Back at the Jade Palace…
A crew of familiar figures proceeded down the pathway. The one leading the rest was a rather tensed crocodile. Gahri appeared to be so anxious that he could barely keep his eyes forward; they kept darting in multiple directions. Obviously, he was hesitant about doing this as it wasn't his plan. Several members of the Five, along with Shifu, followed behind him, bound by chains found in the prison. Mantis was being carried in his prison cage by Gahri; the insect kept a glare (one of his most lethal yet) fixed on the reptile, who couldn't have been no less than thankful for the firm metal bars between them.
The awkward silence, which had gone on since the crew left the dungeon, was interrupted when Viper slithered closer to the red panda and quietly asked, "Master, are you sure this is going to work?" Shifu, who followed the closest behind Gahri, looked at her with thought for a moment before moving his stern eyes back to the crocodile.
"It has to," the elderly master responded, honestly not sounding too hopeful about his idea. He looked down unenthusiastically and released a sigh. "I myself can't believe this is the best I could come up with in a time like this." Arguably, nothing could've made him feel worse than right now with his students seeing him in such a state. Then, the sudden question popped in his mind. What would Oogway think seeing all of this…
"So you really believe Po's that…gullible to the point where he'll believe it?" Mantis asked uneasily, with a hint of pity, "I never thought the guy was that trustful."
"He trusted the Croc Bandits," Monkey remarked in secondhand embarrassment.
"And remember that time he trusted Taotie was gonna fix up the Training Hall when he ruined it?" Crane chimed in, lowering his head and signaling he would facepalm if his wings weren't chained.
"And that time he allowed Junjie to convince him–"
"Guys, that's enough," Viper stated flatly, then speaking back to Shifu, "Master, I'll take your word for it."
Shifu didn't look up.
"Well, if she says so," Mantis commented, slumping a bit.
Shifu didn't look up.
"It should work one way," Monkey said, not fully believing what he was saying, but wanting to give his master the benefit of doubt, "Right, Crane?"
The avian was probably the most uncertain of them all. "I don't know about that," he said with concern.
"C'mon, Crane. You must have some faith in Shifu's plan," Viper spoke up, almost disregarding the fact that the red panda was beside her. In all fairness to Crane, however, Shifu couldn't blame him for being skeptical.
"It's alright, Viper," he told the snake softly, "We can only hope things work out…for the best."
"Yeah, a little optimism goes a long way, alright," Mantis said in an almost joking manner, "If only this was another situation…"
"You mean a lighter and less risky one?" Monkey commented dryly, "Yeah, I get the feeling."
"Uh, guys, we know Po won't be too happy when he finds out I let you out of your cells, so you might wanna be a little quieter when we get around him," Gahri spoke up timidly.
"No kidding, at least he won't try and kill us first this time," Mantis retorted, making the reptile flinch, "And I still got my eye on you, crocodile."
"Alright, Mantis, don't overdo it," Crane said with a sigh, then commenting to himself while scowling at Gahri, "As much I can't blame him."
Gahri, being able to sense that the avian was shooting him a death glare, didn't bother saying anything else while they moved along. At this point, it even seemed factual to conclude that nothing the crocodile could say or do would earn him the slightest degree of cordiality from the warriors, and obviously, there was no arguing for the reason why.
"So you suppose Po won't try and throw us back in the dungeon if this somehow works, Master?" Crane asked botheredly.
"Afraid to say, I have to count on it that he won't," the red panda answered promptly, "We must convince him good. I trust that my students aren't so bad at lying." Several of the Five didn't respond to the master, but exchanged looks.
"Well, I know I'm not," Mantis went.
"So then you won't have to prove that," Crane said bluntly, instantly making the insect regret his statement, "Right then." Viper sighed in wonder at why the typically non-argumentative Crane was being so combative at the given moment. Shifu focused on the person in front of him, not taking his eyes off the nervous crocodile for a second.
"Ahem…" the elderly master cleared his throat loudly, having to remind Gahri that he wasn't too far behind him. "So, I take it you'll be letting the rest of your group know of our plan?"
In the barracks…
"...now that might work…" Fung proposed, fiddling with a wrap he used to wipe away blood; between him and Tigress, things were getting more agonizing by the second. He watched uncomfortably as the striped warrior paced the floor like a hungry wild animal in a cage, ready to blow any moment. Not much time had gone by, but spending just a little while with the feline master, especially in her current mood, was already becoming more than enough for him; it was practically waiting for a heart attack to happen. On top of that, he was having the struggle of his life coming up with a plan, if there was one to begin with.
Not one word that could thoroughly describe Tigress's mood right then. A part of her was extremely worried for her friends while another was getting increasingly fed up with struggling to come up with anything; plus, her having to work with a pesky crocodile in the process wasn't exactly making things easier either. She might've been wrong if she guessed it was just her usual temper and the sight of Fung wasn't making her blood boil at all every glimpse she took at him. Then, she had to stop herself from catching the urge to pummel the crocodile right there. She couldn't help but be angry at him though; neither would be in the present situation if it weren't for him doing something foolish. Seriously, the challenge not to brutally beat her enemy to a pulp was proving to be the hardest she ever attempted and she could've cared less how "sorry" he supposedly was as if a spoken apology was the necessary solution to a major problem they had on their hands right now. The most usefulness he needed to show in this circumstance was the least amount of intellect to be able to come up with something.
"Wait, I think I might…gyuuh, I got nothing," the reptile spoke, tossing the bloody wipe away and taking a clean one. "Nothing yet…what about you?" The tiger scoffed under her breath. Figures.
"Nothing at all. Hopefully my brain doesn't explode before I manage to think of anything," she remarked sharply, keeping her sight away from Fung. Her tone was like a sword piercing into his guts.
"I…I hope that d-doesn't happen to me either," he commented shakily, scratching his head. This tiger was really making him question the point of his existence. How long would it be before he did or say something else stupid? Unfortunately, it was a matter of seconds…a sudden thought popped in his head when he heard a low growl erupt from his stomach. "Say, all this tryna think of stuff is making me hungry. Could we maybe get something to eat?" Then, the crocodile realized what had come out of his mouth.
