(CHAPTER TWENTY!!!!! The Longest Chapter I have done so far! Yeah! Please correct me if I'm wrong in some parts but I did say I would alter Tai Lung's Escape.)
Chapter Twenty: Tai Lung's Escape
"My friend, you seem tense today. You're never tense when we share company with each other," Tai Lung sensed that Zhang Liao was tense. His tight grip on Dragon Revival, his self-named Spear, and his light breathing gave this away. Dragon Revival rested on his shoulders and the wrist on the paw that held it strained a little.
"I must admit, I haven't been feeling well as of late. It isn't the food, it isn't the security…" Zhang Liao was trying to find the cause.
"Well I'm glad these ignorant and arrogant fools aren't the source of whatever is keeping you tense, Liao. These fools are weak!" Tai Lung replied honestly.
"Now, now, Tai Lung, arrogance leads to downfall. Anyway, I believe that something… fun is going to happen," Zhang Liao replied.
"I'm glad though that you are able to contain yourself, friend. It is a hard task to do," Tai Lung said honestly.
"You contain yourself pretty well, Tai. I'm both impressed and humbled," Zhang Liao complimented Tai Lung.
"Zhang Liao, I have a personal question," Tai Lung roused more attention from his friend at this statement as he turned his head towards him. He crossed his arms across his chest; Dragon Revival s
"Hm?" Zhang Liao mumbled his curiosity.
"With all the contacts and news you've been getting from the outside… Do you have a special someone?" Tai Lung grinned as he asked this.
"Well, if truth is to be told…" Zhang Liao was going to say something but was interrupted by the opening of the cell door.
Both of them were silenced and Zhang Liao stood straight in attention. Occasionally Shu Ai's mind would sneak in and would tell the rest of the body to hate the formality and make fun of it. However this was unsuccessful as Shu never forgot the plan to stay with Tai Lung. He did pledge allegiance.
"Oh, it's you, Roc. I thought it was Vachir or one of the high-ranked personnel," Zhang Liao relaxed when the guard that entered was Roc.
"I finally… mustered the courage t…to come in here, sir…!" Roc did not have enough courage to contain his stuttering.
"Wimp…" Tai Lung thought as he looked down.
"What brings you here?" Zhang Liao asked Roc as his face showed that he had something important.
"I have a message f…from Vachir… He wants you to r…report to th…the entrance… and bring y…your spear," Roc delivered the order.
Zhang Liao nodded as he knelt down so he would whisper to Tai Lung's ear.
"I sense that what we're waiting for will happen today, my friend. Patience," Zhang Liao whispered before standing up and following the unsuspicious Roc.
"What is it that Vachir wants me and Dragon Revival to do at the entrance?" Zhang Liao asked Roc as the lift took them up.
"Guard duty actually. He's getting suspicious that you and Tai Lung are getting comfortable with each other. You are the only one here after all with the bravery to show compassion for him," Roc replied.
"Guard Duty?! More patience is INDEED required," Zhang Liao thought in disappointment.
"By the way, do I have any letters today?" Liao asked Roc.
"No, I'm afraid. I don't know why, though. All letters assigned to you have been confiscated and burned," Roc replied honestly.
Zhang Liao bid a farewell to Roc who returned to his own post. He wondered why someone of his caliber would simply be put as guard to the entrance. Perhaps he was getting old? Zhang Liao hadn't thought of this and quickly dismissed it. Shu Ai may have changed his name and a majority of his personality, but there's one thing that will never change: Shu Ai admitting to being Old.
Zhang Liao finally arrived at the entrance where he was greeted with salutes by fellow guards.
Zhang Liao soon discovered something headed their way from the not-so-distant sky.
"Weapons drawn fellow guards, we have company. Someone go and fetch Commander Vachir," Zhang Liao held Dragon Revival in both hands. His stance with the spear was well-balanced that focused neither on strength nor speed but on technique. He prepared for this new arrival. He however did not expect the clumsiness of this new arrival that seemed to crash land in front of him. Zhang Liao and a few guards who were with him pointed their weapons at this clumsy individual.
"Identify yourself, goose of foreign land! Lest you desire our ferocity upon you," Zhang Liao ordered. He had quickly identified this one as a goose. He also identified the goose as posing no threat, yet he was cautious.
"Please don't hurt me, I bear a message from Master Shifu for Commander Vachir!" The goose was a messenger; sent to the prison by the old master. But what was the message?
"I will personally take this one to Commander Grouch-er-Vachir," Zhang Liao told his fellow guards who agreed with a nod, going at ease.
"Um, I have a n-name… Zeng…" Zeng finally gave his name as he followed Zhang Liao passed the guards who kept their eyes on him. Zhang Liao never loosened Dragon Revival from both hands.
As soon as Zhang Liao entered the prison with Zeng behind him, they heard the heavy footsteps of Commander Vachir.
"Guard, what is the meaning of this?!" Vachir asked Zhang Liao, not in a good mood.
"Sir, this messenger bears a message for you from Master Shifu of the Valley of Peace," Zhang Liao stood up straight and told Commander Vachir of Zeng and the still-unknown message. Zhang Liao backed up, allowing Zeng to be in front of him. Liao pushed Zeng forward with the bottom of Dragon Revival.
"What is the message of Shifu?" Vachir asked the nervous Zeng.
"He wants… you to double security… He believes Tai Lung will escape…!" Zeng delivered his message.
"Ha, has that old Shifu gone mad?! We don't need extra security! Come, and let me show you!" Vachir would lead Zeng around the Prison to show how tight the security was.
"Overconfidence is downfall," Zhang Liao followed with great attention.
"Look down there, tell me what you see," Vachir stopped at a high ledge. Everyone was used to the height, but Zeng looked like he was going to drop anchor when he looked down at the overwhelming height.
