San and several of the patrons decided to gather a few things to make a map of Juniper City for Po's reference since he had never been there before and a bit had changed since Zhen had left. Po was just glad that the fighting had stopped and he could finally get a chance to scarf down some food. When San was ready, the Dragon Warrior brought over his order of food and sat down to be briefed on what was going on.

"You'll need to get a couple of reports from some of the other thugs and thieving dens," San explained to him. "We and the locals ain't the only ones who have to deal with her."

"They come on Thursdays and Saturdays to the tavern if you want to wait until then," one patron offered. "Going through the city under Chameleon's thumb will be difficult."

"Wouldn't be my first time," Po assured her. "I'm guessing she has thugs or body guards?"

"Komodos," everyone answered almost simultaneously.

"Came 'bout six years ago, couple months after you and yer little clan ducked out of the city," San told Zhen. "Chameleon was always trouble on her own, but these lot are another level of vicious. They stuck to their own kind for a year, but now they serve the dictator with extreme loyalties. Even looking at them wrong gets you broken bones and maybe even a hospital visit."

Zhen's eyes widened in shock and slight fear, but she took a breath and said, "Well, good thing I've picked up a trick or two recently."

"Let's not let Chameleon know we're here," Po warned quickly. "The more we can sneak around and find out without tipping her off, the easier it'll be to take her out."

Zhen and San gave Po a weird look. Po frowned. "I'm a lot better at stealth mode than I look," he promised. "It just doesn't involve nimbly jumping into pots and onto rooftops."

San snorted. "Okay, this I gotta' see," he said.

"Does Chameleon have a hiding spot or does she just spring out of nowhere?" Po asked, switching subjects.

"Spring," Zhen answered immediately. "She's hard to spot so you have to be extra cautious and stay on your toes."

"Actually no," a tall boar corrected. He ate and swallowed a bite of food before adding, "She has a fortress now."

Zhen looked confused. "What?" she exclaimed. "Since when?"

"You know that old palace that the fifth prince was s'posed to use during the winter months?" a bunny patron added. "And never did?"

"Yeah. I know it," Zhen told her. Her eyes widened in realization. "Ohhhhhhhh no......"

"Yep. Moved in about four years ago. She doesn't roam the streets shadows anymore."

Zhen still looked surprised and slightly intimidated. She was quick to regain composure though and said, "Well, it's one less thing to worry about. I can handle a few thugs."

San snorted. "Sure," he mocked. "Let's throw you together with one and see how you do."

"Sure. We can all play mahjong together and get into a fight over you being a sore loser."

San colored. "You cheat, you little-!"

"Guys!" Po interrupted. "Kick Chameleon's butt now, argue over mahjong games later!"

"Right," Zhen conceded. "I have a city to get reacquainted with."

The next day, San, Zhen, and Po made their way to Juniper City with plans to sneak around the komodos, determine Chameleon's plan, and even figure out how they were going to break into the palatial fortress that she now inhabited. Getting into the city wasn't much of a problem. It was incredibly crowded and the komodos weren't anywhere to be seen, so Zhen and San had no problem with finding a good place to sneak around and duck underneath and away from prying eyes. Po however was much taller and less slim, and stood out a lot among the bears, gazelles, armadillos, mice, and other creatures in the city. So he was quick to make his way over to a nearby stand and put together a quick dancer costume to go walking through the city, complete with a fun mask to hide his face. Normally this would stand out like a sore thumb, but since Po was a fairly lively person anyway, no one took much notice and even clapped when he started dancing along to some local music that was playing down the road.

Initially, there seemed to be no issues, but soon Zhen and San spotted some  Komodos walking through the city, lunging swords into a man's house and snatching up a bag of money, a valuable vase, and a bowl of congee for the road.

"I see what you meant about vicious," Zhen observed.

"Yeah, and I give your new lackey about ten seconds before he's panda mush...." San noted.

Zhen looked around. "Aw, shoot, I haven't been keeping an eye on him!" she cried quietly.

"We'll find him once we hear screams. Don't worry too much."

Zhen gulped in horror at the idea, but followed San down from the roof where they made their way to a nearby tunnel where a local gang was residing. Po in the meantime was dancing his happy panda heart out to some local music when he bumped into a Komodo who was coming around a corner. She immediately threw a sword out to Po's neck and hissed "Watch where you're putting your feet, clown face."

Po saluted her and bowed to apologize. He then quickly made big gesture and pulled a bouquet out of his sleeve. The Komodo frowned. "I know that trick," she grumbled. "Used to watch the street performers all the time."

Po leaned over and pretended to pull a coin out of her nose, then blew on it to make it disappear. He then feigned confusion on where it went before shaking the bouquet, which now rattled, and then yanked on the wrapping paper around the bouquet, making it vanish and replacing it with a flower shaped money bag. The Komodo looked at him in surprise, but took the bag with a glee. "Well," she said. "I suppose I can accept the apology." She sniffed the flower bag and walked away with a wave. "Just watch your  steps next time," she warned. "My mistress spoils us when it comes to you lot and you seem like a decent chap."

Po waved her goodbye and continued on down the street. He thought over the expression, wondering what it was that drew the Komodo's to Chameleon on the first place. From how the patrons spoke, they sounded like newcomers, yet they weren't slaving away under her thumb. It was something to consider, but for now, he had evidence to collect.

