The Midnight Stranger and The Black Spirit
A month later after the banquet, Leo was in the palace arena training alone. He turns around to see The Furious Five standing behind him.
"Come on, Leo." Tigress said. "We're going to Constable Hu's Office."
"Sure." Leo nodded. "How come we're heading to the office?"
"Po got arrested for doing kung fu "illegally"." Monkey answered.
The warriors made it down to Constable Hu's office.
"Kung Fu is outlawed, effective immediately!" Hu announced as Po was released from his cell.
"What?!" The Five gasps.
Leo folded his arms. "You can't ban kung fu, Hu."
"I can and I will, Leo. The imperial emblem gives me the authority to make laws. If any of you do kung fu at all in my sight, you'll be sent to Chorh-Gom Prision faster than you can say plum pudding platter." Hu said.
The Furious Five and Leo walks out of the office.
"I'm releasing Po into your custody." Hu said, pushing the panda out of his office.
"But-"
"I said rung along now!" Hu barked. He attempts to close the door, but Leo stuck his arm in the doorway to prevent the door being closed. The elephant opens the door and looks at the human.
"If you ban kung fu, the people in this village will keep getting robbed." Leo said, removing his arm from the doorway.
They walk back to the Jade Palace and heads over to the Student Barracks as nighttime came. Leo, however, went to the Peach Tree. Tigress was walking back forth in the kitchen.
"What can we do?" Tigress asked angrily. "I can't not do kung fu. It's who I am."
"We'll hang tight until Shifu gets back with his meeting from Chao. He'll straight this whole thing out."
"I can't wait!" Po exclaims nervously, eating some dumplings. "Just look at me. I'm doing that nervous eating thing again."
The praying mantis walks up to on the table. "You must get nervous a lot!"
"Damn it!" Po slams his fists on the table. "I'm going for a walk!" He stands up from the chair and walks away before coming back to the table to grab his dumplings.
The Dragon Warrior left the barracks and heads down into the village. "I shouldn't worry about this." Po said to himself. "Shifu will be back in a week and everything will be fine. It's not like I'm going to use kung this week." Then he heard a scream from the house several feet in front of him. "But I might have to. Po quickly runs to the side of the house and peaks through the doorway.
There were three pig robbers with two spears and a sword robbing a female pig. "You got to have more money than this, bitch!" the leader sneered, throwing a box of few coins at the pig's feet. "Where's the rest of it?" he pointed his sword.
Po leans back. "There's gotta be something I can do. If Constable Hu sees me do kung fu..." The panda peeks through the doorway. He spots a gray suit of armor with a golden dragon in the circle. There was also a mask along with the plates on the shoulder and an armored kilt. "But what if he didn't see me?"
"Give us the money." the leader said, snapping his hooves. His two men walks up to the woman and pointed their spears at her. "Now, you'll be telling me where the money is. One way or another." All of a sudden, several smoke bombs went off on the ground causing a fog around the three bandits. "Jeng? Yao Lin?" the leader called out to his companions.
There was no answer. But all of a sudden, he received a punch to the stomach with a spinning elbow strike to the back. The bandit leader was swept off his feet and landed on his stomach. He received several hard punches to the head before his leg was grabbed and thrown into the ceiling before his back was stepped on as his body hit the floor. The smoke began to disappear and he lets out a groan. Then he heard a sound.
The pig bandit turns around and sees a person wearing a suit of armor holding the other two bandit. The person threw the two bandits on the other side of the bandit leader. As the person jumps down from the box, the bandit turns to the doorway but he stops to see another person standing in front of him.
The person was wearing a black bodysuit with black gloves and black shoes. The person was also wearing a black demonic mask as it covered the entire person's face.
The bandit leader began to shake in fear and started to sweat. The mysterious person slowly walks up to him and knocks him out with a chop to the head.
The armored figure looks to the woman and walks up to her before leaning close to her ear. "Are you alright?" the armored figure asked in a deep, low voice.
"Yes."
The Black Spirit nods once and leans back with arms crossed.
"I know who you are!" she smiled.
