*(Maximum Security Prison Chorh-Gom, Jade Mountain)*
Tai Lung's voice hadn't been heard in twenty years. But after two decades of silence, he needed only a slight flex of his vocal cords to speak again with ease. His joints, immobile for 7,300 days, took only seconds to adjust. More than that, his bones had grown even stronger.
Tai Lung looked upward with cold, calculating eyes.
"Fire the crossbows!" the warden shouted.
Above Tai Lung, massive weapons loaded with bolts the size of wooden poles aimed down at him. Dodging them would have been easy… but Tai Lung didn't bother. With chains still attached to his wrists from the walls he'd torn apart, he wielded the dangling links like iron whips.
The first crossbow was destroyed before it even fired. The second met a similar fate as he shattered it with a swift strike of his chains. Tai Lung smirked; unlike his counterpart, he wasn't in a rush to escape.
Twenty years he'd spent in this prison—twenty years taunted by these rhinos.
Several bolts shot toward Tai Lung, yet who would be foolish enough to think they could kill him with such trivial weapons? He dodged all the crossbow bolts and countered with the full reach of his chains. Perhaps they should have used short chains fixed to the floor instead of long ones bolted to the walls.
After he had destroyed all the crossbows, Tai Lung grew bored, broke his shackles with his claws, and began climbing upward at breakneck speed.
The second wave of guards arrived swiftly, aiming their bows and unleashing a rain of arrows that filled the sky. Tai Lung saw an elevator platform, he could use it as a shield, but he ignored it and charged directly through the storm of arrows.
"Foolish arrogance!" the rhino chief mocked. "Even masters of martial arts aren't immortal; they bleed, they age, and they can fall! These weapons may look trivial, but a single arrow will pierce even a master!"
"I've heard your voice far too long…"
"Tai Lung..." His mockery turned pale as he saw Tai Lung standing right before him.
This was no children's story. Tai Lung struck the rhino's chest, cracking his ribs and damaging his organs. The warden stumbled back, clutching his chest as more guards rushed in from both sides, wielding a range of heavy weaponry. Tai Lung cracked his own neck and attacked them without mercy. Those unlucky enough to fall faced a rocky demise below, a fatal drop for any rhino weighed down by armor.
Tai Lung felt no sympathy.
His body had gone 175,000 hours without movement.
His eyes had endured 10.5 million minutes without sunlight.
And his heart had spent 630 million seconds seething with hatred over his miserable fate and those responsible.
Would someone like that be angry? Absolutely.
Would he show mercy? Not at all.
Each blow he landed was aimed to fracture, cause internal bleeding, or end life. He was a beast, but not a savage one—an elegant machine built for killing, honed to perfection. That was Tai Lung, releasing his pent-up fury.
He continued up level by level, demolishing metal weapons useless against him and smashing through thick armor that layered the naturally heavy bodies of the rhinos. Tai Lung watched the faces of the guards as more and more of their allies fell to their doom.
There had been a saying among the guards that the job at Jade Mountain was the easiest in the world—just one prisoner, and they were paid like imperial guards. Only one prisoner and many didn't even know if he was alive or not, as he sometimes wouldn't show any sign of movement for months.
Some of them had surely wondered at times:
– Why build a prison for just one prisoner?
– Why spend so much to create a fortress capable of withstanding an army?
– Why have hundreds of rhino guards armed with the heaviest weaponry and armor?
– Why go as far as to bring in siege weapons like crossbows and even dynamite?
Now, those questions were answered.
"D-don't let that monster escape!" the prison warden shouted in agony.
Chorh-Gom was his prison, the place entrusted to him. His pride couldn't allow the only real threat the prison ever faced to end in such shame.
"I expected no less from a rhino… you're truly tough, Warden."
