"...The Monkey King used his magical staff to pick up a nearby mountain. He trapped the Demon Bull King underneath. The Monkey King sealed the mountain with the staff that no other being could wield, trapping the Demon Bull King forever. With the battle won, Monkey King vanished, never to be seen again. Legend says the staff still lies on top of that mountain, the one thing keeping our world from certain destruction.
And with the Demon Bull King gone, civilization was able to advance into the amazing city we now live in. A world of elegant cultures, gentle loving people, a city brimming with five-star cuisine, and all thanks to the Monkey King."

As Tang finishes narrating the story for the billionth time to MK, the young boy yells out, ecstatic. "Oh that's so good! Monkey King's so cool! He's so strong, and handsome-" he says, striking poses. Tang chuckles softly. "Oh, MK, and you thought you knew all of Monkey King's stories-"

"He does, and he won't shut up about them." another voice interrupts, placing a bag on the growing pile of deliveries. Tang and MK turn to face Chen, a helping hand in the noodle shop and the adopted son of Pigsy. He wipes his hands on his apron as he approaches.
The 20yo had black hair currently tied back in a ponytail and headband, and he wore the common white shirt with the noodle shop's logo on the back.

He picks up MK's book. "He's obsessed with that monkey, Tang. He probably already knew that story too." he explained. MK snatches the book from his friend, giving him a "Hmph!"
"I'm not obsessed! I've just got his whole life documented extensively in this unauthorised autobiography of Monkey King! Written and illustrated by yours truly." he winks as he elbows Tang.
MK then goes on a rant about Monkey King's life. Something he's done multiple times before. If Chen were being honest, he didn't mind. On a regular day, he'd listen to MK fanboy over his favourite subject.

But today was a work day, and they needed to deliver orders. If MK didn't do them, Chen would have to help with the deliveries that the boy forgot.

Tang picks up one of the drawings, taking a closer look with a smile. "It's nice to know someone's taking in all these stories. Pearls of wisdom, dripping from my lips." Chen rolls his eyes, returning to the back of the shop to finish cooking the rest of the deliveries. On the way there, Pigsy marches by him, on his way to confront Tang and MK.

In the kitchen, Chen gets to work, grabbing a knife and cutting the vegetables for Pigsy. From his work corner, he could hear Pigsy yelling at MK and Tang.
Eventually, MK was kicked out the door with the deliveries, as the chef went after Tang. Chen could hear everything in the background, but he ignores it. This was just another day in the workshop.

The phone rings, and the boy answers it, putting on his customer service voice. "Hello! Thank you for calling Pigsy's Noodles, home of the world's best noodles!" he greets in a chipper voice. A cackle sounds from the other end, causing the boy to stop, looking at the phone confused.

"Sorry, Chen. You just never sound that chipper whenever we hang out." a familiar voice explains. Realising who it was, Chen smirks. "Oh, really? How do I usually sound when we hang, Rey?"
"Grouchy."
"Hey!"

More laughter could be heard from the other end, as Chen rubs his eyes. "Alright, alright, so did you call to chat, or to order?" he finally asks, grabbing a notebook and a pen. Rey clears their throat. "Oh yeah! Could I order a takeaway of Chow Mein*?" they question. Chen writes it down, the phone pressed against his shoulder and ear as he writes. "Mhm, of course. Anything else? Any requirements?"
"No thank you. Just deliver it to the library, I'll be waiting out the front since I'm on my break." they explain. Chen nods, humming in response as he hangs up the piece of paper on a thin line strewn over the kitchen, easy for Pigsy and him to see. "Alright, thank you for calling Pigsy's Noodles, your order will be finished and delivered within 30 minutes." Chen explains.

Rey thanks their friend, hanging up the call. He makes the dish for them, ready to put it out on the delivery counter.
At that moment, Pigsy walks in, after finishing kicking Tang out momentarily. Chen greets him. "Heya, dad. Just finished another order."
Pigsy sighs. "Thanks, Chen. Could you deliver these?" he holds up a bunch of deliveries for Chen to take, obviously some MK had forgotten. "I don't think MK's gonna be back in time to deliver." he grumbles, looking up at the clock. MK had been gone roughly 10 minutes, and they couldn't afford to wait any longer to deliver the noodles. Chen gives him a lazy salute. "On it, pops."

Taking the deliveries, he walks out the door, heading towards the second tuk-tuk the shop owned. Hopping inside, he puts on his headphones, listening to the music as he heads to his first location: the library.
Pulling out onto the road, he bobs his head to the tune of one of his favourite songs, keeping his focus on the traffic.

Finally, he makes it to his first location. And just like they promised, there was Rey, waiting on the steps. As Chen approaches, they quickly get to their feet, greeting him. "Chen! How've you been?" they ask, as Chen takes his headphones off, pulling out Rey's delivery.

"Been great, thanks." he says, putting on a smile. "Nothing grouchy here!" Rey cackles, as Chen continues, handing his friend their delivery. "So, how's things going here? Anything new?"

Rey nods, exclaiming as they remember something. "Oh, yeah! The library just ordered a bunch of old books on Journey to the West and ancient demons! They'll be arriving in a couple of weeks!" they explained excitedly.
Chen smiles softly at Rey's excitement. Humming, he gives his friend a pat on the shoulder. "That's great! I'll tell MK about it so he can check it out." he states, getting back in his tuk-tuk. "I gotta go. Got more noodles to deliver. See ya round, Rey."

