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Chapter Text

Assuming that MK had learned not to touch anything that held immense amounts of power that could do any number of horrendous things to him, but evidently not. When the Qīngchūn Xiàngliàn had begun glowing a radiant baby blue, Macaque was worried that it was something of Lady Bone Demon’s creation. But the toddler standing before him in clothes that were now too big for him was way too precious to be something of LBD’s creation. 

It was obvious the kid under the mop of brown hair was MK, his expressions and face more youthful but overall the same thing. Those inquisitive eyes searched around and landed on Macaque and for a second they each did nothing, an air around the duo that had Macaque feeling things he couldn’t remember the name of and hadn’t felt since he last lived on Flower Fruit Mountain. 

Then MK’s little face started scrunching up and getting red, eyes wetting more than a happy toddler’s should.

Before MK could let out a loud cry, Macaque began shushing the child, all six ears peaked for the ghost spiders they had been running from earlier. The child still looked ready to burst, but his whimpering was at least muffled. “No, no, no, MK, it’s ok, bud! You’re fine!” Macaque whispered desperately to the small human before him, mind running with possibilities on how to undo the power of Lao Tzu himself. 

MK grabbed Macaque’s hand and forced it off his face with a strength that was *definitely* not natural for a kid so small. “Who are you? Why am I here?” the child asked, Macaque’s heart dropping even further than it already had. But at least he seemed a bit older than the toddler Macaque assumed he was. Maybe MK was just small for his age?

“I’m -- you don’t know me?” Macaque knew his tone was wrong when MK looked even more shaken than he had just a second before. “It’s ok! It’s ok, I’m Macaque! We were -- we’re playing hide and seek!” Macaque’s ears caught an unnatural wind and stiff steps approaching the tent they had found themselves having a crisis on top of a crisis in. “We’re on a team, ok?”

MK looked freaked out still, but at least he was calmer than he had been. He nodded in understanding, wiping the tears out of his eyes. “Ok. Are we playing with Mei?”

“Um.” Macaque had to remember that Mei was the name that sword-girl had. “She’s waiting for us at home-base, we just have to make it past the seekers and then we can go play with Mei. Can -- can I pick you up so I can take us to home base?” MK didn’t seem trusting, hesitating and backing up slightly as Macaque heard the wind and steps approach ever-closer. If he grabbed the kid and ran, he’d scream, alerting their stalkers to their location. If he just waited here forever for MK to trust him, they’d find the both of them eventually and the kid was in no level of maturity to be able to fight as well as he’d been previously taught. Of course. “Want to meet the Monkey King?”

“Monkey King?” The kid’s eyes brightened at the thousand-year-old name. “He’s real?”

“Yeah!” Macaque whispered, ears twitching with every approaching step. “He’s -- I’m his friend.” It took an enormous amount of self-control to say that without gagging, but he did it. “Monkey King is with Mei right now, so we can see them when we finish the game, but only if we win.”

He was about to speak again, but MK’s eyes looked past him and towards the wall of the tent, eyes bulging in fear. Macaque looked to where the kid was looking and his own ears sagged in fear. On the other side of the tent wall, Goliath’s massive possessed form’s eerie blue glow flitted through the material. His dead eyes seemed to be scanning the area outside of the tent if the movement of its form was anything to go by. Macaque felt MK’s weight enter his grasp just as Goliath’s head seemed to twist sharply towards MK’s little frightened footsteps.

Macaque didn’t waste a second as he tightened his grasp around MK and turned, bolting out of the tent as Goliath crashed into it, ducking under Huntsman's glowing blue flying kick and shoulder-checking Syntax’s chilled body out of the way. MK, for his part, held onto Macaque tightly, not jostling in the exchange once, yelping at every sudden change in momentum and direction. Macaque weaving through the other tents in the encampment, dodging clashes between Lady Bone Demon’s other possessed possessions and the heavenly host that had been ordered down from the celestial realm to prevent LBD’s power from usurping the Jade Emperor. Chaos reigned around them as celestial soldiers were woken by nightmares of the walking dead. 

Macaque unconsciously covered little MK’s eyes, whispering platitudes to the head that buried itself into his shoulder. Macaque made it his life’s goal to reach the treeline where he could gather as many shadow clones as needed to throw off his pursuers. He could almost smell the bark and wilting blossoms when he felt a massive mass ram into his back. He curled around MK, the child screaming in terror. Macaque looked up to see Goliath towering over him, fists raised to crush them both, eyes revealing no emotion.

Macaque knew he’d be too slow to dodge the strike, but he moved to run anyway, the world around him slowing but not allowing him to move any faster. MK screamed in his arms, tiny hands coming up to protect his head. Pink flames burst through the air and around the blue figure, pushing Goliath back. Nezha met his gaze, hair askew from sleeping with it down and being sent into battle straight from the dead of sleep. Nezha took in the scene quickly, expression dropping. “Where’s MK?” He demanded, spear turning quickly towards Macaque. 

Before the eternal 12-year-old could skewer him, MK’s face lifted up and turned towards Nezha, tears streaking out freely now. “Don’t hurt me.” Macaque held him a bit tighter at those words, ears tracking everything on the field beside them.

“Xiǎo tǔ dì?” Nezha asked, face reflecting the slow realization that MK and the child were one and the same. He reached out carefully, running his hand through MK’s hair, pulling a few newly-fallen pieces of ash out of the mop. Nezha’s gaze flicked up to Goliath, who was making his way to his feet. “We’re going to bring you somewhere safe, ok? You won’t have to worry yourself with us around.”

MK nodded and buried his head back into Macaque’s neck, permission enough for both the monkie and the soldier to race into the woodwork, Goliath hunting them as the sounds of war waged on behind them.

Chapter Text

MK hadn’t slept the entire night, too afraid that he and his new big friends would get caught by the big spider people that were chasing them away from that big, angry, campsite. Macaque made clones -- just like the Monkey King! -- and the glowing people didn’t know which ones were real, so they fought all of them to try to find the real one while the actual real ones got away. Or, at least, that’s what Macaque had explained, whispering, just in case the bad people were nearby. 

Macaque handed him over to the other guy, a prince of lotuses or something, to make a call but MK didn’t see a phone and it looked like he was just talking to the air. Nezha noticed his worry flicking over to the trees around him, gripping his arms with a ferocity similar to the newly-hatched dragons he’d seen more of five hundred years ago. Nezha turned around, directing MK’s sight towards the early-morning sun. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, ok? Just to be sure I can help you as much as I can, is that alright?”

MK’s eyes flicked up to his face, bags under his eyes misplaced on the young face. He nodded solemnly, head moving back to rest on Nezha’s shoulder. “What is the last thing you remember? Before you saw Macaque?”

MK’s little face scrunched up in a tired concentration. “I -- I think I was sneaking in the kitchen because I wanted some cake.”

“Why were you sneaking?” Nezha asked with as innocently as he could, though even he had to wince at the attempt. 

In any case, MK didn’t seem bothered by the unfamiliar tone of Nezha’s voice. “Mom and dad sent me to my room because I was too loud. But I was hungry.”

Before Nezha could further respond, he heard a rumbling rapidly approaching the trio. He transferred MK to his back, summoning his spears into his hands before Macaque’s hand landed on his shoulder beside MK’s arm. “Woah, firecracker! It’s just the airship.”

“You guys have an airship?!” MK asked excitedly, weariness forgotten for a moment. “That’s so cool!”

“And the cooler thing is Mei and Monkey King are on the airship!” Macaque exclaimed, a big smile uncomfortable on his face. “Plenty of stuff and people for you to play with when they pick us up.”

MK looked around in the sky, smiling brightly when he saw a growing dot in the sky, waving at it as its anchors began to descend to the ground, dragging along trees and rocks alike. He waved up in awe, jaw dropping as he realized the size of the ship. “It’s like a floating pirate ship!”

Nezha pulled MK from his back and into his arms again, giving Macaque a look. The monkie mouthed “they know” to his companion, and walked to a higher point on the ground, not noticing that Nezha gave him yet another look, biting his tongue. MK’s arms wrapped around Nezha’s neck with a yawn, eyes still bright but certainly back to their more tired state. They opened back up wide at a blue glow in the trees behind them, flora falling and fauna fainting at the crushing strength of Goliath, scratches and injuries littering his body. His eyes scanned the clearing before him before landing on MK’s terrified face. Even as the airship chugged ever-closer, they all froze, Nezha’s grip tightening unconsciously around the scared-into-silence child. 

Goliath took a step forward before green energy bolted into him, sending his body flying and back into trees that broke under his weight and force. Nezha turned quickly at the sight and the sound of Macaque joining the fray, quickly activating his fēng huǒ lún and flying into the air and landing on the airship with a heavy relief. Nezha checked the shaking bundle in his arms, both relieved and heartbroken to see that MK looked safe, but had tears falling yet again, eyes scrunched closed. “MK? Did I squeeze you too much?”

MK opened his eyes and looked around, sniffling. “Where’s Mister Macaque?”

“Right here!” The monkie said as he landed, bursting up with a burst of shadow energy, followed closely by a girl covered in electrified green energy.

“Sandy!” The girl yelled to the Captain’s tower, “Full speed, we gotta go!”

MK heard grunts from the side of the ship, people struggling to pull up an anchor. Footsteps scrambled around him as Nezha started to analyze the operation around him, making his way towards the door to the cabin when a weight landed on the deck, wobbling the ship in the air and making Nezha fall off of his feet, MK yelping at the movement.

Behind them both stood Goliath, cold breath steaming the air. He moved to grab both Nezha and MK, the former grabbing his spear, leaning over the child and the latter’s eyes widening at the familiar sight. An anchor sailed through the air, throwing Goliath off the side of the ship and raising the airship higher and faster. 

MK looked to where the anchor had shot from and saw a figure shaped much like Macaque. His eyes were gold and his fur was bronze, making his way towards Nezha and MK in a rush. “Nezha, are you -- where’s --” He suddenly stopped himself, eyes widening as he caught sight of the big eyes under Nezha’s hair.

Two more footsteps approached from behind, voices panicked. “Kid! Kiddo, are you alright? Are you hungry, I’ll make you some noodles!”

“We should get him some water or something, we have plenty of that, right? How much water does a little MK need?” Tang’s voice intermixed with Pigsy’s, not noticing the confusion on MK’s face.

Monkey King slowly lowered himself to meet MK’s eyes as the child began to stand on his own, facing the monarch with wide but uncertain eyes. “Hey, bud!” Wukong exclaimed softly, slowly reaching his hand out towards the kid. 

MK looked between Monkey King’s face and hand, awe evident in his eyes. “You’re actually the Monkey King!”

Wukong’s head tilted in confusion. “Well, who else would I be?”

“Mister Macaque said he was your friend but I thought he was fibbing! You’re really real!” MK burst, not noticing the suffocating silence that gripped the crew of the airship. 

Wukong almost choked on the realization that MK didn’t remember anything from when he was older. “I -- yeah, uh, we’ve -- we’ve been friends for a long time. Of course he wouldn’t fib about that!” He saw Macaque roll his eyes at the lie. 

“Mister Monkey King?” MK began, feet shifting nervously. “Can I hug you?”

Wukong couldn’t help the aw that escaped his mouth, arms opening in a broad stretch. “Of course, bud! Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen!” With a squeal of excitement, MK launched himself into Monkey King’s arms, eyes drying slowly but surely. Monkey King lifted him as MK’s eyes landed on Mei.

A dawning recognition crossed his face with a loud gasp. “When did you get big, Mei?!” 

Mei’s face flashed a nervous smile. “I got superpowers, remember? I grew with the powers!” She exclaimed quickly, ruffling MK’s hair. “I’m sure you’ll grow quick too! Now, ah, I’m going to go check in with Sandy, see if anything needs repairing or something.” She bounded off, leaving MK in awe and the rest of the group a bit troubled. 

Pigsy slowly approached MK this time, waving unsurely. “Hey, kid. Did -- did anyone tell you my name?”

MK shook his head, content to bury his cheek in the furry neck of Monkey King. “No, sir!”

Pigsy didn’t let his fake smile falter. “Well, MK, I’m Pigsy. It’s very nice to meet you.” He reached his hand up towards MK.

“You too, Mister Pigsy, sir!” MK gladly took and shook Pigsy’s hand, yawning as he released the appendage. “This ship is so cool!”

“Well, I can show you more of it after you get some food and water and sleep.” Wukong replied, already moving towards the door into the hull.

“But I’m not tired!” MK yawned again. 

Monkey King hummed in response. “Well maybe you can eat and drink first, and maybe you’ll be tired then?” Like that the duo was below-deck, leaving the others to contemplate the events that had occurred. 

Nezha turned towards Macaque, a wave of inquisitive anger clear on his face. “You didn’t tell them he couldn’t remember them?”

“You didn’t either!” Macaque rebounded, avoiding the Lotus Prince’s glare. 

Tang huffed, standing between the two. “Let’s just be happy he’s alive and as safe as he can be on a boat that’s breaking all known laws of aviation. Prince Nezha, I think we have a spare room for you in the hull.”

Nezha nodded and followed him below, leaving Macaque on the deck on his own. He looked up into the Captain’s tower to see Mei and Sandy, seemingly deep in conversation. He shifted into a shadow and made his way up to them.

Chapter Text

Mei silenced herself at Sandy’s grave look, noting that Mo began to slowly rub himself towards Sandy’s neck, purring as Sandy’s shaking hand pet him down the cat’s back. The river demon took a few deep breaths, shaking dying down bit by bit. Sandy turned back towards Mei with an apologetic smile, cuddling Mo closer to him. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to scare you. That’s just -- that’s some upsetting information to take in. But I guess that explains why my best friend ended up with a kid in his care.”

Mei nodded solemnly. “I’m -- MK doesn’t remember being older, so, you know -- I’m worried. What if he thinks we’ll do what his parents did to him?” 

Sandy full-body shuttered at the question. “I think we should bring everyone else up to speed then, to make sure we can make MK feel safe.”

Macaque’s form drew together in the cabin, scowl evident on his face and growl peaking through his voice. “Well there’s one less person you have to tell.” he ignored their yelps of surprise, struggling not to scream. “Where are they?”

Mei’s feet shifted with her nerves. “They were in the city, so they’re probably gone by now.” She admitted, not very sympathetic to those she described. “But either way, they haven’t been near MK in years and we haven’t exactly kept up with them.” 

Before Macaque could respond further, a short and high-pitched scream burst through the ship, causing the trio to jump in surprise. 

Under the deck, Wukong quickly picked MK from his bed, cradling the crying boy in his arms. His eyebrows scrunched in worry, watching as MK’s hands covered and squeezed his mouth and lips, struggling to make himself silent. “Hey, hey, bud. Let your hands go. It’s ok, but you’re going to hurt yourself like that.”

MK loosened his grip on his mouth but still covered it, shaking with emotions Wukong couldn’t yet identify. MK’s eyes opened slightly, wincing as his eyes met Monkey King’s. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, so sorry, I was too loud I’m so sorry--”

“Woah, calm down bud!” Wukong said, not sure where the aversion to his own volume had come from. “It’s ok, that’s just what happens when you have a nightmare. It’s ok, bud. No one’s mad at you for being afraid.” MK seemed unconvinced and continued to shake in Wukong’s arms. Monkey King scooped up the child and started heading out of the room. “Alright, how about we got you a drink of water, ok?”

At MK’s slight nod, Wukong walked out of the room and into the hallway, a hop in his step. This was certainly more difficult than a monkey child, Monkey King had to admit. With the babies on Flower Fruit Mountain, one look towards Wukong usually had them in immediate better spirits. Some backrubs and grooming and they’d be content. MK wasn’t like that: he was shivering and whimpering, seeming to expect the world to come crashing down around him. Either the nightmare really was that bad or there was something deeper connected to him apologizing for being loud.

They arrived in the kitchen relatively quickly, Wukong setting MK on the counter. MK had stopped whimpering, at least, watching Wukong move about the kitchen with a guilty expression about him. “I’m sorry I was loud, Mister Monkey King.” 

Wukong looked back at him with a slight smile as he filled a small glass. “You don’t need to be sorry, bud. It’s ok.”

“I’m not in trouble?” MK asked, worry etching his small brow.

Wukong struggled to keep smiling, just as worried as MK looked to be. “Not at all!” He handed MK the glass. “Use both hands, bud.” He watched MK take deep gulps, considering his next words carefully. “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

MK finished the glass as though he were a dehydrated marathoner, noticing Prince Nezha enter the kitchen in a hurry. “Hi, Mister Prince Nezha!”

“Hello.” Nezha responded bluntly, taking MK’s physical state in. “Are you, ok?”

“I’m ok, I just had a bad dream.” MK explained, placing the small glass next to him. “I’m sorry.”

Nezha waved a dismissive hand. “It’s alright. Everyone gets bad dreams every once in a while.”

MK considered this as far as a child with two of his heroes around him could. “I bet Mister Monkey King doesn’t!” Wukong was relieved, at least, that MK seemed to be more himself. “He’s the strongest and bravest!”

Nezha minutely rolled his eyes as Wukong spoke, pouring himself some sweet peach tea. “I have bad dreams sometimes too, bud.”

MK’s mouth fell open. “Really? But you’re the Monkey King!”

Wukong chuckled, sitting on his tail. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have scary dreams! One time, I had a dream that I was on the journey again with my friends.” Nezha’s back stiffened, eyeing Wukong’s back. “But then, we all got separated and my cloud turned into a gigantic snake!” Wukong threw his arms open and waved them around, relishing in the kid’s laughter in response. “Alright, bud, your turn! If you don’t want to tell me about your bad dream, you don’t have to.”

MK grabbed his glass again, reaching to put it in the sink aways next to him. “I don’t really know where I was, but it had a lot of rocks.” He began, huffing as he struggled to reach. “And it was really really cold. Like that time I walked to school without my monkey jacket.” His efforts to reach landed him on his stomach on the counter, worming his way closer and closer to the sink. “And I couldn’t find you guys, or Mister Pigsy, or Mister Macaque, or Super-Mei. And this skull lady showed up and it got really really really cold. She reached for me.” He dropped the glass, finally, in the sink, sitting up again. “And then I woke up.”

Wukong tried not to show his anger and discomfort, but no words escaped his mouth. Instead, Nezha spoke for both of them. “That does sound like a pretty bad dream. But it’s over now, so you don’t have to worry about that. And if you ever have a bad dream again, you can go to anyone on the ship. We’ll make sure you’re safe.” 

MK looked at him with wide, unbelieving eyes for a silent moment. “Thank you, sir.” He reached his arms out towards Wukong, quietly squealing in happiness as Monkey King picked him up. 

“Think you can go back to sleep, bud?” Wukong asked, not surprised when MK shook his head. “Then, how about we check out the rest of the ship?” MK nodded, hanging from Monkey King’s neck. They, followed silently by Nezha, made their way towards the upper deck, passing Mei and Macaque along the way. The duo seemed on-edge but thankful to have seen MK in good health. 

On the deck itself, Tang, Sandy, and Pigsy seemed to be discussing something with an air of seriousness having arranged themselves around a map. At the creak of the lower deck door opening behind them, the three turned, smiling largely at MK. “Hey, kiddo! How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you!” MK replied, removing himself from Monkey King’s arms to run and hug Pigsy’s legs. 

Tang bent his legs to meet MK’s eyes. “Hello, MK. I don’t think we met earlier. I’m Tang.” He held out his hand, satisfied when MK took it with a smile. 

Sandy rounded Pigsy’s other side, moving gently and slowly. “And I’m Sandy, little guy. I’m the Captain of the ship!” He held out his pointer finger, moving carefully as MK shook it. Sandy’s eyes took in the fading tear-stains on MK’s face, frowning slightly for just a second. “Speaking of the ship!” Sandy rose to his full height, smiling at MK’s awed reaction to his height. “We’re going to have to land her soon. That fast escape earlier burned through the fuel faster than I expected. There’s a town on the way to our destination, but we’re going to have to be a bit low-key about it.”

Monkey King joined the group in stride, looking towards the rest of the crew. “Why? I doubt LBD has that many supporters out here.”

“That’s not the problem.” Tang answered, a hand idly patting MK’s hair as the child listened but didn’t really understand. “Still need to find a way to make our new predicament our, ah, old advantage, if you catch my meaning. And the town -- it’s at the base of the Fiery Cloud Mountain.” 

Wukong frowned, not uncaught by MK. “Is that a bad place?” He asked innocently, breaking Monkey King from his grave thoughts. 

Macaque approached from behind. “Not if you don’t get caught.” He lifted MK quickly, earning a giggle. “You got to be all sneaky! Can you be sneaky so we can get the fuel?”

“I can be sneaky! Like a snake!” MK exclaimed, whispering, yet loudly. “I can be super sneaky!”

“How about we sneakily get some more clothes for you while the boring grown-ups get the fuel?” Mei suggested, surprising even Macaque. Looking over the scene, it was a good suggestion as MK was still in the large shirt that he wore as a young adult, which now fit him like a gown reaching well below his knees. His jacket was now a robe and his pants and shoes were forgotten. His socks had to be cuffed up tremendously in order to have anything covering his feet. 

“I’ll go with you.” Nezha spoke up, meeting Mei’s eyes wearily. “Just in case.”

“Mister Prince Nezha is coming too!” MK celebrated, shooting his little arms into the air. “I want to have clothes like Mister Prince Nezha’s!” Mei heaved in laughter, giving MK a thumbs up from her bent laughing position. Nezha muttered to himself but didn’t make a statement against MK’s wishes.

MK suddenly turned towards Sandy, inquisition in his gaze. “Mister Captain Sandy? If you’re the Captain, but you’re here, who’s driving the ship?”

Sandy beamed, pointing to the Captain’s tower. “That’d be my friend, Mo!”

MK looked to where Sandy was pointing, gasping in glee. “Mister Captain Kitty Mo!” Pigsy, Tang, and Wukong on the other hand, went to begin the landing at the base of Fiery Cloud Mountain.

Chapter Text

At the base of the Fiery Wind Mountain, right below the Cave of Fiery Wind, the crew began looking between market stalls, heads down and disguises on. Mei had forgone her usual green and pigtails, switching to Tang’s outer robe, belt, and low ponytail, scabbard strapped tightly to her back. Pigsy had also forgone his usual garb, instead opting for a fighter jacket and large, cuffed jeans, a hat obscuring his face.

Wukong, who had shifted into a woman he’d forgotten the name of long ago, red and yellow qixiong ruqun upon him with a bronze dagger hidden in his sash, turned to the newly-landed group. “Alright, this should be a quick in-and-out.” His voice lilted like a melody and long black hair was pulled back into an intricate bun. “Don’t go too far away from our buddy point and don’t spend more than ten minutes in one place. Got it, guys?”

While a few gave a response in the form of a nod, MK brightened in Sandy’s shirt, turned into his own hufu at the insistence that he matched Monkey King as close as possible. “It’s like a field trip!” 

Monkey King huffed in good nature, patting MK’s made-up hair, careful not to damage the bun. “And it’s important that you don’t tell anyone your name is MK, alright, bud? If anyone asks, I’m your mom. Remember, stranger danger.” 

“Yes, sir!” MK chirped back, both his hands being held by Mei and Nezha, who had borrowed a hooded cloak that belonged to Macaque, hood up. “Can we go now? Please?”

“Hold on, little one.” Nezha said, chuckling at MK’s enthusiasm, wheels left on the ship. “When we get to the store, we have to be able to see you at all times. If you go to a different aisle, you have to let one of us know.”

MK nodded in acknowledgement, looking serious for a moment before Mei took a step into town and MK began pulling on their hands, bounding towards the crowded dirt road. Pigsy, Tang, and Wukong headed in a second direction, leaving Macaque and Sandy to guard the airship hiding in the clouds. The group near-silently joined the crowd, shoulders brushing shoulders as they worked their way forward, heads down. 

The village was grey and dark, ash falling constantly from the mountaintop and wind blowing heavily. Despite the bite of the air, the area was hot, making those who mined the cliffsides sweat even more than their exertion alone would. Maroons, greys, and blacks filled the streets as vendors and shoppers alike swarmed the streets, bartering, buying, and selling what they could. Herbs and sculpted trinkets made their rounds in exchanges, adding to the taken room in the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Nezha pulled the group into a door to the side, wooden boards creaking in movement. 

The store was small and empty, excluding the mountain deity attendant in the front. She jumped up in surprise on her stool, eyes widening at the entrance of the group. “Welcome! Can -- can I help you find anything?” She smiled broadly, standing and nearly toppling her seat.

“We’re just browsing for now, thank you.” Mei waved her off, pulling MK’s arm closer just a bit. MK was already looking around, hanfu, hufu, and samfu alike all catching his eyes. “Let’s look at some casual daopao first, then we can move on to some other stuff, that sound good?”

MK nodded, already releasing his hand from Nezha’s grip and flitting through racks of soft fabrics. “How much am I allowed to get?”

“As much as you want, little guy!” Mei responded, helping MK look through the light fabrics. “If you want everything in the store, we’ll get it for you!”

Nezha suddenly held up an orange, child-sized, yesa robe in front of MK. “It’s usually a militaristic uniform of some kind, but it seems to be a style you like. Do you want it?” MK nodded, stars in his eyes as Mei picked a few daopao in MK’s usual orange and yellow. “We’ll get you a shuhe too, while at it.”

“Really?” MK asked, bun bouncing as he hopped on his ankles. “I can really get all this stuff?”

Nezha smoothed over a few fly-away hairs on MK’s head, smiling as softly as he could. “Why are you surprised? We said you can get whatever you want and we meant it.” MK hugged Nezha with a muffled thanks before a gown caught his eye.

He grabbed the prince’s hand and pulled him over, surprising the lotus prince with his strength. “Look!” He pointed at a qixiong ruqun, a familiar pattern about it. The bottom of the ruqun hit the floor but its shoulder reached above even the high bun on MK’s head. “It looks like the one Monk -- mom is wearing! Can I please get it?”

Mei gave a thumbs up before Nezha spoke. “It’s a bit large for you. We can try to see if there’s anything else like it in your size.”

“Hold on!” Mei said, a slight pout evident from the situation. “We said he could anything and I’m not about to break that promise!” She headed back towards the front desk, a soft approach to the wide-eyed attendant. “Hey, we saw something we want, but do you have it in a smaller size?”

“Oh, let me check! Which -- uh -- which piece was it?” She replied skittishly, excited to have a customer, let alone three. 

Mei led the woman to Nezha and MK, the younger’s bright magenta cutting through the dreary lighting of the shop and the village around it. She looked a moment between Nezha and Mei, putting on a tight smile towards MK. “Is this the little lady we’re shopping for?”

“Yes.” Nezha put bluntly, checking the time through the window by the sun. The attendant reached down towards the qixiong ruqun, running her fingers over the outer fabric.

She dartingly looked between MK and the dress, wetting her lips. “I don’t think I have any other in the back, but I can certainly tailor it for her.”

“That sound good, little dude?” Mei asked, listening as Nezha stepped towards the window even further.

MK beamed. “Yes, please!” He looked up at the attendant with wide, bright eyes. “Thank you, ma’am!”

The attendant’s smile grew wider and yet tighter. “Oh, it’s no problem, little lady. We’ll have to head to the back so I can get it on you and adjust from there, ok?” MK followed the woman, Mei and Nezha standing guard by the door to the front and the door to the back, respectively.

Nezha kept his ears peeled, the ash outside not indicating anything good for the amount of time they’d spent in the small village. Mei peered out of the window, humming a tune in her head. “We should head out as soon as they’re done.”

“Make take a while, though.” Mei responded, nonchalant. “Especially if she’s sewing by hand.”

Nezha didn’t reply verbally, instead tapping on the back door. “How long do you think this is going to take? We’ve got somewhere to be after this.” He was met with silence. He tapped again, this time harder, Mei striding up behind him. “Miss? MK?”

After this, again, received no response, Nezha kicked the door in, launching into the now-empty closet. Mei grabbed her phone, dialling the first one she could remember off the top of her head. At the soft greeting, she near-yelled. “We have a big problem!”

At the entrance of the Fiery Wind Cave, a woman and a bound child waited to the led in, the child less willing than the woman. The woman heaving the child over her shoulder, the too-large sleeves on the child tied around his back, sash folded and tied like a makeshift gag. A demon opened the grand doors to the palace in the cave, allowing two others to flank the mountain deity and her unwilling cargo. They proceeded through dark and flame-lit halls before entering into a bright and open throne room, voices echoing and booming.

“..here, you are the Shèng Yīng Dàwáng, the Boy Sage King of this mountain and all its subjects. You are the king here, Red Son. The law is your word, do not defer to mine.” A deep, warm voice spoke smoothly, with an air of uncomfortable comforting. MK was taken of the attendant’s shoulder to stand in front of her, taking in an eyeful of his predicament. 

Demon Bull King and Red Son looked towards him and the attendant, seemingly annoyed to be interrupted but otherwise curious to know why. “My lords!” The mountain deity kowtowed, her gaze not once meeting the demons’ and pulling MK down with her. “I’ve -- I haven’t received enough business to pay my tribute this month, but I can give you something else!” 

Demon Bull King glanced at his son, letting him take the lead. Red Son cleared his throat, looking mildly uncomfortable. “I suppose you mean the child?”

“She’s not just any child, my king!” The attendant seemed panicked, standing and dragging MK up with her. “She came into my shop with armed guards, one with the crest of the Dragon family on her sword! She’s a little heiress!” At Red Son’s bored look, the attendant tried again. “And -- my lord, look beyond the physical and at her power! She’s someone powerful’s heiress, I know it!”

Red seemed to consider this as MK stood, shaking, noting that Demon Bull King muttered to himself. “She’s not even big enough to be a light snack.” MK shivered, looking between the demons and his kidnapper. 

“Well, I’ve been needing a good lab assistant at the very least.” Red requiestted, nonchalant. “Take her gag off.” MK felt the gag being off of him rather roughly, sputtering as it was removed. “What’s your name, little heiress?”

MK looked between the attendant, who refused to meet his gaze, and Red Son, who didn’t so much as glare but still seemed to have the effect of doing so. “I’m M -- My name is Xiaotian.”

He answered, hairs having come out of his bun and falling between his eyes. 

Red Son hummed, eyes snapping to his father before returning to Xiaotian’s face. “Well, Heiress Xiaotian, you’re going to be staying here once I’ve reached an agreement with Hoi over there.”

The attendant -- Hoi -- bowed again, releasing breath in relief. “Thank you!”

“A month without tributes.” Red ignored her, naming his price.

Hoi shuttered. “Two, sir?”

“One and a half, and if you try to bargain again, I’ll take the girl and make you pay double for the rest of your life.” Red’s tone was even as he threatened the attendant, expression unchanging as she left in a rush along with the demons flanking her. MK stood where he was set, eyes wide and wet.

Demon Bull King smiled down at his son. “That was well-handled, my son. Just as a good demon king handles these matters.”

Red Son beamed, looking back at DBK. “Really?”

DBK hummed in affirmative, taking a few steps towards MK. The child took a frightened step back before he stopped moving, looking up at the Bull King. Red Son poked his eyes around his father to look at the child, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I think I shall take her to my lab.”

DBK nodded, lifting MK by the back of the qixiong ruqun and placing him beside Red Son. “As you wish. I will join your mother in the study.” With that, DBK was surprisingly quickly out of the room as Red Son untied MK’s sleeves and dragged him behind him into a new hallway, silent.

Chapter Text

Red Son hummed to himself, acutely aware of the child on the other side of the room. He was aware of his parents’ servants of varying degrees of willingness almost always being on-hand for them, but he was unaware of how to proceed. He hadn’t had a living servant before, always preferring to have robots and machinations of some sort. But his mother had suggested that he begin getting more comfortable with both commanding and with people outside of the family. But having her just standing there and grabbing tools as he needed them was awkward. “So.”

Xiaotian startled at his sudden word, not noticing his apologetic cringe. “You need a saw?”

“No, no.” Red amended, keeping his eyes on his work as the wrench felt heavy in his hands. “I -- would you like to speak?”

“About what, Mister King Red Son, sir?” The child replied, head tilting a bit curiously in a manner that Red Son was sure he’d seen before.

Red hummed down the instinct to correct the child. “I don’t know, but your silence is rather awkward, don’t you think?”

Xiaotian seemed confused. “But I’m not supposed to tell strangers stuff. My mom said so.”

“And what’s your mother’s surname?” Red asked, curiosity getting the better of him. How would he command a person if he didn’t know them anyway?

“Which one?” Xiaotian asked. “I think I have two now.”

Red chuckled, shaking his head. “The mother you came into town with.” Perhaps the child’s parents were divorced and the father had moved on. Perhaps the mother had started dating another woman. Maybe there was a polyamorous situation going on. Whatever it was, Red was hardly in the position to judge anyone else’s relationship status when his own was nonexistent. 

“Sun, I think.” The little heiress answered, as coolly as a child could say such a feared name. 

Red startled up, hitting his head on the metal he was under, sliding out from under it with speed. “ ‘Sun’? Is that what you’ve said, ‘Sun’?”

“Yes, sir.” The child blinked, seemingly surprised at Red Son’s sudden panic.

Red blinked back, regret immediately set in. Perhaps there was some advice from his mother that he shouldn’t take.

Hoi was packing her stock away, shelves and hangers bare and the floor littered with boxes. She rushed about when she heard the peculiar state of the street outside being in near-complete silence, save for the falling of footsteps. She turned as they approached, her windows covered in shadows. The door opened with a slight creak, a woman stepping into Hoi’s shop with her head held high and graceful strides, dress making it clear who the little heiress was trying to match. This must be the little lady’s mother. 

“Now,” the mother began, voice as smooth as a jade pendant, “I believe my child came in here earlier, but she hasn’t returned with her guards. I wonder why that could be.” Where the child’s eyes were warm, the mother’s were cold, not once leaving Hoi’s form as the attendant trembled on her feet.

“I’m sorry.” Hoi replied, bringing her sleeve up to wipe the sweat appearing on her brow. “I -- I wouldn’t have had a choice, they --”

The mother turned to face her directly, eyes glowing an angry gold as shadows grabbed at Hoi from behind, pulling and holding her to the wall. “What are you sorry for? Where is my child?” The voice turned into a growl, deepening with Hoi’s terror.

The attendant sobbed, barely noticing that the guards from earlier had reentered the shop, looking through the boxes and grabbing a few articles. “I -- I took her! I didn’t have a choice, if I didn’t get enough to pay tribute, they’d kill me!”

“Dying is the least of your worries.” The mother suddenly grabbed Hoi’s collar, form shifting in a golden glow, revealing the form of the Monkey King. A shadow drew off of the wall to reveal the Six-Eared Macaque, silently killing her with his scowl. “Where’s my kid?”

“With the Lords of Fiery Wind Cave!” Hoi sobbed out, yelping when she was dropped by the shadows. “I’m so sorry!” She stayed on the ground, bowing to the king before her. “I missed last month’s tribute and they wouldn’t let me get away with another month! They wouldn’t let my family get away with it!”

