The Jade and the Shadow

The Adventures of Liu Zhang: The Jade and the Shadow

Two assassins are hired to hunt down the Furious six when both Tigress and Liu are badly injured. Liu, with the help of a new student, embarks on an undercover mission through China’s vast criminal network to track down the person who hired the assassins before they have the chance to strike again.

Chapter 1: New Arrival

-Liu Zhang Pov-

I awoke excited when I heard the gong ring, today Master Shifu would be intruding a new student, a tiger no less.

“Good morning master!” I said with everyone else.

“Good morning students,” Master Shifu said back.

“Due to the new student arriving, I have no training for you today,” He said.

“Master, when will the student be arriving?” My adopted mom asked.

“He should be arriving by noon today,” Master Shifu said.

As we had no training, we all spent the day milling around the Palace, doing nothing.

-Tigress Pov-

I watched my daughter practicing her balance on the steps.

“Careful Liu, don’t fall,” I said.

“I’m fine Mom,” Liu said flipping into the air, landing next to me.

The doors to the Palace swung open, we all turned around and saw the tiger enter; he looked to be around Liu’s age, maybe a year our two older. His fur was paler than normal. He wore a plain blue vest similar to mine except for a male, and black training pants.

“You’re early,” Shifu said to him suprised

“Greetings, Master Shifu,” He said bowing. “I’m Jun; I didn’t want to be late,”

“Greetings, Jun,” Master Shifu said.

 “These are my other students…”

“I know who you all are,” Jun interrupted.

“Masters, Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis and the Dragon Warrior, Po. All of China knows your names. Except you,” Jun said pausing on Liu,”

“This is my daughter, Liu ‘The Jade’ Zhang,” I said introducing her.

“Nice to meet you, Liu,” Jun said bowing.

“If you don’t mind, Master Shifu I’d like to rest, it was a…difficult journey,” He added.

“You had trouble on the road?” Master Shifu asked.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Jun answered

“Fine, but be ready for training tomorrow morning,” Master Shifu said. “You can stay in the room across from Liu’s,”

“Thank you, Master,” Jun said bowing, leaving “It was nice to meet you all, I’m gonna take a nap,” Jun said and headed into the Barracks.

As he walked past I noticed a pale scar on the side of his face, where had he gotten it?

-Liu Zhang Pov-

I walked back to the barracks after training late; I desperately needed a bath, I stunk. So I headed to my room grabbed my nightgown, cleaning supplies and headed for the washroom, as I walked, I got this feeling someone was following me and turned around.

“Hello?” I said into the darkness, backing up thinking Po or Monkey was trying to scare me.

After a moment, I turned back around and continued down the hall thinking, into the washroom and began to undress thinking it was nothing.

I heard the sound of a footstep behind me; it made me spin back around holding my shirt in my hand.

“Who’s there?” I asked starting to grow scared.

I then felt something on the back of my neck, like a breath. I froze, not wanting to turn around, my heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.

Slowly, I turned around and saw a figure in a dark cloak, dark clothing under it; even its face was covered with a black cloth.

Without warning the figure attacked me!

I backpedaled, desperately trying to block his punches, he seemed to know every move I was going to make before I did. He kicked my knee making my leg bend awkwardly; I yelled and dropped to a crouch.

He grabbed a hold of me by the back of the neck and punched me in the stomach, several times; I doubled over in pain, and he delivered a powerful uppercut to my chin knocking me to the ground, on my back. He stomped on my chest a couple of times, hard, breaking ribs.

“Pathetic, I expected more from the daughter of Master Tigress,” He said standing over me, drawing a knife from his cloak.

My vision faded in and out as he held me down by my neck.

“Pity I have to kill you, I won’t be able to have any fun with you,” He said straddling me, holding a knife to my neck.

Meanwhile, Jun was walking around the Palace grounds because he couldn’t sleep. He saw the light on in the washroom and thought maybe someone and left a torch on or something until he heard the sounds of a struggle coming from inside.

