"We'll secure the front!" Tigress announced. "Aden, try to find a way in from the rear!"
"On it, Tigress!" Aden responded. "I won't let you guys down!"
The slender human dashed to the west side of the concrete structure making sure to stay out of the enemy's line of sight. He peeked past the edge and upon seeing a clear path dashed to the back end of the building. After rounding the corner, an iron door was all that was left standing between him and the hostages. He gave it a firm kick right next to the knob causing the door to swing open wildly, nearly fly off its hinges. He gazed down the seemingly endless hallway of brown apartment doors, each one labeled with the numbers '101', '102', '103', and so on. The smell of mildew hung in his nose, and the long fluorescent lights flickered above him. His feet scritched against the faded, green carpet as he cautiously walked down the hall.
"128, 129, 130…" He read aloud. "131, 132… H-home…?"
Aden rubbed his eyes at the door in front of him. Clear as day in golden lettering that matched the font of every other door in the building was the word 'Home'. He glanced left and right, checking to see if somebody else was around to confirm he wasn't imagining things. He didn't have time to contemplate what he was about to do next, as his hand had involuntarily reached for the knob. A careful twist and push was all it took for Aden to completely lose his mind. In front of him was none other than his mother.
He instantly pounced and engulfed her in the deepest hug he could muster, tears forming in his eyes. "Mom!"
"Shhhh, Aden," she consoled. "It's alright."
"I thought I'd never see you again!"
"I know, I know. But, we're together now," she comforted, stroking his back and giggling. "And, you'll never have to go back."
"What do you mean?" He continued holding her tightly.
"You'll never have to be with those creatures ever again."
Aden loosened his grip. "Oh… Uhm… Can I say goodbye or something?"
She tightened her grip "No, you can't ever see them again."
Aden pushed away and met her eyes, feeling their desperation. "But…"
"Don't you love me?" Her voice saddened.
"Of course I do…" He sighed.
"Please," She began to cry. "Don't leave me."
He hugged her tightly again. "I won't. I'm sorry, Mom. I'll stay with you no matter what."
"Good."
Suddenly, the door slammed closed. Aden jumped at the sound and looked back to see the now shut door locking itself.
"What the…?"
His mother's hand grabbed his cheek and directed his vision forward. His eyes never met hers, though. She didn't have any.
Aden fell backwards and slammed against the floor at the horrifying sight.
"Aden? You're not leaving me, are you?" She begged.
"Mom…" He nervously muttered, scooching towards the door on his butt. "What's going on?..."
"Stay with me, Aden." She commanded, the lights beginning to flicker.
Aden jumped to his feet and began yanking on the handle, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Stay!"
"No!" He shouted, slamming his body into the door and feeling it give way as if it were paper.
He landed and looked in fear down the long hallway of now strobing lights. The ground started to shake, as Aden scrambled to his feet. He tore across the carpet towards the front exit, while the word "stay" was repeatedly whispered in his ear from no recognizable point of origin. He braced for impact and burst through the exit door to a completely silent scene.
In front of him were the battered and unmoving bodies of Po, Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis. Tigress was the only one who barely stood but was in the worst shape of all. Blood caked her orange fur and deep lacerations shown on every limb. She stumbled forward, the scrapes of her paws against the ground the only sound resonating through the air. She eventually collapsed to her knees, blood pooling around her.
"Why did you betray us…" She spoke weakly.
"Tigress... I-I didn't mean to do anything," he pleaded.
"Why?" Urgency snuck its way into her tone, as her volume increased.
"I'm sorry. Please, I'm so sorry!" Aden dropped to his knees
"WHY?" A coarse, dejected shout rang from Tigress.
"Please!"
"WHY!?"
Aden jolted awake, sweat drenching every inch of his upper half. His eyes darted around the room, taking in all the familiar surroundings of the Jade Palace. His labored breaths began to slow, as his mind came back to reality.