Wukong glared down at her. “You gave my kid to demons?”

“She’s still alive!” She burst, forehead never leaving the wooden floor. “The Boy Sage King said she’d be his lab assistant.”

Macaque kneeled down, all six ears exposed and flicking around. “Do you have children, miss? A partner?”

Hoi sobbed out again. “Two! And their father -- they didn’t let him get away with it, he’s gone, I’m so sorry, please --” She shut her mouth quickly as Macaque rose, eyes peeled on Wukong’s moving boots. The two guards from earlier had a handful of clothes, handing them to Wukong, who looked them over, a bittersweet smile on his face. He turned to the counter, placing all the clothes on it beside the makeshift register. 

Monkey King pulled some hairs from his head, letting warmth into his eyes. “How much for all this?”

Hoi’s eyes snapped up as she slowly raised herself from the floor. On shaky legs, she walked behind the counter, running her hand over the fabrics, all outfits fitted for a child. She checked each hand-written tag, adding their prices on a notepad. “17,000 yuan.”

Mei dropped a wad of money on the counter that had to amount to at least double the actual price of the clothes. “Keep the change.”

“And take these.” Monkey King blew on his hair, each turning into a ticket. “These’ll get you and your kids to Guanyin’s shelter. You won’t have to worry about tributes there.” The shadows retreated from the windows and the walls, Nezha picking up the clothes from the counter. Monkey King transformed back into the woman, adjusting his posture to that of an aristocratic mother, one who wouldn’t be questioned as to why she had armed guards. “And if I ever see you again, know that all the mercy I have for you has been used up today and run.”

The group left, disguises back on, turning out of the door and out of Hoi’s sight, leaving her to realize just how much packing she and her children were going to do.

Outside the shop, the group met with Tang and Pigsy, both of whom had been standing by the door. “So?” Pigsy asked, nerves on edge and hands clammy. “Where’s the kid?”

“Given to the Demon Bull family.” Nezha answered in an almost-growl, cracking his knuckles. “How are we going to approach this?”

“We can’t expect that MK can help us save him, given that he’s small and definitely going to be scared if we bust the door down.” Macaque gave from his position as Wukong’s shadow. “And we don’t know how much they’ve built their defences since the city fell.”

Mei groaned. “Stealth then?”

“Not necessarily.” Wukong said, a mischievous glint to his eyes. “We could always use a distraction.”

Chapter Text

Xiaotian followed Red Son as he rapidly made his way to his parents’ study. How many magically-powerful families could there exist with the surname “Sun”? Very few, Red could imagine. Unless a completely separate Sun family had risen in magical prominence in 500 years, though that was unlikely if the family was just human. Possible, but unlikely. Which meant that little Xiaotian on his heels was likely a descendant of Sun Wukong.

Red Son paused at a door, startling Xiaotian, the little one tripping over his dress. The demon son reconsidered this for a moment as if it were any indication of the child’s parentage. It’s possible for a demon to be clumsy, but a child of the Monkey King’s bloodline? Actually, no, it made sense that Sun Wukong’s potential grandchild was going to trip over their own feet. The Boy Sage King knocked thrice upon the door to his parents’ study, not letting his new assistant see his growing nerves. When he heard his mother’s muffled permission to come in, he did so quickly, grabbing Xiaotian’s hand and pulling the child inside.

His mother glanced over at him coolly, taking her eyes off the scroll she’d left there 500 years ago. She opened her mouth but Red spoke first, nerves making their way to the foreground. “We might have a problem with the child.”

“Has she already failed so terribly as a lab assistant?” His father asked, putting his own book down. “It’s barely been any more than half an hour.”

Xiaotian frowned, which Red side-eyed in a fearful manner he’d not admit to later. “No, her ability to hand me tools isn’t in question, father, it's that she’s likely the ‘little heiress’ of the Monkey King.”

Princess Iron Fan’s jaw clenched and her eyebrows rose. She looked between her husband and her son, contemplating. “And how have you reached that conclusion?”

“Well, look at her magic!” Red started, arms animatedly waving around Xiaotian. “I asked what her mother’s surname is and it’s ‘Sun’! How many families have that much magic and that surname?” His parents gave each other a glance, considering. 

DBK cleared his throat mildly. “There could be countless more people who have been named Sun in the five centuries our family has been underground in so many meanings of the phrase, perhaps it’s just a coincidence?”

Red grabbed Xiaotian, lifting the child closer to his father’s eyes. “Look at this child’s power and tell me it isn’t monkey-shaped!”

His father seemed to take a good look again at the child’s power, grimacing at what he saw. “It could be a baboon?”

Suddenly, the door to the study opened, hitting Red in the back as a demon hurried in, bowing quickly before bursting. “We’re under attack by monkeys riding a dragon!” 

Iron Fan burst up from her seat, laying her scroll down none too carefully. “Get as many archers as you can find, we need to stop them before they land anywhere on the mountain. She stormed over and lifted her son back up, shoving Xiaotian into his chest. “And the girl is valuable, so you need to find a way to get her off the mountain and to one of the safehouses without being detected.” She turned on her heel quickly, summoning her fan into her hand and leaving Demon Bull King and Red Son in the study. 

A moment of silence followed her departure before Red turned to his father. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I like the prospect of being alive, so I’m going to return Xiaotian to her grandfather now.”

DBK nodded, sucking on his lips. “Alright.”

“You’re not going to tell me not to?” Red asked, readjusting his grip on Xiaotian. 

“What guest would I be if I told my host what to do on his own mountain?” Bull King responded, heading for the door. “Just make sure not to get caught with her.” With that, he left, his footfalls rapidly approaching the incoming sounds of battle.

Red cautiously approached the door, turning left and avoiding the area where he heard walls and doors being crashed in. “I get to go home now?” Xiaotian asked, ducking her head whenever a particularly loud noise echoed in the hall. 

The Boy Sage King picked up speed, running as heard his father’s enraged roar shake the walls around them. “Only if you’re quiet.” He muttered, just loud enough for Xiaotian to hear and duck her head down. 

Macaque shifted back into his physical form, observing the now-empty study that’d been abandoned quickly if the state of the reading material was anything to go by. Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King were both accounted for, fighting his and Wukong’s clones out front. Which just left Red Son to have MK. Macaque growled, sniffing the air to find muddled paper and metal. He searched for the slightest bit of difference, unable to hear any difference even with his six ears because of the chaotic tones of the building battle. 

Until there was the slightest bit of oil and wasn’t Red Son a bit of a mechanic? Macaque left the room sniffing furiously and dashing through the guards that had started racing from deeper into the corridor. Nothing would stop him from getting his student.

Wukong, from where he was sitting behind Mei on her motorcycle, could see a great deal of the battle, from Princess Iron Fan flying up and trying to prevent his clones from landing to Demon Bull King wrestling with a group of clones out of the broken doorway, many of his own guards cowering away from the king. Red Son and his flames were nowhere to be found, likely planning his family’s escape. Would Xiaotian be with whatever other servants the DB family has? Were they already too late and MK was dead? Had they realized that the “little heiress” they’d taken was actually the “little thief”?

In the case that they were too late, Wukong knew better than anyone that it was never too late to get revenge. His eyes coolly took in the sight before him, not exactly coming to terms with the possibility of his student’s death but recognizing the possibility being higher than what he’d want at any point.

The clones were pushing Demon Bull King back into the cave, overwhelming him in numbers. Wukong stood on the bike, startling Mei nearly out of her flight pattern. “I’m going to knock some heads, be right back.”

He didn’t wait for Mei’s response before jumping down, landing with a crater below-foot. The chaos of the battle took him back to years often forgotten, but he knew, if he allowed the DB family to survive, they’d never forget the lesson he instilled this day.

DBK had found himself back in his son’s throne room, surrounded by monkies on all sides, but noticed, belatedly, that they were no longer attacking him, instead opting to glare at him and force him to the centre of the circle they’d formed. He lowered his axes, muscles tensed as he observed the ring of clones. 

A tap sounded behind him and Demon Bull King turned to face it, not surprised but not expecting to see the real Sun Wukong, eyes a blazing angry gold that permeated the air around the group. “Where’s my kid?” Wukong demanded, voice somehow echoing despite his unusually quiet tone.

Demon Bull King eyed the clones around him, noting their tense stances and clenched fists. “Red Son went to return your granddaughter to you and your forces.”

The real Wukong’s face startled, eyes breaking their golden glimmer for a moment. “‘Granddaughter’? Do you think I’m that old?”

Demon Bull King snorted. “We are both a millennia old, your spawn could have populated entire continents by now.” When all he received as a response was a deepening glare, he huffed. “But since my son is attempting to return her, can you not call back your attack on his mountain?”

“No.” Wukong answered immediately. “Not until my kid is in my sight. Until then, it’s my mission to destroy every inch of this mountain.” He began to walk away, sniffing the air as DBK roared behind him, clones jumping atop of him, obscuring his sight of Wukong, not knowing that the real one had already left.

Sandy silently piloted the airship as Mo cuddled with his neck, the river demon’s warm breath ruffling the cat’s fur. Tang’s presence behind him was just a small blip on the map that was the onslaught that’d been going on for awhile now. Pigsy’s operation of the cannons was another blip, the golden and green glow filling the sky was what was his main focus. He wasn’t sure if Mei or Wukong was aware of the airship’s presence, having started their attack while Tang, Sandy, and Pigsy were evacuating the civilians below. They’d seen the attendant from the store working her way through the crowd, two children attached to her hip as she exited her home. At the very least, he was glad he didn’t know where she was going because her face really did burn through his patience more than anything else on his journey of pacifism. There were many stressors now that would be gone if he gave into the stoked rage within, but the fear MK would surely look at him with was enough to put his own anger on the back burner. 

As he contemplated lowering the ship closer to the opening of the cave and giving Pigsy a better shot into the heart of the enemy, a security alarm sounded, breaking the hypocritical peace on the deck. “What’s that?” Tang asked, peering around Sandy’s bicep. The river demon set the ship to rise slowly, checking the displays in front of him, eyeing lit buttons and navigational gear until he found the problem. 

“It looks like something made its way onboard.” Sandy set Mo down on the steering wheel, going towards the door with Tang following closely behind. “Mo, get us up to 15 hundred meters!”

Sandy jumped out of the door instead of climbing down the ladder, shaking the ship in its ascent. He peered over the deck before he saw something red under a mast. He cautiously approached the red blob before it exclaimed in a familiar voice. “Mister Captain Sandy!”

MK lifted his dress, clumsily running towards the river demon. Sandy gasped, running and sliding to MK, arms open. “Oh, kiddo! You’re ok! Are you ok? You’re not hurt are you?”

MK shook his head, hugging Sandy’s neck. “I’m ok!” He turned back towards the mast, pointing with a smile. “Mister Boy Sage King brought me back!” Red Son was startled from his position behind the mast, making to leap from the side of the ship before MK was placed in Tang’s arms and Sandy’s massive hand landed on Red Son’s lithe shoulder. 

“What’s the rush?” Sandy asked, a mask of happiness obvious on his face. “Won’t you stay for tea?”

Red Son winced at the weight of the hand weighing him down. “I - I really shouldn’t trouble you for it.”

Sandy laughed in a facade of good nature. “You’re our guest, I insist on tea!” Before Red Son could remove Sandy’s hand from his person, shadow tendrils wrapped around his limbs, Macaque climbing over the side of the ship.

Eyes glowing purple, the six-eared simian growled. “His tea’s pretty good. You won’t regret trying it. You will regret other things instead.” The tendrils dragged Red closer to the stairs leading below-deck, Tang having distracted MK from the sight.

Tang opened up his phone, resting MK on his hip. “Want to say ‘hi’ to Monkey King? I’m going to call him to let him know that you’re ok.”

“Yes please!” MK cheered, peeking at Tang’s phone as it began ringing on speaker. It rang twice, then thrice before Wukong picked up. “Tang? Is something wrong up there?”

“Hi, Mister Monkey King!” MK answered, cheerful. “I’m back on the ship!”

There was a pause on the line before a muffled sob sounded on the speaker. “H-Hey, bud! I’m going to head back up there, ok? We’re going to make sure your ok and we can do whatever you want when we get back up there to you, ok?”

“Ok!” MK replied, the smile never leaving his face. “I love you, Mister Monkey King!”

Monkey King heaved an emotional huff. “I love you too, bud.” With that the call was ended, the sounds of battle already wilting away.

Chapter Text

Nezha glared at the demon before him, angrily sipping his tea, trying not to show his pleasant surprise at the honey flavour hitting his tongue. Under his gaze, Red Son swirled his teacup in his hand, avoiding eye contact. His eyes every-so-often darted to the door of the dining room, only to remind the young demon of the obsidian monkie standing in the doorway, playing with a shadow dagger. Sandy was the only one in the room whose back was turned to Red Son, busying himself with refilling his steel teapot, not trusting that a more fragile one wouldn’t be damaged in the upcoming moments.

He turned around to immediately gain Red Son’s attention and sat next to Nezha, calmly pouring tea into a mug larger than his normal portion. “Are you aware of who exactly that child is?”

Red Son gulped having never brought the tea to his lips. “Not exactly, but I had a working theory that she’s the Monkey King’s granddaughter.”

Nezha snorted into his tea. “That was your theory?”

“It was evidently wrong if your reaction was anything to go by.” Red admitted, finally glaring back at Nezha only to feel a shadow tapping on the back of his neck in response. “She’s important either way if not his kin.”

Sandy took a sip of tea before deciding to put a dollop of honey in it. “The kid’s MK. Apparently, there was an artefact that turned him back into a kid. He doesn’t remember ever being older than the kid he is now.”

Red squinted before his eyes reached the light of realization. “The Noodle Boy? But -- he -- what? Why are you telling me this? Are we not enemies?”

Nezha growled. “The kid doesn’t need to know that. You didn’t know any of your father’s enemies at that age.”

“And you had parents that cared about you at that age.” Sandy added, the silence of the halls stifling. “Red, I’m telling you this because this is important: the MK you know has a lot more positive memories than the MK that’s here now. The MK you dealt with is hard on himself, sure, but little MK? All the knowledge that he’s ever had is that if he doesn’t please the people around him -- if he’s too loud or in the area of someone who’s upset or if he complains about being hungry -- he associates that with pain.” Nezha tried not to let the darkening pit in his stomach show, eyes peeled on Red Son’s reaction. The bags under the demon’s eyes seemed more prominent, eyebrows scrunching as he finally took his first sip of tea. Macaque stopped playing with his dagger, knuckles white with his grip on its handle. “I know demons steal and eat children, I know some of us have servants. But you took our kid, a vulnerable kid. A vulnerable kid who doesn’t know that it’s ok to make mistakes and who has a very real fear of disappointing people because he’s only been met with being hurt if he does. So I want you to do something.”

Red looked Sandy in the eyes as the river demon’s hands crossed on the table, looking as tired as Red did. “I -- I understand. What, uh -- what would you like me to do?”

Sandy’s eyes softened. “I want you to apologize to him. Be a friend.” Nezha’s eyebrows twitched, but he said nothing. Macaque sent a questioning look to Sandy, who only minusculely nodded back to the monkie. “Can you do that for him?”

Red nodded, eyes wide, a slight tremble in his hand as he took a deep steadying gulp of his tea. “I can.”

Sandy stood with a smile, beckoning Red to follow him, Nezha and Macaque boxing Red in. The walk was silent as Nezha gave Macaque a questioning look only for him to sneer inwardly as the other gave him an affirming nod. Nezha cracked his knuckles as Sandy opened the door to the living area and Red felt as he was intruding even more. MK sat on Monkey King’s lap on the couch, trying to imitate the chirping sounds Wukong was making as he flitted through the child’s hair with one hand and furiously wiped away grateful and relieved tears with his other hand. In MK’s own lap was Mei’s hand, which she used to gently rub circles on MK’s belly. Pigsy was adjusting too big chopsticks in MK’s hand for the big bowl of noodles he placed on a tray before the boy and Tang was fiddling with the TV remote, tons of different Monkey King movies and shows flicking one after another. 

Tang made a soft exclamatory sound. “Hey, MK, is this the Monkey King show you watch?”

MK looked up from his concentrated glare at his mispositioned chopsticks to grin widely. “Yeah, I think so! When did it get so many new episodes?”

Monkey King huffed into MK’s newly-freed hair. “They were waiting for you to come back home so they could show you more.” He stopped wiping away his tears for a moment before he realized Red Son had been brought into the room, arms wrapping around MK near immediately.

The only two not to tense when Red entered the room were MK and Mei, who addressed him with a small wave and a mumbled greeting. Red coughed into his hand and cautiously approached MK, kneeling to meet his eye level. “Noodl -- MK. MK, I apologize.” MK’s eyes widened in disbelief, silently stabbing Red’s heart with the expression. “You didn’t deserve to be kidnapped and you didn’t deserve to be a servant. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

Monkey King’s arms still steady around him, MK blinked twice before a grin broke back out on his face. “Sorry accepted! Want to watch the Monkey King show with us?”

Red blinked back. “Would -- would you like me to watch it with you?”

“Yup!” 

With that, Red’s fate was sealed, getting pulled onto the couch by Mei. “Aw yeah! Red Boy’s in for the marathon! Even he can’t say no o this cutie!” The hand that was in MK’s lap suddenly started tickling, great big bursts of childish laughter filled the ship, Monkey King’s eyes slowly drying as he joined in tickling MK.

MK cackled and kicked, joy clear and growing when he heard the introduction song to Monkey King: the Animated Series started, upbeat guitars only one of the pleasant sounds. “BA! Ah-ha baba!” MK laughed, hands flapping. “Baba, stop!”

Monkey King’s hands froze as a whine escaped his smiling mouth. He gave one last tickle before hugging MK close to him and chirping, looking at the others in the room. “Did you hear that?” He whispered below MK’s laughter. “He called me baba!” 

Mei squealed, launching herself across Red’s lap and onto Monkey King’s back. “Oh my gods, you guys are so cute!” 

Macaque bounded over, hands around the group of them. “I want joint custody.” Soon enough, Tang, Pigsy and Sandy had joined the hug, snuggling up to the very comfortable MK.

The little one looked towards Red Son from where he was in the middle of the people-nest. “Mister Red Boy, Mister Prince Nezha, join the group hug!”

Red was about to complain at the command before a force on his back forced his front onto Sandy’s arm, wrapping around his shoulders. “You wouldn’t deny such a small child a hug, would you?” Nezha growled into his hair, leaning them both further into the hug, daring Red to claw his way out of the group hug. 

As the sound of the animated Monkey King breaking from his stone egg was heard on the TV, Red Son wrapped his arms around what parts of Sandy’s arms he could grab. “I would be honoured to join your group hug. Thank you for the invitation, MK.”

Chapter Text

Macaque carefully cradled MK in his arms, silently walking down the hall to the child’s and Nezha’s shared room. He’d fallen asleep somewhere around halfway through the second sean, but until the finale of the third, he’d wake at the slightest of movements, seemingly confused at having ever fallen asleep at all. Around the third episode of the fourth season, Monkey King and Mei had both fallen asleep, trapping Nezha and Red Son on the couch, glaring at each other as Mei snored away on their lap, mumbling about an automatic ice cream maker in between tossing and turning. Pigsy and Tang had already gone to their room somewhere in between the season three climax and the entrance song to the finale. Sandy was back to the Captain’s nest, which left Macaque to get the kid to his room. The rest could get themselves to bed and if they didn’t Macaque didn’t really care. 

The monkie felt he owed MK, coming back to the theatre to chew him out some more but helping him to escape the “Mayor”, or whatever that creature actually was. Paying off the debt was why he’d joined the little hero group, as ragtag as it was. But this? This kid had no idea that he was essentially Macaque’s karma bank. He had no idea that the person who was holding him nearly killed him -- twice. He just trusted that, because Macaque was nicer than whoever raised him, he was a good person. He was so caught up in caring for the kid that he almost forgot that he was here because of his debt.

But he had to have paid off his debt by now, hadn’t he? He helped save MK from the Demon Bull family, which was equal to what MK had done for him. He could leave right now without being in his odd moral debt. He tried to place MK down on the bed much too big for him, before feeling a tug on the fur on his nape, MK’s little hand not letting go with a grumble. Macaque leaned over MK, carefully moving to lay next to the child, letting him keep his grip on Macaque’s fur as the demon laid a protective arm over him. The kid just snuggled up closer, humming into the soft fur of Macaque’s chest. He was making it very hard for Macaque to leave. 

The monkie tried to distract himself, checking to see if the Youth Necklace, the very thing that started this mess, could be removed. He checked MK’s neck carefully, surprised to find that there was nothing there. He moved MK’s shirt collar, running over the look of a tattoo on his neck, the shapes like the beads that had been on the necklace. Would they have to get the kid laser removal surgery to make him a teen? How did Lao Tzu think to use the necklace in the first place? Why did he make it?

Macaque laid his head down, eyes fluttering closed as his mind wandered. What was Lao Tzu doing nowadays? Last he heard, he hadn’t come down to earth with the heavenly army, but wasn’t in the jade palace if the rumours of the troops were to be believed. Something about international schooling or teaching or something Macaque couldn’t care enough to correct himself on. Maybe one of his assistants could help figure out what was up with that necklace.

He was startled awake by the overwhelming noise of metal crunching and ripping, alarms blaring harshly in the hallway. He turned towards the sound, only to have a hand encase his throat, MK screaming in terror in his arms. Blinking his eyes open and kicking madly, he could see Syntax move behind the Huntsman, who was gripping his neck like it was something preventing him from making a closed fist. Goliath’s giant hands were still ripping open the wall, high-altitude wind blowing in and freezing Macaque to the bone. 

He choked out, “Run!” to MK before breaking Huntsman's arm at the elbow, nearly gagging when the possessed being acted as if nothing had happened, shoving his elbow back into place. Behind him, the door opened and he launched at Syntax, preventing him from following MK out the door, screaming for help. The door couldn’t be closed, the flapping of the wind too powerful to move against. Some other figure moved past Goliath, the giant following the new armoured and armed figure unfamiliar to Macaque. But the figure was possessed by LBD, and that was enough for Macaque. He kicked Syntax away and into the new figure before Goliath jumped in and tackled Macaque to the ground, holding him down and crushing. 

As his vision began to blackout, bones creaking painfully, it was lifted enough for Macaque to join the shadows. He reformed and took a deep breath, looking to see that Pigsy had thrown a pan at Goliath’s face, doing nothing but surprising the walking corpse. The new figure was nowhere to be seen. The pig glanced in between Macaque and the spider demons, grumbling. “Where’s MK?”

“I told him to run.” Macaque admitted, summoning his staff. “You didn’t see him on your way here?” When Pigsy shook his head, Macaque’s stomach dropped.  Before he could say anything, the other demons burst forth, forcing their way through the furiously-flapping door. The monkie snapped his staff into Syntax’s synthetic legs, forcing him halfway through the hall wall. Pigsy jumped on Huntsman's back, tripping him up, but Goliath forced his way past them, denting the walls as he pushed further into the ship. Mei and Red Son burst from a door that had been dented, forcing it off its hinges. They took in the sight, taking a second before moving to follow Goliath as he rounded a corner and the ship tilted forward. 

Wukong’s muscles strained under the weight of the ship, standing on his cloud and trying to gently guide it down as Sandy struggled at the controls to keep the ship from crashing, one of its back engines in flames. Before he flew out, Mei had told him about the alarm, that someone was on board, and he knew it was an attack.

His cloud struggled beneath him, pushing up with as much force as it could muster at Wukong’s whim. Monkey King’s nails bit into the metal in front of him, creaking dangerously. He repositioned his fingers and dug in, silently apologizing to the cloud as it shrunk and squirmed beneath the renewed effort. 

MK hid in a quiet place, where the alarms were far away. There was a lot of books in this room, shelves lining the walls on most of its sides, leaving a nice cozy corner for MK and Mister Professor Tang to hide in. MK held on real tight to his protector’s shoulders, peaking past Tang’s head to watch as the huge sword glinted orange from the flames making their way outside the window. The loose items on the floor and wall began shifting forward, the ship pitching under their feet. It was getting hard to stand up straight as the pitch of the ship grew ever-forward, the shelves themselves no longer heavy enough to withstand the friction. Tang’s feet struggled to keep them in their spot, sliding down on top of the shelves that now blocked the door. MK whined in fear, eyes bunching shut.

“Sh, sh, it’s ok, it’s going to be ok.” Tang placated in a whisper, shifting to hide the both of them behind the bed, which now had books and a bookshelf thrown upon it. “I’m going to keep you safe, I promise.” He dragged the sword behind him, huffing as it landed flatly against his lap, shinning on the edge.

A dull thumping entered the hallway just outside of the room, both the child and the adult holding their breath for silence. It got closer and closer, obviously climbing up to the door before the door’s hatch was opened and gravity slammed the door open, banging loudly against the wall. MK jumped on Tang’s back, burying his face in the fabric on Tang’s shoulder. Tang felt MK quake before he suddenly felt light. He looked to his shoulders to see a mouse, eyes bunched closed and quaking, fur identical to MK’s hair colour. 

MK had kept his powers, but likely wasn’t aware of it, nor that he just changed into a mouse. Tang’s heart dropped as he realized he now would be protecting a mouse from whatever was slowly making its way into the room, chill proceeding it deeper into Tang and Pigsy’s now-ruined room.  Looking down, Tang saw a life-saver, the possessed but not recognized’s reflection in the sword. He grabbed mouse MK and placed him carefully on the inside of his jacket, carefully petting his head before grabbing the handle of the sword in both hands and standing as swiftly as he could. 

He swung with all his might but was blindsided by the other’s parry with his spear, cutting into Tang’s side and throwing MK from Tang’s jacket. MK shifted from a mouse in midair, landing on his now-human stomach on the shelf on the bed on the side of the attacker away from Tang. MK looked back with renewed tears in his eyes, making eye contact with the armoured one. Just as the unfamiliar tried to reach out at him, Tang got back up, jumping on the attacker’s back and clawing at his eyes. “Find Monkey King! Run!” Tang commanded, kicking and clawing even as the attacker clawed at his hands and his head was feeling light.

MK did as he was told scrambling towards the door and sliding down the diagonal floor, landing on the far wall with a sobbed huff. He crawled away and moved to slide down the next floor before a cold metal leg struck his shirt, knicking his shoulder. He yelped out as Syntax’s body followed his leg, only to be beaten off by Red Son. MK fell again, landing on an open and dented door. The hallway was filled with fighting and yelling, MK’s terrified screams mixing with angry roars and desperate distracting yelling.  He crawled into the new room, the kitchen’s island created a ledge for him to land before he went out of the window near the sink, holding desperately to the window ledge.

The ship jostled and MK lost his grip, rolling and falling towards the bowsprit, clinging desperately to the pole when he felt it under him. “MK?!” Came a voice under him, a panicked worry making itself known over the power of the wind. MK opened the eyes he hadn’t realized he closed, looking directly at the face of Monkey King, whose arms were shaking. 

“Mister Monkey King!” MK yelled in relief. “The bad blue people are back! They hurt Mister Professor Tang and they attacked Mister Uncle Macaque!”

Monkey King readjusted his grip again, looking desperately between the metal before him and the child hanging on above him. “Ok, it’s ok. I’ll help you.” He readjusted his grip again, a desperate and frustrated confusion covering his features.

MK felt a hand on his back and he screamed, Monkey King’s ears piquing up. “It’s ok!” Nezha’s voice shouted over the wind, lifting MK from where he’d held on for dear life. “It’s ok, I’m her--” Nezha grunted, something colliding with his back and MK dropping from the Lotus Prince’s grip. MK screamed again, reaching for whatever he could. He dropped past the bowsprit as Monkey King screamed, the child’s hand getting caught on the figurehead Mercat with a pop. The Mercat’s smiling mouth was the only thing from dropping off the ship as it began to break the cloudline, thick, cold clouds surrounding and penetrating the ship as a second engine popped and exploded, more weight going right onto Monkey King’s arms. 

Wukong growled, aware of MK desperately trying to grip the metal mouth of the Mercat with his uninjured hand. He roared once, quickly, in frustration before turning around, the ship’s front now supported by his back as he extended his legs out further, toes pushing out the cloud to under MK. “Ok, MK, bud! I know it’s going to be scary, but I need you to let go!” He shouted to the child over the rush of wind, wincing at MK’s scared look. “My cloud is under you, it’s ok! I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that wouldn’t help you. But you’ve got to let go so I can get you back on the ship!”

MK looked into Wukong’s eyes, not replying past looking up at the Mercat and ripping his injured hand out of its mouth, falling with a yelp onto the cloud, barely noticing over his panic that Wukong was pulling the cloud closer with his very toes. As Wukong’s arms strained as they stretched behind him to grip on the heavy ship behind him, he carefully slid one of his feet under MK, keeping it flat against MK’s belly. MK looked up at Monkey King’s face, face pale. “How are we -- are we gonna die?”

Monkey King winced, pushing back on the ship even as it continued to fall heavier and heavier onto his back as the metal from the engines creaked apart and scattered in the sky behind the falling of the team’s temporary home. “Do you trust me, MK?” Wukong’s heart clenched when MK nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “Good, good. I’m going to get you back on deck, and you’re going to be ok, but it’s going to be scary for a moment. So what I need you to do is be real brave for me, bud. Can you do that for me?”

MK nodded again. “I -- I can, baba.”

“Ok. Ok, I’m going to get you up there in three, two, one --!” Wukong spoke calmly before he kicked MK into the air, wincing as he heard MK’s scream in the wind, the child’s path in the air arcing up before he landed roughly in the crows’ nest. MK groaned before opening his eyes again and looking under the angled nest. Mo was hissing at the new blue figure, the one that hurt Tang and was gaining ground on Nezha, who looked horrified at the sight of the attacker. Unlike last time MK saw him fight, he looked like he didn’t want to, like he didn’t want to hurt the bad blue man. But the bad blue man just kept swiping at Nezha with their spears meeting in violent clashes that shook the prince’s arms. Before long, the prince was backed against a railing, struggling to stay on board as the figure just kept hammering away at him, face blank. Mo jumped onto the attacker’s helmet and started scratching wherever he could reach before he was grabbed by the nape and thrown into a door. 

MK had told Monkey King that he’d be brave. Monkey King saved him again, so he had to be brave. He had to help. He had to do something. The bad man hurt Mister Professor Tang, he hurt Captain Kitty Mo, he was hurting Mister Prince Nezha. He had to be brave for them. They were all helping him and protecting him, he had to protect them too. “Hey!” He yelled down, unable to hear himself over the rush of wind. “Leave them alone! Leave them alone, jerk-face!” MK wasn’t sure if anyone heard him until he saw Nezha’s eyes widen impossibly, horrified when the bad blue man turned towards MK, spotting him in the nest. MK suppressed the urge to duck back into the cold metal of his landing spot as the bad guy turned all the way towards him. Nezha was saying something to the attacker, but MK couldn’t hear what he was saying and the bad guy didn’t seem to care. “Don’t be mean, you big meanie gross man!”

Nezha tried to pull the bad guy’s arm back as he started to move towards the post holding the crows’ nest, only to be thrown off the opposite side of the ship. MK screamed as the ship finally broke through the clouds, tears now mixing with rain and grip more unsure as his hands were soaked in the sudden downpour. The bad guy, baby blue armour now glinting in the rain, walked up to the pole and in a single stroke of his spear, cut through it, the bottom sliding down towards the front of the ship and the crows’ nest slamming into the deck with a thunderous crack upon the wood. 

MK’s head was in pain, but he knew he was in trouble, he knew he had to run. But he couldn’t get his feet under him. He tried to get up, he really did, but everything in his body felt so heavy like it usually did when his dad was punishing him. Maybe this was the punishment for sneaking for that cake. He was suddenly so tired, but he couldn’t sleep, not when the bad people were here, hurting his friends, not when the bad man who hurt Tang and Nezha was close enough that MK could feel the vibrations of his footfalls against the cold metal on his cheek. He huffed in air as deep as he could, moving his arms underneath him to move, but he was too late. The man in the armour grabbed him by the neck and squeezed, lifting MK up. Funny dots were blinking in MK’s eyes, but they only made him feel bad, like he was in too much danger, like his body was getting weaker.

MK heard sputtering flames in the air as Nezha returned to the deck, fēng huǒ lún active and struggling in the torrential downpour. As soon as Nezha was above the deck, the fēng huǒ lún deactivated and Nezha rushed towards the attacker and MK, only to have his own neck snatched into a steel grasp. “Father!” Nezha gasped, desperately clawing at the hand restricting his air. “Please, father, this isn’t you!”

The possessed General Li, Nezha’s father, suddenly stomped his feet into the metal below, staying in place as the ship met the ground, almost everything onboard and around it jostling and crushing. General Li didn’t seem phased by it as he didn’t seem phased by anything, returning his attention to MK as his son wheezed in his opposite grip. Lightning cold suddenly entered MK’s veins and he tried to scream but nothing escaped his mouth, throat too tightened to produce noise. He could distantly hear Nezha yelling more before static was all he could hear. 

Tears escaped Nezha’s eyes as the ship stopped skidding into the mud, horrified as a blue aura surrounded MK, the child falling limp in his father’s grasp. The fights below deck were still underhand should the noise reflect as much, but Nezha paid it no mind, the pounding of blood in his veins the only thing seeming amplified against his eardrum. He could no longer see anything but the cold blue. He couldn’t see the gold that flew out from under the ship nor could he see the magenta energy bursting from the Captain’s controls. As the edges of his vision grew dark, all he could see was MK being the victim of his failure. He fell as Sandy punched his father and was limp as Monkey King grabbed him and MK in his arms, using his body to shield the two younger from the fight.

The fights below deck burst through the deck, Macaque bursting from the floor with Huntsman, Goliath and Mei following closely behind. Syntax and Red Son soon followed them, locked in their own combat. Mei kicked Huntsman in the air, forcing him off the ruins of the ship. Goliath crashed into Huntsman before the possessed could get up and Sandy grabbed the heads of both General Li and Syntax, throwing him off his ship with a poorly-suppressed growl. Red quickly set a spell under the group, teleporting them away in a tired, sparkling flame.

Wukong had no time to celebrate; none of them did as MK shook in the Monkey King’s arms. His hair, wet and sticking to his head and face, had turned as white as freshly-fallen snow and eyes unfocused and flashing between gold and blue. Wukong was lost, not noticing as Macaque pulled him up and deaf to Nezha’s gasping sobs. 

MK muttered softly, but Wukong still heard it. “I’m cold, so so cold…” With that, MK seemed to lose consciousness, shaking shift and harshly in Monkey King’s unsure arms.

Macaque shook Wukong harshly. “Damn it, Wukong! We need to get him warm.” When that didn’t get a response, he roughly moved Wukong’s head so they were looking eye-to-eye. “He’s alive, you idiot, but he won’t stay that way if we don’t warm him up!”

