Never Be Alone [REPUBLISH]

CHAPTER II - Villain

'I hate to break it to you, Po, but we can't handle these bandits by ourselves,' Tigress called out as she executed a roundhouse kick on one of the enemies.

It had been some minutes since the two Warriors arrived at the Jinshu village. The bandits agreed to let the residents go after agreeing to the deal the Dragon Warrior had consented with them- let the villagers go, and they'll battle the bandits by themselves. Unfortunately for Po and Tigress, fortune seemed to be turning against them.

'I know,' Po replied. 'They seem to be multiplying by the minute.' He glanced at the hooded figure sitting at the tree not far away- its crimson eyes glinted sinisterly.

The 'guy' had told them that Po and Tigress could only combat him if they won against the bandits. Turns out, fighting him would be a long way from here. The bandits fight in flawless sync, their moves anticipated by the other. It was a prison full of convicts against two warriors.

That, too, puzzled him. Had they all come here? Didn't they plan to attack three places at once? Was Tigress right all this time?

Po, snapping back to reality, stepped back as half a dozen wolves and leopards surrounded him. Clubs, swords, and other weapons emerge from their grasp, ready to hit him. He peered around him, finding no way out as they slowly approached him. Just a moment before they charged at him with swinging weapons, he leapt up, backflipping towards Tigress. Po landed perfectly and stood up back to back with the feline. They both glanced around, looking after each other's blind spot.

'Hyah!' exclaimed Tigress as she unleashed an attack at one of the badgers with lethal precision.

The panda observes the upcoming wave of bandits. Their movements. Their skills. Something clicked in his mind like a light bulb flickering and suddenly clearly lit up. He knows now what he and Tigress are missing. Teamwork!

'I get it.'

The feline gave him a sideways glance.

'You're right,' he finally voiced out loud. 'we can't defeat them by ourselves- we need to do this together.'

A renewed dose of energy electrified Tigress as she heard Po's words. She felt a warm, gentle paw envelop hers, she turned her head about, and her eyes met his. Po grinned and nodded, then simultaneously bounded upwards over Tigress, landing right in front of her.

He took her other paw, his eyes filled with enthusiasm. 'Together...?'

'Together!'

Tigress gripped Po's paws and spun him around just in time as the bandits circled them and attacked. The force of the panda's Feet of Fury knocked the enemies to the ground. Stunned, the warriors' opponents began to revise another attack. They piled over the other, making tall pillars of two. Now Po, holding both Tigress' paws, swiftly raised his arms above his head, hurling her high as half a dozen bandits leapt over them. She performed a perfect split kick upside down as two wolves pounced at her from either side. Tigress pushed her paws from Po's and flung herself higher up, backflipping and spinning as Tigress knocked out four more bandits. She fell, head towards Po, but quickly stretched her arms out in the nick of time, and their paws met again marvellously.

Po set Tigress down in front of him as she breathed out calmly. She smirked at him.

'Your turn.'

Tigress launched Po upwards as she ducked down. One of the leopards had tried to punch her face, but she evaded it just in time and caught the leopard's fist. Tigress retracted her claws and gripped as the leopard angrily glared at her. She bared her fangs and growled before punching him, knocking him unconscious. Sure that the victim is senseless, Tigress held him by the ankles and swung him around, hitting and knocking out other bandits.