San and Zhen in the meantime had managed to track down one of the local gangs and after some bartering, finally got a little bit about how one of the Komodos was a little ticklish, but it didn't help them very much. Despite the lack of information, they did succeed in recruiting more people for their ragtag army. Though not above taking money and valuables, they didn't like being threatened on a daily basis to the point of having their meals constantly stolen and thwarted. Of course, it was a bit hypocritical in hindsight, but Zhen and Sam , having been in the same "steal or be stolen from" situation understood the mindset and didn't say much about it. They agreed to keep the thieves in the loop and went on to, at the very least, find some more recruits. They managed eventually to get some more willing participants, afterwards they stopped for a quick lunch break on the rooftops, just barely managing to avoid a bunch of komodos who had come to raid the same shop.

"Hot fresh and stolen," San announced proudly, displaying the feast they had managed to swipe.

Zhen smiled and took some bites of the steamed buns. "It's really good to work with you again," she told San as he stuffed his face with some noodles. She held a bun between her paws and said more to herself, "Feels kinda' weird doing this after so many weeks...."

"Surprised the panda hadn't screamed at all," San observed. "He should be Komodo chow by now."

"Po's a lot tougher than you give him credit for," Zhen informed him flatly. "He's put up with me and all my antics."

"Ah, yes, I forgot," San repeated with hint of mockery. "You're "turning over a new leaf." And what have you been doing with your spare time?"

"I'm training to be a kung fu master."

San froze, his stickful of noodles halfway to his mouth. "Wait..." he said. "Seriously? That's your new career choice?"

"These masters aren't like Master Orazdou. In fact, one of them's kinda' like me. He had a rough start until someone helped give him a second chance to do better. And the old dead master used to be a warlord before he decided to dedicate his life protecting people."

San burst out laughing the thought.

"I'm being serious. We read his diary. He had very messy handwriting."

"I still find it hilarious," San admitted. "Master Zhen....Yeah, still sounds weird."

"So does Master San. Why don't you stop by and give it a few years and see if it still sounds silly?"

"Nah, I'm good with the uppities," San said with an eye roll. "I don't need all the bells and whistles."

The two were quiet for a little bit and ate their lunch in silence. Zhen stared out past the rooftops and just sighed, taking in the familiar city smells. Eventually the two finished their food and began cleaning up their mess. Zhen looked at San for a while before taking a small nervous breath and saying, "San, I really am sorry. You've always been good to me even if we had our ups and downs. And...I did cheat you out of a lot of money. I'm no better than the fancy shmancy Orazdou."

Sand rolled his eyes. "Forget it," he said. "Forget the apologizes and the money. You'll never be as bad as Prince whoshisnamewhoneverdoeshisjob or Master Orazdou. You're a big pain the butt and when this is done I hope I never have to see your face again, but you're not the worst person I've met."

"But I am sorry. And I do want to pay you back. I know I duped you a lot."

"And I loved every minute of it," San told her. "Made me strategize better to catch kids like you in the act. Hmm...maybe I should be a cop. Officer San. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Zhen laughed. "I don't know if I could take you seriously in the big fancy hat, but I'll try to imagine it," she told him.

Sam packed up the rest of the basket and said, "I appreciate the apology Zhen," he admitted. "But try not to change too much. I don't think I'll respect you as much."

Zhen rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best," she remarked.

The two began to hop down from the roof to look for more thugs, but Zhen stopped when she saw smoke billowing from a nearby factory. "What happened over there?!" she exclaimed. "Is it on fire?!"

San was confused, but looked at where Zhen was staring and laughed. "Oh, that's been like that for almost three years now," he assured her. "They've switched to metal working apparently."

"In a mining cavern?"

"A lots changed since you've been gone. Don't be so surprised."

San hopped off the roof, ordering Zhen to follow him so they could find more thugs. Zhen complied and didn't say anything else about the matter. They spent the next two hours trying to find recruits and information, but the results were about the same as the morning. Eventually they decided to break and return back to the tavern and regroup, except they still couldn't find Po anywhere.

"Maybe he is good at this stealth mode stuff," San noted thoughtfully. "Now I just need to know where he's been."

"Couldn't tell you," Zhen admitted. She paused when she reached the base of a giant cliff and glanced all the way towards the top where a massive fortress loomed far above her. Seeing the look on her face, San put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked.

Zhen sighed. "I'll be fine," she promised. "If I don't learn to confront her now, I never will."

San looked at her scar and sighed. "If you're sure...." he said.

Zhen laughed nervously "I don't think I'll ever be ready, if we're being honest," she admitted. "But I gotta' try, at least for everyone else's sake more than mine."

San snorted. "You'll get personal real quick if you're that intent on going after her," he said.

Zhen didn't say anything. She just stared up at the giant fortress and took a small breath.

"Yeah, we got this!" came a voice from behind.

San and Zhen screamed and immediately threw a nearby weapon at the stranger. (Which was more along the lines of a wok pan and a nearby rock). The stranger, a tall person in a dancer costume and mask, quickly caught the items with a cry of alarm. "Easy easy!" he cried. "It's me!"

Zhen took a breath before looking closer at the stranger. "Po?" she asked tentatively.

Po lifted the mask off his face and smiled.

"Wow! Was not expecting that," San admitted. "But I guess that figured. You have the energy to pull that off."

"Thanks."

"Any Komodo problems?" Zhen asked.

"I had a close call a few times, but I'm okay," Po promised. "We should probably head out before we overstay our welcome."

"I agree," San said. "Let's scram."

And with that, the three began to carefully make their way back out of the city, Po quickly putting his costume back before walking out to the safety of the city's outskirts.