A/N: I'm back! And in the same month too! This chapter was super fun to write. Things have really been set in motion and everything is beginning to align and come together. I think you guys are going to enjoy this update. Or who knows? Maybe you'll hate it haha. In all seriousness this chapter is depressing as hell, not to mention intense. You aren't gonna wanna blink for this one.
As always Read & Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.
Chapter XI: The Fall of an Empire
The Valley of Peace
Screaming. A sound of terror that could freeze the blood in even the most composed of warriors. It was all around. It carried through the air. It reverberated through the ground. It was inescapable. It was terrifying.
The dark night sky was usually illuminated with the bright innocent glow of the moon, along with a beautiful purple and bluish hue that came from the geographic location of the valley. However, tonight the void of stars in the sky was tainted, with a dark fog of grey and a hellish hue of red and orange. It could almost be considered poetic given that the colors were reflections of the burning destruction and chaos that was occurring throughout the Valley of Peace.
Hundreds of meters above the flames and ashes that plagued the valley loomed the Jade Palace, the jade green conflicting with the orange colors in the present atmosphere, almost as if the two forces were battling, metaphorically speaking.
The palace was surprisingly quiet; no sound of alarms or shouts of the Jade Palace warriors who'd sworn to protect the valley against all costs. There was just silence. The atmosphere was chilling.
There were no figures visible...except for two.
The courtyard on the west side of the palace was usually an occupied training ground for the warriors of the palace. It was secluded, spacious, and within range of the kitchen and lounge area just in case the members of the palace ever needed a break to rest or eat. It also happened to be the riskiest training area at the palace due to the far left side of the court being the edge of the mountain. Only a small stone fence was the barrier between the courtyard and a deadly drop hundreds of meters to the ground below.
Two figures stood facing each other in the barely illuminated courtyard. One tensed, as if expecting a fight to break out at any second. The other relaxed as if he'd never been more at peace. The figure on the right was moderately tall, husky, with a confused yet angered look across his normally jovial face, though he'd been less than jovial the past several weeks. Po stood, fists clenched, body tensed in anticipation as his eyes met those of his opponent's.
Opposite of him stood a huge figure. He was tall, substantially taller than the Dragon Warrior by several inches. His dense muscles were covered in a coat of orange fur with black stripes patterned across his body. Most notably, his almost topaz colored eyes glowed in the dark as they were fixed on the panda a dozen or so meters away from him. In his hands the tiger held a massive broadsword that gleamed dully in the faint light of the palace. Disturbingly, the blade was stained with blood. Po didn't know whether it was because the feline had killed someone recently, or because he killed so often that cleaning the blade constantly had become obsolete.
All that the Dragon Warrior knew was that the figure before him was dangerous, frighteningly so. The silence was overbearing, the only noise that was present was the slight tussle of the leaves against the wind, and the inescapable echoing of screams from the valley down below. Po involuntarily shivered at that. Even all the way up here, he could hear their pleas and shrieks of pain and terror. So caught up in his own thoughts, the panda almost missed the words that came from the tiger opposite of him.
"The screams are terrible aren't they? I must admit, I used to be much better at ignoring them when I was younger. I've found it harder to do so in recent years," the deep gravelly voice of the feline projected across the area.
Po looked at him cautiously, "Yeah. I supposed you must've mellowed out with your age."
That drew a deep chuckle from the towering figure. He hadn't had a good laugh in a while. Naturally his enemy would be the one to get it out of him.
"I suppose you're right," he finished with a tired sigh.
Po stared back at his enemy with an unreadable expression, "So, you must be Daemon."
All the pieces were coming together. This tiger was the threat that Shifu had been so nervous about. He was the one who was forming a criminal syndicate. He was the person causing trouble all over China.
The tiger nodded, "Intuitive...And you must be the Dragon Warrior."
Po nodded back, waiting for the tiger to comment or continue his statement. He did not.
The two stood in silence for nearly a minute before the panda decided to speak up.
"What? No fat jokes? No comments about my eating habits?" the panda let out with a questioning look.
Daemon raised an eyebrow at this.
"Your size isn't relevant to your status or your achievements. I'm not a two year old Dragon Warrior. I've done my research. Regardless of your appearance, you've proven to be a significant opponent, even a dangerous one," Daemon answered calmly, unfazed.
Po couldn't believe his ears. Daemon was supposed to be the bad guy right? He'd met villagers who'd been more cynical than the tiger in front of him. Po shook away the thoughts within seconds. He couldn't let his guard down against this guy no matter HOW respectable he appeared to be. There were still so many questions that needed to be answered. Where is Shifu? Why hadn't he returned? What was Daemon's goal? And what was his plan?
"I assume you have a reason for being here?" Po asked, on edge again.
The corners of Daemon's lips slightly upturned at the comment. He was beginning to like this panda.
"Straight to the point," he let out with a small grin.
Continuing, his smile faded to a serious expression, "This is my last stop. The Jade Palace must be destroyed for my goal to be reached."
Po waited for the punchline...it never came. He looked at the tiger in shock then anger. Destroy an entire palace with centuries worth of knowledge...for what?
"You're joking," Po asked hesitantly.
Daemon shook his head, "I'm afraid not."
The tiger's eye quickly downcast to the baggage at the panda's feet and the pack hung across his side.
"Going somewhere?" he asked neutrally, motioning to the luggage.
Po glanced down and back up. He met the tiger's gaze. After a few seconds of trying to read Daemon's expression Po couldn't tell whether the question was legitimate or satirical...and it bugged the hell out of him.
"Maybe...but not anymore. I can't let you destroy this palace. Sorry if you were hoping otherwise," Po answered with a little edge to his voice.
