I don't own KFP.
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Part i
Tigress washed as if to expiate. Her head deep in the basin, she whipped it out after keeping it there for some time. Beads of water lashed outwards, breaking free from the grips of her fur.
She faced the mirror. Useless. It was opaque from her heavy breath. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the towel. Keep them steady. She rubbed the cloth on her face, until the clumsy bout made her fur lose pattern.
Meeting the four other masters had only happened a few days ago, and yet, Shifu had already given them a mission. A day ago, troubling tidings had been sent unto them: bandits from Dequan city had been spotted exporting contraband of pillaged naval weapons. According to the messenger, they'd take long intermissions before coming out to export again. Few days from now, supposedly, they would leave berth. They were to meet a rabbit waitress in Du Wa Fighting Den.
Tigress knew it was too early to postulate on the coming events, but it was naive to be headstrong and think all things would go right. She was an overseer for amateurs. And Shifu expected her to successfully bring down a band of thugs? Was he trying to spite her?
She bit her lip, gripping the rims of the basin until the material under her fingers started to bend, contemning herself for doubting Shifu. This must be another one of his lessons.
It was only pre day, but Monkey and Mantis were eager for the mission. The five entered the training hall, careful to stay on the on the solid platforms and at wide berth from the danger zone.
"Does anyone besides Monkey use any weapons?" Tigress asked, ushering them to stand in front the rack of equipment.
Crane frisked in place. "I use a staff." he answered.
"You?" Tigress looked at his wings devoid of fingers. "Sure..." Regardless, she took the one closest and hurled it to him. "Anyone else?"
"Maybe Viper would want a bow and arrow." Mantis said.
Viper drooped her neck. "But- but I can't do that."
"That's the point. It was a joke." Mantis laughed. Joining in the din, Monkey chuckled as well.
"Maybe you should use that huge hammer over there, Mantis." Crane retorted, stepping closer to Viper.
Tigress, deliberately trying to ignore a trivial talk, took out a blade from the large tub of weaponry, aroused by the glint. Flipping the knife, she took notice of the glimmer, which seemed to illuminate on its own. Her reflection, though enshrouded slightly by a dull film that coated the blade, was nearly as vibrant as looking at a mirror. Simple and yet panache, she wanted it among her very few possessions. Digging again in the barrel, she fished out its wooden scabbard.
"A knife?" Viper asked. "I thought warriors aren't supposed to try to wound a person?"
Tigress slid the dagger into the groove of the scabbard. "No. No. I'm not planning to stab anyone with this." she said, chuckling.
Soon, the sun was at the pinnacle of its course. This was the cue for the five to run inside their lodgings and start packing.
Tigress guessed that the five would be independent at that, but even the simplest process must be aligned by instruction.
Mantis had too many needles in his bag. Viper was taking her sweet time at packing; Crane was frantically looking for something.
"What is it?" Tigress asked, poking her head in his bedroom.
"My hat! My straw hat! I can't find it." He lifts his cabinet like it was a pillow.
Strong wings, she thought, before leaving him alone.
Tigress paced the hallways. Time passed. Their leeway would lapse. Soon, Shifu would check up on them, and the inevitable horror of him reacting to their tardiness was getting more palpable by every passing second.
During her inspection she finally noticed how Monkey, for some reason, has been going to and from the outbuildings – from lodgings to larder. Tigress barged into his room and rummaged rudely inside his backpack. What she found were several gigantic jars of almond cookies hidden behind clothing.
"What do you need all this stuff for?" she yelled, trying to sibilate; but her voice came of husk and sweet.
Monkey scoffed. "There is great power in pastries."
"You mean the power to ruin your health." Tigress said, taking out the jars from his pack and dropping them on him. "Please put all of them back Monkey. If Master Shifu sees what you're doing, he's physically going to bend you backwards."
It has not even been multiple days, and Tigress knew she no longer withheld a single ounce of her bossiness. Doing all things right had been the integral part of her morale. If it took bossiness and coercing to get her comrades to follow the same path, then so be it.
"Fine." Monkey mumbled, carrying all three jars and waddling back to the kitchen. Tigress rubbed her shoulder, watching him from behind as his tail flopped. Then again, she feared that ordering them around elicited no good appraisal of herself. She wanted friends, not servants.
"You can bring one jar though." Tigress said before Monkey rounded the corner. "Just one."
Turning around, Monkey yelled, "Sweet!"
Being punctual seemed something nigh unachievable. The five waited by the entrance.
Sunlight angled perfectly into the apertures of the rooms that faced west. The backs of Tigress, Crane, and Monkey borne the brunt of afternoon sunlight heat; the rays of sun were like needles pricking their skin.
Crane had given Tigress a side-long glance. My goodness. Look at her! he thought. Not a single contraction of muscle or a flicker in her eyelids. Her tenacity... Staying still, his back bathing in what felt like melted wax, took toil. And it was only through looking at her, and comparing himself, did he continue unmoving.
Even Mei Ling would envy her discipline.
