Family Enemy


Po looked at the gym's sign above: Lotus Gym.

He could remember the first time he came in and saw that sign. He was scared out of his brain, his heart raced harder than doing cardio, and his sweaty palms made lifting the weights much more difficult that day. But he still went in. His scar made ab workouts much more painful, but Kai helped him power through it, even though he had no idea what the panda was going through.

Now he had a similar feeling for the briefest moment. He told Tigress he would do this, and he was going to do it. But that fear threatened to swallow him whole. He walked through the sliding doors, seeing a familiar golden cat with an unusually bright and cheery smile.

"Po! It's great to see you."

"It is?"

"I was worried about you yesterday," Mei Ling replied. Po smiled. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah. Tigress and I talked. I'm feeling... kinda better now."

Mei Ling rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean kind of?" Po looked at the signup sheet for the Strong Men Tournament. He etched his name down, but Mei Ling stopped his hand. "Po, are you sure? I'm all for you participating, but if you're doing this because of the tiger I-"

"I'm not. Not entirely. But she was right. I need to get out of my comfort zone, otherwise, it's only going to shrink and get worse. It's... There's a big reason why I don't do these tournaments. I know I can do it, but it's the-"

"Body reveal at the end that scares you?" Mei Ling guessed. Po sighed. "You don't have to do it, you know."

"The competition or the shirt revealing?"

"Either."

The panda smiled, "Thanks Mei Ling, but... I think I'm going to risk it." He took a deep breath and signed his name. He stopped for a moment and looked up at Mei Ling. The worried netting of her eyebrows and the wrinkling of her hands alerted him. "Mei... I know you've wanted to help me for a while. And I know that you've been trying to do it by... staying out of the way, but... I don't think that's the way to help people."

"Yeah," Mei Ling sighed. "I figured that out yesterday."

"Tigress told me the earful you gave her." The Golden Cat grimaced as she looked away. "Thank you. She and I needed it. It's... been a while since I've talked about why I don't like the way I look. I really needed it," Po smiled as he finally finished signing his name. "I'll tell you one day, okay?"

"You don't have to."

"I know," Po beamed. "I want to. I always thought that this part of my life was too much for people. I thought people wouldn't like dealing with my emotional baggage."

Mei Ling smiled, "Well, a good friend told me you don't help a friend by carrying their emotional baggage. You help by giving them a moment to rest their bags." The panda nodded with a smile. The feline glanced behind her counter. "Anyway, I need to go to the back for a moment, okay?"

"Why?" Po asked; Mei Ling rarely left the counter.

"Uhh... I need to freshen up a bit. Humidity and all, you know," she smiled a bit.

Was that blushing nervousness? Before Po could ask, Mei Ling left.

Then he heard a noise. Po is usually the only one over at the strength training area this early in the morning, save for Kai sometimes. In the evening, there are a bit more people, especially some teens who come in packs after school to try out the weights.

Po never understood why teenagers did that.*

Anyway, he looked past the counter and saw Kai talking jovially with another male black and white bear. This large panda wore a slightly loose blue sleeveless shirt with a pair of gray gym shorts. He was similar to Po in bulk but he was a little taller. His clothing showed off his vast muscular arms and legs while the large rotund belly was a bit slimmer than his wide shapely chest.

Po walked over to the training area. The panda laughed just as loudly as Kai. Po quietly moved up to the two talking gym-goers, waiting to be noticed.

"I'm telling you. She was awesome!" The panda exclaimed. "Everything was going well until I fudged up the order."

"That's what you get for trying to do too much at once," Kai laughed. "I'd be upset too if my date splashed me with pasta sauce."

"It's not my fault I'm bulky!" The panda remarked, flexing his bicep. "This has spasms of its own sometimes. At least it's not your back fur growing out."

"I said I was sorry," Kai laughed.

"My soup was full of yak fur!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The yak bellowed. Po couldn't help but smile. This panda was comfortable in his skin, that much was obvious. And anyone who could get Kai to laugh as easily as this had to be a good person. "So she just dumped you after that?"

"Nah, she and I are good friends. But I'm forbidden to be around her with pasta ever again," The panda chuckled.

Kai's smile dipped just a hair. "You sure she didn't do that for... other reasons?"

"Hm? Oh no, she's not like that last date. That girl was just shallow. You want me to accept you as you are but you can't accept me as I am?" The panda threw a dismissive hand. "Please, I was upset for a moment-"

"Just a moment?"

"Alright, alright, I was a complete wreck, but those heartbreak gains were awesome!"

Kai shook his head with a smirk. "Oh! Po, there you are."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Po said shyly.

"Not at all," Kai smiled. "This is Yongqi (Which means courage). A friend of mine on the west side."

