{Shadows In The Snow} |Monkie Kid AU| •Book 1•

•Chapter 5• {|A Creepy Encounter|} •Pt.2•

Li Mei went the way that Sammy told her to go, going alley to alley, hoping that they can get home soon. MK start to look a bit nervous and confused, not recognizing this part of town. "Uhhh...Li Mei, are you sure this is where we're supposed to go...???" the boy asked, "Y-Yes MK! Sammy specifically told me to go this way, he told me it was a short cut to the restaurant!" Li Mei said nervously, peeking into an alleyway and seeing an opening on the other side. Li Mei sighed in relief, sweating a bit due to her feeling nervous. "I found a way out! Cmon, this should lead us back home!" She told MK, holding the boy on her back, sprinting down the alley, but something didn't feel right..that's when she heard Kenji's voice from the darkness. "Li Mei...?? Dear..where are you...??" she stopped in her tracks, looking to where the voice was coming from, MK looked confused in why she stopped, looking around them and then hearing Kenji's voice again, "Dearie..is that you with MK..??" the voice went, Li Mei started to feel uneasy, for her grandfather to sound like this, the voice was deep and coming from all directions, she looked around in circles trying to find the source of the voice until she turned back around and saw a figure in the shadows. "AH!!!" The both screamed, startled by the surprise. MK squinted his eyes and began to look suspiciously at the figure, and then it clicked.

The figure spoke again, the frown on its face becoming pouty and the voice mimicking of Li Mei's grandfather was more deeper and sounded like someone else was talking with it, "Li Mei...Sweetie...it's me your grandfather..why so scared? It's me.." Li Mei was frozen, the silhouette of the figure was not Kenji, if anything, it looked creepy and as if she had heard this voice before. MK bursted out, "Enough Macaque!" making the girl flinch, she looked confused at why he had said that name. The voice began to laugh, sounding A LOT familiar. It was Macaque. "Alright, alright! Ya got me kid..hehehe.." the monkey spoke, coming out the shadows. Li Mei was shocked, seeing another monkey in the town, she looked a little afraid but stood up willing to defend MK against a stranger or worse. "Listen, Listen...hehehe..no need to look scared, but I mean, you could be scared of me.." the monkey spoke, having his arms crossed and starting to circle the two, as if a predator was cornering it's prey. "What do you want Macaque?! Kenji was able to defeat you, he can do it again!!!" yelled MK. Li Mei felt even more confused, she had NEVER met this monkey before, or has she.."Kenji..??" She thought, trying to think of why he mentioned her grandfather that MK was speaking of, but she brushed it off and looked back at the monkey, looking determined to get home.

"Listen stranger..we're trying to get home now if you kindly let us through-" she was then cut off my Macaque laughing, amused by MK's little remark. "Hehehehehe...hey now, we only just met! Why leave so soon? Why don't we get to know each other..." he said, his tail swaying back and forth and his scarf flowing through the air of the wind, MK bursted out again, "You almost tried to kill Kenji!!! Why should we talk to you?!" The boy said, Li Mei whispered under her breath "M-My grandfather...??? He's MET my grandfather...?!" Macaque only chuckled again getting closer to the two, "Listen Bud, no need to fuss, I only came to talk..tsk, I know I did some pretty bad stuff to ya, but I wanted to reconnect with the student I once had..the student I helped, the ONLY student I cared about...unlike anything Kenji OR the Monkey King could ever do..." Mac said, looking a bit angry just by mentioning the name of that mischievous monkey. Li Mei then spoke again, looking puzzled, "Wait...you met the monkey king..??? I-I was a big fan of him for years...I never met him before..but..how come you know him so much..??" she asked, Macaque smiled, walking to Li Mei and patting her shoulder, "Why of course I met him! Me and him was REALLY close back then you know..but sadly, we parted ways and broke apart, him living up in his mountain, while I, poor lil ol' me, is here wondering around the environments...." Li Mei flinched from him touching her shoulder and backed away a bit. Mac only chuckled again.

"Listen snowflake...I mean no harm, I'm only a lonely monkey scavenging this place...and well, ever since I met you at the shop earlier, I just HAD to meet you..!" He spoke in a little of a calm and soothing tone. Li Mei felt a bit nervous but spoke back, "Wait..that was you at the shop?? You gave me that snow globe I-" she was cut off again. "Yup! That snow globe looked like something you reeeeeeally loved...so I let ya have it! I see you still got it.." looking at her side and seeing a little lump in her obi where it was, since she had no bag nor pockets to put it in.