The feline master froze and turned to look at him like he had just said the dumbest thing she ever heard. "You can't be serious," she growled, causing Fung to automatically consider that he may have just made another to add to his ever-extending list of worst mistakes in life. Admittedly, he was an idiot.
If Tigress had already been convinced that a certain panda was the biggest moron on the planet, this crocodile more than likely came in second. And this guy was supposed to be keeping watch over her as well as making sure she didn't escape. "So food's the most important thing you can think of?" she questioned with gritted teeth, clenching her fists super hard.
"Ah, I didn't mean that," Fung said wimpishly, hiding his eyes in a wrap. The feline master snarled lowly in response and began marching for the door. "N-no really, I didn't mean that." The reptile quickly got up and started after her.
"You hungry, croc bandit? We can get something to eat, alright," Tigress hissed furiously as she was ready to jerk the door open. Fung grabbed her paw from behind and barely managed to pull her away.
"You little–" That was all Tigress could get out before she landed on her back. She swiftly leaped up and took to fighting stance. Fung stood in front of her, blocking her way from the door.
"I-I'm not hungry, I swear," Fung insisted tensely, "I was just kidding. That's all." But the tiger had her mind up. In fact, she was thinking of something. The crocodile might've just given her an idea, or at least reminded her that he was practically nothing that stood in her way.
"Get. Out. Of. The. Way," Tigress ordered in clear viciousness, moving closer to him. Fung was terrified, but backing down certainly wasn't a choice.
"I promise I didn't mean it," he pleaded, backing into the door with his arms extended.
"I don't care," the striped warrior spat, "Get out of the way."
"No, I won't let you out," Fung responded desperately, "Po will kill both of us." Finally Tigress had had enough.
"I said MOVE!" she roared, seizing the crocodile by his neck and tossing him straight across the room. Fung had been expecting her to do something much worse than that, but he wouldn't complain.
Tigress huffed and opened the door.
"We're going out there," she declared with a growl, pointing outside of the room. Fung groaned and picked himself up.
"Tigress, I'm telling you…" he said, stroking his back, "That's a bad idea."
"How do you figure?" the feline retorted.
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Fung said. Man, this tiger's just as crazy as my dad.
"We're going out there," Tigress affirmed sharply.
"You're insane!" the crocodile exclaimed, to earn a savage growl from the ruthless being some feet away from him. "I-I didn't mean that either."
"We're going and that's final," Tigress snarled, cracking her knuckles with anticipation, "I won't tell you again." A sudden thought crossed in Fung's mind when he looked over at the hole that was made when Tigress threw him at the wall not long ago. He could've simply jumped out of the room through the paper thin substance. Then again, as persistent as Tigress was, she more than likely would've chased after him and he didn't need her more furious with him than she already was. "Get out here, now," the tiger commanded with a deeply furrowed brow, folding her arms and violently tapping her foot.
Knowing well it mostly did him good to listen to her, despite the fact he was extremely anxious of what Po might do, Fung gave a hasty nod and sighed under his breath.
"So what are we gonna do about–"
"WHAT!?" Fung nearly finished his question when a roaring voice that sounded as loud as any could get in the Jade Palace boomed throughout the area like an erupting volcano. Tigress's firm glare was replaced with a cast of bafflement as Fung shot her a pleading look. The voice they heard was recognizable from anywhere and neither were too surprised to figure out who it belonged to.
"Po?" Tigress said, her aggressive catlike curiosity ready to come out. Of course, an angry panda wouldn't hold the fearsome tiger back from willingly running into trouble. In a jiffy, her glare returned and she waved for Fung to follow her. "Come on," she instructed with a growl, then started down the hall on fours.
Fung shook his head and facepalmed. He seriously hoped whatever this crazy cat had in mind wouldn't involve trying to fight the panda again. If that were so, then she certainly hadn't learned the first, second, nor third time going up against him, even with the rest of the Five in several encounters. Fung himself wasn't completely the opposite of the most fearless person in the world (like her as it would seem), but there was definitely one thing to admit; not even in the crocodile's dreams, could he imagine having the tiger's level of pursuit and relentlessness. Nevertheless, he rushed on after the fierce striped master for his sake, mainly in case she would catch on that he wasn't following her. He wasn't looking forward to a pleasant meeting with the Dragon Warrior.
To give credit where it's due, though, the tiger's bravery was something unmatched.
In the Hall of Warriors…
The panda produced a lethal growl, squeezing his staff so hard several others in the space swore they heard it crack a little. A pair of typically friendly jade orbs were burning with rage; nobody, especially the Four, could say they were comfortable witnessing the black and white warrior presenting this dark, angry side. Gahri and the Four exchanged looks that ranged from uneasy to frightened. Shifu kept a calm and neutral expression, which was notably forced in a way. The idea was to make himself appear as much of a non-threat as possible, though he wasn't too sure yet if the panda would buy it. Obviously, Po wouldn't be convinced right away as it was Shifu that received the coldest look out of everyone else from the bear. He must have guessed that Gahri's reasoning for deciding to let the warriors out of captivity would have a lot to do with the red panda. Correct enough.
"Are you insane, reptile!" the bear barked in the crocodile's face, "How dare you let them out! What is the meaning of this!"
Gahri tried to swallow down some of his fear, but the result was a hard lump developing in his throat. The panda continued with his rant.
"You are just as foolish as Fung," he denounced cruelly, "You know they could've tried to escape any minute. But at least you figured you couldn't go behind my back this time–not that it matters, what on this green lousy earth possessed you to release the prisoners, huh? Explain."
"Yeah well," Gahri started weakly, "They're not exactly trying to escape." The panda narrowed his eyes and glared harder at Shifu and the Four.
"What are you on about?" the bear questioned, folding his arms.
"Listen, I know you wouldn't believe it but…" Gahri began to explain, "I brought them here to help us." The panda looked at him as if he fell down the Thousand Steps and knocked every screw loose in his head.