Saber nodded as if he had already known the answer to his question. Swiftly, the tiger brought his large sword above his head. Po readied his stance, awaiting the attack. To the Dragon Warrior's surprise, instead of attacking, Daemon simply stabbed the sword into the courtyard floor. Much to Po's shock, the sword drove into the reinforced concrete and marble like a hot knife through butter, finally coming to a stop about two feet deep. Although that still left another six feet of the sword sticking above ground. Po didn't know whether the feat was a testament to the sword's sharpness/durability or to Daemon's strength. In all honesty, he hoped it was the sword.
"Apologies. That sword can be a real hassle," Daemon let out before reaching into his vest, searching for something. Within seconds the tiger pulled out an item wrapped in a silk cloth. He met Po's eyes and for a second a glimmer of genuine guilt shone through before his expression morphed to more of a neutral tone once again.
"If we are giving out apologies. I do have something I must apologize for Dragon Warrior," he stated tiredly. Unwrapping the item, it was revealed to be a necklace. Without hesitation, the tiger tossed it over to the Dragon Warrior. After further examination, Po realized it was the very same necklace that he'd given his father, Li, when he and the pandas had left back to their village in the mountains. However, the necklace, which had been in pristine condition, was now stained with a red substance...blood.
"W-what is this?" Po asked in confusion.
Daemon's solemn gaze was unwavered by the panda's question. He hadn't enjoyed committing the genocide. In fact, he questioned whether there could've been another option. But in the end, it was necessary to ensure his success.
"Your brethren are dead. I killed them. You are the last of your kind, and...I'm sorry."
*Hours earlier*
Po's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, questions, and emotions, and he hadn't the slightest clue as to which to deal with first. It was already bad enough with the Five and Saber ditching him on his birthday, undermining his authority (albeit he wasn't much of the controlling type), and completely disregarding their sworn responsibilities. On top of that Shifu was gone and it was questionable whether the grandmaster would return anytime soon or at all even. If ALL that wasn't troubling enough, now he had to deal with a crazy soothsayer and a vision, along with his own mental deficiencies and personal problems. Oh…and how could he forget to mention the ridiculous riddle/prophecy that he couldn't figure out. Yep, life was just great.
And now he was sitting in the kitchen at the dining table waiting for the Five and Saber to arrive. Po waited in the quiet room, the only audible sound was the drumming of the bear's fingers against the wooden table. His thoughts drifted to the Five once more. They needed to have a talk...a serious talk. Po had wanted to have this conversation during dinner, but naturally Saber had indulged them in another night of partying at one of the clubs, much to the panda's chagrin. Po had already gone over the conversation in his head a million times at this point.
To sum it up…
Saber had overstayed his welcome and his presence now was simply hindering the Five and their duties to China and the valley.
'He's also an annoying bastard,' Red added in.
His departure was long overdue and he would be packing his bags and leaving by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Furthermore, the Five would be scheduled to double training shifts due to their slacking in recent weeks, as well as mandatory scroll and meditation sessions for the next month.
Now, all this wasn't Po being bitter over them ignoring him and missing his party yesterday...well, maybe a little...but the main reason for this was because of the vision and looming threat that was coming. Regardless of whether or not the threat was coming within a week or a year, Po wanted to be prepared. And if Shifu wasn't returning anytime soon, then that preparation and responsibility rested on his shoulders. Sharing his thoughts over the threat with the Five was the type of productive conversation he needed. He definitely didn't want them arguing with him over any of this.
Po was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of laughter and footsteps from the stone path outside. Po let out a sigh of relief, thank the gods. Saber and the Five were already back from the club. Usually, they would be out until around midnight or later, but to Po's fortune they were back earlier than usually, it was barely past 9. Rising from his seat, Po crossed his arms as he waited for them to enter the kitchen. After a few seconds the Five entered the room. Upon seeing the serious look on the Dragon Warrior's face they gave each other sideways glances.
"We need to talk," Po stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The group all obliged as they gathered around the table and waited in anticipation.
"Someone's not happy," Saber mumbled to his female counterpart, who let out a huff in amusement.
Po stood before the group of warriors and Saber with a look of contemplation and annoyance.
"Saber you're packing your bags and leaving," Po stated.
The room was silent for a few seconds before a loud mix of protests and arguments broke out. Po massaged his temples in frustration before slamming his hand down on the table, "Enough!"
The room quieted again, although the expressions of disbelief, shock, confusion, curiosity, and vexation remained upon their faces.
"May I ask your reasoning behind this Dragon Warrior?" Tigress asked calmly, although you could see a mix of worry and irritation simmering just beneath the surface.
Po frowned. Of all the members of the Five, he'd been sure that Tigress would've been the most reasonable and aware of exactly WHY he had to do this. Saber was a handicap, a parasite, a leech, someone who was unbalancing their lives and schedule.
'Pfffffh. You kidding? Yeah, maybe before her and Saber starting boning. Now she's just a girl looking after her possession. She'll probably be the least rational one here. Dumbo,' Red stated in a matter-of-factly tone.
Po's eye twitched in irritation. Red, as vulgar as he was, had a point. Nonetheless, he'd put his foot down, going back on his word now would just be undermining his own authority.
"Saber is extremely detrimental to our lifestyle. Our training. Your responsibilities. And so forth," he put bluntly.
"I honestly can't think of a reason that he should be staying here," Po added rather sarcastically, gosh he'd been hanging out with Red too much.
"Maybe you should be more worried about yourself than us," Tigress added quite sharply.
Po almost flinched at that comment. It'd been years since she'd directed her tone towards him like that.
'Oh yeah? Well maybe you should go back to the kitchen!' Red shot back with a cackle.
Po rolled his eyes, 'Red, we're in the kitchen.'
