Chapter 4

"M-mother…?" Viper and the others gaped at Tigress, who had looked away in shame.

Xue Hu smirked. "What…? You didn't tell them…?" He asked, mockingly. "They're supposed to be the closest people to you…and you've kept this hidden from them?"

"It wasn't a burden for them to bare…" Tigress growled.

"Not their burden to bare…? A burden…? Is that what you thought of me?! Is that why you left me to die?! You left me and you knew father was confined!"

"He took you and then he was captured after he kidnapped you! There was no way for me to find you!" Tigress pleaded.

"Lies…you left me to die…just like you left father to die…" Xue Hu narrowed his eyes at her.

"How could I not?! He left the temple and made an enemy out of everyone!"

"Yet you didn't try and get be back…" Xue Hu balled his fists.

"He was too strong…there was no way I could get you back! I was only…" Tigress froze in mid-sentence. She had never told or talked to anyone about her past. She herself just wanted to forget it all, which was the reason for her intense training leading up to the present day. The mere thought of it shamed her.

"You were…what…?"

"I was…only 14 when he took you…there was no way I was strong enough to get you back…"

"F-fourteen…?!" The others were stunned. Being so young and have already with a child. And not only have a child, but having Tai Lung's child…

"Even so…you abandoned father…you left him to die…" There was a moment of silence while Xue Hu let the thought settle. "I issued a challenge…and I will follow through with the threat if you don't comply…"

"Why…why are you doing this…?" Tigress growled.

"Revenge…revenge for me and my father…" Xue Hu pointed at Tigress. "I'm here to make you pay for what you did…"

"How could I pay if I was the victim…?" Tigress muttered to herself as Xue Hu leapt at her.

Xue Hu attacked Tigress, who dodged and blocked expertly, but his erratic movements and self-taught form was starting to throw off her rhythm. Her mental shock and inexperience fighting a self-taught form was causing her to lose fast, and the others could see it. Tigress started taking more and more hits and was being pushed back quickly. Soon enough, Tigress was kicked off her feet and fell to the ground. She looked up to see Xue Hu standing over her.

He extended his claws. "Goodbye…mother…" He raised his claws above his head and Tigress turned her head and shut her eyes tight, waiting to feel the sharp claws tear at her.

"FELIX!?"

Tigress looked up to see Felix leaping over her and tackling Xue Hu and knocking him to the ground.

"F-Felix…?! W-what are you doing here…?!" Tigress stood up slowly and looked up at Felix.

Felix looked over his shoulder at Tigress but avoided looking her in the face. "I'm sorry…but I didn't get far enough away from you for you to find it an…acceptable distance…"

"No…you've got it all wrong…I don-"

"I'm sorry…I'll leave as soon as this guy's gone…" Felix ran at Xue Hu, managing to successfully fend and counter his moves.

Finally, Felix managed to land a solid kick to Xue Hu's stomach and knocked him back.

"Mark my words…I will be back…and I will have my revenge…" Xue Hu growled between wheezes and ran off, leaping over the valley walls.

"Felix…you came back…" Viper said, as Felix cut the ropes that were binding her and the other members of the Furious Five.

"Yeah…I…never made it too far from the valley…and when I came back to the valley…I happened to see this going on…" Felix gestured to the grounds where he was just fighting with Xue Hu.

Monkey smiled. "It's good to see you're still ok…"

"Please…nothing can keep me down-" Felix smirked and turned around only to get punched in the face and get sent flying into a tree.

Tigress walked up to him, fists curled. "Never…in my life…have I been so publicly humiliated by anyone…Never…have I ever met anyone as persistent as you…Never in my life…" Tigress raised her fist, making Felix flinch as she slammed it against the tree he was leaning on. "…have I been so happy to see anyone else…" She slipped her hand behind Felix's neck and hugged him tight.

Stunned, Felix barely had the sense to hug her back, but before he did, Tigress fell limp against him, the fight having taken its toll on her.

"Tigress?!" The others gathered around Tigress and Felix to see if she was alright.

They all peered down at Tigress and found that…she was asleep…

"Must be exhausted…" Viper said, getting a good look at Tigress' face from below. "She hasn't been sleeping well for a while now…plus she's been training so hard…like…she was trying to keep her mind of…something…" She looked up at Felix.

Felix seemed to miss the hint. "Well in any case I don't see any major injuries on her…but we just still have her checked out…" He looked at the others around him. "Do any of you know any medical treatments…? Tigress would flip if she knew I've been working on her...body again…"

They all shook their heads.

"I don't think that's gonna be an issue anymore…" Mantis said. "She's seems…erm…comfortable…with you…" As Mantis said this, Tigress seemed to snuggle deeper into Felix's grip.

"You carry her…" The other four said at once.

"W-why me?! Just cause I helped her once doesn't mean she won't find another excuse to hit me again…"

"We'll see…" Crane said, taking off with Viper wrapped around his leg and Monkey and Mantis running off too.

"Hey…come one…don't just leave me…" Felix complained, but they were already gone. "Geez…" Felix lifted Tigress up in a bridal style and started towards the temple, making sure to take the uninhabited streets as to not draw attention. He's figured he's caused Tigress enough trouble.