didn't get too much than enough?" Lidong looked at him as he caught a sour taste in his mouth.

"Do you want me to pummel you into tomorrow?" he questioned sharply, towering over Wong. "Gah, my cousin's an idiot but at least he's way smarter than you." Wong couldn't argue with that. It was evident on several occasions that he and other bandits were pretty much useless without Fung.

"Can you help me carry it half way through though?" he asked stupidly.

Lidong snarled and clenched his fists. "Get moving," he gritted, pushing Wong into the cart. Honestly though, why couldn't he carry it into his comrade? Simple enough, he got a kick out of pushing around his peers; the very ones who once picked on him for his size. Now that he was several times bigger than them, he would certainly use that to his advantage. And, much to their expense, it felt good. "Such a moron."

Wong, who had expected such response, took hold of the cart and began moving it away from the area. Boy, was it heavy.

"And you better not drop one sack," Lidong said bluntly, following closely behind.

"Curse you, Lidong!" one pig shouted, but the crocodile scoffed.

"Where's the Dragon Warrior when you need him?" he taunted while walking off, "He should've been here by now."

"He'll be here soon. You'll see." The crocodiles ignored them as they headed off into the forest. It would be some time before they reached home as their territory was a good while away.

"So what are we gonna do with all this rice?" Wong asked idiotically. Lidong couldn't believe what he was being asked, as if it wasn't obvious at all.

"Are you naturally this stupid or do you just like to play a fool?" Lidong quizzed, rubbing his head in annoyance.

"Uh…" was all Wong could answer. He had been asked questions like that before. Apparently, a lot of people he came across thought he was a moron. He could sort of understand that based on how he acted at times.

"Never mind," Lidong was ready to switch the subject as if his comrade hadn't gotten on his nerves enough. "I'll get this home and I can show the rest of those fools the real deal."

"Hey, why do you dislike Fung so much anyway?" Wong was curious. "Didn't he used to babysit you when you were little?" Lidong flinched at the mention of him being little. It reminded him of so many unfavorable memories. Plus, he had the most straightforward answer as to why he wasn't the most fond of his older cousin.

"Why? Because he can't do anything right," he answered dismissively, "He's stupid, annoying, and a terrible leader. He shouldn't be in charge of the group. Simple as that." The response was harsh by the use of words and tone. Wong noted this immediately, but couldn't help but feel a strange sense of empathy.

"Well, you gotta love him a little bit 'cause he's family, right?" he asked warmly. Lidong huffed.

"Did I ask for your advice?" he retorted, "And just because he's family doesn't mean I have to care about him. His life is meaningless to me."

Wow, this family dynamic is really messed up, Wong thought to himself. What could he do about it though? Nothing. Plus, it really wasn't his business to have in regard. Personally, Fung wasn't his favorite person in the world, but he had to respect his leader just a little bit. In addition, Wong would've much rather been listening to him complain than having to deal with the younger cousin and his attitude. Lidong definitely wasn't the easiest person to be around either; if anything, he was probably worse. The two were alike in many ways though neither would admit it.

"So are you just gonna keep never talking to him again?" Wong continued, innocent to his talkative characteristic. If it was another day, Lidong wouldn't have had the patience.

"Leave it alone, Wong," he instructed dryly, "I'm in a mood already."

"Well, you can try to lighten up a bit. Home's a few miles from here so we'll be walking for a while. How about we talk about some moments other than now? You know, so it doesn't get too quiet…and awkward." Lidong would have preferred it that way honestly, well, not awkward but quiet. "How about the time your uncle accidentally set that building on fire fooling with clay? Or those couple of times when we almost kidnapped the emperor's nephew for ransom and–" Lidong definitely didn't need to be reminded of that specific memory. In a flash, he grabbed Wong's muzzle, forcing it shut and jerked the now terrified crocodile to his height.

"We. Don't. Talk. About. That," he declared through gritted teeth, earning instant submission from his comrade.

"Y-you got it, man," Wong responded nervously, "C-could you put me down though?" Lidong grumbled lowly and dropped the crocodile to the ground and continued walking off. Wong quickly got up and moved the cart after him.

Sure know not to talk about that from now on

Grrrr, why did I have to bring that idiot, Lidong complained in his own head.