"What? No you don't. I'm not anyone who you are supposed to know about."
"I thought the Midnight Stranger was a myth." the woman said. But the pig shifts her gaze at the second mysterious person.
"The person and I will be taking these bandits to jail." The Midnight Stranger said, picking up the unconscious bandits.
The person turns around and walks outside of the building. The Midnight Stranger and the pig lady quickly rushes outside as the person heads to a building, did a wall kick and landed on the roof.
"Wait, who are you?!" The Midnight Stranger called out.
The person didn't respond as it quickly disappeared into the night.
Constable Hu was in his office. He was singing to himself when he heard the door open and slammed behind him. Hu turns around to see the three pig bandits in the cell. The big elephant fell out of his chair in a surprise and stands up. "What the dickens are you three doing in there?"
"Some masked nutcase put us in here." the bandit leader answered.
"That's not proper procedure." Hu said. He opens the door halfway until the leader closed the door, confusing the constable.
"Are you crazy?! Those two might still be out there."
The next morning, The Furious Five was in the kitchen talking about what they heard from one of the villagers.
"Morning everyone." Po greeted as he entered the kitchen and approached the table. "How about that Midnight Stranger huh?"
"You mean that masked bastard who was kung fu-ing it up last night in the village?" Mantis grumbled.
"Wait a minute. Don't you think this is a good thing?" Po asked.
"A nut job who roams around randomly and beating people? No." Monkey piped up.
"It's so tacky that he wears a mask." Viper added.
"And we'll get blamed for whatever trouble he causes." Crane said.
"I bet that's the guy is another bandit and trying to get rid of the competition." Mantis suggested.
"What?! No he's not!" Po exclaims.
The rest of the Five were taken back from Po's outburst.
"The Midnight Stranger is only trying to help. He's-" Po was saying until Tigress spoke up.
"A prerogative handsome lone wolf. Lives by his own rule and answers to no one. Waiting only for-" Tigress was saying and she stops daydreaming. The feline realizes she was daydreaming in front of them. They were looking at her surprised. Before Tigress could say anything, Po noticed that Leo was not in the kitchen.
"So where's Leo?" Po wondered.
"I think he's in the library." Monkey suggested.
Leo lets out a yawn as he was standing in the doorway. "Actually, I just woke up."
"You just woke up? It's eleven o-clock right now." Po turns around to him.
"I lost track of time in the library last night." Leo lets out another yawn. "So anything new today?"
"Yeah. There was a masked nutcase last night who did kung fu."
"Who was it?" Leo asked.
"It was The Midnight Stranger." Po answered.
Leo gave him a confusing look and walks up to the table.
"My dad told me that there was a village that was overrun by bandits long ago. Bandits, thieves and robbers started stealing from each other until The Midnight Stranger appeared only at night. They couldn't stand a chance against him because of his strength. The village had been rid of crime thanks to the Midnight Stranger. He vanished mysteriously as he appeared when his work is finished and guess what. Someone saw him last night and there was another person too."
Leo places his hands behind his back. "Another person?"
"Yeah and the person was wearing some sort of suit with a demonic mask. And I bet he's a human."
"Yeah, Po, I think we get the idea it was a human." Leo replied.
"Not to mention that person helped knock out the leader last night too." Mantis said.
"The villagers are wondering if they'll show up tonight." Monkey said.
"Did this person gave their name last night?" Leo asked the panda.
"No." the panda answered.
"Hm." Leo lowers his head.
"What is it, Leo?" Monkey asked.
"I believe the person who appeared last night was... The Black Spirit." Leo answered as he lifts his head to look at them.
The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five looks at each other before looking back at Leo. Tigress walks up to him. "The Black Spirit?"
"Yes."
"Do you know anything about the Black Spirit? And what is the Black Spirit's fighting style?"
"I don't think I have a lot of info on the Black Spirit. The Black Spirit is a very mysterious person. No one has seen their face before and its fighting style is Tiger Style and it's a very strong warrior. But no one knows who or what's the Black Spirit is after or its purpose." Leo explained, tightening his fist. "The Black Spirit is always alone with no help from others according to the rumors I heard. It is a strong warrior. But it's only a myth that was made up by someone and I don't think the Black Spirit is real. If you excuse me."
