Chapter 17

Shifu made his way to the temple to find Felix gripping Lang in a head-lock, as Lang struggled to get free with the Furious Five merely standing to the side and watching, Tigress sitting, her ankle properly bandaged, as she watched the wrestling match nervously.

"What happened here?" Shifu asked, approaching them.

"He woke up and started picking a fight…Felix was just holding him back until you got here…" Po said, coming up, holding a bowl of noodles to give to Tigress, who accepted it without complaint.

Lang's efforts started to diminish and his eyes started to roll back into his head.

"Let him go…" Shifu said calmly.

Felix hesitated for a second and released Lang, allowing him to breathe, quickly backing up so he wouldn't have to feel his retaliation for being choked. Felix sat next to Tigress as Viper and Crane started to fix his half finished bandaging.

"Where's my sister…?" Lang snarled, massaging his neck. "You better not have hurt her!"

Shifu raised a hand to silence Lang as he walked towards him. "You're sister is perfectly fine. But you on the other hand…"

Lang flared and threw a punch at Shifu, who caught it and tapped his wrist, making him cringe in pain.

"Your wrist is dislocated…and you might have internal bleeding somewhere…you need to be looked at."

Lang slapped Shifu's hand away. "Like I'd let you do what you want with me."

"He only wants to help you…" Viper said, softy.

"He can help me by letting me go back to my sister!" Lang snarled.

"You're sister is safe for now…I assure you we haven't hurt her…" Shifu tried to keep his voice calm. "I'm just trying to get you to do what's best for you…"

"BULL SHI-" Felix had enough and stood up and punched Lang in the face, causing him to stagger back. "Why you little-!"

Felix cracked his knuckles in a menacing fashion. "You want to pick a fight? Go ahead…let's settle this…"

Lang smirked and gave a snarl before leaping forward, his knee smashing into Felix's forehead, causing Felix to stagger backwards.

"Felix!!" Tigress cried, trying to get up, but Shifu held her back.

"Let them do this…"

Tigress frowned and crossed her arms. "If Felix gets hurt, I'll kill him…" The rest laughed dryly.

Shifu chuckled. "You've changed Tigress…"

Tigress looked down at Shifu as Lang blocked what would've been a solid kick to the side of the head. "What do you mean? I haven't changed…"

"You're more…" Shifu struggled for adequate words.

"Loose?" Mantis mumbled.

Tigress growled.

Shifu chuckled. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time…"

"With all due respect master, I had things on my mind…" Tigress mumbled.

Shifu nodded. "Still…it's nice to see you smiling again."

Tigress scoffed and looked back at the fight, both giving the other a solid punch to the cheek, causing both of them to collapse onto the ground. Tigress made to get up again but Shifu held her down. Then, Lang started to laugh from where he laid.

"Feels good doesn't it…letting all that frustration out." Felix mumbled, turning his head to look at Lang, who nodded. "…You love her a lot don't you…? Your 'sister'."

"You could tell?" Lang smirked.

"You fight to protect…you're only fight-crazy because more often than not the situation calls for it…am I right?"

Lang sniggered. "It makes sense when you say it…" Lang turned his head to look at Tigress, who watched but could not hear their conversation. "How'd you do it?"

"Hm?" Felix raised an eyebrow in question.

"How'd you get her to love you back…?" Lang asked, nodding to Tigress. He peered over at Felix and smirked. "Can't be because of your looks…"

"Jerk…" Felix chuckled. He too glanced at Tigress, making her cock her head to the side in question. "I protect her…and I'm always there for her…" He looked back at Lang. "And I rescue her from those who would try and hurt her…"

Lang nodded in understanding. "Xue Hu…"

"Why are you helping him?"

Lang looked up at the sky and thought. "I guess since we owe him…He broke us out of prison and we're thankful for it…"

"You don't seem like one to be locked up…"

"They tried to take Mei Hu away from me…"

"Ah…so you protect her…you fought back…"

Lang sighed and nodded. "I killed him…cause he kept coming back…we had to steal to survive…but I guess…we just stole one too many times…"

"That's a very serious case…" Lang looked up to see that Viper had slithered over to them, along with the others.

Lang shrugged. "He'd always go for Mei Hu…what else was I supposed to do…?"

"Run away…" Everyone looked at Tigress.

"Running away never solved anyone's problems," Lang frowned.

"You'd think, wouldn't you?" Tigress cocked an eyebrow. "Right now you have two options…Work with Xue Hu and use that as protection for you and your sister and eventually get caught or give yourself up…"

"I thought this was supposed to be advice…"

Tigress rolled her eyes. "Or you could forget those two and just run away…to a place no one can catch you…like cross the border…"

Lang blinked. "Of course…if we crossed the border then our crimes wouldn't follow…! …But…" Lang looked at Shifu, who at the moment was looking in the opposite direction.

At the pause Shifu looked around to see Lang looking at him. "Huh? Sorry I must've dazed off…completely missed what you guys were just saying…"

Lang smirked and Shifu gave him a smile.

"For the time being why don't you stay and rest here…?" Viper asked.

"Thank you…but I must find my sister…" Lang said.

"Why not stay here? You're sister's looking for you so she's bound to come here at some point…just stay and wait till she gets here…" Monkey said, with Mantis nodding beside him.

"But I tried to hurt you guys…are you all still befriending me knowing that?" Lang asked.

Felix smiled. "Of course…but just because you're our friend doesn't mean we can't kick your tail for revenge…"