As Chen drives off, Rey waves him goodbye, heading back towards the stairs of the library. Chen gets his GPS up, on the way to deliver to his next customer.

—-

Chen lets out a relieved sigh, just finishing delivering to his final customer. Now, he could go back to Pigsy's Noodles. Maybe MK would be back now.

As he drove along the quiet road, his headphones blaring loud music, he never noticed a certain delivery boy's screams rapidly approaching from an upcoming sharp turn.

MK's tuk-tuk crashes into Chen's own, hitting him right at the turn. Chen and MK were left unharmed, but the tuk-tuks were a different story.
Both were demolished, undrivable. As Chen exits his vehicle, he places his hands on his head, panicked. "MK! What do you think you're doing?!" he cries, looking over the damage. But there was no way to fix this. "Oh, man. Pigsy's gonna kill us!" he whispers.
He loved his dad, but he knew he'd be in BIG trouble when he heard about this.

MK grabs his hand, pulling him down the street. "I'D RATHER PIGSY THAN HIM!" he exclaims, grabbing someone's hoverboard with an apology. Chen turns to his friend, confused. "What?! What are you going on about! No one's wrath is worse than-"

An engine roars from behind them, and Chen glances over his shoulder. A large truck was barrelling towards them, with no intent on stopping. The driver, a man with flaming red hair and glasses, cackles maniacally. "I'm coming to get you, Noodle Boy! And your little friend, too!"

Chen and MK scream, both squeezing onto the hoverboard and zooming away on it. As they fly through the air, Chen turns to MK, just noticing a staff on the young man's back. "Who is that?!"

"THERE'SNOTIMETOEXPLAINBUTDEMONBULLKINGISBACKANDIGOTTHESTAFFANDTHEYWANTTHESTAFFBUTICOULDN'TJUSTLETTHEMHAVETHESTAFFSOIKINDATOOKITANDACCIDENTALLYRANAWAYWITHITANDNOWTHISGUYISTRYINGTOKILLMEANDI'MSOSORRRYYYYYY!" MK takes in a huge gasp of air. But Chen just deadpans.
"Yes. I understood everything you just said." he says blankly.

MK guides the hoverboard through a small alley, forcing the man in the large truck to stop. He shouts in anger, as MK and Chen grin at him. "Haha! See ya!"
"So long, psycho! See you never!"
"Oooooh!"

MK guides them toward an unfinished road, neither of them noticing the construction signs. Chen pokes the staff on his back. "So, mind telling me what just happened?" he questions yet again.
MK shakes his head. "When we get back to the noodle shop! This is really, REALLY important and I need to tell Mr. Tang!" MK explains.

Hearing a car rapidly approaching behind them, the duo turn around to see the same red-haired man now driving a racecar. MK gasps. "Oh, come on! Where did you get that?!" he exclaims. The man laughs. "What? You think I drive anything that doesn't have at least one complex transformation?" He shows off a blueprint of his vehicle. Pulling several levers, he speeds up the car and attempts to crush the duo.

The boys barely manage to escape, getting on top of the car. MK wipes the sweat from his brow, as Chen turns to the driver with anger. "Ay! No one tries to kill me and my friends and gets away with it!" he shouts. Pulling his fist back, he drives it into the windscreen multiple times, attempting to break the glass. Surprisingly, on the first strike, he manages to crack the glass.

This wasn't what surprised the demon in the driver's seat, though. As he stares up at the angry face of the mortal on his windshield, he gets a sense of deja vu. Has he seen him before?
The human's black hair whipped around his face, brows furrowed in anger as he glares down at the demon below him. Driving his fist back once more, he smashes the glass, grabbing the demon by the neck of his shirt. The demon screeches, snapping out of his trance. "LET GO OF ME YOU FILTHY PEASANT!"

Before the two could fight, the vehicle drops from below them. Looking down, all three realised that they were falling from an unfinished bridge. The trio scream, and the demon hurriedly scrambled into the safety of his race car as Chen lets him go.

Chen and MK scream as they free-fall, approaching the ground below rapidly.

All of a sudden, a bike zooms towards them out of nowhere, the driver grabbing MK and Chen midair as they sped by. The demon in the race car groans angrily. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
He had no time to focus on them, though, as his car headed towards a building. Screaming, he crashes through.

Stepping out from the wreckage, the demon growls, hair aflame. "Noodle Boy! You disgusting peasant! When I find you, I'm gonna BLAST YOU INTO LITTLE BITS!"

—

The biker that rescued the two young men speeds towards Pigsy's Noodle shop, jolting to a sudden stop. MK falls off, but Chen merely steps off the bike with the driver.
The driver, now with her biker outfit and helmet off, pulls out her phone, striking a pose. "Nailed it!"

"Mei!"
The black-haired girl with dyed green tips, Mei, helps MK to his feet. "That was an intense game of tag. You guys looked like you were having so much fun. I wanted to join too!" she giggles.
MK pauses, at a loss for words. "Uh, actually, we almost died back there." he tries explaining, sweating at just the memory. Mei smiles, misunderstanding. "But you didn't! So let's celebrate with a round of Monkey Mech!" she exclaims excitedly, pointing at an arcade game placed next to Pigsy's Noodle's. "You should invite your new edgy friend, too."

Chen grabs the girl by the shoulders, looking her right in the eye. "Mei, he tried to kill us. We don't want him to find us." he explains, saying each word slowly.
Mei, eyes widening as she finally understood, smiled at them. "Well in that case-" she pulls up a large red button on her phone, hovering her finger over it as she turns to the two boys with a dark expression. "Where does he live?"