The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five watch him leave the kitchen.
Evening came later on. The Midnight Stranger leapt onto another building after stopping a bandit who was robbing a villager. He came to a stop and saw The Black Spirit.
"Thank you for your help last night." The Midnight Stranger thanked him.
The Black Spirit didn't say a word to him. He hops onto another roof and notice Hu noticing them.
"What the hell?" Hu gasps.
The Black Spirit quickly started running on the roofs of the village and disappeared.
The next evening, The Black Spirit was on a roof of a home. It heard a voice crying out from Mr. Ping's restaurant. The Black Spirit began running along the roofs and landed on the roof of the shop. He knelt down low and watched The Midnight Stranger fought against several bandits. Mr. Ping whacks The Midnight Stranger with a wok, allowing the bandits to escape.
The Black Spirit quickly jumps off the roof and landed in the street a few feet away from the entrance to his right. "Way to go, Po." The Black Spirit heard from the Midnight Stranger. He folded his arms over his chest. The Black Spirit walks over to the entrance of the shop and didn't enter. There were several tables and chairs that were flipped with several broken plates that can be seen on the counter with a destroyed statue and portrait that has two arrows.
The Black Spirit turns and walks away.
"Heh." a female voice chuckled.
The Black Spirit whips around quickly. There was no one there but itself. Believing it's not a trick, The Black Spirit heads off to the bamboo forest.
The next day, Po was walking in the village with a large gray bag over his shoulder. He finished his conversation with Constable Hu, who requested Po to do a little kung fu on the Midnight Stranger. According to Leo, The Black Spirit is a myth. While he was thinking, Tigress walks up beside him.
"Oh, hey Tigress." Po said as they stop walking. "What is it?"
"Do you think something is going on with Leo?" Tigress asks him.
"Maybe. He got up late in the past two nights and spent half an hour taking his bath." the panda answered. "He also been washing his clothes much longer than forty-five minutes too. But spending time in the library and meditating is no surprise to us since that's what he does."
"I can't disagree with you on that comment, Po." Tigress said. "But it's not like Leo for getting up late, taking a longer bath and washing his clothes. I think it has something to do with-"
"With what?" Constable Hu interrupted behind them.
"What do you need, Hu?" Po asked him.
"I wanted to know if you seen Leo today." Hu answered.
Before Po can respond, Leo walks up in front of them. "Constable, do you need something?"
"Yes, I wanted to see if you can help Po and me to catch The Midnight Stranger tonight." Hu answered.
Leo folded his arms. "No."
"But why not? Are you working with the Midnight Stranger?"
"No, I'm not working with The Midnight Stranger. And I will not help you because you banned kung fu. If the Dragon Warrior, the Furious Five and myself must do kung fu, then you must lift the ban on kung fu. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time right now."
Constable Hu lets out a annoyed sighed and walks away from them.
"It would be great if he didn't banned kung fu." Po said to Leo.
"I agree." Leo nodded his head. "Hm?" Something in the air smells nice. He took a sniff. "What am I smelling?"
"That's Tigress's perfume." Po answered, a pointing a finger to the feline.
"Really? What for?"
"It's nothing." Tigress answered and begins to walk away from the two men.
"I'll see you later, Po." Leo said to the Dragon Warrior. He left the Dragon Warrior and approached at the small bridge. Leo rested his hand on the rail and stares at his reflection in the water.
"Do we have a deal?"
Leo tighten his grip on the rail. He could've killed that traitor when he found her. "I shouldn't resist the urge to kill her when we met." Leo thought. He let out a small soft growl.
"Leo?"
Leo turns his head around to see Tigress. "Tigress, what are you doing here?"
"I was heading back to the Jade Palace until I saw you here, letting out a small soft growl." Tigress answered. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Tigress. I was just thinking about... the past." Leo replied.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Leo gave her a small smile. "You don't have to worry about it. And I have to say, the perfume smells nice."
