After dark, a group of miners worked diligently to fill up their final project. It was almost time to head home. A relief! Another day's work behind them! As they started to finish up and put away their carts, they were startled by the sound of a voice they didn't recognize. Upon looking up, they let out a cry of alarm upon seeing a tall snow leopard with glowing yellow eyes.

"Well this is quite the greeting," the snow leopard mocked. "I make all this effort to come out and see you and I get "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!"?" He started laughing.

"H-h-how-?!" one of the workers stammered. "You're....aren't you supposed to be dead?!"

"Eh, dead, thrown into the spirit realm, stuck listening to Oogway lecture me about my actions....it's all the same to me," Tai Lung growled, hopping down to the top of one of the scaffolding built into the mountains. "I've gotten much stronger since I've been away. Not even the great Dragon warrior can face up to my new power. And if you want to live to see tomorrow, I highly suggest you do as I say."

The terrified workers, not wanting to see Tai Lung get angry (his reputation was very well known) asked what he wanted out of them.

"To be willing accomplices to your new boss," Tai Ling explained. He gestured behind him where Lord Shen landed on top of the scaffolding. Some of the workers were confused, but a few others who had heard of Shen began to immediately freak out about being expendable bodies.

"Relax," Shen told them. "As long as you cooperate and do as you're told, I'll have no need to dispose of any corpses." The peacock then proceeded to explain that the factory was to be commandeered as a metal work factory instead, and began to give direction on what to do. Afterwards, the Komodo guards arrived, with Shen reminding them that if they stepped out of line, they would be instantly taken care of. The terrified workers did as was told, immediately getting to work and moving their original work out of the way to avoid Shen's wrath. As the work began, Shen and Tai Lung walked across the scaffolding, Shen remarked, "When did you learn shapeshifting?"

Tai Lung laughed and immediately shrunk and shifted until they had regained their original form. "I learned quite a bit about myself while in exile," Chameleon admitted. "My natural ability is to blend into the background. So I thought, "why not blend into the foreground?" It took years of practice. But it paid off."

"If you're so powerful, then why do you need me or the Mongolian?"

"As I said, many hands make the load light. Your cannons will be a formidable defense in my new empire, and in your home city, and Tai lung will get his reward, provided he measures up and learns what he needs."

Shen just made a noise do agreement and walked across the catwalk. He glanced down, the memory of the initial attack fading as the silent factory filled his ears. They were resting for a few hours to make sure they were in prime condition to move the metal. In just a few weeks, so many parts were made. The gunpowder was in plentiful quantity. And the workers eerily obedient. Shen could live with that. He took a long sniff of the powder from the factory and then sighed and walked off and back to the fortress where Chameleon was housing them. Somehow the burning smell wasn't making him feel at home. Maybe the environment wasn't quite right. After all, he had been fully in charge the last time he was in charge of these things, surrounded by loyal guards who heeded him above everything.

Shen paused in his walking to think about what had become of the wolf guards who once followed him. Their leader was dead. Many had died in the blast of the cannons. What about the rest? Perhaps the panda took care of them. Wouldn't be much of a surprise.

Shen sighed and continued to the fortress where he greeted the Komodo guards who let him in with a smile and brief wave before resuming their posts. He wondered where they had come from to follow Chameleon so loyally. She hadn't said. Maybe it was a similar situation as the Mongolians.

Where had these men and women come from?

Shen walked through the fortress, moving through the many corridors and stairs around the fortress. He should have been in bed, but he wasn't tired. His mind was strangely racing even though there was nothing in it at all. He tried to key in on what it was that had him awake, but every time he stopped to reflect, nothing came to mind. Just a big overwhelming blank. It felt like something should be there! A particular thought he needed to get out. But wherever it was, he couldn't find it. He tried to ignore it. After all, what were floating thoughts but nonsense in comparison to the carnage of the present? But try hard as he could, Shen couldn't get the nagging feeling out of his head. And how could he solve the nagging without a thought to attach it to?

Shen was interrupted out of his wandering by the sound of frustrated yells and grunts, accompanied by the sound of destroyed wood and clanking of weapons. Shen debated on whether or not to ignore it but then decided to just peek in and see the commotion. He walked back down the hallway and down the stairs and wandered through the hallway until he came across a set of heavy wooden doors which he promptly pushed open. He was greeted by the sight of Tai Ling aggressively smashing up training dummies and pillars before taking several swords off a nearby rack and throwing them at various targets around the wall. At one point, a sword came flying dangerously close to Shen, and the peacock quickly sidesteps out of the way to avoid getting hit. The sword stuck expertly into the wall, going right through it and peeking out on the other side. Tai Lung moved towards the walls to pick the weapons back up and put them away, but then stopped upon seeing Shen.

"I assume this is part of the plan?" Shen asked, somewhat mockingly.

The snow leaped had a look of frustration and fury plastered across his face, but managed to compose himself enough give his temporary ally a poker face. "Goodnight to you too," he said simply.

Shen shrugged and walked out of the room, leaving Tai Lung alone. The snow leopard growled once he was sure he was out of earshot and walked over to the wall where the last sword was stuck and, with some effort, managed to pull it out. He caught a glimpse of his face in the sword's reflection, his mind flashing back to his fight with Po. It felt like yesterday, and yet it was so long ago now.....

It's okay. I didn't get it the first time either.

...what?

There is no secret ingredient. It's just you.

Tai Lung snarled angrily and threw the sword harshly into the rack on the other side of the area where it knocked every single weapon onto the floor with a loud CLANG!!! The snow leopard panted heavily, seething with anger, and then stood up and stormed out of the training hall and towards his room. Maybe some sleep would put him in a better mood. Tai Lung suppressed a yawn and eventually made it to his room which was pretty small and simple, but nothing different than what he was used to. As he went to walk inside, he suddenly heard from the darkness, "No progress, I see?"

The snow leopard's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly composed himself and stated cooly, "I'm working on it. Let's remember you're trying to have me master what normally takes the best person maybe ten years."

"Your reputation precedes you, yet I see no results," Chameleon challenged, glowing a bright orange as she approached him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were holding out on me."

"Not even close."

Chameleon didn't look remotely pleased. "Well," she stated flatly. "While you're taking your time, perhaps you can be useful in another part of this plan. While we wait."

"You mean the part you failed?"

"I wasn't expecting an old enemy to recognize me. However, everyone knows you. And some distraction in the valley might be just enough to keep them and Po from venturing off to find this fortress. Think you can handle that?"

Tai Lung turned to face her and leaned against the doorframe. "Dealing with those people won't be an issue," he promised. "I assume you have something specific in mind though."

"Master Tigress was supposed to stay in confinement, but somehow was discovered by Master Shifu, and that's an extra set of raw power I don't need meddling in my plans right now," Chameleon explained. She smirked in amusement. "I was thinking how nice it would be if her big brother paid her a surprise visit."

Tai Lung's eyes widened in surprise and he grimaced ever so slightly, but he simply said, "I get the idea."

"Good. I'll be back in a few days. I expect you to be gone and done a few days after I get back. Don't disappoint me."

And her figure immediately vanished from the room, leaving Tai Lung in total darkness again.