A/N: I couldn't resist posting just a few hours early! And it's so unusual for me, too :P. Anyway, welcome to my first fight scene... It seems insane that I've been writing for so long and this is the first time I've actually done a fight scene (cat fights not withstanding). Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's okay. So, here's the continuation from last chapter. Hope you don't mind diving right in!
Disclaimer: Kung Fu Panda does not belong to me. It does not belong to YOU. Unless you're Dreamworks, here to scout my ideas for the sequel. In which case, it'll cost you. In the form of a gift certificate to IHOP, a paper clip, a rubber band, a tub of Vaseline, and your discretion.
Chapter 15: Live and Let Dine
"Bandits!" someone in the crowd shouted in a panicked voice, though Lin had already surmised as much on her own. And not just bandits, crocodile bandits.
As she pushed through the crowd which, annoyingly enough, was traveling in the opposite direction that she was, she wondered if perhaps they were the same bandits she had dealt with just before traveling the Thread of Hope. There definitely had to be a connection, at least, between these bandits and the ones Shifu had faced not too long ago. And judging by the shape Shifu had been in upon his return from that particular trip, these crocodiles were most likely tougher than the average bandit.
She finally managed to reach Tai Lung, who had been staring in the direction of said bandits with an excited gleam in his eyes that she did not like. She wrapped both her arms around one of his in a secure hold and yanked. "C'mon!" she shouted at him. The crowd had already begun to thin out, and she didn't like the idea of being exposed, and most certainly not in front of an enemy that might recognize her.
"But I can do this!" he predictably replied. "Lin, just give me a chance! I know I can beat them!"
"No!" she snapped, and somehow managed to slowly drag him along in the direction of safety. He wasn't exactly struggling, but he wasn't making any attempt to follow her, either. She decided to reason with him, since it was rather tiring trying to drag a snow leopard across a crowded street. "Look, just come with me to someplace sheltered so we can make a game plan, okay?"
He blinked down at her, then glanced back at the crocodile bandits, who were currently growing in number and making a show of looting and destroying every one of the marketplace stands in their paths. "...Okay," he finally agreed.
She yanked Tai Lung into the nearest alley and stopped to catch her breath. Most of the other patrons of the marketplace had already escaped to their homes, or wherever it was they had gone, so it was going to take some effort for them to get safely back to the Jade Palace. Still, she'd pulled off more difficult escapes than this, and if worse came to worse the houses in the valley were close enough together for them to travel by rooftop or even through the houses if need be. "Listen up. Crocodiles have incredibly strong jaw muscles- but only when closing their mouths. The muscles they use to open their mouths are weak enough that you can hold a crocodile's mouth closed no problem. Also, they have slow metabolisms, so they tire easily. Usually they only use short bursts of energy at a time, and go for an ambush strategy, so your timing with them's gonna be critical. You got all that?"
"How do you know so much about crocodiles?" he whispered.
"Because I used to be one," she replied sarcastically. "Now c'mon, we gotta get the hell outta here."
"No way!" Tai Lung hissed back at her. "I can take these guys, just let me at 'em!"
"No. If Shifu doesn't think you're ready, then you're not ready. Now let's go get him so he can- Tai Lung!" She tried in vain to stop him as he shoved past her and ran out toward the entire gang of crocodiles. She could see him facing one or two of the huge creatures, but a dozen was out of the question.
Lin didn't even have second thoughts as she ran after him; she wasn't sure what she was going to do, exactly, but she was pretty good at improvising. Besides, if she could get away from imperial soldiers without a scratch, she could get away from some backwater bandits.
"Master Shifu!" Yu landed hard next to where Shifu sat under the peach tree, playing his flute in an attempt to relax, for once. Obviously, that was not about to happen.
"Yes?" he asked, exasperated at being interrupted. He sincerely doubted that there was an actual emergency going on, so the messenger's urgency was merely an annoyance.
"Crocodiles- bandits- they're in the valley!" he gasped out frantically, shedding a few feathers as he desperately flailed his wings about.
