Chapter 24: Bravest of Us All

By the time Mulan and the other Pandemonium Gang members reached the Tong Shou restaurant, it was in shambles. Concerned, Shang told Ling Chien-Po and Yao to look for any traces of his father while Mulan helped. She noticed burn marks everywhere, but no visible bodies. Then Mulan's heart sank when she found a ragged doll with black hair. Meanwhile, Chien-Po had emerged from the basement (which was accessed by a hidden door) holding a hat with two long feathers protruding from it.

"The General…" Chien-Po murmured, giving the hat to Shang.

Solemnly, Shang took the hat from Chien-Po's hands. Then he made his way up a flight of stairs to the balcony of the second floor. There, he unsheathed a traditional Chinese sword he'd been carrying this whole time and stabbed it into the carpeted floor (or what little remained of it). Once this was done, Shang placed the hat on the sword's hilt.

"If the Huns did this the night before, then they're moving quickly," Shang stated, addressing his men down below. "We'll make better time to the Imperial Hotel through the Tong Shou neighborhood! Otherwise, the Emperor will be at their mercy. Now move out!"

In a flash, the men cleared out of the restaurant. Mulan hesitated, and ran up to the balcony where she placed the doll at the base of the newly planted sword.

###

Outside, Shang ordered the men to leave their cars inside a series of warehouses that belonged to Pandemonium and remove their license-plates in case the police found them. Though Mulan was more reluctant to do this, she still did it while Mushu hid inside her coat in serpent form. But as they set out through the Tong Shou neighborhood, which was unusually quiet, Mulan couldn't help but feel like they were being watched. Then all of a sudden, a shot rang out causing everyone to scatter into the nearby alleys. From her position, Mulan noticed Shang's arm was bleeding though he seemed to be ignoring it. A few more shots rang out, causing some fireworks outside a shop to explode.

"Save the fireworks!" Shang ordered. "If we get them out, the place won't catch fire!"

So Mulan and several of the men bravely went into the shop and removed as many fireworks as they could. But as more shots rang out, they were forced to leave with Yao holding onto a large dragon-shaped one that was almost as tall as he was. Taking cover, the shop began to catch fire as several tall figures appeared from the opposite end of the street. One figure, though, was slightly taller than the others with a falcon perched on his shoulder.

"Prepare to fight," Shang said, taking out his handgun. "If we die, we die for honor!"

While the others did the same, Mulan hesitated to pull out the handgun she had been issued after being recruited. Looking between the burning shop and the firework Yao was preparing to aim at the tall figures, an idea suddenly came into her mind. So Mulan ran over to Yao, took away his firework, and went into the nearby building. She then ran up the stairs and emerged onto the roof. It was here that Mulan aimed the firework at the burning shop and attempted to light the fuse with a lighter she took from home along with her father's letter.

Unfortunately, the falcon seemed to notice her and took to the air. Frustrated with the lighter, Mulan grabbed Mushu and forced him to breathe fire onto the fuse. In a matter of seconds, the firework flew straight at the burning shop causing it to explode. While Mulan grinned, she also felt something rush past her and saw the falcon flying behind her. Once it was gone, Mulan got off the roof through a fire escape. On the street, the tall figures had been knocked down while Shang and the others seemed to be all right apart from being a little shaken up.

"Ping," Shang began. "You are the craziest guy I've ever met!"

Mulan said nothing in response.

"But I owe you my life," Shang finished as he took Mulan by the hand, so she helped him to his feet in the process.

"Let's cheer for Ping, the bravest of us all!" Ling shouted.

The other men cheered in response, causing Mulan to grin a little. But her brief moment of happiness was ruined when a sudden pain in her side caused her to kneel down.

"What is it, Ping?" Shang asked, looking concerned.

Taking her hand away from her side, Mulan saw blood.

Making a sharp gasp, Shang turned to the advisor who had been traveling with them this whole time. "He's wounded! Get help!"

As the pain grew worse, Mulan's eyelids drooped and her vision faded.

###

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed, Mulan looked and saw Shang standing in the doorway of the room she was in. As she raised herself up, the blanket that was covering her chest fell revealing the bandages she had been wearing. This made Shang give her an odd look.

Realizing what had just happened, Mulan pulled the blanket up. "I can explain."

But Shang walked away as the advisor came in and dragged her out of the room into the street where the men were. Nighttime had fallen and the lamps were already lit.

"I knew there was something wrong with you!" The advisor claimed, wearing a large blue robe and matching hat that covered his entire head. He then turned to the men. "This is not a man, gentlemen, but a woman!"

As the advisor removed the blanket from Mulan's body, she realized her underwear was gone and used both hands to cover up her privates.

While the men stared at her, she turned to Shang who wasn't looking. "My name is Mulan. I joined your gang to save my father, by pretending to be a man."

The advisor scuffed. "A likely story! That doesn't explain the girl you claimed was yours."

"She was just someone I picked up on the way to the Dojo," Mulan explained. "I had her pretend to be my girlfriend to fool you guys."

"So you admit to being a treacherous snake?" The advisor frowned.

"It was the only way!" Mulan claimed. "Otherwise, my father would've died! Please, you've got to believe me!"

Kneeling onto the cold concrete street, Mulan bowed towards Shang causing him to look down at her. In response, Shang took out his handgun and aimed it at her forehead. While the men stood frozen still, Mulan's head bowed lower. But when a shot didn't follow, she saw Shang putting his gun away.

"I'm not sure if I believe your story, but I don't consider myself cruel enough to shoot an unarmed woman," Shang murmured.

Then as Shang ordered his men to leave, Mulan was left alone in the street. Meanwhile, Mushu emerged from the house of the unlicensed doctor that healed Mulan's wound and placed the blanket on top of her hunched body. Together, the two of them wandered back through the Tong Shou neighborhood till they found the warehouses. After Mulan found her car, she turned on the ignition and drove back towards home.

End of Chapter 24