Wukong minutely nodded and mumbled an agreement. Red Son joined them next to MK, shedding his jacket and draping it over MK. “I can grab something dry and flammable inside.”

Sandy gagged as he tried to calm himself, nose red as he tried to stop the shaking of his shoulders. “I’ll try to -- I need to repair the ship, get heating back up. We need more parts, but I should be able to get heating at least.”

Wukong shakily made his way back to his feet, Macaque, Red Son and Sandy following him inside what was left of their ship. Mei was about to follow too when she noticed Nezha still sitting in the spot Wukong had placed him in. She kneeled down towards him. “Nezha?” He only responded with a sob. “Bestie?”

He looked up at her and she had to hold in a gasp at the sight. His eyeliner was running down his face in dark gray lines, nose pink, lips quivering. “That was my father.” He sniffed, allowing his sobs to grow in volume. “My father -- he did that to the child. He -- oh gods! Lady Bone Demon took him! The, the encampment, they took him from the encampment, it was under attack and I left!” Nezha’s hands covered his face, muffling his sobs.

Mei grabbed his hands, gently taking them away from Nezha’s face. “But you left to protect MK. If you hadn’t you could’ve been possessed too. If nothing else, I’m glad you’re here.” Nezha still didn’t seem convinced, pain marring his features. “And we’re looking to defeat LBD anyways. We’ll save your dad, I promise!” Nezha nodded, letting her guide him up and out of the rain, its droplets smothering the flames on the engines.

Chapter Text

Wukong was curled around MK, soft fur seemingly unfelt as the child murmured and muttered, soft light of Red Son’s fire glowing on his cheek. His tail gripped the cast on MK’s wrist, shaking in ignored emotions, hands rewrapping the blankets that were secured around the boy. Red Son’s eyes never wavered from MK, flames in hand steady under the cover of the sideways kitchen wall. 

The rain was still pelting the shell of the ship, but Sandy didn’t seem to mind it, working with a silent concentration. Pigsy was helping Sandy in any way he could after he helped bandage Tang up, his husband having to remind him several times that he was now patched up enough to be left alone, that his condition would only worsen if the ship couldn’t get them somewhere safer.

Mei and Nezha had ducked into the kitchen every now and then to check in but had been silent, emotional pain preventing them from saying anything, afraid that a single word would break everything they had left. Macaque hadn’t shown, but Pigsy had said that he went out to hunt for some food, obviously not needing to with the food left on the ship, but Red Son knew that he had to do something to quell the feeling of failure. Red’s done it himself often, after all.

Red noticed the orange glow on MK’s cheek growing pink, confusing him until he noticed Nezha sitting next to him suddenly, his own pink flame in hand. “I’ll take over.” Nezha declared quietly, watching as Monkey King nuzzled into MK with a fearful whine. “You’ve been at it for hours. Get some water.”

He has been warming MK for hours but it felt like days, the child too still for someone usually so energetic. Red didn’t feel drained, but he was more than aware that his senses were skewed by his emotions, especially if he hadn’t noticed Nezha approaching. He nodded minutely, raising unsteadily to grab a plastic cup, all the glasses broken in the crash. Cup with him, he climbed slowly down the kitchen island and down the uneven hall before slipping through a hole in the hull. He stumbled into the rain, holding the cup out before him, watching it fill up with great big droplets.

He turned to go outside before he saw a flash of green in the blue and gray dullness of the clearing of the crash site. He dragged his feet to get closer to the green only to realize it was the dragon girl, sitting under the smouldering engine, mud covering her pants. She didn’t move when she noticed him moving closer and sitting next to her, gulping down the rainwater that he hadn’t realized he was in desperate need of.

“Your heavenly prince friend is heating the little noodle up.” Red broke the silence, noting how deep in thought the other seemed to be. “He’s talking more, but I don’t think he’s aware of much.”

Mei nodded, swallowing shallowly. “I remember when we were kids.” She began then took a pause as if considering the taste of the words about to leave her mouth. “He was constantly moving and his parents never let him go out, so I’d always sneak out and go to his room, I’d always have to find where he moved. And I got really good at climbing fire escape ladders.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “And one winter I climbed up and opened his window to play, all bundled up in my favourite jacket, and I climbed in and he was cold and shivering, but he still used his blankets to make a fort for us. I asked -- I asked him why it was so cold and he said ‘Mom said it’s too expensive to feed me, so she’s not gonna pay for the heating’. We were turning six later that year.” Mei huffed, leaning back against the metal behind her, back cracking. “So I gave him my jacket. It was my favourite jacket but his lips were so blue and all he had to wear were shorts and a t-shirt. He thought -- he asked me why I gave it to him since he didn’t earn it yet, but I told him to just take it. I didn’t know -- I knew his parents were bad, but I was way too young to realize that I should’ve -- I should have let him know that him, as a person, as an amazing friend, was earning that jacket enough.”

Red was silent, considering what he’d been told, the solemn expression on Mei’s face. “That -- you did what you knew to do.”

“Wasn’t enough.” Mei denied. “His parents found the jacket and thought he stole it. I couldn’t protect him from them. I couldn’t protect him from LBD either.” She looked down, glaring at the mud covering her shoes. “But I can avenge him.” she pushed herself to her feet, nearly startling Red enough for him to drop his water. She turned to him with a blank rage crossing over her features. “I can burn them down: the people who don’t deserve to call themselves his parents, LBD, her gross little minions. I won’t fail him again.”

Red Son’s eyes widened, unused to being on the same side of her rage. She considered the glint in her eyes, the determined rage setting her pupils ablaze green draconic power. 

He smirked, matched her energy and stood next to her. “That sounds more like the dragon girl I’m used to, not that defeated shell you just were! We will get revenge and we will defeat this would-be conqueror, sending her back to her worthless grave!”

“Fuck yeah!” Mei jumped in nuclear excitement before suddenly hugging Red Son in an iron grip. “Thanks, Red Boy!” She hopped towards Sandy and Pigsy’s working figures, leaving Red to follow her, sputtering. 

Inside, Wukong ignored everything around him, complete concentration focused on the child in his arms. MK was wheezing, air struggling to come in and rush out. Monkey King’s arms shook, but he ignored them, intently watching MK’s chest rising and falling lethargically. Wukong startled when MK started coughing, slowly bringing a hand to cover his mouth. He grabbed a water bottle to his side, bringing it to MK’s mouth. “Hey, bud. Here’s some water, take a sip.’

MK slowly grabbed the opening of the bottle with his lips, blue eyes blearily opening as he took deep but slow sips. He gently turned away from the bottle when he was done, body too numb for anything more. “You said to be brave, baba.” He said aloud, grabbing distantly for Monkey King with as much effort as he could muster. “I really -- I tried to be brave, I really did!” 

Monkey King held him closer, soothing his back as MK wheezed his words out. “I know, I know.” He chirped softly next to MK’s ear. “You did everything just right.” 

The noise of movement distracted Nezha from watching the scene, looking to find Tang climbing into the kitchen with a book in his hand. “You’re supposed to be resting.” Nezha pointed out, checking as the human winced when his side was jostled by his movement. 

“Reading helps me relax.” Tang replied, slowly sitting next to Wukong and MK, opening his book. “Hey MK,” he carefully whispered, gentle as he avoided making any threatening movements, “I have a book here I’m going to read to you, from the west, called King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Would you like to hear it?” At MK’s slow nod, Tang opened the book and ignored the ache in his side, softly and carefully introducing the first chapter, planning the characters’ voices as they appeared.

Chapter Text

Sandy bent metal under his hands, shaping it to provide cover to the workspace that had formed right outside the second engine that blew. He was sure that, between the two broken engines, there’d be enough parts to get a generator up to return electricity and thus heating to at least part of the ship. Maybe he could rip apart the now-broken appliances for parts that could make the potential generator more powerful or more efficient.

“Sandy?” Pigsy asked from behind him in a small voice, chill clattering his teeth. “I know what happened was rough.”

The river demon grabbed a pipe on the ground before carefully bending it in his hand, careful not to block the hollow center. There was enough rain here that it was likely a sustainable source for a hydro-powered generator. There had to be enough water collected to spin a rotary though, cause movement in some way to generate enough energy that could be transformed into electric power.

“And I know you’ve worked hard to get your life in the order you want it to be. And I’m proud of you for it, you know.”

Sandy gulped, hands shaking as he set the pipe aside to grab a half-burnt rotor, wiping ash off of it to assess its quality. He’d have to find a way to make it anti-rust now that the original anti-rust coating was burned off. 

Pigsy sighed, making another attempt. “It’s not your fault, you know? It’s -- we’re glad, the team and I, we’re glad you protected him and we’re sorry you had to fight.”

“I’m not sorry I had to fight.” Sandy admitted, finally turning towards Pigsy, seeing Mo cuddled into the chef’s jacket. “I -- I’m always glad to protect my friends and help my family, you know that. But the situation itself, the sight of MK and Nezha at someone’s mercy. That guy was Prince Nezha’s father! I’m -- I was upset that the kids were put in that situation. I was upset that they could have died. I’m upset that they still could die. I’m upset that they still could die. I’m upset that LBD couldn’t ever know the honor of facing someone who can really fight back.” He took another deep sigh. “I’m upset not because I protected my friends; sometimes it’s necessary no matter how much I might avoid it. I’m upset at the situation that brought me to.”

Pigsy nodded slowly, taking it in and trying to ignore the rain that fell heavily on his head and shoulders. “Yeah, I get that.” He took a step closer to Sandy, comfortable with the fact that his friend, while upset, was approachable. “The world’s a messed-up place. It isn’t right that the kids were in danger, but a month ago, they were all aware of that and signed up to fight anyway.”

“I don’t think it’s the world that’s messed up.” Sandy responded, looking out into the treeline. “I think it’s certain people that choose to mess it up for everyone else. I’m glad the kids want to make it better for others.”

“Yeah,” Pigsy agreed, leaning against the broken engine, “they’re good kids.”

Wukong couldn’t let himself move, couldn’t let himself leave MK’s side. That’s where it all went wrong and if anything else goes wrong, MK could die, he could still die, he might be dying right now, in Wukong’s arms and there was nothing he could do about it, nothing--

He took a breath, letting Tang’s reading bring him back to the present, listening to Nezha’s flame burn the air around it. MK’s chest was still rising and falling however slowly, lulled back into a deeper sleep. Prince Nezha himself seemed to be in and out of awareness, eyes dull but never leaving Wukong and MK. 

This reminded him of that run-in with Guanyin’s goldfish. It’d turned into a weather-changing river demon and kidnapped Master Tripitaka. Everything turned out fine, but the demon had made it snow and the river freeze over beforehand, so when Tripitaka emerged from the river, he nearly froze solid. He’d been too cold to move forward safely and it was up to Wukong to find hearty vegetarian foods that would keep his Master healthy while his cosak worked its magic and heated Tripitaka’s chilled bones. 

Things had only gotten better, had progressed, when Wukong had retrieved Guanyin to help deal with the demon, but he couldn’t get Guanyin now, he couldn’t leave, not with MK as he is, not when his little hands were frozen gripping weakly at Wukong’s fur. But someone could retrieve her, ask for her help.

Monkey Kig wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he heard the entrance of someone dragging something heavy, whatever it was dragging along the ground. The person and their burden approached and Monkey King knew exactly who it was, the smell of freshly-hunted blood now soaking the kitchen.

Macaque entered slowly, dead nilgai strung over his shoulders and body dragging behind him, blood streaking the floor and walls he climbed over. He set the nilgai on the broken and toppled fridge and grabbed broken cabnerty, setting them in a circle on top of the smashed microwave. He reached over towards Nezha’s flame with some discarded papertowel, waiting until it caught alight before throwing it in with the wood on the microwave. Wukong watched shallowly as Macaque grabbed the nilgai, butchering it silently and placing filets on the fire, seemingly trying to avoid looking at MK.

Tang stopped reading as he noticed MK’s sleeping state, placing a bookmark from his belt in the book before closing it softly. He reached to pet MK’s discolored hair before pulling it back, not expecting Wukong’s growl. Macaque’s head snapped up from his task as Nezha startled, jumping in his skin. Wukong’s growl slowly stopped with a quiet cough. “Sorry.” He offered weakly.

Tang clasped his hands together, covering their shaking in the fabric of his coat. “It’s fine.” He responded in a mutter.

Macaque felt a shutter run up his spine, but spoke anyway. “Wukong?” He didn’t know what else to say, but his questioning tone had Wukong’s head drooping in thought and shame anyway.

There was a pregnant pause before Monkey King answered him, turning his head to look directly into Macaque’s eyes, expression tired.  “Macaque, I’m going to ask you to do something really important. I’m going to place a lot more trust in you than you deserve, but you’re the only one I know who can do it without putting MK in more danger.”

Macaque returned the expression with a nervous grin of his own. “I’m honored, Monkey King! Really, your trust is the best gift --”

“Liù-Ěr.” Wukong interrupted, weakness creeping heavily into his voice. “I know you have your own reasons for being here, for helping MK. Whatever that reason is, you need to remember it and go to Guanyin’s grove.”

“What the fuck, Wukong.” Macaque responded, ignoring the stench of nilgai filets beginning to burn in the fire. “I -- what--”

“Just shut up and listen!” Wukong suddenly growled lowly, making sure not to wake MK from his heavily-needed sleep. “Nezha and Red Son can’t leave because MK needs their heat. Pigsy, Sandy and Tang can’t even get to the grove. Mei’s not going to want to leave MK’s side for too long.” He took a breath, steadying himself and his shaking. “And I can’t leave MK, not again. Which means you’re the only one who can get to Guanyin’s grove and get her here. It’s -- she’s who I know can help us until the ship gets fully repaired and that won’t happen for a while and by the time that happens, LBD and her zombies could catch up with us.”

“So I’m playing hero today?” Macaque answered simply, humor of the statement undermined by his tone. He cut another filet out of the animal, throwing it in the fire haphazardly. “You don’t actually trust me to come back with her, do you?”

“I don’t have a choice.” Wukong answered back snippily. “None of us have a choice here except for you. We have to trust that you’ll make the right one.” MK murmured in his sleep, whining is discomfort. Monkey King held him closer to his chest, shushing him with back rubs and soft chirps.

Macaque watched the scene, huffing as he stood back up. He reached down and pulled a charred filet out of the fire, shaking it until the flame on it died out. He, turned and took a bite, moving to leave the kitchen. “Maybe I’ll see you later, then.”

Once Macaque was well out of the ship, Nezha looked at his former teacher. “Monkey King, you don’t seriously think he’ll come back with Guanyin, do you?” Wukong only shrugged his shoulders in response, moving to lay down around MK, shuffling them both closer to Nezha’s flame.

Tang considered this but didn’t speak, moving to grab a discarded cloth and cleaning the blood that had been left from Macaque’s hunt.

Chapter Text

He’d never floated in pudding before, but this felt like it. The world around him was thick and hard to move through, hard to see in and hard to breathe in. Everything was cold but could’ve sworn he’d seen fire and was bundled up tight. Why wasn’t he warm?

The world was dark and cold, no shapes entering his view nor feeling other than the stinging cold. He wished he had the jacket Mei gave him. It was warm and smelled like the red-bean buns, Mei’s favourite. Now that Mei is big, would she still like red-bean buns?

MK misses red-bean buns. He misses Super-Mei. He misses Mister Monkey King, and Mister Macaque, and Mister Prince Nezha, and Mister Captains Mo and Sandy, and Misters Tang and Pigsy. He misses them and he doesn’t know why he isn’t with them right now. They didn’t leave him here, did they? They were way nicer than Mom and Dad, they’d never leave him here alone. They came back for him, Mister Prince Red Son had called them his family, they were a good family, like Mei’s family, like all the other families that didn’t yell at their kids when they were picked up from school. The air-pirate crew were nice, weren’t they?

He can’t stop himself from crying, can’t stop it even though he’s already cried enough. He cried for everyone on the ship, but they were brave, they didn’t cry. They got hurt protecting him and they still didn’t cry. His sniffles echoed in the bleak darkness surrounding him before an answering hum echoed back. MK quieted his sadness, looking around in the ether of nothingness for the source of the hum. 

Off in the distance, a small dot of cool blue light appeared, twinkling like a star in the sky. MK watched as it got bigger, cold breeze drifting towards him. But he realized, as the chill settled into his fingers, that the dot wasn’t growing, it was getting closer. He gasped as it rushed towards his face, stopping right at his nose. 

The dot was more of a sphere now, at least as tall as Monkey King and cold enough to redden MK’s nose. It sat before him for a moment that felt long to the child who was unable to back away. Its centre began to shift and expand, reshaping the sphere into a doughnut, white on the border and light blue in the centre. It was easily as big as Sandy now. 

Something moved in the blue and MK’s eyes were peeled as a girl showed up, smiling at him. MK didn’t know why, but her smile made him feel sick. “Well hello, MK. How are you?”

“Who are you?” MK asked in a slight stutter, chill racing down his spine.

The girl just smiled. “You can call me LBD if you’d like. Would you like to get out of there?” She reached her hand out to MK through the blue, but he didn’t take it.

He heard of LBD before, he knows he has. Who was she? Had she been one of Dad’s friends? Had Mom had her over for tea? He reached to take her hand before pulling back quickly, nausea pulling at him quickly. “What’s wrong MK? Don’t you want to leave the void?”

He’s heard of LBD. Monkey King said her name, but what did he say about her, could she be trusted? “Don’t you want to see your friends?” Was she Monkey King’s friend like Macaque is? He heard of her, but it felt like he couldn’t concentrate on where.

MK blinked at the headache that was quickly building in his eyes, not noticing that they went briefly gold. She was covered and blue and her image changed to the skull woman from his nightmare. Behind her were the bad blue guys, waiting for something. Waiting for MK to grab her hand. 

He pulled his hands as close to himself as he could, shaking his head. “Monkey King said stranger danger and you’re a stranger!”

LBD’s eyebrow rose but her smile never waived. “Am I a stranger, MK?” She extended her hand again. “Is it a danger if I bring you back to your friends?”

“You hurt them!” MK accused, breath leaving him in clouds. “You’re the bad guy boss and I won’t go with you!”

LBD’s smile faded and MK immediately felt the need to run, to escape. But he couldn’t. “I am the only way you can get out of here, child. I can and will hurt your friends more than what I already have any time I want to. Do not test me, MK.”

She sounded like MK’s Mom. When she came home from work and threw down her apron and shoved her keys on the coffee table. When MK was distracted from his homework and drawing on the back of the page, when he didn’t get out of her way fast enough. LBD sounded like his Mom and he always listened to his Mom because if he didn’t, she’d really hurt him.

But LBD wasn’t his Mom and LBD was going to try to hurt his friends again.

“No!” MK shouted back, crossing his arms as quickly as he could in the thick air around him. “Go away, go away, go away!”

“I will give you one last chance.” LBD replied, glaring at the child through the window of light. “Come with me or freeze here.”

“Then I’ll freeze!” MK announced, turning away from the extended hand. He didn’t regret saying it, even as LBD’s glare turned into a smile. And then into a cruel smile.

“As you wish, little successor.” She replied, the window suddenly disappearing, taking all the light MK could see with. He was once again bathed in darkness and chill, bones aching with his shivers. 

He remembered the headache, the moment he saw the LBD as the skull lady from his nightmare. The headache left when the vision left. He squeezed his eyes to the point of tears forming, concentrating on that feeling. Maybe there was something he could do.

It felt like forever and forever, like waiting for his parents to stop yelling before a golden light flitted behind his eyelids. He opened them slowly, trying to swim closer to it. It felt smelled like peaches and felt like warm hugs and sunshine. It felt like Monkey King, it felt like Baba. “You said to be brave, baba.” He shouted out to the light, getting more and more tired and cold. “I really -- I tried to be brave, I really did!” 

The light flitted for a second before MK heard, very distantly, “I know, I know.” It was Baba’s voice, comforting like a warm blanket.  “You did everything just right.”

It felt good, to know that he did good, that he didn’t mess up. But he needed Baba, needed to tell him about LBD, how she tried to get him, said she was going to hurt them. He tried swimming closer to him but a distant voice asked him a question, a question he couldn’t hear before going on in a soothing voice that was soft and lilting with whimsy as if telling a story. The voice continued on and MK grew tired, closing his eyes as other dots of all colours blinked all around him in the void, distantly warming his muscles but not removing the chilled ache from his bones.

Chapter Text

There was something about being on his own again that somehow put everything into perspective and took everything out of it. He was only one part of the whole, but he was the team’s only moving part. If he was in the team. He had to make a decision in regards to that eventually. 

The Eastern Sea was spread before him, stormy seas uncharacteristic. Was something happening with the Dragon of the East Sea? Was he flying right into a trap?

Nevertheless, he c ontinued on, avoiding crushing waves and the peaks of rocks making their way through the surface of the water. Nothing seemed to be changing in the landscape other than the ferocity of the waves, which seemed hellbent on reaching Macaque, even as he flew ever-higher. 

A waterspout suddenly and quickly grew out of the ocean, engrossing Macaque in the centre of it” to “engrossing Macaque who laid in the centre of it. He felt water enter his lungs as he attempted a breath, body hurled along the spout and among the clouds, their pink and orange glow now glinting outside of the spout. Macaque felt himself going head over heels and heels overhead in the spout, waves running over his ears and soaking his fur. He took a deep and desperate breath as soon as he felt his head escape the water, taking a moment to realize that he’d been thrown up and out of the spout, feet touching the clouds and sun drying his fur slowly.

He took in the clouds around him, taking his breath back from when it had been stolen from him. As he calmed his nerves, his ears picked up on drumming that was out of time with his own heartbeat. It was something else, something that he couldn’t hear when he was below the clouds. He turned, trying to head towards the noise, trying to find the drumming. 

He headed towards a tall cloud, its pink and orange glow deeper and yet sadder than the clouds surrounding it. The sound of banging on tanggu drums grew lo uder and faster as if thunder was fueling its sound. He crept ever-closer, stopping directly before the cloud, giving it a sniff before his robe was grabbed suddenly, pulled into the cloud with a strong but small grip.

He tried pulling back before he was face to face with a sphere, a young attendant with a familiar face pointing it desperately at him. Behind the attendant, there were more people, garb indicating students of all levels. As a collective they let out relieved sighs, dropping their weapons.

The first attendant let him go but still seemed suspicious of the demon before him. “You’re the Six-Eared Macaque.” They stated simply.

“So my reputation proceeds me!” Macaque answered, patting the attendant’s head with poorly-concealed malice. “But your’s doesn’t.”

“I am Moksa.” The attendant answered, expression defensive, swiping Macaque’s hand away from their head. “The personal attendant to Boddhisafa Guanyin and head of her student body. She is my guardian and I am her’s. My reputation doesn’t need to proceed me when my spearpoint does.”

“Does it?” Macaque growled. “That doesn’t sound like something the Great Merciful One would teach, does it, head student?”

“I teach when mercy is or is not appropriate.” A new voice sounded from the bamboo unveiled in the cloud. A woman appeared, robes in disarray yet still hanging off of her frame gracefully. “And what to do when it isn’t appropriate.”

Moksa lowered themself to one knee, setting their spear on the ground next to him. “Boddhisafa! My apologies if we’ve interrupted anything”

“No need for the apologies, Moksa. You’re doing your duty.” She replied evenly, eyes never leaving Macaque’s face. The monkie felt like she was reading him, looking through him and his mind instead of meeting his gaze. “If our guest could follow me?” Her questioning was light, but as she turned, Macaque realized it was a command instead of a request. He followed her, pointedly ignoring Moksa’s self-satisfied smirk. 

She led him silently through the bamboo, leaving him momentarily to ponder what would happen. Would he really just bring her back or just tell her that they needed help and be on his way? Or maybe he could just hit her on the head and steal something? 

No matter how much the latter two options felt like the safer options, even while he knew Guanyin could kick his ass, he didn’t truly consider them. He had something to go back to now, someone who didn’t look at him as a monster. And maybe that’s why he hadn’t left already, the selfish wish to have someone look at him like everyone looked at Sun Wukong. Like he was supposed t o be here.

She led him deeper, even as they entered a clearing with a pond and several mats all facing one large pillowed sitting mat, obviously belonging to Guanyin. She sat on her mat with all the grace she was known for. “Take any seat you’d like.”

Even as he obeyed, he bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m not one of your students.”

“And I might not be able to be one of your allies.” Guanyin hummed, sounding as if she were commenting on the weather before she sighed, folding her hands. “If you’ll allow me to speak freely, Liù-Ěr Míhóu, I cannot spare time that I may not have. I’m aware that you’ve joined the Monkey King, for which I’m grateful and hopeful for you, but the presence of General Li indicates the defeat of the Heavenly Army after your escape with Nezha and your nephew.”

Macaque barely suppressed a growl, unflinching from the relation she described. “So now you’re just holding up here and letting everyone else deal with the Lady Bone Demon?”

Guanyin unfolded her hands and smiled exasperatedly at him. “Wukong hasn’t spoken of me much, has he?” She straightened her posture even further, towering over Macaque. “The Gold Star of Venus and I are usually able to see all of time, the past, present, and future. But before he was taken in the Battle of the Dark, the Gold Star could not see the future. In the same vein, I cannot currently see the future and worry not for myself but for my students, who would not leave me in the case of an attack from the Lady Bone Demon. It is their possession that worries me, and it is that fear that prevents me from leaving them. It’s the fear that you have for your nephew that brought you to me.”

Macaque didn’t suppress his growl. “So you really are just going to stew here like a coward?”

Guanyin’s expression changed for just a second before it turned compassionate. “My staying here doesn’t mean I won’t help you. I’m sure I can find something that can help you.”

Macaque stood up suddenly, a roar on his lips. “Cut to the chase and just say what you want!”

“I want very little, I think.” Guanyin answered, a sharp danger entering her warm brown eyes. “The safety of my students, the recognition of mercy. World peace would be nice.” She also stood, her height towering over Macaque. “But I think you should know what I want, my friend.”

She was not his friend. She was really going to make him beg for help? He lowered himself onto one knee like Moksa had, fighting back a pout. “ Divine Hero Guanyin, please extend your mercy unto me and my companions.” Her eyebrow rose, but only a bit. “There’s a child that needs your help and can only heal with your help.”

She seemed unmoved, sighing again. “Why should I help you? You’ve caused a lot of pain over the centuries, more than maybe even you know of. Would it not be appropriate in my mercy to your victims to let you fail while my students prepare for the future onslaught. The onslaught that was facilitated by your loss of the Lantern of Shadows?”

The pain of the memory was nothing in the face of the sudden heartache. “I know I’m a monster. I know I don’t deserve your help. But MK does. He’s the reason I’ve stopped acting like the monster I am, ok? He’s -- he’s a good kid who doesn’t deserve to suffer on the back of my sins.” Guanyin began to step away from him, kneeling down to reach into her pond. “His life for mine!”

She turned to face him, a serene curiosity crossing it. “I’m sorry?”

Macaque almost couldn’t believe he was about to repeat himself, but he damned his self-preservation long ago. Seeing MK’s cold pale face shivering in magic so cold it had gripped the entire Army of Heaven into submission had taken an effect on Macaque’s mind, old manipulations be damned. The kid didn’t even know why LBD was after him, didn’t know why he was as hurt as he was. “You save him and you’ll get me in return. I’ll follow every command you give me, but you’ve got to save MK.”

Guanyin’s expression didn’t change as she pulled her hands out of the pond. “If you truly wish to make that deal, Liù-Ěr,” she held her hands out to him to reveal the golden filet once worn by the Monkey King, it’s pain the stuff of legends, “then put it on.” He grabbed it and she stood up again, walking over the pond and into the bamboo behind it.

Macaque studied the filet in his hands, turning it over and feeling its power thrum through his fingers. It was lightning in a bottle, ready to strike him as soon as he put it on his head. He lifted his arms above his head, taking a deep breath before he lowered the filet back to in front of his eyes. He then flipped it upside-down and placed it on his head, curls pointed down towards his nose. He felt as the filet tightened fractionally, able to tell that it wouldn’t come off any time soon. He took several deep breaths, ignoring the rustle of the bamboo before him.

“You put it on.” Guanyin stated, almost in wonder. “You do care for MK.”

Macaque swallowed, putting on a grimacing smile. “You said it yourself, the kid’s my nephew. I’d be a pretty shit uncle if I didn’t.” She looked at him, contemplating before she smiled to herself as she pulled a golden leaf out of her sleeve. 

The wind seemed to pick up as petals surrounded her, quickly shaping around them to form her lotus throne. “In that case, we’ve a deal.” Her throne floated through the bamboo, emerging where her students made blockades and weapons, preparing for war. 

Moksa popped up from a group, keeping their eyes away from Macaque’s form next to their teacher. “You’re going to the child, Boddhisafa?”

“I am.” Guanyin confirmed. “And you will stay here.”

Moksa’s eyes widened impossibly. “But, Great Mercy --”

“Your faith is not in question, Moksa.” Guanyin interrupted, understanding conveyed even in her gracefully authority. “You are my head student, a fact in which is not forgotten. I need you here to guide and protect your peers while I’m gone. I will only be out for two days’ time, after which I promise to return.”

The student looked like they wanted to argue, to disagree and run into Guanyin’s arms, but controlled themself. They looked into her eyes and bowed, form lightly shaking. “Yes, Boddhisafa.”

“Thank you, Moksa.” Guanyin replied, lightly bowing back. The lotus began floating away, breaking through the cloud disguise. Guanyin waved her hands into the warm sky above, celestial weapons coming down and surrounding the cloud, pointing outwards.

Macaque tried to ease back into the lotus, to bring his thoughts together. They continued in the sky, travel silent.

Chapter Text

There wasn’t much she could do at the moment, Mei knew. But that wouldn’t stop her from trying to do something. She sent Red Son to recover the canons from the weapons cache as she searched the inside of the soaked crash site, collecting stuffies she had packed and set them around Monkey King and MK, neither of them having moved for a day at this point.

Macaque hadn’t been around, but his hunt had been on the ship, so she asked around. Tang said he went to get help but wouldn’t explain further. Nezha didn’t seem up to talking nor leaving MK and Monkey King’s side, so she didn’t ask him, even though she knew he’d give her a straight answer.

She met Red outside of the ship after wishing MK sweet dreams, impressed that he had already started bringing the cannonballs out while keeping the cases of gunpowder secured and dry in their cases under some covering from the rain.

Red turned to her, an unsatisfied look in his eye. “With the amount of rain that’s yet to cease, the cache started to flood. Everything dependent on wiring is a big if in regards to functionality.”

Mei frowned, but tried to keep optimistic. “We can get some parts from them though, can’t we? Casings, melt some of the metal down?”

Red Son huffed, whipping soaked hair from his forehead. “Sure, but we have to know what the metals are before we start trying to melt them and especially if we might try to melt them together, otherwise we compromise the structure of whatever we make from step one.”

“We have to have at least a few daggers’ worths of mild steel, right? Or maybe we could make armour out of it?” She suggested, adjusting the position of the cannonballs in thought.

Red grunted in response. “I know we have some 15N20 implemented on the cat-themed laser gun, but that’s all I’m sure of at the moment.”

Mei nodded, water dripping from her bangs. “We could always spark-test what we find and work from there? If it doesn’t tax you too much to get everything up to temperature.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem provided I’m well-hydrated.” Red nodded before scowling into the raining clouds. “You’re familiar with metal-working?”

Mei smiled, twirling up. “Well duh! How do you think my bike got as cool as it is?”

Red considered this, nodding slowly. “Of course. What else should I have expected?” He really took in her appearance, noting the well-hidden roughness of her hands, old scars littering them and her arms. Her elbows were bruised and roughened, likely still healing from the fight earlier in the week. The knees to her pants were broken, revealing more bruises and dirty skin, mud rewetting in the rain. She looked as weary as he felt, but she was still smiling, revelling in life, even as it was obviously different from the one she knew. “Then I certainly have an excellent lab partner!”

Mei’s smile grew wider at the statement, hopping on her toes. “I’m going to be the best lab partner you could ask for, Red Boy! Let’s --” A sudden golden light began to shine across the damage-filled clearing, fog rolling out from the trees ahead of the rosegold beams. Mei quickly loaded a cannonball into the canon, aiming it right where the light shined the brightest. She turned to Red Son, only to watch as he lowered himself onto one knee, nervously picking at his pants. “Red?”

He turned back to her with wonder in his eyes before it quickly turned to scandalized. “Don’t aim a cannon at her, are you crazy?!”

“Who her?!” Mei responded, hands gripping the cannon tighter. “Why don’t you blow something up, that’s so unlike you!”

Before Red could respond, the light came through the trees to reveal a giant closed lotus, causing the demon to lower his head as Mei looked between the Lotus and her companion. It opened up slowly, but Macaque rushed out of it, landing in the mud with his arms crossed. The lotus continued to open and the glow almost blinded Mei for a moment before it lessened enough for her to get a good look. Before her, sitting gracefully in the middle of the lotus was Guanyin, who looked entertained at the sight before her. 

“Hello again, Red Son.” Guanyin began, taking in his soaked hair. “I see you’re doing well.”

He sputtered at the attempt at humour. “I -- Teacher Guanyin, my apologizes for the, uh, the mess and the, uh -- this is my peer, Mei Lóng.”

Mei removed her hands from the cannon quickly, as if caught with her hands in the cookie jar. “What’s up?” Red’s head dropped to the ground in embarrassment. “Uh, nice to meet you?”

“Likewise, Lóng-Nǚ.” Guanyin shallowly bowed to Mei as she stepped out of her lotus, floating over the mud-covered ground. She looked around, frowning at the damaged ship. “How long have you been lodging here?”

Red raised his head, getting to his feet carefully. “About a week or so, though we were on it longer when it was, well, functional. I think. I came on after--” he cut himself off, noticing the filet around Macaque’s head, “uh, after they had initially begun their journey.”

Guanyin hummed in response, motioning for Macaque to lead the way. They both headed into a rip in the metal shell of the ship, leaving Mei and Red to race to follow them. Red silently waved his arms towards Mei. She looked at him in confusion, nodding suspiciously when he made a shushing motion. His hands almost frantically rose to his head, making little ears with them. Mei almost laughed if it weren’t for Red’s frantic expression. She tilted her head in confusion, Red’s frustration growing with a quiet growl, careful to make sure Guanyin didn’t hear him. His hand-ears changed, three fingers on each hand pointing out rigidly. His head stiffly gestured to Macaque. Mei’s head tilted again before she looked around Guanyin to really take in Macaque’s appearance. She didn’t see anything different besides tense muscles before a glint caught her eye, raising her eyes to his head. It looked like a headband but something about it made her stomach drop before she realized what it really was. 

Her head whipped back to Red, hand clasping over her mouth, eyes wide. Red nodded frantically before turning to look forward, spine tight. She followed his lead, not letting herself trail too far behind Guanyin and Macaque. They started their trek diagonally up, the uneven floor seeming to earn Guanyin’s ire. 

