"W-what…" Liu stuttered, her face frozen in fear.
"Wait!" Aden exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "I can explain."
"No!" She shouted, backing away. "Stay away from me!"
Liu's sudden scream alerted other patrons, as a few heads had now turned to watch the scene unfold. Aden darted his eyes rapidly around the room at the frightened faces glaring at him, fear welling in his throat.
"Hey!" The booming voice of the bartender rang "What's all the commotion here?"
Aden locked eyes with the wolf who had served him a beer less than 15 minutes ago. Confused glances were exchanged before a defensive and intimidating look formed on the bartender's face.
"What the fuck?" He seethed.
"Please," Aden begged. "Just give me a chance to explain!"
By now a circle had begun to form around Aden, derisive whispers bombarding him from every angle.
"What's wrong with its face?" A voice murmured. "It's so weird looking."
"Mommy, why does it only have hair on top of its head? Does it shave its face?"
"What's it hiding its identity for? There's no way anybody trying to make a good impression would wear a mask like that."
"You think it's here to eat us?!"
Aden's breathing grew labored as the whispers grew louder and more accusatory. He approached the bartender with his fingers interlaced, a pleading look plastered on his face. Sadly, Aden didn't make it 3 steps before the wolf unsheathed a knife and pointed it towards him.
"Back the fuck up!" the grey wolf demanded. "I don't know what the hell you are, but I'm not about to let you hurt anybody."
"I'm not going to hurt anyone!" Aden shouted back.
"And, I'm not going to take any chances," the bartender held the knife steady.
A voice suddenly burst from the crowd, "Cut him up, Huan!"
All it took was that one voice for Aden to lose all hope of convincing the valley that he wasn't a threat. The mob began to rave with disparaging claims, as the circle tightened around him. Every exit of his was blocked by the irate mammals. Aden's head began to grow dizzy with fear, while looked on at the wave of scowling faces.
Suddenly, an object whizzed past him, his body instinctively maneuvering out of the way. He swiveled his head towards the object and watched a quarter sized rock skip across the dirt. His eyes returned to the crowd as others began to scour the ground for some ammo.
Just then, a sharp pain rippled through his body as a rock connected with his lower back. He yelped in pain and used his hand to cover where the stone made contact. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the onslaught that was about to come. Sharp pains began to emanate from his left peck. Then, his right thigh. Then, his left shoulder.
"Please!" Aden wailed, wrapping his arms around his head and crouching down until his knees met his chest.
THUNK
Aden's body toppled to the ground, the side of his head throbbing immensely. An object had struck him directly on his left ear, which happened to be one of the only uncovered parts in his crouched position. His hand became wet to the touch as he covered up the source of pain. He felt the stream of blood flow down his cheek before dripping onto the dirt. He glanced over to see a stone the size of a baseball splattered with the crimson liquid.
All of a sudden, a deafening roar blasted through the tented area. A silence overcame the room so thick you could almost hear the wind speak. The sound of rocks thumping against the ground followed, as the entire crowd loosened their grip at the same time. Aden slowly lifted his head to see Tigress posing protectively in front of him.
Aden blinked absentmindedly for a few moments before fear, anger, confusion, and loneliness rushed into his head, as if it were the day he showed up on this strange world. He looked around briefly at the judgemental faces studying him like an animal at the zoo. Tears began to well up in his eyes, as he dashed towards one edge of the crowd, the villagers parting like the red sea to let the strange creature pass. Aden ran and ran. Past the lights to the festival and far from the sounds of camaraderie. He didn't stop running until the only thing he heard was the sound of crickets chirping their nightly song. He dropped to his knees and began to cry into his hands.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" He pounded his fists into the ground to punctuate each word.
His body crumpled to the ground, as his violent sobs dwindled into whimpering. He held himself in the fetal position and lay there listening to the sounds in the night air before the rustling of grass and footsteps approached.
"Aden," Tigress made herself known.
"What…" He responded coldly, sitting up and wiping his dripping nose with his sleeve.
"Why did you run?"
"Why did I…" Aden paused, an incredulous look plastered on his face. "Are you serious right now?"
"Aden, It-"
"Why did I run?!" Aden cut her off, angrily. "Are you fucking insane? I'm a freak to them! They didn't listen to a single word I said, and I have dried blood on my face to prove it! Or do you think those were 'love stones' they hurled at me?"
Tigress stayed composed at this outburst, and took a few steps towards Aden without saying a word.