In the barracks

You gotta be freaking kidding me right now, Fung facepalmed as he slowly made his way down the hall to none other than Master Tigress's room. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, or that he was being made to. Understandably, he would've rather been assigned to keep watch over Shifu and the other members of the Five, but the panda had to decide his punishment would be one to keep him on edge. He knew Gahri was definitely feeling grateful in that sense. Really, there wasn't much to worry about on his part, obviously since it would seem as though the heroes couldn't do anything as they were locked up. On the other hand, a certain feline warrior was merely being kept in a room in the barracks with no guardianship other than himself, as if that wasn't the sorriest excuse in the world. He didn't have to consider that the tiger had a significant chance of escaping on his watch, so how on earth did the panda come up with the idea that he was capable of making sure that she didn't? What could he do if she attempted? Unquestionably, taking on the striped warrior would be rather foolish on the crocodile's behalf. Fung knew some kung fu, but he was outclassed in any means to the sport by the feline master.

Man, that guy's an idiot, Fung denounced pathetically, And so I am

The poor reptile's heart pulsed faster as he got closer to the door of the room. The light from inside the room pierced through the paper thin walls, making the shadow of a figure lying on a bed transparent. From what it appeared, the feline was still out. However, that didn't make the situation any less tense. Predictable enough, the tiger would surely be ready to claw the crocodiles to a million pieces on sight when she woke up. Fung may have just been walking into his grave. He was a little surprised his life hadn't begun to flash before his eyes yet, or was that just a saying?

Then again, Fung had been in multiple near death scenarios before so this wasn't unfamiliar to him. However, he couldn't help but be unsettled in thoughts of what was possible to happen anytime soon now. Gah! Why did I ever have to make up that stupid lie, Fung never felt more dumb in his entire life. He was that fool that caused all this to happen and now the consequences were awaiting around the corner, set to tear him apart.

"Well, Fung, you've done it this time," the crocodile said to himself in disappointment, placing his head on the door. Just then, a low pitch of breath was heard, as well as a light crack. The crocodile froze before he could slide open the door. Uh oh

The tiger's eyes shot open and madly vibrant like firecrackers. She could've sworn she heard a voice from outside the room and it didn't sound like it belonged to the panda. That would immediately be confirmed when Tigress's eyes fell on a shadowy figure standing in front of the door from the exterior. Simply, it wouldn't take a long time at all for the feline to make out who it was by examining the tail and muzzle. That blasted crocodile bandit. What was he doing here? With that being the first question to come to mind upon realization, Tigress would find out at once.

Now, there wasn't any getting of this one. Fung accidentally made himself known too early. In all fairness, he hadn't suspected that the feline was partially awake due to strange effects from the liquid just starting to wear off not long before he arrived. Regardless, what was he supposed to do now? It was not like he had time to run for his life. It took just seconds for the tiger to get up out of the bed and start making her way to the door. And undeniably, she was in quite an unhappy mood. A low, rough grunt emitting from her throat sounded, sending chills down the petrified crocodile's spine. He was so scared he couldn't move. But why not? He didn't need to just be standing there when Tigress reached him. Then again, he had to remind himself that he sort of earned the feline master's wrath.

"Son of a…" the words slipped from the angry tiger's mouth, her strong voice dominated with intense venom as she reached the door, jerking it open. The split second she set her fiery orbs on Fung, her claws instantly shot out. The crocodile let out a whimper and barely managed to move a little when the ferocious feline savagely grabbed his muzzle with both paws, sinking her claws into the poor reptile's flesh. Fung felt a powerful surge of pain erupting within; a horrified look was fixed in his eyes as watched his own blood rain from the cuts. He didn't need to guess that the tiger was ready to claw him alive right there. Her mouth was fixed into the most horrifying scowl as she looked daggers into his soul. Nothing but pure rage was to describe her at that moment. "You." All it took was her voicing that one word to cause Fung to lose the tiny trace of hope he had left. Goodbye life, he minded in combined dread, pity, and pain.