She was interrupted by Pigsy shouting at the boys. "MK! Where are you, you punk?!" marching over, he pulls out his phone, showing off the app on it. "You mind telling me why some bozo left a zero-star review on Pigsy's Noodles?!" he demands.
MK starts to stutter, nervously sweating under his angry boss's gaze. "Oh! Uh, yeah. So, uh, here's what I think happened with that-"

"Woah, zero stars! Congrats! Better than nothing, right?" Mei giggles. Pigsy rubs the bridge of his nose. "That's not how it works, Mei!" he shouts.
While he was distracted, MK sneaks into the Noodle shop, searching for Tang. Chen quickly follows him, hearing Pigsy's frustrated screaming as they close the door.

—-

Somewhere below the city of Megapolis, the Bull Clones work in the Demon Bull Family's Flaming Foundry*, creating more clones and armour.

Red Son finishes welding together the last bit of armour for his father. He grins, lifting up his mask as he looks down at his handiwork. "And...that should about do it!" he exclaims, stepping back from his father's throne as the Demon Bull King gets to his feet. "It's...heavy." he points out, staggering as he takes a step forward.

The younger demon stammers. "That's because it isn't powered up yet!" he explains. Clearing his throat, he speaks more confidently. "The suit absorbs energy to create energy. And what better source than the magic staff that kept you underground?"

DBK scowls down at his son, displeased. "You mean the staff that you lost?" he growls. Taken aback, Red Son holds up his hands. "Uh, yeah- it was the Noodle Boy and his peasant friend! I-" he stammers out. He's interrupted by his mother's laughter, as the woman glides over to her son and husband.
"Oh, don't toy with him, my love. We will get it back." Princess Iron Fan states. "I have Bull Clones scouring the city. It's only a matter of time."

"A-and while we wait," Red Son continues, turning back to his father. "The furnace can convert other things into energy." he throws his face shield into the furnace on DBK's chest. The furnace erupts into flames, and DBK roars, feeling the energy flow through his very bones.
"The more rare the item, the more powerful Father will become! And once we have that staff, he will be unstoppable!" he laughs maniacally, as his mother grins maliciously.

Once Demon Bull King calms down, he sits back on his throne, scrolling through holograms of shops. "Now to find something rare and expensive. Something to give me the power I deserve."

—-

Back at the noodle shop, Tang was peacefully eating his bowl of noodles, oblivious to everything around him. So when MK interrupts him with a loud "MR. TANG!", he spat out his soup.

Chen reaches Tang as MK searches frantically for something, throwing all kinds of objects aside. The young man sits down with Tang. "Alright MK, NOW can you explain what is going on?" he asks.

MK doesn't stop his searching. "Yeah yeah yeah! Remember that story Mr. Tang told me this morning? About the Demon Bull King? Argh, where is it!? Where is it?! Where is it?!"

He finally finds what he's searching for underneath a tall pile of dirty dishes. Swiping it out from underneath, he holds it up to show Tang and Chen. "Ah, there it is! The Demon Bull King, see?"

The pile of dishes that the book was under falls, crashing to the ground. Chen stares at MK in disbelief, knowing that HE'D be the one to have to help clean that up. Pigsy wasn't too pleased either, as he starts to cuss out MK while being held back by Mei.

Tang continues eating his noodles, disinterested in where MK was going with this. "Yeah? What about him?"

The young man leaps onto Tang, more freaked out than ever. "The Demon Bull King is back! The legend is real! The Monkey King's staff is removed! We have to find him! It's the only way to save everyone before the world is destr-"
Tang pushes MK back with his chopsticks, interrupting his insane sounding rant. "Boy, relax! You're getting spittle in my soup. Besides, you're delusional. It's just a story."

"Delusional, huh? Would you call this delusional?" he reveals the staff, showing it off to his friends. Everyone is silent, as they look down at the red and gold staff. Mei grins. "Wow, MK. You found a stick!"
"No, it's Monkey King's staff!" he sputters. At that, his friends laugh, finding MK's joke to be hilarious. Chen slaps his knee, wheezing. "HA!"

But the young man before them holding this strange staff wasn't laughing. He growls in frustration as everyone returns to their things. Chen pulls out his phone, when MK grabs his arm. "Chen! You believe me, right? You saw Red Son yourself!" he exclaims, desperate.
Chen removes MK's arm. "Look, MK. All I saw was some crazy psycho trying to kill us. For all we know that could've been some random freak who wasn't happy with our service. Don't worry, I'm reporting them to the police now." he explained.

MK rubs his face, exasperated. "Ugh, you aren't listening! Demon Bull King is out there. We have to get the staff back to the Monkey King! This staff is the real deal, I'll prove it!"
At this, everyone turns to face him. Pigsy crosses his arms. "Oh, yeah? How?"

Before MK could respond, the staff extends itself, crushing the table Tang, Mei and Chen are sitting at. Tang freaks, dropping his bowl of noodles as he grabs onto MK's hand, holding it above his head. "MONKEY KING'S STAFF! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG! The legendary weapon that only he could wield to seal away evil!" he pauses, realising something. "Why do you have it?"

"Alright, I'll bite." Pigsy grumbles. Chen takes a seat at one of the empty chairs, tilting his head. Questions swirled around his head, as he stares intently at the staff in MK's grasp. If it really was the Monkey King's staff, why DID MK have it?