'Shut up! Let me have my moment.'
"Well unfortunately for you, since Shifu isn't currently here, I make the decisions. Not you! Not Crane! Not Mantis! And especially not that nitwit," Po pointedly returned with a gesture to Saber.
Saber's indignant 'hey!' was drowned out by a stream of arguments between Po and the Five, primarily Tigress.
"Why won't you listen?"
"Saber gets us into all the nightclubs, he can't leave!"
"Because there's no reasonable point to be made!"
"You're just being stubborn!"
"Saber is fun, why does he have to go?"
"This isn't something you can just decide by yourself!"
"What about his Congee?!"
"Last I checked it is!"
"Why are you doing this Po? Why?"
Po let loose a stomp that shook the room's floor, effectively quieting the room once more. The looks from everyone ranged from Viper's look of understanding, to Tigress's look of betrayal and animosity.
"One word...Daemon. Ok! He's the threat that I've been worrying about. He's why Shifu had to leave and possibly why Shifu hasn't returned yet! Meanwhile you guys have been relaxing and sipping back on margaritas!" he told them heatedly.
Saber opened his mouth to speak, but Po's look cut him off.
Directing his attention to the Five, Po continued, "Remember when I took Kai away to the Spirit Realm? Anyone remember that? That was the first time in my life, when I was genuinely afraid for not just my life, but you guys as well… The baddies are just getting worse and worse. We can't take our foot off the gas because we can't afford it…China can't afford it. We're the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior...we can bust criminals and thieves on a livelong day. But people like Tai Lung, like Shen, like Kai, like Daemon...they're the threats that we have to succeed against. And everytime we barely scrape our way past them…How were you guys planning on dealing with this next threat?"
Saber looked uncomfortable as he nervously tapped his foot on the floor, a mixture of guilt and shame riddling his features.
"By slacking off? By…taking training easy…By forgetting your responsibilities…By forgetting who you are? What you fight for? What you represent?" Po listed off in succession.
Tigress stood up out of her seat with a look of anger splayed across her face.
"After all we've done, we deserve to have some personal life! Saber has shown us how to live this past week. Everything will not collapse if we take a few days off!" she argued back with fiery passion.
Po shook his head in frustration, "You don't understand. I've had visions, depicting you guys dea…Listen, this isn't some rash decision. This isn't me being a killjoy. I'm preparing for the worst. Do you think it's a coincidence that Shifu hasn't returned when he should've by now? Do you think that huge bandit raid was just bad luck? Something is coming...someONE is coming," he said leaning across the table, at this point butting heads with the tiger master.
At this point everyone was out of their seats, as the tension in the air was so noticeable you could probably cut it with a steak knife. The two most capable warriors in the room were shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.
Saber was the one to try and extend an olive branch unsurprisingly. Moving the table slowly out of the way, the white tiger put himself between the two warriors, pushing them apart until they were two arms length away from each other.
"Hey guys! Let's not be hasty or say something we might regret," he calmly said with a nervous smile. Both warriors let loose a little tension, so at least they didn't look like they were about to start a brawl anymore. Behind them, Viper let loose a sigh of relief as she watched the interaction. Crane raised an eyebrow, never one for petty arguments. Monkey stood next to him curiously scratching his head.
Mantis of course was the only one to comment, "A little late for that," he muttered with a snicker. Viper gave him a dirty look, reminding herself to smack him upside the head later.
" I realize I may not have been the most...responsible guest in the world. So I can understand where you're coming from," Saber acknowledged, his attention turned towards Po.
"I'll pack and leave the palace. I can just rent an apartment or something down in the valley. And I'll try and stay out of your guys' affairs as much as I can," he placated with a smile.
Po let out a sigh and nodded, thankful that a solution had been met. However, the moment was ruined by Tigress who'd been silent up until this point.
"No."
Everyone's heads turned to the female master as a look of anger and determination was plastered across her face.
"You aren't going anywhere Saber. My boyfriend isn't going to be kicked out of the palace because Po's having nightmares and is paranoid," she stated her tone of voice firm.
She turned to the Dragon Warrior vehemently before poking him in the chest, "You are unbelievable. Where's your proof? Where's your evidence? All I see is a panda who's questioned himself his entire life and has had countless insecurities. And when someone like Saber comes along and is loved for his personality and who he is, you freak out! If anyone is leaving it isn't Saber! You better drop this before you regret it!" Tigress threatened, punctuated every word with her clawed finger.
'She's not saying what I think she's saying, right?' Red questioned in disbelief.
Po steeled his gaze as he glared back at her, "Are you implying that I'm the one who'll be kicked out? Because last I checked...that isn't within you authority Master Tigress."
'Wow! That was stupid of you...brave...but stupid,' Red laughed his voice laced with admiration.
'What do you mean? You say stuff worse than that all the time!' Po shot back.
'Yeah, but I don't go around telling people. Only you can hear me. So I can say whatever I want without any repercussions.'
Back to reality, Tigress let loose a mix between a growl and a huff. She was angry no doubt, but at this point the only thing fueling her aggression and anger was her pride and stubbornness. She was never one to lose an argument. And the next words out of her mouth were by all means words she couldn't take back.
"I might not have the authority panda, but I can tell you how I feel...I barely considered you a friend before and now all I see is a childish joke. You act as if you've matured but you still have your dumb action figures. You act like a 2 year old. And you get your nose out of joint when we hang out with someone we enjoy spending time with! If you weren't such a jerk I'd almost feel sorry for you. Get out of my sight! I never want to see your face again you fat panda!" she retorted in anger. As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to take them back and apologize, but she didn't. Po froze at her words. Was that how she really felt? He'd been demoted from love interest, to friend, to fat panda, in less than 24 hours. If his heart hadn't been broken before it was definitely shattered now.