"W-what?" he bellowed.
"Please let this work," Crane muttered quietly to himself.
"I mean they're on our side now," Gahri continued, "We can trust them."
"Trust?" the panda growled, tossing his staff to the side. Shifu and some of the Four facepalmed, but Gahri quickly realized his mistake.
"I-I mean, I get they're supposed to be our enemies and all but–"
"Panda, we've come in peace," Shifu announced normally, "If you are okay with that." The bear couldn't believe his ears. He looked at the red panda with distaste, then lowered to his face. One thing he noticed was the old man wasn't glaring back at him, as he would've expected from someone he subjected a brutal beating to earlier on and had imprisoned afterward. It would serve little to no importance to the Dragon Warrior whether or not the red panda was mad at him. But the look he was getting from the elderly master didn't seem to register him as having an alternative motive, even if he stared hard enough.
"What are you playing, old man?" he retorted, "First time I walked in this place, you attacked me and tried to get these guys on my back."
The Four huffed quietly among themselves.
"You're correct about that, panda," Shifu said, keeping his tone civil, " I may have taken myself further than I should have. For that, I apologize on my behalf as well as that of my students. Now we come to you with an offer of assistance."
The panda gave no response, but kept an not-so-welcoming-of-an-apology eye on the red panda. This old man was acting way too "polite" for him. He had to wonder if this was part of an act in accordance with a scheme.
"We understand your hesitance with us and do not wish to force your trust," Shifu continued.
"Please forgive us for our actions, Master Po," Viper inserted, "We promise you we could be useful in your pursuit." The black and white warrior had to hold back a snicker at that. So this crew of so-called warriors were useful? The snake was saying this like she had forgotten they were proven to be unsuccessful in stopping him from almost killing the old man and taking over the Jade Palace, twice at that. What use could they provide him besides holding up as punching bags?
"Is this some sort of joke?" the panda questioned Gahri, shooting him with daggers.
"Look at this way, Boss," the crocodile responded, "It's not like they have a lot of hope after, you know…everything that happened in the past few days."
"Yeah, what else are we supposed to do besides sit around in a dungeon all day?" Mantis remarked bitterly, earning angry responses from several of the others, including the panda, who scowled at him. "Well, I'm just saying."
"You got something to say, bug?" Po shot back, positioning his fat face inches from Mantis's cage.
"He didn't mean it," Monkey said quickly, nudging the cage.
"We swear we're not here to cause any trouble," Crane spoke up with hesitation, "The least we can do is help out around the place." A janitor position wouldn't sound too bad about now, he thought with remembrance.
"Pardon my student's choice of words, panda, but I advise you be willing to consider," Shifu said, "That being said, it is your decision."
"Yeah darn right it is, old man," Po retorted, "You're lucky I kept you alive all this time. And how could you think you or your students would be any useful when I defeated you so easily in a fight? I could simply kick your butts again–which honestly sounds tempting right now." Then he gave Gahri a look of displeasure. "And this time, I might add another to the mix."
"Come on, Boss. Give these guys a chance," the reptile insisted nervously.
"Absolutely not," Po responded, "I don't trust them one bit. Plus I already got Wall Eye and Irwin on the recruiting thing. Don't know when those guys'll be back, but it should be soon enough. And I shall have my army before you know it."
"And, what if they come back tonight? You think they'll have rounded up enough people that quick?" Gahri responded with a facepalm.
"Oh dear," Monkey muttered softly, repeating the same action.
"If only my guy were smarter," Mantis said quietly to himself, nodding in pity.
"Gahri, that's not the point here," Po replied irritatedly, "The point is I don't need these so called warriors."
"Hey, who said we had to be warriors?" Monkey proposed lightheartedly, "We can be anything else. Like comedians."
"Monkey!" the simian's snake comrade exclaimed.
"Take them out of my sight now," Po commanded Gahri.
"I knew this wasn't going to work," Crane commented unenthusiastically.
"Or a medic–hey, I specialize in that field," Mantis insisted, "I actually treated some folks at–" It didn't take long for the insect to realize that a certain red panda was giving him a rather unsatisfactory expression. No need to remind us was what Mantis read from the look. "At the village, not here…"
"Take the prisoners back to the dungeon and I won't repeat it," Po continued, "Don't let them out again."
"But don't you think that's a little harsh?" Gahri asked stupidly, "I mean, you say you don't need these guys but if we're not gonna get rid of them, then–"
"They can rot there for all I care," Po said sharply through gritted teeth. He was starting to get worked up with the crocodile's reluctance. Why was he being like this? Was he secretly working with the enemies, or at least trying to? "Am I clear? You are not to let them out no matter what. I will not risk them escaping."
"B-but what sense does that make? You let Tigress out…" Gahri started, but instantly caught onto his mistake. It was certainly reasonable to bring that up as it provided something to be argued against Po's case; he wouldn't be pleased with the mention though. The black and white warrior froze right there, his eyes widening as big as saucers. At the moment, it almost seemed like his orbs were hinting a blush of amber, as in to portray an aura of fire erupting. Shifu and the Four were a bit surprised themselves at the mention, but understood where Gahri was coming from.
"W-what, you, did you just?" the panda stammered furiously.
"Yeah I did," Gahri said regretfully.
"We don't talk about that!" the black and white warrior roared.
"Until now," Monkey muttered in a low, worried voice.
The panda slammed his fists into a pole, leaving a puncture. "What does that have to do with anything!" he snarled.
"Well, think about it," Gahri responded with a forced sense of nerve in his voice, "Don't you think she'll try to escape?"
"Uh, I sent Fung to watch her and make sure she doesn't," the panda retorted. Several members of the Four had to force back some giggles at this; Shifu just sighed and facepalmed.
"So that means you trust that Fung is fully capable of handling her, right?" the crocodile went on.
"Where are you getting at?" the panda questioned, "That has nothing to do with them."
"Yeah, I don't get it," Crane stated.
"I think I know what he's trying to reason," Shifu spoke up, then started to explain, "What Tigress has to believe, as of now, is that we're still locked up, which–"
"Practically we are," Monkey commented dryly.