"Well..thank you..." the girl spoke again, looking a bit thankful to the monkey, he chuckled again, nodding his head a bit, "You can call me Macaque or Mac for short..what's your name?" He asked, looking back at the young woman in front of him, MK snarled at the monkey, feeling that he would have a trick up his sleeve, ready to go off at any moment. "My name is Li, Li Mei.." the girl responded, Macaque looking a bit shocked by the name, but crossed his arms again and smiled a bit. "Nice name..Li Mei..but I'd like to call you snowflake...it's better.." he spoke back, giving the woman a creepy looking smile, his eyes glowing a small purple. Li Mei looked a bit creeped out, so she quickly walked past him and go the other end of the alley, trying to get home for the sun had set and her grandfather is probably worried sick, not to mention Pigsy might scold MK again. "Listen..! It was nice meet you but we gotta get going!" She said loudly, then she felt a yank on her arm, Macaque was holding her arm, making Li Mei flinch. "Hey, hey snowflake...! I'm not gonna hurt ya, I'm not gonna pull a trick on you..relax, I'm gonna help ya get home quicker..I'm fast when it comes to running, so let me take you two home safely..." Li Mei already felt unnerved by how this guy was acting, so she yanked her arm and began to run out the alley and into the open, sprinting to the restaurant. Leaving Macaque alone in the alley..he chuckled a bit, shaking his head and looking at the two before he jumped onto a dumpster then onto a nearby rooftop and vanished into the night.

At the restaurant, Pigsy was already ready to blow his top, Tang looking a bit worried and Kenji looking a little angry and worried as well, Sammy and Mei being there wondering where the two could've gone. Then the door swung open and there was MK and Li Mei, standing there looking surprised to see everyone yet felt soooooo screwed for missing the time to come home. Pigsy already began, yelling at the top of his lungs, "WHERE WERE YOU MK?!" He scolded, making MK sweat and smile nervously. "Uhhhh...sorry we came home late we-" Pigsy then cut him off, yelling more, "DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED SICK YOU GOT ME AND TANG?! WE WAITED ALL THE WAY TO NIGHTFALL FOR YOU TO COME HOME!! EXPLAIN!!!" The pig yelled, making the two go silent, Kenji then jumped in looking disappointed at Li Mei, "Li Mei..we demand to know where you two were, it's midnight, way past curfew, AND I was looking all over for you-" but then he stopped, seeing the two looking sad and sorry for worrying they're parents and caretakers. Especially Li Mei, for she had tried her best but since she ran into Macaque, her time was cut short. Kenji then sighed and calmed himself before he crushed the girl's feelings.

"Dear...what happened to you two out there...you look a bit scared..." he spoke softly to the girl, trying to speak to her. "We ran into someone on the way home....and I know, I know..you had always told me not to talk to strangers or creeps...but this was different...it was a monkey I met in town..." Kenji's eyes widened, fear taking over the man's emotions completely, getting an immediate flashback of the fight, seeing Macaque looking mad and full of rage saying the exact same words, "she'll know of me soon..REAL SOON!!!" those same exact words ringed in his head again, it couldn't be...Macaque was the ONE thing he NEVER wanted her to go near but now that he knows of the encounter she had with him, he became even more scared and serious then ever. Pigsy went off again yelling and screaming, "BUT THATS NO EXCUSE TO BE OUT LATE!! WE WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU KIDS AND-" but then Tang calmed him down by touching his shoulder, fixing his glasses and looking a bit sorry about pigsy.

"Listen MK and Li Mei...who was this person? Were they danger, did they try to hurt you..or touch you or..worse.." he asked softly. Li Mei responded, "No, they didn't do anything but...we did feel creeped out.." MK nodded in agreement, Pigsy sighing and looking sorry for scolding them, knowing that something bad could've happened to them in town. MK then spoke out who the person was, "We ran into....Macaque..." Kenji's had a horrid expression on his face, his heart dropping and soon knew that his feeling was right, he KNEW that something bad was going to happen in town..if only he was there to protect them, but thankfully, no scars, bruises, nor injuries was shown..thank goodness. Li Mei nodded to MK, looking a bit uneasy, she explained what happened to everyone and Kenji grew angry in his gut, wanting to calm himself but anger kept beginning to take over..but he was able to keep calm. "That doesn't matter...all that matters is that your home safe and sound..." Kenji said, Pigsy and Tang nodding to him. Li Mei smiled a bit and put MK down, letting him to Pigsy and Tang, looking tired from running and walking all day, Kenji smiled a bit, not feeling angry seeing his granddaughter safe. But the feeling of him getting overprotective again began to show, and he decided to take Li Mei home to safety, leaving MK with everyone in the restaurant and helping Li Mei getting back home, helping her walk since she felt too exhausted to do so herself.

Meanwhile, Macaque was in the trees..watching..hoping that maybe can get to Li Mei without getting seen or caught by her grandfather, but only time will tell.

[End of Chapter]