Suddenly, the door to his room slid open, and a grinning Tigress entered carrying a tray of tea and steamed buns. Upon seeing Aden in his stupor, Tigress' eyes donned a slightly concerned expression and moved to his bedside.
"How was your rest?" She asked, placing the tray on the table adjacent to his bed.
"Fine," he replied. "Just another nightmare."
"The night of the festival still terrorizing your mind?"
"Actually, this one was about my mom…"
Tigress looked at him curiously. "I see…" She quietly cleared her throat. "Would you… like to discuss anything?"
Aden maintained eye contact with her for a brief moment before looking down at his hands. "I don't know… I guess it was just so weird seeing her again. I mean, she was right in front of me. She held me! And, I held her! It felt so real..."
"What happened next?"
He looked back at Tigress and found his tired eyes locked to her attentive ones. They remained that way for a few moments, Aden soaking in her comforting gaze. He sighed deeply and looked back down at his lap before responding.
"She… uhm… She didn't turn out to be the person that I thought she was."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is that where it ended?"
Aden continued to stare into his lap. "Yeah."
"You're lying."
"That obvious?"
"Yes," she answered simply. "But, I won't pry. You'll tell me when you're ready."
"Thanks, Tigress. I know I'm not the easiest to deal with."
"I should say so. I've been taking care of you like a helpless cub for the past month." She smirked.
"And, I can't thank you enough for it." Aden smiled and gave her a wink. "It looks like we're even, huh?"
"Not yet. But closer."
Aden attempted to sit up and reach for some food when a sudden shock of pain swept through his side. He winced and retracted his arm with a sharp intake of air passing through his teeth.
"Are you alright?" She asked, hurriedly resting her paw on his side.
"Yeah, I'm fine," He replied. "The wound is fully healed, but I still can't move too fast."
"Let me check."
Tigress moved the cloth shirt off his abdomen to reveal the graphic scar lining the left half of his body. The explosion Aden absorbed had blown a hole in his side. If it wasn't for Po leading everybody to heal him through Chi, he would've been good as dead in minutes. Unfortunately, chi can only do so much. Chi reconnected most of his broken tissue, but his skin healed naturally. Mangled patterns of scar tissue ran from his pelvis to his chest.
"Tigress, if you wanted to take my clothes off, you could've just asked." Aden coyly remarked.
Tigress shot him a curious glance.
"I'm messing with you, Kitty," Aden chuckled.
"Kitty?" Her curious glance intensified.
"Yeah. That's my new nickname for you."
"I'd prefer if you changed it to something less... condescending."
"You'll learn to love it."
Tigress held a perplexed look for a few moments before sighing, standing up, and shaking her head. "You are a very unusual man, Aden."
Aden simply smirked. He knew that was a compliment. He saw the smile between every shake of her head.
"I'll collect the tray in a little while. Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks again, Tigress."
She bowed in return, then walked out the door.
Aden munched on his breakfast, enjoyed his tea, and felt the peace. It was another nice day outside, but he'd have to stay stuck in doors for just a little bit longer. He didn't mind getting some forced relaxation time, though.
"Knockity knock knock." Po's voice rang from the threshold.
"What's up, Po?" Aden replied, popping the last bite of a bun into his mouth.
"Just wanted to check up on my favorite human companion and bring him more fanmail."
Po then revealed a bouquet from behind his back that bore a magnificent blend of colors. Attached near the base was a card, which Aden could make out the words 'Our Hero' scribed on the front.
"You are becoming quite the celebrity," Po continued.
"I'm really not used to this kind of attention," Aden sighed, taking the flowers and setting it next to various other gifts of pottery, food, and flowers from the valley.
"What about your music, dude? Didn't you use to rock out on stage?"
"I've never received a hand-made vase for a performance before..."
"Oh, speaking of rocking out, I've been meaning to ask you: why didn't you use your magic jam powers to take Bang out at the festival?"
"First of all, I didn't know how to actually play that instrument I found on the ground. On top of that, even if I did know how to play it, I still don't have the slightest idea of how to trigger my abilities." Aden added air quotes to his last word.
