A Strange Short Reunion Of Two Friends
The Dragon Warrior sat alone in the waiting area for four hours. The door to Leo's room was still closed. The doctor and the healer didn't come out since they arrived. While he was waiting, the doors open, and Po saw the Furious Five and Shifu entering the room.
"Po, what happened?" Tigress asked him.
"The villagers were saying that Leo was hurt and injured while you were carrying him in your arms with his sword." Shifu said.
"James appeared at the valley's entrance and Leo ran after him." Po explains. "I went after both of them, but I lost sight of them. When I caught up to Leo and James, they were injured and hurt while facing a huge tiger. I told the Dragon Soldier he should come here and get healed, but Leo let him go."
"He let him go?" Mantis asked.
"Yeah." Po nodded his head.
"Is that...?" Viper notices the blood on his fur.
"Leo's blood." he answered.
The door opens and the doctor and the healer step out into the waiting area.
"How is he?" Tigress asks them.
"Leo's okay." the young goat answered. "But he just passed out right now."
"Leo should get some rest and take it easy for five days." the old pig healer said.
"Is it alright if we go see him?" Shifu asks them.
"Of course." the young goat answered.
Shifu, The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five enters the room. Leo was on the bed passed out. His bloodied torn shirt was on chair where his diamond sword was leaning on. He had some bandages wrapped around his shoulder. Shifu took a closer look at the marks on Leo's chest.
"Hm." Shifu said. "Leo said he got into a rough fight when he returned at the ceremony that afternoon with Panther and the others."
"Do you think that the tiger did this to him?" Viper asks him.
"There is that possibility." Shifu answered. "That depends on how big the tiger is."
Everyone heard a growling sound and looks at Po.
"Heh heh." Po smiles nervously. "Sorry. I didn't get to eat since I brought Leo here."
"Why don't we all go out to your dad's restaurant?" Mantis suggested.
"Ok." Monkey said unsure about Mantis's suggestion. "What about Leo?"
"Viper and I will stay with him until he wakes up." Tigress answered.
"Alright." Crane replied. "We'll stop by later."
The two pulls up two chairs and sits down next to Leo's bed.
Leo slowly opens his eyes. He turns his head around and found himself in a room. Leo lifted his head to see his bloodied shirt was on the chair with his diamond sword. He looks at his body and notices his right shoulder was bandaged. Then he notices Tigress standing at the window with her back to him. "Hello Tigress." Leo spoke.
Tigress turns around to see her boyfriend awake. "Leo." Tigress gasps. She rushes to his side and hugs him.
Leo wraps his left arm around as they embrace one another. "Where am I, Tigress?" Leo asks her as she let go of him.
"You're at the hospital." Tigress answered him. "Po carried you here after your battle with James and... a tiger."
"How long was I passed out?"
"About six hours at least. You had Shifu and the rest of the Five worried sick about you because Po didn't help you fight James."
"I see."
"What happened out there?" she asks him, looking into his eyes. "Po said that he saw you and James facing off against a tiger. Did you fight it?"
Before Leo can answer, the door open as the young goat doctor entered the room.
"Good to see you're awake." The doctor said. "How are you feeling? Anything else sore besides your shoulder?"
"I'm doing good and no."
"Excellent. You're free to go after you sign the scroll in a couple minutes."
"Thank you."
After signing the scroll, Leo and Tigress left the hospital and heads back to the Jade Palace. The doctor told Leo to get some rest and take it easy for the next five days. The two of them made it back to the Jade Palace and entered the kitchen where they see Po, Crane, Viper and Mantis playing Mahjong as Shifu and Monkey were talking to one another.
Viper looks at the doorway and notices Leo and Tigress standing there. "Leo!" Viper smiled.
Everyone stops what they're doing and smiled to see Leo.
"We were all going to come by at hospital to see you." Monkey said.
"How are you feeling?" Shifu asks him as Leo and Tigress walks up to the table.
"Injured but fine." Leo answered. "The doctor wants me to take it easy and rest for the next five days."
"That's good." Viper said as she watches him, and Tigress sits down with them at the table.