In the kitchen knelt Nezha and Wukong, Tang laying on the counter, exaggerated reading making it clear for whom he was actually reading for. “...and with a great big swing of his staff, Merlin the Warlock gave Arthur a set of armour fit for the king of Camelot, encouraging the heir to -- t-to…” His reading died off as he noticed Guanyin’s glow entering the room. 

Nezha looked towards the intruders slowly, straightening up quickly at the sight of Guanyin. “Boddhisafa!” He didn’t rise, keeping his flame close to Wukong, who didn’t acknowledge that anything had changed. “Welcome! I -- My apologies that this -- we haven’t made this place presentable.”

“But it functions as a shelter, which is all that is needed, nephew.” Guanyin lowered herself to him, laying her arms around his shoulders. “My condolences for the loss of your father as you knew him.” Nezha only nodded in response, flame flickering weakly. Red moved to sit next to him, lighting his own flame. Nezha tiredly leaned against him, which Red allowed. 

Guanyin moved to Wukong, who had yet to move. She caught Wukong’s cheek in her palm, lifting his face to get a good look at him. There were bags under his unfocused eyes, mouth turned down. His fur was knotted, bordering on matted, and dark with dust and dirt that had made its home on him. His lip wobbled when the slow realization of Guanyin’s presence. The change in position sent a small chirp flying out of his mouth and MK’s lack of response sending silent tears over his cheeks. “Please.”

Macaque cringed at the sight, hissing from his teeth. Guanyin, pat Wukong’s head, touching his hands that were secured around MK. Monkey King stiffened, a fearful whimper escaping him momentarily. Guanyin gave him an empathetic look, rubbing her thumb over Wukong’s smaller hand. She turned towards Mei and motioned her towards her. Guanyin pulled a golden leaf from her sleeve, handing it to Mei. “I was told you have a crewmember talented in brewing. Would you ask him to make a tea with this?” Mei nodded and grabbed the leaf, racing to find Sandy. Guanyin turned her attention back to Wukong, who was struggling to quiet a growl. “I’m here to help, Great Sage. Will you allow me to?”

Wukong bowed his head, shakily raising his arms and offering the child towards her. She carefully and slowly took MK from his grasp, not wincing when Macaque stepped between Wukong and herself as the Monkey King’s growl escaped his throat and grew. MK didn’t look as bad as Monkey King, white hair obviously groomed to perfection, almost overly so. There were tear tracks along his cheeks and dotting his neck, though Guanyin was sure some of those tears weren’t the child’s own. 

Macaque seemed to try to placate Wukong, whose eyes were zoned in on MK, taking the movements of Guanyin’s hands with a deadly focus. She moved to sit next to Tang, whose mouth was gaping. “Hello, Professor Tang. You don’t mind my sitting here, do you?” At Tang’s shy shake of his head, Guanyin smiled towards him, sitting in a lotus position. “Macaque?”

He turned his head quickly towards her, ears facing Wukong twitching. “Yes? Uh, Yes, Boddhisafa?”

She smiled at him, her warm rosegold glow increasing. “My first command to you is to make sure MK and I don’t fall.” With no further warning, her glow embraced both herself and MK, but they fell limp, starling the group with Macaque rushing towards her so she wouldn’t slide off of the counter. Wukong let out a startled yelp, kept in place as Nezha launched himself towards him, arms secured around him in a desperate bear hug. 

Tang tried to sit up but his own injury had him groaning. Red moved to bring his flame towards Guanyin and MK, looked confused between Wukong and his former teacher. “It’s fine! Probably! She definitely probably has a plan. This is fine!” Red Son quickly stopped talking when Wukong’s growl was quickly directed towards him.

“Stop scaring kids, jackass.” Macaque growled over his shoulder at Wukong, ignoring that the growl was sent his way too. “Guanyin helped you during your journey, we made a deal, she’s got a plan. MK’s going to be fine, just give her plan some time.” Wukong stopped growling, but his eyes were still unmoving from Guanyin’s form. Macaque turned back towards Guanyin, muttering to her serene face. “I hope you have a plan because you locked the rest of us in here with the king of losing his shit.”

Chapter Text

MK felt himself drifting, but couldn’t see where. He’d been in the cold dark, the void as LBD called it, for a really long time, longer than he could count to. He was so lonely, so cold, and so so tired.

But he couldn’t sleep, not now. The bad lady could come back and she could try to take him away, or Monkey King and Super-Mei could come and save him, or something, but he couldn’t sleep. The thought of sleeping here, alone in the cold, didn’t make him feel good, made him feel sick. So he kept his eyes open as wide as he could, even when they felt the stinging of the cold.

Just as he was about to turn around, trying to find a comfortable position, a new glow entered the darkness, rosegold and reminding MK of Monkey King’s glow. It was close to him and warm, sending a shake down his spine. It looked like a lotus and it opened up like a blossom to reveal a woman, different from Lady Bone Demon. Her smile was warm and her eyes wise, her very energy making MK feel safe and warm as if he hadn’t been freezing for forever.

She spotted him quickly and her small smile grew, a relieved look covering her features. “You must be MK?”

MK nodded, frowning. She seemed nice, but she wasn’t someone he knew, he couldn’t feel safe with her. “Stranger danger.”

The lady gave a goodnatured huff, hands folding on her lap. “That’s correct. My name is Guanyin, but you can call me Grandmother. I’m here to help you.”

MK leaned away from her, untrusting. “I won’t let you take me!”

“I won’t take you.” Guanyin replied, eyebrows furrowed in empathy. “I’m here to help you make your own way out.” She continued, even at MK’s confused expression. “You are more powerful than you seem to think you are, MK. You just need to realize how strong you are and that you can get yourself out of here.”

MK’s lip wobbled. “How?”

“That’s up to you to figure out.” Guanyin replied, a small sigh escaping through her nose. When MK let out a defeated sigh, she straightened her back out. “You know, you remind me so much and so little of Sun Wukong whilst he was on his journey with the Tang monk.”

MK looked at her eyes, searching for a lie. “Really?”

“Yes.” Guanyin confirmed. “Both of you are eager to please, both just needed positive influence to really blossom into the people you need to be, want to be. You are both so brilliant but know so little of your true brilliance. But where Wukong overcompensates this self-doubt, you believe you can’t. But you can, MK. You are Monkey King’s successor, the boy he’s chosen to be his son. He believes in you. And guess what?” MK didn’t verbally respond, but his eyes continued to search her face. “I believed in you too.”

MK shook his head, looking away from the Boddhisafa. “How do you know? Why do you believe in me? I didn’t stop the bad guys when they hurt my friends, Lady Bone Demon tried to get me and said she’d hurt my friends, and I’m too tired. I’m too tired to fight her. I’m not strong, I’m just a little kid.”

MK didn’t seem to notice when Guanyin took his cheeks into her hands, whipping away slowly-forming tears. “But you tried. You had the courage to turn around and face your enemies for the sake of your friends. You survived. And your friends love and care for you, they wanted and still want to protect you.” 

“I don’t deserve it.” MK responded immediately. “Mom and Dad said I don’t deserve friends, and I got them hurt! It’s my fault so I don’t deserve them!”

Guanyin pulled him closer to her, looking intently into his eyes. “You do deserve friends, MK. Wukong makes you feel happy, right?” MK nodded in response. “Then he is a good parent. Do your parents make you happy?” He shook his head. “Then they aren’t good parents and you shouldn’t listen to them. You deserve happiness and you deserve friends. You deserve good things, MK.”

MK shook in her hands, sniffling and trying to stop himself from crying. “Misses Grandma Guanyin? How are they? My friends?”

Guanyin smiled down at him, ruffling his hair gently. “Waiting for you. Worried that you won’t return to them. It’s time for you to quash those worries, don’t you think?” Her glow began to diminish, lotus folding back up. “I’ll see you on the other side, MK.”

“See you, Misses Grandma.” MK replied, waving at the now-empty space. He looked at his hands, which were now warm, cold creeping back in slowly. He couldn't do it. He had to. He had to because they were waiting for him, they were worried about him. They cared about him and he wouldn’t let them down.

He clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring the cold creeping back into his spine.

Guanyin opened her eyes with slow blinks, white noise dull in her ears. As she came to, the weight of MK in her lap, she became more aware of the noises really around her. There was a deep growl ahead of her, blocked by dark fur that had arms wrapped around her and MK. Red’s presence was also taken note of, hot flame lighting her face. The growl was obviously Wukong’s but it didn’t move from where she first heard it. She remembers seeing Nezha in the room, but Macaque blocked her view of everything but the child, who was still unconscious. “Macaque.”

He startled at his name, breaking away from her quickly. “Good morning. Afternoon. Good time.” He backed up, leaning precariously on the diagonal countertop beside Tang. 

“Thank you.” Guanyin replied wearily, straightening her back out again. She took in the room around her, noting that Nezha seemed to be holding Wukong in place, monkey shaking in his arms.

“Why isn’t he awake?” Wukong demanded, lunging in Nezha’s arms. “Why -- you said you were here to help.”

Guanyin sighed, running her hands through MK’s pale hair. “Give him a moment or two.”

Wukong roared, lunging again, Nezha yelping. “He’s been like that for a week!” His breaths heaved as Macaque readied for a fight. “And you say he needs a moment?”

Guanyin held her other hand up as MK began to stir, a golden glow encompassing him. He lightly floated from Guanyin’s lap, stretching as if he were waking from a nap. He dropped back down onto her lap with a soft grunt, eyes slow to focus. “Misses Grandmother?” He mumbled out, whipping the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Hello--”

Before Guanyin could fully answer, Wukong ploughed into her, grabbing MK back into his arms. While Macaque startled at the movement, Guanyin didn’t seem hurt or upset by the interruption. “Bud! Bud, hey, hey, how are you feeling? You’re awake! Oh, my son, my good boy.”

MK hugged back as much as his shaky arms would allow, head nuzzling into the dirty fur on Wukong’s neck. “Baba, baba. I heard you, I was scared but I heard you. You’re so warm and I was so cold.” He babbled back, shaking in relief until he took a sniff. His head whipped away from Wukong’s neck to the surprise of the Monkey King. “You’re stinky, baba!”

Wukong let out a betrayed gasp while Macaque cackled. Tang tried to cover his laughter with a wheeze, Nezha and Red Son covering their mouths. Guanyin pat MK’s head again, letting out her own chuckle. “I -- I smell fine!” Monkey King stuttered out, still hugging MK to him as if he’d lose him the moment he let go. “I--”

Wukong was cut off by a bar of soap being thrown into his jaw. Pigsy entered the kitchen from the damaged hallway, clothespin covering his nose. “You do not smell fine! I’ve been dealing with you stewing in your sweat for a week now, and so is everyone else! Go take a shower!”

Monkey King took the soap out of his mouth, avoiding touching it with his tongue. “Is the water back up?”

“Is the -- look outside, it hasn’t stopped raining! Use nature’s shower, you doorknob!” Pigsy replied with an impatient yell. At MK’s ringing laughter, Pigsy immediately calmed, climbing clumsily into the kitchen. His head was barely an inch away from MK before the child poked his nose, giggling. “Hey, kid!” He whispered enthusiastically. “Hey, it’s so good to see you!”

“I missed you, Mister Pigsy.” MK replied, hugging the chef’s head.

Pigsy hugged back, ignoring how the clothespin snapped off of his nose to let the scent back into his nostrils. “Oh, I missed you too, MK. Missed you so much.”

Wukong allowed the hug, but his grip tightened around MK. As Pigsy pulled away, Monkey King interrupted anything anyone else could say. “Well, MK and I both need some fresh air, so we’ll just, you know.” He left with the soap and MK quickly, joints creaking from disuse. 

When Tang looked to call out to him, Guanyin rested her hand on the professor’s shoulder. “Give him some time. He’s never dealt well with loss or the potentiality of it.” Macaque grunted in agreement but didn’t expand past that.

Outside, Wukong planted MK under some cover, whipping the still-white hair from MK’s eyes. “You stay right there and when I’m done, you can do a smell test, ok? Baba isn’t going to be a stinky monkey anymore.”

“Ok!” MK agreed, feet kicking pleasantly as he extended his legs on the ground. Monkey King let his eyes take in MK’s condition, convincing himself that he’d be fine for five minutes. Wukong shucked his shirt off and ran into the rain, wetting the bar of soap until it was sudsy in his hand. Being a metre or two from MK was already making his heart race in the worst of ways. 

MK sat patiently, watching Wukong desperately scrub at his fur and the skin underneath, noting Guanyin’s glow and Mei’s high-energy steps approaching from behind him. “I’ve brought you tea, if you would like a cup.” He took the offered cup as Guanyin kneeled next to him, watching as she gave a placating wave to Wukong, who seemed on high alert.

“I’m very proud of you, MK.” She said, taking a sip of her own cup of tea. “You did it.”

“Thank you, MIsses Grandmother Guanyin, ma’am.” MK replied, eyeing the golden tea. “It looks like pee.”

Mei coughed out a laugh as Guanyin tried to cover a snort of laughter with her sleeve. “It doesn’t taste as it looks, MK. Try it and I think you’ll like it.” 

MK squeezed his eyes shut, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long shallow sip. He swallowed, stuck his tongue out, then took another sip. And then another, not noticing how colour returned to his hair and his pupils gained a rosegold undertone, bags under his eyes shrinking and disappearing. “It’s good!”

“I knew you’d like it.” Guanyin replied, taking another sip of her own tea. “What does it taste like to you?”

“Peaches and honey!” MK responded happily, taking another chug. 

Guanyin smiled. “Just like your baba. Mine tastes of willow and lotus petals.” 

MK looked at her curiously, hair completely back to its prior brown state as Mei carefully observed the transformation. “You have different tea?”

“Not exactly, Grandson.” Guanyin moved to show MK the tea that was left was the same golden colour as his. “It has a very special ingredient in it that makes it taste like each person’s favourite flavours. Interesting, isn’t it?”

MK nodded before he jumped, a screech permeating the air. Monkey King, still wet and sudsy, jumped over MK, back arched in defence and teeth bared at the treeline. 

Emerging from the tree line was the mayor, or what claimed to be the mayor, suit soaked but not noticed. His smile was wide and his eyes were pinned on Monkey King and MK, seeming to take joy in the tensing muscles enveloping Wukong’s entire being.

He rushed forward, only to be knocked back by hundreds of sharpened lotus petals. MK looked out from under Monkey King to see that Guanyin had risen immediately, a willow branch somehow appearing in her hand. She quickly turned towards the ship and waved the branch again, the entire thing taking on Guanyin’s rosegold glow. 

The ship began to lift from the ground, parts and scraps lifting and fitting together, metal shifting into places that gave the vehicle a whole new image. Its outer shell now had scales, the warper mercat at the front turning into a mighty dragon. Distantly, MK could see Sandy being levitated into the new Captain’s nest as it was given a new unshattered window. Wukong grabbed him and Mei and jumped onto the ship as Guanyin’s own glow grew and encapsulated her form before it changed to the warrior build of his thousand-armed form. 

Guanyin turned towards the ship as it lifted off the ground and smiled, his voice still soothing and serene but deeper. “Should you ever require lessons on mercy, Mei Long, come to my grove. And tell Macaque that I’ll find him when I next need him.” With that, Guanyin turned back to the treeline, weapons of all sizes and varieties entering his thousand hands, rushing towards the mayor.

“Grandfather? Grandfather?!” MK yelled out, even as the clearing became smaller and harder to see under him. “Baba, will Grandfather Guanyin be ok?”

Wukong nodded, rubbing his sudsy head into MK’s hair. “He’ll be ok, it’s ok. Guanyin’s really tough, maybe tougher than me.”

Pigsy emerged from below-deck, disoriented and confused. “Monkey. Explain. Please?”

“Guanyin. We have to get out of here, which is already happening. I’ll explain more after I dry MK off. And get him food. He totally needs food, And water. And sleep. I’ll explain tomorrow.” Wukong walked to the door under-deck, not minding the soap and water he dragged in. 

Mei turned towards Pigsy, an exhilarated smile on her face. “Did you know Guanyin has like, a million arms?”

Pigsy sighed. “Nevermind, please don’t explain anything. Ever.”

Chapter Text

Nezha followed Monkey King and MK at a distance, eyes running over both of their forms as they left the renovated kitchen. MK happily munched on chicken nuggets, enjoying the breading over his tongue. He hummed into the hallway, hand firmly in Monkey King’s own hand. Nezha thought he wasn’t spotted until MK turned towards him, surprising him with glowing gold eyes. MK only smiled as his eyes returned to normal, making grabby hands towards the prince. 

Nezha thought of leaving but didn’t, grabbing MK’s other hand in a light grip. He gave a small smile at MK’s broad toothy grin, not minding that he swung their arms vigorously. Nezha wasn’t sure where exactly they were heading, the entire floorplan revamped by Guanyin’s magic. It was smaller to be sure but sleeker and faster, cutting through clouds like snow through the air in a blizzard. Its golden shine reflected the evening’s sunset with a ferocity only overwhelmed by the sun itself and its rooms were well-fortified, likely because of Guanyin’s horror at the state of the broken rooms after the crash. The nonperishables were saved and organized and they had stopped nearly 100 kilometres from the crash site to pick whatever fruits and berries they could find before they reentered the skies. 

Wukong eventually opened a door, leading the other two inside. The room was obviously new, a bookshelf filled with scrolls and books of all kinds built into the wall and a TV hanging on the wall opposite to a huge bed, covers red and teal. Without warning, Wukong lifted both of them and threw them onto the bed. Before Nezha could lift himself from where he was thrown, Monkey King had already shifted the covers to the bed, forming a nest with the fabric. Pillows were thrown in and adjusted, Wukong jumping in after them and pulling Nezha and a giggling MK closer to him. It was a cuddle pile through and through and Nezha couldn’t find it in himself to leave the nest, curling into Wukong’s side unconsciously.

MK climbed on top of Wukong’s chest, feeling as the other’s tail moved to rest on his back. His small, casted wrist rested on Nezha’s side, the prince already drifting off to sleep. Wukong grabbed the remote, trying to move as little as possible, turning the classical music channel on very low. MK looked up at him only to have Monkey King lower his bed back to his chest and begin grooming his hair, murmuring. “We’re going to nap with your dage.”

MK let his head be guided back to his baba’s chest, eyes still wide. He adjusted his head until he was looking at Wukong but his head was still on his chest, feeling hands run through his hair carefully. “Are you ok, baba?”

Wukong’s hands faltered for a heartbeat before returning to their previous task. “I’m ok, bud. I was -- I’m happy you’re awake again. I’m glad you’re back.”

MK hugged the chest under him. “I’m glad I’m back too.” Wukong gave a little smile at him but his eyebrows were still furrowed in worry. “But what if Lady Bone Demon tries to take me away again?”

Wukong gently held MK closer to his face, taking in the slight fear in the child’s eyes. “I won’t let her. The Jade Emperor and the ten kings of hell could lead their armies against me but if they even think of hurting you, I’ll fight them all and win because no one, and I promise you no one, hurts my son.”

“Promise?” MK replied, sitting up. “You have to promise!”

“I promise on my life, MK.” Monkey King replied, careful not to jostle MK or Nezha. “I promise, I’ll protect you no matter what.” MK nuzzled back into Wukong’s neck, nodding into the fur there. He stayed there for a while, drifting off to the feeling of Wukong’s hands petting his hair down.

Wukong didn’t know how long it had been until he heard a soft tapping at the door, its soft opening revealing Macaque, poking his head in slowly. Wukong nodded him in, watching his movements as he sat at the edge of the bed, just outside of the nest. “I was told to get you for dinner but I don’t think you’re interested in that at the moment.’

Wukong hummed in response, biting the inside of his cheek. “Thank you.”

Macaque crossed his arms and huffed. “For what?”

“For getting Guanyin.” His eyes flashed gold for a moment. “And for giving up your freedom to save MK.” 

Macaque huffed again, but at that point, it was more of a sigh. “Don’t thank me for doing something I would’ve done if I thought of it before you did.”

“Well, I’m thanking you anyway, didi.” Wukong replied. “Now get in here and cuddle with your nephews.” Macaque grumbled in response until Nezha rushed up and grabbed the younger monkie’s wrist and pulled him into the nest.

Nezha groaned. “Cuddle and be quiet, uncle. I’m resting.”

“I’m missing dinner for this.” Macaque grumbled, trying harder than he’d admit to hid a smile.

Nezha huffed into the dark fur. “They’ll save you leftovers.” As Macaque chuckled, Nezha closed his eyes again, not letting his arms open for Macaque to leave. 

Wukong gave him a satisfied look, grinning at his brother’s apparent entrapment. “Yeah, Uncle Macaque , you’ll get leftovers later.”

“You be quiet too, golden boy.” Nezha mumbled into black fur. “You’re louder than he is anyway.” Monkey King harumphed in response but quieted, letting the classical sounds lull them all to sleep.

At least an hour later, Tang peeked in for a moment before gingerly closing the door, heading back down the hall. He turned into the new kitchen, sitting gently on a padded stool, rubbing his sore side. “They’re sleeping.” Pigsy gave him a questioning look. “They were all snuggled together and I didn’t want to wake them up!”

“So we wait until we get to the Empire of Women before we actually let them know we’re going to the Empire of Women?” Mei asked, sitting on the counter with the entire cookie jar in her hands, handing a handful to Red. 

Pigsy let in a deep breath. “Uh. Yes.”

Mei shrugged. “Ok!

Chapter Text

MK was the first to wake up, Sandy’s pleasant humming just outside the door. MK raised his head but felt Monkey King’s tail around him, keeping him in place on Wukong’s chest. He stilled immediately when the tail tightened around him minutely. MK’s eyes were wide as he started to whisper. “Sandy! Sandy!”

Next to him, Nezha let out a groan and pushed himself off and out of the nest, jostling everyone else in it. “Wake up, simians. Xiǎo tǔ dì needs some breakfast and is too polite to wake you.”

At Macaque and Monkey King’s groans in response, Sandy opened the door, peeking in. He smiled brightly when he saw that everyone inside was more or less awake, broad smile greeting them. “Good morning, sailors! We’re reaching our next stop in about three minutes, so let’s get up and go!” Sandy picked them up, ignoring how they stretched like cats in their tired states. “I have cinnamon buns in the kitchen for you guys!”

Pigsy’s voice echoed in the halls. “I’m the one who made them!”

Sandy smiled broadly. “I put the frosting on!” He continued out, humming as MK followed him with a laugh and Nezha dragged himself out behind him. “We’re gonna get boba for our tea while we’re in town.”

Entering the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon, dough, and apples permeated the air, sending the monkies and their students into a less-tired awareness, hunger newly-gnawing at their stomachs. Wukong slipped out of Sandy’s grip slowly, stretching onto the ground. Macaque refused to open his eyes, even if he was awake. He turned closer to Sandy, burrowing his forehead into the neck provided. “Mmmmmm we could not.”

Sandy sighed good-naturedly. “I could always get the flashlight.” Macaque hissed but crawled out of Sandy’s arms nevertheless. “I’ll get you your breakfast!” Sandy offered sunnily.

Macaque sat at the kitchen island, face falling onto it with a soft thud. “MMan have plum?”

“Sure, dear!” The river demon replied, opening the refrigerator as wide as his smile. 

MK giggled behind him, whooping when Nezha lifted him and put him on the island beside Macaque’s head. Pigsy patted his head while handing him a plate and Tang put a small cup of orange juice in the unoccupied space next to the child. “Where are we going today?” MK asked, gesturing to the newly-arrived Mei to give him a hug.

Pigsy almost giggled. “The Empire of Women!”

Monkey King nearly snorted his coffee out of his nose. “Uh?! Um! I have concerns.”

“You already came out like 600 years ago, y ou’ll be fine, Gēgē.” Macaque responded, more awake now that he’s taken a bite of his plum. “Been alive how many centuries and still don’t know how to talk to girls?”

“That’s not --!” Monkey King growled. “Seriously, the empire has weird stuff going on, ok? Just don’t drink from any of the rivers.”

Sandy looked back at Wukong. “What idiot drinks from a random unknown body of water?”

Tang coughed on a piece of cinnamon bun, Pigsy patting his back carefully. Mei glanced at them, sliding a glass of water to the two. She turned back to MK with a grin on her face. “We can try on one of your new dresses then! How’s that sound?”

He somehow beamed even broader than he already was. “I want to try the dress that looks like Mister Red Son!” 

At the mention of his name, Red revealed himself, rising from where he was sitting on the floor, a mug of black coffee in each hand. “My jamawar disguise is going to be green.”

MK’s head tilted in confusion. “But your name is Red.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to limit myself to just red-coloured clothes.” Red answered back, chugging one of the mugs. 

“Right, he’s just limited to Christmas colours!” Mei added, smugly pursing her lips at the demon as he chugged the second mug as quickly as the first. 

He smugged as he went to refill both mugs. “The both of us together is Christmas then?”

“Ah.” Mei squeaked out, a slightly panicked expression covering her. “Lucky us.”

MK looked between them once more before he blurted out. “Are you guys dating?”

Red’s nose was splurting out the new coffee quickly, getting red. “I -- uh -- do you want us to be?”

MK looked between Red and Mei yet again before smiling. “Yes!”

“Ok, that’s enough of that!” Pigsy interrupted, glaring at Red in warning, who replied by raising his hands in mock surrender. “We’ll be in position for landing any second now, so let’s get you all dressed up and ready to go.”

“Maybe he should stay up here.” Wukong replied, wincing at MK’s disappointed face. “Just because of last time. It’s safer to stay on the ship.”

Mei frowned at MK’s crestfallen expression. “I think the safest place he could be is right next to you.” At Wukong’s look, she shrugged. “Because, you know, Great Sage Equal to Heaven. And all the perks and powers that come with that.”

“And all the enemies.” Wukong replied, fingers impatiently tapping on the island before him. “Let’s just try it this time, ok? Then, if the next town we go to isn’t one I might have an enemy in, we can bring MK down there. Does that sound ok, bud?”

MK sighed, pouting, but still nodded his head. Nezha gently grabbed MK from Mei, resting the child on his hip. “I’ll stay behind too then. Make sure someone with power who’s fine with using it to protect him up here.”

Wukong moved to hug the both of them. “Thank you. I promise I’ll get you some souvenirs, ok?” MK nodded dejectedly, reaching for his orange juice.

Before long, Macaque, Wukong, Mei, Red, and Tang were all disguised and lowering themselves from the ship, promises to be back quickly on their lips. It was quiet on board as Nezha and MK played together in the living area, Sandy tip-toeing in. He turned towards them, lips trembling. “Have you guys seen Mo? I couldn’t find him after breakfast and haven’t seen him since.”

Before Nezha could reply, a faint golden grow brightened next to him. He took a look towards the light to gasp at the realization that the glow was coming from MK’s eyes, the child looking around. He looked up and pointed to the ceiling. “Captain Mo’s driving.”

Sandy took the glowing eyes in stride, waving his thanks as he left the room in a rush. MK’s eyes returned to normal, though Nezha could now see the rosegold sparking every now and then in his pupils. “MK, do you -- there’s another game I want to show you, ok?”

MK put his building blocks down. “What kind of game?”

“It’s ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’. We get to watch that Monkey King show but every time he does something with magic, we have to try to copy it.”

“Ok!” MK replied, getting to his feet excitedly. Nezha had learned that with anything involving Sun Wukong and his family, he’d need to implement everything he learned about patience. It looked like today was his pop quiz.

Chapter Text

The Empire of Women was exactly as it sounded, even 500 years after Wukong had last visited. Women ran everything and aside from his little disguised group of mostly men, there was not a boy in sight. Or a cisman at least, as some of the people walking around in the busy streets were more masculine-presenting than the women of yesteryear. Which, honestly, good for them!

It was relatively peaceful, completely peaceful, until a scorpion landed on Tang’s wig, causing him to fling it off in a panic, revealing that he was, indeed, a man to the population around them. Wukong could feel himself following the same steps as the last time he was here. He let his demonic form show, placing himself between the excited crowd and Tang, feeling better when Mei realized there was a swarm of women who’d never seen a man before approaching them and standing next to him, weapon at the ready. Macaque kept his female disguise, long black hair reminiscent of PIF but the dark magic beginning to flow around him set him apart. Red Son’s braided hair caught fire and his jamawar started to sizzle at the ends. 

Instead of the fear he inspired last time though, Monkey King found himself surrounded by AFAB people all insisting he was cute and “too fluffy to be threatening, look at him!” He heard Mei yelling something over the crowd of people, but there were too many coos and aws to hear her. And he couldn’t really fight them, could he? They were all innocent if not overbearingly curious. He suddenly turned into a bear, able to muscle his way through the group and back to his own, watching as an elderly shop owner started herding them into her business. 

He squeezed his new bear form through the doorway and the door slammed shut behind him, the shop owner leaning against it with a huff. Then she scowled and opened the door again, yelling out of it. “Where are your manners?! What awful hosts you’re all being! Calm yourselves!” She slammed the door shut again, whipping the scowl off her face after turning back towards her guests in various states of disarray. “So how many men am I sheltering?”

When all except Mei raised their hands, she flinched. “So, uh. This may be difficult then. Any of you have anything that might save you from the hoard of women that have never seen men before?”

“I’m gay and married.” Tang said immediately. 

Wukong swallowed. “I’m a dad and too busy for a relationship and also not into anyone.”

“I am also gay. And also taken.” Macaque replied. Wukong sent a questioning look his way. “Kind of? We’re working on it.”

The shop owner looked at Red Son expectantly. “And you?”

Red stuttered and blushed before Mei saddled next to him, sliding her arm around his waist. “As far as the crowd out there knows, he’s also taken.” Mei tried to suppress her own blush at the elder’s approving look.

“I should’ve known just by looking at you two. You look good together! You’re blushing so much, your relationship must be new. Congratulations!” She replied. “And congratulations to the rest of you, but unless you all have your significant others with you, none of those girls and enbies outside are going to know that you’re in relationships or are otherwise occupied.” 

“Yeah about that: why are you helping us? Shouldn’t you be freaking out?” Macaque asked, ignoring Mei’s groan. Instead of answering, she pointed to her desk. On it was a large picture of her and her wife, several children sitting before them. She did not seem interested in men at all aside from adopting them. “Oh.”

“‘Oh,’ he says! Trying to question my hospitality!” She grabbed a ball of napkins and threw it at Macaque’s head. She straightened herself out before giving up on stressing her back. “I’m Zhang Weixi, but you may call me Nǚ Shāngrén Zhang or Mother Zhang because I didn’t live eight decades just to not be recognized for my accomplishments.”

“Thank you, Mother Zhang!” Mei replied, a pleased expression covering her host’s face. 

She gave Macaque a look. “Gratefulness! Kids these days are so good at displaying it!”

The monkie rolled his eyes in response, for which Wukong huffed. “I’m sorry about literally all of him, Mother Zhang. Could your hospitality extend to the use of your wifi? So we can call our families?” Wukong felt a shiver go up his spine when her eyebrows rose. “Please?”

She nodded, heading towards the counter. She folded a paper into a plane and threw it towards Wukong, who caught it carefully. He unfolded it and there on the sheet read, “Wifi：张女士的最佳餐厅, 密码：你很幸运，张女士喜欢你，给你她的wifi密码！”. She headed towards a rice cooker, moving the scoop around and grabbing a bowl and scooping some of the rice in. “You call your family and I’ll have rice ready for you here.”

Mei and Red went to the counter quickly, trying to escape the curious eyes of the others in their group. Macaque fished for a phone in his dress pocket, only to realize the dress didn’t have a pocket and that he kept his phone on the ship. He turned to Tang, who was already on discord. “Can you tell them to bring Sandy?”

Tang’s eyebrow rose in pleasant surprise. “You and Sandy?”

“It’s complicated.” Macaque responded, huffing. “Please just tell them to bring Sandy.”

Wukong appeared at their side with a blackberry, grabbing Tang’s glasses and placing them on his own face. “How do I get to the wifi?”

Tang sighed and grabbed his glasses back. “I’ll call everyone for you two boomers.” He ignored their displeased noises, going on to spam ping everyone and moving to the voice chat.

He didn’t have to wait long until Pigsy joined the call, something steaming in the background. “How did you already get in trouble?

“My dearest husband and light of my life!” Tang replied in a cheery tone.

Pigsy sighed on the other end of the line. “What did you do?”

“My wig got snatched.” Tang replied. “And now we need to let the rowdy crowd of curious imperial women that we are taken and not interested. At all.”

“And where do I come into this? Can’t you show them your wedding band?” Pigsy asked, the steaming in the background stopping. “Or do you need me to come down there?”

“We need everyone to come down here, actually.” Tang paused. “Except for Mo. We need him to drive the ship.”

“But not MK!” Wukong spoke in, leaning into Tang’s phone. “Leave MK up there.”

Pigsy paused, deadpan evident in his voice. “You want to leave a five-year-old on a floating boat with no one other than a cat for an unknown amount of time?”

Wukong also paused, almost crushing his blackberry in his hands. “Bring MK please.”

“That’s what I thought.” Pigsy answered. He disconnected the voice chat and near immediately, a pink lotus appeared on the floor of the rice shop, a pink glow revealing Sandy, Pigsy, Nezha, and MK, who himself was comfortable and happy in Nezha’s arms.

MK held his arms out to Monkey King and Zhang cooed. “Oh, I thought your children would be ugly, I’m so glad I was wrong!”

MK tilted his head. “Thank you, ma’am?”

“Of course!” Zhang replied, handing him a bowl of rice. “You’re going to need to eat to get big, have this bowl. When you’re done, I’ll make you more.” She shuffled off, grabbing another bowl and filling it.

Macaque moved quickly, sitting on Sandy’s shoulders. “Listen, I need you to go with this, while we’re here you’re -- we’re -- the two of us are involved.”

Sandy gave a big smile up to his passenger. “Well of course we’re involved, we’re crewmates.”

“No!” Macaque nearly shouted. “Like, involved as, you know. Like Tang and Pigsy are involved.”

Sandy’s eyes widened for a long moment before reaching understanding. “Oh! Ok! We’re husbands then!”

Macaque wheezed. “Yup.”

Tang hugged a grumpy Pigsy tightly. “My hero!”

“I was making noodles. You interrupted my noodles.” Pigsy tried to growl out, too happy to be cuddled to really force the anger out. “I hope you’re happy.”

“I’m always happy when you’re around.” Tang answered. “I’m so happy you’re here, I’ll give you a massage later!”

“Manipulative is what you are.” Pigsy answered.

Tang smirked. “Is it working?” Pigsy grumbled before leaning into Tang’s hug. “I’ll take that as a yes!”

Zhang came over to Nezha and shoved a bowl of rice into his hands too. “Oh, the bigger little one! You eat up too. Oh, you remind me of my little Liuxi! Eat, eat!”

Nezha took the bowl, looking between it and the lady. “I think I’m older than you think I am.”

“But you’re so small!” Zhang responded, waving his confusion off. “So you need to eat!” Nezha didn’t argue further, taking a spoonful into his mouth. Beside him, Wukong whispered to MK.

