Morning everyone, I'm back with a new one. Enjoy!

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Chapter 15: Under Her Control

Zhen led us into Juniper City as Po's guide.

As it always had been, the metropolis had been lively with busy, orderly, streets filled with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of pedestrians. The panda certainly wasn't ready for rush hour…and he kept stopping to look at the landmarks. As a result, he'd often get bumped by numerous citizens quickly trying to get from place to place.

"Everyone is in such a hurry! I've never seen so much traffic before!" Po stated as he was grabbed by Zhen and led away from the middle of the street…saving him from being trampled by several people.

I slipped in, ripping some cloth hanging from a nearby store to use as a mask to cover up my face. I put my hands in my pockets to conceal my hands too.

As I ran up to join the duo, I heard the vixen say to the Dragon Warrior, "isn't it something? I was beginning to miss it!"

I gotta say…I wasn't entirely feeling the same. I did enjoy the relative peace and quiet outside the city. However, nostalgia always seemed to seep its way into our minds. I had to agree to a certain level, home is home…no matter what.

"It's a lot, I'll give it that" Po retorted before his "friend" chortled in response, "what, you don't have rush hour at the Valley of Peace?"

"No one's ever in a rush where I'm from!"

We made our way to some stairs we had to take to get to the Chateau. It's a path she and I always took to get back to the Chameleon. It was full-proof most of the time, a straight shot to the mountain path. Along the way, there would be stores and suckers we would often take advantage of on the way to the palace.

Once up the steps, Zhen looked around…putting her paws on her hips…appreciating the splendor of city life, "sure feels good to be home again, right Mei?"

I nodded while dancing around some pedestrians…managing to grab a small money bag to throw at Zhen; however, amid my petty theft, the fox and I (both distracted) bumped into Po. He seemed to have gone into a trance.

He had his head facing the sky…he seemed to be sniffing a particularly good scent (a smell that even I, with my inferior nose, could catch.) "That smell…"

Before we knew it, the warrior from the Valley of Peace ran up to an oriental restaurant nearby and popped his head in from the window. For a brief moment, I silently joined his side to see the feast that was being laid out inside. I too was hungry…hungry enough to eat everything on that table.

"Look Mei…it's a wonton wonderland!"

I smiled, fantasizing about the different cultural dishes that I had grown to love over the years…I began thinking about the three of us sitting in a corner of a tavern. I would order my noodles, Po and Zhen would order their dumplings, and everything would seem just right.

I shook my head back to reality to see Po had pulled around to look at other provisions nearby…eventually ending up in an alleyway with some food stands. I saw Zhen there, trying to bring the third member of our party back to reality, "Po! Focus!"

He soon fangirled, peering down to the vixen with uncontrollable excitement, "this place is so amazing!"

"I used to feel the same way, Mei too probably." Zhen retorted, getting slightly annoyed by this detour. Speaking of me, I quickly slipped in and grabbed a dumpling from a stand behind Po without him realizing it and I soon joined their side, "until the Chameleon got her claws into it." She pointed to a group of townsfolk who were being harassed by members of Chameleon's army/guard.

Zhen briefly looked in my direction as I bit into the food. She soon got my attention as we locked eyes. Well, this feels weird…pretending that the lizards aren't on our side. Technically speaking, they were given orders NOT to harm Zhen or me…regardless if we decided to engage them. We planned to trick Po and bring him to the Chameleon after all. I just shrugged back to her, finishing my lunch before she nodded back determinedly.

"I'll take down the Chameleon, tonight…" Po muttered, almost to himself. Judging by his tone, I wasn't sure if he was saying it to himself or out loud for us to hear. Regardless, he tried to step in and help the innocent bystanders, but I rushed in and got in his way…placing my hands against his belly to stop him. I looked up and shook my head at the panda, no.

"yeah…" she agreed with his earlier statement, "but…" the gray corsac fox walked up, standing next to me and brandished the scene behind her, "it's probably not best to attract attention to ourselves…the city is crawling with her henchmen. The city is under her control, but I know where the villainous sorceress is lurking…and we'll take you straight to her secret lair!" She grabbed me, putting a paw on her side with her free paw. I just gave a sheepish grin in return.

Po pointed above, "is she lurking in that villainous tower dominating the city?"

