Breakfast proceeded in a rather unusual silence for everyone. No one spoke. But then again, no one wanted to speak. An absence of humour or good spirits was odd when food was served in the Palace as it was usually a time to unwind for the Five, Po and even Shifu when he could join them. Not this time. Instead the mood was depressed at best. They ate in silence, they cleaned up after themselves in silence and they made their way over to the training area, once again in silence. Even Shifu did everything without speaking a word, as he knew his students needed a bit of time to mull over what Hunter had said to them and that they all needed to do this in their own time.
However, upon opening the door to the Training Room they found Hunter already inside lifting makeshift weights he'd seemingly fashioned out of a sturdy ironwood pole and several stones tied to the end that were the same type Shifu had instructed Tigress to destroy in middair on Po's first day. And from what it looked like he was lifting a shocking amount of weight, which showed in his face as it burned bright red as he pulled his arms into a curl before extending them and repeating the action over and over while breathing deeply. They were shocked that his bandaged wound didn't seem to be causing him more issues before remembering what he said about pain and suffering and him being used to it...
He was currently facing away from them, but they didn't doubt he knew they were in the Training Room and watching him... The door to the room wasn't that quiet after all. "Should we come back later...?" Mantis mumbled to the others, who all looked tempted to answer positively and to go and do something else.
Shifu held out his staff and stopped them from from backtracking out. "No. You must face the consequences of what you have said and done. Kung Fu Masters do not run from their problems." He pointed out to his students, all of whom looked a little bit nervous at getting anywhere near Hunter right about now...
Even Tigress seemed a bit apprehensive at approaching the Training Area with what had happened earlier... Hunter then dropped his weights to the ground, making everyone aside from Tigress and Shifu jump a little. He proceeded to turn around to face them and approached the group. His face was completely blank once more, which unnerved them far more than him remaining outright pissed off... He then approached Tigress and bowed before her. "I apologise for snapping at you earlier back on the steps. You did nothing to deserve it and the fault rests on my shoulders." Hunter said to her, to the shock of everyone. Although they did notice that this apology was for what happened on the steps, not in the kitchen...
Tigress took a second to register what he had said to her, her eyes even shifting into surprise before she then nodded to him. "I also apologise for what I said in the kitchen. It is wrong to assume such things about a stranger." she simply said and quickly moved into the Training Area to begin her day. She had seemed like she wanted to say something else but pulled herself away before she could.
Viper was next and approached cautiously. "I know it might not seem like it, but that means a lot coming from Tigress." she told Hunter before bowing before him. "I am also sorry. I said some hurtful things about you without knowing of what I was speaking. I should know better as a Master of the Jade Palace." Viper apologised, feeling genuinely regretful that she made assumptions about someone she'd known for less than a day at this point.
Hunter raised his brow at that and took in a breath. "As long as me forgiving you also makes up for the unwarranted kiss that I still feel guilty about." he said to her, an ever so slight smirk tugging at his lips.
Viper chuckled a little at that. "Very well." She nodded in agreement with that condition.
Hunter nodded to her. "You're forgiven." Viper gave him a thankful smile at that and moved into the Training Area with Tigress to begin her day as well.
Mantis was next and stood before him. "I said something pretty terrible. I know I joke a lot and I make puns, but what I said wasn't cool at all. It was an assumption I made about a guy who I don't even know. Shitty thing for anyone to do, let alone me." he also bowed then.
Hunter was a bit less impressed with the rest of them from the looks of it, but he took a deep breath and put it behind him. "I understand. It's been a... Stressful few days." he nodded to Mantis.
Mantis however, shook his head. "No excuse for my hurtful comment. If you need anything just let me know and I'll do my best to help. Least I can do." he said to Hunter and also went to his daily training routine.