"Is that really how you feel?" he muttered looking back at her in sadness.
Here was her moment to take it back. Tigress had the opportunity to repair the damage and save her relationship with him. Any type of apology would do, instead the words that left her mouth sealed the deal.
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" she growled, her pride winning over.
"No...No you don't," he muttered, before turning his back to them and exiting the kitchen. He was thankful that none of them could see the tears welling up in his eyes.
The Five stood in absolute shock at what had just occurred. Crane's jaw was on the floor. Monkey's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. Mantis had fainted. And Viper had a look of utter disbelief displayed across her features.
"That was a little harsh Tigress don't you-" Saber began before being cut off by his girlfriend's glare.
"No it wasn't-" Tigress managed before a shrill hiss cut her off.
"Yes it was! What were you thinking?" Viper spat in anger.
As the two female masters got into a heated argument, Saber slunk over to Crane.
"I'm gonna go talk to him. How long do you think those two will go at it?" he whispered, gesturing to the fiery debate between Viper and Tigress.
"Heavens knows...go find Po. He probably went to the Dragon Grotto or peach tree to cool off," he whispered back.
Nodding, Saber exited the kitchen as stealthily as possible. Thankfully, Tigress was too busy snapping at Viper to notice. The white tiger spent the next twenty minutes looking around the palace for the Dragon Warrior. Crane was wrong on both accounts. He wasn't at the Dragon Grotto. And he wasn't at the peach tree either. Not the Hall of Heroes, nor the Scroll room. Saber was about to give up until he saw the faint light coming from the barracks.
'He's probably going to bed. Sleep it off,' he thought in question.
Arriving at Po's room, he found the door wide open with the bear calmly placing a variety of items into a travel pack. He didn't seem angry, or sad, or anything. He was pretty emotionless. Honestly that was scarier than when he was fuming mad.
"Hey bud, umm...what are you doing?" Saber asked with a slight knock on the wood door to announce his presence.
Po had just finished zipping up his bag before throwing it over his shoulder and turning around. He came face to face with the tiger before sighing, "I'm leaving Saber."
Saber looked at him in silence before letting out a forced chuckle, "Very funny big guy. How about we talk and come to some kind of solution."
Po shook his head. This was the end of the line for him. Tigress hated his guts. Monkey and Mantis preferred Saber. Crane was indifferent. Viper cared, but she was only one person. And the whole valley was pissed at him for what he'd done to that gorilla bandit.
"There's nothing for me here Saber, and no talking is going to change that," he let out tiredly.
"But-" Saber was cut off.
"Listen. I can't keep doing this. I've lost all my usefulness. They can move forward without me. The Five were perfectly fine before me, and they'll do just fine after me," he said, pushing past the Siberian Tiger.
As the panda began his walk towards the barracks exit, Saber ran in front of him and blocked the way. Po halted, looking back at the tiger with a neutral expression.
"What about this Daemon guy? If you leave what's gonna happen?" Saber questioned in anxiety.
Po sighed, "Tigress was probably right. I'm just being paranoid. In fact she was right about everything. I'm insecure. You're literally perfect Saber. Everything about you is perfect, annoyingly so. They've found my replacement. You're everything I'm not and arguably better at most things I'm good at," he admitted with a humorless chuckle.
Saber looked as if he was shocked by this revelation, "Well, that's not true...you're much better...you can...you are...um" Saber rambled grasping at straws.
Po shook his head, a small smile albeit a sad one, adorning his features. As much as he wanted to dislike the tiger, there was no reason why he should. Maybe admitting that to himself was something that needed to be done.
Patting the tiger on his shoulder, Po sighed, "You're a good guy Saber. Take care of them. Of her."
With that he exited the barracks, leaving Saber standing alone. The Dragon Warrior slowly headed towards the exit of the Jade Palace grounds.
Saber stood quietly in the dim lighting of the barracks. He couldn't believe that'd just happened.
"It's a shame," he sighed with a huff.
With a few seconds, he walked over to his room. Opening and closing the door behind him. He strode over to his cot and withdrew his suitcase from underneath it before setting it on the bedside. Opening the luggage, he pulled out a remote-like device, pocketing it.
The white tiger pulled out several scrolls (past mercenary jobs that he'd completed). Looking through each, he finally came down to his most recently assigned one.
The scroll read:
Assignment #398
Reward: Decided upon mission completion
Target(s):
Master Monkey {Dead or Alive}
Master Viper {Dead or Alive}
Master Crane {Dead or Alive}
Master Tigress {Alive}
Master Mantis {Dead or Alive}
Master Shifu {Dead}
Saber let loose a toothy grin as he rolled up the scroll.
"It really is a shame."
Entering the kitchen, Saber found that Tigress and Viper had finally settled down and were now calming sitting at the kitchen table while the others chatted. Once he stepped into the room, Tigress's eyes shot up.
"He was in his dorm wasn't he?" she asked although it sounded more like a statement.
"He was," Saber said with a nod, answering her inquiry. Tigress shook her head, a mix of shame and bashfulness across her face.
"I'll apologize to him in the morning. He's probably angry," she concluded guiltily, staring down at the table.
Saber shook his head, "He's gone."
Tigress snapped her head back to him, "You just said he was in his room."
"I said 'was' not 'is'," Saber returned calmly.
Tigress took a second to process what he was saying before a look of fear emerged upon her face.
"What do you mean gone?" she demanded.
Saber sighed, "I mean he packed up and left."
Everyone looked shocked. Po was gone? He left? What were they going to do? Once Shifu returned and found out what happened, he would be livid. Tigress sprung out of her chair. She'd made a huge mistake. She needed to fix this.