After wandering around for a short time he stumbled across Liu’s unconscious body, someone crouched over her, dagger in hand, about to stab her.

“Liu!” He yelled rushing over to the Panther, scaring the attacker.

Jun spin kicked him away from Liu.

The assassin slammed into the wall and fell to the ground.

“Cheap, shot,” He said rubbing his jaw, getting ready to fight again.

“Who are you?” Jun demanded standing between him and Liu, who was on the floor behind him.

“Worth a try,” Jun mumbled when the assassin didn’t answer him and drew a Ninjato straight sword.

“Uh oh,” Jun said his eyebrows rising at the weapon.

The assassin charged at him slicing downward with the blade, Jun turned to avoid it and received a deep cut to his left forearm.

He stumbled back a little and caught the assassin’s arm and twisted it in an attempt to make him drop the deadly weapon, but he held on to it somehow.

Jun could feel the blood running down his arm as he dodged another cut.

“Hold still!”

“And let you carve me into ribbons, I don’t think so,” Jun said twisting, kicking the assassin in the chest, knocking him into the wall where he fell to the floor breathing hard.

“This…is not over,” He panted and fled out a window.

Jun waited a moment then rushed over to Liu.

“Liu? Can you hear me?” He said “Liu!”

-Tigress Pov-

At about the same time Po and I showed up having heard the noise.

“What’s going on in…?” I started to say and saw Liu.

“Liu!!” I cried running toward my daughter lying limp in Jun’s arms.

“Get her to the infirmary, now!”

 I sat in the Palace infirmary waiting with bated breath for news on my daughter

 “How is she?” I asked when I saw the doctor.

“Honestly, Master Tigress, your Daughter, is lucky to be alive.” The Doctor said. “If Jun hadn’t found her when he did, this night could have ended very differently.

“When will she be awake?” I asked.

“It’s difficult to say Master Tigress.” The Doctor said. “She took quite a beating,”

“Can I see her?” I asked.

“Of course,”

I knew this was a risk when I had adopted Liu; I knew there was a chance she’d be hurt. But I had never expected her to be the one who was targeted, not me. I got up and slowly went over to my daughter’s bed and found her lying there, asleep as the doctor had said.

I sat down next to her bed intent on staying there the whole night, in case Liu woke up.

Someone shaking my shoulder woke me up some time later, I looked around and saw Jun standing by me.

“Why don’t you go back to your room and get some rest in your bed, I’ll look after Liu,” He said.

“Okay,” I mumbled, yawning and leaving the room.

I left and stumbled into my room and got ready for bed

“Good night Liu,” I said out of habit as I lay down, I waited for Liu’s response but didn’t hear it, and it broke my heart. God, it was like leaving her at the Orphanage all over again!

 My dreams that night were filled with scenes of the burning orphanage mixed with dreams of Liu dying in her sleep. Needless to say, I didn’t get that much sleep that night. When I awoke, I checked on Liu and saw her still asleep in her room with Jun watching over her.

“Did you sleep at all?” I asked.

“No,” Jun answered tiredly

“I never thanked you for saving Liu last night, who knows what he might have…” I stopped my thought not wanting to think about it.

“It’s okay, it’s our job, right,” Jun said sleepily.

“Who would want to assassinate a fourteen-year-old girl?” I asked aloud.

“I don’t know,” Jun answered.

“Mom?” Liu said weakly, opening her eyes.

“I’m here sweetie,” I said going to her side.

“What happened?” She asked.

“You were attacked in the washroom,” I answered.

“By who?” Liu managed to ask

“We don’t know,” I answered. “Jun fought him off, and he fled; the rest of the Five are out searching for him now,”

-Liu Zhang Pov-

“I want to help,” I said sitting up when I did; pain exploded from my chest making me gasp loudly and fall back on the bed.