“I’m going to keep you in my arms so I can make sure nothing happens, ok? The safest bet is to carry you at all times, ok? If anyone tried to grab you, scream as loud as you can, right in my ear if you have to.” Wukong listed off, MK nodding at every word as he shovelled rice in his mouth.

Sandy moved towards the door and rested one hand on Macaque’s leg and the other hand on the handle before he turned to the rest of the group. “Are we ready?” Instead of answering, Mei unsheathed her jade jian, taking Red’s hand into her free one, and kicked the door open, preparing to face the crowd.

Chapter Text

As soon as the door busted open, the crowd paused. An understanding swept over them at the sight of couples hand-in-hand and Wukong with arms full of children. “Oh, they’re gay!” Came a voice over the crowd, most of it dispersing at the announcement. Some of them approached to apologize, cooing at MK and paying their compliments to the couples. 

“Oh look at the big one and the one on his shoulders!” One girl cooed. “The height difference is adorable!”

An enby in the smaller crowd squealed. “And a responsible father! That’s the best thing, like, ever!”

Zhang left her shop, scowling at the open door. “Well, that’s one way to treat my door.” She turned to the group that was left surrounding the crew. “Don’t just stand there, show some hospitality! Give them directions or something, help them out!”

The crowd burst into action then. Some came up to the group to ask where they were going all at once, one grabbing snacks from their bags. “What do men eat, though?” One woman asked, reading the ingredient list on a granola bar.

“The same thing women eat!” Zhang yelled in frustration. “They’re men, not some newly-discovered species!”

The woman with the granola bar ducked her head, passing the bar to Nezha. “Right. Sorry, Mother Zhang.” She backed to the end of the group, who all quieted a bit.

Some on the edge of the crowd started to disperse, though a few stumbled next to the group. A child searched in her bag and revealed a folded paper, handing it to Tang. “I made a map at school today and my teacher said it was very good, so it can help you!”

She was small but a bit bigger than MK, who was still getting plenty of attention from the remnants of the crowd, despite the growling of Wukong. Tang smiled down at her and pat her head. “Thank you, Miss. This will be very helpful while we travel.” She beamed up at him and skipped away towards her mother, who nodded at whatever the girl told her. 

Someone cleared their throat and Mei turned to see an imperial guard, her armour gleaming and making her look taller than what she would’ve otherwise been. She looked towards Red and Mei with a warm smile, trying not to spook them. “My apologies for the interruption, but her royal Empress has caught word of men within her lands and wishes to meet them. At your convenience, of course.”

Mei looked towards Wukong, who pointedly turned away from the AFABs cooing at MK with a frown. “She heard already?”

“Yes, sir.” The guard answered, small wave sent MK’s wave. “And is rather excited to meet you at your next available time.”

“We can go now.” Tang answered, bowing to the guard. When Pigsy glared at him, he whispered to his husband. “Inside the palace is probably where we won’t get mobbed by an entire city of people who’ve never seen cismen before.”

Wukong and Macaque both bit their cheeks, reluctantly agreeing. Monkey King huffed, shifting MK on his hip. “Just so long as we can get a protected convoy there and back to our ship.”

The guard readily agreed, leading them into a building filled with guards, who all froze at the sight of the group. “Form up!” The guard yelled over the barrack. “Her majesty expects these men in the palace, let’s make it there in 0005!”

The barracks scrambled, a few of the guards grabbing helmets that didn’t go with the rest of their armour in their rush. At least twenty women lined up for duty, knuckles cracking. The first guard and a few others headed out of the door and saddled a black mare and two brown ones, their foals roped along with their respective mothers. The crew was quickly led outside with the guards, Macaque dipping off of Sandy’s shoulders and onto his back, tail flicking in aggravation. “You ok back there, husband?” Sandy asked, patting the monkey hands on his shoulders. 

Macaque wheezed before regaining his sarcastic senses. “Oh yeah, surrounded by armed ladies I don’t know in a land I don’t know going to meet an Empress I don’t know. I’m peachy, babe.”

Sandy kept smiling. “Well if anything goes wrong, I’ll protect you, dear.” 

Macaque shook his head in almost disbelief. “How are you so effortlessly good at this, I don't understand…” He melted into Sandy’s shadow, following the river demon closely. Tang and Pigsy were having a conversation with glances only, worry slowly tensing Pigsy’s brow. They eventually split eye contact, but their hands grabbed each other’s tighter.

The deeper the group got into the city, the fewer people showed up around them until it was just them, the guards and horses, and courtesans giggling behind walls and doors. They passed a red wall triple the height and width of Sandy, an equally-large gate closing behind them as they make their way in. Wukong got the scent of cooking meat and fresh vegetables, none of it working to lower his defences. MK wondered at the sight of girls quickly walking ahead of the group of guards, long hanfu flowing with their movement as they opened grand golden doors ahead of them.

The guards hopped off of their horses, a few moving towards the group, but stopping at Wukong’s growl. Nezha elbowed him in the stomach with an annoyed growl. “They’re not a threat, old man. MK could turn into a bear right now and eat all of them.” 

Wukong’s brows shot up as the guards looked between themselves. “He doesn’t have his powers anymore.” 

Nezha nodded to MK, who giggled. His body glowed in Monkey King’s arms, shifting growing until there was a bear cub weighing down Wukong’s arms. Nezha paused, coughing nervously into his hands at the guards’ tensed positions. “Ok, so maybe he’s not big enough to eat people yet. But the point stands that he still has his powers.” 

MK tried to speak but all that came out was a cubbish yelp. Macaque cackled at the sight of a small brown bear in Wukong’s arms, forming above Sandy’s shadow. “He’s actually the size of a teddy bear!”

MK turned back into his normal child form, scowling at Macaque. “I can be intimidating!”

“As intimidating as a teddy bear being constantly being hugged by a monkey with separation anxiety.” Pigsy chuckled, glancing at Tang with a smile. Wukong squeaked in indignation but didn’t argue, growling forgotten.

A guard looked towards their commander, shifting in her boots. “Is it…should we actually be bringing them closer to the ruler of the empire?” She shifted her gaze back at the group, who at least seemed to be in better spirits. “They seem a bit off.”

The commander shrugged. “It’s what she wants. Maybe the empress is a bit off too?” She turned towards the doors, bowing in thanks to the courtesans holding them open. “In we go!” She called over her shoulder, not looking back to make sure the other guards and the crew were following, stomach dropping a bit when she heard their footsteps following her.

Before them was an expansive room that reminded MK of Red’s palace, a throne with a woman sitting on it and a huge table being set by a dozen courtesans, chefs rolling carts of food into and out of the hallways. Before the group could bow to her, the woman on the throne, who now appeared to be a couple of years younger than Mei, bounded up from her sitting position. Her golden silk fluttered with the movement as she hopped on her toes. “Oh my gods, welcome! I’m so excited you guys are here, I’ve always wanted to meet an actual, like, man! Come on and sit down, I totally want to hear everything!” She jumped down and into a chair at the head of the table, legs swinging rapidly. 

Sandy made the first move towards her, grabbing Macaque along the way. “Thanks for the warm reception, your highness!” Macaque planted himself on a seat on Sandy’s side, having the river demon in between him and the empress. She waved merrily at him anyway, seeming not to notice him shrinking back in his seat.

Mei pulled Red Son along with her to sit right next to the empress, bouncing in her own seat. “It’s so nice to meet you!” Mei stuck her hand out excitedly. “I’m Mei and that’s Red Son and I so love your hanfu!”

The empress took the hand with an equal amount of vigor, smile never leaving her face as the rest of the group took their own seats slowly. “I’m Fang! And I love your jacket, I totally need to add jade to my wardrobe!”

Wukong cleared his throat, tail on MK’s lap on the chair next to his. “Empress Fang, you wanted to see us?”

She looked to the group, tapping on the table in front of her. “Totally! I have, like, so many questions, where do I even start?” She tapped her chin in a quick burst of thoughtfulness. “Do you guys, like, actually have your voices deepen when you get old? It doesn’t just start with that?”

Pigsy groaned internally, looking briefly at Tang with the dawning horror that they might have to explain male puberty to an empress. “Uh, yeah, our voices get deeper.”

She seemed awed before she burst. “And you guys don’t have, like vag--”

“Nope!” Red interrupted, blushing like mad.

“Totally different, ah, equipment. Down there.” Wukong held MK’s ears, regretting his very existence. “Is -- is this going to be the subject of all your questions or can I eat something?”

Fang laughed, but it died off quickly. “Oh, I wish!” The spark in her eyes dulled, hands folding over the table. She sighed, legs stopping in their excited swinging. “My spies have informed me of a force heading westward, one that you’ve been out-running by pretty narrow margins.” 

The table grew silent until MK swallowed some of the food and dropped his fork. “You mean Lady Bone Demon?”

Wukong moved to say something but was interrupted by Empress Fang. “Is that what she’s called? They said none of her soldiers spoke, so they couldn’t exactly give me that information.”

“If the soldiers can’t speak, what information could the spies get?” MK asked, no longer interested in food. 

Fang disinterestedly swirled the tea before her, nodding in thanks as a courtesan placed food on the plate before her. “They were able to verify that her army is growing and that each town she passes is almost completely empty, save a few stragglers who were very well-hidden. Among her ranks were some…” she spared Nezha an empathetic glance, “familiar faces from the Heavens.”

MK frowned at Nezha’s wince but continued. “So she was already scary and got more scary. And she’s going to come here, isn’t she?”

Fang nodded solemnly. “It seems so.”

“So what are you going to do?” MK asked, not noticing as Wukong observed him wearily.

“Well, I supposed that’s part of why I asked you and your crew here.” Fang said, cutting her food just to have something to do with her hands. “I have a few options, including total evacuation. But I know the venerable Monkey King should, if not have the power to defeat the Lady Bone Demon, have a plan to do so. A stand here could very well slow her down, which should help you to widen the gap between your ship and her forces.”

MK looked dissatisfied. “But people would get hurt.” Fang just nodded, to which MK seemed even more dissatisfied. “You’re -- you’re in charge. Like a mom.”

Fang’s eyebrows rose. “I -- Like a mom.”

MK nodded. “And it’s -- good moms protect their kids.” Wukong felt his heart clench, not daring to interrupt the child at this point. “And if you’re everyone here’s mom, you being a good mom would mean getting everyone away from Lady Bone Demon. Baba and Uncle Macaque and me, we all have superpowers. Mei and Red have powers and Sandy has powers and Mister Professor Tang and Mister Chef Pigsy are really really brave. But I don’t think anyone here has powers, right?”

Fang listened intently. “None that can compare to you and your family, no.”

“So,” MK started, picking at his nails, “we can fight and protect ourselves. We did before and it was really scary, but we have powers. None of your kids does, so you don’t need to protect us. Please protect your kids.”

Fang considered, looking MK directly in his eyes and trying to find an ulterior motive. When she didn’t find one, her expression softened, a smile returning to her face. “You really are a good kid, Monkey Son. I’ll begin evacuation measures in the morning and resupply you with whatever you need..” She then beamed as she had earlier, legs back to swinging. “But now that that’s settled, what do you guys want for dessert? I couldn’t decide between the pies or nian gao, so I had both made but I have like no clue how much I needed of each.”

Wukong cleared his throat. “Before dessert: we do still need some of your help. There should be something called the huǒ huán that’s been in the care of the Empire of Women for five centuries, give or take a few decades.”

“And you need it?” Fang asked, not in the least bit bothered. “You can totally have it! It’s super uncomfortable every time I try to wear it like a necklace, I have no idea how mom did it.”

Nezha’s eyes bulged. “You wore it as a necklace?”

“Oh yeah!” Fang dug into something that smelled like strawberries and sugar. “Some great great whatever grandmother of mine said it had to be protected, so like, what’s more protected here than the empress’ neck? Literally nothing! Except for my desserts, I will eat them so fast, none of you could take them from my plate ever.”

“Can I have nian gao?” MK asked, smiling as brightly as Empress Fang.

“Totally!” She replied before turning back to a startled Mei. “So does your boyfriend have like a brother? And I so need to know where you got that jacket!”

Chapter Text

Leaving the Empire of Women hadn’t been nearly as uneventful as Mei had hoped. They worked together to evacuate the citizens, streets littered with items that were dropped in a panic when Lady Bone Demon’s telling blue glow overcame the horizon. When it was clear the glow was too fast to evacuate everyone, the crowds were being detoured underground, shelters old and dusty but close enough to have most people inside before the gates to the city had thunderous thumps against their metal.

Sandy had found Mother Zhang nearly trampled, protecting a girl that had been separated from her mother. He’d handed them to Macaque, who was able to send them deeper into the shelter and to an overwhelmed guard, screams of terror echoing in the poorly-lit subterranean halls.

The red city walls began to crack and crumble when Empress Fang had emerged from her palace with MK clinging to her back and guards flanking her and hook swords in her hands. On his cloud, Monkey King approached her, gathering MK in his arms. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting my children and buying you some time.” Empress Fang answered, using the hooks on her blades to cut the extra length at the bottom of her hanfu, the silk flying away when an explosion rocked the walls of the city. 

Monkey King flinched but MK struggled in his arms. “Miss Empress, you’re going to get hurt!”

Fang considered him and sent a broad smile his way. “I’m in charge, like a mother. And a good mother protects her kids, doesn’t she?” When MK dejectedly nodded, she pat his head and nodded to Wukong, who quickly flew back to the ship. 

Mei entered the palace yard, dragging imperial cannons with courtesans when Sandy spotted her. “We’ve got to go, we’ve done everything we can!”

She looked around as the crew gravitated at various stages of panic towards the ship, Red stopping to see if she was keeping pace with the rest of them. Instead, she ran towards Empress Fang and shucked her jacket off, thrusting it towards the younger girl. “I -- you’re probably going to be preoccupied. And not -- you’ll be too busy to get one of your own, for a while at least, so -- I want you to have mine!”

Fang ripped the sleeves off of her hanfu and threw on the jacket with a smile. She dove to hug Mei. “Thank you so much! You’re such a good bro!” She released Mei, a warmth in her eyes. “Take care of that boyfriend of your’s. And don’t let MK’s fashion sense be influenced by the old dudes, he needs some positive aesthetic influence!”

“Mei!” Red called as another explosion rocked the air around him.

Mei quickly hugged Fang back. “Stay safe.” She felt stupid for saying it, but she knew Fang would understand the intent.

“You too.” The Empress replied, voice betraying how scared she was. She playfully shoved Mei, readjusting her grip on the hooked swords. “Now go save the world!”

Mei nodded and turned, joining up with Red, who had turned to send waves of fire onto the other side of the wall, flames hitting but dying on the blue glow. She grabbed his arm and jumped up, green draconic energy engulfing the pair as they flew up to the ship. The ship’s engines burned a bright yellow, burning the oncoming ice before it reached the ship’s golden scales. Mei and Red landed with a thump, Mei immediately turning with jian in hand to blast her energy towards the tower of ice in the centre of the attacking force. The tower began to crumble and crack, its movement paused as the ship blasted off.

Red looked to her as she stood above him, fierce energy crackling with the dangerous promise of pain for her enemies. “Can I court you?” He asked suddenly, almost immediately regretting doing so when her energy stuttered and she looked to him in shock.

“Huh?” She asked eloquently, seeming not to notice Red’s blush.

Red Son couldn’t find it in himself to look her in the eyes. “I -- Well, demons usually -- we usually kidnap the objects of our affection and I’m sure I would have my ass thoroughly handed to me -- well, no -- I mean, I would, but -- I don’t think you would appreciate my kidnapping you, so I, uh. I asked if I could…”

“If you could kidnap me?” Mei asked, joking tone on her tongue as cannons boomed beneath them. “You can’t do that at the moment, but you can totally court me. In a non-kidnappy manner.”

Red flushed but muttered thanks, not ready when Nezha lifted him by the collar and grabbed Mei’s hand, dragging them along underdeck. “Congratulations, lover-boy, but we need to go!” He slammed the door behind him, leaving no one on the deck and knocked on the wall thrice. As the ship roared to life as it jutted forward, cutting through the air, Mei could distantly hear the warcries of those still on the ground. They died out as the ship moved, escaping the cold.

Macaque pulled MK away from a window as blue lit up the room from outside of the glass. “It’s ok, kid. Let’s get you to bed.”

“She’s gonna die, isn’t she?” MK asked, wriggling from the other’s grip. “Miss Empress Fang? Lady Bone Demon’s gonna make her bad, isn’t she?” Macaque couldn’t answer, but it seemed the uncomfortable anxious swishing of his tail seemed to answer for him. MK stopped its jilted movements and ran past Macaqueand into the quiet kitchen, Pigsy, Tang and Wukong discussing the huǒ huán in the former’s hands. “I want to fight her!”

Tang took a soothing tone. “I know, MK. That was scary, but you shouldn’t --”

“No!” MK interrupted, stamping his foot on the ground, Macaque cringing behind him. “Everyone of you protected me and got hurt and LBD is hurting everyone and I want to stop her! Tell me how to stop her or -- or -- I’ll turn into a bird and fight her right now!”

The room was silent and MK felt his face contorting with his emotions. He took a step back when Wukong chirped a panicked “Wait!”. MK stayed where he was, Monkey King huffing. “Come here, MK.” He opened his arms and MK less than enthusiastically entered them, shifting to look at the map on the island. There were crimson rings at different points on the map, mountains and plains and a desert all scrawled out on the scroll. “We went to the Empire of Women to get this huǒ huán over here.” He let MK see it, but set it aside, out of MK’s reach, rubbing MK’s back to soothe his own worries. “We -- we still need to get two more, bud. They’re hot enough to burn Lady Bone Demon’s ice and defeat her.”

MKlooked at the map, trying to read the map and figure out where they may go next, though his efforts to do so were unsuccessful. He turned back to look Monkey King in the eyes, his own tired and weary. “Baba, can you teach me how to fight?”

Wukong’s face tensed into a terribly worried expression but he took a deep breath. “I think I might have to, bud.”

MK gave him a tired smile and a tired hug. “Thank you, baba!”

Wukong hugged back, shoulders tense. “Don’t thank me for that. You’re so young. You shouldn’t -- this fight shouldn’t be your responsibility, MK.”

MK kept his face in Wukong’s shirt. “I want to help you. I want to be responsible.”

Wukong rubbed MK’s back, less to comfort the child and more to comfort himself. “I know, bud. I know.”

Chapter Text

Wukong took a breath in. And out. He felt his hands move in ways they always had, and yet only non-lethally so when he studied under Puti. The movements were slow and purposeful, strong but flowing. The air above the clouds was crisp through his fur as he turned, eyes closed. His body extended and recoiled to the relaxed beat of his heart. The chill in the metal below his feet did nothing to bite at his skin. He was in a state of complete perfection, and yet he couldn’t say everything was perfect.

“Don’t rush, bud.” He let out evenly, catching the child’s huff of frustration. MK had learned quickly, as children do Wukong had supposed, but he was rushing. He wanted to be ready now but didn’t realize that knowing everything now was just not possible. Which is why Monkey King had preferred to have waited until after they had defeated Lady Bone Demon to start training MK again, the pressure of saving the world not crushing a kid who wasn’t even old enough to get a soda pop without a cashier asking if he had his parents’ permission to get the fizzy drink.

But if there was one thing that comforted Wukong while the child next to him was able to correct his movements, it was that no matter the age, MK was determined. He was determined when he was older and now that his successor’s been turned into a child, he had the same determination. The same bravery. Even if it was reckless, it made Wkong proud. And given the antics Monkey King had gotten into when he was younger, he was kind of glad MK’s antics at least has his guiding and protecting hand, something Wukong himself didn’t have for several decades.

His movements winded down even as he sensed MK rushing through the last move, frustrated with the pace again. “You’ve got to have patience.” He said into the wind, sound making its way to MK’s ear.

“I did! You were slow!” MK responded before he recoiled at his own words, looking at his feet. “I’m sorry. Thank you for teaching me.”

Wukong finished his form, spine straight and weight balanced. He took a patient glance at the child next to him, “It’s ok, MK. I know it’s frustrating. Part of the training is to recognize when you’re frustrated and work past that. There are going to be situations where you’re going to be frustrated but can’t solve the problem by rushing or getting angry.”

“Yes, sir.” MK replied, lightly scratching at his arm.

“Your movements were good, bud.” Wukong started again, trying not the coddle MK’s self-directed disappointment away. “You learned the form so well. There are just other lessons you’re going to learn too.”

MK nodded, staying where he was as Monkey King patted his head and left the deck, moving to grab them some water. The child went back to his first stance, moving through the movements with an ever-increasing speed as Macaque watched on from the new crow’s nest. The older made his way down as MK reset one of his movements, face red in frustration. Macaque watched him repeat himself twice more before Wukong came back, bottles in hand. He opened one for MK and drank from the other, heading back inside again.

“Remember to wash up whenever you come back in, kiddo!” Wukong yelled over his shoulder, palming his face with his towel. Macaque dropped beside MK louder than he usually would, making sure the child knew he was there.

Macaque gave MK a small smile when he jumped in surprise. “You’re getting stronger.” He started simply, heart breaking a bit when MK went back to frowning.

“But I’m not strong enough to fight LBD.” MK huffed, crossing his arms. “I’m going to be as old as baba before I’m strong enough to fight her!”

Macaque wheezed out a laugh before straightening himself out again, whipping tears of humour from his eyes. “Not if you practice with me, kid. I’ll help you practice and teach you some stuff that even your baba doesn’t know.”

MK’s eyes widened. “Thank you, Uncle Macaque!” He hugged the other’s legs before backing up. “Can we start right now?! I want to learn how to turn into a shadow, that’s super cool!”

“Cool your jets, MK. We’ll start small and work ourselves up, ok?” Macaque kneeled down to MK’s eye level, catching the sight of slight disappointment in the child’s eyes. “If we do everything fast and right, I’ll have you shadowshifting before dinner.”

“Really?!” MK asked, smile broad at Macaque’s confirming nod. MK jumped back and straightened into a starting stance, arms tight in their position. “Let’s do it, please!”

Macaque huffed, amused. “Alright, but you’re not in the stance we’re starting with. I do things a bit differently than Monkey King. Watch and follow.”

MK nodded, following for hours that he wasn’t sure had already passed, feeling power pulse at his fingertips by the time dinner finally came, not noticing the strange look Wukong gave him, accessing. Nor did he notice how much brighter his energy shone to Lady Bone Demon, who accelerated her forces as much as she could with the remnants of the Empire of Women’s forces putting up as much of a resistance as they could with their leader frozen in the repaired tower of ice.

Chapter Text

MK was eating more food. And eating it faster. Pigsy noticed these things. He always knew how much noodles he made and where it went. And he knew more of it was going to MK than usual. It was understandable, given the kid was starting to train with Monkey King again -- he needed more energy -- but something seemed wrong. He was more tired than usual. Or what was his new normal.

When MK started training again, he’d return with Monkey King still bouncing with energy but now he stayed out longer, practising longer. And came back in the cabin more tired. He had to be overworking himself. Another constant with MK, no matter his age. Made sense though, considering his biological donors. Pigsy refused to acknowledge them as his parents, not when he had a better dad now. 

Better dads, really, though MK only seemed to call Wukong “baba”. Which was fine, really. Pigsy could admit he was jealous, he’s self-aware. But he was also aware that a kid who was used to calling people who hurt them by parental roles would have a hard time forming attachments and completely opening up to adults. He told himself it was about MK, not him. As long as the kid was comfortable, it was all ok. 

And Wukong was making sure MK was comfortable too. He was a better father than the chef would have originally thought if he thought about Wukong being responsible for a child in some fashion at all. But he was doing a good job at the whole dad thing, which means MK overworking himself wasn’t with the knowledge nor blessing of the Monkey King. Mei and Red Son were, while still certainly paying attention to MK, were busy in their blushing honeymoon phase. They were both blushing so much Pigsy started to legitimately worry for their circulatory systems. Until Tang reminded him about their own honeymoon phase and Pigsy realized the magic kids will be just fine.

Sandy, who was also attentive, was afraid of accidentally hurting such a small kid, which was how the pig demon himself felt when he had first adopted MK. The kid was small for his age and very easily got chilled, trembling in the cold even when it was warm. A symptom of malnourishment and dehydration. It was so easy to forget that today’s MK could probably survive under a mountain for a few hundred years, so Sandy would only really spend as much time as MK wanted him around and nothing more. He was too scared to do anything else, dedicating himself to getting them and their ship to their next destinations safely.

Tang wasn’t the active type. It wasn’t that he was lazy, no matter how many times Pigsy might say so. He just enjoyed the quiet of the indoors better. He was a literary scholar through and through, which showed in how he spent time with MK. When Wukong fell asleep quickly, Tang would sneak into his and MK’s room and read until MK was in as deep of sleep as his mentor. Just like how he used to read to MK when he was first brought into their care. Before MK learned to read and Tang would sit next to the child’s bed as he learned to read himself to sleep. Tang would rather MK read to sleep than overexert himself into exhaustion.

Nezha seemed to know what MK needed at all times, suddenly appearing in rooms MK was in with snacks that even MK himself didn’t realize he wanted until it was in front of him. The moment Wukong tried to start training MK in the mornings instead of after lunch, Nezha glared at the simian until the monarch sat down and waited for noon to roll around. For the youngest of his biological brothers, Pigsy recognized that the lotus prince made an excellent if not protective big brother. Though he supposed all of them got even more protective of MK than previously after the child had almost been killed -- no. No, he wouldn’t have gone down like that, not so soon. They were more protective since -- since MK caught that cold.

Which just left Macaque. Pigsy started to trust him -- to an extent. Having his soul trapped in a lamp hadn’t left a good taste in his mouth, but the other had helped since then. Even got the filet on his head to save MK which, from Monkey King’s poorly-hidden horror at the sight of it, was pretty major. He had wonky ideas about friendship and protection and the warm fuzzy stuff that came with positive relationships. But he had a vague understanding at the least. He knew he was attached enough to MK that he’d do anything for the kid. With that, Pigsy reasoned, it wasn’t too far a leap to assume that Macaque had offered to train MK too, only aware that it might help MK down the line but not so aware that MK was overworking or even that working so hard was bad.

Which lead Pigsy here, sitting on Macaque’s bed, waiting for him to come in like some posh spy in a cliche movie that would be forgotten the month after release. His legs were crossed but his feet kicked at the ankles in impatience. The room itself was fine, neat if not dark and empty-feeling. It was both a lot like Wukong’s room and not at all like it. Where Wukong’s room was barely touched, the Monkey King opting to sleep in Nezha and MK’s room out of protective paranoia, Macaque’s room seemed to be overly-used. There was a dip in the bed that was much bigger than Macaque could make and a fishing rod in the corner that Pigsy was sure the other wouldn’t even consider using. On the other hand, both monkies were terrible about cleaning after themselves. Nothing too bad, not compared to MK’s room back at the shop, but there were clothes piled in the corner that just somehow never made it to the laundry room. 

But as he heard footsteps approaching, Pigsy digressed. None of that mattered because none of that was what was affecting MK. A hand shook the handle and Pigsy readied himself. Until the door actually opened. 

Sandy moved to duck into the doorframe before he froze at the sight of Pigsy, who froze right back. “Uh?” Sandy started. “Can I get you some tea?”

“I was actually looking for the monkey punk, uh… why are you here?” Pigsy asked.

Sandy smiled, but his blush didn’t go unnoticed either. “I -- well Macaque and I wanted to see if a situation like living together -- if it’d go well.” 

“Oh.” Pigsy’s brain took a second to catch up with the implication. “Congrats.”

“Thanks, pal!” Sandy replied, forgetting that he was under a doorframe and hitting his head on the top of it. “Ow. Anyways, I think he’s still on deck  with MK right now, if you still need him.”

“Thanks, big guy.” Pigsy skedaddled out of the room, asking himself why he hadn’t just directly gone to the monkey instead of the catastrophic box office bomb that was that entire exchange. He took a breath and steeled himself, not letting his previous awkwardness dampen his Protective Dad Energy. He made big stomping steps, knowing that the guy with six super-powered ears would be able to hear him either way. When the door to the deck opened, Macaque was in a stance but seemed relaxed, eyes expectantly on the door. MK seemed surprised at Pigsy’s entrance, but not opposed to it.

“Mister Chef Pigsy! Look what Uncle Macaque taught me!” MK blabbed before burnt orange energy surrounded him, concentration squeezing his face. The glow moved down onto the wood of the deck, keeping the shape of MK but moving differently, waving to Pigsy as the non-shadow MK jumped in excitement. “Uncle Macaque, look! That took less time than last time!”

“Good job, MK.” Macaque patted MK on the shoulder, appraising the shadow clone. “We’ll focus on making two next.”

“Which will be tomorrow.” Pigsy spoke up. He looked towards MK with a kind smile but sent a glare in warning to Macaque, who only seemed confused. At MK’s whine, the chef continued. “I made you noodles. Your bowl’s in the microwave, but you should eat it before it gets cold, ok?”

“Ok!” MK’s whine turned directly into a smile as he ran toward the door.

Pigsy shouted over his shoulder to the racing child. “It has beef too!”

“Thank you, Mister Chef Pigsy!” MK sounded in the distance, not noticing how quickly Pigsy turned back towards Macaque with a wave of anger in his eyes. 

Macaque cocked his head. “So what was that?”

“He needs a bedtime.” Pigsy stated simply, crossing his arms. “He’s been exhausted and it isn’t healthy for a kid so young to be so exhausted.”

Macaque shrugged. “He seemed pretty awake to me.”

“Because he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone!” Pigsy hissed out. “Look, you can’t keep him up so late. I’m fine with you training him: he needs to know how to protect himself. But he also needs eight hours of sleep at the least, monkey.”

“That’s a lot of sleep.” Macaque mumbled to himself. “I didn’t realize kids needed that much sleep.”

“Don’t you sleep?” Pigsy asked, frustration lining his voice. 

Macaque shrugged. “I don’t really need to? I do if I’m emotionally exhausted, I guess, but I don’t physically need to.”

“That explains so much.” Pigsy growled into his hands. “Well, now you know human kids need sleep. Work your practice with him around that.” When Macaque gave a silent nod, Pigsy turned back towards the door, trying to wipe the frustration from his face. He turned to Macaque again midstep, startling the other. “And congrats on your thing with Sandy.”

Macaque immediately blushed like a blossoming rose. “Thanks.”

With a smirk, Pigsy continued. “Just know that if you ever hurt him, I’ll shove a laddle so far up your ass, you’ll taste wood in the back of your throat for the rest of your monkey life.”

Macaque huffed good-naturedly. “Wouldn't expect anything else, old man.”

Pigsy stormed inside as quietly as one could storm, hissing instead of yelling. “You’re centuries older than me, you fall out boy fanboy! ‘Old man’, who does he think he is?! I’m not that old!” By the time he got back to the brightly-lit kitchen, Macaque’s shadow form laughing at him as it entered behind him, MK’s noodles were half-eaten and the child himself had fallen asleep on the counter, chopsticks still in his hand.

At the sight, Macaque reformed into solidity, wincing at the sight. “Ok. Yeah. I see what you mean.”

Pigsy only glared at him, picking MK up and heading to his room.

Chapter Text

Wukong woke before MK for a change, running his hands through the child’s hair. The child’s hair was puffed up by the time MK started to stir awake. Now that Monkey King was paying attention, MK stunk. Like he’d been running for hours and all the water he drank went straight into making sweat. “Hey, bud!” Wukong exclaimed softly, petting MK’s forehead as the child’s eyes blearily blinked open. “Want to take a bath to wake up some more?”

The kid didn’t look good, now that Wukong got a long look at him. His eyes were still tired, sleep in the corners of them. His yawn revealed a dry tongue and his blinking revealed the rose gold of his pupils pulsing dully. He still seemed so tired that his head was bobbing down back onto Wukong’s chest against his will. MK gave a silent nod at Wukong’s question, his blinking more like occasionally opening his eyes in moments of light sleep.

Wukong carefully lifted the child as he rose out of bed, lightly bouncing the child in his arms. MK groaned at being moved but didn’t move against it. He just curled tighter around Monkey King’s torso, allowing himself to relax. “Don’t sleep on me, bud, we have some big plans for today!”

MK chirped in response, forcing his head up from Wukong’s shoulder. “What’s happening today, baba?”

“We’re gonna go into another town today, bud!” Wukong replied. “It’s got a nice beach by a river and there are farms with fresh food!”

“And farm amimamals?” MK asked, not realizing how his sleep affected his speech. “Can we see them?”

Wukong turned into the bathroom, resting MK on the counter. “Of course! I’ll take you to go see anything in town you want while everyone goes to get what we need, ok?” He reached into the tub, blocking the drain and turning on the water. He turned back to see MK yawn again. “Are you having trouble sleeping, bud?”

MK shrugged before reaching for Wukong again. “Snuggles.” Wukong grabbed MK with a smile, waiting for the water to warm and fill the tub.

In the kitchen, Red Son was covered in eggs, flaming hair cooking them. His hands trembled with effort, distinctly aware of Mei watching his back from where she was sitting on the island. He focused his eyes on the eggs on the pan in front of him, keeping his eyes on the edges of the cooking food. The pig had told him to keep an eye on the edges of the egg in order to have a visual indicator of the readiness of the egg. He’d added butter to the bottom of the pan to make sure the egg didn’t stick to the cooking tool, and it was starting to smell good, but if it was starting to smell, was the butter burning?

The toaster next to him suddenly released a high-pitched beep and Red turned towards it, grabbing the bagel halves out of it. He flung cheese onto one of the halves and took sizzling bacon out of the oven and carefully, but still quickly, laid the bacon on the cheese. He practically twirled back to the eggs, looking at the crispiness of their edges and sliding them off of the pan and onto the bacon, topping it all with the other half of the bagel and presenting it with a smirk to Mei, who had stars in her eyes. “That timing was amazing!”

“But of course!” Red said, ignoring that he was sweating over making a bacon-egg-cheese bagel not a minute ago. “Did you expect anything less?”

“Not for a second!” She pecked a kiss on his cheek, a small victory fluttering in her chest at his sputters. “My smart, capable, Red Boy!”

Tang groaned from where he was sitting beside Mei, dropping his glass of orange juice from his mouth. “Please. Not in front of my breakfast.” Mei stuck her tongue out at him as Red’s hair flashed into an embarrassed fire, dying quickly when Sandy entered the kitchen, Macaque on his back. Sandy began boiling water for tea and the monkie on his back didn’t release his grip, watching as the large hands moved with grace. Macaque was purring all the while. Tang sighed again. “What is it, Valentine’s Day?”

Pigsy snaked his arms around Tang, kissing the back of his husband’s neck. “That was two days ago, freeloader. Today’s when we stop at Zhōnglì de Tiányuán Chéngshì.”

Tang’s frown turned into a reluctantly-growing smile. “Well. It seems I need a calendar.” 

Pigsy hummed as he released Tang from his grip. “And remember, we were way cheesier when we were honeymooning.”

