Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(VI) The Terror of the Brave

Clearing the prison, Po, Monkey, and Viper approached the cell where Master Crocodile and Ox were confined. Both teachers were resting on their beds while looking at them indifferently.

Monkey: - We must open the cell. Viper, let's find the keys. -

Po: - No need. - In saying this. Po kicked hard at the metal barred door, hurling it against the cell wall.

Crocodile: - Very well. Oh great mighty Dragon Warrior. - He said ironically while both remained motionless in a corner of the cell.

Viper: - What happens to them? - She whispered to Monkey.

Ox: - If we get out of here, Shen will use his weapon against the city. And we won't let that happen. -

Po: - So? That's all? They give up? -

Ox: - Those weapons will kill us all. - He said angrily and then sighed deeply. - You have to admit it, Panda. This is the end of Kung Fu. -

Monkey and Viper looked at each other with concern and then saw Po, who was rubbing his face with his fingers. Po took a moment to look at the sky through the hole in the prison layout, sighed, and told them listlessly.

Po: - Very well. If it is your decision, I will not force you into anything. If you decided to lock yourself in your own cell of fear, there's not much I can do. We will go to stop the Shen, with or without you. And we will prove to you and all of China that there is no weapon capable of erasing the blood, sweat and pain of hundreds of generations. Viper, Monkey, let's go. There is nothing left to recover here. -

Po's words left a strong remorse in the hearts of master Crocodile and Ox. They knew he was right, but still did not have the courage to follow him. At that precise moment, the leader of the bandits burst into the dungeon, together with several of his men and the two prison guards who had recovered.

Wolf leader: - It's good to see you, fat. Mr. Shen will be delighted with your visit. -

Po responded with a defiant laugh as the leader ordered the rest to surround and capture the masters.

Viper: - What shall we do, Po? -

Po: - What else? We'll break everyone's face. -

Saying this, Po charged forward and sent one of the wolves in front of him flying against the wall. Masters Viper and Monkey quickly teamed up and took on the dozen wolves that surrounded them in the prison.

One by one, the wolves were falling before the technique and the ferocity of the masters and seeing himself overcome, the leader of the wolves had no choice but to flee from where he had arrived.

Po: - We can't let him escape. Follow me! -

Po, Viper and Monkey followed the wolf to the outskirts of the prison. From a distance they saw him take a narrow alley. If they lost it on the streets of the city, they would probably never find him. They hurried up and followed close behind, but rounding a corner, they had to stop in their tracks with a nasty surprise.

The wolf leader was waiting for them, with hundreds of his troops in the vast market square. The handicap was obvious, but turning back was impossible, since more wolves had blocked their way.

Po and the wolf leader exchanged defiant glances, but before he could give the order to attack, a loud noise was heard from behind the lines of wolves on one side. Above the front row, wolves were flying through the air. Finally, masters Tigress, Mantis and Crane, reached where Po and the rest were breaking through the enemy lines.

Tigress: - It already seemed strange to me that you took so long. -

Po: - And start the fun without you? -

Viper: - Right on time, guys. -

Mantis: - Very well. And now that? - He said when he was surrounded by hundreds of wolves.

Po: - Now we will kick hundreds of canine butts. -

After saying this, the leader of the wolves gave the order to attack. The pack rushed upon them, and began the most impressive combat that the streets of Gongmen have ever witnessed.

Crane flew high, defeating the enemy archers posted on the rooftops and balconies. Occasionally it would descend at great speed and whirl around on its axis and wipe out entire ranks of wolves.

Mantis was unstoppable. His speed combined with his small size surpassed any crowd. Making the numbers go in vain against him. Despite being small, his speedy attacks made up for his lack of strength, and he could knock out enemies with no problem.

Viper used her body to coil up and strangle a wolf. Then, he used his body as a living puppet, while the latter brandished the swords at Viper's will. The wolves held back, afraid of harming their comrade, but to no avail as the sinister figure of their unaware fellow charging at them against their will was simply terrifying.

Monkey took two spears from the wolves and began to fight with them. He brandished spears fiercely in the style of Yukimura Sanada(*), sweeping away multiple enemies at once. And given his skill, he could keep the rest of the wolves at bay and protect his companions.

Tigress used her characteristic rigid combat style. Strong and immovable like a mountain. With a single blow, she could knock down dozens of wolves in a row, the one who received the blow being the one with several fractures and internal injuries. Her mere presence made the cowering hearts of his opponents pound.

Po, on the other hand, used a somewhat more personalized style. A copy similar to the style of Tigress, but somewhat more flexible. He relied on his reflexes to evade enemy attacks and hit their vital points hard, usually to the neck, armpits, knees, and testicles.

Before long, the ranks of wolves thinned, causing their attack to lose momentum.

Po: - Is that all you have? - He said mockingly, but instead, the leader laughed cynically.

Wolf Leader: - This... is all I have. - He said with a chilling laugh on his face.

The wolf leader howled with all his strength. The streets of Gongmen began to rumble. The gallop of hundreds, if not thousands of wolves, which came out from every corner of the city. The wolves surrounded Po and the others quickly. This was a battle they could not win.

Wolf leader: - What do you say now, paunchy? -

Viper: - Po. What are we going to do? -

Po: - There is only one thing we can do. We give up! - He shouted to the four winds, taking everyone by surprise.

Po and the Furious Five were taken prisoner. Although no one paid attention to how it was Po himself who put Mantis inside a small metal cell. A somewhat strange move, but the rest of the master assumed he had a plan. Once chained, the wolf leader approached Po with a wicked smile on his face.

Wolf Leader: - I won't kill you right now... Because Lord Shen wants to have the pleasure of doing it personally. - He said ​​grabbing Po by the head and subduing him before him. - But I think he won't be upset if I bring you his gift with one less eye. -

The wolf began to move his thumbnail slowly to Po's right eye. Po's breathing began to hitch as she tried to struggle free and stop him. The rest of the master could only watch in terror from a distance. Until:

Gorilla: - Stop wasting time. Lord Shen wants to see them immediately. - One of the mercenary gorillas, Shen's personal guards, interrupted him before he could hurt Po's eye.

Wolf Leader: - Come on man. You are a killjoy. -

Gorilla: - I said. Immediately. - The gorilla approached the wolf leader threateningly, and he backed away.

Po and the Furious Five were forced to walk the streets of the city in chains, while the citizens looked on sadly and hopelessly. The six masters were led to the palace courtyard, where Master Rhinoceros's mighty stone hammer lay embedded in the ground, a reminder of what had happened there, and right behind it, against the wall, the bloodstains that were never cleaned.

----O----

(*) Yukimura Sanada: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanada_Yukimura]