"Thank you." Tigress said.
"You're welcome. I bet the Midnight Stranger would like it."
"I-I hope. I always wanted to meet him."
"But you were just having a romantic daydream about the guy before I entered the kitchen."
"True, but since the Black Spirit is here, I want to meet them both and want to know more about The Black Spirit. I think being alone with no help isn't good. He should have a team to help him out."
"Sounds to me you have a celebrity crush on The Black Spirit."
"I do not!" Tigress exclaims to him.
"Oh really?" Leo smirks at her a little.
"I'll see you later." Tigress said and left quickly before Leo could say anything else.
"Heh." Leo chuckled and lets out a sigh. As he looks down at his reflection in the water, he remembers what happened in the past.
"You're not going anywhere, traitor."
"Do you really think you can stop me?"
"Gr!"
"Why the fucking hell am I thinking about that?" Leo growled softly. "What's done is done." He lets go of the rail and heads back to the Jade Palace. Leo folded his arms over his chest. He looks up to the sky in anger. "I don't know what the hell is going on up there or down in Hell, but I haven't forgotten the promise I made ten years ago. Because..."
Leo's right hand tighten his grip on his left arm. He turns around and heads to the library to continue his search for answers. Answers that will help explain and help him understand.
Later on that night, The Five were in the kitchen having rice and mixed vegetables that Monkey and Viper made. There was an empty seat between Monkey and Crane. Leo hasn't joined them with their meals and they hardly see him during the day because he's spending so much time in the library since Hu outlawed kung fu. There was only silence until Mantis decided to speak up.
"You think Leo would join us tomorrow instead of the library?" Mantis spoke up.
"I don't know, Mantis." Monkey shrugs his shoulders.
"But it's no surprise that Leo spends his time training, meditating and spending his time in the library on the weekends. He's been doing it for several months." Crane added.
"I do wonder what he does in the library though." Tigress said.
"Well, we know he's not reading the Thousand Scrolls. Maybe he's looking up some old history." the avian suggested.
"I don't think so, Crane." the feline shook her head. "Viper and I were walking by the library till we heard several scrolls were falling on the floor."
"I called Leo if he needs help with... whatever he's doing, but he said no. I asked him if everything's fine and he answered everything's good." the green serpent said.
"I'm worried about him." Tigress looks at the empty chair. Her four friends look at each other before shifting their attention back to their leader.
Monkey heard some footsteps outside of the kitchen and saw Leo walking by the kitchen. "Leo." Monkey said to get everyone's attention.
Tigress and Viper left the table and heads to the doorway.
"We saved you some food, Leo." Viper said.
"I'm not hungry, you two." Leo said tiredly, without turning his head to them. "I'm a little tired right now. Don't worry about me. Goodnight."
The two girls watched him leave the hallway with looks of concerned.
Po and Hu were watching a apple cart from a doorway they were peeking at. "So it's a twenty-four-hour apple cart?" Po asked Hu.
"The sun will never set on a good nutrition." Hu answered.
"Well, we can relax." Po said, taking out an apple from a basket he packed. "It'll be a nice long nice Midnight Stranger free night." He peeks his head to see a pig bandit.
"Let's go, duck! Hand over your money!" a pig bandit threatened the duck.
"A bandit!" Po gasps. He was about to spring into action, but Hu stops him with his trunk placed on the panda's shoulder. "What are you doing?!"
"We wait for the Midnight Stranger!" Hu exclaims.
"What?!"
"Help, help!" the duck cried for help.
"The Midnight Stranger isn't going to show up." Po said to Hu.
"How would you know?" Hu questioned him.
Before Po can answer him, a voice spoke.
"Stop right there, evil doer!"
Po and Hu shifts their attention to see a goose wearing a melon mask and a wok in his wing. The goose slams his wok behind the pig's head, knocking him out.
"The Midnight Stranger is here!" Hu exclaims as he walks out of their hiding spot.
"What?!" Po stood there in shocked.