"Somebody bet she's making the job pretty hard on Fung right now," Mantis chimed in, "Bless the guy's heart if he isn't dead yet."
"I agree on that," Crane said.
"Uh hello, we're getting off topic here," Po inserted sourly, "Is something supposed to be making sense or not?"
"Master Po, keeping us locked away from our friend will make her really worried for our sake," Viper explained.
"And what about it?" the panda retorted, obviously having no regard for such concern.
"Man, if you knew her," Mantis said as if being remindful, "You would say that she can be really attentive. I mean, she's pretty much always on guard."
"Yeah, constantly suspecting…bad things to happen and what not," Monkey added casually. "Am I right, Crane?"
"Most people would think that," the avian answered, not too comfortable with being put on the spot. But when Viper gave him a just play along look, he added, "She doesn't have the best temper either."
"Don't get us started on that, Crane," Shifu butted in, his tone slightly teasing, "Can't imagine how livid she'd be if she heard us talking about her like this."
"Oh no, Shifu," Viper said in deceptive worry, "Do you think she might be eavesdropping on us. If she's around the corner now–"
"Quit it!" Po snapped at everyone, including Gahri, "I'm not scared of the tiger. And I know you're trying to get me to believe that she'll escape somehow, or maybe…" The panda gestured with air quotes. "Get really mad and go on some wild rampage because she thinks something will happen to her pals, yahdy, yahdy, yah–if anything, you should consider yourselves lucky that I'm keeping you locked up because I could've been gotten rid of you for good."
"He had to remind us," Monkey said tonelessly, rolling his eyes to the back of his head.
"Understand this, panda," Shifu continued, "Tigress is very protective of her comrades. If she doesn't know what's going on with us, she could suspect anything. Including some of the worst case scenarios we won't go into detail about." Mantis huffed.
"It's true, bro. She's one messed up–"
"If we're cutting to the chase, it might make things easier if us and Tigress weren't separated," Viper interjected. The panda looked like he ate something real tart.
"That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard," he stated with disdain, "I can handle the tiger in a one on one fight. Evidently she's not that tough when it comes to the Bandit King." The panda folded his arms cockily and gave a nasty grin. "Say, did I tell you about our little fight in the room section?"
"Okay, this isn't getting anywhere," Crane said flatly, "I guess we may as well call it a day–"
"Crane!" several others cried.
"What does it look like? He's obviously not gonna–"
"Tigress, wait up!" a panicky voice, which everyone was quick to recognize as Fung's, sounded from nearby. Just a split second after he heard the name, the panda's grin dropped upside down and his eyes widened. He heard his inner voice yelling the select words. What the…!?
Shifu and the Four were also taken by surprise.
"Tigress?" Viper and Shifu said.
"Fung?" The remaining Four gasped in shock that the reptile hadn't been put in his grave yet.
The panda, on the other hand, wasn't pleased. "What!" he bellowed, "That little–"
"HYAH!" The fierce tiger abruptly charged onto the scene and leaped into the air, aiming a swift kick in the panda's direction. Though mostly caught off guard, the panda was prepared enough as he ducked the kick. Fast, but a little too slow for my caliber, the black and white warrior thought as the feline swooped past him and came to a sliding halt on fours. She positioned upward and immediately got into a fighting stance. "Get away from them," she said threateningly to the panda, her eyes narrowing into slits, "Or you'll see just how deadly my wrath can be." She had almost forgotten that Fung had followed her and just made his presence known right then, much to the surprise of some others, like Crane, Monkey, and Mantis. Of course, the first thing the males were to notice was the scratches on the crocodile's muzzle and neck, with no need to guess how they happened.
"I thought she would've killed him," Mantis remarked.
"Might've come close," Monkey added uneasily.
"Tigress, you're okay," Viper said eagerly, focused on the feline.
"And in the wrong place," Po commented sharply with a scowl, "I don't recall telling you you're allowed to leave your room."
"And I don't recall telling you I follow your orders," Tigress shot back, baring her fangs.
Feisty much, the panda thought. "This past date rice cake here is your boss, right?" he sneered, referring to Shifu. "How thought-provoking."
"You watch your mouth, panda," the feline hissed, but the bear let out a chuckle.
"You guys are one close-knit group, aren't ya?" he asked mockfully, turning his attention to Shifu and the Four. "Must be nice to have six against one and still lose." Then he turned back to Tigress with a smirk. "Am I right, kitten?" The feline snarled at him.
"This guy really knows how to get under people's skin," Monkey said.
"Let Shifu and the rest go now," Tigress demanded. But the panda just shrugged.
"I'd like to see you make me, tiger," he retorted, putting his hands on his waist.
"Tigress, don't!" Viper cried.
"This can't end well," Crane said anxiously.
"Oh no," Fung muttered, hiding his eyes in his paws, "What have I done?"
Tigress was ready to pounce forward when Shifu called out, "Tigress, stand down. You don't have to fight him."
"Master, I won't let him have his way," the feline growled.
"Remember what I always told you about allowing your anger to guide you," the red panda insisted.
"I have to stop him," Tigress persisted.
"Tigress, I'm afraid I have to say this, but it's no use," Shifu said with a sigh. Tigress almost couldn't believe he was saying this. The rest of the Five, as well as Gahri, probably guessed he was still going with the "plan." Fung supposed they, with the exception of Tigress, had given up altogether.
"Master, we–"
"He's too strong, Tigress. He could be more capable than we know of," the elderly master continued hopelessly, "Even I couldn't fight him off." Shifu had to hope that keeping up with the plan would eventually work, though it didn't make feel the slightest bit of ease having to put on the act in front of Tigress. For so long, the Grandmaster portrayed the image of a hardcore and persevering warrior as being the model figure in combat and the way he was presenting as handling the current situation would be a hard pill to swallow for the feline, especially in regards to certain teachings she had been following since she was a cub. When, or if, he got the chance, however, he would explain it all to her later.
