Chapter Text
Tai Lung had been semi-locked in the basement of the Jade Dragon for exactly one week and had to admit, it was much better than Chorh-Gom. For instance, he wasn’t chained with ornamental shackles restricting his every movement, or, any movement at all. He didn’t have monitored bathroom visits, or, as they called them there, bathroom opportunities. There were no enormous crossbows and arrows trained on his person at all times. Sure, he had never once been frightened of the ridiculous measures his captives had ended up taking in their fear of him, more than once it humored him in the darker moments of those twenty years in chains, but still, there was a certain stress factor to it all. Best of all, there were no egocentric prison guards to come and taunt him every hour, daring him to open his yellow eyes, or unleash a frightening growl (which would surely result in more lost privileges, if there were any, to begin with).
In fact, in exactly a week since his... imprisonment? Tai Lung wasn't exactly sure how to refer to his time spent in the basement of the Jade Palace. The basement being his old room, in fact, but it seemed easier to refer to it as simply “the basement”. No one had expressly told him he couldn’t leave, or that he was, in fact, a prisoner. Though he had gathered the implication that the people of the Valley of Peace were not particularly happy with him, nor, the rest of China as it was. There was also the factor that everyone except for those residing at the Jade Palace, and for some reason, The Panda’s - The Dragon Warrior’s - Po’s - father (he had heard the warriors discussing the situation in the kitchen, which was directly above the left corner of his room - the basement) was under the impression that Tai Lung had been destroyed when The Panda used the wushi finger hold on him.
Tai Lung had been sure of his own imminent demise himself, absorbing the tremendous shock wave of the most awesome display of raw power he had ever seen, perhaps even more power than master Oogway, though, Tai Lung was sure the old croon wouldn't know power if it broke his walking stick in half. Tai Lung had done that, trying to choke the life out of... him. Well. It was only when Tai Lung opened his eyes later, much later , being carried on some kind of gurney (his eyes being the only muscle he could move in his whole body) he saw the Panda smiling serenely at him, like everything had gone exactly according to plan. The sight made him angry, furious even, no Secret of the Dragon Warrior, no power, no glory, not even the wushi finger hold unleashed the destruction he thought it was capable of. But in that moment, when the Panda... the Dragon Warrior held him, Tai Lung knew that he would finally have to pay for what he had done. He had enough respect in him, at least, to know that the Panda had beaten him. He was shocked, yes, and very much so didn’t want to believe it, but what choice did he have?
As much as it horrified him, terrified him - actually - he hadn’t felt tears well up in his eyes for at least twenty years, maybe more, he had been far too angry well before his imprisonment, he realized they were tears of gratitude – some kind of gratitude. Despite everything, Tai Lung realized when the Panda held his finger, he was afraid to die. He was afraid of what would be waiting for him, of what he had done – as it ended up all for nothing. He remembered the disgust of when he opened the scroll and found himself staring back. Tai Lung had barley seen glimpses of himself at all in twenty years, and his mind was a little singular upon his escape. He didn’t like what he saw. And the Panda, gods damn him, seemed to understand Tai Lung’s rapidly blinking eyes that for some foreign reason remained glued to those big brown ones on the Panda’s round face. The Panda nodded in a way that was half wise but mostly goofy as he tried a silly smile as well, and Tai Lung immediately fell into a deep, yet strangely comforting unconsciousness.
That was a standard week ago, and Tai Lung had not seen a single person since. In fact, he thinks the Panda was the last person he saw at all. He didn’t seem to remember the - the Furious Five (what a ridiculous name he had picked out for his new little team that couldn’t even take Tai Lung five to one) being present after his battle with the Panda, but anything could’ve happened during his unconsciousness. He wondered how long he had been asleep, if the five had plotted to kill him at his most vulnerable, since they could do it no other way. He wondered if - if - he had maybe wanted to – no. Tai Lung had a feeling the Panda was firm in the decision that Tai Lung would be staying in the Jade Palace alive for however long they needed to decide what to do with him.
The five and, him, all seemed to be strangely wrapped around the Panda’s little finger. He deduced this from what he could hear when they all, strangely, gathered in the little kitchen for dinner every night without fail. Not that he sat and listened to them laugh and talk and eat and share stories, or maybe, just sat in silence, just with each other, night after night in the little corner of his room – the basement . No, not at all. It was just warmer in that corner at night, given that it was under the stoves, and he had done his time being cold for twenty years in that dreaded prison and was quite finished with it.