"Hold this." Shifu shoved his flute toward the goose, then ran off at full speed toward the thousand steps that led down into the village. No matter what the circumstances, he would have gone to the aid of the village immediately, but he was spurred on even further by the thought of Tai Lung (and as much as he'd hate to admit it, Lin) down there. He knew that Tai Lung would do everything in his power to fight with the bandits, which was the main reason he was worried. Tai Lung was strong for his age, and skilled, but even a student as talented as he was would have trouble against a dozen crocodiles, each with a considerable amount of battles under his belt already. There was also Tai Lung's newfound clumsiness to consider, due to his recent growth spurts- as well as the natural fear that any young warrior felt in his first real battle- to think of.
Once he reached the thousand steps he simply leaped down them, landing nimbly in the village within minutes. He climbed up onto the brown tiled roof of the nearest building, and started running along the rooftops, scanning the village for any sign of a disturbance. Of course he caught sight of the crocodiles over by the market, exactly where Lin had taken Tai Lung. Perhaps it was the pit of worry deep in his stomach that propelled him, but he moved faster than he ever had in his life. He leaped into the middle of the main street of the market, which was littered with trampled produce and splintered food carts, and skidded to a halt, facing the group of bandits. They were all gathered around something, and he found out what that something was when one crocodile (their leader, he assumed) stepped out of the crowd and flung Tai Lung to the ground by the tail.
Shifu felt his heart leap into his throat at the sight; while most people would have assumed that he would be filled with rage, that was not the case. It was fear; fear for his son's well-being flooded every last inch of his body. Without a single thought, he ran at the crocodile, but before he even got close, the bandit was knocked unconscious... By an entire table, that had flown at him from seemingly out of nowhere. Shocked, Shifu looked in the direction the table had come from, only to see Lin standing there, one arm still outstretched, looking about as surprised as he felt. After that split second of hesitation, she shocked him even further by barreling straight into the crowd of remaining bandits, heading for Tai Lung.
He realized rather belatedly that she had no idea what she was doing, and so got to work dispatching the rest of the crocodiles before either she or Tai Lung were seriously injured. First, he darted in between the stubby legs of several confused bandits to pick up the dazed Tai Lung, then carried him to a nearby alley where he would be at least comparatively safe. "Wait here for me," he ordered.
Tai Lung just nodded in return, wincing in pain as he did so.
Shifu turned back to the bandits, and was once again shocked to see Lin clutching onto an angry crocodile's snout for dear life, holding it closed with her legs and one arm; the other arm was tucked underneath her body, and he guessed that it was probably injured. She also seemed to have somehow procured a knife, which she had clenched between her teeth. "YARRR!" she bellowed from between clenched teeth, in what sounded almost like a joyful tone of voice, before another bandit jumped into Shifu's line of sight and blocked the inexplicable scene from view.
The single bandit was dispatched easily enough with a series of powerful kicks to the stomach; the real problem would be in trying to overcome the other ten or eleven crocodiles, while getting Lin safely out of the fray. Another aspect of said challenge was the fact that Lin seemed to be enjoying herself. As he jumped into the midst of the chaos he noticed her still torturing the same bandit, having mysteriously procured a broken bottle.
He wondered briefly why none of the crocodile's comrades were helping before realizing that everyone else's attention was focused on him. He was surrounded by a group of angry crocodiles, most likely somehow related to the last group he had faced, and his only source of help were his own child and his inept (and probably drunk) cook. Well, he'd faced worse.
The largest of the group stepped forward, his confidence apparent in the way he casually gripped his deadly looking morning star- despite the large welt on his head from the table that had connected with it. He let out a dark chuckle as he eyed Shifu with contempt. "Don't tell me that you are the great Shifu I hear such stories about?"
The drama of the moment was somewhat diminished by their companion running about behind them and letting out muffled shouts as he attempted to reach Lin's perch on his snout with his short arms. Shifu tried hard not to laugh at the sight, which was made more amusing by its juxtaposition to the sincerity of the bandit leader, but let out a snort.
"You think this is funny?" The crocodile growled.
"Actually, boss," one of the lackeys interrupted, pointing back at their comrade, "Cho is kinda-"
"I didn't ask you," he snapped back, rolling his eyes.
"As much as I'd like to continue this conversation," Shifu cut in quickly before more antics could distract them, "I think it is about time we got this over with." With that, he leaped at the leader, aiming a kick at his chest. This crocodile was fast, though, and managed to not only dodge, but grab Shifu's ankle and throw him to the ground.
