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The two warriors faced off against the bandits back-to-back. Cornered in, Tigress scanned the small alley. "We have to get out of here. Jiaohua might already have stolen the gold from the official."
"Yeah, but these guys want to take down every house in the neighborhood. We can't let that happen," Po said. The tiger nodded. This was the ninth time Jiaohua evaded them. More irritating was the fact he used other bandit clans as decoys while he got the information and gold he wanted.
Just like he planned.
Gritting her teeth at the thought, Tigress rushed and slammed her fist into a boar bandit. She slashed her paw against the other, knocked him over Po's head, and punched another robber into the other bandits. Po stood still and simply watched the onslaught continue. Tigress punched and roared through every criminal on her end of the semi-circle, smashing through metal armor and densely made shields. When one bandit's shield proved too durable, she grabbed it and smashed it across the bandit's face before jumping and split-kicking two others. One boar ran up with a large hammer and swung it down on the tiger. Tigress jumped back and snarled at the large pig.
"Oh no," The boar gulped. She launched across the long hammer's handle and Roundhouse kicked the bandit in the face. Grabbing another raider, she flung him to Po, scratching through the leather armor. The panda ducked and another set of bandits fell to the ground behind him. Tigress jumped over Po and rammed her palms into the last two bandits' skulls, driving them to the ground.
A groaning pile of boars lay all around the two warriors. Tigress panted hard and sharp. She looked at Po's speechless dropped jaw. "What?!"
"Nothing, nothing! That was just... awesome! Like what happened!? You were more ferocious than normal."
"Po, I..." she sighed, calming herself with a long breath. "I... I'm just tired of this. We've been trying to figure out Jiaohua's intentions but... he keeps slipping under our noses."
"I know but we'll catch him. Don't worry," Po smiled. Though the tiger smiled back, her mind couldn't help but think of one way to get to Jiaohua. As they took the bandits to jail and walked back to the village, Tigress pondered about her plan. She glanced at Po.
He didn't tell them his plan when he put Lei Lei in danger. Why should she? Tigress lightly grumbled under her breath.
It wouldn't be right to repay folly with vengeance. And she couldn't do that to little Lin. "What's on your mind?" Po asked.
Tigress pressed her lips together and sighed. Now she couldn't lie. "I... want to do something you might say no to."
"Which is?"
"I... want to talk to Jiaohua's son."
"What? Why?" Po narrowed his eyes. "He's just a kid. He doesn't do anything that his dad does."
"But this surge in criminals is only filling the jail without him in it."
"Tigress, I promised his son would stay out of the fight."
"But we can't really do that if we don't know who or why we're fighting. Besides, if we manage to capture Jiaohua, wouldn't Lin be upset with us? Why not try to find a way to put an end to this once and for all?"
"By doing what?"
"By trying to... reason with Jiaohua," Tigress explained. Po stared at the feline for a while before sighing. What Tigress didn't expect was a smile on his face. "What?"
"You're starting to look for the good in people like me."
"Because you quite literally force me to do so."
"Yeah so? It's still a win. I'm taking it," Po smiled widely before snatching Tigress into a bear hug. The feline rolled her eyes as he put her down. "But don't grill him too much, okay? He's still a kid."
"Kids aren't all innocent, you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Master Shifu is still trying to find all of his teas," Po chuckled. The two made their way to the noodle shop where they found Lin and Lei Lei playing with her dolls.
They didn't expect to see Crane with them, watching. "Uhh, Crane? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I just wanted to get something to eat while I was on patrol. Lin was showing me some stuff he learned from his father."
"Really?" Tigress said with obvious intrigue as she sat down at the table. "Like what?"
"He taught me how to juggle and-and how to write my name and how to run away when things are dangerous," Lin smiled. The feline had a saddened stare in her eye, even though she tried her best to smile.
"Lin, what does your father do?" she asked.
"He gives stuff to people."
"By stealing it," Lei Lei smirked.
The wolf glared at the panda and stuck out his tongue. "He doesn't want to. He he has to do it."
"And I'm sure that he tells you that stealing is wrong, right?" Tigress asked.
"Y-Yeah! How did you know?"
"A morally ambivalent criminal. This complicates things," she muttered. "Lin, do you know what your father and uncles were like before this?"
"Oh! He used to work for Emperor Heping. He left because rich people hurt my mom. Because she was a servant."
The warriors looked at each other with slight shock. A royal guard marrying a servant was taboo, especially so close to the Emperor.
Tigress sighed, "So, your father was a guard. I'm guessing your uncles worked with the Emperor too?" Lin nodded. "And they all threw it away because your father married your mother?" The little wolf boy suddenly became quiet. His eyes shifted around. "Is something wrong?"
"M-mommy and daddy said not to talk about it. They said that people would hurt my family. I... I don't want my family to get hurt," He said timidly. The boy's hand trembled, making the wooden crane doll shake. Po looked at Tigress who only sighed.
"Don't worry, Lin. We'll... We'll try our best not to let anyone hurt your family," the feline said. The boy's heartful wide grin almost melted her heart.