"You see that? Whoever gets in, can never come out! Ha, ha ha!" Vachir knelt slightly and patted Zeng on his back to scare him. Vachir was overconfident.
"Interesting…" Liao said to himself as a feather that came from Zeng dislodged from him during Vachir's scare and began to slowly glide down.
"Do you think that we need security? We also have the Master Zhang Liao with us!" Vachir was proud and confident.
"Well, um… I don't… Shifu does," Zeng nervously replied as they headed to the lift that headed to Tai Lung.
"We'll show you how secure he is!" Vachir, Zeng, and Zhang Liao were at the lift and were going down. Zhang Liao heard a few held-back laughs from other guards at Zeng's nervousness and insecurity.
"Guard! You go first!" Vachir knew Zhang Liao held the key to ai Lung's cell.
"Yes, sir," Liao went ahead. Zeng did not want to go through
"C…can't we go back…?" Zeng was pushed by Vachir to continue as Liao opened the door.
"There he is, the once-great Tai Lung! Ha, the once-powerful warrior, now a mere kitty! Reduced to nothing!" Vachir started to insult Tai Lung.
Zhang Liao watched from the doorway beside Zeng.
"Tai Lung, resist… Just a little while longer…" Liao thought.
"Um, should he be doing that? I think you shouldn't be doing that…!" Zeng thought it was a bad idea for Vachir to insult Tai Lung.
"What's wrong, Tai Lung? Can't break free? Aww, that's too bad!" Vachir constantly knocked hard on the ones that kept Tai Lung from escaping.
Tai Lung remained silent and calm. He thought only of Zhang Liao, the only one who ever believed in him and supported him. For him, he would not fall to anger at this arrogant fool named Vachir.
Zhang Liao flinched as Vachir purposely and harshly stepped on Tai Lung's tail.
"Oops, did I do that? Aw, I'm sorry! Ha!" Vachir eventually got bored and walked to Zhang Liao and Zeng.
"See, nothing to worry about! Unbreakable and unescapable!" Vachir said, laughing.
"Can we please go now?" Zeng begged.
"Alright. Guard, come along and leave the prisoner!" Vachir ordered Zhang Liao. He gave one final look at Tai Lung and up at the height before closing and locking the cell door. They would go to the lift that brought them up.
The falling feather of Zeng finally landed in front of Tai Lung. This was completely accessible to Tai's usage. Tai Lung confidently and calmly opened his eyes and worked on the feather to be free.
"You see, no one can break—" Vachir confidently said but was interrupted by the separation of metal and the rushing of guards.
"Tai Lung is free! Tai Lung is free!" Voices of the guards down below were heard.
"Open fire! Open fire!" Orders were heard and weapons used were heard as well.
"Guard, go down and assist them!" Vachir ordered.
Zhang Liao would jump down from the lift to the nearest ledge. He had Dragon Revival held on both paws, ready for battle. However, he would not help the guards to stop Tai Lung.
Tai Lung managed to use long spears as stepping stones to the next level.
Tai Lung was still as strong as Liao remembered. Liao was still a long way up, but he was able to see Tai Lung fight his way through security with ease.
The lift Vachir and Zeng were on was still accessible and Tai Lung made an attempted leap on it. However he was unable to reach it and began his descend—right to Zhang Liao.
"Ha, right to Master Liao! He's… What?!" Vachir was becoming confident until he was surprised at what he saw: Zhang Liao had given Tai Lung a boost; allowing him to get to higher levels without the help of the lift.
"What are you doing?!" Vachir angrily shouted at Zhang Liao.
"Run now if you value your lives, or fall to the might of Zhang Liao!" Zhang Liao had shown his true side. He had allied with Tai Lung and today him shown it by returning up the levels; using Dragon Revival if needed.
"Master Zhang Liao! I await you on the top!" Tai Lung called down at Zhang Liao who was cutting through the remaining guards with ease.
"At your command, Master Tai Lung!" Zhang Liao now took orders from Tai Lung.
"St-stop him! Focus on Tai Lung! He must not escape!" Vachir ordered to focus on Tai Lung.
The fight between Chor Ghom Prison versus Zhang Liao and Tai Lung would not take long. Tai Lung by himself was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Joining him was Zhang Liao; reality Shu Ai, his friend and rival. Zhang Liao had become a well-known Kenpo Disciple and he used his skills to reach the top.
There, Vachir alongside what was left of the guards stood in Tai Lung's way to freedom.
"Master Tai Lung, do you need assistance?" Zhang Liao now stood beside Tai Lung. Dragon Revival was held steadily in his paws and sweat dripped from his long mane down to his mask.
"Liao… WH…why…?" Liao heard Roc's voice.
"It is the way it is, I pledged my services to Tai Lung. Now, scatter or face our combined wrath," Zhang Liao confidently replied.
Zeng was behind all of the remaining security, scared.
"Attack!" Vachir sealed their fate; including his.
All of them were defeated at the paws of Tai Lung and Zhang Liao. The survivor? Zeng the messenger.
"Go back to Master Shifu and spread the word: Tai Lung is back," Zhang Liao told Zeng.
"Or stay here with us," Tai Lung added with confidence in his face.
Zeng backed up and flew away in terror back to the Valley of Peace.
"It's a long journey back, Master Tai Lung," Zhang Liao remembered how long it took him to reach the prison.
"I don't mind the trip back," Tai Lung replied honestly.
"What did I tell you, Patience is the Key," Zhang Liao told him.
"Twenty years of patience, but hey nothing is perfect, Master Zhang Liao," Tai Lung replied.
"By your permission, allow me to go ahead to clear your path to truth," Zhang Liao said.
"By all means. But leave some for me," Tai Lung replied as he watched Zhang Liao move on ahead. He would soon follow.