"Well, keep shredding away, then. They'll come soon enough."
Aden Laughed and picked up the last steamed bun from the platter.
"You going to finish that?" Po questioned, pointing to the bun that was inches away from Aden's open mouth.
Aden looked directly at Po, then at the bun, then back at Po before closing his mouth, sighing, and tossing it to him. "It's all yours, man."
Po snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth before turning towards the door. "Alright, bromego, I got some butt to kick. Take it easy."
"You too, dude."
The panda sauntered out of the room, leaving Aden to his thoughts once again. He glanced over to the pile of gifts and exhaled slowly. Being a musical celebrity was one thing, but being a village hero held much more weight. Especially considering he's the 'alien who sacrificed himself to save a young child and the rest of the valley from certain disaster' kind of hero. He wasn't sure how to feel about it yet. It was just all too overwhelming for him. Fortunately, civilians weren't allowed to enter the Jade Palace while Aden recovered, so he didn't have to accept their praise in person yet.
The sound of someone clearing their throat suddenly broke Aden from his musings. He turned his head towards the entrance to find Crane, who gave a small wave once their eyes made contact.
"Hey," Aden started, motioning for him to enter the room. "Just paying me a visit?"
"Yeah," He replied, walking over to Aden. "I can only assume how lonely being cooped up in here for weeks on end is."
"Preach. Luckily, I have my kung fu companions to keep me company."
"Especially Tigress," Crane chuckled.
"Hmmm?" Aden's eyebrow raised.
"She's in and out of your room all day. Even when someone else offers to help, she insists on doing it herself. I've never seen Tigress so... attentive. I mean, to something besides kung fu that is."
"I guess I snuck my way onto her good side," Aden shrugged.
"Which is wildly impressive," Crane commented before muttering under his breath. "Wish I could sneak my way onto Viper's good side…"
"You're already on her good side."
"You know what I mean…"
"You still haven't talked to her, huh?"
"I talk to her," Crane's tone grew slightly defensive. "But, how do I take it to the next step? 'Oh, Hello Viper. We've known each other for a very long time, right? Well, I just wanted to let you know that I think you're incredibly swell. So swell, in fact, that I'd like to you on a date. What do you say, partner?"
"You're overthinking it," Aden replied flatly. "Start small."
"I'm trying." Crane exhaled slowly. "Anyway, I'm finishing up a painting, then heading down to the valley to look for a new straw hat. You want me to pick you up anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks, though."
Crane gave Aden an accepting nod and made his way out the door. Though, he didn't make it far past the threshold before his voice piped up again.
"Oh, hey, Viper!" He excitedly said. "Monkey, Mantis. What are you guys up to?"
"Mantis and I are here for Aden's acupuncture session," Viper cheerily replied, while Aden audibly gulped.
"I'm here for moral support," Monkey smugly added.
"Thank god for that!" Aden yelled from his bed. "I'm going to need it."
The group chuckled, then Crane went on his way and the rest of them entered the room.
"Do I really have to do this?" Aden whined.
"Oh, hush," Viper shot back. "You know it's not bad."
"You're not the one getting poked…" Aden carefully removed his shirt and rolled onto his front to prepare for his treatment.
Monkey set down the acupuncture kit and popped it open, revealing numerous 3 inch needles. Viper held up a body diagram of bonobo-a primate that somewhat resembled the body structure of a human-while Mantis worked. One by one, he gently inserted each needle into him until his back resembled a tiny field of silver trees. Monkey was the only one not directly involved. Instead, he sat in the corner and laughed profusely whenever Mantis would hit a nerve causing Aden to mildly convulse.
"Aaaaaand, done," Mantis announced, placing the final needle. "How do you feel?"
"Well, I'm still breathing," Aden's exaggerated strained voice answered
"Stop being such a baby," Viper jokingly snapped back. "We're here to help you."
"Well, I don't need your help," Aden joked.