"If the staff is here, then where is the demon punk now?" Pigsy asks. Mei holds her phone up for all to see. "He's at the shoe store." she explains nonchalantly. Everyone immediately crowds around the girl, looking down at her phone. "This better not be one of your puppy videos, Mei." Chen grumbles, as Mei giggles, scrolling through her phone. "There's always time for a puppy video! But no. Look what just started trending; Hashtag Demon Bull King!"

She pulls up a video, showing that a large anthropomorphic bull was in the famous shoe store downtown, stealing the most rare shoes. With each item he absorbs, he grows bigger and stronger. With him was the same red-haired man that almost killed Chen and MK. The group of five share a nervous glance.

—-

Pigsy sped his Food Truck through the streets, Chen, MK, Mei and Tang all squished inside as the pig drove madly at high speeds. As Pigsy turns a sharp corner, Mei squishes Chen into the door of the vehicle. Pushing her face back, he growls. "Get off of me! Why did I agree to come?"
Tang squeezes to the front. "Pigsy, watch where you're going! You're gonna kill us!" he exclaims. MK nods, pulling out his book. "Yeah, we gotta get to Flower Fruit Mountain without getting smushed in a car crash. All we need to do is drive through an entire ocean. Simple!"

Chen squeezes Mei towards the door, sitting next to MK and grabbing his book. "MK, say that again, slowly this time. Think about what you just said." he says, and he could see the gears turning in the young man's head as he thinks.

Mei gasps, showing the gang her phone. "Guys! Demon Bull King has moved onto downtown! He's destroying the cheese tea stalls!" she exclaims in horror.

"All the more reason to get the staff back to Monkey King. Flower Fruit Mountain. It's the only place he could be, right Mr. Tang?"

Tang hums, pushing his glasses dramatically back up his nose, the reflection making him look more mysterious and wise. "Indeed. However, Flower Fruit Mountain is hidden away, deep in dangerous and unknown territory. So I guess we better turn back!" he chuckles nervously. Pigsy shoves him aside. "Shut it, you big baby. I know a guy that can take us there. The most dangerous, deadly, rage-filled warrior I've ever known."

The pig steps on the gas, speeding up. The kids and Tang scream, as Pigsy pulls up at the harbour, right in front of a house boat. "Sandy."

As the others got out of the car, Chen couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, this oughta be good."

—

MK and Mei quiver in their seats as a large, bulky figure brandishes a knife in the kitchen.

The gang were seated on a couch inside Sandy's boat, and they'd just finished telling the large man before them about what was going on.
The man stands up, putting his knife down. "That's a lot to take in." he admits, walking toward the shivering kids. "Do you know what I do to people who disrupt the peace?"
Mei and MK gulp, looking up at the man towering above them.

The man smiles fondly, holding up a tray with a kettle and teacups. "Serve them tea!" he exclaims kindly. He offers the tray to the people sitting on the couch, as they look at him in confusion. "You guys want some? You? How about you guys over there? Huh? Huh? Chen?"

Chen takes a cup, as Tang raises his hand for one too. Pigsy's stunned, looking at Sandy. Tang leans towards the shop owner with a smug smirk. "Certain noodle shop owners could learn a lot from your hospitality, Sandy." the man jokes.
Mei leans in too, whispering in Pigsy's direction. "Oh, you're right piggy, this guy is dangerous. He'll kill us with cuteness!" the girl giggles, holding up a therapy cat.

Chen takes a sip of his tea, already feeling calmer after the stressful day.

Pigsy yells out in frustration. "Sandy! What happened to you? Where's the angry, glass-chewing, fist-throwing buddy I used to know?!"
Sandy sits Pigsy back down, giving him a pat on the head. "Well, my therapist said I really needed to calm down. That's why I started drinking tea, doing yoga, and investing in therapy cats. Really helps. Oh, don't you, Mo?" he coos, giving his favourite cat a pat.

As Sandy continues to coo at his cat, Pigsy stares at him, jaw hanging open. Chen, sitting next to him, offers the pig a cup of tea. "Try it. It really does help. I already feel much calmer." he points out, as a cat curls up in his dark fluffy hair. Pigsy turns to face him, seeing that the young man had already made himself right at home.
Realisation dawns on him, as Mei and Mk begin to beg the large blue man. "You knew, didn't you?" he asks accusingly. At that, Chen looks away, sweating as he takes another sip of his tea. Pigsy points at him. "I knew it! How long have you known?!"
"Two weeks ago, after I had an...incident. Came across Sandy, who offered me tea and a chance to chat at his place. Been coming ever since."
Chen never told Pigsy that Sandy was his therapist, did he? Oopsie.

Before Pigsy could question him further, they hear Sandy speak up.

"Okay! Anything for Pigsy! I can take you there, but it ain't a pleasant trip." Sandy explains, as MK and Mei dance excitedly. Sandy smiles fondly.
"Alright, let's get moving. But I'm telling you, old friend." he turns to Pigsy. "If things get hairy, I've changed. I don't go around picking fights anymore."
Pigsy sighs, but accepts Sandy's answer.

"Mo! Initiate the launch sequence!" Mo, who was sitting on his shoulder previously, jumps off, pressing a big red button at the head of the boat. A loud rumbling fills the air, as the boat shifts from underneath them. Engines whir, as a steering wheel appears, starting Sandy's boat.
"Onwards to Flower Fruit Mountain!"

The boat lurches forward, heading into the distance as MK could be heard whooping and cheering, excited for their adventure.