"Since we're all here, can you explain what happened today?" Shifu asks him. "Po said he saw you and James fighting a big tiger and let the Dragon Soldier go."
Leo felt their eyes were on him. He had hopes of not telling them about Saber, but Leo didn't have a choice since Po saw Saber today. "Po and I went after James when he appeared at the entrance of village today." Leo begins to explain what happened today. "Po called out to me to slow down, but I ignored him. I caught up to James and tackled him into a open clearing. The two of us began a deadly duel. Our battle continued at the bottom of the cliff after James tackled me off the cliff. As our duel continued, it went into a triple fight."
"The tiger." Shifu said.
"That's correct." Leo nodded. "It's the second time. Saber, James and I all attacked at once. Saber threw him into the wall and the Dragon Soldier was covered with rocks except his face and arm. She threw me into the wall and glared at me. There was one way to end this and it was risky. I had my hand covered in a red aura and destroyed the wall behind me to create a rock slide. There was no time for me to escape so I got buried underneath with Saber. I managed to crawl out and help James get out of the debris."
"Then what happened?" Tigress asked.
"James and I spoke a little bit until Saber survived that rockslide and that's when Po came and saw Saber. When I asked him who am I talking to, he answered that Master Lee taught my tiger style." Leo answered. "I wasn't going to let Saber touch James, but he steps in and spreads his arms out to prevent her attacking us. After we exchange the growling and hissing, Saber left and I fell into Jake's arms and he puts me into the Dragon Warrior's arms. Po wanted Jake to come back with us to the valley, but he refused. James was leaving to find the people who made him to be the Dragon Soldier and make them pay. I told Po to let him go. He didn't like the idea, but agreed. James is not sure how he ended up here. I passed out and James left. After that, Po took me to the hospital."
"Whoa." Monkey looks at Crane.
"Hang on, Leo." Mantis said. "You mentioned "It's the second time". Does that mean you fought Saber last time?"
Leo nodded his head. "Yes." he admitted. "On the day of the Warrior Ceremony."
Everyone gasps.
"You knew about this and this tiger has a name?" Shifu asks him.
"Yes." Leo answered.
"Why didn't you say anything?!" Tigress asks him angrily.
"Because I'm trying to figure out how the fucking hell did that fucking clone survived the explosion from the SHIELD facility!" Leo snapped, slamming the table with his fist. "I thought that was the fucking end of her!"
Silence took over the room. No one said a word.
"Clone?" Viper repeated.
"SHIELD?" Monkey asked confused.
"What's a clone?" Po asks Leo.
"A clone is the identical copy of the original person." Leo answered.
"You mean like when Po split his personality with the mirror incident?" Crane asked.
"Yes, but humans use technology to clone animals, not mirrors." Leo answered. "For example, if I clone Viper, we'll have two Vipers. Viper will still have her own personality and her clone can have the same personality or a different kind of personality."
"That would be interesting." Viper said.
"I agree." Leo agreed. "Now let me explain. And at the end, I'll answer some questions."
Everyone nodded their heads and stares at Leo.
"Five years ago, Panther, Rex, Cody and myself received a distress signal that was codenamed: Baby Cub." Leo began. "We found the ship high above the Pacific Ocean. Entering the ship, the four of us encountered a small group called Task Force 493 led by Jody Fast. They were sent to rescue any survivors. I still remember she called me scaredy cat. Anyway, the rest of us splits up with orders from Jody to explore the station while the commander stayed in the Command Center. Panther and myself came across a hairless kitten at the Breeding Grounds. Panther wanted to bring the hairless kitten with us and I had to stay several feet behind her after we left the Breeding Grounds. When we reach the next room, we were attacked by Terror Birds and the hairless kitten was nowhere to be seen during the battle. After the battle, we met up with the others at the Test Site and we just learned something."
"What is it?" Tigress asked.
