Bounty Hunter

Act I - Prejudice

[Author's Notes]

I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter, I surely enjoyed writing it and all of your support is greatly appreciated!

I'll warn you now, this may be a slightly darker and slower-paced chapter that's sure to pluck at your heartstrings!

I'm going to stop rambling now and allow you to dive into the action within...

Prejudice...

3 AM – Po's bedroom – Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop...

Our young protagonist, Po Ping, rests peacefully on his makeshift bed. The bamboo foundation gently gnawed away from when he was a small child to the uneven support that kept the very structure up, this bed had truly lived through the ages. The panda went to roll over and was violently awoken when his bed collapsed into a crushed up set of sticks and thatch.

"WHA-HUH?" Po jumped up from his downed bed, rubbing his eyes whilst assuming a defensive stance. He assumed he was under attack until he turned around and lowered his head into his palm in shame. "Must've finally bit the dust... I'm not complaining, maybe I could make a new one sometime today-" Po was interrupted by a thunderstorm rumbling throughout his stomach as well as outside.

"On second thought... maybe I'll grab some dry dumplings and some grain and snack away. I almost forgot about this storm," Po sighed as the adrenaline was absorbed into his body and cleared from his system. "Hmm, I wonder what to wear..." The panda scratched his head before running his fingers across his black and white tunic and robe...

"It's been a while, now for pants..." Po's eyes scoured the room until they caught sight of a pair of white slacks that hadn't been worn in years. "You will do!" He sharply whispered as he slipped out of his pyjamas and into his new attire. The young panda recognised that he may not catch another wink of sleep and would simply stay up through the night.

After struggling with his clothes, he eventually managed to dress himself appropriately for the day ahead. His mind hadn't even thought about using a shower as the last thing he expects his opponents to do is sniff his armpits. Po quietly creaked open his door and tip-toed down the stairs, noting the eerie silence of the outside world. If he took away the erratic nature of the rain and the rumbling from the storm's mighty belly, all he was left with was a disturbing silence.

The panda limply rested against a kitchen counter as he rummaged through his cabinets in the hopes of finding something edible in the dark, after much searching, he received his answer... although he could swear he heard a thump from outside that didn't belong to him. After performing an impromptu sanity check, Po breathed a sigh of relief as he reached for a spoon, only to be interrupted by a tomahawk that whizzed past his ear and into the cabinet next door to the one he had his hand stuck in.

"You missed... it appears you've been doing that too often as of late," Po deadpanned as a familiar set of red eyes and a scaly body emerged from the shadows around him. "Zhao... what brings you here? Here to attempt another beheading?" Po cackled into the darkness, only to be met by a concerned look from his lizard rival.

"If I were here for your head, you would've been cooked alongside today's supper," Zhao coldly joked as he lit an orange lantern, dimly illuminating the noodle shop's kitchen in the progress. Po casually grabbed a spoon from the cabinet and begun chowing down on some grain as he went to open his ears for his rival-turned-friend. "However, young panda, that is not the reason why I'm here," Zhao implied, causing the panda to harshly gulp his food and essentially abandon the bowl that sat in front of him.