Author's Note: Hey there! Another chapter for you lot! The action continues with... a revelation for our heroes and an emperor who is about to get outed in front of them. All joking around aside, this one is a bit of a heavy one. Not lengthy mind you, but heavy in dialogue that's for sure. Anyways, let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP!

Enjoy.

Yet Another Secret Unveiled

Bam!

The rest of the Jade Palace masters burst out of their rooms, staring at each other as Mantis asks, "Okay, we all heard the explosion, right?" None of his comrades pay any mind to his pointless question, with Viper's features creasing in worry as Po gives her an understanding expression. Tigress looks to her master, almost predicting his next command.

"Let's get moving, we may not have much time." Without any further prodding, the five masters sprint down the corridor and arrive at the ground floor of the pavilion in record time. They are greeted by a solemn Zhonglei who looks past the open pavilion doors with his arms crossed, the kung fu artefacts surrounding him with a haunting aura. It's as if their former wielders are awaiting something. Something foul and dreadful.

Before they can ask him anything, Renci and Meili burst into the room with panicked expressions as his council and their elite guards follow alongside them. "Masters, Zhonglei, where did that explosion come from!?"

The son of heaven's demands doesn't make the golden tiger flinch as he stares at the fire staining the sky, "They've hit a residential building on the edge of the square." He turns to the masters, exchanging a silent look with both Tigress and Shifu before preparing to leave. That is, until Viper lets out a desperate inquiry.

"Where's Crane and Monkey?" This freezes them right in their tracks, only deepening Zhonglei's concern.

"They haven't returned." He notices her worried expression spreading over to Po and Mantis, praying that their friends haven't been the victims of that decimating blaze. Unfortunately, he can't give any consolations, "It's likely that they've gone to deal with that explosion themselves." As expected, this doesn't do them any favours, with only Tigress and Shifu maintaining stoic expressions. However, it barely masks the anxiousness inside.

Concern soon turns to determination within Po's jade irises, "Well, what are we waiting for!? Let's get going!" Zhonglei gives a brief smile to the panda as they prepare themselves once more. That is, until an eagle soldier soars into the pavilion.

"Your grace! Your grace!" He nearly crashes to the floor right in front of the emperor as he tries his best to sort through his panicked words, "The docks are under siege. Our forces are greatly outnumbered. There are hundreds of them!"

"Settle down, soldier!" The eagle stands at attention as the Zhanshi chief approaches him, that confident smile now eradicated. Of course, Zhongcheng wouldn't make it that simple. "Who's attacking us? Where did they come from?" He can hear the anxious pacing of the kung fu masters behind him, still worried for the people trapped in that residence and beyond so for their friends.

After taking several calming breaths, the eagle informs them, "It's an army of alligators, sir! They came from the waters in the pier. They all had swords and axes and I couldn't see it very clearly, but it looked like they had a red eye on their armour!" Every single person in the room freezes at this last sentence, but none is more horrified than the dragon warrior himself.

A red eye? But that symbol belongs to… That's impossible. He saw him die. Maybe… maybe they're worshippers of his. Yeah, that would make sense. But then that raises more questions, who would worship a crazed tyrant like him?

A question that is immediately answered by the golden tiger, "He must've served in Shen's army. Now why doesn't that surprise me." A venomous spit exits Zhonglei's maw as a hideous scowl deforms his face, "These alligators serve Zhongcheng, which means…"

"He's trying to split us up." Tigress finishes, her features doused in frustration as she approaches the eagle as well. "Are there any civilians there?"

To their misfortune, the eagle nods, "Yes ma'am! I noticed they were beginning to target some of the houses nearby before I left." A deep sigh exits Zhonglei's nostrils as he darts his eyes between the kung fu masters. Though they deliberate within their minds, he can already tell the conclusion they will draw. A conclusion that he knows his former brother will be counting on.

"Emperor!"

All eyes are diverted to the leopard sprinting in from the emperor's tower, his golden armour caked in sweat and coated in noticeable layer of pebble debris. Whilst the others focus their attention on the elite guard himself, Zhonglei and Meili notice the emperor's pupils shrink to a microscopic size, his golden fur becoming pale as the guard finally skids to a halt. Panting in exhaustion, the elite guard just about manages to speak through his fatigue, "They've taken the warehouse, my lord… We've had to destroy the tunnel exit… It was horrible…" Suspicion grows on Zhonglei and Meili's face as the emperor's puny pupils nail themselves to the floor.

"What warehouse, soldier?" In spite of the golden tiger's command, the elite guard doesn't budge. Instead, his eyes shift to the emperor as if asking for permission. Ruby irises follow his gaze, morphing into a harsh glare as the son of heaven refuses to rip his gaze from the ground. "What is he referring to, Renci?" All eyes widen at the growl that threatens to burst from his throat, with the guard especially shocked at the tiger's disrespect. But Zhonglei cares little for this, he knows that his friend has been hiding something and if it is as mortifying as the lion is making it out to be, then now is not the time to keep it to himself. "Renci."

Golden eyes finally look back to the warning tiger, shrinking even further as he notes the concerned gaze of his wife and the masters he has entrusted to protect his city. But the justifiably furious blaze in Zhonglei's glare clutches onto him, burning with a silent demand for the truth. A truth that Renci knows will bring out their ire. But at this point, he has no choice. "There is a secret warehouse on the east side of the city, one that I've demanded to produce cannons for the city's defences." He admits, shame corroding the strength that would usually radiate through his timbre.