"We learned that the SHIELD is a secret facility that holds many different creatures with the purpose of breeding an army to turn them into bioweapons by bringing back a Saber-tooth tiger to life from a fossilized tooth. Then we got attacked by a mysterious creature and several other animals. After the battle, Rex discovered a blood trail that led to the empty shell of the hairless kitten. We all left the site." Leo continued. "But after Panther and I left the Test Site, we met Dr. Zeo Weasley. Zeo explained he is responsible for all operations. He told us about L. L was created with intellectual data of me and a fossilized tooth. He was developed to control the special army through science and magic. After a few years, they created a human body for L from my blood and flesh. The Saber-Tooth tiger's weakness, the weak jaw, has been genetically removed and made it stronger than before."
He could their shocked expressions on their faces before continuing. "If one of them did become the alpha and left its genes untouched, that would lead to more problems. When L was in a human form, he excelled. His fighting skills of the tiger style and having close relations with the sabretooth tiger without fear amazed them all. But then he began to change, developing emotions. He said that they shouldn't even bring extinct animals back to life since it would be a violation of the natural law with their thoughts and opinions. Zeo thought that L may have came into contact from an outside source. Some of them were considering to listen to his words while others think to kill L and create an android from another living being. When Zeo and L discovered about that, Zeo was shot to the shoulder and fell. L became furious and went on a rampage after he saw the person who created and care about him fell. He ordered all animals and creatures to attack relentlessly without any hesitation or mercy. The facility went into chaos and suffered damage and heavy losses. L was trying to get his revenge at the humans who would try to kill him."
"Whoa." Monkey muttered.
"While Zeo was finished, Panther and I brought Zeo to Commander Jody." Leo continued. "Jody sent me alone to find Room EX while Panther was sent to help the others. When I arrived at the Bioweapon Research Center, the computers were on. On the screen shocked me."
"What?" Tigress asks eagerly.
"It was a Top-Secret Prehistoric Militarization Plan made by the World Federation or WF for short." Leo answered. "I was about to read the report until L saw me when he came in the room. It was like looking in a mirror and weird. We both examine each other from head to toe. His hair was shorter than my hair. He thought I was there to kill him, but I told him I wasn't going to kill him. I explained to him that several others received the distress signal. When I mentioned Dr. Zeo is ok, L was surprised. I asked him what is on that report on the screen. His answer was that he came across this report after one of his training sessions after hearing a voice inside his head. This report was by Jody Fast as the creator of Prehistoric Hybrid Military Program Report. I wondered why she didn't mention it before the investigation began. All other information securely locked too well, except for that report. But L told me of a more dangerous plan that he found out before the information was locked out. After my last battle with Saber, I was covered in her blood when they found me. With Saber's blood, they started working on to create a clone of Saber. But at the end, all they receive was a hairless newborn kitten."
Leo picks up a cup of tea and drinks a little bit before he continued.
"So, one of the scientists decided to keep it as a pet. But it would disappear and reappear later on. They suspected it was in the Legendary Celestial Room and that room isn't on any map of the ship, since that's where the prehistoric animals are. Then I asked him who's voice he heard in his head and L couldn't tell who it was. The voice appeared in his mind after the argument. He blacked out after something took control of his body. Then L woke up and saw what he did and tried to find a way out of here. And that's where he met me several hours later. When L was explaining, I listened to his story closely and carefully."
"So what do you think?" Viper asks him.
"There weren't any holes in his story." Leo answered. "He was telling the truth as there was no lie in his eyes. After he finished explaining, Cody and Panther contacted us found something else. This facility was just not bringing back prehistoric animals but fusing them to become Prehistoric Hybrids as well. At first I thought that was crazy but when they showed a dead corpse of a hybrid on screen, the situation became even more dangerous. L and I left to find Dr. Zeo and discovered that he and Commander Jody wasn't there. The two of us contacted the others and told them what happened. Rex did a quick look through the videos and said the commander and doctor was in some sort of unknown room. L pulled up the map of the entire ship. When we looking at the map, we discovered there was no control room. All of us met up at the hallway near the top. We discovered an elevator that lead to the top to find Jody and Zeo out cold. When they regained conscious, I asked Jody why is she credited as the creator in that report program. Jody received a request to write several reports of SHIELD, the program and its origins from all of the governments."
