Chapter 2: Goose in Peril


Tigress crouched behind a chunk of wooden debris and looked out over the rocky beach. A hundred feet away sat a wrecked ship. The ship was called a louchuan, or tower ship. Practically a fortress when on the ocean. This one, however, was forced ashore a long time ago. It sat alone, derelict and rotten, but not empty. Tigress kept her eyes glued to the wood. The full moon lit like fire in them.

Crane had taken to the skies as he so often did. He was undetectable as he tore through the clouds. Silent as the grave. Mantis was Mantis and had no problem sneaking across the rocks without worrying about catching the eye of the bandits. All he had to worry about was his own mouth. Monkey held position on the opposite side of the wreck, keeping a firm eye on any patrols. Viper slithered her way between the rocks, inching ever closer.

Tigress counted a dozen set of glowing eyes glaring out from the cracks and holes in the wrecked ship. While not a terrible place to set up, she couldn't help but think that a cave might suit the bandits better. A wrecked ship in the middle of an empty beached had seemed a bit too obvious. She had to give credit where it was due, however. The bandits had been hunted for months even after the Imperial Army got involved, yet they remained one step ahead. They had caused the emperor so much stress he finally gave in and wrote to Master Shifu to request aid.

Tigress looked up at Crane and, with a simple nod, it began. Crane let out a mighty cry from above. One that seemed to echo across the water and the beach. Tigress grinned as every set of eyes within the wrecked ship looked towards the sky with a panicked haste. Though they were looking in the right spot, there was no way they could see Crane. The bird was too deep into the clouds when Mantis made his move across the beach. The little bug charged towards the wrecked ship, silent as a mouse, and vanished within the many cracks and holes of the ship.

Tigress was next. On all fours she bolted from behind the wooden debris, sliding against the wooden hull.

"Tigress." Mantis whispered from a small crack. Mantis was pointing his forelegs to a large crack that happened to be just large enough for her to squeeze through. She nodded, then climbed through the hole. Slowly, she made her way through the dusty and rotten walls of the ship. Each step was carefully planned and thought out. One wrong step could send an echo through the wreck. Just like that, their element of surprise would be lost. Worse yet, the bandits could cut their losses and kill the hostage. She found Mantis sitting atop a beam peeking through a crack leading to the main cabin.

Mantis smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but Tigress quickly shut him down by pressing a finger to her lip. It was far too early for witty comments from the bug. Luckily, Mantis quickly got the message and somehow found the strength to swallow his words.

Viper soon joined them, having snaked her way through the cracks. Tigress had opted to have Monkey and Crane wait outside, as she figured it would be more effective to hit the bandits from multiple angles. Now, they only waited for their cue to strike.

Tigress gently lifted Mantis from the hole and placed him on her shoulder, then pressed her eye to the crack.

The cabin was well lit, partially thanks to a dozen candles and a fire the bandits had made using driftwood from the beach and scraps from the wreck. Standing in the main cabin were to titans. A rhino with muscles that tore at the seams of his robes and a gorilla, which was nearly three times the size of Tigress and had a mean set of sharp, yellow teeth. Between them was a hostage. A small, timid goose named Chan. He was, according to Master Shifu, the imperial historian. It had been a debate as to why the bandits captured him, but Tigress didn't care. He was a hostage, and they were going to get him back.

"We know it exists. Where is it?" The rhino snarled, pulling the goose close. His horns tickled the tip of the goose's beak. "Once you tell us, you are free to leave."

Free to leave? Tigress felt sorry for anyone who actually believed that.

"I already told you what I know!" Chan's voice shook. "I could give you and your friend a great lecture on the Shang and the Zhou dynasties, but I swear, such a place isn't written on any maps that I know of. Honest! I want to live as much as anyone. If I knew where it was, I would tell you."

"Liar." The gorilla snorted, exposing his yellow teeth. "Are you telling me you've read thousands of scrolls and maps, and not once come across it?"

"It's called the Hidden Valley for a reason!" Chan pleaded.

The gorilla and the rhino shared a quick glance. Their voices lowered to a soft grumble as they spoke. "We can't go back without information." The rhino said. "She won't be happy."