“You’re using my words against me.” Tang replied. “Unfair.”

“All’s fair in love and war, Tang.” Pigsy chortled. “Now did you have breakfast or are you expecting me to make you noodles again.” Tang just gave him an overly-innocent look, at which Pigsy sighed. “Of course.”

By the time they had all landed in Zhōnglì de Tiányuán Chéngshì, MK was back in Wukong’s arms, the older letting him get into monkey pyjamas at the sight of the adorably tired question of permission. Wukong and Macaque brought the child around the city a bit as the others went straight towards city hall, stepping in the long line towards security. Macaque kept an eye on MK, who lightly snored in Monkey King’s arms. “Maybe we should bring the king back to the ship?”

Wukong sighed, turning around a corner. “I wish, but Mo’s the only one up there right now and he said he wanted to see farm anima…” Wukong spotted familiar fur, black but flashing with stars within its expanse. It was the same dog that he’d seen long go, back on Flower Fruit Mountain, fur itself belonging to the Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu. Its leash lead up to a hand that was also very familiar, attached to a body in a black and purple jogging suit, jade green all-seeing third eye making him stand out in the sea of people on the sidewalk. That person was the Jade Emperor’s nephew, Lord of Sichuan, and maybe the person Wukong hated the most: Erlang Shen. 

The Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu turned towards Wukong and growled, Shen following its gaze. The Lord’s eyes widened and he knelt next to his dog, hand hovering over the clip on its collar. Wukong’s glare didn’t leave Erlang Shen as he slowly passed MK to Macaque. “Can you hold him for a second? This won’t take long.”

As soon as MK was secured in Macaque’s arms, Wukong shot off towards Shen like a bullet while the other unclipped his dog, the suddenly-vicious dog barking and racing with equal ferocity towards Monkey King, Erlang following his dog close behind. They met in the street with a sweep of energy, everything blowing away and screams entering the air. Macaque raced behind a building, holding the startled-awake MK closer to him. The kid started crying when Monkey King’s voice boomed over the air. “You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

The battle quickly moved up and higher into the air, leaving Macaque with MK surrounded by cars that’s alarms were going off desperately if they weren’t already totalled. Macaque stood in place, unknowing of what to do when a soft warm wind kissed his ears. “Stop them.” The wind whispered, warm tone familiar, yet not at all something he could recognize. “And don’t let my grandson out of your sight.”

With the sharp realization of the wind’s identity, Macaque nearly froze in place. He had orders now. He just needed to figure out how to carry them out.

Chapter Text

Pigsy could swear something was going wrong, he felt it in his veins. “Pigsy, dear,” Tang said beside him, “you look like your blood pressure is rising. Do you need to take a breather?”

“I’m fine.” Pigsy replied, trying not to snap at the other. “My dad senses are tingling, that’s all.”

Nezha raised an eyebrow at him. “Your what is what?”

“Don’t worry about it!” Mei replied, not responding to Pigsy’s tensing at her statement. “It just means that the paranoia he gained after becoming a dad is active.”

Red nodded as if the knowledge was sage-like. “My father once said a similar statement but the only action that happened been planned was a simple engineering fluke.”

“What was the fluke?” Sandy asked, beard tickling the top of Nezha’s head from how close they were forced together in the line.

Red huffed in nonchalance. “Just a small vehicle fire.” He waved the notion away, then jumped in his boots when Pigsy burst.

“That’s not minor and my dad senses isn’t just paranoia!” Pigsy yelled.

“Hey!” A security guard barked. “Keep your voices at a respectful level or you’ll be barred from entry!”

Pigsy ducked his head at the warning. He whispered, “I’m telling you, something bad is happening or is going to happen. It’s a guarantee!”

Mei patted his back, still smiling. “It’ll be fine! What’s the worst that could happen?” A second passed before the roof of the city hall ripped off all at once, flying away in a whirlwind created when Wukong kicked the Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu from where it bit his shin and blocked Erlang Shen’s punch, throwing him where he had kicked the other’s dog. 

When they left the crew’s sight, Macaque followed the fight pausing above city hall to quiet the crying bundle in his arms. He looked down at them briefly, sending the crew a nervous smile. “Everything is fine!” He yelled down to them, MK crying directly into his ears. “Stay in line, I got this, don’t worry about it!” Macaque seemed to fly down outside of the building and gently placed the roof back on the building, the scared civilians inside slowly going back to their previous activities. 

Pigsy could feel his eye twitching. “I’m gonna kill them.” He made to step out of line and out of the door before Tang grabbed him, keeping him there. 

“Wait!” Tang whisper-shouted. “We can’t leave the line!”

Pigsy’s eye twitched again. “Why not?! The city’s going to fall down around us!”

“We’re in Zhōnglì de Tiányuán Chéngshì, chef.” Red huffed, shuffling forward in the slow line. “Everything here repairs itself, the city will be fine. But it won’t be if we can’t get the huǒ huán from whatever mayor these peasants have.”

Mei playfully elbowed him, the cracks between the roof and the walls vanished. “Don’t be too mean, we have to be nice if we want the mayor to give us the huǒ huán without a fight.”

Red wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Only for you, my beautiful danger noodle.” 

Pigsy growled but stayed where he was, ignoring the yelling and shouting outside. “Macaque better get that mess cleared up before we get that huǒ huán or I’ll kill all of them.”

“They’re going to kill fucking everyone!” Macaque whisper-shouted to himself under the roar of MK’s crying. The fight between the celestial dog, Shen and Wukong had moved higher into the air, forcing clouds away from them with the energy they put out. He winced when MK let out a scream of fear in his crying.

In the distance between the fight and himself, Macaque heard Wukong curse Erlang Shen with all the vilest things Macaque has ever heard coming from the Monkey King’s mouth, though Erlang Shen seemed to be returning the insults in full. With no other idea coming to mind, Macaque lifted MK over his head and yelled as loud as he could. “Sun Wukong! You’re scaring your kid!”

The effect was immediate. Wukong’s head snapped directly towards MK and Shen stuttered to a stop in shock, looking between the child in the monkey onesie and the Monkey King and colour draining from his face. Even the Celestial Dog seemed surprised, no longer moving to attack Wukong and instead moving to the heel of the Lord of Sichuan. Horror was the only emotion evident on Monkey King’s face, the monarch slowly flying down on his cloud towards MK. The child reached out to him and Wukong carefully took him back in his arms, the world seemingly unnoticed.

Macaque looked back towards Erlang Shen, silently mouthing a question to him. “You’re not going to fight us with a kid around, are you?”

Shen slowly shook his head, flying down the monkies’ level but keeping a safe distance. He awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to keep his thunderously powerful voice soft as MK quieted in Wukong’s arms. “Ah, congratulations. On the child, I mean.” Wukong only hummed in response, running fingers through MK’s hair. “How long -- how old is it?”

MK mumbled and sniffled. “ ‘m five.” He tried whipping his tears away while reluctant to let go of Wukong’s shirt. He turned back to Erlang as the Celestial Dog sniffled the tail of MK’s onesie. “Please don’t fight my baba!”

Shen side-eyed Macaque for guidance, only for the other to give him an expectant look. “I will try not to.”

MK seemed content with the answer, but Wukong huffed and growled. “You can’t even pretend to be nice can you?”

MK put his hand over Monkey King’s mouth, to the surprise of the adults. “And don’t be mean baba! You said no-no words!” Wukong didn’t have it in him to be upset with MK, instead smiling under the hands covering his mouth.

He huffed with a good nature that wasn’t present just a moment ago. “Ok, bud. I promise I won’t use no-no words again.”

“By the Jade Palace, he really is a father.” Erlang Shen muttered, barely noticing that his Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu’s tail was wagging at the presence of the child. “What the fuck.”

MK turned to him with a pout, as much authority as he could muster in his eyes. “You don’t say no-no words either!”

Erlang Shen didn’t know how to respond, the other adults present giving him expectant looks. He met the eyes of the still determined-looking MK and bowed shallowly. “Of course, Monkey Prince. My apologies.” MK nodded in victory before his stomach growled.

Macaque sighed both in relief and exacerbation. “Can we please go back down and pretend we can operate like normal people for a second? Get some food?”

“There’s a place near my office with food.” Shen offered, still at a bit of a distance from the others. “Let me -- I’ll pay. As an apology.”

“At least let me split it.” Wukong awkwardly coughed. “I did attack you while you were walking your dog.”

Macaque laughed when Erlang didn’t argue the point and Wukong’s eyebrows rose in scandalization. “Yeah, I don’t think anyone has a problem with that.”

They floated down and landed, Erlang Shen taking a step before he turned back towards them, realization dawning. “I left my wallet at my office.”

“That’s fine, we can grab it on the way.” Wukong smiled, eye twitching. “We don’t mind taking a detour.”

Shen had the tightest smile on his face. “Of course you wouldn’t.” He began walking, slightly annoyed that instead of his dog at his own heel, he was trotting next to Wukong, attempting to interact with MK, whose eyes were drawn to the large dog in awe.

The roads seemed familiar, likely the same ones they flew over not minutes ago. They turned another corner and Macaque spotted a building Shen was walking towards that made him double over with laughter. “Oh, this is amazing! Oh my gods, Wukong, you’re so stupid!”

MK whined at the insult as Wukong turned towards him as if he lost his mind. “What are you talking about?”

Macaque had to gain his breath for a solid moment, laughter leaving him in large lungfuls. “We’re in Zhōnglì de Tiányuán Chéngshì!”

“Ok?” Wukong asked, ear flicking as Erlang Shen approached them again. 

“Zhōnglì de Tiányuán Chéngshì is in Sichuan!” Macaque yelled in near delight.

Wukong’s eyes widened as he shook his head. “So?”

Macaque wheezed out a laugh again. “You picked a fight with Erlang Shen!”

“Ok?!” Wukong was shouting back now, not caring about Erlang chuckled in an understanding of Macaque’s sudden humour. “What is wrong with you?!”

“What’s wrong with me?! What’s wrong with you!?” Macaque replied, the heat of the exchange lost with how funny he found it. “You picked a fight with the Lord of Sichuan, the guy who uses the thing we need like a coaster, in the region that he’s the Lord of!” 

Wukong’s eyes stayed wide, but his expression fell. “Oh.” He looked towards Erlang Shen, who looked like he was holding in laughter. “Listen --”

A few chuckles escaped the Lord of Sichuan. “You need something from me.”

“It’s very important.”

“It’s very important and you need it from me.”

“Listen -- no, don’t laugh -- the world is at stake here --”

“And you fought me. To spite the world.”

“I didn’t know --”

“You crazy son of an ugly volcano!” Pigsy’s voice boomed, suddenly jostling Wukong like a piñata with MK giggling in his arms. “Do you have any idea how long we were waiting to see the guy in charge, just to find out you were trying to kill the guy?!”

Red and Mei were cackling in the background, knowing Pigsy couldn’t do any real damage to the monarch. Macaque climbed to sit on one of Sandy’s shoulders as Wukong whined in protest at the treatment either way. “I didn’t know!”

“What do you mean you didn’t know?!” Pigsy asked, not noticing Tang stealing MK from Wukong’s grip. “You’re the guy who gave us the map! Did you not read any of the towns on the map?!”

“I ran out of contacts!” Wukong whined as he escaped Pigsy’s grip, moving to hide behind Erlang Shen, who put his hands up in mock surrender. “And we’ve been travelling awhile, it all kind of blends together, you know?”

Nezha’s face scrunched in confusion, pushing Shen out of the way to get a good look at his former mentor. “Hold on a second, you need contacts?” His eyes squinted in suspicion. “You’re so old.”

Wukong sputtered, further embarrassed by Pigsy and Macaque’s bursts of laughter. “I’m not! Listen, contacts don’t get accidentally crushed when they’re in your eyes already, ok? It’s not an old-people thing!”

Tang placed MK on the ground, barely noting how the child and the Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu’s eyes were glowing similarly. “If we could please stop arguing so we can respectfully ask for the huǒ huán?”

“I’ll take that as respectfully asking me.” Erlang said, suddenly not where the group had last seen him, now behind them and holding the aforementioned artefact. “If it’ll get you out of my town faster.”

Wukong looked at it with suspicion until Tang stepped on his tail and bowed to the Lord. The scholar grabbed the huǒ huán with a smile. “Thank you so much, Lord Shen!” 

“Yeah, ye -- what the fuck?” Erlang responded before getting a sight of his Háo Jiào de Tiāngǒu. It walked carefully with MK on his back as if a warrior in monkey pyjamas riding a noble steed. 

For the first time in its existence, the celestial dog growled at Erlang Shen, though it came out more like a huff than anything else. MK scowled at Shen. “I said no more no-no words! And the Tiāngǒu doesn’t want you to say no-no words either!”

Erlang scowled in confusion. “How would you know that?”

“Because he told me!” MK said, as though it were simple. 

Wukong picked MK up off of the dog, who huffed at the loss. “What do you mean by that?”

MK pouted in Wukong’s grasp. “I mean he told me! He said he likes walks and the puppy food from Starbucks!”

Nezha gave Shen a look, only to receive a confirming shrug. The Lord awkwardly pat MK on the head. “Thanks. But also, I don’t like your dad, so can your crew please leave?”

MK blinked, then gave Erlang Shen the meanest expression he could muster. “My dad doesn’t like you either, meany! Stop using no-no words!”

Wukong turned, giving MK one last gold-filled look at the Tiāngǒu. “Ok, we’re leaving.”

Erlang nodded, putting the leash back on his dog’s collar. “That’s for the best.” He walked off, sighing in relief when he heard the group fly away.

Chapter Text

MK had quickly fallen back asleep after arriving back on the ship, dozing off as he argued with Wukong about getting a puppy. He lost that argument, only because he had fallen asleep before Monkey King could cave to his cuteness. He laid in Macaque’s lap, unaware of the shadows that were entering his head. Tang watched, on-edge. “What’s that?”

Macaque didn’t mind Tang’s standoffishness, radiating relaxation. “Just some knowledge he might need later. Gonna let him sleep.”

Before Tang could press the issue, Mei and Tang came on the deck with them, looking shaken. “What happened?” The professor asked, rushing to their side. 

“We don’t know!” Red practically yelled, seemingly more panicked than Mei, even when she was the one hunched over. “She just touched one of the huǒ huán and suddenly her hand was on fire!”

“It’s not on fire anymore!” Mei tried to smile, though it was obvious she was trying to cover her pain. “It just -- just feels like it is…” Her knees shook and tears pricked her eyes as she revealed her hand, pink with heat. 

Macaque didn’t move from where he was sitting, but his hands moved to cover MK’s ears. “Tang, get a first-aid kit. There should be burn cream in there. Red, get a bucket of warm water and a towel.” They moved, stuttering in step and slipping as they tried to run. “Mei, come here.” She moved towards him silently, experimenting with the pressure she put on her hand. “How did this happen?”

“I don’t know!” Mei burst. “I was just talking with them, then, I don’t know, I touched the ring and then there was like, a spring of energy, then my hand was on fire!”

Macaque’s eyes squinted, searching Mei’s. “What energy?”

Mei kneeled on the deck, wrapping the loose fabric of her jacket around her burnt hand. “I don’t know, it just happened so fast. It was like getting electrocuted and I felt like I was going to puke and then my hand was on fire!” 

Before Macaque could respond, Red arrived with a yell. “I’m back!” He didn’t notice as he raced back to Mei’s side that his yell startled MK awake, the child jumping slightly at the sound. Mei dumped her hand into the bucket, relief covering her features. MK took it all in, not moving out of fear. Red was rubbing Mei’s shoulders, not knowing what else to do as Tang similarly burst back onto the deck with at least four first-aid kits. He dumped them as he slid next to Mei, shakily opening the first one.

“I found one and checked to see if it had the burn cream and it did but the bottle was so small so I figured that if all of them had the same sized bottle, I’d better get as much as I could carry in order to make sure that we have enough --”

“Stop rambling, egghead, and get it out already!” Red hissed, grabbing the towel and still careful not to burn Mei again in his rage. He grabbed the towel and gently pat-dry her hand, glaring at Tang from the corner of his eyes.

Tang fumbled with the bottles of cream before Mei’s now-dry hand was put in front of him. “Right, yup, sorry, totally ranting, needed to stop, yeah.”

“It’s going to be ok, Mister Tang.” MK said softly, not noticing Macaque’s horror at the realization that he’d seen most if not everything. “Mei’s got superpowers! She’ll be ok.”

Mei gave him a smile, still trying to cover her thankfully-waning pain. “Wanna help put the cream on?” Red gave her a look, to which she just shrugged, holding her hand out to MK. “He already knows I need burn cream, why make it scary for him?”

Red didn’t say anything in response to her, instead reluctantly giving MK a tube of the cream. “Be very careful.” He told the child, trying valiantly to hold in his growling. The child didn’t take any offence at the tone, just nodding and slowly applying the burn cream to Mei’s hand. 

Macaque stood, patting MK’s head. “Good boy. I’m going inside, maybe see if there’s something going on with the huǒ huán.” He left without another word, knowing that Red was watching MK like a hawk.

He closed the door to the deck behind him and immediately descended into shadows, moving ever downward before reaching the hull, sitting quickly and projecting with an intense concentration. He distantly felt what he was searching for, glimmers of rosegold coming in weak waves, but tangible waves nonetheless. His shadowed form stepped on grass, standing behind the figure of Guanyin whose healing hands laid on someone Macaque didn’t recognize, but whose arm was covered in ice. 

“My students usually speak with me more frequently than twice in a month, Liù-Ěr.” She said, seemingly confusing her patient. “Should I be offended?”

“The uncertainty of whether or not you were alive makes reaching out a bit awkward.” Macaque responded. “And I have an update about your favourite dragon girl.” She only hummed in response, the ice on her patient’s arm extending with a groan. “Her hand’s burned. Apparently, she’s not very compatible with them.”

Guanyin’s hands glowed a bit brighter for a moment, pieces of ice chipping away slowly from the arm before her. “Not quite.” She took a deep breath, suddenly seeming very tired. “She’s quite compatible with the huǒ huán. Too compatible. Her ancestors and descendants were and will be compatible with them for as long as her line continues.”

Macaque started tapping his foot, annoyed. “And you’re not going to tell me what you mean by that?”

“A good teacher encourages critical thought, dear.” Guanyin quipped back, a fleeting smirk covering her face. “How’s my grandson?”

“Tired and probably if not definitely traumatized.” Macaque responded, fire in his voice. “We won’t be able to run forever and he’s itching to fight a force he knows nearly killed him. The kid could barely contain his power before and now he wants more of it. It’s going to be too much for his tiny little baby body soon enough.”

Guanyin finally turned towards him, an unreadable light in her eye. She seemed to take him in, not an inch of him going unobserved. “Is Lady Bone Demon a force or an individual?”

“Both.” Macaque answered, huffing. “What’s the point of this question?”

“Critical thinking, Liù-Ěr.” She replied, sing-songy. “You say she is both, but you previously described her as a force. I have to disagree on both counts. I think she’s an individual, who just so happens to have incredible force. As with everyone with force, it is temporary.”

Macaque growled. “You weren’t able to look into the future last time we saw each other. I don’t think you can now either, huh?”

“You’re right.” Guanyin admitted, serenity growing as more ice chipped away from the man’s arm. “I can’t. But look.” She motioned for his projected form to approach calmly, her patient’s groans shrinking with the ice. Macaque followed the motion, observing the ice. The chips that had fallen and flown off were all melting, little puddles forming around the shrinking chunks. The patient’s face was both pained and relieved, in pain but not as much as beforehand. Guanyin yanked another chip off with her hands, tossing it over her shoulder to Macaque. “I can’t lie to you, I can’t imagine we’ll get through this siege without further loss. But we will get through this siege if my mercy has any say in the matter.”

Macaque’s form began to fade as he brought his consciousness back to himself. “Your mercy might get a say in the matter, teacher . I’ll tell the kid you said ‘hi’.” With that departure, Macaque disappeared in a puff, not bothering to make note of nor greet the familiar man under Guanyin’s hands. 

The man looked up at her, tired, in pain and confused. “Why are you helping me?” His eyes were darker than their previously-pale state. His dark grey suit was ruined and his blue tie was removed from his neck. “Shouldn’t you be killing me?”

“That would be the wrong use of my mercy, I’m afraid, Mister Mayor.” Guanyin replied with a smirk, ignoring how pain-sweat affected his salt and pepper hair. “Besides, you made an excellent lesson for my student. You may be of further use in the fight against your former Lady.”

The mayor groaned. “You believe what you told the monkey? That you can win?” He wheezed, each intake of air painful. “That’s what I thought too, centuries ago. And now I’m the only son of my village alive. With respect, Boddhisafa, you’re more hopeful than you deserve to be.”

Guanyin’s smile faded, features grave. “On that, we will see.”

Chapter Text

Nezha walked the mountain path steadily, acutely aware of the hiding eyes tracking his movements with bated breath. The hood over his head was supposed to look like he was trying to blend in, though the attempt itself was false. The path was well-worn and dusty, each step echoing along the cliffside. His fēng huǒ lún were nowhere to be found and his clothes were ragged. He looked like he had raged through several fights, armour chipped and rusting. One of his shoulder pads had been completely dislodged, gone from his form for the duration of several kilometres of travel. His hair was tucked in his hood, but it was frizzy and suffered in the dry cold of the mountain range. He shivered minutely in the wind.

Before him was an approaching figure, tall as snow began to slowly drift from the gray sky. A single horn protruded from the figure’s head and diamonds shone on his arm-guards. Nezha stepped closer but paused as the figure began to smile. The demon’s deep voice was calm and wise, yet smug. “Little Lotus Prince,” the demon purred, “you’re quite a long way from home.”

Nezha glared at him. “Yet on a familiar road, aren’t I, Rhinoceros King?”

The demon king smiled in false warmth, members of his army skittering and crawling out of their hiding places. “I remember how small you were when I last beat you.”

“I remember you being cattle.” Nezha growled, summoning his spear as demons launched themselves at him. He held his ground, cutting down enemies as they entered the range of his weapon, not minding the blood that began to cover him. He felt a presence rush towards him but made no move to meet it, a smirk covering his face as Wukong tackled the approaching demon king, forcing him into the mountainside. The Rhinocerous King grunted but smiled, happy to the Monkey King. 

The Rhinoceros King glowered down at the much shorter monarch. “I remember you too, Sun Wukong. Though I don’t remember pulling your punches so.”

“Who said I’m pulling my punches?” Wukong snapped back, ears flicking about. 

The Rhinocerous King flung him off, grin widening as it sent the monkie through a boulder. “Your punches, mostly. If you’ve not decided to hold back, for old times’ sake, then you must recognize that your strength has wanned and technique regressed.”

“Bitch?!” Wukong snapped back, shaking pebbles from his fur.

MK’s mouth opened, scandalized, from where he watched in the safety of the captain’s controls. “Baba!” He yelled from Mei’s lap. He turned to Macaque’s ethereal form beside him, scowling. “He said he wouldn’t use no-no words!” 

Macaque’s form shrugged. “The other guy was being rude though.” MK crossed his arms as Mei pat his head carefully. 

Sandy reached for some controls beside him, the ship moving just a bit higher into the clouds, masts penetrating the tops of the snow clouds. His hand awkwardly motioned. “Babe, fight’s growing.”

Macaque’s form blushed and ducked his head into his scarf before disappearing, Macaque’s physical body opening his eyes and jumping from his hidden perch into the fray, startling the demon who equally clashed with Wukong. He jumped back onto a snow-capped mountain, his weight sent snow tittering down the mountain below. He had very little time to consider what happened, both monkies racing towards him.

But the Rhinoceros King kept pace with the duo, eyes taking in their movements with precision and something else in his eye. His demons had covered the mountain range, not leaving a stone unturned. There was no way they could have staged an ambush beforehand and thus had to have come in from somewhere else. As Nezha ran through several more of his soldiers the warrior’s glamour fell, his usual armour in pristine order having the Rhinocerous King huffing in mild annoyance. The trio had planned this, but certainly knew they couldn’t face him without back-up, just as it was five centuries ago when Wukong needed the Army of Heaven and Laozi himself to win that day in the final hour. But the Army of Heaven was otherwise preoccupied, so the backup they have has to be something else. Hiding somewhere his army couldn’t reach.

Grabbing Macaque’s tail, he threw the monkie into the other and burst upwards to gain sight over the land, only to see something glittering in the reflection against his diamond guards. Behind him, he heard the Monkey King gasp in fear and he immediately flew higher, grabbing the Báiyù Jièzhǐ from his belt. He waved his arm to dissipate the clouds and Wukong gave chase. The Rhinocerous King acted quickly, landing upon the ship’s deck before he even processed that it was a ship he was landing on. He sensed energy through a large window and raced towards it, shattering the glass with a punch. 

He was stunned to see Red Boy among the crew and more stunned to feel two powerful spirits and energies sitting together on one chair, both too young to properly know the power their tiny bodies held. He held Báiyù Jièzhǐ up and activated it, pulling the two energies into it. The older of the two yelled among the chaos the Single-Horned Rhinocerous King caused in the little room and tried to hold on to the boy in her lap and the chair behind her, but one of her hands seemed injured, the both of them flying into the ring and disappearing before their compatriot’s horrified eyes.

Wukong and Macaque landed on the deck as Red Boy roared in rage, tears prickling in rage to the Rhinocerous King’s interest and amusement. The demon prince launched himself out of the broken window and towards the demon, blasting fire towards the elder. Wukong launched towards RK as the flames surrounded the taller king, the unihorned demon taking the flames as a chance to flee, out of sight before anyone on the ship could move otherwise. 

When the Rhinocerous King landed on solid ground, it was in his own cave, thumps and crashes heard inward. He calmly made his way towards the sounds, not at all surprised to see his two new captives trying to fight their way through his guards. Without warning, he shifted the Báiyù Jièzhǐ into the Zuànshí Quāntào and threw it at the unruly duo, only one of the girl’s arms free from the unbreakable binds. 

“I’m rather impressed.” He told them as they tumbled to the ground in their bonds. “I wasn’t expecting to sense such power from beings so young.”

“And you’ll get an up-close look at it once we get out of here and kick your ass!” Mei hissed at the king, seemingly only entertained by the threat.

MK whispered behind him and towards Mei. “Don’t use no-no words.”

She winced and whispered back. “Sorry, MK.”

RK let them have their exchange, observing with wise eyes. “If it’s any consolation, I look not to harm you. Just to harm Sun Wukong.”

“Don’t you lay a finger on baba!” MK commanded, burnt orange energy sparking in his eyes to the demon’s interest.

The demon’s brow rose in entertainment. “ ‘Baba’? Sun Wukong is your father?” MK didn’t answer, fear and realization erasing the power in his eyes. The demon king chuckled. “I find no pleasure in scaring children, just my enemies. But you,” he knelt closer to MK and Mei in their bundle of limbs, “you are the heir to my enemy. I’m sure I’ll find something to do with you.”

He left the bundle to be carried off by his guards, ignoring Mei’s threats and ideas burning in his brain.

Chapter Text

Mei wiggled in her binds, growling as her injured hand clawed at the granite floors. It was the only limb that was free from the Zuànshí Quāntào, pain lacing and stabbing her fingers and palm. She went to struggle again when she froze at MK’s yelp. “MK?” She asked, gasping. “What happened? Is someone here? What’s wrong?”

MK sniffed, pressing closer to Mei. “The -- the strings were digging in. It hurt.”

Mei tried looking over her shoulder, but it just worked to shift the Zuànshí Quāntào minutely. “I’m sorry, MK. I’m just -- I’m trying to get us out, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s ok.” MK replied, subdued. “I know you didn’t mean to.” There was a breath of silence between them, giving Mei time to take in the room. It was cavernous and dark, covered in wet stalactites. The scent was more pleasant though, a feast in preparation in another room if she had to guess. The room she found herself and MK in was cold despite some small lamps lining the walls, maybe from being close to the outside. There was a bucket along the wall and a thin sheet in the middle of the floor. With a heavy wooden and metal door locking them away from the other rooms, it was exactly what she expected a dungeon cell to look like.

She felt MK’s breath against her back and counted. His breathing was fine and he hadn’t made any more noises of discomfort, so it seemed he was at least settling a bit. She shifted just a bit, no longer clawing at the ground. MK shifted with her, relief sparking in her chest. “Hey, MK, if I grab some hair for you, would you be able to make hair clones?”

It felt as though MK’s head turned towards her. “I don’t really know.” He sounded disappointed before he gasped, startling Mei with the breath’s suddenness. “But I can make other clones!” Before Mei could ask, two small rosegold yet shadowy clones stood before her, seemingly disoriented by their sudden existence. One blinked and headed right towards the bound duo, trying to untie the Zuànshí Quāntào while the other got distracted with the bucket. “What do we do when we get out?” MK asked, making Mei realize her own lack of plan.

“Uh.” Mei started. “The plan is we kick butt and get back to baba!”

“Yay!” He cheered as his ankle was freed. The clone worked carefully on the Zuànshí Quāntào as the other began to climb the walls with the bucket in hand, exploring. “Um. This might take a while.”

At the entrance of the Rhincoerous King’s cave, Monkey King slammed his shoulder into the heavy and unmoving door, snarling all the while. Nezha stood behind him, watching as his teacher seemed to be unable to tire. Wukong banged his fists on the door, Nezha wincing at the sound of scared demonic snickers on the other side. “Give him back!” He kicked the door and it jostled slightly on its hinges but didn’t move otherwise. “I’ll rip you all limp from limp!”

“Dǎoshī.” Nezha tried, only to meet with the sound of primal cries of rage and further banging on the door. He heard people land behind him but chose not to look back at them, instead noting the bloodying of Wukong’s knuckles. The prince took quiet steps towards the Monkey King before cautiously placing his hand on Wukong’s shoulder. Wukong’s head snapped back towards him, snarling so sharp that it was now at the point of releasing drool. Nezha winced before straightening his spine, acutely aware of the fear in the people behind him. “Dǎoshī, you’re scaring me.”

Immediately, Wukong gasped as if he’d been punched in the gut, slowly crumbling against the door. Sandy rushed to comfort the king and Macaque trailed behind uncomfortably. Tears pricked the corners of Monkey King’s eyes, though he held them in admirably, turning away from the door as Sandy’s hands hovered over him. “ ‘m sorry.” He muttered, glancing quickly and wearily to Macaque.

Macaque avoided his gaze quickly, picking at the fur on his elbow. “I thought you said Laozi had that thing?”

“He did.” Wukong growled back before lowering his eyes. “He must have come down to Earth with the Heavenly Army, so his stuff would be unprotected except for maybe a lab assistant.”

Macaque didn’t hide a scowl well. “Well it’s too bad he’s probably dead now!”

Nezha cringed at the statement. “Could you not, Macaque?”

“We can’t just pretend everything’s fine anymore, kid.” Macaque responded with a growl of his own. “How the fuck are we getting the kids back without the old man or his magic?”

“Not by turning on each other!” Sandy said, exasperated. “We need to make a plan and we know what we can’t call over Laozi. That’s fine, we have some of the most powerful beings in the Universe standing right here! I’m sure we can figure something out if we all keep a level head.” 

Macaque stayed silent, avoiding Sandy’s gaze, even as his taller partner sighed. Nezha similarly avoided Macaque’s gaze as Wukong gave the doors one last kick before wiping his drool from his face and turning to jump up to the ship wordlessly. Nezha followed him, leaving just as silently as his former mentor.

“Six.” Sandy started, pressing on even as Macaque jumped. “That was unnecessary.”

Macaque still wouldn’t look the other in the eye. “So’s throwing a tantrum, it didn’t help anything.”

Sandy approached him cautiously, one step at a time. “It’s because he’s emotional, Mac --”

“No!” He bellowed, fur puffing up. “Damn it, he’s not the only one who gets to throw a fit and have someone say it’s fine because he’s not the only one who cares about the kids --”

“You don’t need to prove you care!” Sandy reached out towards him, large hand on his shoulder feeling like a hug. “You don’t need to. And you already did anyway.” Sandy’s thumb came up and stroked Macaque’s head, grazing the circlet on his head. “We’re all frustrated, I know. But poking each others’ emotions like that -- it won’t help.”

Macaque met his vision for only a moment. “Sorry.” He paused again, looking up at Sandy’s face awkwardly. “Really. I’m sorry.”

Sandy relaxed, looking down at Macaque’s face, one he couldn’t stay disappointed in. “I know, dear. Let’s get back to the ship and see what we can come up with.”

In the cell in the back of the Rhinoecerous King’s cave, MK and Mei’s legs were finally free of the Zuànshí Quāntào, Mei’s injured hand moving to help one of the shadow clones in untangling the duo. They all froze when they heard approaching heavy footsteps.

Chapter Text

Mei held her breath, not daring to make a move. MK trembled behind her, feet planting themselves on the rocky floor. The footsteps only got louder, echoing louder and louder before they stopped in front of the cell door. The shadow clone frantically tried to untangle the Zuànshí Quāntào, only succeeding in getting its own fingers caught in the glowing rope. The knob turned with a creek, MK shutting his eyes in fear.

Before the demon guard could make sense of the sight before him, a bucket was launched at his head, knocking him back. Mei silently thanked the other clone for his previous distraction, rolling onto her feet and dropkicking the guard, twisting to land on her stomach instead of MK. He huffed at her landing, his head jostling. Mei forced both of them up and stomped on the demon’s head, knocking him out. She didn’t look twice before running down a hall, inwardly wincing at the echoes her steps caused.  

Flames arose from Red’s head as Tang tried to calm him, Pigsy trying to fan the flames down. Sandy tried pouring water on Red, but it evaporated before it even got to the flaming hair. He growled, stomping to the edge of the ship. “You couldn’t even open the door?! You useless peasants!”

“It was probably enchanted, brat!” Nezha growled back, grip on his staff tight. “I’d like to see you do better!”

“Then you’d better keep your eyes open!” Red shouted over his shoulder, jumping from the side of the ship. With a worried gasp, Nezha raced to look over the edge of the ship, only to groan as Red tried setting the door on fire. Unsuccessfully. 

Nezha watched in frustration when Macaque and Wukong ignored them both, similarly tapping their chins in thought. “We could bust a wall in.” Monkey King suggested, tail tapping against the ground. 

Macaque shook his head. “No, we might crush the kids in the rubble.” His tail stood straight up, fur puffed. “What if we try taking the Rhino King on one-on-one?”

Wukong shook his head. “I tried that last time and it just made a bigger mess.” They both jumped at Red’s surprised shriek down on the mountain. They joined in watching alongside Nezha, who only facepalmed at the cry. The metal on the door seemed to have started to melt, angering the guards behind the door. They opened the door suddenly and quickly, sputtering Red’s flames. 

One demon bowed to reach Red’s eye level. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Red Son’s mouth gaped as he tried to find words before he sent flames into the demon and the other next to him, hair glowing bright once more. “Retrieving my beloved, cretin! I’ll burn you all!”