Even from several levels away, the warden could hear the mockery in Tai Lung's voice. He couldn't blame anyone else; his own arrogance and disregard for Tai Lung had led them here. Many times, he'd complained about being stuck in this place while others earned glory and promotions. Once, he had wanted to be a general, but he ended up here…
'It's my fault… I've failed at my only job… This wasn't a forgotten place… This prison held an unimaginable monster…'
The warden stood up, staring at Tai Lung with a cry that tore at his vocal cords. "Do it! We can't let this monster get out, even if we die for it!"
Tai Lung's smile faded as he looked upward. Dynamite was rigged to the ceiling, not just in the stalactites but across the entire roof.
"You're insane! You're trying to bury us all alive?!"
The warden's face twisted into a sneer, and his subordinates didn't hesitate to activate the dynamite.
"This is my mission..."
You fool..." muttered Tai Lung.
The entire ceiling began to collapse. Tai Lung remained calm, leaping from rock to rock as he ascended. Some rhinos still attempted to attack with arrows and spears despite the chaos.
Ignoring them, Tai Lung headed straight for the exit. But two guards clung to his legs.
"Let go of me!"
He shook off the first guard with a kick, but the second clung on long enough to ruin his timing. He wouldn't reach the exit before the ceiling fell.
Irritated, Tai Lung grabbed a bomb that hadn't detonated in the chaos and set it off without hesitation.
The explosion hurled him through the doorway just before the prison fully collapsed. It was an incredible feat. Several rhinos emerged with burns and soot as door fragments littered the ground.
Tai Lung stood, gazing in the direction of the Valley of Peace.
There was no rush this time. No messenger would be sent to alert them of his approach, and even by the fastest air courier, word wouldn't reach them for days.
"Ah... Shifu I've waited twenty years to see you..."
Tai Lung began his journey to the Valley of Peace.
...
(Jade Palace)
Allen had completed the "basic" training and went to the training hall to observe the second phase. There was a massive contraption with moving parts, loaded with traps ranging from spinning blades to automatic arrow launchers.
Rebecca appeared on Allen's shoulder in awe, and she wasn't the only one impressed. This wasn't something you'd expect to see built in this era. Then again, one must keep an open mind in a different world, as Allen reminded himself.
Speaking of an open mind, Allen noticed some new users. While people could choose any name as long as it wasn't offensive or inappropriate, original names were reserved for the real individuals. For example, someone might use "JackSparrow67," but names like "JackSparrow" or "Captain Jack Sparrow" were reserved for the real one, even if he hadn't joined the Chat yet. Additionally, the system had added indicators, visible only to Allen, to identify members from outside the Marvel or The Boys universes, which were fully integrated into the Chat.
This meant Allen could confirm that the Doomslayer and Kratos in his Chat were the real ones.
"…"
[Do not worry, Host. The system has now been updated to ensure the safety of all Chat members, including those like Doomslayer.]
Allen had warned the system to be cautious about new additions, not just for his own safety but because individuals like Rick Sanchez were extremely dangerous in other worlds.
It wouldn't be the first time Rick had threatened McDragon, and with Rick, he probably wasn't joking. Though McDragon seemed unfazed—or at least, he still appeared in the Chat.
'Maybe Rick took pity on the sad life McDragon seems to have… well, I don't know him, but his comments give me an idea of what he's like…'
Allen shook his head. For the longest time, he'd feared Rick might find his world. Even if Rick claimed it would be just for fun, he had a habit of ruining the worlds he visited—even if unintentionally.
But that was before. Allen and the current system were now capable of containing any chaos Rick Sanchez might bring into his world… though it was still best to keep some distance.
...
After the training where the Furious Five showed their skills, and Po was destroyed, Allen was then invited by Po to join him and the Furious Five for a meal at his father's restaurant. This would be his first meal in this world. The Furious Five looked nervous, but Allen accepted immediately, forcing the others to follow suit.
During the main storyline, Po didn't really get close to the Furious Five in the first movie. While he earned their respect, it couldn't be said that they were friends. Aside from the movies, there's also a series that delves deeper into the world of *Kung Fu Panda*, but it's hard to say if it should be considered part of the main story or an alternate timeline.