Tai Lung was somewhat dismayed in his realization around the fourth day of his... imprisonment? That the five and, you know, and the Panda were something of... a family. The way they spent time together, happily, the way they invited the Panda’s goose father (Tai Lung was still trying to work that one out in his head) to visit them freely. The Jade Palace seemed to be a home and a place of learning rather than a coveted untouchable fortress. It reminded him of what the Palace was like before he and, well, you know, started to grow apart. Tai Lung had felt strangely humbled after his battle with the Panda. He had wanted a decent foe for years having surpassed his maste – him – practically before he had matured. And he got one. And he lost. The Dragon scroll was just a mirror image, there’s no secret ingredient, the Panda had whispered to him. Which didn’t make a terrible amount of sense at the time but strangely enough had comforted Tai Lung this confusing and lonely week in his old roo – the base – well, it was his old room. And it was his room again, now, it seemed. Fitting to call a thing what it was. Tai Lung didn’t like beating around the bush, never had. His old master seemed to live inside the bush for all he was concerned, years of false promises and empty praise, using Tai Lung to ascend to his own mastership. He had never cared, not really, and he had never been satisfied.
Tai Lung, however, did long for a task. He had never been good at sitting around with nothing to do, thinking. In prison he had a pretty clear task, don’t escape , and that had been enough to occupy his mind with plans and schemes and betrayals and whatnot for the better part of twenty years. But now, his mind was empty, his room was empty, he didn’t even have his anger to occupy him. And that was part of the rub, why wasn’t he angrier ? The fat flabby Panda had beaten him, beat him , and the Panda honestly hadn’t seemed to try terribly hard. There was no Dragon Scroll and there was no secret ingredient. Tai Lung wanted to be angry, he wanted to rage and rage and destroy and mark fear into the hearts of anyone who crossed his path, but he wasn’t, and he couldn’t. He mostly felt empty, lost, defeated, and with a deeply uncomfortable twinge in his stomach he realized... lonely .
He heard the warriors, the family – more like, begin to shuffle into the kitchen above and decided to settle into his usual left corner and mopily listen to the warriors share stories and laugh and dig into the Panda’s admittedly good cooking. Tai Lung wasn’t sure who had been bringing his meals specifically, but every night without fail there was a knock on his door and by the time he opened it there would be noodles or dumplings or some other shockingly good dinner. He had never been much of a chef and therefore didn’t pass on any such talents to Tai Lung, which gathering the course of his life wasn’t really like he had needed such a skill, but cooking had always interested him in a superficial way, just something else to be the best at. There was a time when he was overjoyed to eat terrible food with the person he love- he - well, but that was then. Tai Lung noted that there seemed to be an absence of excitable footfalls that shook his ceiling in a way that made him the slightest bit anxious and rambunctious laughter filling the kitchen, and the warriors above seemed to notice as well.
“Where is he?” A soft voice asked Tai Lung seemed to remember it as... Monkey? He spared a thought that his ma- his old master’s new proteges seemed to have distinctly simple and rather aptly describing names but was shaken out of it when a heavy knock fell at the door to his room. He stared in shock at the outline of none other than the Panda standing anxiously before his door, which Tai Lung only knew as the silhouette seemed to be vibrating, and reached for the door handle once, twice, three times before setting something down and walking away. Tai Lung began towards the door and froze as the shape of the Panda reapproached, apparently thinking better of whatever decision he had previously made. Tai Lung watched the Panda still, obviously seeing the leopard’s silhouette through the thin frame of the shoji the same as Tai Lung was seeing his. The Panda then stooped down and slid a piece of paper under the door. It fluttered through the small opening and stopped at Tai Lung’s foot, though he remained still – on guard – in case the Panda tried anything.
The Panda giggled a nervous sound, completely audible through the shoji, though Tai Lung wasn’t sure if he was aware of that fact before he said, quietly, “Enjoy, uh, T-L.” In a small voice, rushing to the basement stairs and up again. Tai Lung watched as the silhouette tripped before exiting the basement. He followed the heavy steps with his sensitive hearing until the Panda reached the kitchen. “Hey, guys!” He heard the Panda exclaim jollily through the floorboards, his guilt evident in his voice. “You guys didn’t have to wait for me! I was just... doing a quick run, before dinner, you know. Lots of carbs...” He trailed off, somehow even guiltier.
“Po.” Tai Lung heard a voice greet cooly. If he remembered right, it was Tigress.
“Where were you?” A voice said, sing-songy, gently entrapping him in, we know you’re lying to us and you can’t lie so you might as well give it up while we’re being nice , he couldn’t place the voice, maybe the snake? What was her name... viper? Vipress? Maybe they’d do introductions later. Besides, it wasn’t like the warriors really knew him, either. Just his name and his legacy, and whatever his old master had decided to share with them. Probably Tai Lung’s every flaw, every mistake he’d ever made, the one time he breathed wrong, the one time he broke three shojis in one day because his adrenaline level was so high after a training exercise with Oogway he kept walking through them instead of opening them. Well, he supposed they actually had met him, when they all tried to kill him and then he’d beat them down and paralyzed their bodies. Hm. He could understand why they hadn’t done any formal introductions.
“What? I - uh. I just told you, aha! Was out for a run, come on you guys !” Po - The Panda let out a goofy chuckle that made Tai Lung cringe. He understands that the Panda caught him so off-guard because Tai Lung underestimated him but still. There was an awkward pause in the kitchen up above and Tai Lung was glad he wasn’t physically there to see the uncomfortable feeling of a secret everyone knew hang around in the air. Not that the warriors would ever invite him up to share a meal with them, after everything he’d done to them, so, good for him, never having to experience an awkward moment. He watched some dust flutter off the ceiling as he assumed the Panda bodily slumped forward in his seat, giving up on the lie.
