The Countdown

Warning Bells Echo

84 days and counting....

Tigress looked out in shock as she saw Kai coming towards her, an unnatural green glow illuminating from the pendant he wore around his neck. Kai grinned nastily. "My, my," he sneered. "You've certainly sprouted. I think you were a lot shorter the last time I saw you."

Tigress managed to get to her feet, just a mere foot or so shorter than the bull standing in front of her. He was a little taller than she remembered, but she was also seventeen years old the last time that they had crossed paths. She would obviously be somewhat shorter. "What are you doing here?" she demanded icily. "You were supposed to completely leave China and never return!"

Kai rolled his eyes and laughed. "And let you get away with banishing me?" he asked coolly. "Not likely. I deserved none of your mistreatment."

"You tried to combine the Element Stones together when Oogway specifically told you not to!"

"Simply to gain more fighting power."

"Which if combined can blow up almost all of the land in China?"

"Oh come now," Kai said dismissively. "Now you're overreacting."

Tigress gave him a look. "I'm the one overreacting?" she asked nastily. "Says the guy standing in front of me calling down revenge upon everyone."

Kai gave her a harsh stare. "You denied me my rightful power!" he snapped. "So I'm simply returning the favor!"

Tigress eyed the glowing pendant around the bull's neck, trying to not let any panic rise up within her. "Where did you get that?" she questioned suspiciously.

Kai glanced at his necklace and grinned. "Ah, you did notice," he remarked smugly. "I'm glad. I had to dig down to the core of the planet to get it."

"What is it?"

"Why, Tigress, you astonish me. I would have thought that you of all people would know about this pendant. Of course, then again Shifu does tend to keep the best things to himself."

"What...is it....."

Kai gave her a smirk and twirled his blades threateningly at her. "Why don't you come and find out for yourself, plum blossom?"

Tigress snarled and came charging at the bull. Kai lifted up a sword to strike her, but Tigress dodged out of the way, allowing a trail of sparks to go scampering away. She rammed into his back, sending him flying forward with dust following close behind him. The master ran back for another round, but Kai rolled out of the way and flung a sword at her arm. Tigress felt the chains wrap tightly around her and she was pulled to the ground where she skidded over to the villain. Kai tried to swing her over his head, but Tigress quickly grabbed onto the chain and pulled back, creating a tug-of-war between them. Kai grinned. "I see your skills have improved," he noted admirably.

Tigress responded with a quick and hard yank backwards, causing Kai go flying into a nearby building. He groaned and stood up with a scowl on his face. "But in case you haven't noticed, my dear," he added. "So have my skills."

With that, Kai's pendent began to glow and a large blast of green light suddenly erupted from his hooves. Startled, Tigress had no time to react as she was sent hurling backwards into the stairs where she hit her head hard on the steps. Kai laughed and sent another green blast out, knocking her back even farther and not giving her a chance to stand up and defend herself. Tigress weakly held her head up, seeing another green blast come charging at her. At the last second however, she was shoved out of the way and the blast hit the stairs instead.