Yep, it's me again!

Jo has some time to think about him and Shifu

And his plan of action begins to form

Making the Cut
Chapter 18
Rethinking Shifu

The next day, people other than Cash talked to me. It's not like I was the center of attention, but there was definitely a lean toward me. Casual greetings became a common sound just walking around the estate. The reason was obviously yesterday's match. Cash wasn't the only person who considered Mato a dim coxcomb. It was clear now that Mato wasn't such a well-liked guy by anyone else either. Whenever the jerk no one liked was one-upped by the new guy they considered it the biggest humiliation he could sustain. Like Quiang referring to me as a 'bantam,' my instinct told me to take it as an insult but I didn't. I decided to just bask in my moment of triumph in the match knowing the feeling probably wouldn't last long.

Today's class was still hard. But I understood Montenegro's technique, thanks in part to Cash. He told me it was best not to question his way of teaching which I of course was dying to do. He stood in at the spars today. I was put against a student I had yet to talk to, a leopard. There was no momentous knock out like the day before. He got a few hits on me and I got some on him. We both lasted the full 5 minutes. I guess it wasn't what Montenegro wanted to see. He seemed disappointed at the anti climactic moment, although I doubted I could ever guess what he was really thinking.

Later that day, Cash and I sat in the dormitory discussing the spars.

"I hadn't expected you to hit him with that last punch you gave." I said. He and I were the only two people in the dormitory. Everyone else was still out on the grounds.

Cash asked "Does the shoulder still hurt?"

I looked at my left shoulder and massaged it moving it around in the joint. "Just a little."

"Chao hit you pretty hard." Cash said. "You might have to work on your high block."

"Yeah, I know I slipped there for a second." I sighed. "It's just hard to concentrate with Master Montenegro there. I hate when he watches me with those... wolf eyes."

Cash laughed a little. "You can't expect him to teach you and not look at you"

"I knew that." I said smiling. "I guess it would have been easier with Quiang. Where was he today."

"I heard he was running some errand for Master Montenegro in one of the villages he left some time before lunch. He's usually the one to run the sparing, but I wouldn't worry about Master watching more often. I think he was impressed by what he heard you do the other day."

"Really?" I said with little belief in my voice. "He never said anything."

Cash shrugged. "He's not exactly the kinda guy who'll throw around acclaim."

"That was obvious." I said chuckling. "I guess I should be used to that."

"Why? What was your master before like?" Cash asked.

"My master before?"

"Yeah, at least I assume you've had a previous teacher of some kind. Almost everyone here had some knowledge in kung fu before they came here. Montenegro doesn't really take people that are completely new to it. I had some knowledge from books and what I'd learned from a man in the village where I grew up. What about you?"

I answered slowly trying to choose my words wisely while at the same time I had an urge to tell him my real past. In the end there wasn't much exaggeration. "My first Master...Well, he's the one that taught me everything I know."

"How did you meet him?"

Reflections

"Well I met him through one of his students. It was actually his student that taught me first. He and I became best friends. When his Master thought I had potential he actually invited me stay to train with him and his other students even though I was alot younger than any of them. I was with him for nearly a year. Well, he just, his student got me started in kung fu but he's the one that kept me with it. He was kinda like a second father to me" (technically third)

Cash asked thoughtfully "Whydyou leave then?"

That's a good question

I thought for a second even though the answer didn't need much thought. "We sorta... had a fight. He blew up at me one day during training and well... I said something I probably shouldn't have. And I left."

Crazy

Cash nodded and said. "He must not have been too terrible of a teacher. He clearly taught you well."

true

"Yeah I guess he did. I wonder about what happened. Sometimes I wonder if... I don't know... I coulda listened better or something, maybe he wouldn't have gotten mad." Maybe he wouldn't think I was like Tai Lung.

"Do you ever think about going back?" Cash asked.

"Maybe someday." I said. "If he was willing to take me back."

Cash said "I guess there's no rush."
If only he knew
"You're doing well with Master Montenegro. But I wouldn't expect him to start acting fatherly."

I smiled. "Well it's not like I was gonna go jump in his lap and ask him to read me a story."

Cash chuckled but less than what I had expected which added an awkward regret to my joke. Cash broke the silence by saying. "Not to cut the conversation short, but I should be getting to bed."

I looked at the window where the sun was still setting. "You do realize it's only 6 o'clock."

Cash sighed "Yeah, but I'm gonna be up late tonight. I've got guard duty."

"Guard duty?" I asked.

"Montenegro and Quiang never told you?"

"Told me what?"

Cash said "Master Montenegro has some... 'prisoners of war,' if you will."

"'Prisoners of war'?" Does he mean what I think?

Cash said "It's hard to explain. We've been having to hold some people that were... enemies to Master Montenegro. Yhey tried to attack the Manor not long ago."

Nice cover-up

I asked "And these 'prisoners of war' have been on the demesne the entire time?"

Thinking I was uncomfortable being on the same grounds as what sounded like criminals Cash said "You don't have to worry about it? Hasn't been a problem with them yet. They've been locked up pretty tightly in their cells. "

Cells

I suddenly remembered when Cash had told me of Montenegro's past punishment methods.

Castello: ...ranging from being beaten with a bo staff, locking them up below his manor, and Chinese water torture

I quickly asked "Cash, is there a dungeon underneath Valko's Manor?" In my haste I forgot to say "Master."

