Cloudless Authors

Chapter D

"Impossible..." Tigress told herself. "You...you were...."   She then glanced over at Tai Lung, adding, "Though then again...."

"I've studied the movement and function of cannons for nearly thirty years, my dear," Lord Shen explained.  His metal talons clacked loudly across the floor of the training hall. "I think I would know how to survive an explosion."

"Cannons?" Tai Lung asked with a confused look crossing his face.

"Not now!" Tigress snapped irritably.

Lord Shen walked further down the side of the training hall, his gaze falling curiously on Tai Lung. "I don't recall seeing you in Gongmen City," he noted.

"Tai Lung is a criminal charged with dishonoring the Jade Palace, the destruction of the valley, and murder," Tigress answered immediately. "He has no affiliation with us."

"Oh give me a break!" Tai Lung growled, getting to his feet. "Commander Vachir had it coming to him! He was rude, heartless, and more of a monster than me!"

"So you have ill qualms with the panda too, I assume," Lord Shen interrupted, still keeping an eye on the snow leopard.

"Of course he does," Tigress replied before Tai Lung could open his mouth. "He tried to destroy Po so that he could get ultimate power."

"That doesn't mean-" Tai Lung began, slightly annoyed, but Lord Shen interrupted him before he could say anything else.

"Well listen carefully...Dai Long...I've got my own agenda with the panda, so you can either help me destroy him my way, or you can be destroyed along with him."

"Listen here...whatever your name is...."

"Lord Shen, fallen prince of Gongmen City."

Tai Lung frowned. "Great," he grumbled. "Okay...Shem."

"Lord Shen."

"I'm not on good terms with the Dragon Warrior, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kill him at the first sight of a lost cause."

Lord Shen frowned and narrowed his eyes at him. Tigress cast the snow leopard a curious look as well, but quickly redirected it back to the also-not-dead Lord Shen.

"Well," the peacock replied sharply. "If that's the way you feel...."

He then unsheathed wicked-looking blades from between his feathers and proceeded to expertly aim them at the two masters. Tigress and Tai Lung were quick to dodge out of the way, the blades narrowly missing them and burying themselves into the ground.

"I have no idea what Po did or said to you that has your feathers all ruffled," Tai Lung called out as he dodged another blade that was thrown at him. "But you couldn't have at least knocked before barging in?"

"TAI LUNG!" Tigress snapped. "YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

She jumped on top of the Jade Tortoise and used all the strength she had to flip it over, creating a shield against Lord Shen's attack. Lord Shen quickly darted forward and leaped on top of the bowl, taking the master off guard and forcing her to swiftly dodge out of the line of danger. Tai Lung wasted no time heading over to the swinging clubs and leaped to the very top of the beam, holding the clubs in place. He could have gone over to the weapons rack and conveniently used one of them to knock out Lord Shen, but he has a much more fun idea....

Lord Shen, in the meantime, was busy launching blades at Tigress who was avoiding them by dodging between the alligator heads. Seeing that the swinging limbs were hitting his blades in every direction, the peacock ran towards the limbs and proceeded to leap into the air. Using his tail to guide him, he glided over the master and threw the blades straight down at her. Tigress quickly made her way out of the field of swinging limbs and crash-landed by the fire maze, a blade just grazing her arm before burying itself in the ground. Lord Shen safely landed on the ground and slid a bit over towards the other end of the training hall. As he raised a feather to attack again, a large club came flying at him and hit him smack on the head. The club was then picked up and expertly wrapped around the peacock from a distance, much to his surprise and annoyance.

"You know," Tai Lung commented. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were more after Tigress than the Dragon Warrior."

"Quite the contrary, you brat," Lord Shen hissed. "I have every intention of destroying that panda. But unlike you, I actually have a full-proof plan!"

He immediately swiped out a blade from between his feathers and shot it upwards, slicing the chain in half and letting him free. As the club began to fall, the peacock swung around and grabbed what was left of the chain, flinging the large object at Tai Lung. The snow leopard, caught off guard, was hit square in the chest and sent flying back into the rotating beams under the remaining clubs. Tigress lunged at Lord Shen, hoping to catch him off guard and best him, but the fallen prince was quicker and swung his tail around, creating a large gust to blast her backwards.

Lord Shen threw several more blades at the master, forcing her to duck and keeping her a good distance away from him. Tigress tried to quickly run behind him so as to get a good strike, but Lord Shen fired a blade in her direction, hitting her right on the arm. Tigress let out a cry of pain and sank to the ground clutching her injured limb.

In the meantime, Tai Lung, having recovered from the earlier surprise escape and attack, lunged at Lord Shen and kicked him hard into the swinging alligator limbs. The peacock was taken off guard, but was able to catch himself and dodge a second nasty kick Tai Lung had in store. He aimed his blades at the snow leopard, but Tai Lung ducked and simultaneously kicked the blades out of Lord Shen's grip. One final kick and the peacock hit the floor with a hard thud. Tai Lung wasted no time pinning him roughly with his claws digging into the fallen prince's back as a hint of a threat.

Choose what happens next. Skip to chapter:

j- Lord Shen kidnaps Tigress

k- Lord Shen is captured

l- Tai Lung is captured and Lord Shen escapes