"I would listen to the guy if I were you, fangs," Po taunted, then looking back at the red panda with some gratitude, "Kudos to you, old man. That's the smartest thing I've heard come out of your mouth. In fact, that type of talk kind of makes me wanna consider taking ya on your offer." Shifu kept his expression neutral in order not to give the black and white warrior the idea he spoke too soon. But, the elderly master's luck might've just been short-lived as the panda's look turned serious all of a sudden. "On second thought–"
"Tigress, Master Shifu is right. We won't be able to stop him," Viper said warmly, "We have no other choice but to surrender."
"Viper, that's ridiculous," the feline heroine said flatly. First the Grandmaster, whom she considered the closest thing to a father she ever had, now the person who served as a sister figure to her for more than a decade. If the two were doing this as some sort of joke, then she didn't find it funny. "You're not being serious."
"Tigress, for your good. Stand down," the snake said.
"Crane, Monkey, Mantis?" Tigress desperately looked to the male members of the Five. Monkey and Mantis exchanged dark looks. Crane just looked down sadly.
"Sorry, my friend," Monkey apologized weakly.
"Please don't kill me," Mantis said quickly and nervously, "If I ever get my life back, I want to settle down. Have a wife and kids. Hopefully she values me enough to not wanna eat my head."
"I'm with them on this one," Crane added pitifully, "Unfortunately."
There, it had been confirmed. Tigress was pretty much alone, besides having Fung who, as she would've expected, was proving to be no sort of help at all right now. "Hey," the tiger shouted at the crocodile, "Are you just gonna stand there and do nothing?" Fung couldn't find anything to respond other than a low "uh" and swallowed hard. The black and white warrior chuckled like he couldn't have been blessed with better entertainment.
"You guys are great," he said with dark pleasure, "This is the best show ever." Shifu sighed and nodded. Viper "facepalmed" with her tail. Crane didn't look up from the ground. Monkey and Mantis found themselves trying to laugh along with the panda (in poor attempt to lighten their moods.) Gahri and Fung were tapping their claws very anxiously and muttering so low that hardly anybody could make out what they were saying. Tigress kept eyes on the panda, not willing to back down despite what her comrades had to tell her. She had and was going to fight no matter what.
"I'm giving you one last chance, panda," the feline master snarled, "Let–them–go. Now!"
The Dragon Warrior stopped laughing and shot the tiger a grim look. "Oh, so you're just gonna ignore what your pals here told you?" he questioned, "What they said is too much for ya to let down the whole tough kitty act, eh? A pity."
"I could care less what you have to say, panda," Tigress growled, "What matters is that you're about to be sorry for it."
"Oh brother," a few voices murmured fearfully around the space.
"Master, can we stop her? She's going to get herself hurt," Viper asked Shifu, who now looked worried, as whatever happened in the next few minutes most likely involved his daughter's downfall. Honestly, he wasn't certain he could answer yes to Viper's question. He just wished his daughter wasn't so stubborn.
"I'm afraid not," the red panda answered sadly.
"Master, there has to be something we can do to get her to listen," Viper pleaded, then shouting to the tiger, "Tigress, please don't. It's not worth it." But the feline wasn't listening, instead focused on the panda in front of her. The Dragon Warrior was smiling like a maniac.
"Aw, come on now, kitten," he sneered, "I know you're not exactly the type to listen to what's for your own good, but your snake friend makes perfect sense. Do you really want to fight me, tiger? Over your pals?"
"Haven't I made that clear?" Tigress snarled.
"But you don't need to fight him for us, Tigress," Crane spoke up, "Things have been violent enough." He's found more of his voice, Mantis and Monkey both thought with a hint of surprise.
"Now you got the bird trying to tell you something," the panda snorted, "Wonder how much more that's gonna take."
"Tigress, you have to listen to Viper and Master Shifu," Crane continued, "It won't do any good putting up a fight."
"You guys can't be serious!" the feline warrior yelped, throwing her arms up in rage, "You're just giving up like that! That means I have to as well!"
"Uh oh," Po said with a nasty grin. For him, it was quite a pleasure watching the tiger have an outburst.
"Shifu, I am never to back down from a fight. That is not how you trained me," Tigress said frustratedly, then speaking to the Four, "Did you guys forget we're warriors? The villagers are in danger because of this. They need us."
"Yeah, and how are we supposed to stop this guy?" Mantis questioned irritatedly, referring to the black and white warrior. "By getting our butts kicked again? That might not sound so bad to you, but the rest of us, well, we're not doing it again. Sorry not sorry."
"I agree with him," Monkey said softly.
"Tigress, the rest of the Five nor I disagree with your reasoning," Shifu said, "But…my senses tell me that this won't end in our favor. And trust me, my senses are never wrong." Some others, the panda included, found themselves baffled at him mentioning this.
"About ninety-nine percent," Mantis muttered to himself, "...And where's this going?"
"In this scenario," Shifu continued calmly, "We are to accept what follows no matter for the best or worst." The feline master froze upon hearing this.
"What?" she cried, "N-n-no. That can't be…"
"It is," the Grandmaster said softly, "Thus, we must not resist it any longer."
"Resist? Are we the law now?" Fung questioned out of nowhere.
"How ironic you are asking that," Monkey said derisively.
"Hey–"
"Not now, you guys," Viper hissed.
"Well, he isn't wrong about that," Po chimed in, then humming and looking at Shifu.
"Your senses? What do you mean by that?" he asked in a sort of mockingly fashion, "Is that like a being about to tell what's gonna happen and not thing? I've heard of that before."
"Well, that's kind of the case," Monkey answered with an uneasy giggle, "It's pretty helpful for deciding to do things, like go on missions and other stuff." The panda looked skeptical, but a little interested at the same time.
"And I'm guessing you guys have some strange physic-like ability as well?" He turned his attention to the Four.
"Nah, that's just him," Mantis answered.
"Sure wish we did at times," Monkey added dryly, "Things wouldn't be as…unexpected."
"It's allowed us to prepare for some rather unfortunate events beforehand," Crane remarked unenthusiastically, "Much to us having to take on more than we could handle sometimes."
