A/N: Whew….I can't even begin to tell you how crazy this week has been. On top of riding across three different states in a bus, I have also lost quite a bit of sleep and gained a really bad head cold. AND to make matters worse, pretty much everywhere I went had probably the worst wifi I have ever seen.
I originally had this chapter yesterday but it was really rushed and weak and I wanted to tweak it and add more detail before I tried to post it. Also, beware of grammar mistakes. I'm trying to catch them all (hehe pikachu) but I am so sleep deprived that I am slightly loopy.
Enjoy this chapter! I should be completely finished with the story by the end of the weekend (illness pending). Love you guys, and thanks for understanding.
Try as she may to find her comrades, Tigress just couldn't shake the guards that seemed to be coming from everywhere.
She would jog around a corner and two more soldiers would come at her, swords drawn. She would easily dispose of them, only to come into contact with more around the next bend.
'Po?" She called. She jogged ahead from her latest victims and almost ran smack into her friend as he came around a corner.
"Hey, glad I found you." His hands remained on her arms long after she was steadied, but she didn't mind. "Viper came to warn us."
"Good, I'm happy she got there safe. Where are she and Crane?" Tigress scanned the area over his shoulder, checking for any soldiers or any sign of their friends,
"Still over by the bell tower. Come on." He took her hand and she followed him back towards where the others were waiting.
"I see you guys had some fun." She commented, looking at the several unconscious soldiers that littered the pavement. Viper glanced up from where she was gathering bodies and binding their hands and feet.
"Yeah. Glad you made it out okay.I thought you would lose your head." Tigress shot her younger sister a glare and the dark-headed girl laughed.
Ti helped Viper shove the men into the bell tower and shut the door. She was about to suggest they find somewhere to lay low when someone shouted "Over here!" and at least fifty men entered the square near the tower.
As Viper, Crane, and Tigress began to take their fighting stances, Po held his hand up. "Wait." They stood normally once more, waiting and shooting him confused glances.
As more men entered the square, they did not move.
"Who are you?" Called one of the soldiers.
"Silence." Stated a second voice, and a man wearing a general's armor entered through the ranks."You do not speak unless I strictly ask you to." He scolded, practically hissing, towards the young man. He turned back to the four masters standing patiently. "Who do we have here?"
"Nobody. We were just passing through." Po replied. "We are simple travelers."
"Simple travelers? Is that why twenty of my men lay unconscious a quarter of a li from here?" Although the man's voice remained calm, his eyes held a threatening glare.
Po cast a glance to Tigress, surprise on his features, and she met his eyes for a brief moment before turning back to the general.
"In my defense, sir, they attacked first." Her voice was almost sickly sweet. "What's a girl to do?" After she said it, she could tell that the other two warriors had caught on. Tigress and Po were merely stalling. There were maybe two hundred soldiers facing them now, swords in hand. There was no getting out of this situation without help. Seeing as how Shifu had not yet come back, they were on their own.
The general chuckled, but his harsh gaze did not falter. "Perhaps, you should explain that to the Emperor. Round them up men."
As the soldiers began pushing forward, Tigress heard the unmistakable sound of horse hooves in the distance. "Thank Buddha." She said, and then surprised the man currently binding her hands with a kick to the groin. The others sprung into action, too, fighting back soldiers as best they could. When the Masters Wolfe, Croc, and Ox arrived, the rest of the soldiers were taken care of quickly.
"How, exactly, did you get yourselves into this mess?" Ox asked, one eyebrow raised. He glanced around at the groaning and moaning soldiers that littered the street.
"Long story. We-" Tigress stopped, listening," Hey boys and girls, looks like we may have more company." They were beginning to hear the horses as well. The seven of them got into their stances.
"That's…That's Shifu?" Po said, voice mixed with surprise and happiness. Confusion also lingered when he saw the Mongolin general riding alongside.
When they stopped their horses, the general only gaped at the streets around him. Shifu glanced briefly as well, but saved his surprise, and praise, for later.
"I see you recruited some help." Shifu nodded at the three masters of Gongmen. "A pleasure to see you three again."
"The pleasure was ours, Master Shifu. We do have to return to our city, but please call if you should see any problems." Shifu nodded to Wolfe in reply and the three gentlemen returned to their equines.
"I see your students are quite capable, Shifu." The General looked around in quiet puzzlement. "I am glad this was taken care of before it got out of hand. We wouldn't want a unnecessary war on our hands." He held out his hand, and Shifu shook it good-naturedly.
"Master?" Viper looked to the older man to explain.
"That, there, is the lead commander of the Mongolian army. He has agreed to open an investigation into the Empress' actions. For now, the five of us will return to the Imperial city and await their verdict. Until then, as far as I know, the Mongolian Empress is being kept at her winter estate." He replied. He then sighed, seeing their apprehension. "There is no more we can do than return. We must trust them to do their jobs."
"Well, then, let's go home." Po said softly. He glanced to Tigress, and then their master. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."
That seemed to momentarily break the tension. As the others began the walk back to the city gates, Po hung back so he could wrap his arm around Ti's waist and kiss her temple.
He jogged to catch up with the others, and so did she, and they prepared for the road ahead.
A/N: Hey guys. Found out I have strep throat which, of course, is EXACTLY how I wanted to spend my Spring Break (sarcasm intended). Ah oh well. More writing time for me. Two more chapters left.
See ya!