Zaber

The Demon Awakens

"You didn't tell us this part of the story!" Lee exclaimed.

"Well, I didn't want to tell you that Tigress's mom tried to kill me," Po replied.

"What happened after he killed Hun?" Tigress asked.

"Oh, your father didn't kill him," Po answered.

It was an interesting mess: Po pulled his sword out and stopped Qiang's blade while Tigra pulled out her knife and lightly pressed it to Po's neck while Hun held a kunai knife next to her chest. "Seems we've come to an impasse." Tigra glanced at Po's katana. "And I was right to assume that you were a special panda, Prince Po."

"So the shop is a front?" Po grunted.

"Really? That's what you're worried about?" Hun asked.

"It's a good question." Hun rolled his eyes.

"I have to admit. Most people would be terrified at this point. Yet you two seem well adapt to it," Tigra smiled almost evilly.

"You have to in order to be around this guy," Hun grumbled.

"I'm sorry about that girl, geez!" Po muttered. Suddenly, Qiang pushed harder on the panda's sword, and Po quickly readjusts so he could hold his blade up. "Okay, what do you want?" He grunted.

"Wong-Hu mentioned you were a sneaky panda. I was right not to underestimate you," Tigra said. "But you've proven to be... different."

Po's eye shut as he focused on keeping his blade up. "Thanks, but what is it that you want? If you want to kill me, then do it, but let Hun go."

"But Po-"

"Shut it, Hun. That's an order," Po barked firmly. Hun gritted his teeth as he held the knife at her chest.

Tigra's smirk disappeared, "Y... you would sacrifice your life to save a lower servant."

"Is that so foreign to you? I thought it was universal," Po strained. Tigra absentmindedly looked at the table.

"Tigra?" Qiang spoke, probably for the first time in a pensive minute. Po's arm grew weaker until a thought came into his brain. He could slide his katana into Qiang, but it might cut Tigra in the process. The more he thought about it, the weaker his arm got, and the more permissible the idea became until Tigra suddenly said,

"Let them go, Qiang."

"What?"

"Put your sword away." The weight on Po's blade slowly lightened, and Qiang's sword found its case again. Po dropped his katana to the side of Hun as Hun pulled the kunai away from Tigra who put her knife back.

"Okay, that was intense," Po sighed, "So you know who we are and we know who you are. Why let us go?"

"You're... not the kind of panda I was told you would be. I wasn't expecting someone so... selfless."

"You're letting us off because... we're kind?" Hun asked.

"No. You two are probably more honorable than the people I work with. I... I almost forgot what that looked like. Aside from Qiang, I've never thought I... I never thought I'd seen anything other than... lies and deceit. It's something that I wanted." Her eyes pierced through the table.

"Mrs. Tigra, what do you want?" Po asked, mistakenly placing his hand on hers. He immediately felt the fire from Qiang's eyes burning his hand. Po would have pulled his hand back if Tigra hadn't rested hers on his. She looked him deeply in the eye. A small tear silently streamed down her fair face as she forced out of her heart,