Crane was actually shaking a little bit at having to do this due to almost being impaled by a bloodied knife last time he'd tried speaking to Hunter, but was forcefully nudged forwards by Shifu. "I umm... I didn't mean... Well I did at the time, cause I didn't know..." he took a breath to collect himself before he rambled too much off topic. "I made some false accusations, and I shouldn't have. Not really a smart thing to do when none of us even know you that well." He apologised as best he could and hoped that Hunter could see he was being genuine.
Hunter's brow raised at Crane's words. "So if you ever do get to know me that well, it'll be fine to make such accusations?" he asked, folding his arms.
Crane's eyes widened at that. "N-no! No! I..."
Hunter then rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm only messing with you. Although to be fair, I didn't really do much to give that away." he admitted, and Crane felt like that was a bit of payback for his earlier comments about Hunter being a Hero and a thief... "You're forgiven."
Crane smiled a little at that and bowed to Hunter before dashing off to join the other 3. Next up was Monkey. "You know what I'm going to say. You're not stupid." he nodded to Hunter and bowed. "You deserved better than us poking fun at you like that behind your back. I thought I'd grown from harmful pranks and words like that, but it seems I still have a long way to go." Monkey admitted to both Hunter and himself.
Hunter was surprised by the introspective nature of these apologies. They really were truly apologising, realising it represented a fault in their character to correct. Hunter had plenty himself of course, such as the fact he could be a colossal prick, but he justified it by saying it maintained a distance between him and his 'clients' since he was there to find the Sword for them, even though they'd already retrieved it... Although he was trying not to think about that. "I understand. You're forgiven, Master Monkey."
Said Master then practically flew through the air towards the Seven-Talon Rings and began swinging from them. It was Po up last. "I umm... I screwed up." he winced at the apparent realisation of that fact. "I wanted to invite you to breakfast and it just ended up with you probably hating all of us. Yay me." Po's eyes were cast downwards at the wooden floor as he spoke the last part with obviously feigned enthusiasm. "I hope you know we're not usually like that. I'll respect your wishes to not come to breakfast, lunch or dinner in the future. Doesn't mean I won't still ask though!" He chuckled a little at the last past to shed some light on the situation, although he wasn't exactly joking either.
Hunter nodded to Po then. "Don't worry about it. I maybe should've rebuffed you a little less... Bitterly." he admitted to some fault in how the situation had ended up unfolding. "I thank you for your apology. You are forgiven." Hunter gave Po a nod to show he was truthful in his forgiveness.
Po smiled at that and eagerly ran over to the weights Hunter was using before they came in. He tried to lift said weights only to be barely able to even budge them. He then tried with both paws but still failed to move the weights any meaningful amount. Seeing Hunter and Shifu watching him try and fail, he smiled nervously and moved over to spar with the training dummy known as The Adversary instead... For some reason.
Hunter would have thought that thing was well beyond the Dragon Warrior's abilities. If he didn't know any better he'd say the look Po gave the thing made it seem like he had some kind of a rivalry with it... Shifu walked up to Hunter then and sighed. "I wasn't a part of the conversation, although I did little to stop it getting to the point it did. You have my most sincere apologies for that." he also offered his own apology with one paw behind his back and the other across his chest.
Hunter shrugged to Master Shifu at that. "Don't worry Master Shifu. It happens." He said, clearly eager to put the incident, and probably The Jade Palace, behind him now.
Shifu wanted to talk about what Hunter had said in there though, as it intrigued him in a moment where he truly showed emotion. "Forgive me for saying this but for someone of such... Humble beginnings, you have certainly made something of yourself." he said to Hunter, who grunted at what the old Master had said to him.
His eyes never left the Training Area as he spoke next. "What? Being nothing more than a Bounty Hunter? And not a great Kung Fu Master of The Jade Palace?" Hunter asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm although it didn't seem malicious in nature this time. "From where I started, I may as well be fucking royalty." he told Shifu, less of a boast it seemed and more a point of pride in himself and his progress. "Figuratively of course, I'd hate it if it turned out I was some distant relative of the Emperor or something." Hunter gave a small chuckle at that thought, although it also sent a shiver down his spine.