We looked up to see our home, the Chateau…standing beautifully on the mountaintop. She and I were overcome with confusion soon after though and we looked at him…stepping away.

"Wait…how'd you know?" She asked as I stepped forward with a begging gaze, I wanted to know as well.

"I figured it out. It's not my first time taking down a villain…" he said as though he was bragging a bit. I guess that makes sense…this is the guy who took down Tai Lung and Lord Shen…and who knows what else over the years…

Ditto.

Yet, I wouldn't get too confident, Dragon Warrior. The Chameleon is nothing like you've ever faced. I mean, even Zhen and I would have NO IDEA if she was among us. She could be anyone nearby and we would have no clue…no warning! Heck, she could be watching us this VERY moment!

Then again, Po is unlike any fighter we have ever seen…what if he's more than a match for the Chameleon? Inside, I was starting to like having Po around, and so was Zhen (even through her smug demeanor I could tell.)

Speaking of Zhen, she appeared unimpressed by his comment and began making her way out of the alleyway, "let's keep moving."

As we start to make our way out, I walk backward while facing Po, I give a thumbs up. He rolled his eyes to me before joining our side again.

We were occasionally greeted by some townsfolk whom we'd often seen during our time in the streets. Many of them were people who helped us escape during heists (mostly because they resented the law officers in town, which…believe it or not…are not part of Chameleon's rule.) Some of them, though, were genuine people who looked up to us (mostly Zhen.) They saw our run-ins with the law to be endearing (despite the fact they didn't know we worked for Chameleon…)

Anyway, Po noticed the attention we both received and raised an eyebrow at us, "if I didn't know any better, you two seem to be local celebs?"

Zhen smirked, loving the attention. She pulled me closer with an arm…unknowingly almost causing my mask to fall off. I yelped, quickly moving it back into place. Sure enough, though, the fox pulls it down…winking to me, "a face like ours is hard to forget."

Sure enough, she pulled me away to reveal two wanted posters that had my face and hers. Needless to say the artist who drew them took some…artistic liberties. Zhen had exaggerated whiskers and fur patterns on her face, and mine: they didn't get my dang nose right!

Either way, we could see Po's dumbfounded expression, and she and I couldn't help but be enthusiastic about the wanted posters and soon he couldn't contain himself anymore, "w-what!? Y-you guys are w-wanted criminals!?" He exclaimed in shock.

All Zhen did was walk up to a red brick wall and lean against it. It had even more posters of the fox and me all around from top to bottom. I just had to jump in her way…blocking Zhen from view as I put my hands on my hips: we're the Juniper City Bandits!

The vixen ran up to block me this time and said with smug disposition, "you sound surprised. Is this surprising?" She looked toward me and a pig who was putting a poster on the wall, and asked us both, "I don't think this is surprising…" we both shook our heads in return. I took a poster with my face and showed it to the pig…pulling down my mask. I brandished the artwork and then to myself and gave a grumbled expression. They couldn't understand me so I just rolled my eyes in return, I kind of wished they didn't make me look like I have a toad on my face, heh…

"You never mentioned you guys were wanted."

"Relax" Zhen jumped off the ledge and began walking deeper into town as I joined her side, "there are thousands of criminals in this city. I'm sure the law has better things to do than to look for Mei and myself…"

Po was right behind us, shaking his head as we stopped to look at the disbelief in his demeanor, "b-but that doesn't make any sense!" Po suddenly said before Zhen and I looked at each other in confusion, "What doesn't make any sense?" She crossed her arms in retaliation to him.

"How can you two be wanted if you both are…" he didn't finish his statement.

Suddenly, he stopped…looking ahead. The gray fox and I sensed two people behind us and we slowly turned around to be met with them. It was two mammalian officers of the law staring down at us.

"Hey, fox."

"We've been looking for the two of you."

One grabbed Zhen by her blue hood while the other grabbed mine…lifting us off the ground. I looked toward her and she gave a shrug to me, "must be a slow week…" she said as I crossed my arms and groaned. Is it me, or this déjà vu? I feel like we've been in a similar position as we are in now a while back.

Either way, I just mentally facepalmed toward my fox accomplice.

You just had to tempt fate…didn't you?

…

Uh oh, looks like the "Juniper City Bandits" are in heaps of trouble, heh.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed that recent addition. Lemme know what you think of that chapter if you like. Take care!