Po dashed ahead of everyone as he left the Jade Palace, but in his haste, he missed the steps and tumbled down.
"Let's go quickly! Ahhh!"
Po started bouncing like a ball down the stairs as Allen watched, "He'll... be fine…"
Gwen – I had heard that pandas have the survival instinct of a carrot but it seems that was not an exaggeration.
Barbara – Pandas and the sheep are totally dependent on humans... they would probably go extinct without us. Sheep for their wool but Pandas simply because they are pandas.
Could Allen have moved to save Po? Yes, but he didn't. He was used to seeing Po rolling down the stairs; his body seemed to absorb the impact, and he'd only feel a bit of pain. Well, a lot of pain, but he'd be fine.
Mantis teased, "Funny thing is, he gets down faster this way than by walking…"
"It's funny that "it" is the Dragon Warrior.…" Tigress grumbled.
"Yeah, this is the legendary Dragon Warrior..." Crane sighed.
Viper didn't voice any complaints, but a hint of coldness showed in her gaze.
Monkey laughed, "Look on the bright side. Shifu's so busy scolding him that he's left us alone."
The Furious Five, minus Tigress, seemed to relax a little after Monkey's joke. They began heading down the stairs as Allen hung back a bit to check his chat.
...
Kimiko – I don't get why they're so hostile toward Po… he's such a nice, fun panda.
Whis – Ohohoho, quite the opposite, miss. It's easy to see why they're upset~
Vados – Each of them trained all their lives; that's decades of bloodied fists and complete discipline…
Whis – They could accept one of their own as the Dragon Warrior, but for an outsider who's never trained to take the position… it must be frustrating.
[I.M] "It's as simple as Po earning his respect...but he has to put in the effort."
Kratos – Now I get it… what this is all about. It wouldn't hurt to have something to do besides hunting and chopping wood.
Allen could tell that Kratos was pretty calm, so this wasn't his younger, rage-filled version, which was a good thing; otherwise, the hostility would have been immense.
[I thought about it... but the younger Kratos was too unstable, so I chose the version with a son and all.]
'I guess it was the same with Doomslayer...'
[Yeah, I made sure not to show up in the middle of a demon-slaying frenzy...]
'System, I've been avoiding this question… but Rias, Akeno, and Asia are…'
[Yes, they are…]
'Then McDragon is…'
[Yes... but don't worry about the canon of that world; Rick Sanchez already messed it up…]
'What did he do?!'
[Nothing to the world, but to its protagonist...]
'Damn...'
[Host, don't worry. With the current system, I can prevent it from happening again, and we both know McDragon had it coming by messing with Rick.]
'Alright…'
...
They all reached the village, and Po lay at the bottom of the stairs, alive but sprawled out.
"I'm okay!" Po said, getting up.
Allen wanted to point out that it took them twenty minutes to descend, which meant Po had been lying on the ground for that time. That's not "okay." However, Allen had no intention of embarrassing Po any further.
Allen stepped over and held out his hand, "Come on, get up. I'm in the mood to try Mr. Ping's famous noodles."
Po smiled and took the human's hand. To the Furious Five, Po was an outsider, but to Allen, he was a fun panda, and that was enough.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Mr. Ping, a Chinese goose, came over and hugged Po.
"My dear son, so good to see you! And you brought customers!" Mr. Ping's expression froze for a moment when he saw Allen. People thought it was natural, given Allen was human. But Mr. Ping exceeded everyone's expectations.
"You have money, right?"
"Dad!" Po shouted, embarrassed by his father's shamelessness.
Mr. Ping had a nose for people's wealth, but Allen was something he hadn't seen before; he didn't know if his clothes were expensive, fancy, or not, and since Allen didn't wear jewelry, he had no other way to judge.
The Furious Five felt uneasy; it was rare to see someone with such shamelessness. Allen and many others in the chat who knew Po's goose father laughed.
Allen showed a heavy bag of coins from this world, obtained by trading credits. Allen had been to worlds with similar currency, so it was the first time he needed to do this.
"Oh, welcome!"