Finally, there was an uneven patter coming from building's entrance, it was faint but at least it was coming. His eyes zipped to the front of the hall, just waiting until Shifu appears. Crane blinked. The moment he opened his eyes, there – instantaneously apparating – was Shifu.
"Students," he started quickly. "I know this is your first mission. I know you aren't prepared." Shifu glanced at Tigress. "But I have seen your skills when you went against Boar. They are sufficient. And I'm sure you can take down this syndicate."
"However, there is another reason why I sent you on this mission. You are a newly formed group. So, I'll be frank: you are not famous. Before you take down the syndicate, I want you to learn about them. Are there any more groups that are related? Who is the leader? Infiltrate before you execute, do you understand?"
In loose synchrony, they said, "Yes master Shifu!"
He nodded. "And I must forewarn: the village you are going to is festering with lowlifes. Politicians there aren't very great either. Don't trust leaders. Don't trust guards. Don't trust anyone but yourselves. Take care. You hear?"
"Yes Master!"
He turned. "Then you are dismissed. Leave immediately."
Master Shifu watched the backs of his students as they went down the steps. The more they dwindled, the harder it was for him to let them go. As if a lifeline, his grip on his staff tightened until needles of splintered wood pricked his hands.
"Do not worry Shifu." Oogway whispered.
Unflinching, he said, "How could I not. I'm only sending them to their deaths."
"No. Totally not—"
"How can you say that Master Oogway." he bursted. Looking at him, even in his glare was enough discourse to know Shifu was contesting. "They... they are a bunch of amateurs! They barely know a thing about Kung Fu. People's lives are on the line. Their life is on the line—"
"But you best believe." His voice, though soft, cut through his rant like a dagger. "Trust them Shifu. Trust Tigress. You have been training her for years but barely let her learn on her own."
Shifu grit his teeth. "But Master—"
"Mmm. They will be successful. You just have to wait."
They started as an eager caravan. The gamboled and skipped and talked senseless. But soon the dirt road turned to a rubble path, and the terrain fluctuated in gradient. Lacking topic, conversation turned dry and short. It had only been a few hours and life drained from the group.
Tigress was walking ahead – she had so from the very start – and looked above. Dark clouds blocked the sun, and through this, everything, from plants to mountains, was colored with only shades of gray. Darkness boded ominous things, and in this tenor of setting, Monkey's desperate music—a 'comical' dissonance between his voice and his stringed instrument—was paradoxically unsettling.
"Tigress!" Monkey yelled.
She looked back, anticipating, only to realize he was just mentioning her name in his song. Watching the rest of five—despite being tired—laugh and sing made her turn the other way. They took on this mission with the proviso that she would keep them alive. How could they be so nonchalant?
Fording several rivers kept them from swiftness. They haven't traveled long, and yet it was midnight. They stopped at the center of the fen, settling their camp upon a slab of rock – a perfect island from the wet mud and tributaries that blighted the place.
"F—fire! Finally!" Mantis yelled. He blew on the mound of grass, smoke escaping out the spaces. Soon, a bonfire towered high. In a broad and flat swathe, the light of amber, thriving only from the tip of wick, could be seen from miles away and could still be as bright as the morning sun.
Unnerved, Tigress poured her cup of water on the fire. It did not diminish, but it did weaken.
"Hey!" Shivering, Monkey scooted closer to the fire. "What was that for?"
"Let's try to not be seen you guys." Tigress said, flopping to the ground.
After much silence, Viper spoke. "So... what's the plan?"
They looked at Tigress.
"The plan..." She scratched the back of her head. "I haven't really made a plan."
"Are we supposed to be undercover or something? Because Shifu said we have to get information and all that other good stuff." Crane said, finishing with incoherence.
She nodded, taking a sip. "Monkey, weren't you a criminal?"
"I wouldn't say criminal..." he laughed. "Just someone who annoyed villagers and broke the law."
For a minute, Tigress was dumbfounded. She shook her head. "But you know how to act like one. Right?"
"Oh yes. I've mastered criminal slang and business since the start of the universe." Monkey cracked his knuckles, his smile slap-able for Tigress.
"Ooh!" Viper squealed. "I want to act like a criminal too."
"Me three." Crane laughed.
"But honey, you look nothing like a criminal." the snake observed.
"I'm already loving this. I mean, on our first mission we get to be spies." Mantis added.
Monkey pointed at him. "You're right! This is totally better than me being a comedian. Speaking of which, you've all heard my joke right—?"
"Yes!" They all answered immediately.
-
A/N
I owe big thanks to The Dragon Chronicle for helping me out on this chapter, and also to The Grey Coincidence for the story title. Special thanks to my friends in discord for helping me out on a lot of this shit. I couldn't have done it without them.
LoA is also not canon in this fic. Meaning that the furious five is the first of its kind.
I'm eager to learn, and I'm constantly trying to be a better writer. That includes removing purple prose (which is hella abundant in this chapter). So please! Leave a review. I am open to criticism.