The bandit was hit again in the back of the head.
"Take a wok, miscreant." the Midnight Stranger said.
Po face palmed.
"Ha!" Hu shouted, grabbing the Midnight Stranger and turning him around to face him. "Don't move!"
"Wait, no he's-" Po tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Hu proceeded to removed the melon mask and gasps. "Mr. Ping?!"
"No ever suspects a goose." Mr. Ping chuckled.
"I'm glad we saved him before something happened." Po smiled.
"I think you mean "caught" him." Hu said angrily. He takes out a long chain cuff and places it around the goose's neck. "You are under arrest!"
"What?!" Mr. Png gasps.
"What?!" Po gasps in shocked.
"Let's go!" Hu snapped as he began to walk away with Mr. Ping behind him.
"Constable Hu, that's my dad!" Po argued Hu. "He's not the one you want."
"Then who is it?" Hu turns around to look at him.
"Well-"
"Without any substantial proof, your father will spend a long time in jail!"
"Yeah!" Mr. Ping agreed. "Show me that faker!"
"Uh... look! It's the real Midnight Stranger over there!" Po pointed to his right.
"What? Where?" Hu looks around.
"Don't worry, I got him!" Po assured him.
Hu and Mr. Ping watches Po runs around the corner and hears the Dragon Warrior getting beat up by the Midnight Stranger. The Midnight Stranger appears before them.
"It is I that you want!" The Midnight Stranger announced. "Unhand that imposter!" But the goose threw a wok in his face. "Hey!"
"I'll rip his arms off!" Mr. Ping shouted angrily.
"Watch it, citizen! I don't-" but he was hit again in the face with a second wok from Mr. Ping. "Quit it!"
"Now, see here, Ping!" Hu tries to calm the goose.
"Let me at him!" Mr. Ping shouted, taking the cuff off his neck and flew at him while picking up his wok. "Take that!" he slaps the Midnight Stranger across the face. "Dream squasher!" The goose slaps him across the face, then the pinky toe and back to the face again.
The Midnight Stranger couldn't get a chance to speak, but when there was an opening, he cried out, "Dad!"
"Dad?" Mr. Ping asked confused as he stops his attack.
The Midnight Stranger lifts his helmet to reveal Po's face. The goose and Hu both gasps in surprised.
"No, you!" Mr. Ping pointed at his son. "You were the Midnight Stranger all along, son?"
"Yes. I just trying to do what's right." Po admitted.
"Po, you almost got me sent to the big house." Mr. Ping said angrily. "If the both of you will excuse me, I'm going to repair the damage to my shop!" He walks away.
"Sorry, Constable Hu." Po apologizes to Hu. "I just-"
"Made it easy for me!" Hu slams the hand cuffs on Po's wrists.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"I'm keeping the peace!"
"Huh?" Po asked confused.
The elephant grabs him by the neck and turns him around and lift him up to look him in the eye. "Lucky for you, I'm not a violent man." Hu said to him.
"I believe his luck just ran out."
Hu looks past Po to see some pig bandits with spears and axes pointed at them. "What the donkey?" Hu sets Po down.
"Get over here, Hu." the second bandit said.
"Why?" Hu questioned them as he walks over to them. "So you can thrash me with your hickory stick?"
"No, because you're on our side and we like you." another bandit answered.
"What?"
"Outlawing kung fu was a masterstroke."
Several of the bandits laughed.
"It- it was?"
"That's right. You're the best thing that happened to us. We're big fans."
"Oh." Hu muttered. "What have I done?"
As Po looks at Hu, he turns his attention to two pig bandits pointing their spears at him.
"So the Dragon Warrior and the Midnight Stranger is the same person."
"We'll get rid of both them."
"You sure about that? I can still take you all on when I'm handcuffed." Po said.
"Because that's why we brought our little friend." a bandit said.
The ground began to shake with heavy footsteps. Po looks up to a see a giant crocodile. "Lidong?"
"He said "little", ironically." Lidong chuckled.