"Do you know why your dad steals from people, Lin?" Po asked.
"Because he wants to help others."
"I know, I know," The panda calmed him down, "But why did he and your uncles start... helping people in the first place? Why didn't he just make a shop?"
"He said he wanted to find something to protect mommy but... I... I don't know. I don't know." Lin hung his head. "Is... is my family going to be in trouble?"
Tigress sighed. This was too much for the boy. "We're sorry for worrying you, Lin. We're just... curious. That's all." Slightly surprising the others, she patted him on the head and gently wrapped her arms around him, calming him down. "It's going to be okay," She whispered. "You'll be okay."
"Oh... okay," Lin stuttered.
With that, Tigress quietly walked out of the shop while everyone stared at each other in silence.
"Mr. Po, is something wrong with Master Tigress?" Lei Lei asked.
"Did I do something wrong?" Lin asked.
"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong," Po smiled warmly, "I think Tigress has a lot on her mind. Just give her some space."
The panda made an understatement. Tigress's brain went a mile a millisecond crashing into a dead-end each 45 seconds. She made her way to the Jade Palace Training Hall where, hoping to find Master Shifu, she found Zhen struggling with a punching dummy. The tiger smirked, "Are you okay? I thought Po was the only one that wrestled with this."
"I'm not having a hard time. I'm just... limbering up," Zhen quickly smiled. "Anyway, what's wrong? You look a little lost."
The tiger stared at the former thief. Her eyes squinted slowly before she finally asked, "Zhen, you and I are both orphans, right? How can you tell if someone is lying?"
The fox rose her eyebrow, leaning on her left hip. "Well, if I had to guess, I would figure out the truth before they can lie to you."
"How would you figure out the truth?"
Zhen smirked, "Do some morally ambiguous stuff to figure it out? What did you have in mind?"
Tigress stared at the ground for a moment. She should really tell Po about this. But this was simply to figure out the truth, which they were already trying to do. And besides, didn't Po want to end things peacefully with Jiaohua? It wasn't going behind Po's back, she reasoned, it was just doing her own thing.
"I need to... spy on someone," Tigress said.
The time quickly and quietly passed after that. As night approached, Zhen impatiently tapped her foot against the roof tiles with her bluish-black hood and mask up. Tigress stood by her on the rooftop and wore something similar for her size, a deep black shinobi shozoku. "Where did you get that stuff? I've only seen those things in Japan," The fox asked.
"I get around," Tigress said. It sounded like she was smirking, but the fox couldn't tell. Soon the night's hold slowly enveloped the land. The two saw a little wolf waving goodbye to Lei Lei and darting down the street and towards the north. The two followed him, darting along the rooftops before he entered the forest. A small light in dark greenery found the little canine and he hugged the person holding the lantern.
"Uncle Hao!"
"Hehe, how are you doing, little one?" said the rotund wolf. "Is your panda friend doing well?"
"Yeah, she taught me how to make some bread. But I don't know if Mommy will let me near the stove."
"Hmmm, I guess it's for the best," Hao smiled as they walked under the cover of night. Hao's eyes scanned in every direction. The wind licked the back of his neck making him shiver, but he couldn't tell why. He'd suddenly turn around to see nothing but trees and darkness.
"What's wrong, uncle?"
"Nothing. Just... a little tired," Hao sighed. Lin bowed his head the rest of the way until they got to a house situated deep in the forest. A small cozy two-story home had smoke floating out of its chimney. The two wolves walked through the door and announced their presence. "We're home!"
"Do you have to be so loud?" Xuyao hissed, still having his hood up. Hao rolled his eyes as Lin ran over to a beautiful woman who bent down and hugged him. The black she-wolf smiled and patted Lin on the head. She had an apron on while she cooked, though by the size of the pot, it would be a small meal. Probably for Lin?
"Did you eat well at Mr. Ping?" She asked.
"Yes, Mommy."
"And you behaved and stayed out of trouble, right?"
"Yes Mommy."
"Good, now go freshen up, your dad's outside," Said the woman. Tigress and Zhen, who were just outside the window, glanced at each other. If Jiaohua was outside, where was he?
They got their answer when someone stood behind them. Instinctively, Tigress jumped over the assaultant while Zhen dove and grabbed the legs. The tiger punched them in the face and stood above their forlorn body, letting their sword clack to the ground.
Their hood came off. A familiar wolf with a light scar on his face grinned at them. "Well, I was going to invite you for dinner, but I guess I'll have to go to jail first."
The feline glared. For a moment, she entertained the idea. He had caused a massive ruckus in the villages nearby, sending them on several wild goose chases. The only good thing was the number of bandits, raiders, and outlaws in the prison instead of on the streets. Tigress breathed a sigh and helped the wolf up. Arresting him wasn't going to explain WHY he was doing this in the first place. And she couldn't do that to Lin. Not now, unfortunately. "Not... quite," She muttered.
Jiaohua dusted himself off and glared at the tiger. "I thought the panda and I had a deal to leave Lin and my wife out of this."
