Tai Lung stood there for a second and blinked in shock. "Me?" he repeated.

The figure pulled out some more blades and threw them at the snow leopard, but he was quick to duck out of the way. 

"Who's trying to kill me?!" Tai Lung exclaimed, sliding under another blade and then kicking a second back at the cloaked figure. "I haven't been in the valley that long!"

"Well you could ask my lovely patron," the figure said, blocking the blade with another up his sleeve. "But I plan on delivering you to her carved on a fine gold platter!" 

The figure the pulled out a glass ball attached to a piece of thin rope and hurled it at the snow leopard. Tai Lung wasn't sure what it was, but he figured it would be best to get out of the way, just in case. Sure enough, just as he disappeared behind a grove of trees, a large explosion rung out and nearly knocked him off his feet. He quickly scampered up a tree and watched as the figure made his way into the smoke he created. 

Ah, he's a hider, Tai Lung noted. Clever. Though not for long if I have something to say about it. Tai Lung looked down and saw a few of the blades still wedged upright into a few tree trunks. Seeing the figure settling into the smoke, he quickly made his way down the tree and grabbed the blade, ducking behind a few trees next to the figure. Tai Lung poked his head out and saw the figure swinging another explosive, though his back was turned to the tree. The smoke was starting to fade, giving him a clearer view of the assassin. Tai Lung readied the blade he had swiped and then leaped forward and sliced the figure across the side. The assassin yelped in pain, dropping the explosive and setting it off. Tai Lung just barely managed to avoid the blast and walked over to grab the cloaked figure who was now moaning on the grass.

"I can...see...why she...hates you," it groaned. 

"Oh don't cry about it," Tai Lung snarled. "Serves you right for trying to kill people." 

The snow leopard watched the assassin curl up in the tatters of his cloak and debated about what to do. He should probably take this guy back to the Jade Palace, but it was a bit of a walk away and he was sure this assassin had more tricks up his sleeve. Of course, he could always just knock him out. That would solve a lot of problems. But then he'd also have to deal with the masters and explain what happened without getting Wuxi Fingered. 

Of course, as it so happened, the snow leopard heard familiar noises and rustling from nearby and three faces soon showed up to solve both problems. 

"TAI LUNG?!" Po and Monkey exclaimed. 

"Figures," Tigress snarled. "Shifu's battered and unconscious and the tracks lead to you!"

"It wasn't me, I promise!" Tai Lung quickly explained. "I was with Shifu, but we were just talking and trying to be civil. At least we were until this psycho decided to start throwing explosives at us!"

"We figured that's what happened," Monkey told him. "Parts of the ceiling are all over the floor and one of the wooden beams was smoking."

Po walked over to the assassin and winced at his condition. "Well thanks for stopping him," he said. "Who knows how far he could have gotten." 

"Yeah, sorry he looks like a mess. I was just trying to immobilize him, but then he dropped his own explosive on himself." 

"Oh he'll be fine," Monkey said. "Mantis did that once when we were in Gongmen City."

Po lifted the assassin up and began to drag him across the grass. "Why don't you head back with us so that we can talk more?" he suggested.

Tai Lung did a double-take. "Really?" he asked. 

"Po, are you insane?!" Tigress shouted. "We already have assassins-for-hire running around! We don't need Tai Lung doing the same!" 

"He said he and Shifu were talking before this guy showed up, so we should at least give him a chance to explain what he's doing here."

"And how he survived," Monkey added, helping his friend drag the injured assassin back to the Jade Palace. 

Tigress sighed irritably and turned to trudge after them. However, Tai Lung quickly walked up and grabbed her arm, saying, "Hold on a second, Master Tigress." 

The master gave him a vicious look. "Let go of me!" she snapped as she attempted to rip her arm free. 

Tai Lung held onto her firmly. "What do you mean 'assassin-for-hire'?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. 

"Well what do you think assassins do?" Tigress told him. "Or did rotting away in prison damage whatever good sense was left in your brain?" 

"Not all assassins are hired by outside sources," Tai Lung snarled. "I'm not a fool." 

"It's an assumed concept." 

"Nothing should ever be assumed when it comes to the protection of others against murderers."

"Oh, what's wrong, Tai Lung? Never had someone try to murder you?"

"Not like that."

Tigress swiped at his face with her other paw, but Tai Lung caught her and yanked her even closer to him. His face was slowly becoming more and more furious with every passing second. "Assassins usually work on their own unless paid by a patron who decided to not get their hands dirty.," he reminded her with a hint of venom in his voice. "I know that there's a patron because they told me of some mysterious 'she' who wants me dead."

A pause. 

"And the only way you could have known he was an assassin for hire is if you were the one who paid him!" 

Silence fell over the two. Tigress kept her eyes narrowed at the snow leopard and slowly positioned herself into a fighting stance. 

"You're the reason Shifu got hurt!" Tai Lung snapped. 

"I didn't ask him to hurt Shifu," Tigress told him flatly. "I just told him you were a threat and I didn't want to cause hysteria." 

"Well congratulations, Master Tigress. You failed." 

"Obviously. You're still alive."      

 The master then proceeded to release a powerful kick kick at the snow leopard's gut, causing him to loosen his grip. The master ripped a paw free and scratched her enemy in the face. Tai Lung gritted his teeth in pain and began to dig his claws into the wrist he still had a grip on. Tigress then went to grab his throat, but Tai Lung grabbed her in time and only had to feel her claws digging into the back of his neck. 

"I could kill you right now," she threatened. "As you've done to others." 

"If you're thinking about the Anvil of Heaven guards," Tai Lung responded. "My main motive wasn't murder. Although since they were all pretty much terrible people, I don't care to mourn over them." 

"You strangled me and my friends!" 

"You're still breathing, aren't you? Clearly that wasn't my main goal or I would have done it while you were paralyzed." 

"You threw me off the bridge!" 

"You fell off! It's not my fault you have such a lousy grip." 

Tigress' eyes flared and she dug her claws deeper into the snow leopard's neck. "How about now?" she threatened. 

Tai Lung gritted his teeth against the pain. "You're a loyal master, Tigress," he said. "But nothing you say will excuse murderous behavior." 

"Oh, and yours will be?" Tigress accused.

"I've already paid the consequences of mine," the snow leopard reminded her. "As will you."

 "You're a hypocrite."

"You're shady."

"Traitor!"

"Bloodsucker!" 

"Monster!" 

"Ice Empress!"

"Blackened criminal!" 

"Stone-hearted manipulator!" 

"Arrogant brat!"

"Naive child!" 

Tigress snarled. "Oh, I'll show you child," she hissed venomously. Her intention was to yank the snow leopard forward and loosen his grip to strangle him, but in a swift motion, the two found themselves engaged in a passionate kiss. They weren't really sure who had started it, but neither of them seemed willing to kill the other over the matter. Eventually, the two loosened their claws, allowing the other a break from the pain, and turned to simply holding each other by the shoulders during their passionate exchange. The two wound up loosing track of the time as they were interrupted with an, "Um....!"

The two quickly broke away and spotted Monkey staring at them with a look of confusion across his face. 

"He/she started it!" the two answered immediately, pointing at the other.

Monkey held back a snicker. "Well, we'll be taking our "friend" back to the Jade Palace whenever you decide to catch up."   He then walked away, leaving the two warriors standing awkwardly next to each other. 

Finally, Tai Lung said, "I guess I'd better go catch up with Po," he said. "In case he feels like talking."

"I'll stay in the back in case the assassin gets loose," Tigress replied. 

Tai Lung nodded and the two silently separated to catch up with Monkey and the Dragon Warrior. 

THE END

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