"Yeah, figured that out." Po smiles nervously. He dodges backwards from Lidong's claws and did a flying side kick to him.
The large crocodile swats him away into a wall.
"Now, see here!" Hu shouted.
All of a sudden, Lidong felt two powerful punches to his abdomen, followed by a strong knee strike to the jaw that forced him to look up and receives a palm strike to his head. The large crocodile fell forward with a heavy thud. Po's eyes widen in shocked. The person turns around and revealed to be The Black Spirit.
"The Black Spirit." Po muttered.
The Black Spirit notices Po. The Black Spirit lunges toward the panda. Po quickly got onto his feet to do a belly butt, but the Black Spirit jumps over and delivers two hand knife strikes to Po's legs to kneel on the ground. Po tries to turn his head around, but the Black Spirit grabs the panda's head and forces back to look forward. Po can feel two fingers on the back of his neck.
Hu and the bandits watched in shocked. The Black Spirit began to move slowly around the panda. Po swallows nervously as the fingers traces around his neck. The Black Spirit grabs his wrists and had them lowered. The Black Spirit got into a tiger stance and delivered a hard axe kick that destroyed the chain in half.
Po stands back up to look at the broken chain. He was about to say something until the Black Spirit delivers two finger strikes on the handcuffs, forcing the cuffs to open and fell onto the ground. The Black Spirit walks up to his side and nodded.
"Thanks." Po said. "A little warning next time would be nice."
The two warriors turned their attention to the bandits.
"Now who wants some?!" Po smirks as the two warriors got into their kung fu stances.
The Black Spirit didn't waste anytime by grabbing a spear from a nearby pig bandit. The Black Spirit quickly headbutted the bandit to stun him, then delivered a palm strike to knock the wind out of the pig bandit. Another bandit tries to chop the Black Spirit, but the Black Spirit bent backwards to dodge the swipe and kick the axe into the air. The Black Spirit jumps into the air and grabs the axe. Another bandit saw the Black Spirit coming straight down with the axe held high.
But his spear was split in two and he receives a vicious knee strike to his crotch and was throw into a radish cart. The Black Spirit swept another bandit off their feet and spun him around several times before throwing the bandit into his comrades. Another pig bandit tries to stab the Black Spirit with a spear, but the Black Spirit delivers an elbow strike to the stomach and a punch to the back.
The pig bandit looks up and saw the Black Spirit with the axe and the Black Spirit chops the ground right close to the bandit's face. Po saw several more bandits surrounding the Black Spirit. They all charge at the Black Spirit and the Black Spirit quickly fell backward and spun around with legs above, kicking every face from each bandit without missing and landed on its feet.
The Black Spirit saw Hu was fighting several bandits on his own. Po's yells caught the Black Spirit's attention and saw Po being slammed repeatedly by Lidong, who regained his senses. The Black Spirit saw a spear on the ground and quickly picks it up. The Black Spirit rushes in and stabs the large crocodile's ankle three times.
"Gah!" Lidong yells in pain. He release Po in the air.
The Black Spirit jumps high above Lidong and lands in front of him before delivering several punches to the torso and abdomen with a low strong sweep on the injured ankle. Lidong fell backwards and Po grabs his mouth.
"Time for-" Po was saying, but he was interrupted by a loud yell. He turns his head and looks up to the constable flying towards them. "Oh shit!" he cursed, closing his eyes.
Hu slams both of them, creating a large dust cloud. The elephant stood up and looks at the defeated bandits and Lidong. "All of you are under arrest." Hu announced. "You're going to Chorgh-Gorm Prision first thing tomorrow morning." He heard Po moaning underneath the large crocodile and turns Lidong over to allow Po climb out of the hole.
"So." Po coughed. "After what happened here tonight, you'll be lifting the ban on kung fu now? Pretty please?"
"The ban is lifted." Hu chuckled. "But you still need a permit to use kung fu."
"Oh come on!" Po complained.
"I'm sorry, Po, but I don't have the authority to change it." Hu apologizes. "We would have to fill out a lot of certain paperwork and-"
"Is everyone alright?" Viper interrupted as the rest of the Five rushes to them.