He managed to correct himself, and landed on his feet, crouching low in a fighting stance, with his arms outstretched. He was surrounded, though if he were to judge by the one fellow Lin was keeping busy, the only real challenge he faced was the leader. Still, a crowd of opponents at least five times his size made him wish he at least had a staff to help his reach.
Two crocodiles came after him, then- one from in front and one from behind. He easily dodged by jumping in the air, though the last thing he'd expected them to do was run into each other headfirst like some sort of bad children's story. He groaned to himself at the sight, but decided to just take the small victory and not worry too much about the intelligence of his enemy. He landed outside the circle of bandits that had been surrounding him, and they all stared at the place he'd been standing in utter disbelief. Perhaps they had greatly underestimated him because of his size, and were merely getting used to the idea of his being a skilled kung fu artist. Or perhaps he wouldn't need a staff, after all.
As if on cue, he was once again faced by the ridiculous sight of Lin and her... Opponent. "Hey!" she called wearily as the bandit she clung to ran past him. She yanked on the crocodile's nostrils, and actually managed to get him to turn around and pass Shifu again. "There's some poles and crap over there!" She pointed to a nearby stand, which had most likely been selling woodwork, but was now almost completely destroyed. Apparently Lin had more to say, though, because she had the bandit run by again. "I know how much you like-" she stopped and waited until the bandit passed him one last time. "-Phallic symbols!"
Shifu just stared after her. He could not believe that, in the midst of a fight, while he was trying to save her, she still had the energy and the gall to insult him. He supposed that it came with the territory, at least when the territory in question was her. He was also a bit perplexed as to how she knew of his affinity for the staff, but it was definitely not the time to ask.
Her shout had gotten the attention of the other bandits, and they were all currently headed his way at once- about eight of them. So, he decided to go for a weapon and ran to the stand Lin had indicated, grabbing hold of the nearest staff and launching himself at his opponents.
He landed feet-first on one crocodile's face, then brought his staff around to hit another bandit squarely in the jaw. He leaped to the ground and in one swift, spinning motion of the staff he knocked both of their feet out from beneath them, sending them crashing to the ground.
Three more surged forward in their place, and the largest of that group unsheathed a sword that was rather unique in its hourglass shape, ending in three sharp prongs clearly meant for skewering enemies. He swung the sword low and fast, aiming at Shifu's middle. This particular bandit was definitely more skilled than his comrades- Shifu leapt back to avoid the strike, but it was a close call. He then swiftly brought his staff up to block an overhead blow from a second crocodile's tail, which had the spiked head of a flail firmly attached to its end, of all things. The third of the group swung one leg out to attempt to trip him while he was distracted by the other's attack, but he managed to withdraw his staff and sidestep the deadly tail, causing it instead to come down on the crocodile's foot with a loud crunch. While the crocodile sporting the flail-tail winced and shot his comrade an apologetic look, the large one pushed past them both to face Shifu, sword in hand.
Which he would have, had he not been plowed into by none other than Cho, the bandit whose head Lin had accosted. The two men crumpled to the ground, Cho knocked out cold while the larger bandit struggled to escape from underneath his dead weight. Meanwhile, Lin had flown through the air on impact, and Shifu ran after her in an attempt to catch her and bring her to safety.
Unfortunately, he missed, and winced as he watched her hit the ground face-first several feet ahead of him. It was a rather comical sight, actually, as her feet swung up over her head and stayed there for several seconds before falling back into the dirt with a loud thud. This was followed by her low groan of, "Ow."
"Sorry," he replied, feeling a bit guilty that he hadn't managed to catch her.
A low growl sounded behind him, then, and he turned just in time to use his staff to block a blow from the large crocodile's sword; he didn't look like his mood had been improved by his encounter with Cho. Shifu jumped back as the sword dug into the wood of the staff and sliced it clean in half, then saw his opportunity when the bandit's arm kept going, bringing the sword down so far that it nearly hit the ground. He stepped on the flat edge of the sword, pinning it to the ground as he brought his other leg around in a powerful kick that snapped the crocodile's wrist.