From suspicion to cheerfulness, Po's father was a very bold goose. Allen shook his head and sat down at a table with the Furious Five as Po helped his father prepare everything.
Viper looked at Allen for a while, hesitating to ask something. "Master Human?"
"You can call me Allen… I'm not used to being addressed by titles…"
"Alright, Allen… we've all been wondering what you're doing in China. Not that you're unwelcome, I wouldn't dare imply that, but your clothes, your attitude… and well, the fact that you're human, it's so unusual."
Several patrons glanced at the situation. Allen was grateful they were more discreet this time. However, it might be because he was with the Furious Five, and the common people wouldn't dare disrespect a guest.
"It's a question with two answers… I'm here because I need to be here, and I'm here because I'm here…"
Monkey stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see."
"You didn't get it at all, did you?" Crane asked with a bored look.
"Hehe," Monkey laughed.
Tigress, who had remained silent and pensive, spoke, "What he means is that he arrived here by coincidence, found something he wasn't looking for, and decided to stay." Tigress's eyes looked silently at Allen. "Isn't that right?"
"Something like that…" Allen blinked with a half-smile. "I came here by my own will, but I didn't know I'd find such a pleasant place. It's like an oasis in the middle of a desert for me…"
The Furious Five looked at each other, not understanding what sort of desert Allen had come from to consider their world an oasis.
The answer was known to those in the chat. At least in this world, Allen didn't have to worry about someone trying to kill him every second. At most, he'd need to be concerned with Tai Lung, Lord Shen, Kai, or the Chameleon. But Tai Lung, the first villain, escapes after Shifu sends Zeng to check on his prison. Ironically, Shifu is responsible for freeing Tai Lung.
Allen only wanted a moment of peace, so it was best to delay Tai Lung's escape by stopping Zeng from going to Chorh-Gom prison, and as far as he knew, Zeng, the black messenger goose, was still in the Jade Palace.
Allen definitely couldn't have imagined that Tai Lung had already escaped. Nor could he have imagined that he was much stronger and more ruthless than the original; if he had known, he wouldn't have let the Furious Five face him.
The noodles arrived at the table, everyone ate and Allen took the opportunity to get to know the Furious Five better and also the new members of his Chat.
Kratos – Boy, tell me what it was like to accept this thing called Void.
[I.M] "That interests you old god? Well, I can tell you what I thought at that moment, but it will be a long story?"
Kratos – I have time I just have to hunt something... but go ahead.
[I.M] "Okay haha... yeah, Void was... scary..."
...
(DXD World)
Rias and Akeno relaxed, drinking tea side by side. Rias blinked as she gazed at her coffee's reflection, the unsettling feeling she had earlier still lingering within her.
Akeno, on the other hand, returned to normal more quickly, perhaps because, besides being a demon, she was also a fallen angel.
Rias glanced at Akeno's screen; of course, she now had her own access, so she didn't have to watch on the same screen.
Akeno smiled as she browsed the store. After a moment, her violet eyes gleamed with amusement as she bought something.
Rias blinked, confused, as a full-sized body pillow of Allen appeared before them.
"Akeno!"
"Ufufu~ It was worth spending it all just to see that reaction!"
"Stop wasting points on silly things!"
Akeno puffed her cheeks and hugged the pillow, "Buchou, how can you be so cruel to my idol?"
"Stop pretending…"
Rias knew Akeno well and could tell she was just playing. Akeno stuck out her tongue; she stood up and carried "Allen" against her breasts. "Hmph If Buchou doesn't want to play, I'll have to find another way to entertain myself with MY Allen.❤️~"
Rias grabbed the dakimakura (body pillow). "Akeno, what are you planning to do?"
"Ara ara~ club activities are over… so I'll just go back to my shrine, do a little cleaning, and maybe lie down to keep watching the stream."
Rias looked sternly at her friend. "Akeno, you're not planning on doing anything perverted with that pillow, are you?"
"Ufufu~"
"Akeno!"
===
A/N:🍷🗿
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