Chapter Text
It was a dark, stormy night in the outskirts of a metal factory located in a remote secluded village of China. Rain covered the wooden planks that worked as the floor of the entrance, and the goat workers of the place were currently resting and keeping themselves warm as they had suspended the activities of the day due to the bad weather. While waiting out the storm, a few of them were recounting tales of the legendary Dragon Warrior, China's most famous hero, as means of passing time.
"And then it was said that the Dragon Warrior beat Tai Lung and vanquished him to the Spirit Realm." said a goat who had a missing horn and brown fur.
"I heard he fought an army of wolves and sent them running with their tails between their legs" said another larger goat with grey fur.
"Well I heard he defeated a dragon, one that even Oogway himself didn't defeat" said a third goat with black fur and both horns missing.
"Oh don't be so much of a sucker, everyone knows those are simple legends!" said the first goat. "Awesome Legends if you ask me" said the second.
"Would make for a good tale for children wouldn't it?" said the third, the three then laughed before relaxing once more.
"Ah, when this rain blows over, we'll get back to business. Ever since that Lord Shen was beaten us metal forgers are back in business" said the first of the goats.
"Right, I'd hate to think about what would've happened if the Dragon Warrior hadn't bested him" said the second.
"Hey don't be so fearful, as long as he protects us, we will never have to fear for long." said the third goat while laying back.
Soon all three decided to take naps as the rain didn't seem to stop, with thunders coming along.
"Oh great, a thunderstorm, I'll just cover the entrance before the wind gets too strong. Everyone take shelter, this is going to take a while to stop." the grey goat was certainly annoyed that this had to happen, of all things.
The other goat workers rushed inside and began lighting the torches inside the currently inactive factory; however as they were about to light the last one, the last of the goats to enter turned back for a second to look at the distant mountains and hills and screamed in terror at the same time a thunder was heard having seen a fearsome familiar figure in the distance, the others ran to him as he seemed genuinely distressed
"What happened?" said the grey goat.
"Was the thunder too loud for you?" said the black goat.
"N-no, it's not that, it's it's..."
Before he could finish all the torches of the lair went out, to the horror of the goats, soon they all lighted up again as the entrance was blown apart by a force from outside. The scared goat almost fainted as he tried to describe what he saw or better said who he saw now that what he had spotted was in the same room as them. "It's him, but it can't be it's-" Soon at the entrance stood...
"Tai Lung!"
With a thunder and lightning presenting him, the once-deceased warrior appeared to announce his return to the terrified workers.
"It can't be, you're..." said the grey goat in fear
"You were..." said the black goat with even more fear.
"Killed? Oh, how naive of you to think that would've stopped me." said Tai Lung as he grabbed one of the pieces of the entrance and threw it at the various machinery of the factory, causing the structure to collapse before laughing. "I see I haven't gotten any rusty while in the Spirit Realm, should I crush your bones or eat you for lunch?"
"Please, don't hurt us Master Tai Lung Sir, we'll do anything you ask us to." said the one-horned goat.
"Anything, you say?" asked Tai Lung in satisfied amusem*nt. The goat nodded in fear, hoping he'd have enough decency to spare him and his fellow workers. "Well then, I got a job for you, as you all know a long time ago a so-called "Dragon Warrior' dared to take what's rightfully mine and disgraced me, now I will reclaim my place as the one true Dragon Warrior. Spread the word that Tai Lung has returned! And most of all, tell the Dragon Warrior that I'm coming for him."
The goats all nodded in fear and ran out, not even caring about the rain as they made haste to spread the news of the return of Tai Lung to their villages and direct them to relay it to the Jade Palace. Immediately after they had gone far enough in their escape to see him properly anymore, "Tai Lung" began to chuckle to himself before both his eyes moved in different directions each then glared at the running workers, he then shapeshifted into a smaller form, one different to what most would've been expecting from such an intimidating presence, it was a chameleon dressed in regal clothes and coated in golden jewelry, she then tapped the ground with her tail, summoning her hidden forces.
"I got them good, didn't I?" as she said this, a group of armored Komodo dragons, water monitors and snapping turtles emerged from various places inside the factory, they all began watching the goat workers run in fear alongside their boss.
"Right, boss." "As usual" "Totally" said the minions at different intervals.
The shapeshifter that impersonated Tai Lung then took a look at the fleeing workers and approached her soldiers with orders specifically for the runaways.
"I'm a bit bored at just scaring them you know? Make those workers take their sweet time with the message. After all, there are 30 of them, they'll get the news going too fast for my liking." said the Chameleon.
"Can we thin them a bit boss?" asked one of the water monitors.
"Just a few. And with that I mean, kill half of them." she said dismissively.
Her warriors all chuckled as they grabbed their crossbows and aimed at the multiple running goats, with smirks on their faces they all fired at the hapless workers with deadly precision. The running workers were indeed thinned to half of their numbers the unfortunate ones dropping dead instantly to the horror of the survivors who kept running rather than risk sharing the fate of their fallen comrades. The shapeshifter then laughed as she and her minions began to get going to returning back to their base.
"Soon my children, we'll rule this world. And the kung fu masters that once protected China will fall to our might" she said as she grabbed a piece of the metal of the factory and enchanted it giving it a glowing blue symbol of a chameleon before tossing it to a snapping turtle minion.
"They won't be ready for what's coming." She then had her minions haul the metal out of the place before she looked at the sky and thought to herself about her goals. "And you, Dragon Warrior, you'll be the last to fall. Your friends will be of great help in your demise".
As she exited the place with her minions in tow, the storm intensified while the surviving goats kept running, not looking back and hoping the news would reach the Jade Palace soon enough.
"Soon, they all will pay."