This didn't seem to deter the bandit at all as he flung his other fist out in a powerful punch, which Shifu managed to catch with both arms. Then, summoning a strength that many considered to be disproportionate to his size, he spun the crocodile around, lifting him off the ground and throwing him into another one of his comrades who had been approaching the scene. However, two more crocodiles he had yet to face and the two who had been accompanying the bandit he'd just defeated were rushing forth.
He turned back to where Lin was pulling her face out of the dirt, opening and closing her mouth in an exaggerated motion, as if she were attempting to rid herself of the pain that had resulted from her fall. She didn't appear to be aware of the danger she was in, and he knew that if he attempted to reason with her on the subject she would most likely raise an argument, which he did not have time for. He had no choice but to wrap one hand around her fluffy, tightly curled tail and tug.
"Ack!" she exclaimed upon being yanked to her feet by her tail. "Whuh?" was her response to Shifu catching her when she inevitably lost her balance, scooping her up into his arms, and making a mad dash for the same hiding place he'd left Tai Lung in. "Now this is untoward," she commented absently, obviously not quite grasping the situation.
"Try not to make too much noise," he reminded her as he finally reached the small alley and deposited her next to Tai Lung.
"Eh? Okay," she agreed blithely, blinking up at him with bleary eyes. She was most likely crashing from a prolonged adrenaline high, and on top of her fairly serious injury (she didn't appear to be able to move her right arm at all), he wouldn't be surprised if she passed out.
"Lin, focus," he whispered sternly. "I need you to stay with Tai Lung. Can you do that?"
"Hey, can you use embarrassingly outdated slang?" she replied.
"I'll take that as a yes," he grumbled back, then turned to return to the fight at hand. However, he felt a tug on his own tail and turned to see Lin grasping onto it with her left hand.
"Leave those four lackeys to me and Tai Lung." She spoke with a confidence not befitting of her current predicament. "You go after the leader- his name's Jiang."
"The two of you are in no condition to take on four full-grown crocodiles," he replied shortly, taking hold of his tail and yanking it out of her hand.
In response, she reached into her belt and pulled out some flint and a knife, then handed them to Tai Lung, who silently took hold of them, shooting a nervous look Shifu's way. Then, she pointed to something near the corner of the alley.
Shifu turned to his left, where she had indicated, to see a fireworks cart sitting there. He raised his eyebrows as he realized exactly what it was she had in mind. The idea seemed sound, though, and since he didn't have much time to think it over he gave them his permission with a single curt nod and left the alley in search of the bandits' leader- Jiang.
He didn't have to search far. Jiang had apparently been standing aside the entire time, waiting for him to finish with the rest of the bandits so as to face him one-on-one. Either that, or he was hoping his lackeys would finish off the red panda before it became necessary for him to step in.
Jiang straightened up from where he'd been leaning against a noodle cart and chewing thoughtfully on a bean bun, tossing the bun aside and instead placing one hand warily on the handle of his morning star. "I must admit, Master Shifu, that your skills do indeed live up to the hype. Your associates, however, leave something to be desired." He sneered at that remark.
Shifu fought to keep the rage that bubbled up at that statement in check, as he thought of what the man had done to Tai Lung, and yes, to Lin as well. "Whatever my associates lack in experience or skill, they more than make up for in ingenuity," he replied tightly, smirking as the unmistakable fizzle of fuses being lit sounded behind him.
Jiang didn't seem to notice this development, though. "I suggest you take care of my remaining men before they do real harm to your..." He paused, a puzzled expression momentarily crossing his face. "...Whatever they are to you," he finished impatiently.
"I am confident that they will be able to handle a mere four of your incompetent men," he shot back, stepping forward and raising his arms into a Tiger stance. "You should be more concerned with your own safety."
"Oh snap!" Lin shouted from somewhere behind him, and he tried very hard not to groan in frustration at the ridiculous outburst.
It was then, however, that the high-pitched whistling of fireworks signaled that the lit fuses had finally run their course, and this was followed by a succession of loud thuds and groans. Then, he pricked his ears back at the satisfying sound of splintering wood and a small explosion.