"I have to find him," she fretted, about to dash for the door. The others rose from their chairs in unison, determined to find their friend. Saber rolled his eyes at their actions. He'd been hoping to string them along just a little bit further, at least until the old grandmaster had gotten back. Guess Plan B would have to do...curse his rotten luck.
"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," Saber said sarcastically, taking out the remote-like device from earlier.
The Furious Five turned back around in confusion as to what Saber meant. Saber gave them a look similar to one a parent would give to a child who was misbehaving, before aiming and pushing one of the buttons on the device.
Within seconds, the necklaces he'd gifted them a few weeks back began to glow a green hue. A few seconds after, the necklaces had completely immobilized the warriors. Although their bodies were frozen, their minds and mouths still worked perfectly.
"What the hell Saber?" Tigress let out in a combination of confusion and anger.
Saber walked up to his female counterpart and nibbled her ear, drawing a feral snarl from the kung fu master.
"Sorry babe. But business is business. I must thank you though. You've made my job SO much easier," he chuckled.
The others glared daggers at him, but Tigress looked as if she'd been struck by a cart.
"All those times we had together these past weeks, were just lies?" she muttered in disbelief.
Saber looked over to her and laughed.
"Of course not! I loved every second. Especially when you were on top. That was great," he replied smugly before caressing her cheek.
"Get your hands off me you disgusting animal!" Tigress berated him heatedly.
Saber laughed before backing off, "You didn't seem to mind the other night, kitten."
Crane and Viper looked absolutely flabbergasted. Monkey made a gagging face and began to turn an odd shade of green.
Mantis let out a sound of disgust, "Ew! Dude! Too much info!"
"BASTARD!" Tigress screamed in absolute fury. Once she got her hands on him, she'd rip off his arms and tail and shove them where the sun didn't shine, but not before she nailed him to a boulder and threw him down the Jade Palace Stairs...many...many times.
"I'll kill you! You pig!" she growled at him.
"I'm actually a Siberian Tiger...but close," Saber said matter-of-factly drawing a round of comments from the others.
"You're a fiend!"
"You dishonorable swine!"
"I can't believe I shared my almond cookies with you!"
"Haha that was a good one!"
The others turned their gazes as they glared at Mantis. The bug would've rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment if he could actually move.
"What? It was..." he grumbled half-heartedly.
The others grumbled at the insect's lack of dignity before focusing their gazes back at Saber, who was waiting patiently for them to finish.
"Are you done?"
"Yes?" Mantis stated/asked.
Viper hissed in irritation. When she was able to move again, Mantis was so dead for being such a moron.
"How did you freeze us?" Tigress all but demanded, finally regaining a smidgen of her dignity.
Saber tossed the device up in the air and caught it right in front of her face. This drew another growl from the female master.
"Well dearest since you asked so nicely...your necklaces are chi regulators, my boss lets me play with all the coolest toys. They restrict chi flow throughout your body and I can determine the effects," he gloated, motioning to the dial on the remote.
"Right now you're on level 1. This restricts almost all physical actions aside from talking as you all know," he said in a tone as if teaching preschoolers.
Turning the dial clockwise, Saber watched in fascination as the five lost function of their mouths. Peace and quiet.
"And now you can't talk," he stated in glee. He was almost jumping for joy at this point. Testing out new equipment was always so much fun. This was the first time he used the chi regulators in person. Turning the dial up to max, the necklaces began to glow even brighter until each pendant was as bright as a miniature green sun.
"And now I believe they are draining you chi permanently," Saber half stated, half guessed.
The five's eyes were wide open, the pain they were experiencing was unlike anything they'd ever felt. It was like they were being boiled alive, with needles being stuck through each individual nerve point in their bodies.
"Alright that's enough of that. I'm not that mean," Saber let out a chuckle, turning the dial back down to 1.
The five were panting as they once again regained the ability to use their mouths. If looks could kill Saber would be six feet under. Much to his fortune however, looks couldn't kill.
BOOOOM!
The sound of demolition reverberated throughout the palace. The others looked around in worry and confusion, while Saber smiled with a knowing look.
"Oh. The show's starting!" he exclaimed in excitement. He rushed over to Tigress picking up the female master and putting her over his shoulder.
"You guys don't mind if I borrow Tigress for a bit do you? She's not gonna wanna miss this," he laughed before exiting the kitchen leaving the others questioning where he was taking Tigress off to.
*The present*
"Y-you killed them?" Po stuttered in shock. He felt sick, he felt miserable, and a million other emotions that raged throughout his mind.
Daemon nodded with a sigh, "Every last one of them."
Po's gaze was transfixed on the blood stained necklace he cradled in his palms. His father was gone? Dim? Sum? Lei Lei? All of them…
Po blinked away tears that were quickly forming in his jade green orbs. Orbs filled with pain and misery unlike they ever had before.
"Dragon Warrior, I tell you this because I understand the feeling of loss. And now I offer you a chance that most people would die for," Daemon stated calmly, his hands folded in a neutral manner.
Po's gaze snapped up and in an instant his expression morphed from one of sorrow and pain, to a look of absolute hatred and fury. This bastard in front of him had killed his entire family...his race! He probably killed Shifu! He was a maniac!
"What the hell could you possibly offer me that I'd want!" Po raged, finally releasing his anger at the tiger.
Daemon smiled, as if he was expecting this reaction from the bear. Then again, he'd killed the Dragon Warrior's entire species. If he hadn't reacted this way, Daemon would have been shocked. And shocking him was no small feat.
"I offer you your life. I've done enough pointless killing to last me ten lifetimes. So leave. Live your life. In China. In India. Across the seven seas. I don't really care. Stay out of this Dragon Warrior," Daemon vowed, crossing his arms.