Then, as quick as a whip, a devilishly brilliant idea popped into his head.
"But, do you know who does need your help?" Aden continued. "Crane! He wanted you to go hat shopping with him. Needs your opinion, and I think he's leaving soon."
"Crane asked for me?" Viper's curious eyes brightened.
"I actually have excellent taste in hat wear!" Mantis interjected. "I'd give him some great advice."
Aden cocked his eyes at Mantis and replied through clenched teeth. "I'm pretty sure Crane specifically wanted Viper's opinion."
"Sorry, Mantis," Monkey jumped in, tossing Aden a wink. "Someone needs to remove the needles from Aden's back, and someone else needs to supervise... and laugh."
"Ugh, fine," Mantis grunted in defeat. "Don't come crying to me when he picks out a lame hat…"
"It's a risk we're willing to take," Aden laughed. "You can go ahead, Viper. Mantis and Monkey got it from here."
"Oh, ok!" She answered gleefully. "Thanks guys!"
Viper slithered out of the room leaving the 3 males to themselves.
"Alright," Aden spoke up. "Get these fucking things out me."
"As you wish, your highness," Mantis sarcastically replied.
Mantis spent the next 15 minutes meticulously removing each and every needle, making sure to clean and set them neatly back in their case. As the last piece of metal was plucked from Aden, he gave a deep exhale of relief and rolled back over.
"Oh sweet jesus. Thank god it's over," Aden relaxed.
"I got my fill of laughs for the day," Monkey sat up from his spot in the corner. "Do you need anything before we go?"
"Nope, I'm all good." He responded. "Thanks for the help, boys."
2 nods were sent Aden's way, then both warriors strolled out of the room.
For being bedridden, Aden had his social needs met pretty easily. He was beyond grateful for all the support from his friends and was beginning to see them become family. It was foreign for him to call a group of walking, talking, and kung fu fighting animals family, but he liked it. Change is hard; there's no denying that. But sometimes, change is what you need.
"Aden," the voice of a certain red panda entered the room. "How are you faring?"
"Master Shifu," Aden bowed slightly in return, making sure not to put strain on his body in the process. "Could be better. But, I've been getting a ton of attention lately, so I really can't complain."
"It's well deserved," Shifu paced around Aden's bed and looked over the pile of gifts. "You sacrificed your well being for the safety of the valley even after they shunned and ridiculed you. That's the sign of a true warrior."
"Thank you, Master. Though, I believe any of my fellow warriors would've done the same."
"That may be true, but acknowledging your own mortality in a foreign world and still giving your all for a single cub is beyond admirable. You haven't been here long enough to be considered a master, but with the selflessness you exhibited, you're well on your way."
Aden smiled and bowed in return.
"What was the name Oogway gave to you?" Shifu questioned.
"Uh… Lyric?" Aden replied sheepishly.
"Lyric," the red panda repeated, making his way to the door. "I like it. Now, rest up. You'll be back on your feet soon enough."
"Yes, Master," Aden bowed again. "Thank you."
Master Shifu gave Aden a nod and walked past the door frame and out of sight, while Aden laid back down to relax.
"Oh, one more thing," Master Shifu popped his head back into view. "I see you and Tigress have grown quite fond of each other and developed a very close friendship. Don't forget that I'm still her father."
Shifu then winked and disappeared from view once again. Aden simply sat in confusion.
"What was that all about?"
Oh shit waddap! I hope this longer chapter was worth the wait :D
Q&A SESSION:
I've been receiving a few PMs about my plot/character choices, and I thought it'd be fun to open up the floor so everyone could see my answers! Please leave a question/criticism/comment and I'll answer them publicly in the next chapter. JSYK I will completely ignore questions asking about future plot points, so please don't ask about what's coming next. Feel free to ask about me, my story, my writing process and style, my inspiration, etc.
I'm so grateful for all readers! You are the reason I keep writing :)
- Dank Sauce McGee
P.S. Y'all should watch Infinity Train. It's dope as fuck.