"In those reports, Jody outlined all potential dangers of such a program and explained it shouldn't be attempted. Furthermore, the usage of this ship should not be used for any means necessary because no came back from the ship. No one knows how long the ship has been here and hasn't been seen by the public. Everyone listened. But some unknown group coopted her report for their own personal use. Her guess is that this group is looking for the Legendary Celestial Room. There wasn't any information for what that room is used for. After that, we all went down the hall and made it to the Control Deck. There was a person in there waiting for us. The person introduce herself as Abra. She explained that the room we're all in was indeed the Control Room but also the Legendary Celestial Room. But then the siren went off as SHIELD was beginning to self-destruct. Abra disappeared as we ran. When we were running, L and I got separated from the others and ran into Saber. L fought against Saber as I ran and got back to the others. L tried to get on but Saber pinned him down. He told us to get out of there without him. Then we escaped and SHIELD exploded. We went to straight to the World Court and Zeo testified with legal protection from me and the others. Before Panther and I parted ways with Jody and her squad, Jody told us that SHIELD may have been here longer before our time. And there is no WF because that was just to throw us off. Rex and Cody took us back to base where Master Lee was waiting for us. And that's what happened." Leo finished.
He could see everyone was shocked and surprised at him.
"I'll answer your questions now." Leo said.
"No one knows who created that ship?" Po asked him.
"That's right." Leo answered. "I don't know who created SHIELD, but found out its purpose."
"If SHIELD was there, how come no one can see the ship?" Crane asked.
"It can camouflage." Leo replied.
"Interesting." Shifu said.
"And since Saber is here, she is a danger to everyone." Leo said.
"So what can we do?" Viper asked.
"You leave Saber to me." Leo answered. "I know that giant tiger better than of all you and this is a personal matter I have to deal with."
"No way, Leo." Po said. "We're all going to help you deal with Saber."
"You'll need all of us to help you battle Saber." Shifu said.
"I believe Shifu is right." Viper said.
"I agree." Leo agreed. Then his stomach growled.
"I'll get you your dinner, Leo." Monkey said, standing up.
"Thank you, Monkey." Leo thanked him.
Money went over to the counter to make Leo a bowl of soup and tofu. He brought it to the food to Leo and set it down in front of him.
Leo took it easy for the next five days. Everyone was in Po's room listening to ghost stories.
"Riiight." Tigress said, looking at the others after hearing Mantis's "scary" ghost story. "Anyone else?" She was sitting in between Monkey and Crane while Po sat behind Monkey and Viper and Leo was sitting next to Viper.
"How about you, Po?" Monkey asked Po. "Do you know any ghost stories?"
"Do I?" Po chuckled darkly. He maniacally laughs, causing the Furious Five with all annoyed looks towards him. The Dragon Warrior stops his maniacal laughter quickly after seeing the look on Leo's face. The look on Leo's face told Po "Just tell the story now or else".
"Yeah." Po said. He walks over to the front to face Leo and the Five as he held the lantern. "Prepare yourselves for the incredible true story of the jiang si. The hopping ghost! Every year we honor our departed ancestors at the Ghost Festival. But when the proper respect is not paid, the dead can turn nasty! The undead corpse transforms in a jiang shi and prowls the ear, lusting after the blood and brains of the living! Stiff from being dead and junk, they're forced to hop around in an unbend and hideous fashion. Possessing creepy powers, they fly through the air, walk through walls or freeze you with their horrible death breath. And their next victim, could be you!"
"That's terrifying, Po!" Tigress gasps. "If I was four!"
The Furious Five started laughing except for Leo.
"Good one good one, Tigress!" Monkey laughed.
"What's terrifying is that you still remember all those randomness." Crane said to Po.
"You don't really believe in those old stories, do you?" Tigress asks him.
"Uh, yes." Po answered. "Guys, ghosts are real! That's why I've read about every ghost scroll in the library."
"No one likes a ghost-smarty pants, Po." Monkey said.
"Perhaps, but if we ever run into a hopping a ghost, you won't know what to do and I will." Po replied. Shifu opens the door behind Po, causing the Dragon Warrior to yell in fear and ran into the wall before falling onto his back on the floor. "Finally, someone who knows his ghosts." Po got up from the floor. "Tell these nonbelievers the stories about the throttling and the choking and the hurting!"