Meanwhile...

On a nearby rooftop, a pair of binoculars follow the disappearing boat. The bull clone hums, lowering the binoculars as he jumps off of the rooftop.

He approaches Red Son, who's standing on the ledge of a building, overlooking the city. The Bull clone, General Ironclad, kneels before the demon. He informs Red Son of the news, who turns to the robot in fury. "WHAT?! YOU LET THEM GET AWAY?!" he screams, hair erupting into flames. The robot cowers.

Princess Iron Fan cackles as she floats toward her son. "Aww, so your plan didn't go according to plan, huh? Tell me again why you hesitated to destroy the thief and his friend when you had the chance?"
Red Son crosses his arms. "Mother, you don't understand. That other peasant, he looks...familiar." he grumbles out, looking away. Princess Iron Fan laughs. "Oh, silly boy. He's just another pathetic human standing in our way. But don't worry, my sweet useless boy." she grabs his cheek, forcing him close to her face. "Mother will get the staff. I'm not about to let anyone stop us. Not this time."

The woman disappears into a wind tornado, disappearing from the rooftop. Red Son rubs his cheek when she leaves, grumbling something under his breath.

—-

A butterfly hovers over Sandy's boat before landing, watching MK practising with the Monkey King's staff. Chen sits next to Mei, watching the boy as well. "MK, you shouldn't be waving that thing around. You could seriously hurt someone with it." he points out. MK scoffs. "It'll be fine! I'm being caref-AAH!" the staff extends in his hands, breaking a part of the boat and almost hitting Mei and Chen, if the latter hadn't moved. He turns to MK, steam practically coming out of his ears. "MK..."

MK laughs nervously, apologising profusely. "Sorry Mei! Sorry Chen!" he picks up the staff, which bounces around and hits him in the face, knocking him over.
Chen sighs, getting up and standing over MK. "Alright, MK. I'll be taking the staff from now on." he explains, reaching out to pick it up.

As he wraps his hand around it and tries to lift it, he finds that he can't. It is stuck to the boat. Now using more force, he attempts to lift it again, but it still wouldn't budge.
He scowls, now using both hands and all his strength. Still, it wouldn't move. MK sits up, watching Chen cuss and grumble under his breath as he tries to lift the staff to no avail. "Uh, Chen? Maybe you should stop-"

"HOW CAN YOU LIFT IT BUT I CAN'T?! I ALWAYS WIN IN OUR ARM WRESTLING MATCHES! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THIS STAFF!" he screeches, as he continues to pull at the staff. Mei, now recording the event on her phone, giggles hysterically at the performance.

Tang finally walks over, seeing what all the commotion is about. Spotting Chen attempting to lift the staff, he places a hand on the young mans shoulder. "Uh, Chen? Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself-"
Chen shakes him off, as sweat drips from his forehead. "No! I am going to lift this staff, even if it kills me!" he strains, pulling and pulling at the heavy weapon.

MK looks around, trying to find a distraction, when he notices something in the distance. Grinning from ear to ear, he gasps, getting to his feet and rushing to the side of the boat. "We're here! Flower Fruit Mountain!" he exclaims excitedly.
That does the trick, for Chen finally lets go of the staff, giving MK the chance to grab it as the group all look over the side of the boat.

As the gang look out, a geyser hits the side of Sandy's boat, causing them to fall over screaming. A crate falls into the ocean, floating towards the island unnoticed.

"Welcome to the Flaming Mountains, gang! A volcanic ring surrounds the mountain making it virtually impassable." Sandy explains. "This path is the only safe way through. That's as close as the boat can get. Just...be careful."

Pigsy, Mei, MK and Chen all jump over the side of the boat, landing on the volcanic land. They step carefully around the geysers, not wanting to be burned alive.
Pigsy growls, as Mei and MK ahead. "Stupid Sandy, stupid Tang. Staying cozy in his stupid boat. What did I do to deserve this, Noodle Gods?"

His complaining is interrupted by Chen grabbing the scruff of his shirt, yanking him back as a geyser of fire erupts in front of him. The two stand, shaken as Mei looks back at them. "Careful, piggy! Eeee! You gotta wonder why Monkey King decided to live here of all places."

MK taps the staff in his hands. "You know when Monkey King had to get through the Flaming Mountains, he actually used Princess Iron Fan's fan to blow..."
"MK!"
MK turns to see Pigsy, Chen and Mei were waving at him, trying to gain his attention as they point at something behind him. The young man looks around, confused, when a womans laughter fills the air.

Chen stops, feeling a shiver run up his spine as he looks up at the celestial being hovering above them, wind whipping through her hair as she smirks down at the group below her. "Well, well, well. Aren't you a little Monkey King fan boy." she comments, bringing out her fan.

A geyser erupts behind her, and she places her weapon in its flames. Bringing it up, she throws a fireball at the gang, who all dodge the fatal blow. It seems like Mei and MK were still affected, though, as they were knocked down, groaning in pain. Pigsy kneels beside the two. Chen stands before them, refusing to turn his back on the woman in front of them. "Kids! Everyone okay?!"
Princess Iron Fan approaches, reaching out her hand. "I'll be taking that staff now."

MK and Mei quickly get to their feet, MK brandishing the staff in his hand. "This belongs to the Monkey King. There's no way I'm letting you take it."
Princess Iron Fan tilts her head, looking down on them. "Oh, you're just a little Noodle Boy playing at being a hero. Sorry to disappoint." Drawing her weapon back, she scowls. "Play time's over."