"Leave me the hell alone," Aden rolled over so his back faced her. "I knew the amazing Tigress wouldn't understand. You have no fucking clue what it's like to be universally seen as a freak."
Aden's words stung for Tigress, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she sat down next to him quietly.
"Trust can't always be earned with words," She began. "One can be certain in their lack of trust for others. But, it only takes a moment for it all to change."
Aden said nothing.
"You may not believe me, but I understand exactly how you feel… I was an orphan at the Bao Gu Orphanage growing up. Parents would come. Parents would leave. But, nobody wanted me. Not even the other orphans would come near me. Everyone thought I was a monster. And... I felt like one too. It wasn't until Shifu came along that I finally learned to control my aggression. I was able to convince them that they could trust me with my actions. Not my words."
Aden shifted in his spot but remained silent.
"You should give the valley a chance."
"Why should I forgive them so easily?" He grumbled back.
"You did for me."
Aden slowly sat up and stared blankly before releasing a frustrated sigh. "I absolutely hate admitting it… But, you have a point."
Tigress chuckled lightly and stood up, offering her paw to help him up. Aden took it willingly and was quickly pulled to his feet. They gazed at each other with warm smiles before Aden wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Tigress." Aden whispered.
At first, it seemed like Tigress had no idea what was going on, as her arms remained flat against her sides. Then, they gradually moved to his upper back where she gave a couple light pats before gently closing the loop around him. It was the most awkward hug Aden had ever received in his lifetime, and he loved every second of it.
BOOM!
Both Aden and Tigress' attention were immediately brought the tremendous explosion off in the distance.
"That came from the village," Tigress said.
Without another word, the 2 warriors bounded back towards the village keeping their eyes on the black smoke billowing into the night sky. The crackle of fire could be heard as they neared the outer rim of the village.
"This way," Tigress motioned for Aden to follow her.
Aden and Tigress slithered through an alley a few buildings away from where the smoke originated from. They peeked their heads around the corner, which gave them a clear view of the terror occuring in the village center. Numerous burning barrels were scattered about, while a group of barrels and wooden planks sitting in the area center roared with flames and spewed smoke into the sky. Jackals dressed in black robes scurried about, breaking doors down and ripping mammals from their homes. The screams of a rabbit family echoed as the children were separated from their parents and placed into different groups of trembling mammals.
"Over there," Aden pointed out. "I see Po and the others."
Tigress followed Aden's finger to a building where a pair of black panda ears peeked over the window sill.
"What are they doing?" Tigress questioned. "A horde of jackal raiders is nothing for us."
"I don't think they're the problem…"
Suddenly, from behind the central fire emerged a massive boar cackling like a deep-toned witch. The animal stood at least a foot taller than Aden and had biceps the size of his torso. The boar moved flamboyantly and overgesticulated everything he said, contrasting heavily with its brick wall stature. What worried Aden and Tigress the most was his belt. It contained a ring of glowing, orange cylinders that neither of them could identify.
"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" A boisterous voice rang into the night air. "Thank you all for attending the show! I'm your host, Bang!"
The boar swaggered over to one of the groups of cowering animals, spinning theatrically and striking a pose in front of them.
"Now, I know you're all anxious to see the performance, but I'm going to need a teeny-tiny entrance fee first. Oh, what's that?" Bang leaned down and cupped a hoof to his ear as if somebody had asked a question. "How much does the show of a lifetime cost, you ask? Only one easy payment of all your valuable possessions!"
The towering boar laughed maniacally and gestured for the jackals to begin ransacking homes.
"Don't worry, though," Bang continued, pulling one of the orange objects from his belt. "This show is going to be a hot one."
Aden and Tigress watched as the boar crushed the object in his hoofs and tossed it into an intact barrel. A few seconds of silence passed before the barrel violently exploded. Wooden chunks were sent in all directions while Bang laughed at the display.
"You won't get away with this!" A tiny voice shouted from the group of captured children.
"Who said that?!" The raid leader demanded, rage making an appearance on the once wickedly jovial face.
The crowd shivered silently.
Bang shook his head and tsked calmly. "Brave enough to say it but not brave enough to step forward. Well then, let's pull that courage right out of you."
He strode up to the group of children and cleared his throat. "Let's play a little game shall we? You, what's your favorite number?" The boars hairy finger aimed at a small female bunny.
"U-uh… u-umm…" The young girl stuttered. "F-five?"