"Agreed." The gorilla nodded, bending down and lifting Chan by the neck. He snorted again as he set his icy gaze into the eyes of the poor historian. "If you won't talk to us, you'll have to talk to the Mistress. One way or another, we'll see how much you truly know."

"Please!" The goose began to shake. He had pleaded and begged all he could and was left in tears.

Tigress growled. She had heard enough. With a mighty kick, she tore through the rotten wall. The gorilla and the rhino ducked, dropping the goose in the process. They could not react in time to her lightning quick speed. Tigress landed a swift kick to the rhino, knocking him to his knees. Mantis followed close behind, pulling Chan through the wall to safety.

The rhino looked up with a smile and pulled a sword most would deem oversized. He was about to pull himself to his feet when Crane broke through the window, managing a flurry of fierce kicks. The rhino fell face first on the floor.

"Guards!" The gorilla called, seeing how poorly they were faring.

Tigress charged and used her claws to pull the mighty beast to the floor, creating a neat crater in the center of the room. She stopped and listened to the sound of panicked feet hoofing it down the hallway behind her. There must've been two dozen of them. They chanted and screamed as they hurried to join the fight.

Viper and Monkey were waiting, however. As soon as they entered the cabin, the two masters leapt into action. The bandits were gone just as soon as they came. Tigress knew Monkey and Viper would make quick work of them out in the hallway.

The gorilla pulled himself to his feet and laughed. Tigress cut it short with a roundhouse kick. There was a loud snap as his jawbone broke. The gorilla fell unconscious as he landed on his back.

Tigress turned just in time to see the rhino pull Crane by the neck. She covered the distance in the blink of an eye, but the rhino used Crane like a whip. Tigress ducked, crouched on all fours, then bolted upright. Her fists knocked the rhino under the jaw. Teeth littered the cabin as the rhino was sent through the room. Crane pulled himself free and caught the rhino with his sharp talons. Instead of returning to the ship, Crane flew higher. And higher. Suddenly, Crane struck like lightning, sending them both crashing down into the cabin, forming another crater in the rotten wood.

Viper and Monkey returned to the room. They were dirty and scuffed but appeared to be in good spirits.

"Are we clear?" Tigress asked.

Monkey looked back at the hallway and smiled. "They won't be getting up for a while."

"Good." Tigress turned towards Crane. "Go tell Commander Huan the bandits are taken care of, and that we got the hostage."

Crane nodded and left without a word. Mantis reappeared from the hole and helped guide Chan into the cabin. The little goose shook with fright. Tigress quickly turned towards Viper and leaned in close. She spoke with a whisper.

"Viper, you're more… approachable. Help me talk to him."

"Of course." She said, then followed Tigress to the petrified goose. "Just remember to smile."

Chan tried to retreat but found the wall behind him had crept up on him faster than he thought. Tigress knelt down and looked at Chan. She was still hyped on the adrenaline. The thrill of the hunt. Her eyes were wide, and her mind was racing. She had forgotten to smile.

Viper was quick to notice. "We're not here to hurt you." Viper said. "Do you know who we are?"

Chan shook his head. His chaotic shaking seemed to fade more and more after each breath.

"What did they want?" Tigress asked. Chan dared not look her in the eye. Instead, his gaze lay past her, glued to her handiwork. The holes in the walls. Teeth littering the ground. Unconscious bodies of the rhino and gorilla. After a moment of silence, she decided to press further. "You're Chan, right?"

He nodded. "T-That's right."

"Good. I'm Master Tigress, and this is Master Viper. We're warriors of the Jade Palace in the Valley of Peace."

"Jade Palace?" Chan went cross eyed. Suddenly, it clicked. "You're the Furious Five?"

"Yup." Viper said, giving a contagious smile.

"Sorry." Chan said as he took a deep breath. "I study history and don't give much thought to the present or future. I love the past, so recent events slip my mind from time to time. I can give you a wonderful history of ancient China, though."

Tigress almost smiled. If only he knew about Master Oogway, she thought. "Maybe later. We were sent by Commander Huan to rescue you."

"Huan?"

"That's right." Viper nearly whispered. "He's on his way as we speak."