"What's going on here?" Monkey wondered.
"Oh, it's the Midnight-" Tigress was saying as she caught up to them, but when Po turns around with a smile on his face, she came to a halt. Her expression was shocked. "It's Po? I'm going to..."
"Work out?" the rest of the Five asked her.
"After I throw up..." she replied and walks over to a nearby wall.
Mr. Ping landed behind Po with his melon mask, causing his son to turn around.
"Dad, hey." Po said. "I'm sorry about everything."
"It's okay, son." Mr. Ping smiled. "You're the best son a father could ask for."
"I was-" Po was saying until he got hit in the face by a wok from his father.
"But leave that hero stuff to me." Mr. Ping said.
"Mr. Ping, watch out!" Mantis shouted.
The goose turns around to see pig bandit in the air with an axe. Before Po could save his dad, the Black Spirit landed in between the goose and the bandit before delivering a headbutt dive spin to the head and knocks out the bandit with a single chop to the head, knocking the bandit out cold.
"Uh, Po, who's that?" Viper slithers up besides Po.
"That's the Black Spirit." Po answered.
The Black Bandit turns around to look at them.
"So the Black Spirit is real." Monkey stares at it.
"Why is the Black Spirit here?" Crane wondered.
"This fellow here helped Po and myself to faceoff these pig bandits and that large crocodile." Hu answered. "The Black Spirit fought well."
"Thanks for saving my dad." Po thanked the Black Spirit as he bows to it.
The Black Spirit nodded.
"Hang on." Po turns around and notices Leo wasn't with the Furious Five. "Where's Leo?"
"He's in his room after leaving the library when we were all at the Hall Of Heroes." the avian answered.
"You think Leo heard my body slam from the palace?" Po wondered.
"Maybe. But Leo looked a little tired when we saw him." Mantis said.
"Uh, Po." Mr. Ping taps his son's back.
"What is it, Dad?"
"The Black Spirit disappeared." Mr. Ping answered.
Po turns around and saw that the Black Spirit disappeared.
"Where did that Black Spirit disappear to?" Po wondered.
"I'm not sure." Monkey shrugs his shoulders.
"But I do hope we meet the Black Spirit again." Tigress smiled. "I would like to know what kind of techniques it learned on its own."
"It's too bad Leo missed the Black Spirit. It'll be interesting to see who's strong." Po said.
The Black Spirit was walking in an open field at the Wu Dan Mountains. The Black Spirit was relieved to get out of there. If the Black Spirit stayed there a little longer, than the feline would've caught the scent. The Black Spirit stops walking as there was a slow clapping that can be heard. It turns around to see Enya clapping slowly.
"My, my." Enya stops clapping. "That was an interesting show you displayed down in the Valley Of Peace. What's even more interesting is that you went back to this."
The Black Spirit lunges at Enya with two palm strikes, but she easily evades the palm strikes by jumping over and delivering a strong roundhouse kick to the back. Enya watches the Black Spirit fall forward on the ground. The Black Spirit quickly got up and charges at her. Enya evaded the Black Spirit's attacks. She sent a jab to the throat to stun the Black Spirit before attacking it. Enya spun three times to deliver a double palm strike headbutt to the abdomen and torso. The Black Spirit hits the ground and rolls over to a stop.
"Is this all you have to offer?" Enya taunted it as the Black Spirit got up from the ground. "How pathetic. You're still sloppy. I thought you would approved your kung fu skills, my old apprentice."
The Black Spirit jumps high in the air and does an axe kick to the ground where Enya stood a second ago. The Black Spirit looks at the surrounding area. There were no signs of Enya. The Black Spirit removes the mask, revealing Leo. "Hmph." Leo sneered. "Damn you, you fucking traitor."
Po closed the door to the cage and locks it with Lidong inside. He and Tigress watches several rhino guards escorting the large cage outside of Hu's office. Viper slithers up behind them. "The last of those pig bandits are now in the cell at Hu's office." Viper said.
"Good." Tigress turns around to look at the green snake.