"How long have you hidden this from us?" He doesn't need to look at Piqi to understand her fury, nor does he need to see the betrayal in the rest of his council. Interestingly enough, the jade palace masters don't express that same betrayal. Shock, horror maybe, but not betrayal. Renci doesn't dare to glance at his wife, for her betrayed eyes will only break his heart.

"Nearly a year." His ears twitch at the sound of a miniscule gasp puffing out of Qipian's mouth. Oddly, the one person he would expect to be most furious about this seems… impatient. Po practically jogs on the spot, clearly more anxious about the cannons being in enemy hands rather than them being made in the first place.

Zhonglei, however, doesn't share the same sentiment. "Are you dense!?" He roars out, magma flowing through his eyes as he stomps towards Renci, "Don't you understand what power Zhongcheng now has!?" Before he can get any closer, two of the emperor's elite guards hold their spears directly in front of him whilst the recent messenger pulls out a sword and aims it the tiger's way.

"Woah! Woah, woah! Easy!" The dragon warrior jumps in, lightly pushing the golden tiger away as he lowers the guard's sword. "We're not here to fight each other, okay?" Unfortunately, the air doesn't loosen its grip nor does the Zhanshi chief's glare leave his eyes.

"And you're not angry at this?" Jade irises remain focused on Zhonglei, certain that the tiger won't let go of this betrayal that easily. "Those are the same weapons that almost killed you, are they not?"

A bitter sting flicks at his mind, remembering how he felt his entire chest had exploded into a hurricane of fire. At the same time, Tigress' ears flatten at that memory, but doesn't let it stick for long. Po keeps eye-contact with Zhonglei, an immovable seriousness evident on his features, "Yeah, I did almost die to those things. And yeah, I'm not really happy to hear there's more of them." He can practically feel the emperor wilt just behind his guards which prompts him to get to the point, "But that doesn't matter right now."

"Exactly." Tigress steps forward, eyes focused on the guard who still holds his sword at the ready. "How did they manage to overpower your forces?" She ignores her uncle's glance, her mind already made up about their plan of action. All she really needs is information.

Seeing the situation defuse before him, the leopard guard finally sheathes his sword and recounts, "They took us down with sheer numbers alone. A whole army of wolves just burst in through the front door, but it wasn't just them." Both the masters and Zhonglei can see the befuddlement form in his face before he even explains, "Some of them were our men, but… different." Now this befuddled expression shifts over to everyone else, making Po scratch his head in a hopeless attempt to process all this.

"Okay, now this is just getting confusing."

"Ditto." Mantis chimes in, still reeling from the onslaught of secrets they had been barraged with earlier.

Shaking her head free of this strangeness, Tigress continues her questioning, "Who was leading them?"

"A brown bison, real tough looking guy too."

Zhonglei and the masters' eyes widen at this, their suspicions proven correct. "Gongjiang." Shifu vocalises their thoughts, sharing a knowing glance with his daughter as she nods.

"Then its settled, we'll split up and take them down before this situation escalates any further." Tigress motions her head towards Po as the masters make their way towards the pavilion exit, a baffled Zhonglei walking after them.

"You can't! That's exactly what he wants!"

This stops Tigress in her tracks, but as she turns to face her uncle, all that can be seen is a fiery determination crackling in her amber eyes. "That won't stop us." Knowing he will have a counter to this, she almost snarls out her next sentence. "I won't let any more innocent blood be shed tonight." This reluctantly shuts him up, knowing full well that they will never sacrifice someone else's life for their own safety. Even if it could mean their demise. With nothing else to say, Tigress turns back to her family and issues out her commands, "Po, Mantis. You're with me. We're heading to the warehouse." They both nod at her stern tone before the three of them sprint out the door and into the winter night.

"Then I suppose that leaves us to secure the docks." Shifu confirms, glancing over to Zhonglei who gives a reluctant nod. Before they go however, the red panda notices Viper's worried stare lingering on the smoke billowing in the distance. "Have faith in them, Viper. They are more than capable of handling themselves." Though she doesn't respond back to his comforting timbre, he can see her body visibly relax. As she takes a deep breath, she whips over towards the docks with the grandmaster following suit.

Zhonglei follows on, but not without giving one last glare to Renci who can only stare back with a silent apology. As the golden tiger leaves, the emperor finally glances over to his wife whose bright red eyes ring out in a mix of disgust and rage. "Meili, I-

"Don't bother." Her bitterness only wrings his heart further as she starts making her way back towards the tower, "You were revolted that your father would lie to the very people he loves, yet you will happily do the same." Even the elite guards wince at the dagger wedging itself into the son of heaven, the white lioness leaving him with only his council.

They all stand in the pavilion in a tense silence, with Piqi wishing to reprimand the lion ever further but deciding against it. He's had enough already. Zhoudao leans over to their 'noble' lord, "You did the right thing, your grace." Despite her relaxing, assuring voice, the emperor can tell that even she doesn't believe her own words. He can tell that none of them, not even the guards agree with it in its entirety. Because no matter what way he justifies it, their own enemy now has a power capable of reducing a city to rubble. Strangely enough, Qipian is the only one without a describable expression. In fact, its nearly devoid of any emotion. Only Piqi notices this but she pays it little mind. Instead, she prays for the victory of their noble saviours.

Hoping even more they'll make it out of this alive.

Fairly short, I know. I had thought of combining it with the earlier chapter, but pacing wise it feels better to have it here on its own. Besides, next chapter is when things really get crazy. And trust me, you'll know what I mean soon enough. Hopefully I won't keep you guys in anticipation for long, cuz I've been planning out these next few chapters for A WHILE! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and until next time :)