Apparently, Tigress could sense what he was thinking as she narrowed her eyes and breathed a growl into his face. She spun around and hurled the pitiful reptile into the room. He landed hard on the floor by his back. Man, she's ruthless, Fung didn't know how long he would be alive after that, but he was certain it wouldn't be long. The feline master slammed the door shut and turned to charge for him. There wasn't any need for attempting to dodge out of the way because Tigress had slammed him onto the bed before he knew it. Once again, the crocodile got the chance to look into the furious tiger's eyes and experience her growl viciously in his face while she had him pinned by the neck. "You," she repeated, this time her voice was just as menacing. Fung swallowed hard, wondering just how many times was she going to say that before she killed him. "You did this, you scaly bastard! This is all your fault!" she spat, tightening her savage grip on neck. Fung didn't have to be reminded that he was responsible for everything, but he didn't know how to respond to that.

Tigress wanted answers, and frighteningly enough, she was more than willing to beat them mercilessly out of the crocodile as she felt the strong urge to do so right now. Never before had she struggled this much to maintain even the slightest degree of restraint, even during several times when Po practically pushed her to the breaking point. Darn it! This crocodile is gonna make me lose it this time, she cursed at the very sight that was making her blood boil violently.

Fung couldn't say anything to the tiger. He was already pretty much dead anyways so setting her off wouldn't make this case scenario less unnerving.

"What do you have to say for yourself this time, Croc Bandit?" Tigress growled, leaning closer to his face. "And make it quick."

"Bl–blah–ah–ah–huh–I–eh," was all Fung could blurt off. He was looking for the correct words to say, but couldn't find them. "Uh…"

"What is the meaning of this?" the feline snarled, "As if the panda wasn't enough, now you. What are you doing here?"

"..."

"You better answer me when I ask you a question, crocodile!" Fung felt so small under this fired up tiger.

"I…I was sent to watch over you," he answered weakly. At that moment, Tigress's expression grew even more intense. She almost didn't believe what she was hearing.

"He what?" she responded harshly, kind of hissing in the process.

"Po…sent me here to look after you," the crocodile explained with hesitation. She wanted an answer so bad that he just had to get it out. "And to make sure you don't escape."

"That fool!" the tiger barked. Honestly, she was just as angry at the panda as she was at Fung; somehow, the crocodile noted this and found a tiny grace of relief.

"Look, I didn't ask to do this," he continued, "This is my punishment for Gahri and me bringing you guys food in the dungeon. I swear, I wasn't gonna do anything bad to you if that's what you think." The feline's eyes narrowed into lethal slits. Of course, she wasn't buying it.

"And why am I supposed to believe that?" she questioned furiously, further tightening her grip on the crocodile, "You've tried to harm me and my friends multiple times. Not to mention, you've caused one of them to turn on us and side with a group of thieves. The others are still locked up in the dungeon thanks to you and now you're here to convince me that?" She pulled Fung forward and initiated a second slam, causing the crocodile to whimper. "Tell me," the tiger continued with a growl, "Why are you here? If your goal is to stop me from escaping, then you have another coming." She released a paw from the crocodile's neck, raised it, and clenched it into a fist next to his face. CRACK! Fung felt his stomach in knots.

"Uh…c-could you at least hear me out?" he asked shakily, squinting his eyes in serious anxiety, "P-p-please?" Tigress only snarled in his face.

"You're pathetic," she spat. Yeah, I deserve to be told that, Fung agreed without a word.

"If you're gonna kill me, you might not wanna take too long to do it," he said, his tone in sync with his conscience. "In case Po pops up." Admittedly, the level of restraint in Tigress was questionable. It must've helped that she severely frightened the poor crocodile, possibly to the point where he was on the verge of having a heart attack. Deep down, Fung was desperately hoping that the feline had enough patience, although he was trying his hardest to convince that he was prepared for whatever she might do to him.

The warrior glared fiercely into the reptile's eyes. He was scared for his life, alright. But Tigress didn't care.

"I'm so tempted to claw your eyes out right now?" the tiger stated cruelly, keeping her powerful stare on him as he trembled like a madman. "Consider yourself lucky, bandit. I'll give you this one chance. Now tell me what's going on right now or else." Fung, almost in tears, nodded quickly.

"Eh, o-okay, okay…can you just, just let go of my neck…a little bit. Please…" he wailed. He couldn't guess how Tigress was able to squeeze so much pressure into his rather thick and widened neck (a physical asset he hadn't been so grateful for until the current moment), but wasn't surprised that she managed to either. But if she had used enough of her power, she could've strangled him to death.