Po stood still a thousand thoughts swarming around his head. Thoughts about what would happen to the Five and Shifu. What about the valley? Everyone…
The soothsayer had warned him, she'd told him to leave. And Daemon was handing him his freedom...his life.
Po shook his head clear of these thoughts. How could he even consider this? How could he be so selfish? This bastard killed his entire race! And he was planning on killing millions more if he had his way! There was no other option. He had to stay and fight.
'We have to leave…' Red sighed quietly.
Po froze at this. Never in a million years would Po even think that Red, overconfident and prideful, would ever say those words.
'Are you insane? He needs to be stopped!' Po thought in anger.
'Po, I've been analyzing this guy the entire time you've talked,' Red warned.
'Yeah so?' Po thought in frustration.
Red was quiet for a few moments. Po finally began to think he'd gone away until the voice listed off,
'He's stronger than us. Faster than us. More experienced than us. More skilled than us. Has the farther reach. Outweighs us by sheer muscle mass. He's ambidextrous...Po he has no weaknesses,' Red admitted in defeat, almost a hint of fear.
'We've faced impossible odds before,' Po argued back.
'Not like this...If you stay...we WILL die,' Red finished quietly.
Po ignored the voice. Now was not a time for self doubt, especially in front of someone as formidable as Daemon.
"I can't leave. Not after everything you've done, and everything you will do. You need to be stopped," Po finally returned to the tiger, who'd been waiting in silence.
Daemon shook his head, he was expecting the Dragon Warrior to say this. What a waste of a generational talent. Now he'd have to dispose of him.
"If you do this...You'll force me to take everything from you. I mean EVERYTHING…" the hulking tiger forewarned, one last attempt to dissuade the panda.
Po wasn't budging. He'd made his decision, there was no backing down now.
"So be it," he growled at the enemy before him, getting into a fighting stance.
Daemon sighed in defeat, before withdrawing a small device from his pocket.
"You leave me no choice," he stated in finality before pushing the button on the device. There was a brief hesitation before a huge explosion shook the Jade Palace.
Po's eyes snapped to the direction of the mushroom cloud. The origin of the destruction seemed to have come from near the inner left side of the town...no...it couldn't be...not there.
"You're father, Ping, was the insurance policy Dragon Warrior. Your decision was the deciding factor," Daemon confirmed his worst fears.
Po shook in pain, anger, fear, and absolute rage. Daemon...he just took away the last family he had with the push of a button. He was going to suffer for that.
"YOU'RE DEAD!" Po screamed at him before rushing at the tiger at blinding speed. Without a moment's delay, he let loose a hellish right hook at the tiger's jaw, dislocating it. Not only that, but the force behind the blow ripped open the tiger's skin, spilling blood to the ground, and revealing the bone underneath. Saber was a little stunned by the hit, I'd been a while since someone had actually landed a hit on him. Before he could respond, Po followed up with a roundhouse kick to the tiger's side, breaking a few ribs in the process. Daemon was sent tumbling across the stone pavement of the training ground, before skidding to a halt. Po was on him in under a second, gripping his neck and smashing him face-first into the pavement several times. Po continued his brutal beat down before tossing the tiger several dozen meters up into the air and jumped up after him. On the way up Po hammered his fist into Daemon's face and sternum in rapid succession until they began to descend. As they began their fall back towards the ground, the Dragon Warrior took firm hold of both the tiger's wrists and twisted until there was an audible crack, almost surely dislocating the feline's shoulders. Crashing into the concrete floor, the two left a sizable crater. Smoke and dust spread out in a fog that covered the area. Everything was silent before Daemon was thrown out of the crater like a sack of rice. He landed in a heap, unmoving. Po rose from the crater, his eyes full of hatred. He strode over to the tiger before grabbing him by the tail and swept him around and launched him through the air, smashing through several stone pillars supporting the washing area to the right side of the training ground. The stone constructed edifice soon collapsed on itself due to the damaged pillars. The collapse of the building caused a noticeable tremor to reverberate through the ground.
Po stood breathing very heavily as he stood alone in the silence. That was it. It was over.
That was until the stone rubble began to shake before Daemon exploded out of the collapsed building, landing in a kneeling position.
Po was frozen in shock. How was that possible? And to make matters worse, the tiger, aside from his ripped clothes and soot covered fur, looked almost as good as new. The bruises that covered his body were fading in the blink of an eye. His shoulders snapped back into place. His skin on his previously deformed face was slowly mending itself back together as he let out a laugh.
"That was impressive Dragon Warrior. Your skills aren't exaggerated in the slightest. I can't remember the last time I've been beaten down that hard," Daemon gave a small chuckle, his deep voice echoing throughout the palace grounds.
His quiet laughter died down before he brought his hand up to his cheekbone, feeling his face. The only evidence of what had been a horrible injury was a small scuff with a few drops of blood dripping down his cheek.
"All that effort...for a scratch," he mused in wonder, rising to a standing position.
He didn't iterate a single word before exploding forward at a speed that caught even Po off guard. Daemon was upon the Dragon Warrior in seconds, striking the panda in the shoulder causing his left arm to go numb. Po grunted in shock as he lost function in his left arm before deflecting another jab from the tiger at the last second. Being at a one arm disadvantage usually wouldn't have been a problem for Po. Heck! He could wipe the floor with almost anybody with both hands tied behind his back. However, Daemon wasn't 'almost anybody'. He was really good. Frighteningly so.