"Now let's head back to the Jade Palace and get some rest tonight." Viper said.
The three warriors joined the others where they were waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase. It was a long walk to the Jade Palace. They made it to the Jade Palace. As they were heading to the barracks, Tigress decided to speak. "So Po, what was it like battling along the Black Spirit?"
"It was totally awesome!" Po smiled. "The Black Spirit is strong and didn't have any trouble fighting those pig bandits and Lidong. I really thought the Black Spirit was going to fight me while my paws were chained behind my back. But it broke my chains so the two of us can fight Lidong and the bandits. It would've been great to see Leo meeting the Black Spirit tonight."
"I agree." Viper agreed.
"But you know we're going to have explain all of this to Shifu." Mantis said.
"I wonder if Leo knows anything more about the Black Spirit than what he told us." Monkey wondered.
"Maybe Panther knows." Viper suggested.
"I just wished I thanked the Black Spirit for helping out tonight before leaving." Po said as they entered the barracks.
"Do you guys think the Black Spirit might return?" Mantis asked.
"Who knows." Crane replied. "Who knows."
As the Furious Five went to their rooms, Po heads over to the bathhouse. He had gotten sweaty after that fight in the village. The panda had a towel on his shoulder. Po really wanted to tell Leo that the Black Spirit is real, but Leo was still sleeping. "I'll tell him tomorrow morning." Po thought.
Po slides the door opens and enters the big room. He closes the door and turns around to see Leo sitting in the center of the pool taking a bath. "Hey Leo!"
Leo was startled and looks over his shoulder to see the panda. "Po. What are you doing here?"
"I came to take my bath." Po answered. "And what about you? I thought you were sleeping."
"I was, but unfortunately, I forgot to take my bath because I have a lot of stuff on my mind for the past three days, but I'm fine."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No thanks." Leos turn his head around. He continued to wash his hair and heard the panda stepping into the water. "So, is Hu still trying to arrest the Midnight Stranger?"
"Nope." Po began washing his fur. "He's lifting the ban on kung fu."
"Oh, when did this happen?"
"It happened tonight. I revealed my identity to my father and Hu as the Midnight Stranger."
"You were the Midnight Stranger, Po?"
"Yep. Hu was about to throw me into a cell until the pig bandits showed up with Lidong. Then the Black Spirit appeared out of nowhere and helped me and Hu to fight them all."
"Sounds like you had a good night?"
"Actually, it was awesome tonight to fight alongside the Black Spirit!"
"It's good to hear that." Leo said. He submerges his head underwater and came back up.
"I have a question for you, Leo."
"What is it?" Leo rubs his eyes.
"You sure you're fine, Leo?" Po asks concerned.
"I am, Po. Why do you ask me this?" Leo folded his arms.
"You've been spending a lot of time in the library since the ban started three days ago and you hardly come out of the library to join us for a meal. The Five and I think you should hangout more with your friends and we're a little worried about you. Everyone of us deserves to enjoy spending time with each other."
"I appreciate that you guys are worrying a little bit about me. But there's nothing wrong. There's a lot for me to learn here and I want to get every chance I get when we don't have training on the weekends."
"Oh." Po said. "Well, if you don't have any plans to do in the library, you should hangout with us that doesn't evolve training."
"We'll see, Po. We'll see."
"Well, we should finish up with our baths, Leo."
"You go, Po. I'm going to stay a bit longer."
"Alright." the panda stands up out of the water and heads over to the stool to grab his towel. "Goodnight, Leo."
"Night, Po." Leo said. He moves his right foot and picks up the demonic mask. "That was cutting it a little too damn close."
Leo made it to his room and sets the outfit down inside the chest. He borrowed one of the spare chest from the archives three days ago. After the chest was close, Leo lays down in his bed. He hopes they don't find out. The young man was about to close his eyes until he thought of something.
How would they react if they found out? Especially Tigress? Shocked? Confused? Surprised? Leo will have to figure that out later on before they find out the truth. The young man closes his eyes and his nightmares began once again.
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