Yongqi smiled widely at Po and stretched out his hand. "It's great to meet you." He said with as many beaming teeth as he possibly could. Po shook his hand. "Oh?"

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just... normally I have to be careful about shaking people's hands. Strength and all."

"I know the feeling," Po sighed with a smile.

"This is the panda that I've been working with since high school," Kai explained to Yongqi.

"And... the one who's going to be in the tournament," Po sighed nervously. Kai's eyes widened but a long smile grew on his face while he patted Po on the back.

"I'm glad," Kai smiled.

"Me too!" Yongqi grinned. "It's about time I have someone else to compete with other than this old tart."

"Hey, I can still bench press you, don't forget that," Kai laughed.

"Ha! On the weekends when you've rubbed enough IceeHot?" Yongqi laughed. Kai smiled. Po looked at the yak with large questioning eyes.

"Oh right, Yongqi and I knew each other when I used to work on the west side of the city."

"You have other clients?" Po asked.

"You didn't think you were the only person I trained, right?" Kai smirked. Po rubbed the back of his head a bit. "Anyways, Yongqi usually comes to the tournament."

"Huh, umm... do you guys know why Mei Ling left in such a hurry? She said something about freshening up," Po murmured.

"Of course she did. She does that whenever Yongqi is around."

"Kai, I will choke you if you dare," Yongqi grumbled, though it sounded more like a plea rather than a threat.

Po silently pieced it together. "You like Mei Ling?"

"SHHH! She'll hear you!" Yongqi hissed. Kai laughed loudly while the other panda grumbled into a sulk. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I just... I haven't gotten around to telling her, okay?"

"Well, either way, I'm gonna practice for the tournament. Let me get the chalk," Kai said as he went for his bag.

"Soo, you're the secret panda that Kai's mentioned," Yongqi smirked, crossing his arms.

Po raised his eyebrow. "I... didn't know I was a secret."

"The big guy mentioned something about a panda that never takes off a hoodie."

"Uggghh, why does everyone remember THAT part?"

Yongqi shrugged. "Probably because they're worried about inviting you to a formal or something." Po made a sour face. "What? Would you want to invite someone who never wore anything else other than flip-flops?"

"You mean almost every immigrant parent?"** Po smirked. Yongqi laughed. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"But it's nice to see you. It's gonna be awesome to have some real competition for once," Yongqi said with a cocky smirk.

Po smirked back. "Don't worry, I'm not backing down from this. I can't really." The panda's smirk dipped for a moment.

"Something's up?" Yongqi asked.

"No, just... scared out of my mind about this tournament."

"Why?"

"First time doing it."

Yongqi offered a wide smile, giving Po a firm pat on the back. "Hey, get your head out of your black fur."

"My... what?"

"Any time my dad heard me say something depressing, he told me that. It means getting your head out of the darkness."

"It's not... intentional," Po replied.

"But the darkness is familiar, isn't it?" Yongqi smiled.

Po smiled back, "How did you and Kai meet?"

"Had some friends that coaxed me into doing his training for a month to impress this girl I liked. I... kinda forgot about the girl after a while," Yongqi chuckled awkwardly. "Anyway, I got into a fight with Kai over some dumbbells."

"Ah Ah! Telling him how we met, huh?" Kai called as he approached them. "I still say you were trying to steal them."

"You were hogging them!"

"And how did you guys become friends?" Po butted in.

Kai laughed, "This guy forgot that I was his instructor after he went back home angry. Came back looking like a sheep to apologize."

"You made me go ALL the way home before telling me that you were my trainer!" Yongqi exclaimed.

"I was angry too," Kai chuckled. The panda rolled his eyes. Po smiled. Yongqi seemed jovial and carefree. He felt like a younger more innocent version of Po.

Meanwhile, Tigress was stretching in her apartment. Even though she thought of going to the gym, she decided it would be best to get out of Po's way. That and she felt like she had messed with his life too much.

Whether it was for good or bad was still to be determined.

Just then, her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"That's not the question you want to ask," Tigress smirked. She could hear Song roll her eyes.

"How is Po?"

"Better... I... I can't tell you everything we talked about," She said upfront.

"I understand. I wasn't expecting you to," Song said, "But that's not why I'm calling. I... think Tai Lung is worse than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just... I couldn't get Malia's warning out of my head. So I did some secret research on Tai Lung. He's been in a lot of trouble, but it's all covered up or paid off."

"By his parents?"

"And friends."

"What kind of friends?" Tigress asked with narrowing eyes.

"The kind of friends that know a little too much about the dark web," Song murmured.

"What do you think it means?"

"It means that I might have some blackmail material on Tai Lung if things go bad."

"Song, this has gotten out of hand."

"I know, I know. And after the tournament, I'm breaking up with him, but I have to make sure that I know everything before leaving. This guy is much worse than I thought."