"Excellent selection!" Bang replied. "Now, I'm going to count down from 5 and point to one person for each number. If somebody doesn't speak up by the time I get to 1, I'm going to pop their itty bitty head like bubble."
The center erupted in a cacophonous choir of gasps, screams, and crying.
"We have to move now!" Aden shouted to Tigress.
"What's the plan?" She responded.
Aden searched the area for any sort of opening to sneak up on Bang, but the jackals were blocking every access point.
"FIVE!" Bang yelled in a sing-songy voice.
The screams grew louder, as Aden searched for a solution. His eyes eventually fell upon an Sanxian lying on the ground, and an idea began forming in his head.
"FOUR!" Bang moved his fat finger to another child.
"Go save the others," Aden directed Tigress. "I'm about to try something crazy."
"THREE!"
Aden burst from his hiding spot and sprinted to the instrument before Tigress could stop him.
"TWO!" The boar's voice began to lower in pitch.
Aden reached down mid sprint, grabbed the instrument's wooden neck, and took off for the village center.
"ONE..." Bang grew a devilish smirk and reached for a child.
DRRRRRRING!
Bang stopped his hands and slowly turned around to find Aden holding the Sanxian with a single vibrating string.
"Well, well, well," Bang laughed. "Look what we have here."
Aden plucked the same string again.
"You're the freak everyone's been talking about? I gotta hand it to ya, this raid wouldn't have been nearly as easy if it wasn't for you corralling everyone into the drink tent. I mean, damn; I thought I put on a good show, but nothing beats this next level mutant shit!"
Aden, once again, plucked the string.
"Not much for talking, eh? No matter, it makes things easier."
Aden plucked the string twice this time. Unfortunately for him, Bang had begun making his way over to him.
"Now, I know you're trying to be a hero, but here's your problem: You're going to die. Your friends are going to die. And, a good portion of people in this village are going to die. So, it may seem like you're being valiant, but all you're really doing is increasing the body count."
Aden plucked the string another 2 times.
"On top of all that, you're about to give your life up for a bunch of mammals that pelted you with rocks less than an hour ago!" Bang laughed hysterically. "You have got to be the dumbest alien to ever grace this planet."
Aden plucked the string three times in response. Just as he finished plucking the third note, Bang planted his feet right in front of him. Sweat began to trickle down his brow, as he truly got a sense of how big the boar towering over him really was.
"Now, why don't you stop playing," Bang demanded.
Aden plucked again.
"I said: Stop. Playing."
Aden plucked again.
"Last chance…"
Aden hesitantly plucked again.
Bang laughed heartily. "You've got balls, kid. Too bad you won't be able to use 'em ever again"
Aden tried to pluck again but was met with a hoof smashing against his right cheek sending him straight into the ground. Gasps could be heard as Aden's body slammed into the dirt, the right side of his face already feeling numb. He groaned painfully and writhed against the earth while Bang cackled.
"Wowee! That must 'of hurt, huh?" Bang laughed, the jackals guarding the prisoners snickering alongside him.
"Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Our little game." Bang turned around and took a few steps towards the captive children. "Well, shoot. I completely lost count. Looks like I'll have to start all ov-"
DRRING!
The boar turned on his hoofs to find Aden standing weakly in the same spot from before, Sanxian held loosely in his hands.
"Wow," Bang commented with a neutral expression. "I'm actually impressed."
Aden plucked the string again.
"I didn't expect you to get up so quickly. Let's fix that, shall we?"
Aden attempt to pluck another string but was hindered by his face making contact with Bang's fist again. He went flying downwards, bouncing across the ground like a ragdoll. Aden's body screamed in agony, as he started to feel blood trickle down his face again. He spit into the dirt, a wad of red and white mixing into the soil.
"You're still alive?" The boar incredulously asked.
Aden shakily moved his head so he could see the now broken Sanxian laying a couple feet away from him.
"Don't do it," Bang recommended. "I promise you, you won't get up again."
Aden rolled onto his back and laughed painfully. "Don't… *cough* Need… Too…"
Bang raised an eyebrow in response.
"Dis… Strac… Tion…" Aden gruesomely smiled.
Bang's eyes widened, but before he could react, his face was greeted by a swift kick from Tigress. He stumbled backwards, which gave Viper just enough time to unhook his belt containing the orange explosives. Then, Po flew in and bounced him off his stomach into a flaming barrel.