As more guards rushed towards Red, Nezha hefted his legs over the side of the ship, annoyance colouring his movements. “Of course. And when it’s all over, he’s going to take credit for the door too.” He tried to jump down, only for a weapon from the demons’ defence to hit the side of the ship, sending him and Tang tumbling down and off of it ungracefully. Nezha reached for Tang, throwing him onto a tilted mountainside before landing roughly atop of Red himself.

Red kicked under Nezha, almost more upset that the Lotus Prince didn’t get burned by his fire than him landing atop of him. “Get off of me, you damn--!” He was interrupted by demons closing in on them, both pyrokinetics dodging quickly. “Don’t interrupt me!”

“Shut up and fight, Red Boy!” Nezha commanded, blocking a blade with his staff and punching another demon out. He was relieved when he sensed Wukong and Macaque racing into the fray. 

Tang took cover behind boulders and jutting cliffsides, the sound of fighting growing ever-louder. He knew he couldn’t join the fight, certainly at a disadvantage against anyone or anything he’d face if he joined in. But he certainly couldn’t stay where he was, rocks falling with every booming hit that permeated the air. He climbed higher, noticing an inward divot in the mountain. The rocks cut and roughened his hands, but he worked hard to climb, pressing his body close to the cliff with each thunderous hit nearby. 

Tang’s hand reached the divot, feeling around inside. There didn’t seem to be anything that could cause him pain, at least, and he crawled into the hole. Tang was surprised to see, just at the end of the newly-occupied tunnel, was a vent fan, spinning slowly to a stone tunnel that had to be acting as some sort of vent. Tang cautiously looked deeper into the tunnel, thankful to see nothing but rock inside. He kicked the vent fan with as much strength as he could muster without pushing himself out onto the mountain. It fell in with a groan and several clacks along the rock tunnel. He slipped down after it, preparing for a rough landing. 

Mei slipped from wall to wall, peering around corners to avoid demons running around. MK was able to adjust himself so that he was poking his face past her shoulders, looking around as she did. He whispered to her after a group of armed demons passed the corner they were hiding in. “Where are we going?”

Mei’s lips tensed together. “Uh. Hopefully out. We’ll get there.” She felt MK nod on her shoulder before resting his chin there.

The child scrunched his face and sniffed. “What if that scary guy gets to Baba before we do?”

“Your baba’s strong, he’ll be ok.” Mei answered.

MK wasn’t satisfied with this. “He really wants to hurt Baba though.”

Mei didn’t know how to answer that, because MK was right. The same could be said about a lot of demons. Before Red joined the crew, he was one of those demons. 

The Rhinocerous King burst from his cave, eyes twitching. His army was disorganized, flames separating them from each other and a ship above them sending groups of his soldiers in a tizzy trying to hit it with their canons. The ship was returning fire admirably, though whoever was shooting back was obviously unprepared for the speed of their own vehicle. To put it as a mess would be to put the actions of the scene mildly.

The large king stomped upon the ground, gaining the attention of the valley in front of his palace. “Who melted my door?!” He yelled out, shoulders tense. His head whipped towards the red hair that popped up.

“Why did you kidnap my girlfriend?!” Red screamed back, the flames of his hair sparkling blue. “I don’t give a damn about your door!”

“How unfortunate it is for you that I do!” The Rhinocerous King charged horn-first towards Red Son, who still had enough sense in him to dodge instead of meeting the larger king head-on. The smaller threw flames, only for the sparks to uselessly bounce off of the elder’s thick hide. All Red could do was dodge, though his rage sent him to attempt more attacks. 

Wukong went to join the fight, the Rhinocerous King’s eyes blazing with a mad rage, a smile finally spreading across his face. “I must ask, Great Sage, where’s your staff?”

Wukong growled. “I wish it was up your ass!”

The Rhinocerous King’s smile grew ear-to-ear. “If you wish it so but do not make it so, it means you likely don’t even have your staff, do you?” He didn’t wait for Wukong to answer before laughing maniacally. “And the Heavenly Army is nowhere to be found! You’re at my mercy here, Monkey King and I don’t quite regret to inform you that I have none.” The king charged again, this time with his horn aimed right at the Great Sage.

Chapter Text

Tang landed with a thud on the ground, ankle twisting painfully. He hissed but was otherwise quiet, eyes scrolling over the room before him. There were chests everywhere, ornately decorated and obviously heavy even at a glance, old weapons were lined on the wall above the chests. Tang slinked along the walls before he noticed a glowing spot on the other side of the room.

He took another look around the room, making sure he wasn’t unaware of any presence in the room other than his own and that glowing spot. He cautiously made his way over to the golden glow, flickering wings on the small thing more evident the closer the professor got to it. He realized it was a cicada, waiting for him on the cap of a scroll. Tang squinted at the cicada while it seemingly melted onto the cap of the scroll, creating the insignia of the Jīn Chán, calling for Tang to read its text.

In the halls, Mei kicked through a wall of demon guards, running before they could recover. Her legs burned from the actions and her one free hand painfully tingled. MK was huffing in her ear, scared but determined not to move and throw Mei off. He was pressed close to her when she suddenly stopped with a surprised yelp. 

He panickedly looked over her shoulder and was instantly relieved at the sight of Mister Tang, pushing himself up from where he had fallen in surprise. In his hands was a scroll he clutched towards his chest. His eyes widened at the sight of the children, still bound together. “You’re ok!” He took in Mei and MK’s huffing. “Ish!” He reached for them immediately for the Zuànshí Quāntào, pulling at its looser end and attempting to unwind it from the duo. “I think I can lead us out but there’s a battle right outside so we have to be careful and ready to fight our way out.”

Mei smiled softly at him, relief in her eyes even at the news. “When don’t we? And it looks like you got a souvenir this time too.”

“Oh, you know me,” Tang smiled back, “always have to stop and recognize a good read.” He stuffed it into his belt to work both hands into the Zuànshí Quāntào, sighing in relief when MK fell from Mei’s back and was able to work his way out of the now-slack binds. Mei too wiggled her way free, kicking them away. 

MK hugged Tang’s legs, almost throwing the professor to the ground again. “I missed you!”

Tang pat the back of MK’s back, slowly pulling them and Mei back to press against a wall. “I missed you too, MK. We can hug more when we get back home, ok?” At MK’s nod, Tang lifted him into his arms and led both of the children back to the room that held his newly-acquired scroll. 

Red growled and hissed like a cornered tiger facing a poacher in the form of the single-horned demon swiping at him with the sword of a felled demon. Wukong rejoined the fray, broken grip of a jian flying from his hand and at the Rhinocerous King. The large monarch slapped the grip away, kicking the Monkey King onto the ground. He stomped his foot onto Wukong, preventing the other from getting up and recovering. Red angrily threw himself at the other demon, flames biting even the air around them with his blue head of flames dropping ash with every step. The Rhinocerous King’s hands burnt when they moved to stop Red, though they completed their mission all the same. Through the blisters and the intense stabbing pain of the burning, the large king stopped Red in his path, flames dying under his massive hands. Red grunted in effort before a hand lifted off of his head and slammed into his stomach. He gagged on a gasp of pain, nausea replacing rage quickly.

The larger demon smiled down as he dropped the younger onto the ground, Wukong’s arms pulling the boy closer in a protective embrace. The demon king just laughed at the sight. “Perhaps I was wrong; you might not be pulling your punches, Great Sage, because your punches have weakened, as well as your resolve. Your heart and ego are now both much too big to be allowed to exist.” He leaned more weight onto Wukong’s back, causing the monkie to groan out in pain. “I’ll start by crushing your ego here and crush your heart when I next see your child.” 

Monkey growled and clawed at the ground underneath Red, who was trying to wiggle out from under the two older beings. Rhinocerous King didn’t give his movement any mind, raising his sword above his head to bring down to Monkey King’s head when a great weight barrelled into him. His plans of revenge and bones both were immediately shattered, a burnt orange giant taking up most of the battlefield’s space. Monkey King looked up in horror to see the giant, its tail swishing around angrily and agitatedly. Its jacket billowed in the wind and its headband flickered wildly in the air. 

“You don’t get to hurt my baba!” MK’s voice yelled out into the valley, echoing across the mountains and adding to the horror making its home in Wukong’s guts. The giant surrounding MK’s form punched into the Rhinocerous King again, breaking through mountains and the clouds themselves. And another punch into the ground. And yet another and another. MK beat the Rhinocerous King into the ground, growling all the while. Another flash of light had Wukong’s eyes widen yet again.

A green dragon, so familiar and yet removed, was curling around Red Son, head lowered so its jaw was in his bewildered lap. “Mei?” Red asked, sighing in relief when the dragon’s jaw only lightly shifted deeper into his lap.

A shriek of war-like anger brought Monkey King’s attention back to the monkey mammoth, his son in its head. He summoned his cloud, zipping towards MK. “Bud!” He yelled against the wind. “MK, look at me, bud!” The only thing that Monkey King could do was watch as he was completely ignored, MK’s giant form screeching into the air. Wukong’s throat tightened when he realized that the power was overtaking MK, the child no longer in control of what his body and energy were doing.

Chapter Text

There was a blinding hot rage permeating everything, fueling MK’s movements. His knuckles were numb but his rage pushed him ever-forward, digging his hands deeper into the monster. Because he wasn’t a king, he wasn’t as wise as he tried to sound or as shiny as his diamonds: he hurt baba and so he was a monster. And baba saved MK from monsters, so MK would save baba from this monster. 

There was nothing but harsh ringing in his ear, the world reduced to black and whites and dull shades of gray. The diamond gauntlets on the monster no longer shone, dull to the point of not seeming to even be present anymore. 

Just when MK’s rhythm faltered and some noise began to persist through the ringing, the monster kicked his hand away, a stabbing tingling breaking through the numbness in his hands. The Rhinocerous King growled up, hair now in disarray and pulling the gauntlets back into place. “So you’re both protective. I wonder how that trait showed up in your lineage. Wukong certainly wasn’t--” He wasn’t allowed to finish the sentiment, MK roaring over him. The king winced at the sound, boulders shaking from the shaking power in the child’s voice alone. 

Monkey King took in the scene from his cloud, trying to get MK’s attention, only to find his movements and words unnoticed. With MK’s roar, he winced again, flying up when MK slammed his fists down again. The Rhinocerous King was able to dodge this time, which seemed to only further enrage MK. The giant orange figure encapsulating the child’s form wailed on the Rhinocerous King, who could only dodge, unable to find a weak point in the energy form. “Kid!” Monkey King shouted. “Listen to me, you need to calm down! Take a breath, bud!”

MK only responded by punching through a mountain, barely clipping the single-horned monarch. The king smiled a nervous smirk, a scared spark in his eye. “It seems your boy listens as well as any other monkey. Perhaps I’ll have to discipline him for you!”

Wukong scoffed. “Yeah, you were handling him just fine a minute ago.” He raced in front of MK’s eyes, waving his arms madly. “You got him, bud! You beat him really good, he knows not to mess with us, right?”

The Rhinocerous King humphed at the statement. “Your spawn hasn’t killed me, Monkey King. I’m hardly beat and there was no knowledge to gain from your child throwing a tantrum.” That was of course the wrong thing to say as MK’s large foot flicked up and kicked the king into the clouds. The giant jumped up after the king and Monkey King raced behind the glowing form. He didn’t notice as Macaque attached himself to his shadow, nor did he notice that Nezha was left on his own, nor did he notice Tang standing at the entrance of the cave, a soft golden glow covering him. 

Nezha grabbed the arms squeezing him from behind, throwing the demon over his shoulder and down to the ground. He turned his back -- the only move he could make fast enough -- for a boot to meet his back, sending him careening through the air. Before he could get his barings, another foot struck his back, sending him cometing in an entirely new direction. He could see shadows and an occasional glow behind his eyelids, but not enough to make out a picture of his surroundings. He prepared to feel another impact on his back as he uncurled, only to find the army he was facing to be frozen. They slowly fell from the sky, seemingly sleeping as they lowered  into the crevices between mountain peaks. All forms except for his own left the sky, leaving the sky lonesome for him until he heard a voice.

“Well,” Tang started, glow around him fading as he lowered the Golden Cicada scroll, “at least I know what that does now. Hopefully that helps anyone with insomnia.” Nezha gave him a wide-eyed look, only resulting in the professor shrugging from where he stood. “I didn’t know it’d do that!”

Nezha’s eye twitched. “You opened a random ancient scroll and recited an ancient spell in an active battle without knowing what it’d do?!”

Tang smiled as innocently as he could. “It worked out though!”

Before Nezha could react, another deafening roar shook the world around them, a figure getting flung between them quicker than either of them could track. Nezha scooped Tang up and pressed them both into the doorway as MK’s large angry form bypassed them without a second thought. 

Macaque removed himself from Wukong’s shadow, nearly startling the king out of his flight path. “Get me closer, I have an idea.”

Wukong growled, boosting them forward towards MK’s giant shoulder. “You ass! Give me a warning next time!” 

“Warning.” Macaque changed into his small shadow form, dropping through the cloud and landing on MK’s shoulder, holding on tightly as the giant form of the child twisted and rammed through mountains. He slammed his right hand onto the orange energy, palm alight with purple magic. It seeped into MK’s shoulder slowly before it was rejected, pushed out of MK’s shoulder violently and dissipated in the air. “Ah. Ok. That’s fine.” Macaque huffed into the air as MK suddenly jumped into the air and slammed his feet down onto the ground, Rhinoceros King desperately trying to escape underfoot. Macaque muscled his way to the front of MK’s shirt and held on tightly. He squinted into the glowing form, looking for his student. 

As he pushed his shadow form into the giant aggressive energy, his mind flickered with worries. Had this been the result of his influence? Why was this rage never-ending? Was MK aware of what he was doing? Did he have any control over it?  He pushed his form deeper and deeper, even as the burnt orange energy tried to push him back. MK’s shadow giant didn’t stop for a second, arms bracing it between a couple of mountains as the form practically curb-stomped the single-horned king into the ground. 

Macaque’s hand finally reached something physical and he curled his whole body around it, immediately flashing into his physical form. MK’s small true form was shaking, eyes squeezed shut as Macaque’s arms pulled his head under the furry chin. 

Red struggled in the pile of scales and cuddles that was Mei. He couldn’t push himself through the heavy length of her body. He wasn’t willing to use his flames to fly himself out, in the chance that his flames could somehow burn Mei’s scales. “Mei!” He yelled. “We need to go!” She only curled tighter around him, cuddle comfortable but raising his feet above the ground. “Darling, please!” Mei purred around him, easing up her grip. He rolled his eyes fondly. “Light of my life, sun in my sky, my dearest of darlings. Might I a word?” Mei’s grip loosened again, head poking into the pocket she had made for him to occupy with a pleased purr. 

Red gently grabbed her chin, rubbing his thumbs over the scales there carefully. “Mei,” he started, voice descending seriously, “your brother needs you.”

All at once, her expression changed into what Red could only assume was panic. She immediately uncurled from around him and sprang into the air, looking back and forth before she raced in one direction.

Wukong hadn’t expected Mei’s dragon form to curl around MK’s own monkey form, but when he realized that it was both a hug and a restraint, he was grateful for the surprise. The child was no longer able to destroy the mountains, but instead was growling his aggression to the Heavens, voice shaking the ground. Red distantly could be seen trying to catch up with Mei, flames launching him from flattened mountain to flattened mountain. Monkey King flew his cloud up to MK’s snarling face, orange glow stark against the gray sky. “Bud!” He approached, wincing at a particularly sharp growl. “You need to calm down, MK! Don’t let the anger take over!”

Nezha flew past them, Tang in his arms and getting to safety. “Find out why he’s angry!”

Wukong looked over MK’s struggling giant form, roars reaching a fever pitch. Tears fell from the giant eyes, fear encasing the tone of the sounds. Wukong laid his hand on the giant’s nose. “Hey, hey! You’re ok! We’re all here for you, you’re ok.”

The giant whined, lip trembling when a low echoing voice laid like a mist over the mountain range. “Baba? Ok?” Came a trembling voice from MK.

Wukong choked on guilt. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m ok, bud. You got the bad guy and you saved me. Baba’s ok.” MK shook again before the energy of his shadow form dissipated, dropping Mei from her restrictive hold. Macaque opened his eyes and in an almost-panic shadow-travelled himself and MK onto Wukong’s cloud.

“Warning!” Macaque whisper-yelled when Wukong’s fur went on-end. 

Before Wukong could respond, Nezha returned, empty-handed and face pale. “We need to go before the demons wake up. Like, right now.” He grabbed the tail of the cloud, pulling on it. 

Wukong followed him, Red and Mei following closely. “What’s with Lotus Boy?” Red asked, jacket’s collar in Mei’s jaw. Macaque only shrugged, ignoring Wukong’s tail as it flittered about in irritation. They landed on the ship, Mei’s dragon form dissipating and blasted off. Sandy’s hands moved furiously at the controls, sending them ever westward. 

Monkey King reached for Nezha’s shoulder, noting the younger’s tight lips. “Kid. What’s wrong?” 

Nezha turned towards Macaque, noting MK’s unconscious state. “He’s -- MK -- he can’t know. We can’t tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

“He killed the Rhinocerous King. I checked. No pulse, no breathing, he’s dead.” Nezha admitted, nails picking at the metal on his shirt. Wukong’s expression fell even more than it already had. 

Macaque’s eyebrows sprung up as horror dawned on his face. “What if he already knows?”

Chapter Text

MK woke to silence, air tense even as something soft and furry was pressed against his cheek. He hummed, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth. He slowly blinked his eyes open, the world blurry around him. He coughed into his fist and before he knew it, he was feeling light-headed, like he had been walking in a desert for hours. His head felt heavy but he forced it up anyway, neck both tense and too weak to move as he normally moves. He felt a soft hand on the back of his head as it bobbled and distant chittering reached his ears.

He chittered back, much to the relief of Wukong, who held the boy tight as he looked up at Sandy. “He’s up and he hasn’t formed his war-form. Can I take him back to his room now?”

“He’s barely awake, Monkey King.” Sandy worriedly glanced at MK before returning his gaze to the sails. “Once he actually, really, wakes up, we need to make sure he’s emotionally ok before we bring him inside or his war-form could destroy the ship. And I don’t think Boddhisafa Guanyin’s going to come around and give us a new one soon.”

Wukong huffed, back curved over where he sat against a pole. “I know. I just -- it’s more comfortable for him inside.”

“I know.” Sandy replied, whipping sweat from his brow. “It’s just a precaution.”

They sat in silence for a moment again before Tang and Pigsy, followed by Macaque, who was aggravatedly grumbling something under his breath. Wukong’s fur bristled at the sight, having to remind himself that the Six-Earred Macaque was not an enemy. Pigsy pointedly ignored the angered monkie behind him and the protective monkie ahead of him, heading straight towards Sandy. “So we got good news and bad news, Cap’n. The good news is that we seem to have out-paced the ice and we’ve arrived in Xīzàng. The bad news is that a monastery contacted us and they requested some help.” 

“How is that bad news?” Sandy asked as Wukong calmed behind him minutely, sensitive to MK’s lethargic movements. “We can help them.”

“Which is what I said!” Tang exclaimed, frustrated. “I can go down with the scroll and -- !”

“Oh no no no!” Pigsy interrupted. “You didn’t even know what the scroll was gonna do! And there’s no guarantee that it’ll do the same thing or if it’ll have the same effect on someone more powerful than demonic grunts! It’d be smarter to go look for the thing the monks want after we know exactly what that spell does. Until then, any situation where you rely on the thing is stupid.”

“Are you calling me stupid?” Tang accused with a tilt to his head. 

Before Pigsy could reply, his eye already twitching, Macaque burst between the two of them. “I’ll fucking do it!”

Wukong’s head snapped up to Macaque’s eye-level. “Language!”

“Aight, Captain America!” Macaque snapped back. “Look, I’ll do the monk thing and you guys can stop being more dramatic than me and experiment with the scroll.”

Sandy moved next to Macaque quickly. “I’ll go with him!” He looked to the crow’s nest where Mo was studiously peering out into the clouds. “Mo, I’m heading out! You’re in charge!”

“You’re leaving Mo in charge?” Tang asked, offended.

Sandy was silent for a beat before yelling back up to Mo. “Prince Nezha’s your co-captain!” With that, Macaque grabbed his arm and dropped them into a shadow, bringing them onto the solid ground below the ship. “So, uh. What did the monks contact us for?”

“They needed help getting some shit.” Macaque answered, turning about to take in the vast golden plains around them. “Well, it got stolen from them. Something that was supposedly supposed to be able to protect them if Lady Bone Demon got as far as their monastery.”

Sandy’s brows furrowed. “Looks like that’s the probability.”

Macaque finally took a breath, looking across the field towards the brightly-coloured monastery. “Yeah.” He muttered. “Looks like it.”

Sandy rested his hand on Macaque’s shoulder, catching the subtle jump under his palm. “Are you ok?”

Macaque looked up towards Sandy, a million emotions running in his eyes before defeat took over every other feeling present. “I’m fine. Maybe a bit tired?”

Sandy packed his suspicion away, giving Macaque a smile. “Lead the way.” The short nodded, head angled down towards his feet as they moved. Sandy’s smile fell, taking in the tense muscles of his boyfriend’s shoulders and back. The way he seemed to be contemplating a million things at once wasn’t new, but how painfully engrossed in fear wasn’t something Sandy could watch happily.

But Mac obviously didn’t want to talk about it and Sandy wouldn’t force him to before he’s ready. Their wonderings and wanderings brought them to the monastery in a flash, though Sandy had to grad Macaque before he, engrossed in thought, walked right into the painted wooden doors. Sandy didn’t comment on it, knocking on the door with an awkward and soft knuckle. 

There was shifting behind the door and dry footsteps approaching, scurrying along the ground until the barrier opened. Behind it was a young man, skinny and tall, looking nervously up at Sandy. “You’re from the Molam Gyewup Namdu de Guanyin?”

Sandy launched the man a disarming smile. “We sure are!”

The young monk gave a relieved smile. “Nangla phewa!” He ushered them in, sneaking worried glances behind the duo before closing the door behind them. “We must thank you for coming, especially in such perilous times. The Abbot would like to meet you quickly.”

Macaque didn’t seem in the mood for small talk so Sandy decided to respond, no matter his own confusion on what exactly the monks wanted. “And we’re honoured to see them, though we’re a bit fuzzy as to our purpose here.”

“And yet, you’ve still come!” The young monk replied happily. “Truly, your good nature knows no bounds!” Macaque huffed minutely at the statement, but the monk didn’t seem to hear it. “Abbot Nuru will be up three levels if you take the stairs just across. From there, pass five doors on the right and enter into the sixth door. I’ll gather refreshments!” The man scuttled away, a lip on his left leg now prominent as the foot dragged on the floor more than the other. 

Macaque didn’t give it any more thought, guiding Sandy passed excitedly-whispering monks that followed them with their eyes. He was huffing in the hallway, seemingly more upset by being in the monastery than beforehand. Sandy grabbed Macaque’s shoulder again, stopping him again. “Are you ok being here?”

“I volunteered, didn’t I?” Macaque snapped, expression falling as soon as the words fell from his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I be ok?”

Sandy smiled falsely. “Well, you almost walked into a door not five minutes ago.” He gently spun Macaque to face him and pointedly looked at the door on his right from the corner of his eyes. “And you almost walked right passed the one we need.”

Macaque blushed and smiled honestly for the first time that day. He near-violently knocked on the door, something small clattering in surprise. “Come in!” An old voice called out, sounding strained. Sandy looked in to see an old man bending down, struggling to reach the bowl on the ground before him. He moved to grab the bowl, handing it to, presumably, Abbot Nuru. The elder quietly thanked Sandy and sat as Macaque half-heartedly bowed to him. “Oh, the Pilgrims to the West! I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Which I suppose is why you asked us to help you and your students?” Macaque right to the chase, trying to hide how he flexed his toes stressfully. 

Nuru laughed as heartily as his frail body would allow. “Straight to the point! As all young men are, I suppose.” Macaque bit the inside of his mouth, annoyed at the assertation. “We’ve summoned you here for help regarding the protection of the monastery. At this point, the Lady Bone Demon’s ice will be upon us any day now, Most of China and Russia has been taken and you may have to flee into Europe before our part of the world is taken back.” Sandy winced at the point, realizing just how far they were forced to run. “We had a weapon here, gifted to us by the Pilgrim Zhu Bajie, that could have protected us if it wasn’t stolen by a band of demonic thieves.”

Sandy’s eyebrow raised. “What type of weapon was it?”

Nuru responded levelly. “It went by the name Rakshasi.”

Macaque jumped up with a growl, grabbing the abbot by the robe near his neck. “Ex-fucking-scuse me?!”

Sandy jumped up too but decided against touching Macaque again while he was angrily spitting shadows along the walls. “Macaque!” Sandy’s voice raised several octaves in panic. “What are you doing?!”

Macaque’s glowing purple eyes didn’t move from the somehow still-relaxed Nuru’s own. “Rakshasi isn’t a weapon: she’s a person!” 

Sandy gasped as Nuru just chuckled in Macaque’s grasp, frail boney hand tapping the hand that gripped him. “What is a demon if not a weapon of pure rage? She’s not repented for her actions and without her, my students may die in the coming chill. Young men like you are so quick to choose your own morality without thinking of the consequences. Would you choose a demon over the lives of my young students?”

Sandy was surprised to see Macaque drop the abbot, taking his arm so that the two of them were in the hallway in less than a heartbeat. “I -- we’re not going to return a person to him, are we?”

“No.” Macaque replied, a familiar cruel and angry smirk covering his face. “I have a better idea.”

Chapter Text

Macaque’s feet snapped the dry and chilled plants beneath him, noting absently that his marching looked much like pouting. Which, with the awareness of Sandy watching him from behind, worked to make him blush with frustration and embarrassment. Nevertheless, his eyes were still glowing, purple running over the ground in front of him.

“What do you see?” Sandy asked, feet falling heavily yet steadily.

Macque sniffed the air twice, pausing. “Energy. If was a band of demons that took her and she’s as powerful as the stories say, there should be enough left-over energy for a trail. Which seems to be going right towards those mountains.” He pointed to the range in the distance, not noticing how his companion’s face paled.

“That mountain range over there?” Sandy asked.

Macaque looked at him, dumbfounded, sarcastically gesturing to the nearly-empty flat plains around them. “Because we’re spoiled for choice, aren’t we?” He huffed a chuckle out. “Yes, those mountains over there.”

Sandy smiled flatly. “Honey. Babe. Light of my life.”

“You’re going to say something I won’t like, I can feel it.” Macaque muttered, turning to good nature with the pet names. “What’s wrong with those specific mountains over there?”

Sandy sighed. “Those are the Himilayas.”

The corners of Mac’s mouth clenched. “Ah. The tall ones?”

Sandy laughed in good nature. “We’re spoiled for choice on the height of the Himalayan mountains, aren’t we?”

“Ok, smart guy.” Macaque huffed. “So we’re going to the very tall Himilayan mountains, glad we cleared that up.” He turned back towards the mountains, in tune with Sandy’s worry. “I can get us closer but we’ll have to stop every now and then to make sure we’re still on the trail.”

“Right.” Sandy answered, clasping his hands together, preparing for the cold. Macaque grabbed his arm again, the familiar shadows engulfing them in its steady grip. They burst up and into the freezing wind billowing down from the top of the mountain ahead of them. A chill made its way down his sleeves and up the cuffs of his jogging shirt. “Were you ok? Coming down here?”

Macaque shrugged, not meeting Sandy’s gaze. “Just a lot to think about. Or maybe there isn’t and I’m just overthinking. You know how it goes.” 

“Sure.” Sandy nodded. “But it seems like you have more on your mind than normal. You normally don’t let your thoughts distract you from the present. Are you sure you’re ok?”

Macaque sighed, shoulders sagging as he walked forward, all sets of ears revealing themselves. “Have you -- did you get a chance to read about Wukong’s story? All of it?”

Sandy’s expression fell, darkening a bit. “I didn’t read it but I’d like to think I know a bit more about the journey than the average person.”

“Did you -- how much do you know about the final fight between Wukong and me?” Macaque asked. 

Sandy’s frown deepened. “Is -- have you been thinking about that a lot?”

“Not the fight. Well, kind of, but mostly what happened after.” Macaque admitted, shifting them further up the mountain. He shifted uncomfortably as the snow here was now tall enough to fall into his boots. “I -- it’s hard to explain but I -- I died.” 

Sandy kept his sharp inhale quiet. “Like, spiritually? Or…?”

Macaque choked out a laugh. “I died in every way. No breathing, no heartbeat, dead.”

Sandy embraced Macaque from behind, nuzzling his head into the fur before him as much as his larger form would permit. “That sounds very traumatic, and it’s understandable to be bothered by that.”

Macaque tapped Sandy’s warm hands, letting a visible breath out. “That’s not what I’m worried about. Thank you, though.” His ears flicked again as he squinted into the distance. “There are only two demons I know of, besides the kings of hell themselves, who could have possibly messed with death and one of them is the guy who killed me. I got the trail deviating a bit southwest, we’re blipping there.”

As Sandy reoriented himself in their new location, not used to so many transports back to back. “‘Blipping’? I’ve never heard you call it that before.”

“One of our kids called it that the other day. Sounds less pretentious than ‘shadow transportation’ or ‘photon-matter teleportation’ or whatever Tang calls it in his fanboy journal.” Snow was crushed underfoot but Macaque couldn’t hear snow under Sandy’s foot. He looked back to see Sandy staring at him, stars in his eyes. “What?”

“Do you want kids with me?” Sandy blurted. “You said ‘our kids’. I want kids with you.”

“Wait wait wait!” Macaque shook his hands, a purple blush covering his nose to the tips of his ears. “I don’t think -- I mean we’re -- there’s a lot of things going on and maybe I’m not the greatest with kids so I’m probably not going to be the guy you really want to have kids with.”

Sandy looked crestfallen. “You seem really good with MK. And I thought you enjoyed talking with Nezha.”

“I do, but…” Macaque sighed, blipping them onto the other side of the mountain. “I wasn’t exactly the best person to MK before LBD came back. And I’m technically still under Guanyin’s command until everyone’s favourite headband is off my head. It’s just, you know. With what we know MK went through the last time he was that small, I don’t want a kid to go through that.”

Sandy scowled, but not maliciously. “Do you think you’d do something like MK’s parents did? Intentionally hurting a kid?”

“I don’t trust myself not to.” Macaque admitted, whispering into the air. “I got a trail going down into the river down there. If the bandits went through it, it’s going to be harder to follow their trail, but with the temperature, it’d be a bad move. Unless they have Raksashi doing her fire thing, which is entirely possible. Hopefully, they’re not that smart.”

“They might be if they were able to take her from a pretty busy monastery. Or are otherwise pretty quick or strong.” The river demon offered. “Or the monks are stupid.”

Macaque chuckled, inconsistent breaths escaping in clouds. “Maybe a little bit of both.” A blip closer to the river had him sniffing the air with more effort, lips turning down. His ears flicked violently and his eyes scanned the range above the water level. He huffed quietly, checking the bank before him. “Can you call the others? See if anyone above us has eyes on the demons’ energy.” 

“I don’t think we need to.” Sandy replied, pointing up and towards a mountain, magenta energy now apparent in his eyes. A chill ran down Macaque’s spine at the energy, but he followed Sandy’s finger towards a dimming warm light. Without words, he blipped both of them towards the light and charged into a form before actually looking at the scene before him.

He and the demon he tackled huffed as they met the ground. A startled yelp sounded out in front of Macaque and he growled towards the sound, only to be met with the sight of Rakshasi with a whimpering infant bundled in her arms.

Chapter Text

Macaque was frozen at the sight of the baby before the demon below him kneed him in the gut. Sandy picked him up from the back before he could retaliate, clawing at the air instead of the smoke demon’s face. Sandy pulled Macaque back, placing himself in between macaque, the smoke demon, Rakshasi and the quietly whining baby, and the rest of the demonic group that was making their way to their feet with a quickness. “I think we started off on the wrong foot.”

The demon getting up from where he had been tackled onto the floor hissed. “He fucking bowled me over!”

“So we definitely started off on the wrong foot!” Sandy amended as Macaque growled in his hand, arms crossing. “There’s just one question we need to be answered before I let him go and do what he seems very eager to do.”

“Who’re you to make demands?” Another demon growled out as Sandy saw Rakshasi scramble behind the group of armed demons. “You attacked us.”

“Did you kidnap her?” Sandy asked directly. “We’re under the impression you did, in which case I think it might be forgiven that we attacked you. If you didn’t, well, I’m sorry about that.”

The group gave him varying looks of confusion and shock. One of the younger demons of the group opened his mouth. “Kidn -- we’re on a rescue mission!”

Another demon shoved that one’s shoulder. “Dude!” 

Sandy smiled. “Well, that’s great to hear!” He placed Macaque down as the smoke demons winced, only for the monkie to stay where he was placed. “In that case, we’re here to help!” He approached Rakshasi, nonplussed by her guards, lowering himself to her level.

Before he could say anything, though, Rakshasi hissed at him. “If you think I’m going back to those monks --”

“We’re going back to kill them.”  Macaque interrupted. “Or something else. Whatever you decide, really. As long as I get to fuck someone up.” 

Rakshasi held her infant closer to her, standing up with a wave of righteous anger in her eyes. “If you think you can trick me into going back there, you must be more stupid than any other monkey out there.”

“Hurtful.” Macaque deadpanned. “I’m not trying to trick you into anything. I want those monks to burn because you’re not a weapon and they obviously treated you like one. On top of that, winter’s coming and you’ll need shelter. There’s no way you’ll make it to Madhya Pradesh before the ice settles in.”

“But -- but it’s June, we have months before winter’s here.” A smoke demon mumbled. 

The bags under Rakshasi’s eyes seemed heavier somehow. “He’s not talking about the true seasonal winter.” She grumbled. “And I suppose, False Monkey King, that you propose I use my prison as a shelter?”

Macaque huffed. “More or less. Once you recover your powers, it’ll be the only place in a hundred kilometres you can shield your child.” 

When she didn’t answer Macaque, Sandy spoke up. “What’s their name?”

Rakshasi’s glare lessened but found a new focus on the river demon. “He’s Laal Ladaka.”

“After your favourite student?” Sandy asked. “He’s a good kid. I can see why.”

“You know Red?” Rakshasi asked, curiosity tempered. She scowled at Sandy. “Is he well?”

“He’s well.” Sandy answered, body at ease. “Courting our niece, actually. He’s absolutely smitten.”

The woman began bouncing her baby on her hip, eyebrows raising for a quick second. “He likes women?” Macaque wheezed out a dry laugh, followed by coughs as he choked on his breath. 

Sandy kept himself together. “Well, he likes this one, at least. But I think we might be getting off-topic?”

“Oh definitely!” Macaque added, to the dissatisfaction of the smoke demons. “The topic of the fuckin day is that Laal Ladaka’s gonna need shelter and there’s a place that only needs an extermination before you move in.”