Without warning, MK launches forward. Pigsy, Chen and Mei are left stunned as the young man charges at the woman. Pigsy calls his name, but MK ignores him.
Swinging the staff, he brings it down on Princess Iron Fan. The trio watch on as if in slow motion, the woman summons a gauntlet, catching the staff with ease. MK is left speechless, and she uses this to her advantage. With one hit of her fan, MK is sent flying, screaming as he disappears.

"No! MK!" Mei screams, about to follow where he vanished, only to be stopped by Pigsy. The pig grabs the still fighting girl, throwing her over his shoulder. "Mei, Chen! We have to go!"

Chen stands still, staring in shock at where his best friend had vanished. There's a loud ringing in his ears, the world around him fading as the only sound was his racing heart beat.
A million thoughts swirled around his head, as he tried to grapple onto reality.

He snaps out of his trance as Princess Iron Fan chuckles darkly. Whipping around to face the woman, he wipes the stray tears from his eyes in anger, glaring up at her. "You MONSTER!" he screams.
Princess Iron Fan looks down at him with a smirk. It felt like she was taunting him, daring him to do something.

Chen could feel the fury bubble and boil under his skin, and as he took a step forward in a blind rage, a geyser erupts in front of him, stopping him.
Pigsy places a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Chen, we need to go!" he urges. Chen shakes him off, glaring up at the floating woman. "NO! She's not getting- she CAN'T..."
"Chen!"

Pigsy turns the young man to face him, and Chen could see that PIgsy himself had tears in his eyes. "We need to get back to the boat!"

Chen looks over at Mei, who is still fighting to get out of PIgsy's grasp and go after MK. Taking in a breath, he nods, following Pigsy back to the boat quickly, as more and more geysers erupt around them.

–

Back on the boat, everyone is left to mourn MK's death. Pigsy shakes his head, leaning over the side of the boat, staring at the water. "He can't be gone. He can't."
Sandy places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pigsy."

"There was nothing we could do." Tang speaks up, and Pigsy turns to him angrily, marching over. "Nothing? Nothing!? I could've done something!" he growls, grabbing Tang by the scarf. "I could've...I should've protected MK!" glaring up at Tang's sorrowful expression for a split second, he looks away, letting him go. "It's over..."

"It's not over." Tang says. "We can't help MK. But we can make sure no more lives are lost. Make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain." he explains.
"Someone has to fight." Mei states. The three men turn to the girl, as she wipes the tears from her eyes, "That demon bully is going to..." she smiles, as green lightning strikes, lighting up her features in a menacing way. "Pay."

"As if we'd let them win." Chen pipes up, standing up straight from leaning over the edge of the boat, glaring in the direction of Flower Fruit Mountain. "I'm not gonna stand by, and let those good-for-nothing jerks destroy my home after what they did." he punches the side of the boat, leaving a dent in the metal. Everyone flinches at the force, but Chen doesn't seem to notice as he turns to look back at them.
"We couldn't save MK, but we can still protect the city. If we don't, no one else will."

Sandy brings everyone into a group hug, ecstatic. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go stop some bad guys!"
Now filled with new confidence, the gang prepares for war.

—-

Pigsy screams for his life, as he drives the food truck toward the centre of Megapolis. The rest of the gang, now seated in the back, scream as well, as the Bull clones throw large barrels at the vehicle. Pigsy dodges them as best he could, hitting as many bull clones as possible.
The van tips, and they leap out as it explodes, striking a pose as they land. A stray bull clone screams as he runs away.

Red Son appears before them, smirking. "So, you wanna be heroes, huh?" he asks, brandishing his gauntlet as his hair bursts into flames. "Let me show you what happens to her-AGH!" he reels back, as Chen's fist collides with his cheek bone. He staggers back, holding his face as he looks up at the young man in disbelief.

Chen stands before him, fists clenched as he glares at the red-haired demon before him. His red jacket was tied around his waist, giving him room to throw better punches at his opponents.
Mei peers around him, cheering. "MESS HIM UP, CHEN!"

Red Son growls, as a whirlwind of fire erupts around him. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT YOU FILTHY RAT!" he screams. Chen covers his face, protecting himself against the heat from the flames.
As the fire clears, leaving Chen defenceless, Red Son launches forward, punching the young man in the gut with the gauntlet. Chen is sent flying into a building furthest from the gang, leaving him winded as he hits the wall hard enough to leave a crater. He falls to the ground, struggling to catch his breath.
"CHEN!"

Chen coughs, wheezing as he gets to his knees. Holding his stomach, he looks up at Red Son through his blurry vision. The red-haired demon was already charging towards him, cackling maniacally. Chen moves out of the way as Red Son punches the wall above him. Pain shoots through him with each action he makes. He must've broken at LEAST a few ribs, if he didn't have any internal bleeding.
Red Son laughs, and Chen looks up at him, eyes widening as the demon approaches him. Scooching backwards, he hugs his torso, wincing with each shift.
"You fool! That will be the worst mistake you'll ever make in the miserable existence you call your life!" Raising his gauntlet fist above him, he smirks. "Say goodbye, Rat!"

The sound of a scream getting closer and closer makes him stop, and the two look up to their right to see what was going on. Heading in their direction, Chen could see MK driving a Cloud Jet wildly through the air. He crashes into Red Son, crushing him and knocking her unconscious.

