Chapter 2
Learning and growing
Waking up was hell on wheels as not only did I wake to a loud gong in the distance but also having a stick hit my head. Looking at the little fucker called Shifu, who I really hated right now, who hit me I growl a little in annoyance before standing in the hall. Shifu was smiling at me like he was hoping I would learn from this even as I imagined several different ways to kill this little fucking fuzz ball called a master. Tigress still seems like an asshole to as she glares at me even as I take a step back from her. Shifu seems happy about something as he looks into Po's room which seems empty. It looks like the fat panda had left and probably because of Shifu being an ass-hat as he seemed to always be.
Everyone seems to follow Shifu as viper asked Shifu a question which I heard nothing of as I walked a little behind everyone as I pulled out my I-pod and put the ear buds in as I started listening to a song called Bring Me To Life by Evanescence which helped my mood. As I listened to it and not caring about what they were doing I kept walking up the steps and almost bumped into Tigress as we stop at a set of doors which Shifu opens and I see a funny sight before me.
The panda is doing strange splits on two bamboo shoots and seems to be stuck. I cover my mouth to hide my laughter as I watch Crane go over and help the very stupid panda get out of there. Shifu looks angry at the panda which is not a surprise as he throws two tiles up into the air and snaps his fingers. Tigress jumps like a dog told to bark up into the air and kick both tiles breaking them into shards which fall down upon the panda and one even hits me causing me to speak.
"Fucking hell! Watch it will you ass-hole!" I state angrily as Tigress looks at me and growls causing me to flip her the finger as I walk a distance away and sit down. I was too tired, to mad, and to scared to do this shit with these people. The only one who actually seemed kind and who talked to me was viper and she could kill me just by squeezing me a little.
I watch as Po gets his ass handed to him on a stick as the furious five seem to be trying to put him in the hospital if they have one. Finally Shifu does some twirl stuff while looking as if about to murder the panda before kicking him out the door and down the long, long stairs. He then and looks at me as if he wants me to try.
I answer him as simply as I can as I pull my ear buds out of my ears and put them into my pocket, "Fuck you! I am not doing that shit. I would die unlike the damn panda. I am no way in hell gonna even try yet as I know anything like that could kill me."
He raises an eyebrow at this before disappearing causing me to sigh only to find myself in pain as he holds my ear and pulling my music player out of my pocket to take away from me as he says, "Do not yell at your master."
I smack him away hitting him right in the face as I say, "Screw off fluffy. I don't have a master. I am not like your little kitten over there that has a leash saying pet on me. Now leave me alone."
I turn around to head off when I get pounced on from behind and am flat on the dirt with a growling tiger on top of me as she says, "Respect master Shifu or it could end your life."
My only reply to that beyond the pain in my now flattened body is, "Fuck you cat. I am not a student here and will not be. I am no one's slave anymore. Now get off me before I shove my foot up your ass."
She growls and I think I am about to die when she goes flying off to land next to the other four as Shifu, who had taken her off me, says, "You got spirit and guts young child but you need to learn from that. Next time I may let Tigress do as she wishes to you."
Wish a growl I get up and dust myself off angrily as I fix my clothing and grab my I-pod away and earphones as I start to walk off saying, "Fuck you fuzzy. You see me like you do the fat panda which you just kicked out the door. You want me gone but guess what I can't. So fuck you, fuck tigress, and fuck everything. I'm going for a walk in hopes of being happy unlike you."
I walk for some time with tears on the edge of my vision and my mind full of anger and sadness until I find myself at the tree again. I don't know why but this tree feels peaceful to me and seems to cause all my problems to go away. The sky is dark out and I feel a little better now that I had time to cool off. I look towards my room to see the shadow of the panda looking like a porcupine for some reason which would make me laugh if my mind was not elsewhere. After a bit of sitting there looking at the sky I feel calm enough to think clearly. I stand slowly and turn around to walk away as Oogway heads to the tree slowly with his lantern and his walking stick.
Oogway stops and looks at me saying, "Calm your soul and maybe your heart will follow. Remember what your father has taught you and you may find happiness long forgotten. The past can easily be replaced if you so wish it. Look at this place as a new home and family and if you want it enough you may find yourself wanting to stay."
With those simple words he walks away leaving me stunned as I look at this wise turtle with a smile before I head to my room watching as Shifu runs past. I come to my room and open the door to find Viper inside which makes me stop in my tracks. Viper is coiled up on my bed just lying there looking at my music player when I open the door.