He did not dare turn to get a glimpse of what he had no doubt was probably quite a spectacle going on behind him, and instead kept his eyes trained on his opponent, searching for any sort of weak spot. Jiang was much bulkier than the rest of his men, and taller than them by at least a head, but such trivial things as size had never held Shifu back in a fight before. He was fast (especially for a crocodile), but no matter how skilled a fighter he was, there was no way he was going to win, not after Shifu had witnessed him attacking his son.
When Jiang's eyes darted in the direction of the destroyed fireworks cart, Shifu leaped in the air, aiming a powerful kick at his face. However, he swung his morning star up, blocking the kick with the weapon as he stepped back and moved his body sideways so as to present a smaller target. Undeterred, Shifu used his momentum to bring his other leg forward in a roundhouse kick, which was once again blocked by the sturdy iron weapon. Before Shifu had even fallen back to the ground, Jiang swung the club around and attempted to strike him from the right, but he managed to block with his arm, narrowly missing the weapon's sharp spikes as he did so. The moment he touched the ground he had to launch himself backwards to avoid a forward kick, and of course Jiang came after him.
"Crocodiles have limited lateral movement in their necks!" Lin's voice suddenly sounded behind them as Shifu dodged swing after swing of the morning star.
"How does that information help me at all?" he snapped back, ducking under what could have been a devastating blow from Jiang's tail.
"Your friend seems to know quite a bit about crocodile anatomy," the bandit stated in an almost conversational tone as he used both arms to block a barrage of kicks Shifu had aimed at his chest.
"That's because she's a know-it-all!" he shouted, directing the answer more toward Lin than his opponent. Unfortunately, his distraction cost him, and Jiang managed to land a punch squarely in his jaw. Pain shot through his entire head and red flashed in his vision as he was knocked back through the air, though he still managed to land on his feet. He was then forced to drop to the ground and roll to the side as the crocodile aimed an overhead blow at him. Luck appeared to be with Shifu, though, because the weapon had been yielded with such force that it drove down into the ground, lodging itself there.
He acted immediately, before Jiang had a chance to yank the morning star from the ground, and actually (despite every ounce of logic in him telling him not to) took a cue from Lin. He jumped onto his opponent's arm, literally ran up it until he'd reached the left shoulder, and delivered a powerful drop kick to the side of his head. As he descended head first toward the ground, he called upon a technique that he rarely used and with only two fingers he reached out and struck several pressure points along the side of Jiang's ribs. Then, he swung his legs back to correct himself and land lightly on his feet, watching as the bandit leader fell stiffly to the ground, his left side completely paralyzed. Just to be safe, he darted forward and struck several more pressure points on the crocodile's chest to ensure that he wouldn't be moving at all.
And just like that, the fight had ended. Shifu took a deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing his muscles to relax and the adrenaline in his body to subside. Then, he turned around, raising his eyebrows at where the fireworks cart had smashed into a produce stand, and among the shredded and burnt remains of what appeared to be cabbage were strewn the unconscious bodies of the four crocodiles. Tai Lung stood on the opposite side of the street, still near the alleyway they'd hid in, one arm wrapped around Lin's waist as he held her up.
"Wow, that information I shouted out to you didn't help you at all, there, did it?" Was the first thing out of her mouth as he approached them.
"...Thank you," he grumbled; he had to admit, he wouldn't have gotten the idea to aim for the side of Jiang's head if Lin hadn't fed him that fact, as annoying as it had been at the time.
"Master, you were amazing!" Tai Lung exclaimed, admiration written all over his features as he beamed down at Shifu.
"Thank you," he repeated, a bit more dazedly as he realized for the first time that his son was actually taller than he was. He quickly dismissed his own surprise, as it was not exactly the appropriate time for such musings. "And as for you." He turned back to Lin, who looked as if she might pass out at any moment. "If you ever dare to enter a fight that is so clearly above your skill level in front of me again, I will not only fire you, I will personally kick you in the rear so hard that you will be propelled all the way across the Devils Mouth- actually, scratch that. All the way across China. Is that understood?"
She stared back at him for a while, squinting as if in deep thought. Finally, she spoke. "I'll bet your skull looks really weird."
"Well, she's gone," he concluded, then turned to Tai Lung. "You must be quite sore." Though not as badly beaten as Lin was, he thought to himself.