"Crane! Monkey!" Tigress shouted. "Get the villagers to safety."
"On it!" They said in unison.
"Po! Viper! Mantis! Handle the rest of the raiders. I'll take care of Aden."
"It's Kung-Fu time!" Po shouted jubilantly.
The group dispersed, as they began to methodically control the near catastrophe of the Fall Festival raid. Kicks and punches were being thrown left and right, and Jackals could be seen flying through the air before being tied up and tossed into a pile. Aden didn't seem to notice, though. He was too busy enjoying the particularly beautiful night sky with a bruised body and bloody face.
"Aden!" Tigress rushed to his side and kneeled down next to him. "Are you alright?"
"Noooope…" Aden chuckled.
"Can you walk?"
"With some help, yeah, probably."
Tigress gently lifted him up into a sitting position making sure to check for broken bones and any severe damage. She slung his arm around her shoulder and slowly hoisted him into a standing position. His legs were a bit shaky, but he could walk without experiencing too much pain.
"You were right," she said, as they made their way to the Jade Palace steps.
"About what?" He asked.
"You did do something crazy," she smirked.
Aden couldn't help but laugh, even though every 'ha' he let out was more excruciating than the last. He looked back and smiled at the scene to find most of the villagers had been moved to safety, and the pile of tied up jackal bandits was growing bigger and bigger by the minute.
Suddenly, the smile was wiped off his face when he realized something was missing.
"Wait!" Aden stopped Tigress. "Where's the boar?"
"Oh, yoo-hoo!" the voice of Bang chimed in from behind them. "Looking for moi?"
"It's over, Bang!" Tigress shouted back at him. "There's nowhere to run!"
"Yo, Tiger chick. Come and get me."
The smug look and condescending tone made Tigress snap. She growled and launched herself at him, leaving Aden barely standing up. Tigress approached him with such ferocity and speed she failed to notice his hoofs being held behind his back. She made one final leap with her claws drawn when Bang revealed a lion cub with one of the glowing bombs tied to its chest. Tigress immediately lost focus upon seeing the terrified child and was promptly kicked to the side, tumbling across the ground.
"Game's still on, freak," Bang laughed, shaking the cub like a toy. "You wanna know why they call me Bang? Cause I always go out with one."
With that, he crushed the explosive in his hoof, set the helpless victim in place, and sprinted away screaming "5 seconds on the clock!"
Without missing a beat, Aden hobbled as fast as he could towards the crying cub. His legs were on fire and his head was pounding, but his heart was dead set on going out with one last good deed. 5 seconds? 5 hours? 5 days? 5 weeks? How long has it been? Since he first arrived on this world? For him to leave it?
He was less than 5 feet away when he heard the hissing sound escaping from the cracked orange object. His knees buckled making him flop down right next to the cub sending another wave of pain through his body. The last few moments felt like an eternity to Aden, as he used every last ounce of adrenaline to snap the rope tying the explosive to the victim, roll onto his stomach holding the bomb under him, and pray.
What happened next, Aden couldn't tell. There was an incessant ringing in his ear, his vision was fuzzy, and everything felt wet. Oddly enough though, there was no pain.
A black and orange blur came into view screaming wildly, but Aden couldn't fully make out what it was saying.
"...Ade-...-den!...pleas-...han-...in...ther-...don-...leav-...me...Pleas-..."
Then, Aden blacked out.
GUESS WHO'S BACK!
I want to quickly address a few things:
1) I absolutely plan to finish this story. Unfortunately, I'm unable to give a consistent update schedule, so please bear in mind the frequency of uploads can change.
2) Please, please, please, please, please leave some feedback for me. I'm desperately trying to improve my writing ability. Don't get me wrong, I adore all the comments that say "Great chapter!", but I'm really looking for ways to improve my flow, grammar, dialogue, and scene depictions.
3) this is still a ROMANCE/adventure fic. People have asked when/who Aden is going to fall in love, and I want to make it clear why I'm not responding to any of these questions. I've read a decent amount of "Human in KFP" stories, and one gripe I have with a lot of them is that the main character adapts way too quickly to a brand new environment. That doesn't inherently make the story bad, but it takes away a big chunk of the human emotion that I think readers are trying to relate with. With that being said, the romance IS coming. I just want to make sure my character(s) have fully established their existence in the new universe before delving deep into it.
Thank you all for reading! I love you all! :)
Mr. Poopy Butthole