Viper sees me and says in a kind voice, "I was looking for you young one. I was hoping you would join us for some food at supper before we sleep tonight."
I blink a few times before saying with a smile at her, "I would love to but I do not fit in here. I am going to just go to sleep."
She looks at me from where she is coiled up on my bed and asks, "What troubles you? You seem quite unlike your usual self. It is as if your inner self is in turmoil."
I sigh as I walk over to the bed and sit down beside her saying, "I have no clue where I am, who you people are, or even what is going on. I am treated almost like the panda and he knows as much of kung fu as I do. Why would I not feel out of place here?"
Her eyes show kindness as she smiles which shows she has no teeth and says, "Well I can explain things to you if you want. You are at the Jade Palace where the furious five who live with Master Shifu and Master Oogway. I am Viper and I work with Tigress, Mantis, Monkey, and Crane as pupils to Shifu. Po is the supposed Dragon Warrior, so we were told but we are unsure if that is true yet, and we protect the Valley of Peace which is below us. What is your name child and what of your life?"
I sigh as I start to talk, "My name is Nate Lawson. I am human and I lived in America for 18 years of my life. I am an adult and not a child like you all seem to think. I lived with my father, step-mother, and step-brother in a small house in the middle of the big city. My life was simple as a student at school and as a worker at a restraint called Dairy Queen. I lived day to day holding onto life even when it seemed bleak and black as death. I was watching a show about kung-fu when an accident happened and I blacked out. Next thing I know I wake and find myself on this bed where I saw all of you."
She looks at me and listened to my tale with interest in her eyes as she asks, "What was the show you were watching? It sounds like you might know some things about kung fu if you were watching it. What was the tale about?"
I answer simply, "It was about you guys. I watched the show as everything happened to the point where Oogway spoke about the Dragon Warrior. I saw how the jail where some guy named Tai Lung or something like that was imprisoned and how he was breaking out and was on his way here. He seemed very strong as he fought over 1000 warriors in the jail and broke free."
Her eyes go wide asking, "How do you know this? It is impossible to go there without permission."
I reply in a calm voice, "The tail was old. It was from made years before I watched it. I was just hearing it for the first time when I collapsed. I am pretty sure I also died since I had some shelves fall on me."
She smiles saying, "Well we will worry about that when it happens. It is never a good idea to worry about things that will come to pass. We need to worry about now and not then to be able to live every day to the fullest. Please come with me and eat with us."
I nod and am lead by her to the dining area where everyone is sitting as Po is making noodles making me groan. I never mentioned this but my Step-mother made me lots of noodles for three meals a day which really made me hate them. I look at the bowl of noodles the panda is making and look around hoping for a different food. Having hated noodles because of having it so much I decided to learn to cook and damn was I a fast learner when hungry.
Finding what I needed just by looking about I smile and say, "umm panda guy? I don't need the noodles. I will make my own food."
He looks at me strangely as I grab some potatoes, eggs, a strange meat (probably not animal they know because that would be just wrong), and some cheese and I start to make what we Americans like to call a breakfast bowl which originated from the south. As I cook I find a ladel of sorts made of thin metal and bend it into a spoon like shape even though it was a little big and keep cooking. Making this with ease and happily having food I like I soon find myself with a good amount in a bowl as I sit down and start to eat it while all the others look at me with raised eyebrows and in some cases with a crooked head.
Po finally asks, "What is that dish? I have never seen it or smelled it before."
The others all nod except tigress, who like usual seems to eager to be her usual self ,as I say, "It's called a breakfast bowl. It has everything needed to keep the body healthy and strong and also very tasty when you add sauces. I used to eat this a lot when tired of the noodles my step-mother always made me. No offense but noodles and I hate each other after a year of eating it."
Po reaches a hand out and tries to grab my food but using my reflexes I learned from keeping my food out of my step-brothers hands comes in handy since it was almost a constant battle to keep my food safe. I quickly bring the knife down next to his hand and a foot next to his face as I say "Touch my food and pay panda. No one touches my food without asking first."
He then asks politely as he almost looks shocked along with everyone else, "can I try a bite?"
With a sigh I put my foot down and grab a smaller ladle which I bend and turn into a spoon to set to the side since viper seemed to be having trouble with the chop sticks as I say, "Use your chopsticks but I am using my spoon for this."
The panda takes a few pieces of it and takes a bite asking, "Where did you learn this? This stuff is great!"