"But we are grateful Shifu is able to provide us insight," Viper commented.
"Hello, you guys are really letting him know that? Why?" Tigress interjected heatedly.
"Hey, Shifu's the one that brought it up," Mantis deflected, "And it's not like–"
"It's not typical for me to discuss my senses openly, pan–Master Po," Shifu said, "But if you request, I will share more details." Listening to this, Tigress started to believe the Grandmaster was a little scared of the panda as he would never so submissively discuss something like that in-depth with anyone–well, anyone but Oogway when he was alive. She couldn't even recall Shifu having a conversation with her about the matter; what made this panda any different?
The fact he could get the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace to open up about a topic he was rather secretive about.
"Really?" the bear said, eying the red panda with curiosity, "So how do you do it? How does this…psychic thingy work?" Shifu wouldn't answer for a bit but eventually nodded. This was a subject he kept mostly mum about, or at least he didn't talk about it thoroughly with anyone, including his students. At one point, he would be discussing it with Oogway, but the old turture wasn't here anymore. Come to think about, if he was, the current situation wouldn't be a reality.
"It might be a little complicated to explain, but it involves the working of spiritual elements," he said politely, "I probably won't be able to tell exactly what will happen in regards to future events, but I'll get a general idea."
The panda rubbed his fat chin. He couldn't trust the old man, but didn't get the feeling he was lying about these mentions either. "I'll have to see this for myself," he said plainly, "Since I'm interested enough, you'll show me how this psychic thing works. I'll give you a chance to prove your word on the offer as well, old man. But that's it. Am I clear?"
"You can count on that, Master Po," Shifu responded with a bow.
"Master," Tigress called out. She was feeling more unsettled with every word that was exchanged. How could Shifu be buckling under the panda like this?
"And mind you, no funny business or else," the panda made his voice cold, sticking his fat face inches away from the red panda's, "You can kiss ever seeing the outside of those dungeon walls again goodbye for good." In a regular time, Po would've been bouncing like a children's playing ball down the Thousand Steps if he dared to speak to the Grandmaster in that manner, not that he would. Currently, he was being forced to hold his tongue as the universe just suddenly flipped the script and made the black and white warrior the one telling him what to do. At least now he knew what it felt like when he used harsh tones with his students throughout the years.
"Master," Tigress repeated with gritted teeth. She certainly wasn't happy with the way the elderly master was being talked to. She was never more ready than to charge at the Dragon Warrior right then. But she couldn't for some reason. Why?
"That goes for your students also. No questions either," Po continued. None of the Four would've bothered asking anyway.
"We respect your decision," Shifu concluded, nodding to his students to bow. With hesitation, they did. Admittedly, the panda found some satisfaction with this, though he wouldn't display it.
"That's more like it," he said seriously, then glancing at Tigress, "If only you could get your friend over there on the same page." At that remark, the feline released a wild growl.
"That's it!" she snapped, unleashing her claws savagely, causing Shifu, the Four, Fung, and Gahri to gasp in horror. The panda, on the other hand, wasn't at all intimidated; he just let out an evil chuckle and clapped his hands like a child. He knew it would come to this.
"How predictable of you," he taunted, "Well, I get to have a little more fun before the day out." He stood across from Tigress and got into fighting stance with a stupid smile on his face, in hopes it would drive the tiger wild. He made a gesture with his paws signaling her to "bring it", and as if on cue, the striped warrior charged forward with a loud roar.
"Oh no!" Shifu shouted as he watched the feline leap into the air and aim a kick down at the panda. Just like last time, he was able to duck out of the way quickly, just inches from her as she landed.
"Seriously? You managed to miss again?" Po teased, "Tragic." He spun around and launched a kick at her side, knocking her over on her back. Then the panda attempted a palm strike to her chest, but she dodged away. "You aren't that slow to say the least," the panda commented as he ducked before the tiger could swing a punch at his head. He used this distraction to swiftly shoot a hard blow into her stomach. Instantly feeling the powerful force in her gut, Tigress drew backward and clutched at the area the black and white warrior hit. That arguably had the force equivalent to being hit in the head by a spiked club.
"Son of a–Ugh!" The tiger was struck with another hard blow, this time straight to the face. And within seconds, the pain erupted in her head. The panda got her good with that one. And he would show her no mercy by sending a clean kick into her chest. She flew back against the wall, much to the alarm of Shifu and the others.
"Master Shifu, we have to do something!" Viper exclaimed; the red panda had the same sentiment. I told her she wouldn't win this fight…
The tiger weakly stood up, clutching at her chest. She didn't have time to think as the Dragon Warrior rushed towards and aimed another punch for her face. She barely managed to move out the way as the panda's fist crashed into the area near her head. He then spun around and threw a kick towards her legs. The tiger found the energy to backflip off as Po continued to aim shots. She would've been able to use her dodging reflexes for a time, but not too long. The bear was moving fast, seemingly almost to the capability of Shifu's; the red panda even noticed it.
"You getting tired already, whiskers?" Po joked, "Funny, I didn't think you'd run out of stamina too soon. Hyah!" He drew his palm forward, directing it at her chest. Tigress blocked it with her own.
"Tired? How would you guess that? Hyah!" she growled, sending a high kick at Po's head. She then drew her claws for his chest, but the panda huffed and grabbed her arms before she could make contact.
Wham!
The panda slammed his forehead into the feline's. Several members of the Four as well as Gahri and Fung yelped out a "ouch" as Tigress landed on her back. While she was down, Po took the opportunity and launched a kick at her face. Tigress quickly rolled away and leaped on fours, producing a low snarl as she eyed the panda viciously. The panda could only snicker at her.
"Tssssk, what are you looking at?" he asked mockfully before imitating an angry face, "I'm sorry I'm kicking your butt while being awesome at it."
"Why you!" the feline shouted, dashing towards the bear. He returned the favor while vocalizing a scoffing roar.
"Tiger angry!" the panda cried as the feline attempted a kick at his stomach, which he avoided. "Oh no, not my belly. That's an important body part."