“No,” My mom said. “You need to stay here and rest,”

“But, I can help I…”

“No,” Tigress said more firmly. “Stay here and heal,”

“Jun, can you watch over my daughter while I join the search?” Tigress asked.

“Uh, sure,” Jun answered.

“I’ll be back later sweetie,” Tigress said kissing me on the forehead, then left the infirmary leaving me with Jun.

Jun was quiet for a long while before he finally spoke up.

“When did Master Tigress adopt you?” He asked.

“Almost a year ago now,” I answered.

“I never thought Master Tigress would be the one to adopt a daughter,” Jun said.

-Normal Pov-

Unknown to Jun or Liu a second assassin, a white tiger, had overheard their conversation while crouched under the window. Unlike the other he didn’t bother to hide his face, it wouldn't do him much good anyway his white fur always made him stick out. He listened to Liu’s story of Tigress having to leave her at the Orphanage while it burned.

He couldn’t help but think he wouldn’t have done that; he would have tried to get her out.

The Tiger’s name was Dai Nakamura; He wasn’t a bad person, normally this wasn’t the sort of thing he’d do, but money was short right now, so when he’d been approached about the job he took it without hesitation.

Sneaking around to the Palace Barracks he found Tigress’s room and slipped inside through the open window and hid in the shadows waiting for her to arrive.

-Tigress Pov-

I spent the whole day with the five searching for the assassin only to find nothing. After returning from the search, I went back to my room and started getting ready for bed; I noticed my window open and walked over to close it, not remembering having opened it.

I heard my door slide open and turned around expecting to see Liu but instead saw a figure in a dark hooded cloak standing directly in front of me. Before I had the chance to react, I felt a knife pierce my stomach, blood start pouring out.

I opened my mouth to call for help, but nothing but blood came out. I gasped loudly as the blade was pulled out from my stomach, I could feel the blood running through my fingers as I fell to my knees.

I watched helplessly as the assassin calmly walked over to my window and leaped out.

I tried calling for help again, but no sound came out, just a gurgle. My vision started to fading out; I could see a pool of my blood forming on the floor!

-Liu Zhang Pov-

I was startled awake by the infirmary doors slamming open, I looked and saw Po carrying my Mom; her stomach was covered with blood!

“Mom!” I yelled jumping off my bed, ignoring the pain in my chest

“Hi sweetie,” She said weakly as Po laid her on a bed.

“I need help in here!” Po yelled, and the Palace staff appeared.

“What happened?” one goose asked.

“I don’t know, I found her like this,” Po said in a panicked voice.

-Two weeks later, Liu Zhang Pov-

“Since the five are too recognizable, I’m going to send you two on this mission,” Master Shifu said to us. “Due to the nature of this mission; I have elected not to tell Tigress it’s true nature,”

“You and Jun are to go undercover posing as criminals; you’ll have to do the job, they’ll test you,”

“I understand,” Jun said.

I wasn’t so sure however

“Yes, Master,” I answered.

“Good, you’ll leave this evening,”

-Tigress Pov-

I walked out of the infirmary, with some assistance from Po, holding my stomach, after spending so much time in bed, it was nice to be able to get up and walk around after I’d been stabbed I saw my daughter standing with Jun.

“Where are you two going?” I asked walking up, seeing the travel packs.

“We’re going to find whoever hired this assassin,” Jun said.

“Are you sure you’re up to this Liu?” I asked worriedly.

“I’m fine mom, honestly,” Liu answered.

“Okay, just be careful, okay,” I said.

“Don’t worry Master Tigress, Liu’s in good hands,” Jun said putting a hand on Liu’s shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

As I watched my daughter disappear down the Palace stairs, I had this horrible feeling in my gut that I wouldn’t see her again.

A moment later Liu reappeared and ran over to me, giving me a big hug.

“I almost forgot!” She said. “I love you, Mom!”

“I love you too sweetheart,” I said and let her go, and she raced off again.

I watched her go, the feeling didn’t subside.