Thankfully, after scrambling to hold his defense for just under a minute, feeling began to return to his arm. Once he regained full function, Po was able to hold his own. The duo continued to trade blows back and forth. Even to a trained expert's eye the two would have been almost unrecognizable blurs in motion. Each of them flawless in stance, perfect in timing, efficient in execution. However, after each strike Daemon would get faster, stronger, more precise. He was toying with him. And even so, his attacks began to break through the panda's defense. Every few strikes Daemon would land one. Po's list of injuries was growing longer and longer. Broken bones, dislocated joints, torn muscles, strained tendons...Po was beginning to lose ground, step by step. Sweat was freely flowing down the Dragon Warriors face as he blocked yet another deadly jab from his seemingly invincible opponent. Thinking fast, Po brought his hands together and clapped. The result was a bright flash of chi, temporarily blinding Daemon. This gave the bear a few precious seconds to catch his breath. Wheezing in a mix of pain and exhaustion, Po took a split second to analyze the tiger. What he realized made him more hopeless than he was before. Daemon hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, his breathing pace seemed as regular as when they'd been conversing ten minutes ago.
"Clever trick Dragon Warrior, but I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that," Daemon stated, surging forward once more.
And so Po did. The bear tried everything. Every fighting technique, every strike, every piece of knowledge he'd gained from the scrolls he'd read the past months. Each time Daemon answered with a simple and effective counter, almost as if he knew each and every move the panda had thrown at him. Po wouldn't be surprised if he did, and then some. Po was tiring and there was not a thing he could do about it. Daemon was just too good. He was more skilled than Tai Lung. More tactical than Shen. Stronger than Kai. He was unbeatable…
Yet another blow snuck through the Dragon Warrior's guard, shattering his collar bone. Po grunted in pain before trying a last ditch effort. He leg swept the tiger, who'd been expecting a grapple, and twisted his arm to a painful angle. His grip on the tiger's arm tightened as he lifted his pinky. This was it. This was his trump card. It hadn't worked with Kai because Kai had already been sent to the Spirit Realm. As far as Po knew, Daemon had never been there, so this was his only shot.
"Skadoosh," Po uttered almost in a prayer, before dropping his pinky. And to his utter dismay, much like Kai, nothing happened.
Daemon looked more annoyed than anything else. He quickly reversed the grip, before sending Po flying towards the edge of the training grounds with a heel kick.
"Sorry Dragon Warrior but that won't work on me. Not anymore," Daemon scolded him, walking up to the tired panda.
Po was tired...he was bloodied...bruised...sore...exhausted. He was knelt over on the ground, everything hurt. Po coughed in pain, blood spilling out of his mouth...probably from a collapsed lung.
"You had my intrigue before we ever met Po. But you have my respect now," Daemon revealed, using Po's name for the first time, as he looked down at the broken warrior before him.
Po laughed, before stopping prematurely because of the sharp pain that shot through his abdomen, most likely the result of a few broken ribs.
"Guess I can cross that off the bucket list of things that don't give a fuck about," Po shot back. Internally he scoffed. He'd really been talking with Red too much.
Daemon ignored the jab and dropped his hands to his side.
"I'll give you one last chance, Dragon Warrior...I offer you your freedom and your life. Make your next decision wisely," he stated in finality.
Po looked up at his enemy in pain. Daemon sighed as the panda furiously shook his head before attempting to rise. Po's muscles and joints screamed in protest as he rose to his feet to face Daemon. The deadly tiger stood patiently waiting as he observed his opponent shakily rise to his feet. Po trembled at the effort he was exerting to stay up and on his feet.
"I-I guess I don't know when to quit," Po muttered, raising his hands into a fighting stance.
Daemon sighed, "I guess you don't."
Without hesitation, Daemon sent a series of strikes towards the bear. So exhausted, Po barely blocked the first before the last several hammer blows hit their mark, sending him to the ground. His vision was foggy as he stared up at the tiger. Daemon looked at him in almost a sense of pity, unscathed and unbothered. He'd looked comfortable throughout the entire fight, never once faltering...except once. When Po had used the chi flash against him it seemed to off put the tiger, almost as if he was afraid of it.
'Wait that's it! Chi! He's weak against Chi!' Red burst urgently.
Po's tired eyes grew wide as he came to the realization. The panda quickly closed his eyes in concentration, storing every last bit of his available Chi into his right fist. This was his last ditch effort. If this didn't work, he was screwed.
Daemon, curious as to why Po had stilled and closed his eyes, drew nearer to the immobile panda. As quick as a viper's strike, Po's eyes snapped open before he delivered a Chi saturated punch into Daemon's sternum. The entire training court was lit up in a bright yellow flash. Seconds later, the crash of a body came from a dozen meters away as Daemon's body lay still, smoke rolling off him, a sizable blackened burn mark across his chest. And it wasn't healing.
As if on cue, the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder followed shortly.
Boooooom!
Soon a few droplets of water began to fall out of the sky. Within a minute the droplets turned to sheets as the downpour of cold rain began to grow. Po was soaked in the freezing shower as he continued to stare at the unmoving body of Daemon. It'd been nearly five minutes and the tiger still hadn't moved a muscle. It worked. He'd done it. He'd-
His heart dropped as he thought he saw the tiger twitch. Maybe it was just a muscle spasm?
After a moment, Po's hopes were dashed. Daemon slowly rose to his feet, although not without discomfort. The tiger examined his chest as the mark began to fade, albeit at a very slow rate. Daemon's gaze soon fixed on the laying Dragon Warrior a dozen meters away.
"Remarkable Dragon Warrior...If you'd been at full strength that might have succeeded," he admitted thoughtfully.
He slowly strode over to Po, who was trying to get to his feet. Seizing the bear by the neck Daemon pinned him to the ground. There was only one thing left to do.