Cash looked at me strangely before thinking it over. "Well I wouldn't call it a 'dungeon' exactly. When Master Montenegro bought this land he found that the previous owner had equipped the basement area of his house with prison-like cells for some reason. He made use of them a while back but I've heard he hasn't used them in years since we brought the prisoners here."

A slip of the tongue. "We brought the prisoners here."
Cash hadn't noticed though and I wouldn't let him know that I noticed.

Cash continued. "Anyway, every night a different student has to keep watch for part of the night and I've got tonight."

Nows your chance.
Go for it.
"Would you like some help with that tonight."

Cash smiled. "You'd stay up till 3 o'clock at night?"

"I've got nothing better to do." I said before I realized how stupid that sounded. Maybe he wouldn't notice.

He looked at me with disbelief. "You mean besides sleep?" He noticed.

"I don't mind." I said. "I could sleep early like you're gonna do."

"You wouldn't like it. Nothing ever happens. They're always asleep. It's pretty boring."

"Then would you just like some company?" I said feeling it was my last chance.

I could tell that Cash wanted to question my persistence, but at the same time he couldn't argue with my logic.
"I guess I wouldn't mind the help."

I'm in!

"Okay, what time do we start?" I asked.

"Our watch starts at midnight." he said.

I said "I guess I'll head to bed now too."

I couldn't believe it. Just a little bit longer. All the stress, cuts, bruises, and other near death experiences would all be worth it in a few hours.

I walked to the window to close the blinds. Angling in through the window the late afternoon sun was casting rays of light as bright as gold and just as captivating marking the last time one person would see daylight.

Valko Montenegro sat at his desk in his study in the top floor of his manor. He shuffled through his papers about future techniques for lessons. As he glanced here and there he made a mental note of the date. It was nearly the 15th of June.

Just one more day. One more day until he wouldn't have to put up with his former colleague's tantrums in his cell. In a way, he was almost sorry to see it end. He relished the moments he had to see Shifu and his students in pain. Personally he could take it either way. If Oogway fell into their trap and was killed along with the rest then that was good. If Oogway didn't show up then he would lose all his remaining students.

He'd known ever since he was young, long before he even started training with Oogway, he knew he found pleasure in other's pain. "Sadism," many people called it, but that word sounded harsh, ugly. And maybe it was for other people, but not for Montenegro. For him, no word existed that could describe what he felt. Just the other day he had gotten a jolt of satisfaction from the jab he gave the new student. He saw the cut on Xanidor's chest as a target. And he had struck it spot on. He had been slightly disappointed by the badger's reaction though. He gave a sharp intake of breath but otherwise kept his composure. He was a tough one, sure there were other students here much tougher than him, he had no doubt of that, all the same he had a longing to see him broken and to know that he had been the one to cause it. He was aware that Castello was the closest thing Xanidor had to a friend here. Maybe tomorrow in spars he'd tell Quiang to pare the two of them against each other. See how the the badger reacts when he's beaten down by the one person he thought he could trust. Or maybe the badger will be victorious a second time. It would be fine then too. Seeing Castello broken was just as good.

And why not?
Breaking wasn't bad. It made them tougher

"It makes them tougher," he thought again, this time aloud.

A yawn caught him off guard, carrying him out of his fantasy moment though the sound of distant footsteps had already started that.

His door swung open.
Valko looked up. "Quiang, when did you get back?"

"Just a few moments ago." He breathed deeply, a sign of a recent flight. "And I have found something I think you might be interested to know."

Valko set his papers aside. And Quiang began.
"After running those errands you sent me on, I stopped at one of the restaurants in town to eat and-"

Valko interupted "Did that blasted restaurant you usually eat at have spoiled food again?"

Quiang started agin "No the restaurant was fine, except that I ended up seated next to some crazy goose that wouldn't shut up about the soup. Apparently since I was sitting next to it must have meant I was his talking buddy." he said sarcastically.

Valko wasn't seeing how this was anything he'd be interested in.
"Why is some soup-obsessed goose any news?"

Quiang said "He told me he took the coach from the Valley of Peace."

The gray haired rabbit looked up. "Did he say anything about Oogway or the next Dragon Warrior?"

"I asked him." Quiang said. "I kept it conversational, don't think he suspected any foul play from me."

"Well what did he say about this rhinoceros then?" Montenegro asked.

"According to him, there isn't a rhinoceros at Jade Palace. He said there hasn't been one at the Jade Palace since Master Flying Rhino himself."

Valko didn't know what to think. He had felt completely safe and secure just moments ago but now there was something unknown again and he didn't even know if it really made a difference yet. So the Next Dragon Warrior wasn't a rhino, what did that mean for him? What were the the students at Keen Lee Academy really attacked by? And why hadn't they told the truth?

"Of course." Montenegro said after a few seconds. "Keen Lee's students were terrified. Frightened into not telling the truth by this... this next Dragon Warrior. Do we know anything about them?"

"Master, Do you still believe that Keen and his student's attacker was indeed this next Dragon Warrior? Isn't it possible that-"

"Keen Lee's death was too coincidental to not be related." Valko said affirmatively. "There is a relation between the event at the academy and our capturing of Oogway's students."

Quiang replied "If your positive, I found out from that goose what the Next Dragon Warrior really is."

Valko stood up. "Well out with it then. What are we dealing with here? A bear, a crocodile, a gorilla, what?"

"A badger."

It was nearly midnight.

I know, you hate me for leaving you like this right? sorry about that

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