Shifu cocked a brow and looked at him. "Empress." He pointed out to Hunter, who clicked his weird appendages and pointed at Shifu in remembrance.
"Right, the daughter took the Throne. I forgot." he nodded in as he recounted that fact. He paid little attention to politics unless he was told to kill someone by someone who was involved in it. Or vice versa.
Shifu cast his eyes down then. "Are you sure I cannot convince you to stay?" he asked him while turning his gaze to peer up at Hunter inquisitively.
Instead of answering right away Hunter slightly narrowed his eyes at the Furious Five and Po, one or two of whom noticed his calculating look and became momentarily distracted, leading to a few mistakes being made on the various parts of the course. "No. If... If I do end up choosing to stay, then it will be because I found a suitable reason to do so." he said to Shifu. "Currently, I see no good argument to remain at the Palace." Hunter pointed out, and without another word on the matter walked back over to his makeshift weights. He proceeded to lift them onto his shoulders and began doing squats with the weights rested across his back mounted on his shoulders. He didn't seem to be counting either, he just kept going again and again.
While the Five worked on the Gauntlet together or separately for a time to practise their form and balance, Hunter instead performed various physical exercises with his weights at the side of the Gauntlet by himself. Even Po knew not to disturb anyone during training time, lest Master Shifu make him do 100 push ups again... Eventually Hunter moved on to doing sit ups while holding the weights close to his chest to provide some resistance as he successfully did one after the other in rapid succession. Eventually he switched and took the weights from the pole and instead tied them to his feet. First though, he climbed up and placed the ironwood pole far above the floor, in the rafters. When he'd tied the weights to his feet, he leapt at a wooden column and climbed up it in a way that made it clear he'd had plenty of practise doing this or at least something similar to it, since even with the extra weight he was moving with surprising speed. Soon enough he reached the pole lodged in the rafters above the Gauntlet and began doing pull ups on it with the weights still dragging his feet down as he did the exercise suspended in the air above the Training Area.
This training regime of his intrigued Master Shifu, who made a note of his methods to possibly include in the Five and Po's training in some way that would work for each of them. Po saw Shifu watching Hunter with a certain intent on his face and knew that he was already thinking of how to use this against them all in training, leading to him groaning at the mere thought of it. Shifu then began to think about next time asking Hunter to participate in training with the Five, but he didn't want to push him away from any of them more than he already had been and risk him deciding to leave before the week was up... Maybe sending him on more missions with the Five would increase their bond somewhat and convince Hunter of the benefits of staying...
One might wonder why Shifu was so adamant about having Hunter stay at the Palace. Of course there was the prophecy side of it, but deep down inside Shifu saw someone who was alone. Someone who had become so independent that he viewed closeness or intimacy with anyone as a form of weakness to be exploited by others. Even Tigress cared about the Five, even if she didn't outwardly express it all too often before Po came along. But Hunter? He had no one. On top of that, all anyone knew him by was a set of nicknames which Shifu couldn't help but think was somewhat intentional if not just a happy accident on Hunter's part. He remembered reading Oogway's personal notes on The Hunter the other night, on how he was an orphan and completely and utterly alone in China, even in regards to his very species. His old Master had taken it upon himself to try and guide Hunter to his own inner peace, but there was something blocking the process from even starting...
Oogway saw the great potential in him as Shifu himself had seen upon his first meeting with The Hunter and his old Master had even tried to get him to open up which according to the Turtle, Hunter did with him quite a bit when they met up. He had even noted how the legends surrounding Hunter did him no favours in his loneliness, and yet he tried to shroud himself in them nonetheless. An extra layer to keep people at the distance if Shifu had to guess. To stop anyone from wanting to get too close to him, although he was sure Hunter would say no one would even want to...