Sandy rushes over to Chen, helping the young man to his feet. "Are you okay?" He asks worriedly, as Chen groans. The young man smiles at his uncle. "I'm fine, nothing too serious." he winces, hugging his torso once more. "Except broken ribs. Oh boy, that hurts." he groans again, and Sandy gets him to sit down again, seeing how serious his wounds are.

"MK!"

Chen looks up, watching as Mei hugs the bruised, but still very much alive, MK. Relief floods through the young man, as Mei drags the dizzy MK over. They all gather around, as Mei continues to bombard him with questions. "Where'd you get the jet? Way to trash it already. Wait! Monkey King! Did you find him?" she asks excitedly.
MK finally answers her question. "Yeah, I did!"

"So, where is he?"
"He said it's up to me, to us." the man explains, gesturing to the entire group. Mei hums, scratching her chin. "That's anticlimactic."
Chen laughs. "Nice speech, monkey brain. So, how're we gonna fight DBK?"
Pigsy turns to Chen, frowning. "There's no "we" for you! You're not going anywhere NEAR this fight!" he exclaims, gesturing to his injuries.
Mei nods, leaning in and poking Chen's head. "Yeah, how are you still alive? You were thrown into a LITERAL building!"
Chen shrugs, wincing. "I dunno."

MK looks down at him, confused. "Wait, what happened?"
"He punched Red Boy in the face."
"HE PUNCHED RED SON IN THE FACE?!"

As Mei and Tang explain what has happened since MK's "death", Pigsy and Sandy got to work bandaging up Chen. Pigsy sweats, as he looks down at his son. "We need to get you to a hospital. And you sure you don't have any broken arms? Legs? Your head wasn't split open on impact?" he asks worriedly.
Chen waves him off. "Oh, I'm fine. I already feel better!" he explains. Pigsy frown deepens, as a loud explosion sounds out from the direction DBK is.

"How are we meant to fight that?!" Tang asks. The gang turn to MK, expectant. MK clenches his fist. "We believe in ourselves. You clean the streets." he jumps down from the broken jet, striking a pose in the direction DBK is. "I'll stop the Demon Bull King." another explosion rings out, and the young man sweats. "Somehow."

Mei looks over the broken jet. "Yeah, this jet probably would have been really useful, hey?" she says, kicking it. The jet rumbles, and from the wreckage rolls a speed bike. MK gasps, getting on it. "That'll work!"
"Go get 'em buddy!" Mei cheers.

MK drives off, leaving the gang. They stand in silence, until Tang turns to the rest. "So...what do we do again?"
Chen places a hand on his knee, getting up with effort much to the dismay of Pigsy and Sandy. He looks around at some nearby bull clones. "We get rid of those bots, and help rescue any people trapped in this wreckage." he explains. Pigsy growls, forcing his son to sit once more. "WE'LL do that, YOU sit down and wait until we can get you a doctor!" he orders.

Now Chen himself was getting frustrated. "C'mon, pops! I'm fine! I don't need to be babied if I can walk!" He argues. Pigsy's expression darkens, as he points a finger at him. "You're staying here and that's final!" he orders in a demanding tone. Chen looks to the ground, giving in.

Pigsy walks off, Mei and Tang following. Sandy turns to Chen. "Don't take it personally, Chen. He's just worried about you." he explains. Chen shrugs, letting out a sigh. "I know, I know. That's how he is. You better go with them. They'll need all the help they can get." he says, gesturing to his father and friends.

After making sure that Chen was comfortable, Sandy runs after them, leaving Chen alone. Red Son was still unconscious, but the young man was out of sight in case the demon did wake up.
Leaning against the wreckage of the same building he was thrown against, he looks up at the smoky sky. Nothing was familiar in this district anymore, but he had a pretty good idea where exactly this was. He used to deliver orders to these apartments at least once a week.

As Chen sat there in the silence, he suddenly heard a faint sound. A sort of whimpering, underneath a pile of rubble in front of him. He silences his breathing, trying to listen.

There it was again, followed by a small "Help me..."

Getting to his feet, Chen staggers towards the pile, collapsing onto it. He listens again. "Hello? Is there someone in there?" he calls out. The sniffling stops, and a voice answers back, one of a small girl. "H-hello?!"

Chen begins to dig, swiping away the rubble to reveal the girl was trapped underneath a large metal beam. It was right on top of her, trapping her leg underneath it. It spared her life, but she was stuck.
"Are you alright?" Chen asks. The girl doesn't respond, only continues to sob, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Help me! Please!"

"Okay, okay, okay, okay." He looks around, trying to think of a plan. "Uh, alright, I'm gonna lift the beam, okay? I'm gonna need you to move your leg when it's off, alright?" he says softly, trying to keep calm. Sniffling, the girl nods her head.

Getting back to his feet, Chen moves over to the metal beam, standing as close to the girl as he could. "I'm gonna count to three, okay? When I lift the beam, pull your leg out as fast as you can." the girl nods once more, understanding.
Rolling his shoulders back, Chen bends his knees, grabbing onto the beam. "Ready?"
She nods.

"Alright. One, two, THREE!" he tries to lift the heavy beam, barely lifting it. The girl cries out in pain, unable to move her leg. Chen groans, feeling his body burn from the strain. His ribs felt like they were on fire.
But he couldn't stop now.

He needed to rescue this girl and get her to safety. She was counting on him.