With a great deal of unwillingness, Tigress loosened the grip on his neck. "Talk," she demanded, her voice not losing a trace of harshness.

"Look, I really don't know much about what's going on with Po," Fung responded uneasily.

"You must know what he's planning. You think I was born yesterday?" The tiger's little patience was wearing thin by the second and Fung knew this. "Not only did your so-called leader attack me, he drugged me and he left me here to deal with you. Not that it wouldn't do me any favor. You and your crew have caused enough trouble." Fung couldn't disagree with that. Truer words had never been spoken to make him feel worse than now.

"I know," he said dryly with a sigh, "I just wanna help…" Tigress didn't have to make it obvious she wouldn't believe him when he said that. She did recall him agreeing to help her and the others earlier on in the dungeon before the incident, but that barely established any faith at all. And reasonable so, it wasn't in the hardcore warrior's nature to trust someone like him. For one, he was the enemy. On the second strike, he was a criminal and was a part of a criminal organization (which he was the leader of to add.)

Fung himself never considered that earning the feline's trust would be simple, as that was the truth to be swallowed hard and not taken with a grain of salt. And, to be honest, there was no anticipation he would ever earn her trust, especially after everything that happened. He just needed to get her at least somewhat on his side so they could maybe come up with a plan. The crocodile wouldn't deny in his heart that he was willing to fix things even if it meant working with those who couldn't deem him in the most favorable light.

"And what about my friends?" Tigress continued in her far from friendly voice, "I can guess you don't have a plan for that."

"Well, I sort of don't," Fung responded pitifully, scratching his head, "So are you gonna kill me or what?" Fung, you know you aren't ready to die just yet, he pleaded with himself. Come on, you have to come with something. Think, you fool, thinkGah! I have nothing

Tigress let out a menacing growl, released a paw from Fung's neck, and launched it forward. The crocodile didn't have the slightest bit of time to react before the powerful blow collided with the eye area. The pain was quick, flooding to his head. He never disbelieved a soul whom he heard mentioning the tiger's fists being as hard as rocks. "So tempting!" the angry tiger snarled as she jerked him from against the bed and hurled him into the wall. The weakness of the paper was no match for the impact, allowing the crocodile to land on the floor in the neighboring room. "That's for everything!" Tigress spat after him.

"Ugh," Fung groaned lowly, "I was kind of expecting you to strangle me." Darn it, Fung, why are you so okay with that! That seemed like one of the least painful ideas.

"I don't need suggestions," Tigress gritted brutally, closing the gap between the two. She grabbed him by a leg and yanked him backwards. Fung practically rolled until he landed on his stomach. Mostly caught off guard, the crocodile gasped when he felt something rough (Tigress's foot) make contact with his back. "All you should know is you're definitely gonna get it now," she growled without a hint of mercy. This had to be the confirmation she wasn't going to kill him right away. Fung was quite horrified, but didn't expect anything else to go down. The ferocious feline pressed her foot into the crocodile's back. "So you thought you'd be useful coming here?" she questioned grimly, and with a trace with questionable mockery.

"Uh, didn't I let you know? Po made me do this," Fung responded, though knowing this wouldn't help easen his case.

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook," Tigress snarled, grabbing one of his arms and raising it. She was just about ready to give it a good twisting when Fung suddenly launched up and in a desperate attempt to yank away from her grip, he quickly drew backward, causing her to nearly meet the floor. Then, he swung his tail across her chest, knocking her on her back. This was rather surprising to the tiger as the sudden leap of courage was completely unexpected. Fung himself couldn't believe what he had just done. As if Tigress wasn't furious enough with him…

"You fool!" she bellowed, getting to her feet and charging for Fung. He dodged out of the way as she launched a punch at him. "Keep still so I can give you the pain you deserve!" She attempted throwing another punch.

"I know I might deserve the pain, but…" Fung responded weakly, barely managing to dodge the second blow.

"But what!" Tigress continued to unleash her wrath. It evidently made her angrier each time she tried to throw a punch and missed, amazingly by Fung's little luck.