I had never seen a panda so excited as I say, "I taught myself how to cook at a young age. Dad was never home and mom never cared so I learned to cook and survive."
Viper asks, "May I try a bite?" I look over and they all seem to be hungrily staring at the food and surprisingly even tigress who was making a small growling sound almost like a purr.
I sigh and point to the small pan saying, "I got some extra in there if you want. Since you don't got hands to use Viper, I would like to ask if I may help you by letting you use this extra spoon."
Viper's eyes are wide at this making me think I may have said something wrong before she puts my fear away saying in her usual kind voice, "That would be very nice of you to do. No one has ever noticed before but I do have problems eating. Go ahead"
I scoop up a spoon full of it with the extra spoon I had made and bring it to viper's mouth letting her take a bite as I put the spoon spoon back beside mybowl and ask, "How is it?"
She seems to chew for a bite before saying in a very surprised and joy filled voice, "This is delicious! How could someone so young have such talent at cooking?"
I shrug since I just made food without thinking at times saying, "I just cooked daily. I was used to cooking for myself and never went out to eat at restaurants so I grew used to eating my own food. If you guys had more eggs I could make a country omelet with tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cheese, and even some ham."
She looks at me with pure joy asking, "Can we try that next time? Maybe you can even get me one of these things you use to help me made a little smaller."
I shrug saying, "No problem for me. It would be just like home if maybe a little different since I was always alone there."
I sigh and then scoop up another bite and eat it and turn just enough away to see viper blushing and tigress for some reason. I shrug it off as I keep eating and watching as Po sips his noodle soup and sets his bowl down which almost makes me laugh as a noddle is stuck on his upper lip making him look like Master Shifu. Everyone giggles a little making Por look about confused as he asks, "What?"
Mantis is the first to reply as he says, "nothing…Master Shifu."
Por looking down and figuring out the noodle was there as everyone laughs and says as he gets up on his feet, "You will never be the Dragon Warrior if you don't lose 500 pounds and brush your teeth!"
Almost everyone is laughing except Tigress and me since I hear footsteps coming closer which was probably Shifu as Po continues, "What is that noise you are making? Laughter? I have never heard of it!"
Looking behind Po I see Shifu as Po grabs two bowls to put above his head like ears and says, "Work hard, panda, and someday you will have ears like mine."
Everyone is still laughing as Mantis says "That is good."
Everyone then notices Shifu behind Po and stops laughing as they look shocked.
Po not understanding why they stopped laughing says, "Ears. It's not working for you? I thought they were pretty good."
Monkey tries to save Po as he whispers, "It's Shifu!"
Po being stupid as usual doesn't understand as he says, "Of Course it's Shifu. What do you think I'm doing?"
Monkey points to Po's right at Shifu making Po turn and look causing him to jump a little and to put the two bowls on his chest making it look like he has boobs which causes everyone to laugh except Shifu, Tigress, and me.
Shifu seems angry as he asks, "You think this is funny? Tai Lung has escaped and you're acting like children!"
Po looks a little scared and asks, "What?" as if he didn't hear that right.
Shifu continues to explain, "He is coming for the Dragon Scroll, and you are the only one who can stop him."
Po thinks this is a joke making me want to smack him as he says, "And here I was saying you got no sense of humor. I'm gonna stop…Tai Lung"
It finally seems to come to him like a bowling ball to the face as he asks, "What? You're serious? And I have to…?"
For a few seconds it looks like he is having a heart attack or an aneurism as his brains tries to understand this before he comes up with something and says, "Master Oogway will stop him, like he did before."
I then see Shifu tap Oogway's walking stick on the ground making his next works strike hard, "Oogway can not! Not anymore."
Everyone gasps as I sigh with a small, "Well Shit."
Shifu turns to look at the Furious Five as he says, "Our only hope is the dragon Warrior."
I get up and leave knowing Tigress will start to get pissed at this news. I head out of the kitchen as I throw my spoon to Viper and say, "Here. You might wanna eat before you head out."
She seems surprised at first before nodding as I head out past Shifu as he argues with Tigress. I sigh at having just heard of another death of someone I just started to know before I shake my head and say to myself, "Get some sleep man. You got a long day tomorrow with whomever is here. Opening my door I enter and start to get ready for bed as I stretch my muscles and loosen up before going to bed. Lying down on my bed I close my eyes knowing tomorrow will be difficult to bear with since today was bad.