"Chi has been a constant threat to my overall goal. You are one of the very last with the ability to use it. But not anymore," he finished promptly.
Daemon subsequently brought back his fist and unleashed his most powerful strike yet directed at the bear's upper spine near his neck.
Wham!
Crack!
"Ahhhhhh!" Po screamed in agony as he felt one of his selected vertebrae snap.
Daemon quickly hammered another blow into his mid spine.
Wham!
Crack!
"Stop! Please!" Po broke down in pain.
Daemon's face was set in determination as he hammered his final blow into the Dragon Warrior's lower back.
Wham!
Crack!
"Agghhh!" Po let out a guttural bellow.
Daemon let out a deep sigh as he released the panda from his death grip. Po couldn't form words as his voice caught in his throat, a mix between a sob of pain, terror, and misery.
"I've just destroyed the three points in your nervous system that allow for Chi use and manipulation. It's over," Daemon informed in resolution.
He calmly stepped over the immobile panda walking a few paces to the stone fence that was a barrier between the training ground and the deadly drop down to the rocky terrain, thousands of meters below. With a swift punch, Daemon obliterated the obstacle leaving the gaping cliff drop open to the training ground.
"This is the end Dragon Warrior. You will not survive. And even if by some miracle you do, you are no longer a threat to me," he avowed with a swift nod towards the drop behind him.
Walking forward, Daemon gripped the bear by his leg slowly dragging him towards the edge with a solemn look across his face.
Po was defeated, hopeless, alone. Daemon was right...it was over for him. He was on the verge of accepting his fate until his eye caught sight of something that made his heart jump.
Tigress watched in horror as the hulking tiger tore apart the Dragon Warrior easier than she thought was possible. Po had always been unbeatable, the best, always finding a way out. Not this time, he was out of time and out of luck.
She couldn't stand to see this. Every fiber of her being screamed in agony at being unable to help him as Daemon relentlessly beat him senseless. However she couldn't, Saber's Chi regulator made sure of it. All she could do was hope and pray to the gods above that Po somehow could pull through. She couldn't refrain from the look of horror that plastered itself across her face as she witnessed Daemon expertly break Po's spine in multiple places.
"POOOOO!" she screamed in agony as she watched his motionless form lay on the ground. But no matter how hard she screamed he couldn't hear her from across the grounds due to the pounded rain and howling winds.
Watching as the huge tiger broke down the stone barrier, she realized what he was doing. As he strode forward and grabbed Po's leg she screamed once more,
"STOP! STOP! PO! PO! PLEASE!"
"Will you shut up, this is the best part!" Saber grumbled in annoyance, muting her with the remote.
Tigress could only watch in horror as her best friend , someone who had always stood by her regardless of her treatment of him, neared death. And she couldn't do a single thing about it.
Po caught sight of Tigress standing across the palace grounds several dozen meters away. If he'd been in better condition and more aware, he may have seen Saber standing in the shadows to her left, but alas he wasn't.
"TIGRESS! TIGRESS! HELP ME!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, even though every word he said sent a stabbing pain throughout his body.
To his shock and dismay, Tigress didn't move a muscle, she didn't even say anything back. She just stood there staring at him. Was she still angry at him? This couldn't be happening! He needed her!
"TIGRESS PLEASE! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! PLEASE!" he begged in pain and terror as Daemon neared the edge.
Seconds away from his death, Po gave her a pleading look. And in return he received a blank stare, not a care in the world.
Tigress's heart felt as if it'd been stabbed multiple times as she heard Po call out to her in pain and misery. She couldn't do anything but stare blankly as the Dragon Warrior finally gave up.
"Y'know this is some next level Romeo and Juliet shit right here," Saber acknowledged as he chewed on a piece of jerky.
Tigress wanted to plug her ears, either that or kill the Siberian tiger, unfortunately neither of those options were viable at the moment.
"You're probably gonna die alone never knowing if he liked you or not," he began.
Tigress's lips trembled at his statement. This couldn't be the end...could it?
"But he's got the worst of it. Because he's gonna die alone, not only being unaware if you love him or not, but thinking that you hate him," he offered dramatically, taking a chunk out of his jerky.
Tigress looked on in realization. This was all her fault. She had no one to blame except herself. Po was going to die...and because of her, he was going to die alone, in pain, and miserable.
Tigress stared as Daemon finally released Po's limp body. She couldn't do anything. Tears streamed down her face as she stood in the cold and rain in silence. Her heart broken.
What she learned later on would torment her for the rest of her life and then some. The truth was...Saber had turned off the Chi regulator minutes earlier. Tigress could've tried to save Po at any time when he was calling for her...begging for her. But her instincts had been fooled, she'd just stood there and let it happen….
And she'd never forgive herself for it.
*Minutes earlier*
Seconds away from death Po came to a realization. He'd been an outcast his entire life. Alone, bullied, tormented because of his looks and personality. Anyone who'd ever given a shit about him had ended up dead. Maybe this was for the better. Everyone hated him...and the few that didn't, paid the price for it. His final thoughts were interrupted as Daemon picked him up and dangled him over the cliff drop.
"This is the end Dragon Warrior...I wish you peace in this life, and the next," Daemon consoled, releasing him and letting the once infallible warrior fall into the dark depths of the rocky valley below.
Po couldn't help but let a few tears escape as he plummeted into the darkness below. The wind whipping past his ears was almost deafening. As he closed his eyes and accepted his inevitable fate, a final thought was on his mind.
She didn't care...none of them did.
A/N: That's the end for now. Hope you guys enjoyed the rather speedy update. Having an abundance of free time can do that to a person. This was a fairly crazy chapter. Leave any feedback or questions in the comments if you want. I'll catch you guys in the next update.
Frost2001 Out!