"...Yes, Master," he admitted, flushing lightly from embarrassment and injured pride.
While Shifu would have normally pinned him with the same kind of lecture he had just given Lin, he could see that Tai Lung was already kicking himself enough for his failure to defeat the bandits single-handedly. "You have done well, my student," he commended gently, then reached out and momentarily placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
Tai Lung swelled with pride at the praise, his mouth turning up into a small smile. "Thank you, Master. I would bow, but... Well, I don't wanna drop Lin." Then he nodded in Lin's direction, as if urging Shifu to give her the same kind of praise. He did it again when the gesture elicited no response.
So, with a heavy sigh, Shifu turned to Lin. "You, too," he added sharply.
"Yaaay," she replied, dazed.
"She'll be okay, right, Master?" Tai Lung asked, glancing toward her with genuine worry.
"She'll be fine," he sighed. He didn't think she had any major head injuries, though he could see a black eye already sprouting on her face, and her right arm was in pretty bad shape. He felt a little dubious asking what had happened before he'd arrived on the scene, but he would have to question at least one of them sooner or later.
"Hey!" Lin suddenly exclaimed, perking up as if she were her normal self again. "Whaddaya think a crocodile's sexual organs look like?"
"She's delirious, but she'll be fine," he repeated, shaking his head at the outburst. It was then that the palace guardsmen arrived on the scene, their timing so uncanny that Shifu had to question whether they had been standing by and watching the entire fight to make sure he took care of all the bandits before they came around for clean up. "Let us head back home. And get her to bed."
Suddenly, Lin narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, a mean frown crossing her face. "Don't you even think about it."
Tai Lung looked a bit frightened at the response, and stiffened a bit.
Shifu just rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, yes, crocodile anatomy," he muttered.
"Don't go in my room," she replied, rather harshly. "Or I will gut you alive."
He blinked back at her, completely caught off-guard. He'd never heard such a sincerely threatening tone from her before, and while part of it may have been due to delirium, he had a feeling that the threat would still stand once she was lucid. "...Okay," he agreed slowly.
"I mean it," she snapped. "You promise me, right now! Promise on your honor as a warrior."
"Very well, I promise." He blinked at her, still surprised by her vehemence.
"I promise, too," Tai Lung added, obviously just as stunned.
"Good." She nodded once, a determined frown on her face, before completely passing out.
Tai Lung let out a surprised grunt at her sudden loss of consciousness, and quickly wrapped his other arm around her, and while her weight was likely no problem for him, he awkwardly struggled to keep her from sliding down in his grip.
"Here, I'll take her," Shifu sighed, and stepped forward to pick her up bridal-style, making sure that her right arm was tucked safely against his body. Of course, the moment he picked her up she began to drool on his shoulder. At least it meant that she was still alive- if he could even consider that a good thing. "Come," he ordered Tai Lung, and together they walked back toward the Jade Palace, attracting puzzled glances (or outright stares) from the guards as they went. No doubt the village would be buzzing with rumors the next day, not only about the battle that had just taken place, but also about his love life.
He wrinkled his nose at the thought. The day that anything such as that happened with Lin would be the day he cut his own tongue out and ate it. He glanced sideways as Tai Lung, who had noticed the attention they were getting and was walking straight and tall, his expression sombre, as if he were trying to project the image of a serious warrior. As if that was going to be effective when just beside him Lin was drooling and snorting in Shifu's arms.
The walk was becoming rather awkwardly silent, so Shifu decided that it was as good a time as any to ask Tai Lung how he and Lin became embroiled in such a conflict to begin with. He had no doubt that somehow Lin had been the cause- whether she intentionally started a fight with the bandits or simply did not do the sensible thing and run like the other villagers had out of ignorance and pride. "Tai Lung... While I know you must be tired, I would like to know-"
"I'm sorry, Master," he interrupted in rushed tones, to Shifu's surprise. "I'm sorry. It was all my fault." He paused to glance worriedly down at Lin. "I didn't mean- I thought I could- I'm sorry." He still stood tall, projecting an image of pride to anyone who might happen to see them, but his eyes were downcast in shame and remorse.