He yells, using all his strength, his body trembling. The beam shifts, lifting up slightly. But it was enough. "Pull your leg out now!" he yells out over his shoulder. The girl was already ahead of him, screaming and crying as she forcefully moves her injured leg out of the way.
Once she was clear, Chen drops the beam, collapsing as the metal bar lands heavily back onto the ground.

The young man catches his breath, his body feeling like jelly. Twisting his body, he forcefully pushes himself up to kneel in front of the girl. "Are you okay?" he asks her.
The girl winces as she looks at her bruised, swollen and oddly twisted leg. "I-I think it's broken." she whispers.

Chen takes off the jacket wrapped around his waist, grimacing at the sight of the leg. "Oh, it's definitely broken." he mutters to himself, as he wraps the girl in his jacket. She reaches out to touch it, but he stops her. "No, no, don't touch it. Let's get you somewhere safe."

He gently picks her up, careful not to touch her broken leg. Getting to his feet, he sways slightly, but stays firm, taking one painful slow step after another as he shuffles out of the danger zone.

—-

(Several hours later)

MK did it.
He stopped the Demon Bull King, got the staff back and saved the city. The Demon Bull family had retreated, knowing that they'd been bested by a "simple delivery boy".

Chen would've joined them in their victory noodles, if he wasn't in the hospital being examined by a doctor.

The doctor had him laying on a table, looking at his x-rays. He hums, leaving Chen in the dark of the news. "How's it look, doc?" he asks jokingly to lighten the mood.

The doctor pushes his glasses up his nose, finally turning to the young man. "Well, you have fractured a couple of ribs, but it looks like that can heal at home. None of your vital organs have been damaged." he explains.
Chen shrugs. "That's a relief."

"But what I still don't understand," the doctor continues. "Is how you were able to carry a young child several miles with these injuries, yet remain completely fine?" he lowers the x-rays, staring down at the young man before him. "And on top of that, our other patient has informed me that you lifted a large metal beam on your own. After events like those, I'm amazed you escaped without damaging something else."

Chen sweats nervously, not knowing how to answer. "I...don't know how to answer your questions. I was probably running high on adrenaline or something." he tries to reason. The doctor hums.
"I guess that could explain it."

"Alright, you don't have to stay here at the hospital, you can go home if you wish." the doctor explains, as he helps Chen sit up. "Make sure to get plenty of rest, put an ice pack on to help bring down the swelling. And here are your painkillers, and a note." he hands Chen a packet with a piece of paper

The young man takes them, as he gets to his feet. "Thanks, doc. Same time next week?"
The doctor nods, opening the door for Chen.
Upon opening the door, Pigsy, who'd been waiting outside, gets to his feet. He was Chen's lift back home.

Thanking the doctor, the two leave, getting into Pigsy's spare Food Truck and driving to Chen's apartment.

—-

Somewhere in another part of China...

Two men walk slowly and calmly through a dark cave, their flashlights swinging around to look at the walls. They had ropes tied around their waist, and they regularly put chalk marks on the walls to help them navigate.

A walkie talkie on the first man goes off, as a voice crackles through. "Found anything interesting yet?"

The first man grabs it, talking back. "Aw, man, you're really missing out! There's tons of boring rocks, all just waiting to be discovered!"

The second man cackles, as the walkie talkie goes off again, the third man waiting outside the cave sounding displeased as he replies. "Har-har, very funny."

One of the men stops, bringing out his chalk to mark the wall when he notices something. "Hey, dude, come take a look at this."
The first man stops, turning to see what his friend was looking at. Getting closer, he could see what caught his attention.

There was a marking on the wall, in the form of a snake. It was the same colour as the wall, barely noticeable unless you were looking right at it. The second man reaches out, gently touching it. The stone snake moves, startling the men as it slides into the rock with a low rumble. Not long after, the wall opens, showing the men a secret passageway. A set of stairs lead down into the darkness.
They share a glance, as the first man grabs the walkie talkie. "Hey, dude, I think we found something."

The second man cautiously steps forward, swivelling his flashlight around as he takes one step after another, careful that there aren't any booby traps. The first man walks down too, following his friend.

They descend into the darkness, being careful where they step. After what felt like forever, they reach the bottom of the steps, and the two men find they were standing in what appeared to be a bare room.
It was round, with no further markings like the one that led them down there in the first place. The first man groans. "We just came down here for nothing? Not cool, man."

Ignoring his friend, the second man moves his flashlight slowly around the room, until his light lands on something on the far wall. "Oh, we found something, alright."
The first man turns to see what he meant, when he spots it too.

There was a large box, glowing green as the flashlights lands over it. They cautiously step toward it, seeing that it was a large, jade box. It was covered in a heavy layer of dust, showing that it had been there for a very, very long time.

The second man wipes a hand over the box, the removal of the dust revealing intricately carved jade snakes covering the surface.

The walkie talkie crackles to life, as the same voice calls through from the other end. "Guys? You still alive? What did you find?"

Before the first man could respond, the second man grabs it from him, eyes lit up with glee as he looks down at his greatest discovery.

"Call our coworkers! We're gonna need help carrying this thing out of here!" he exclaims, bringing out his phone and snapping a picture of the box.

As the two men left to get back up, neither noticed a faint whisper emanating from the box.

—-

A/N: *Chow Mein. is that a chinese dish? If not i will change it if someone would suggest a dish ksdjhccn

*Demon Bull Family's Flaming Foundry. My GOD thats a fucking mouthful. Say that ten times fast

Also I know nothing about how doctors talk to patients, so forgive me for my lack of knowledge skdjhfj