"Anything to get him in prison?" Tigress asked.

"Ooooh so much," Song said.

"Wait, how did you manage to get his info?"

"He asked me some strange questions about your work. The more I ask, the more I'm convinced that he's either trying to get something from Jade Inc., or he's trying to find another way to get to you. Like getting hired. And with the friends and family he has, he can certainly do it. Anyway, I asked to see his phone. And you can figure out how I got the rest done. Oh, this is interesting," Song murmured at the computer screen.

"What?"

"Um... Nothing, I have to talk with Mr. Shifu about something, I'll call you back later."

"Be careful, Song."

"I will. I promise." The snow leopard hung up and blinked 90 times before entering the elevator. "That's weird. Why would they... hmm." She mumbled to herself as she got to the top floor where Viper met her.

"Oh, Song. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to talk with Shifu."

Viper raised her eyelid. "Why?"

"I need to ask him... a question." Viper stared at her for a while before letting her go. Song walked up to the red panda's office and gingerly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Shifu's head rose and jerked back a bit as he saw the snow leopard walk in. "Song, I haven't seen you in a while. Is the project with Chaotic Studios doing well?"

"Yes, Mr. Shifu. It's nearing completion, but it'll be a few more days until Tigress comes back."

"Good," Shifu's bushy eyebrow rose. "Then is there a reason why you're here?"

"I have an... out-of-office question."

"What sort?"

"About dating partners."

"Ahh well," Shifu made an awkward cough that Song couldn't help but chuckle at. "I've just recently reentered the dating game so I-"

"Not in that way, Mr. Shifu. It's uh..." She tapped her foot onto the carpet, slightly biting her lip. "Does the name Tai Lung Zihao mean anything to you?"

"Tai Lung?" Shifu said in a more serious tone. He leaned back into his seat, staring at the ceiling for a brief moment. "Why do you ask?"

"Reasons."

Shifu smirked. "I've known you and Tigress long enough to know that's not the case."

"I'm... dating him."

She narrowed his eyes hard. "No, you're not."

"Why don't you believe me?"

"Because you're not that stupid."

Song blinked with confusion and shock. "Sir?"

"Song, you're a brilliant woman who knows how to get herself in and out of situations with ease. It's one of the many reasons why you were chosen for the job. Cybersecurity needs that skill."

Song blinked again. She wasn't expecting Shifu to be this frank with her. "It's complicated," She said slowly.

"Uncomplicate it."

"Sir?"

"Tai Lung is the kind of person who is completely fascinated by his own story. Anyone who doesn't comply with that story is in danger of harming his ego. It's impossible to help him."

"Is that why you stopped helping him find a job?"

Shifu paused for a long moment. He leaned back into his chair. "You know he's my godson," He stated.

"If you know all these things about him, then why-"

"His parents never listen to me, and if I'm being honest, half of their actions are the prime reasons why Tai Lung is the way he is."

"And his character caused you not to hire him?"

"Conflict of interest AND he's not ideal for any position in the company. Not even janitor work."

"I didn't think you would be so critical of him."

"Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer. And the family that becomes your enemies, keep them in your bed. Even still, the Zihao family keeps a lot of their... activities hidden." Shifu murmured. "I've been hurt one time too many by people who I've called family. His family is probably been 20 percent of that."

"What happened?"

"A lot of things." Shifu gave a loud sigh, "Things that I have no legal evidence to prove. Just know that we're much better without them."

"He... asked me a lot of questions about the company. Should I be worried?"

Shifu narrowed his eyes again and sighed, "He's probably doing something for his father. He's been trying to find ways to merge our company with his. But his practices would kill Jade Inc. And knowing that you and Tigress work so closely with me..." Trailing off, he stroked his beard and got up. "Honestly, between you and Tai Lung, you'll outsmart him. It's incredibly easy. I imagine he's trying to use the company to further his parents' goals or his own."

"Has he always been like this?" Song asked.

"Progressively getting worse. His family has roped me into their 'help Tai Lung' missions one too many times. I imagine he's trying to get his way by detrimental means."

Trying to get his way by detrimental means. Why did this start to sound too familiar to Song?

She stood up and nodded. "Be careful, Song. Tai Lung often blames people for his failures," Shifu warned but smiled, "Although, something tells me that you'll find a way to... deliver some sense to him."

"He may be beyond that," Song commented as they headed towards the door.

"Then you might have to deliver justice then." She widened her eyes as Shifu closed the door behind her. Did Shifu just give her permission to send his own godson to justice? What did that mean? As Song walked back to the elevator, she began to think of ways to get out of this situation.

Continued...

*Sorry this is a phenomenon that happens at my gym and I can't figure out why.

**I'm sorry if that was offensive, but I know it's true for me because I'm the son of immigrant parents who both wear flip-flops.