If he hadn't been carrying Lin, Shifu might have reached out to his son and placed a reassuring hand on his arm, or perhaps even offered a hug. As it was, all he could do was reassure the boy with his words- and a gentle tone of voice. "There is no use regretting anything now." He lowered his voice as he noticed more people wandering out of their homes, sensing that the danger had subsided. "Whatever it is that happened has already happened."
Tai Lung nodded, frowning slightly, but didn't respond.
"Tell me what happened," he prompted.
Tai Lung nodded once more, then took a deep breath, apparently to keep himself calm enough not to spout out the entire story as one long word. "Well, I'm not sure why the bandits came... Probably for revenge against you, or something."
Shifu grunted in agreement at that; he had suspected from the moment he saw them that the bandits he had just faced were somehow related to the ones he'd fought not too long ago, although to be honest they were not quite as battle hardened or skilled as the first group.
"But when they showed up, everyone started screaming and running... And I just thought that it was my chance to protect everybody. I thought I could do it." He shook his head at that. "Lin tried to get me to run, so we could go tell you, but I refused." While that in itself was quite shocking, it didn't compare to what Tai Lung told him next. "When I ran off to face them, she came straight after me. I don't know what she was thinking, maybe that there was still time for her to grab me and run..." He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping a bit. "And I don't know why, but I froze out there. I got right up in their faces, ready to beat the daylights outta them... But for some reason I couldn't shake this feeling..."
Shifu knew what he was talking about. He himself still remembered his first real fight, outside the safety of the Jade Palace or a tournament, when he faced his opponent and suddenly realized that the stakes were much higher than they had ever been, that what he had gotten himself into was truly dangerous. He'd had his ass handed to him, as well. "There is no shame in feeling fear, Tai Lung," he replied. "The day you stop being afraid is the day you get yourself killed. Now, tell me what happened next."
"They had me cornered... And I guess they thought it'd be funny to see me fight the leader." At this point he sounded more remorseful than ever. "Lin had already been beaten up pretty bad, too, but it was like she wasn't even feeling it. She acted like every bruise on her body was just a little tickle. I dunno how she did it, but you know how she can be. I guess that's just her. Anyway, she tried to intervene... And that leader guy, he hit her so hard with his tail that she flew straight through a wall!"
"A wall?" Shifu repeated incredulously.
"Well, it was made outta wood. But still! She got up from that!" A note of excitement and admiration entered Tai Lung's voice as he spoke. "She'd landed in, I dunno, a noodle shop or something. Some place with lotsa tables and chairs, y'know. And even though I was getting my butt whooped, I could see her over there, and I could tell that her arm was pretty badly injured. Then, outta nowhere, she just picked up this table with one arm and chucked it! It was so cool, and it hit the guy right in the face. Pow!"
"I saw that part," Shifu informed him. "Though even after witnessing it I'm still having trouble actually believing it." He glanced down at Lin's prone form, feeling a lot more wary of her than he'd ever been before. Without even realizing it, he voiced his suspicions out loud. "Even with a burst of adrenaline, she couldn't have accomplished that with the kind of muscles a cook builds. She'd need to have had some kind of strength training, or experience handling large, heavy objects..."
Tai Lung came to a sudden stop as they crossed over the moon bridge, stiffening at the note of distrust in his master's voice. "Master, I know you don't like or trust Lin," he said quietly, even going so far as to bow nervously as an apology for contradicting him. "But she's my friend. She risked her life for me. So please, whatever you're thinking... Please don't fire her, or... Or anything like that."
As much as Shifu hated to admit it, Tai Lung had a point. She had indeed risked her life by barreling headlong into that group of bandits, and had continued to fight (as unorthodox as her methods had been) until she was barely conscious. And she had done so for his son. For that, he felt as though... He owed her. He cringed at the thought of being indebted to Lin, but at the same time he found himself feeling a small amount of gratitude toward her. And, despite himself, even respect for the bravery and selflessness she had shown. It passed quickly enough, though, when she sneezed on him, thus covering his shoulder in a light misting of mucus. "You have no reason to worry," he assured Tai Lung wearily, and began walking again.