"You've been eating a lot I'm guessing?" Tigress said bitterly, throwing another kick.
"Come to think about it," Po answered matter-of-factly, "I did have a little snack a few hours earlier. I still don't think it's fully digested yet." He moved his leg to swipe the tiger's, causing her to flip on her front side. "But anyhow I'm still capable of beating you. Hyah!" He slammed a foot into the tiger's jaw, sending her into a pole.
"Ugh, I can't watch," Mantis whimpered, shielding his eyes.
"Uh, are we gonna stop her or what?" Monkey questioned worriedly, "Obviously we know who's winning this."
"Master Shifu, this has gone on long enough. We have to stop her before this goes too far!" Viper cried. But how would they?
It must've been a small trace of luck that touched down on Shifu's head when he lowered it and suddenly remembered him and the Four were bound with chains (as if he somehow forgot they were there.) They weren't an obstacle, though, if a certain person had been smart enough to keep the key on them. "Gahri, you need to let us out of these chains," the red panda instructed. The crocodile hesitated.
"But–"
"Just do it!"
The tiger was just seconds away from receiving a strike to the chest when she leaped over the panda and forwarded a kick to his back. He ducked, crouching forward and missing the kick over his head. With that, he drew a leg back and swept her off her feet. The tiger wondered how he was able to do that with his back completely turned.
"Oh, poor kitty," Po said, nodding his head in mock pity and turning to her, "You couldn't just stand down when you should've. Wah!" He moved towards and pressed a foot on her chest before she could move away.
"Gah!" the feline bellowed, struggling to get up. The panda laughed evilly.
"Even your pals were smarter than that," he said, pushing his foot further down. The tiger whimpered. "You gotta admit though. We're having a lot of fun with this. I certainly know I am." Tigress continued to struggle as the load onto her chest became more pressuring. Even with this, she would continue to fight. No matter what, there had to be a way to defeat this panda. The Dragon Warrior having the time of his life "playing around" with this feline. She just wouldn't give up, would she? "And you're still not finished? Man, you are a tough–"
"Stop!" an old voice shouted, catching the panda by surprise. He looked to see Shifu and the Four free of chains and in fighting stance, as well as Gahri and Fung standing around nervously with their hands behind their backs–notably trying to hide the chains. It was a scene he had anticipated from the start.
"What's this?" the panda questioned in a deceptively calm voice, "The rest of you finally decided to rise up and fight me."
"Well, not exactly," Crane said uneasily, "We–"
"This is not your fight, Master Po," Shifu interjected, "It's hers." The panda was confused while the tiger was taken aback.
"What?" Tigress exclaimed in disbelief. Her own family was going after her, for what? First, it was giving up on stopping the panda and actually siding with him, now this. What in the entire universe possessed them to have this energy?
Po folded his arms in amusement. "A family brawl, eh?" he said with a chuckle, "You guys just can't stop giving me entertainment, can you?"
"You're sick in the head, you know–" Wack! Mantis was knocked away into a pole by Viper's tail.
"Master Po, you want this fight to end? Let us deal with Tigress," the snake said, giving the tiger a threatening look.
"Viper, are you really doing this?" the feline yelled. Honestly, that was the last person in the world she expected to turn against her.
"I'm afraid so, sister," the snake responded tonelessly.
"That speaks for us all," Shifu affirmed, "We warned you. Master Po, if you will…" The panda smiled and gave the tiger a nasty look. Believe it or not, a very small part of him might've felt a tinge of sympathy; but he was having too much fun to not see how a fight could play out with Shifu and the Four against Tigress.
"Their call," he said to the feline master, "Let's see if you can pull your weight against your pals–altogether." He laughed and took his foot off the feline's chest. Tigress took a rough breath and sat up weakly, rubbing her head. Pain was ringing all throughout her upper body. On top of that, now she not only had to deal with the panda, but also with the people who were supposed to be on the same side as her. And as upset as she was with these people at the moment, she had absolutely no desire to fight them. Of course, this was way different from past times when certain individuals, namely Po, Monkey, and Mantis, would test her patience and, unfortunately, things ended up getting a bit physical.
"You guys can take it from here," Po said crookedly before whispering to Tigress, "Have fun." The tiger snarled and leaped up after him as he was backing away.
She was ready to lay paws on the panda when an elastic substance attached to her, quickly and tightly wrapping around her upper body, then casting around her arm. Viper seized Tigress's wrist with her tail, yanking her fist towards her face. One strike was made, then another…
The Dragon Warrior watched eagerly as the snake forced the tiger to punch herself in the face multiple times. "They're off to a good start, aren't they?" he said to Fung and Gahri, who wanted to cover their eyes badly. They were used to seeing the Five fight against criminals, like themselves, instead of each other.
Tigress used her free arm to try and grab Viper, but the snake was too fast as she slithered from around her upper body and down to her legs. Viper wrapped around a leg and yanked backward, causing the feline to land on her back.
"You pesky snake!" the furious heroine growled menacingly, reaching for the reptile as she slithered across her body. Before she could stand up, she was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown away in various directions, by usage of the famous fighting style Mantis used when facing foes. At one point, Tigress found herself on her stomach, then with her back against the wall, then on her side, then being spun around by a leg, then on her head…The panda thought this really impressive given that he couldn't see how she was being moved at all.
The tiger quickly picked herself on fours. In a flash, a green blur zoomed past her. She didn't have time to look back when she was caught by the tail and tossed against a pole with her front side taking the hit.
"That's just a little payback for all the times you stepped on me," a voice behind her said, "And I could've thrown you a little harder than that."
Tigress released a growl in response. Apparently, the insect didn't have enough sense to know doing something like this would only invoke more physical violence from the tiger. She whirled around to shoot him a frightening look. That didn't seem to intimidate the bug at all though as he dashed forward and leaped into the air. Tigress couldn't see it, but before she could guess, Mantis was hovering above her head ready to grab her by the ear. The tiger tried to reach for him, but he took her ear and hoisted her in the air, then slamming her into the pole.