Chan seemed to loosen up at the thought of Commander Huan. He even managed a weak smile. For the first time, he made eye contact with Tigress. "He's always been good to me."

"I'm sure he has." Viper said. "Now, can you tell us why those bandits captured you? What did they want?"

Chan took a second to compose himself. "Nothing I can help with. Just a stupid rumor. A myth, I suppose."

"What myth?" Tigress asked.

"I don't know much about it. Nobody does, really. It's just a location called the Hidden Valley. I'm a historian. Not a mythologist. As far as I know, there's nothing historical about it."

"What kind of myth is the Hidden Valley?" Viper asked.

"I don't know!" Chan said. "It dates back only a few decades but has no basis in history. I'll tell you everything I told the bandits, okay?"

Tigress nodded. "Go ahead."

"I honestly didn't think anyone else had heard about it. I saw it mentioned once on a scroll I found a few years back. There was a fire in a little town named Shanwei. It had a large library that took the brunt of the flames. I was sent in to recover whatever documents had survived. While inside, I found a scroll that nearly turned to ash as I touched it. Luckily, I was still able to read some parts of it. It was on that scroll that I first heard of this… Hidden Valley. When I was done, I found myself more than a little curious about this new location. I went to the Grand Library in the Imperial City and did some research. I read thousands of scrolls and looked at every map I could, but I couldn't find the name again. I came to the conclusion that the Hidden Valley didn't exist. Not even what was left of the original scroll had any information I could use."

"Sounds a bit odd." Tigress noted, glancing over at Viper. "They must have a reason to look for it."

"I don't know how those bandits came to hear of it, but at this point, I'd say they're on a wild goose chase."

"You're the wildest goose in China, Chan." Commander Huan said as he entered. He was a massive alligator with a scarred snout that had seen uncountable victories over the years. He was a beast of a creature and stood a whole head taller than Tigress, but he held a smile that lit up the room. It was an unusual trait for reptiles such as him. It was something he and Viper had in common. A dozen guards followed the Commander. "Put the prisoners in chains." He ordered. They were quick and efficient. Tigress was more than impressed. He stood before her and bowed. "Master Tigress. Thank you once again for your help."

Tigress bowed back. "No need to thank us. I'm just happy Chan wasn't hurt."

"You got here just in time, from what the bird told me." Commander Huan turned to the unconscious gorilla and rhino as they were chained and carried away. "Any idea what they wanted?"

Tigress shrugged. "A place called the Hidden Valley, I guess. Chan can explain it better than I could."

Commander Huan nodded. "We'll bring him in for questioning later when he has time to cool his nerves. Hopefully we'll get something informative out of him, but I have a feeling we'll get another extensive history lesson."

Tigress watched as Chan's eyes lit up.

"Is there anything else we can help with?" Viper asked.

"No. You've done more than enough." He turned towards Chan, then gave the little goose a pat on the head. "You're lucky, my little friend. The Furious Five don't like to lose."

Chan bowed. "I am forever in your debt." He lifted his head and looked around. "Aren't there supposed to be six of you? Where is your leader? The panda?"

Commander Huan laughed. "Yeah. The Dragon Warrior. Where is he?"

Tigress felt her heart drop. "He's not our-"

"He was up in the Panda Village when you contacted us. He should be back at the Jade Palace by now." Viper interrupted, saving Tigress from unleashing the smidgeon of envy that had built in her heart. Not much, but some still lingered.

"Well, you five have shown yourselves more than capable time and time again, Dragon Warrior at your side or not." He gave a slight nod of approval. "I look forward to working with you again, Master Tigress."

"Likewise, Commander." The two bowed. Her cheeks began to heat up. Luckily, with her head lowered, nobody saw her blush. Once it had passed, she turned towards the rest of the Furious Five. They all looked up to her with bright eyes, awaiting her next word. She smiled. There was nothing like the thrill of another successful mission. No better feeling in the world. "Let's go home."


A/N: Hey! Thanks once again for reading. I'm going to try to build a sense of mystery during the first act. Hopefully I do it well enough. I find mystery tougher to write. Mystery and action are my downfall. Let me know, though. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.