The rest of the trek back to the Jade Palace passed by in silence, with the occasional unconscious snort from Lin. As they reached the barracks, Shifu realized that on top of being beaten, thrown through a wall, and generally flailed about like a rag doll, it was entirely likely that she also hadn't slept in a couple of days. If that was true, then she'd lasted a lot longer in that fight than he would have ever expected. Although, the more he got to know her, the more she proved that she was the absolute definition of "unexpected."
He paused outside her room, wondering if he should keep to his promise; his curiosity had been piqued at her adamant insistence that they stay out, and she did need a place to rest.
"Master," Tai Lung warned beside him, "we promised on our honor."
He blinked up at the boy, more bemused than anything else that he had just been reprimanded by his student. "Ah, yes. Indeed we did." Some day he would find out what kind of mysteries lay behind that door. In the meantime, he continued down the hall to an empty room, one with a window and a fairly thick bedroll for her to lay on. "Tai Lung, go get some bandages for her arm. Some water, too, in case there are any open wounds that need to be cleaned."
"Yes, Master." Tai Lung gave a short bow and then left, obviously in a hurry to retrieve the items and help to heal her. It was quite apparent that he felt responsible for her injuries, and Shifu was sure that he was also quite impressed by her resolve.
He set Lin down on the bed as gently as he could manage, and then kneeled at her side, preparing himself for what needed to be done. Since there was no telling when she would regain consciousness, and since there was no physician on call at the Jade Palace due to the knowledge that Oogway possessed and had then passed down to Shifu on the subject, it was his duty to search her for any open wounds and treat them before infection could set in. Which meant, he would need to strip her. He steeled himself for the task, reminding himself that he had gone through much worse in his life, but that didn't stop the churning in his stomach as he reached out to undo her belt.
Suddenly, she let out a loud snort and her left arm shot out to grab him by the sleeve.
"Ack!" he exclaimed, and then felt rather embarrassed that he'd allowed himself to be startled so much.
Lin's eyes opened a sliver, and she squinted up at him. "Shifu," she murmured.
"Yes?" He decided to ignore her informality, in light of the circumstances.
"You..." She let go of his sleeve and instead reached her hand toward his face, and for a brief moment he felt nervous, for some reason. "You..."
"Yes, what is it?" he prompted.
She grabbed hold of one of his ears. "Your ears... They're gigantic."
"You're delirious," he huffed, yanking her hand away. At least, though, he was exonerated from having to undress her. "Listen, you need to tell me if you feel any pain, if there are any cuts on your body that you know of."
"And you're so fluffy," she continued, as if he hadn't spoken at all. "Looka that tail, there." She giggled, too. "What're you, a lemur?"
"No! How many times must I tell you that I am a red panda?" he snapped, then calmed himself down by reminding himself that she was still delirious, and not attempting to taunt him. Which probably wasn't true. "Now, focus. Do you have any open wounds that you can tell me about?"
She appeared to be fading fast, though, as if she had only woken up to begin with to briefly make fun of him, and now that the task was complete she was content to fall back into unconsciousness. However, as her eyelids drooped, she opened her mouth to finally answer his question. "On my ass." And then she was gone again.
He stared down at her, his hands balled into fists on top of his knees, completely aware of how angry he probably looked.
"Master?" Tai Lung had returned with a bowl of water and a wad of bandages, panting as if he had run across the grounds at full-speed for them.
He glanced up at his student, then back down at Lin's unconscious form, an idea that was probably entirely inappropriate forming in his mind. Still, it was how Master Oogway had taught him, and it would help to alleviate some of the guilt Tai Lung was feeling. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his knees, then came to a decision that he knew he would probably regret. "Tai Lung, how would you like to learn how to dress an open wound?"
A/N: Well, I doubt anyone was expecting a serious fight scene. And to whoever might have actually had that in mind: what fic have you been reading, exactly? Anyway, I know that a lot of new questions are arising in these recent chapters, but I promise that they all will be answered... Eventually. Also, I'm sure that anyone out there who might be a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender will appreciate the wanton destruction of cabbages as much as I do. Next up, Shifu actually voluntarily spends time with Lin, though there are conditions to such an act of blatant masochism.
And P.S. - I LOVE MORNING STARS. Just thought I'd put that out there.