The panda chuckled madly as he watched the bug let the feline have it. After a final slam, Mantis took Tigress, spun her around for a moment, and tossed her back into the open space of the Hall. Soon as she got up, something with very little force hit her in the back. She looked around and noticed it was a scroll. In a matter of seconds, another was thrown her way, then another…
Crane unsheathed the scrolls from the library collection two by two, swiftly directing them at Tigress using his mighty wing power. The feline dodged and used her powerhouse kicks to deflect them. Scrolls went in every direction, one even hit Mantis as he was lunging towards Tigress. The tiger herself got hit a few times as Crane's super speedy level of discharge outpaced her reflexes. Never knew a bird could be so quick, the black and white warrior thought in slight astonishment, as well as feeling a bit of secondhand embarrassment for the feline master. From an angle, it looked like she was struggling not to fall. The scrolls were starting to accumulate where she was standing.
"Well, somebody's gonna have to clean all that later," the panda remarked with a smug grin, glancing at Fung and Gahri, "Might as I say, very nice work, bird."
"Uh…thanks…I guess," Crane responded with uncertainty as he continued throwing scrolls at Tigress, who was now having a hard time keeping on her feet. She let out a snarl, kicking and punching the scrolls out of the way as more and more came at her. All it took was a single scroll rolling near when she stepped on it.
And, just as expected, she ended up on her bottom with a hard thump.
At the sound of that, the panda mocked a wince. "Oooh!" Much to bear's childishness, however, Tigress had been too focused in battle to pay him any attention. He knew this, but it was still fun imagining how the striped warrior must've felt right now.
With a groan, she picked herself up and clutched at her sore bottom. The avian would definitely be paying for that later on.
"Waaah!" the familiar voice of a simian cried out. And it was Monkey's turn to attack her.
"Don't–you–dare!" Tigress growled out at him. But the simian charged forward with his bo staff, swinging it at her. She leaped out of the way before it could make contact with her head. With his back turned, Tigress took the opportunity to launch a kick. However, the simian spun around quick enough to aim a strike at her before the kick landed. The staff struck her side, sending her skidding some inches away from a wall. The simian twirled his staff around for a few moments, then rushing towards the feline. Tigress returned the favor, dashing on fours.
At this point, she had enough. It didn't matter if these people were her family. Now she was out for blood.
"Double Palm Strike!" she shouted, positioning her paws together facing toward the simian. Monkey gasped immediately after those fews words and stopped in his tracks. Po found himself puzzled as the two crocodiles next to him froze with dread.
The other members of the Five were startled as well.
"D-did she just say what I think I heard?" Monkey asked shakily. With a menacing roar, the tiger lunged at him ready to strike.
"Yah!"
"Monkey, look out!" Viper exclaimed. She quickly slithered up to the Monkey, attaching herself around his waist, and yanked him out of the path of the mad feline just a second before she could reach him.
"Grrrr!"
"Tigress, are you crazy!" Viper shouted in combined shock and fury, "You seriously could've hurt Monkey."
"Yeah, I thought we're supposed to be teammates, friends," Monkey added angrily, just as alarmed as Viper.
They're talking about that while attacking me, Tigress thought lividly. When she started attacking back, they had to mention being "friends." Pathetic.
"I thought that as well at first," she fumed, "Until you guys decided to side with evil. You turned against me, yourselves, and the Valley of Peace. And you think I'm supposed to go easy on you because of that?"
"Tigress, we're doing what we have to do," Viper said, slithering closer to her sister and nodding in shame. "I get it you wouldn't understand but–"
"What we have to do? The villagers are at great risk!" the feline thundered, "We're supposed to be preventing that!"
"Then how do you suppose we–"
"Shut it, bug! That shouldn't be the question! We fight for what's right! For the sake of the innocents. Simple as that!" Tigress roared so loud her voice echoed through the doors. Po sniggered.
This tiger gets so mad.
Most of the Five were in shock. They had seen Tigress get super emotional before, but not to this extent. Her anger radar had reached a new level. One could probably say all that pent-up frustration from throughout the years had finally come out for good. It took a few moments for the feline to calm down, barely, but she said, "Tell me, what good would it be giving up?"
"Tigress, we know you're concerned but…" Shifu spoke up, making himself shown a few feet away from her, "The fate of the villagers is not in our hands with this one. I'm sorry."
"No!" Tigress hissed at him, clenching her fists, "That is not true." The red panda didn't budge.
"I'm afraid it is," he said calmly with his hands behind his back, "And like I said, we are not to resist it." The feline growled.
"You've all been fooled," she protested.
"Okay, can you guys get back to fighting now? I been got bored with the talking thing," Po said blankly.
"Tigress, you have to trust me on this. I demand you to stand down at once, "Shifu stated. The tiger didn't respond. He would never convince her. Never. "My senses told–"
"I don't care what your senses told you! I will not!" Tigress spat. A strict silence fell upon the area. Most of the Five were stunned while Viper was on the verge of tears. The black and white himself was a bit surprised. Fung and Gahri fainted. Shifu's expression didn't change at all though. He expected both the response and how it would be responded. He knew the striped warrior didn't care how she was talking to him right now and there was no need in condemning her for it. However, would he allow her to go against his demand? Absolutely not.
"Very well then," he said emotionlessly. Then, his eyes narrowed and he got into his fighting stance. "Then we'll make you stand down." Tigress shot slits right back at the old master and positioned for battle. Viper, Crane, Mantis, and Monkey all gathered around the red panda ready for further action. Po watched with the most ignorant smile on his face.
"Sweet. Now I know this is definitely about to be good," he said excitedly, clapping his hands. "And this time, finish her." Tigress looked at the five warriors in front her with pure disgust in her eyes. Regardless if she would win this or not, her pride could remind her she didn't go down without a fight.
"Do your worst," she growled, cracking her neck. At that, the red panda let out a low snarl.
"Students, get her!" he ordered, charging forward. The Four rushed after him.
Tigress got on fours and charged at her "former" teammates.
I do not own Kung Fu Panda. All rights reserved to Dreamworks Animations.