"And we're supposed to run around not capturing you and the bandits that work for you? Either you're going to get hurt with no help or thrown in jail," Zhen said. "It's not a smart plan."
The wolf silently stared at the corsac fox. His eyes turned to Tigress. She crossed her arms for a minute but then made an 'after you' gesture towards his house. "I think we'll get more information once we're inside, don't you?" She smirked.
Jiaohua slowly nodded. When his brothers saw the masked warriors walk in with him, they bolted up and grabbed their weapons. "Calm down, guys. They're with me," Jiaohua said.
"Is that... Master Tigress and... who are you again?" Hao asked.
"Zhen? Next Dragon Warrior?" the fox said. The two wolves blinked. "I need to work on my street cred."
Tigress bowed. "Thank you for having us."
"I... really didn't have a choice," Jiaohua muttered. They all sat down. Tigress took a longer look at Jiaohua's wife. She seemed like the quiet type with a faint bluish gleam coming from her midnight fur. Her small smile reminded her of Viper. The tiger frowned a bit. She already learned that Po and Viper hid a lot behind their smiles. She just had to be aware. "Now, what is it that you want?"
Tigress took a long breath. "We want to know why you're doing this, and what it's all for. Your... son says that you're doing this for the good of the people. I know you don't want him to be involved, but we can't do that while doing this running around. And it's hard to tell if you're trying to do this for yourself, your family, or for others."
"What is your angle?" The thin Xuyao asked.
"Just information. Nothing more. And nothing that will put Lin in danger," Tigress sighed, "I... have a feeling that you have a good heart. But we can't keep chasing after you like this. You're going to get... hurt or captured. It's only a matter of time."
"Oh wow, who would've thought that," came the sarcastic comment from the woman cooking. Hao and Xuyao sniggered while Jiaohua shrunk into his shoulders.
"Mai, please."
"I've tried to tell you that for the longest. I'm just surprised that your 'enemies' agree with me," Mai said. The two brothers chuckled lightly at their brother's predicament.
Jiaohua sighed, "Look, I... Did Lin tell you how I met Mai?" Tigress nodded. "Well, part of the reason I left is because the nobles threatened us. Emperor Heping couldn't help at the time, and I don't know if he would because of the status issue."
"Of course, snobbish royals doing dastardly things," Zhen muttered.
"So Mai and I left with my brothers as support. We had Lin and everything was going smoothly while I worked as a private guard."
"But?" Tigress asked.
Jiaohua sighed, "Heping told me people were trying to kill me and Mai for what we did. It seems the status thing is much more complicated than I thought it was."
"Wait, they're trying to kill you because of who you married?" Zhen asked.
"Because it sends a bad message to the rest of the country. People use status to force other people into small boxes. It's control these people are after and they won't stop until every 'imperfection' is corrected," Jiaohua explained.
Imperfection. Though never really said, Tigress had felt the effect of that word a lot from her master. Now it held a new and grim meaning. Her eyes suddenly widened. "The people that you're stealing from. They're all near the Emperor or the high elites. But you're using other bandits as decoys so that you can get the information you need to figure out who's involved."
"I promise you it's not as conspiracy as that," Xuyao butted in. "But there are a few who have joined this 'status' ideology. One of them already died trying to get his runaway daughter back."
"Princess Maoqi," Tigress said. Xuyao nodded. The tiger gave a loud sigh as she stood up from her seat. She turned her back towards them, staring at the wooden door. "Do you know who it is?"
"No, and the simple fact is I... honestly don't care," Jiaohua grinned much like his son. "These higher-ups have been a thorn in my side before I met Mai. I'm just glad I have a reason to be done with them."
"But stealing from them will only attract more attention," Zhen pointed out.
"Which is what we've been trying to tell this stubborn oaf," Hao bellowed. Jiaohua grumbled under his breath.
Tigress's back suddenly straightened up and she spun around. "Not if we help."
"Wait, wait, wait, you're willing to help criminals? How long was I in prison?" Zhen asked.
"Dealing with Maoqi and General Pantu has given me reason to be suspicious of these people. And even the Emperor doesn't like the people he has to live with," Tigress smiled though no one could tell why. "If you tell us who you suspect, we can figure out who's trying to get to you and your family."
"Even though they're criminals?" Zhen mentioned.
The tiger smiled wider. "People change. It's up to us to recognize when the change is genuine."
"So... you'll talk with the others about our plight if we give you all the blackmail information?" Jiaohua asked.
Tigress sighed, "I would swear on my warrior's honor, but I'm starting to realize that that doesn't mean much to people outside the Jade Palace." She remembered her lesson from Mama Yun. "I can only say that I'll try my best to put these people away." The brothers stared at Jiaohua.
"Alright. We'll give you what we have," Jiaohua sighed but tilted his head. "Are you sure the Dragon Warrior will be okay with this?" The wolf's eyes suddenly hardened. "I hope that you're not trying to pay him back for his little stunt."
Tigress smiled, "I'm not, but you can't argue with my reasoning."
"That much is true," Jiaohua replied. "Alright. Let's do this."
Continued...