Shifu wasn't blind, he saw the similarities to Tigress in Hunter, at least in how she used to be. Oogway viewed the boy with a different eye than anyone else, looking past his intimidating appearance as Shifu had done with Tigress so many years ago. At first Shifu wondered why his old Master didn't invite Hunter to stay at the Jade Palace all that time ago, but his notes mentioned that same thing blocking his inner peace blocking him from accepting a place with them, and that he had indeed repeatedly offered. It was a shame that he declined and Shifu wondered what would have been different if he actually accepted. Had Tigress had someone else to be there for her when he wasn't... It could've helped both Hunter and her.
Oogway's thoughts on Hunter had influenced how Shifu saw him as well. Oogway had felt a sense of responsibility towards Hunter and Shifu also felt that sense of responsibility from just reading how the Grand Master had written about him. It was as if the very essence of his Master as he wrote the words reflected onto Shifu when he read them. In his inner peace, Shifu had learned how to read into others as Master Oogway once had, although he had some time yet before he reached his old Master's level of mastery of empathy. But even without that mastery, in Hunter's eyes Shifu could see a great pain, the same pain that he seemingly inflicted on himself constantly, the same pain he passionately berated the Five and Po with earlier in the kitchen. The same pain Shifu had in his own eyes when thinking about Tai Lung after his fall, the same pain in Tigress' eyes he could see from being denied a loving family as a cub. He was thankful that that pain had slightly faded since she'd opened a little.
Shifu worried about Hunter now that he didn't have Oogway to lean on for support. The world itself suffered with Oogway gone, but it especially stung those close to him, which also included Hunter. When taking on Oogway's responsibilities, Shifu also took on the job of caring for all in the Jade Palace. Po might have been Grand Master now, but he was still settling into the role and making sure to learn all he could from Shifu about his new position, which is why they both took on training duties on different days. Shifu on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Po the rest of the week, which then alternated the opposite way the next week and so on, until the weekend of course when everyone was free to pursue their own interests and hobbies, which were all encouraged to be productive in some way.
Crane had his calligraphy and painting to perfect his precision, Mantis had acupuncture which had the same objective as Crane's own hobby, Viper her ribbon dancing which helped with her already incredible flexibility and manoeuvrability, Po had his cooking that helped his organisation and grace, Monkey had pranking which was productive to teach him how to be sneaky and stealthy. Tigress? She had... Training. Usually even on days off she was in the Training Hall, only breaking for her three meals and bed with the occasional day of rest on Sunday. Po had started inviting her to hang out with him on weekends to try and get her out of the Training Hall, although it didn't always work she had certainly seen an improvement in not spending so much time in there alone.
Meanwhile, Shifu had his Scrolls which he spent more time with now that Po took on training some days, learning Master Oogway's secrets and teachings to better his spiritual side to try and be more like the old Master once was, completely in tune with both the physical realm and the Spirit World so he could provide guidance for his students. But Kung Fu was created to help those in need, and Shifu could tell Hunter was very much in need. Even if he himself would deny it vehemently. He may have been damaged but he was far from broken. Master Shifu knew that the Jade Palace could provide Hunter with what he needed, and Hunter himself could become a true protector of all that is good in the Valley of Peace. If only Shifu could see what he did now in Hunter in Po back when he had first been chosen as The Dragon Warrior...
Realising how much time had gone by while lost in his thoughts, Shifu cleared his throat and the Five and Po all assembled in front of him. "Well done students, you continue to impress me and improve your technique. Training is done for the day, therefore you may do whatever you like with the rest of your day." He bowed to them and they bowed in return, all filing out of the Training Hall to do something else. Apart from one. Hunter was still in the rafters doing pull ups, having definitely heard what Shifu had announced to the others. Not so long ago, that would have been Tigress remaining behind alone to push herself beyond her breaking point. But she was walking with Viper towards the kitchens with the others leading the way there. It made him proud of her. Walking to the doorway and looking back into the room, Shifu hesitated to leave at first, but eventually did so and left Hunter to himself, unsure what he would even say to coax him out...