“Come on you guys I just, I just took him his dinner.” There was a resounding gasp, even though, Tai Lung noted, they all seemed to know what he had done before his confession.
“Po!” High and scandalized, Vipress? Or, the snake, that’s what he’ll call her before he’s sure of her name.
“Po! We told you that you can’t go down there! You can’t talk to him! What if he saw you?!” Tai Lung thought the strangely deep voice belonged to the little one, Mantis, he was almost sure.
“Well, I’m pretty sure he did see me...” Po mumbled. He said it so guiltily under his breath if not for his attuned hearing he’d spent twenty years perfecting in prison Tai Lung was sure he would’ve missed it. He was certain they all missed the mumble given the silence up above, except for maybe Tigress, given her physiology was the most similar to his and was proven correct when he heard her cool no-nonsense tone question him, “What?”
“What?!” Po defended. He now sounded a little bit frustrated with his fam - family. “What? So what? Are we supposed to quiver in fear of him for the rest of our lives or, what? He’s living with us now, like it or not. He’s in this house with us and we’re acting like he’s – he’s some kind of prisoner! Like some kind of monster we’ve locked away in the basement and beware! Never try to come across this weird evil panther!” Tai Lung heard someone interject – Leopard – but Po spoke over whoever added the correct term and made a ghoulish noise to solidify his last statement.
“I like cooking for you guys, and I cook for everyone in the Jade Palace. That means... everyone . And as a cook, it is a sign of my love and respect to deliver people their meals. Even if said people have questionable paths and still terrify me. So yes, I may have crept down to the basement, and he may have heard me because we all know I can’t creep. We may have...observed each other... through the silhouettes of the shoji and then I may have left his dinner that I cooked with love, and left. You guys, he’s been here for a week now and hasn’t tried to kill us all in our sleep or set fire to the palace or go and terrorize our town. I think...I think he’s trying guys. And, if I’ll place myself in his shoes for a moment, he’s been down in the basement , completely alone, for a week, after twenty years in jail. Maybe, maybe he’s lonely. Isn’t it up to me to extend that olive branch? As the Dragon Warrior? Don’t you guys think he has some good in him? Why the finger hold didn’t destroy him?”
There was a poignant silence, and Tai Lung held his breath. Then, as quick as it came a loud chorus of No-nope- no way- not possible echoed throughout the kitchen and Tai Lung heard Po’s loud groan overpower them all.
“First of all Po, you didn’t have to bring Tai Lung here in the first place. He’s evil. He’s a criminal. We’re all still game for sending him back to prison.” He heard all the warriors beside the Panda chime out their agreement to Mantis’s statement, “And I admit, it’s really kind and even a little sweet for you to think so, but Tai Lung would try to kill you the second you stepped foot into his space again. And even if he didn’t, he’d be trying to lure you in to betray you. He’s not lonely down there Po, he doesn’t even feel emotion.”
The silence up above was deafening. Tai Lung felt the all too familiar feeling of despair he’d been reacquainted with the past week rising up his throat like bile. He wanted to be angry with Mantis for what he said but, the little bug warrior was right. Or, maybe not right like factually correct, Tai Lung, in fact, had been feeling things he thought unable to feel past the age of eighteen – but how was the little bug supposed to know that? All Tai Lung had shown him was his hate and his rage, that’s who he was, all he was, just a very short time ago. That, and, there was no way the Warriors could know he could hear them. No way they could know that he sat below them every night, listened to their voices and stories, was beginning to understand them, maybe even respect them. He wondered if, were they aware he could hear them if they would have said what they said. If he would’ve wanted them too.
“He feels emotion.” A voice said. Definite. It made Tai Lung tense even more that he already was. His muscles hurt from how alert he had been the past couple days – the past twenty years. If anyone knew him, he did . Tai Lung always remembered his old master being able to command and center a room with a simple phrase. Over the decades, it seems that talent has only grown more powerful. One thing his master could always do far better than him. His old master , oh, well. And that was it. Tai Lung listened to the warrior family quietly eat the rest of their meals, clean up, and retire to their own rooms on the top floor. Most of them slept too far away. He could not hear them. He was alone, again.
Tai Lung startled when something brushed his tail. Of course, the note from the Panda. He wondered how he had forgotten. He inspected it closely, the penmanship terrifying and almost downright eligible. But – he had forgotten what it felt like to be surprised. He thought, maybe, he actually felt his heart skip, just once, just once. The note read: Would you like to be friends? Check the box that applies and leave underneath your bowl (please) . And underneath it, Tai Lung saw two boxes. And next to each box, a word. Yes or no.
He feels emotion. It wasn’t like... he had anything else to be doing. His life’s purpose and ambition had been completely destroyed in the span of thirty seconds. Yes . Yes, it was, then.