"As you said, Po." Shifu said. "There are no such things as ghosts."
"Do the ghosts know that?" Po asked him.
"Yeah, they do." Leo said sarcastically.
Shifu ignored the panda's question and nodded to that comment before speaking. "But in spite of the facts that people do believe, for instance, we've just received a report from the countryside of... strange apparitions." He didn't react to the thunder and lightning.
"Strange apparitions?" Po asked.
The thunder and lightning went off a second time.
"Strange apparitions." Shifu answered, not showing any reaction to the thunder and lightning.
The Dragon Warrior looks left and right with a confused look. "Strange apparitions." he said in a low voice, causing the thunder and lightning to appear one again to cause him to whimper.
"Po, some residents actually seem to claim they've seen the jiang shi." Shifu said. "As head of the Jade Palace, I must investigate these reports personally. Even if they are... utter nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Po repeated. "Hate to disagree, but I'm kind of an expert."
"Which is why you are going with me." Shifu said.
Leo looked away and snickered as the Dragon Warrior screams in fear and smoothly went into a nervous laugh.
"Love to." Po chuckled nervously. "Look at the time!" He opens the door all the way. "I'm supposed to visit my dad... in Mongolia... for a week."
"You're going, and that's final." Shifu said.
"Master Shifu, let's... let's not rush into anything here." Po said. "I mean, if you get bitten by a jiang shi, you gradually become one of them. It's like my biggest fear."
"I'm sure you'll deal with it." Shifu assured him. "After all, you are the fearless Dragon Warrior."
"Heh heh." Po chuckled.
"We'll see you in the morning, fearless Dragon Warrior." Mantis teases him as everyone got up.
As Po left the room to join Shifu, Viper turns her head to look at Leo. "So, Leo, do you know any ghost stories?" Viper asked him.
"Yeah." Leo answered. "But maybe I'll tell you guys about ghost stories tomorrow night."
"Sure." Viper smiled.
Leo exits the room and goes to Tigress and his room. But when he entered the room, Leo heard some footsteps from outside. He walks over to the window and opens it to see no one there. Leo hops outside and scanned the area. No one was here. Leo thought it was Monkey playing a prank. Then he heard a sound of flapping wings in the air. "Must be Zeng." Leo thought.
Leo heads back inside and closes the window. But unknown to him there was a single black feather near him when he hopped outside.
The next morning came. Leo opens his eyes and sits up, letting out a yawn and a growl at the same time. He gets up and exits the room to see Viper slithering towards their room.
"Good morning, Viper." Leo said to her.
"Morning Leo." Viper smiles at Leo.
"There you two are." Crane said, walking up to them.
"What is it, Crane?" Leo asks him.
"The others came back from the cemetery last night." Mantis answered, hopping onto Leo's shoulder. "They fought the jiang shi last night."
"They did?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah." Mantis answered. "The others are waiting for us in Po's room."
Leo follows them into Po's room to see Shifu, Tigress and Monkey sitting across from Po. "I heard you came back from the cemetery last night." Leo said, entering the room. "What happened?"
"Undead Shifu crept closer." Po said. "Closer! His horrified victims suddenly realized... that Po had been right about everything!" the Dragon Warrior laughed sinisterly.
Everyone except Leo gave Po a angry look.
"Yes, Po." Shifu sighed. "For the hundredth time, you were right, and we were wrong."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." Po smiled. "Could you all say that together in unison?"
"We were wrong!" they all exclaim together except for Leo.
"Ghost smarty pants." Monkey said.
"Sounds like all of you believe in ghosts now." Leo said as he was sitting next to Viper.
"Yeah." Monkey nodded his head.
"If Po didn't save Shifu in time, that would be bad." Leo said as he stands up and walks up to the door.
"That reminds me." Po said. "Do you believe in ghosts too, Leo?"
Leo stops and turns around to look at the Dragon Warrior. "Believe it or not, I'm friends with a demon." he answered before leaving the room.
Everyone looks at each other. "What?!" they all gasps.
After a day of training, they were all in the spare room. Leo sat across from everyone with the lantern in the center.