He didn't know what to conclude his response with. But…nothing. Nothing at all.

"Hyah!" the feline roared, finally managing to get a blow in. Into the poor crocodile's stomach of all places. That was one of the most painful areas to be punched, according to a number of sources. Accurate. The reptile gripped his belly, wincing like he caught the most horrible bug in the world. Even that sounded better than what he just experienced.

"Aw, okay, I'll definitely need to see a medic after that…ow" he said uncomfortably, about to collapse before the feline held him up.

"Tell me you really regret everything after that," she hissed in his face.

"I-I do f-for the love of–," Fung began, but the tiger clamped his muzzle shut.

"Save it!" the warrior spat, "Just be grateful a part of me has decided not to kill you…" The crocodile's eyes widened. Amidst a world of pain and terror, a gush of shock, along with significant disbelief, overtook him. Was this the fearsome Master Tigress who was telling him this? She had the direct opportunity to put out one of her most hated adversaries right there, and she was passing it up as if some mysterious force was counting on her not to. Perhaps, it was her inner voice telling her karma had something else in store for the enemy.

Honestly, Fung wasn't the only person who couldn't believe it either. Tigress unfixed her scowl and released a rough sigh. "I must be out of my mind, but I'm keeping you alive…for now."

And then, things partially made sense. Still though…

"Don't take this as us being allies," she declared bluntly. Her tone remained harsh, but it was no longer to the degree it had been several minutes earlier. "I mean it, croc bandit. That goes for the others as well."

Fung nodded hastily, recalling the ticking bomb of the feline's temper.

"You will help me come up with a plan and that's it, got that?" Tigress continued, her eyes boring into him like he hadn't heard enough. Again, the crocodile could only nod in hope that the violent tiger wouldn't catch the urge to hit him another time. All it took was very little for him to mess up.

"Whatever you say, Tigress," he responded timidly, "So I guess we can start thinking of things…now." The feline master grumbled and dropped him to the floor, allowing him to land on his bottom with a thump.

"Okay, you could've at least put me down in a gen–," Fung started, but stopped his lips when he received a lethal glare from the warrior as she was about to turn around.

"You say what, croc bandit?" she questioned.

"A-aw, I didn't mean that," Fung replied, covering his eyes with his hands. His inner voice was yelling at him. Darn it, Fung, you're getting too much like Gahri. Maybe Lidong was right about that

Concerning his younger cousin, he wondered what the latter was up to at the moment…


Back in the forest…

Lidong was leading the way back to the territory with a partially tired Wong closely behind, barely managing to handle the heavy cart. But…he had to make sure none of the sacks fell, as Lidong swore he would count each and every one when they got to their destination. Until then, Wong didn't have a clue that he had counted how many sacks that were stolen. It must've been at least thirty.

"Keep up," Lidong commanded bitterly, not even looking behind him to see his partner struggling. He knew what was up, but he didn't care. If anything, he got what he wanted. Wong, on the other hand, knew the treatment he was getting from Lidong was unfair; yet, he had to consider what discipline would result if he dared to speak up for himself.

"I'm trying," he pleaded, "Are we almost there yet?" This made Lidong grumble and facepalm in annoyance.

"No, we're not, you moron," he retorted, "We just started from the village not too long ago." Then Wong remembered.

"Oh…" was he could say to that as he wallowed in his stupidity. For a very, very short period, he debated in his head whether he should tell Lidong he simply "didn't know" or his brain had failed him again. If anything, that would most likely make his partner more irritated than he already was.

This nincompoop, I can't stand him, Lidong denounced within. He certainly wished there was some way that they could get to their destination faster so he could've gotten away from Wong sooner.

"So what do you think the others are up to?" Wong asked just then, "You think they're wondering where we are or?" Was there really any need for asking that question?

"What do you think?" Lidong responded dryly, "And why do you ask?"

"I just did," Wong answered, wondering if there was anything he could've asked Lidong without getting him riled up, or he just hated questions that much. Why was he in such a bad mood anyway? It wasn't like he had to carry a heavy cart all the way home as he was forcing someone else to do it. Plus, they had stolen a great supply of rice with minimal effort. You'd think that the overgrown crocodile wouldn't be so grim. And what did Wong ever do to Lidong that made it seem as if he absolutely hated him? Apparently, he looked at the smaller crocodile like he would have absolutely no problem stepping on him had he been turned into a cockroach (which was probably a hope somewhere in his mind.) Then again, it would appear that Lidong pretty much had some level of animosity towards most, if not all, of his peers with Fung being at the top of his list for least respectable.

Lidong bitterly muttered some things under his breath and walked on in dissatisfaction. He never liked that home had to be a while away from the Valley of Peace. The journey back could at least be a quiet one, but the blathering Wong obviously didn't have any intentions on making that attainable. If Wong flat out said he got sick from keeping his mouth shut, Lidong wouldn't find it hard to believe him.

"He doesn't even know how far the crocodile village is from the valley. Of course we won't be back as soon as he wants us to," a disappointed voice sounded somewhere from a distance, catching the large crocodile off guard. He knew that voice and weird accent from anywhere.

It belonged to another crocodile bandit, Wall Eye. Lidong knew today was just his luck.

Oh crud. Lidong definitely wasn't in the mood. Running into Wall Eye meant one additional idiot he had to deal with, unless there was another with him. Lidong really hoped that wasn't the case.

"I don't know, Wall Eye, we've seen how angry he gets when something doesn't go his way," another voice continued worriedly, "I don't want him to get all punchy on us like he did to Master Shifu and the Furious Five." Upon hearing this, Lidong was instantly intrigued.

What about Master Shifu and the Furious Five? What has happened to the so-called great Jade Palace warriors?

"I don't want that to happen neither," Wall Eye said, "Which goes back to my point. He needs us to bring back more soldiers this soon?"

"Hey, Lidong. Do you know who's that we're hearing talking?" Wong asked, rather curious himself. "It kind of sounds like–" His mouth was clamped shut by Lidong, who had stopped in his tracks.

"Be quiet," Lidong commanded lowly, continuing to listen. It sounded like Wall Eye and the other mystery person were getting close to the area they were in.

"Do you think maybe the other crocodiles are out looking for us at least?" the mystery voice asked, "So it'll be easier for us to find them."

"I want to hope so, but I don't, man," Wall Eye answered less than hopefully with a sigh, "I wish we could go home and just forget everything happened."

"Me too."

Lidong, with his meaty hand still sealed around Wong's muzzle, grinned with wicked delight. Apparently, something bad happened that involved physical harm of the Jade Palace warriors; he couldn't be upset with that at all. Yet, he wondered how his peers managed to get caught up in it.

"I wanna be back in the hut with nothin' better to do," Wall Eye went on, sort of chanting, "Scratchin' my butt and gettin' on my mama's nerves. Somethin' like that, because this stinks, man. It smells worse than our swamp sometimes–"

"Wall Eye?" the mystery voice pouted, "Don't let her catch you saying that."

"Sorry, but I'm just not in the mood…" Following an exaggerated sigh, he muttered, "Darn it, Fung."

"I thought only he was allowed to say that from now on."

"I don't care. Let's just find the others. I can guess we won't be getting anything to eat for a while."

"Mmm…mmmm…mmmm…mmm…" Wong sounded with an unsuccessful attempt to remove Lidong's hand from his muzzle. He didn't really have anything necessary to say, but having his mouth forced shut was becoming a burden. Lidong huffed.

"You couldn't be quiet on your own," he muttered in slight amusement, "The least you can do is shut up so I can hear."

"Hey, did you hear that? Wall Eye's voice started again.

"I didn't hear anything," the mystery voice answered, "What did it sound like–" SNAP! "Gaaaaaaaaahhh!"

A loud cry of pain echoed throughout the forest and unpleasantly rang into the ears of the creatures nearby the source. Lucky for Wong, Lidong was practically made to release grip of his muzzle.

"Pair of fools," Lidong gritted with his ears plugged.

"Irwin!" Wall Eye was heard exclaiming, "Irwin, they told you to watch out for those bite trap thingies!" Some shouting, shuffling, and violent banging of metal sounded.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow-how-how!" Irwin hollered, "Ah, that hurts, that hurts! That hurts really bad!"

"H-hold still, lemme get it off!" Wall Eye shouted.

"Get it off! Get it off now! Please!"