"What kind of demon are you friends with?" Po asked him. "Is it like a Mongolian Fist Demon?"
"It's not like the Mongolian Fist Demon." Leo chuckled. "Let me tell you all how Crow and I met. About five years ago, I was doing some meditation near a waterfall. I saw a girl dressed in a dark indigo cloak walking near the river. She notices me and stops walking. Before we even get a chance to talk, a teenage boy found us and took over to their home where several other teenagers were living. We didn't get along. I barely survived after I received a vicious stab through the chest. Then Crow healed me. I was surprised that my injury was gone. So after that I went to my room to be alone and meditate. Crow came to my room to see if I was alright. I thanked her for healing me, but I didn't appreciate something else she did and there were... "things" that I saw."
"What "things"?" Po asked.
"A demon that was on fire." Leo answered. "She told me to forget what I saw. I went on the central computer to find any information through the central computer. Sheila, the team's leader, took us out to have a night of mandatory fun at the mall. While the rest of the team was having fun, we got attacked by three demon wolves. The others came to our aid to help defeat them. After the battle, we went back to the team's home and Crow explained about her past. I believed she has a better chance of staying with us to defeat her father. But one of those demons attacked and defeated us. Crow agreed to go if our lives were spared. We traveled to a deserted island where a ancient temple was there. Crow stood at the center to summon her father through me."
"How?" Shifu asked.
"Her father needed my blood to summon him with her magic." Leo continued to explain. "After Draco was summoned, Panther, Ava and the others caught up to us and battle Draco while Crow went to a realm, and I was sent to a ancient temple in China. When I arrived, two fiery demons appeared and attacked me. The duel was over, and Crow used her magic and I used my chi to create a crystal. The two of us returned to the island and Crow used her power to trap her father within the crystal, ending the battle. After the battle, Crow was thinking she should leave to watch over the shard if Draco ever escaped again. But I told her that Earth is her home with her family Everyone needs family. All of us went back to the mainland and had a victory party."
"Whoa!" Po gasps.
"What's the name of their team?" Viper asked.
"Crimson Dusks." Leo answered. "That's the team where Crow is with them."
"Sounds like you two had an awesome adventure." Po smiled.
"It would be interesting to meet them." Monkey said.
Then they heard a giant flapping sound and a screech.
"What the hell was that?" Mantis wondered.
Without wasting time, everyone rushes out of the barracks outside. They see a giant glowing purple crow of energy cawing above them before flying off to the Wu Dan Mountains. Everyone followed it and made it to where the giant bird was waiting for them. The masters got into their stances except for Leo. Leo sheaths his diamond sword and walks up to the giant bird. This cause confusion for everyone as the crow looks at him.
"What is it doing?" Monkey wondered. "It's staring at him."
"You mean "she"." Leo corrected him.
The crow lowered her head to Leo and gazes into his eyes as he gazes at her. Leo reaches his hand out and places his right hand on the side of her cheek. Then the crow disappeared before their eyes.
"What was that about?" Shifu asked Leo.
"That was Crow." Leo answered.
"Your friend?" Tigress asked.
"She's not here like I am. Crow must've found a way somehow but couldn't maintain the connection."
"Looks like another mystery appeared." Shifu said.
"We'll figure it out in the future." Leo replied, turning around.
"Let's return to Jade Palace." Shifu said. "We have training tomorrow."
After returning to the barracks, Leo and Tigress were sleeping in bed. Leo wasn't sleeping as his girlfriend was sleeping. He was thinking if Crow discovered a way to contact him. Leo didn't have his hopes up and decided to think about this later.
In a dark room, a young woman wearing a dark indigo cloak fell onto the floor after doing a deep meditation. "Leo..." she muttered before she passed out. The last thing on mind before she passed out to tell the others that Leo is alive in a different world.
Not bad for this chapter. I figured this would be a good opportunity for Leo to explain a bit more of his past and couple more people as well with their encounters. Now, I am thinking about working on one story or more to show Leo's life in the human world before ended up in the world of Kung Fu Panda. I'll come to a decision about it when this whole story is complete before doing a Kung Fu Panda 3 story. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave a review!