"I-I'm trying! If you could hold still–"

"Aaahh! Oow! Not so hard, not so hard!"

"Lidong, I can't listen anymore," Wong said nervously, hoping that they could get away from the area right then. Lidong himself was getting more than annoyed. He grumbled and marched off in the direction of the voices and disappeared into the trees. Irwin's noisy cries persisted.

"Aw, no! No! Not too hard, not too hard! That's too har–ugh!"

"Lidon–ugh–eck!" Wong moved closer to listen. If his ears were correct, it sounded like Lidong was choking someone.

"You guys are nothing but a pair of useless, spineless, clownish, blathering buffoons!" the large crocodile's voice barked loud enough to be heard back in the village if one possessed super hearing. Wong was relieved that it wasn't him being yelled at this time, though he felt empathetic for whoever those "mysterious" voices belonged to. "Can you do anything right for once! And you idiots why nobody respects you!"

"E-eck! Eck!" WHOOSH! "Whoooaa!"

WHOOSH! "Aaahh!" Wall Eye and Irwin came flying out through the thick of the trees, landing on their stomachs. Lidong reappeared and pulled the two crocodiles up from the ground by their muzzles. Irwin's foot was caught in a bear trap and was bleeding from the toes.

"It's just these two," Lidong said to Wong in a nasty tone before carelessly tossing Wall Eye aside like he was nothing more than a piece of trash to him.

"Hey," the cockeyed crocodile pouted, sitting up and rubbing his back.

"What are you guys doing here?" Wong asked, not removing his eyes from the image that was Irwin's bloody foot as Lidong not so gently disengaged the trap.

"Yaahh–oowhh!" Irwin squealed, immediately nursing his bleeding foot. Wong and Wall Eye rushed to his aid.

"Hang in there, buddy," Wall Eye said warmly.

"I think I have some bandages," Wong said, digging into his pockets.

Lidong just scoffed and hauled away the bear trap.

"So what brings you two?" he questioned coldly, folding his arms, "I know you idiots weren't out here just to cause a whole bunch of racket."

"Uh, can't we tend to Irwin's injury first?" Wall Eye asked, "The man's bleedin' out pretty bad."

"Aw, the pain…" Irwin wailed, hugging his foot, "I'm sorry, foot."

"We probably need to get him to a medic," Wong commented with a nod, then shot Lidong a hesitant look and asked, "Hey, do you mind carrying the cart back for the rest of the way?"

Lidong was furious. "What!" he barked at his fellow crocodiles, causing them to cower and huddle against each other. "How dare you!"

Wong's voice was nearly scared right out of him.

"I-I'm asking that so we can get Irwin taken care of. Unless we have to carry him home," he responded timidly, "And he'll been've lost way more blood when we get there." Lidong's eyes narrowed into slits.

"That's his fault," he hissed, pointing rudely at Irwin, "If he hadn't been such a braindead moron, nothing would've happened."

"I swear I didn't see it where I was going," Irwin insisted weakly. Lidong ignored him and went for the cart.

"Just forget it," he growled, taking the handle, "I should've known. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

"H-hey, don't forget I carried it most of the way," Wong said. Lidong huffed and began heading from the area with the cart.

"Don't bother getting your share," he snarled at Wong before addressing the rest, "Later, losers."

"Wait, you can't leave," Irwin called after him. But Lidong kept walking.

"Wall Eye, stop him. We need him to come with us back to the Jade Palace." Lidong stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the trio.

"What do you mean you need me to come with you back to the Jade Palace?" he questioned bluntly, eying the three crocodiles (namely Wall Eye and Irwin) with suspicion, "My idiot cousin put you up to something?" Then, he recalled listening to their conversation not long ago when they mentioned something had happened to the Jade Palace warriors. Now he really wanted to know what went down.

Wall Eye and Irwin exchanged uneasy glances. Wong himself was curious.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Wall Eye replied, tapping his claws together nervously, "...Might be a little hard to believe."

Lidong moved closer to the group. "Well then," he said stiffly, getting in Wall Eye's face, "Spill it."


Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda. All rights reserved to Dreamworks Animation.

This chapter was difficult to write. I apologize for the less than exceptional writing and late update. If you come across any errors, please inform me. Thank you.