“And the monks?” Rakshasi asked, gently waving the smoke demons back. 

Macaque smirked. “Whatever you want to do to them.” Sandy swallowed down his nerves but stayed silent, just giving his boyfriend a look. “So? Are you coming with us or are you going to let your kid freeze out here?”

Rakshasi hissed beneath her breath, scowling at a cave wall in thought. “And what if I can’t face the monks? You’re so sure that I have the same anger as you.”

“Because you do.” Macaque insisted. “Our experiences are similar and we’ve had to learn a similar lesson: that we’re not weapons to be used. That we have people that depend on us not being weapons. Do you look at your child and see a bullet? Or a jian? Do you want him to think of you like that?”

Thousands of kilometres above the fields and mountains of Nepal, Mei’s foot anxiously pattered on the floor beneath her chair as she glowered at the two huǒ huán hanging on the wall. They were nailed in the living room, accessible to anyone who might need them at a moment’s notice. But in their idle waiting, they only served to unnerve Mei.

The more she stared at them, the more her head throbbed and her hand was flashing with phantom pains. She looked away only for her eyes to be drawn back to the huǒ huán. Her attention was so drawn to them that she didn’t notice Red Son entering the room beside her. 

“Mei?” Red asked, worried at her startled jump. “Are you alright, dear?”

Mei turned towards him and flashed him a grand smile. “Oh jeez! Totally didn’t hear you come in!”

Red chuckled. “Yes, I saw as much.” He approached her quickly but carefully, looking for any change in her body language. “I’ve grilled some watermelon if you’d like some?”

“You grilled watermelon?” Mei asked, huǒ huán almost completely forgotten. “There’s a Gordon Ramsay joke to be made here, I know it.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” Red Son smirked, grabbing Mei’s hand and leading her out of the room. “That and I already made the seasoning when I found out we were out of meat.”

Mei laughed. “Am I your cooking guinea pig? Your test subject? Oh, woe is me!”

“Ok, Shakespeare!” Red guffawed. “That peasant could’ve never eaten as well as you’re about to.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Mei responded, skipping ahead of Red into the kitchen, leaving the huǒ huán, glittering in the light of the sun through the windows, behind.

Chapter Text

The monastery was dark and warm, preparing for a quiet night. The Abbott shuffled across the floor of the central room, heading towards the shrine in the centre of the building. Before the weapon was delivered to their doorstep, to “lead in the right direction”. They lead it to the forges to make this golden statue of the Wise Buddha and his great pilgrim Tang Monk. They lead it to the mortar and expanded the monastery. They lead it in all the right directions they needed over generations and the Abbott had seen every one of those generations learn and utilize their resource for the betterment of their monastery.

And it’s worked out well, hasn’t it? Nothing but drying grass and mountains around for kilometres, and yet their temple of worship has stood for more than five centuries. Students have thrived here for the same amount of time for the blessing of the weapon, so when shadows began encompassing the building and most everything inside, Abbott Nuru didn’t sweat, nor did he think anything passed the return of the weapon. 

He finished his prayer as soft steps dropped onto the floor. He didn’t mind it when the shadows didn’t dissipate from the walls, though he didn’t remain so nonpulsed when he turned and saw what had landed. “It’s not in chains?” He asked Macaaque, noting that the larger river demon hadn’t returned with him nor the weapon.

Rakshasi growled at him, though Macaque gave him a cool gaze. “She’s not chained.” Macaque confirmed. “Want to know why?”

Nuru snorted into a rag, keeping his face pleasant despite his frustration. “Because neither of the demons before me are capable of good deeds.”

Macaque, quick as light and the lack thereof, closed the space between them, grabbing the Abbott by the robes that were wrinkled from the last time he’d done the same thing. “Because you’re an asshole!” His eyes glowed a cool purple-blue before his head snapped back with impact.

Nuru removed himself from Macaque’s grip, hands glowing a sick green. “Such foul language in my holy place? You should know better, student of Guanyin.”

Macaque growled, rubbing his bloodied nose. “I’m more her student than you seem to be of Buddha’s, you wretched old bastard.”

The Abbott straightened his back and Rakshasi cowered, terror covering her features. Nuru only looked at her fear and just smiled, as if a grandfather looking at his misbehaving granddaughter. “You should know better by now, weapon, that I don’t appreciate an attitude.”

“An attitude.” Macaque copied. He smirked, then grinned, then broke out into a grand smile rivalling that of Mei herself. “She hasn’t shown you an attitude, you’ve scared her too much for that. But I can show you what an attitude really is.”

The shadows dropped statues and smoke demons, the stone figures landing roughly around Nuru. He raised an eyebrow that quickly dropped in horrified observation. The statues, more detailed than even the best stoneworker could chisel out, had the faces of the monks that had all retired to bed, covered in layers of immovable and thick ash, trapped in a prison in which their bodies couldn’t move.

Nuru clicked his tongue, looking for the first time upset and yet not disturbed. “That is quite the attitude, I’ll admit, primate. But hardly any worse than the weapon’s when it arrived and I broke her attitude nonetheless.”

Rakshasi allowed to further speaking, throwing flames toward the Abbott with a roar, only for the monk to dodge the flames with speed neither Rakshasi nor Macaque were expecting. She just barely missed getting caught by floating above the floor, fingers nearly grabbing her arm. Macaque sunk into the shadows as Rakshasi’s eyes glowed red, setting the entire floor aflame.  Nuru jumped above the flickering heat, hands digging into the walls. “You did not break me.” Rakshasi growled, looking straight into the eyes of the ever-angering monk. “You gave me a reason to burn hotter.”

Nuru launched himself from wall to wall in an attempt to disorient the demoness. “All the better for you to be my weapon again, dear.”

Before he could launch himself again, his hands sunk into shadows, followed by his feet and the entirety of his arms and legs. He struggled, but all he could feel was stinging cold, immobilizing him. He wrenched his limbs, but they would not obey him. He was only freed from the shadows when they spit him out on their own. His hands and feet were covered in ice, not allowing him significant movement. He landed on the hot floor on his back, grunting when Macaque looked down at him from where he had landed. Rakshasi joined Macaque in looking down on the monk, the smoke demons keeping their distance but ready to attack the Abbott.

“I hope you enjoy your new position as a trophy.” Macaque glared down, smirk failing to hide his disgust with Nuru. “A gift from the last pathetic Napolean complex to treat me the way you treat Rakshasi.”

“That’s why you’ve forsaken this holy place? You both belong in an armoury.” Nuru replied.

Before Macaque could reply, Rakshasi scooped up the monk by the neck, dragging him and his frozen limbs to the great doors of the monastery. Smoke demons rushed to open the doors for her of the look of fury upon her. She took one quick glance around the field before placing Nuru vigorously yet carefully in position. “I want you to look over there, Abbott.” She said, pointing across the field to where she had positioned his head to face.

At the horizon, blue peaked, eliminating the sight of stars in the sky and bringing upon clouds for the new day. “You want me to watch the sunrise? What a sweet weapon you are.”

“Yeah, that would seem to be the case, wouldn’t it?” Rakshasi whispered. “Except the sun rises in the east, Abbott. And the direction you’re facing? North.” She pointed her finger to another direction in the field and there, no sun rose nor warm to dispel the cold of the night.

Nuru shook in his icy prison again. “You’ll leave me out here for the Bone Demon?!”

“And I want you to see her coming. I want you to watch the pain before it even arrives.” Rakshasi responded, turning to head back indoors. 

Nuru struggled more. “You claim not to be a weapon but you would leave an old man to die in the cold?!”

Rakshasi stopped and turned to him with a mischievous grin. “Remember the teaching you told all the monks who asked about my safety and sanity? ‘Pain is a part of life’, you said. Well, Abbott, consider this a test of your teachings. A real show of faith.” She spit on the ground towards him and continued on inside, even as the elder monk yelled after her. The doors shut behind her back with finality.

Macaque gave her an approving nod. “Dramatic. As it should be.”

Rakshasi playfully glared at him. “You almost stole my kill.”

“I wasn’t kidding when I called him an asshole.” Macaque mumbled, not so apologetically. He snapped his fingers and Sandy blipped in, infant safely in his arms. “It’s over, babe, time to give the kid back.”

Sandy mock pouted, handing the infant back to Rakshasi. “Do I have to? He slept the entire time, an absolute angel!”

“He is, isn’t he?” Rakshasi secured him in her arms, gently bouncing him as he gurgled at the sight of her. She turned back to the smoke demons. “Bring the statues into the light, I need to find which one is his father.”

“One of the monks is the kid’s father?” Macaque burst the question out. “Really?”

Rakshasi side-eyed him. “You didn’t think this infant was five hundred years old, did you?”

Macaque whipped his hands onto his hips. “Well, I didn’t think you’d have a kid with a living totem of celibacy!” He shook his head in residual shock. “I mean, like, a monk? Really?”

“Ok, Monkey Maury, thanks for your help, you can go now.” Rakshasi commanded, though still with a tone of good nature. 

Macaque mock surrendered. “Ok, ok, point made!” He dropped his hands and his tone. “But seriously, good luck.”

“I’m in charge now.” Rakshasi replied, smirking when Laal Ladaka bit her finger with nothing but gums. “Good luck to whoever tries to change that again.”

With a flourished bow, Macaque blipped himself and Sandy onto the ship, feeling the crisp air biting at their faces. Sandy looked over Macaque’s shoulder. “Are you ever going to tell me what was bothering you earlier?”

Macaque sighed with a renewed smile. “Maybe someday. For now, I think we deserve a nice, long shower to get all that ash off my ass.”

Sandy smickered but jumped in surprise when the door leading below-deck burst open. Wukong poked his head out before racing and grabbing Macaque’s shoulders tighter than necessary. “Did Nezha go with you? Did you bring him with you?”

Macaque shook his head. “No? Why?” Wukong backed up, racing up to the crow's nest. 

Sandy yelled up to Wukong. “Are you -- are you ok, man?”

Wukong looked back down at them with wide, panicked eyes. “He’s not on board, we can’t find him! Nezha’s missing!”

Chapter Text

Thunderous footsteps fell upon the ice-encrusted leaves, bamboo brown and dead beneath a light crusting of frost. A spear clipped the bamboo leaves that hadn’t yet fallen as the footsteps insistently continued onward, empty eyes taking in the lack of movement around him. He continued on his path, unaware of the other person that had balanced himself atop the thickest bamboo that could hold his weight. 

The man below didn’t notice how the light emitting from his body caught into the dark hair and eyes of the boy balancing above him. The boy tracked the movements of his illuminated father, ears taking in everything else around the both of them. Nezha sniffed the air, catching nothing but rotting leaves. The fluttering of wings ended when General Li’s spear cut the bird down, ice covering the dead thing before it stood on stiff legs, its tiny body now glowing.

Before the bird could fly off to join the frozen army of the dead, Nezha landed on it, crushing it to ice chips underfoot. General Li turned back to where the bird fell, only for his head to snap to the side from impact with the blunt end of Nezha’s spear. He took a step back, only for Nezha to duck behind him and kick the back of his knee. The icy general kneeled, looking up at a spearpoint.

Before Nezha could utter a sentence, Li swiped the spear away from his face, lunging toward the smaller combatant. Nezha stepped back, his spear blocking the other’s downward swipe with a great amount of effort. His fēng huǒ lún burst to life, sizzling the ice beneath him, launching himself backwards and away from his father.

General Li followed him back, pressing his advantage. He swiped at Nezha’s side, forcing an uncomfortable angle on the boy. The prince kicked his leg out, rounding himself behind Li’s back and up another bamboo stalk and into the open air. The general quickly followed him up with a mighty leap, eyes trained on Nezha and Nezha only.

The prince continued backwards, streaking fire across the cold, dark, star-less sky. He sent one of his ribbon-whips out, nicking one of his father’s feet and sending his balance off. Nezha stabbed his spear only for the point to break off uselessly against the icy armour before him. The prince ducked below his father’s own spear as it slashed forward, dropping the now-useless handle to the ground.

Lotus petals sliced through the air, coming together like a shield between Nezha and the ever-pressing Li. His spear glanced off of the lotus shield with a metal twing that echoed into the night sky. Nezha looked up into the sky as his father as the elder continued to swing down at him. “If there’s any part of you, in there, Father, know this: I’m happy. In spite of you --” He grunted in the effort of parrying his father’s attack. “-- in spite of you trying to kill me, in spite of you using me as a weapon, and you never caring in my death, I’m happy.”

The other seemed to start at the words, only to return to his onslaught, not noticing the clone that snuck up from the bamboo below. It shot up and wrapped its arms around Li’s legs, pulling him down to the ground. “I’ve found myself a family that values me as you never have and when you are forced under the domain of the kings of Hell, know that I think of someone else as my father and that I will not mourn you, just as you didn’t mourn my own death.” General Li remained silent, looking up at his son with nothing but a hunter’s eyes. “Is there anything left of you, father?”

General Li jumped up, no more reaction to Nezha’s words present. Before he could reach his son, Nezha’s mouth opened and an inferno spilt out, liquid-like flames falling onto the general and into the forest below. It overtook the blue around Li’s body, the ground lighting in flames. A blue hand emerged from the flames and Nezha’s fear spiked, flames turning to lava in an instant. The hand was buried in an instant, lava and flames alighting the ground but no longer falling from Nezha’s lips. 

The prince wiped the flames from his lips, lightly gagging at the taste of ash on his tongue. He floated down into the flames, warmth filling his lungs until it all left with the presence of icy blue sparks growing again. Nezha squinted at the blue, taking in the sight.

General Li’s armour was melted around his form, kneeling amongst the flames. Li’s dark eyes matched the char of his skin, but he still blinked and breathed as though living. He glared at Nezha, who slowly backed away from the slowly-growing ice. Li’s voice was dry and grated as he hissed. “I knew I should’ve killed you when I had the chance, demon.”

Nezha stopped in his retreat to scowl at his repossessed father. “Be assured, I’ll qualify that the next time we meet, father.” As the ice slowly reformed around Li, Nezha jumped into the air, regrouping his directions. He stopped when he saw a figure standing on a low-floating cloud, looking around in agitation. 

Nezha approached the figure before realizing he was watching the back of Lao Tzu. “Lǎo shīfù!” He called out. “Lǎo shīfù, we thought you were dead!”

Lao Tzu looked back at him, as if annoyed. “Dead? Should that mean anything important right now? Our priorities should be directed elsewhere.”

Nezha looked back to where he left his father. “Perhaps those priorities should be in leaving, then?”

“Bah!” Lao Tzu waved him off. “There is no greater threat than to leave the Qīngchūn Xiàngliàn behind when it is the key to everything!”

“The Youth Necklace? How is it the key?” Nezha asked, acutely aware of the ice creaking in the bamboo forest. “Sun Wukong’s successor has it on.”

Lao Tzu’s face paled. “No.”

Nezha’s brow rose. “Yes?”

“It can’t be taken off!” The Old Master burst. “The Lady bone Demon we may not be able to defeat her, but if her form is made younger, her power could at least be contained!”

Nezha’s face grew horrified before he squinted. “That wouldn’t have worked. MK, while young, is still just as strong as he was, if not moreso. And -- what do you mean it can’t be taken off?”

Lao Tzu let out a defeated sigh. “To prevent her from becoming an adult again, and theoretically get more powerful, the Qīngchūn Xiàngliàn turns into a tattoo upon securing around the neck.” He looked at the fire burning down the forest and spreading outward. “At least it isn’t lost to the flames as I had worried it was. And this new information will help for another weapon.”

Nezha looked at the flames again, letting the fire burn away his sadness. “You didn’t know it would work?”

Lao Tzu hummed. “My assistants were all deployed with the Heavenly Army, the Jade Palace is otherwise mostly empty, and I’ve never needed this type of magic before. And, by design, it can’t quite be tested.” 

Nezha looked across the horizon to the slowly-rising sun. “Great Sage has a plan. You should come with us.”

“And put all our eggs in one basket?” Lao Tzu answered, floating away already. “Your crew and Guanyin’s are working hard, but we cannot limit ourselves to a 50-50 shot against this demon, not with how powerful she is. I have adjustments to make and you have a family to get back to. So long, nephew.” The sage left Nezha behind, leaving the child to race back to the ship over the horizon, hoping no one had noticed he was gone yet.

Chapter Text

At the look of Monkey King’s tense muscles and puffed fur, Nezha realized that the crew had, indeed, noticed his absence. When Wukong’s eyes took him in, looking for injury, Nezha was engulfed with the feeling of his gut dropping. When Monkey King’s expression slowly shifted to indignant rage, Nezha’s gut quickly back into place and he prepared for the worst.

The worst ended up being Wukong hugging him angrily, then shoving him at an arm’s length away. “Kid, I swear to Buddha himself, if you do that again, you’re grounded! Heck, you should be grounded now! You’re grounded! What were you thinking? Where were you? You can’t just -- between you running off and your brother’s war-form, I’m going to have a heart attack and end up in a hospital somewhere in a dry, cold mountain. Do you want me to be in a hospital in a dry, cold mountain?”

Wukong was surprised when Nezha smiled, patting his shoulder. “Love you too, old man.”

The monarch looked flabbergasted. “Ok, I love you too, but -- you’re still grounded, young man.”

“You’re going into a nursing home after this.” Nezha deadpanned and walked passed Wukong, who gasped indignantly before breaking into a relieved grin. He followed the prince into the cabins, watching as the awakened MK was lifted into the air. Nezha laughed along with the younger before placing him down, smiling at Red and Mei.

MK didn’t seem to realize what happened when he went into his war-form. He had told Wukong that he did something with a lot of power, but that was all. That’s all MK needed to know, really. He saved the day and his family was all back on the ship, but Uncle Macaque kept on looking at him funny. Maybe there was something on his face. 

MK wiped his face and checked his hand. There wasn’t anything there. He wiped his face with both hands this time, only for Macaque to grab his hands. “What are you doing?” The elder asked.

“Is there something on my face?” MK asked instead of answering. “You were looking at me funny.”

Macaque could feel Wukong staring into his back from across the room. “Well, it’s -- you’ve gotten taller, haven’t you? You really are a big kid now, huh?”

MK beamed up at him and Wukong’s glare turned into a sneaking glance out of the corner of his eyes. “Yup! I’m a super big kid now!”

“A ‘super’ big kid? But you dont even reach my shoulder!” Macaque laughed, trying to dispel his own nerves. MK pouted before golden energy formed around him, putting Macaque on edge. MK’s form changed before the golden light dissipated, revealing a giraffe calf, uneasy on his feet but easily taller than Macaque. Giraffe calf MK stuck his purple tongue out towards Macaque, a bit of pride swelling at Mei’s laughter. Macaque gave a good-natured smirk, waving MK’s transformation off. “Ok, you got me. But who taught you how to do that in the first place?”

Wukong’s head snapped back to Macaque, whose stomach dropped. “Have you been trying to teach him again?” 

Macaque’s ears drew back as the room tensed, unbeknownst to the child. “I -- look --”

“Big brother taught me.” MK interrupted, transforming back into his mostly-human form. “We watched your show and I tried to do what you do and Brother Nezha helped me.” MK paused, frowning at the Monkey King. “ ‘Again’?”

The fur on Wukong’s tail bristled. The rest of the crew was quiet, Nezha coughing ash out of his throat. “It’s -- Don’t worry about that, I didn’t mean anything by it, bud.”

MK just scowled, crossing his little arms. “Are you a liar, baba?”

“No!” Wukong tried to placate. He’d never sweat so much against someone so small. “It’s really complicated and -- well, it doesn’t matter now! Because everyone’s here and safe, right? Let’s go get some dinner, bud!”

“We already had dinner, baba.”

“Dessert then!” Wukong lifted MK, who cheered as if nothing in their conversation mattered. 

Behind them, the crew stayed silent, Mei glaring over at Macaque, who suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. She stood suddenly, nearly knocking Red beside her over. “You didn’t answer the question, Liu-Er Mihou.”

“Yikes, pulling out the full name, huh, Scaley?” Macaque chuckled, knowing he was in danger no matter what he said.

Mei growled as Red grabbed her hand softly. “Don’t fuck around here! Are you trying to ‘train’ MK again or not?!”

Sandy stood between the girl and Macaque. “Ok, let’s not let our anger control ourselves. Our emotions are like an elephant, we must steer our elephants in a positive direction --”

“Sandy, what the fuck?” Pigsy asked, deadpan. 

Tang put a calming hand on Mei’s shoulder. “I’m sure he isn’t, he doesn’t really even seem to like kids --”

“He’s been training MK.” Pigsy huffed out, silencing everyone excluding his husband.

Tang’s face burned red. “You knew?”

“Yeah.” Pigsy shrugged, absently noting Macaque shifting closer to Sandy. 

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

Pigsy shrugged again in innocence. “It wasn’t my business to say!”

Tang’s eyes widened in anger. “I’m your husband! We raised MK together the first time and you think I shouldn’t know these things?”

Pigsy sighed. “Look, it helped, didn’t it? Mei and the kid were able to escape the cave and you got your fancy scroll thing.”

“Helped?!” Mei roared, startling Nezha and Red behind her. “MK killed someone!” The door to the living room squeaked open as the crew froze in place. MK was shaking, walking into the room. 

He looked between all of them, skin pale before he opened his mouth. “I left my blanket in here.” Nezha reached behind him onto the couch, grabbing the blanket and holding it out shakily for the child to take. MK grabbed it and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Mei shook her head and ran out of the room, Red hot on her heels. 

Nezha looked between Tang and Pigsy, who looked like they wanted to speak but failed to find the words to begin a conversation. Macaque had melted into Sandy’s shadow, expression unreadable from where his mass twisted. The lotus prince coughed into his hand pointedly. “I’ll -- we should check our supplies, routes. That sort of thing.”

As he walked out of the living room, not giving himself a specific destination, he didn’t notice that he never told any of the crew about what happened with his father.

Chapter Text

Wukong hadn’t expected MK to come back to him crying, nor did he expect Mei and Red to follow in hot pursuit, looking nauseous and worried, horrified and focused all at once. MK buried his head in Wukong’s chest, crying loudly, as Mei stopped before them, seeming to not even notice the Monkey King’s presence. She drew her hand out and back closer to herself, unsure whether she should touch MK or not. 

She whispered, even through MK’s loud sobs. “It -- it’s ok, MK, I didn’t mean it. You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise!”

MK’s head popped up like he wanted to say something, but he choked on his sobs, pressing closer to Wukong. Red shuffled closer to Mei, watching as emotions flashed over Wukong’s face. Wukong whispered down into MK’s hair. “What happened, bud? Help me fix it.”

MK only responded with a heavier sob, so strong that his throat tightened into silence. Mei cringed at MK’s wet red face and desperate gasp. “It’s ok, I promise. It -- you did the right thing, ok? You saved everyone, you know?” Mei finally started rubbing MK’s back, as if Wukong’s ears didn’t flick back angrily. “I know it’s tough, ok? But you’re ok, and you made sure we were ok --”

MK burst out into Wukong’s ear. “I’m a murderer!” 

Wukong’s eyes widened before squinting into a full scowl, growling and snarling, as if rabid. “Get out.” Mei shook her head, even as Wukong pushed her hand off of MK. “Get out, get out get out!” Red grabbed Mei’s shoulders, pulling her back, whispering something Wukong didn’t care to understand nor hear. “Get the fuck out of here!”

Red whispered something else to Mei that had her recoil as if hit, but it worked in getting her to leave, watching MK until the very second the door closed between them. MK wheezed out another sob, his red face turning slightly blue. 

Panicking and trying to avoid the child’s war-form, Wukong sent a string of golden magic into MK’s eyes, drying his tears and knocking MK out cold. The Monkey King took a few quick breaths, calming himself before curling himself around MK, working his fingers through the child’s hair. 

MK found out. Mei told him. Mei told him? That -- she wouldn’t, she’s not one to just burt MK like that, especially with something as terrible as making MK think he’s a murderer. Something happened for her to say it and in a manner MK could hear her. She must not have expected him to hear it. But did it matter? The damage was done either way.

Wukong pointedly ignored the soft rosegold glow that formed behind him, but couuldn’t ignore the judging glare he felt on the back of his neck. “You always have the best timing, Great Mercy.” Wukong himself wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic. 

Guanyin frowned, taking a mocking tone in her voice. “Well, gee, it’s good to see you too, after all these weeks of you not knowing whether or not I survived the last time you saw me.”

Wukong huffed air onto MK’s head, not surprised that the child didn’t seem to notice it. “Come to get your errand boy?”

“To see why my grandson is so upset with the power I bestowed to him, actually.” Guanyin answered, looking passed Wukong’s shoulder. “Though I do suppose taking a life of any significant form is bound to upset someone so young. I should have known such an unconventional growth in power would have some repercussions.”

Wukong’s shoulders tensed as his head slowly turned back towards her, bone moving painfully against joint and muscle. “Explain what you just said, and don’t be vague about it this time. What the hell did you do?”

Guanyin frowned, but straightened her posture. “The gold-leaf tea. MK had already saved himself when he drank it. It wasn’t meant for anything other than a bit of a power boost. Since your’s didn’t seem to be enough.”

“You gave a celestial power boost to a five-year-old?!” Wukong snapped, ignoring the insult to his own passed-on power. “Are you crazy?!”

“You’re the one who told me ‘crazy is subjective’ so long ago, Sun Wukong.” Guanyin answered. “It wasn’t the first time someone MK’s age had the gold-leaf tea. Though there are some variables that are a bit different, like Macaque’s additional power and my not being able to train MK to control the power boost.”

Wukong attempted to hold back a growl at the other monkey’s name, tail curling around a shirt on the ground. “You could’ve told your errand boy to say something about that.”

Guanyin rolled her eyes but didn’t drop a bit of her elegence. “I could have also took MK with me from the beginning, but as I defended him and his crew I had thought that my grandson could learn under the Great Sage Equalling Heaven. Are you saying that I was wrong for thinking so?”

He growled in response, but broke eye-contact with her. “No. A little warning would be nice, though.”

“Then here’s my warning: I’ve tried to cure the icing on my own, as has Nephew Nezha on his latest outing, and it’s not permanent. It seems Lady Bone Demon has strengthened her ice against the flames of the heavenly spirits, so the huǒ huán really may be the only flames capable of burning through the ice of the dead.” Wukong squinted at her, threatening for her to continue. She sighed. “I was able to subdue one of her generals and get him mostly-thawed before the ice came back with a vengeance. I fear I may have to evacuate my grove.”

The shirt in Wukong’s tail’s grip flew threw the air, only to pass through Guanyin’s astral form, only adding to the Monkey King’s frustration. “Well that doesn’t help MK, now does it?!”

“I should think it does, given his proximity to Lady Bone Demon’s least favourite person.” Guanyin snapped back. “If you want more literal help, just tell him how many people you’ve killed, Oh Great Fighting Buddha. Knowing his greatest hero is more of a killer than he is should have some effect.” Wukong stared at her with a scowl as the Boddhisafa’s unnaturally-cold gaze was set out at him, her towering height not forcing the other to back down. She huffed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. “If you actually do that, I’ll force you under another mountain. Just -- if need be, explain the war-form, or even self-defense killing, alright? You already know he needs support, this won’t be very different in that sense. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve a few things to take care of on my own. Tell MK I said hi.”

Wukong didn’t say anything in response, resting his chin atop MK’s hair again. He wondered, as his arms wrapped around MK, if he could fight Guanyin despite her also drinking the gold-leaf tea.

Chapter Text

Tang snuck into the lower levels, scroll in hand. He evened his breathing, letting the now-familiar feeling of the Golden Cicada power flow through his veins like taking a sip of cold water on a hot day. He was looking forward to several relaxing hours of feeling one with the universe before he heard steps behind him. 

Before he could turn Pigsy burst out. “I’m sorry.” Tang met his husband’s gaze only for the other to glance down. “I shouldn’t have kept a secret from you, especially such an important one. And I shouldn’t have said anything about the scroll. Y’know, before all that Macaque stuff --”

“ -- no, you don’t have to apologize for that!” Tang burst, running a hand through his hair. “I -- it was a valid concern. And I was being stupid.”

“No!” Pigsy burst back, cringing. “You weren’t being stupid, you were being brave!”

“You say that, but those aren’t mutually exclusive! It was brave and stupid and you were right. I had no idea what power the scroll has and -- the last Golden Cicada we know of built his power over years and decades of meditation and prayer and studying -- and not the professor studying -- so you were right, I should’ve been way more careful.” He took a breath, noting Pigsy’s twitching ears. “And, you know, I appreciate you looking out for me. Even if I was a jerk about it.”

“Hey,” Pigsy stepped forward, rubbing Tang’s shoulders, “I was a jerk too. Wasn’t even open to talking about it. I was just -- everything happening now is just so dangerous and we’ve already passed so many towns and villages and entire kingdoms that -- they’ve all died by now and I’d do anything to make sure you don’t. Not while I’m alive to make sure you stay alive.”

“That’s what I was thinking about you! You jerk!” Tang laughed with tears in his eyes. “We really are a couple of disasters, aren’t we?” 

Pigsy pulled him into a hug, laughing. “Married for a decade and we’re still a couple of lovesick fools.” 

Tang laughed, rocking and slow-dancing to a song that wasn’t playing. “You’re the fool -- I just have moments of foolishness.” 

“You said that during our first dance as a married couple too.” Pigsy grumbled in good nature. 

Tang laid his head on Pigsy’s shoulder, humming. “Xingfu Daohang by Renee Chen. Voice of an angel.”

“I know a more angelic voice.” Pigsy muttered into Tang’s hair. “Your’s.”

“Cornball.”

“You love me.”

Tang hummed again. “I do.” 

Pigsy hummed back, satisfied. “You said that on our wedding day too.” 

“ Cornball .” Tang rolled his eyes. “Next time we land, I’ll practice with the scroll stuff. And you can help, if you want.” It was Pigsy’s turn to hum this time before the door behind him creaked open. Pigsy froze in Tang’s arms as Sandy’s voice entered the room. 

“Uh, so there’s a problem with the map, I think. I was hoping you guys could help figure this thing out.” The river demon said, carefully making his way in and ignoring how Pigsy pulled out of the professor’s grasp, face red. 

Sandy opened the map and Tang’s eyes widened, scanning over the paper. Two of the rings, indicating the huǒ huán, had moved -- together -- to the crew’s location. But it wasn’t that which drew Tang’s attention. The third huǒ huán, according to the map, had moved further and further west, so much so that the map adjusted to encompass another continent. “That -- the huǒ huán’s been moved?”

Pigsy’s eyes ran over unfamiliar land, squinting in an attempt to make sense of the shifting of the map. “Where to?”

Tang took a breath, feeling an oncoming headache. “Looks like it’s in Paris.”

Chapter Text

It had taken them a surprisingly short time to go through India, bypassing the birthplace of Gautama Buddha with near no fanfare. Then again, they’d only passed through the northern-most tip of the country, dipping into Pakistan and Iran before the Meditaran opened up to them on the horizon, Turkey’s hot land the only thing between them and the sea before them.

MK had woken from his magically-induced slumber, quiet and clinging to Wukong. A certain orange quality had made itself home in MK’s eyes, not brightening at the beautiful sight before him nor Wukong’s persistent back rubs. Mei had tried to approach him during landing, only for the child only to look her squarely in the eyes. “That was a mean joke, Mei-Mei.”

“Yeah.” Mei agreed. “I’m sorry. It was a mean joke. I’m sorry.” MK had gone quiet again, just nodding towards her and resting his head back on Wukong’s shoulder. He took a deep breath, blowing a piece of hair out of his face. Mei stood behind Wukong still, brain moving at a million miles an hour. Wukong’s fur bristled up, only leading to MK blowing his fur out of the way too. The Monkey King tried not to cringe at the odd feeling of cold breath getting under his fur and chilling his skin. 

Before they could land, food and fuel calling them from Antalya, the sun flashed brightly, breaking through the gray sky with an angry burning, wings of fire cutting through clouds. The wings cooled to black feathers, revealing a woman in an orange hanfu, black belt holding attached bags and gingko escrima sticks. The wings were attached to a raven that landed on the relaxed arm of the woman, whose eyes bored into Wukong’s own. 

Wukong’s brow quirked. “Uh. You’re giving me the ‘we’ve met and not in a good way’ look, but honestly, I have no clue who you are.”

“Your Havok in Heaven.” She answered simply, stroking the bird lightly. “You nearly killed my son.”

Wukong winced when MK’s head sprung up, his eyes meeting the woman’s. “Heavy topic for just meeting for -- what, the second time? I still don’t know who you are.”

The woman growled as the feathers on the crow brustled up. “I’m Xihe!” Wukong cocked his head to the side, like a dog in thought. “I’m the goddess and protector of the Sun and the Jade Emperor’s wife!”

Macaque chuckled from where he kept himself in the shadows, purple eyes visible behind her. “One of them, at least.”

Xihe scowled as the crow on her shoulder burst into light, forcing Macaque out of the shadows. “Who the hell are you?” 

“Which number wife are you, five or six?”Macaque spit out, covering his eyes and blinking away black spots. “I’m another guy who can commit bare-fisted demolition to your house.”

Xihe scoffed. “Too bad a possessed nine-year-old already did that before you.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Wukong interrupted before Macaque could bite anything back, Sandy arriving on bridge to calm him. “We’re already on it, but we just need some time --”

“The huǒ huán’s been stolen, you idiots!” Xihe exclaimed. “That damned map tells you where it is, but not that it’s been stolen by this region’s gods!” She quieted. “Well, some of them. This region has a great number of delegations. Or sometimes the same delegation but with many different names.”

Wukong murmured under his breath while MK spoke up. “Did he steal it from you?”

“I --” Xihe stammered, growing red with embarrassment, “No! Shut up!”

MK’s face scrunched in offense. “You shut up!”

Monkey King’s eyes widened as he nervously laughed. “Oh, you know kids, always snappy without naps, don’t worry about him!”

Xihe went back to petting the crow, contemplatingly. “Yes, I do understand as much. Though I’d recommend teaching your kid some manners.”

Macaque jumped atop Sandy’s shoulders. “He’s got better manners than your bird boy!”

MK’s eyebrows scrunched. “Is the crow your son?”

“Yes!” Xihe growled, holding the three-legged crow close to her chest, unbothered by its pecking at her chin. “But none of that matters right now because Apollo stole the thing the whole world needs!”

“Who the hell’s Apollo?!” Macaque yelled.

“Shut up so she can finish a damn sentence!” Wukong commanded, not looking at MK’s snickering. “But yeah, I don’t know who that is.”

“An arrogant little asshat who thinks just because he’s the better-known sun god that it makes him the better sun god!” Xihe crowed, the raven trying to comfort her with his own soft crowing. “You need the huǒ huán and I need to kick Apollo’s ass so we’re teaming up.”

“We are?” Sandy asked, eyebrows rising towards her. 

Macaque smiled sarcastically. “We are! Lovely!”

“We are!” Xihe responded. “I have the information you need and you have the manpower I need. Apollo’s the heir of the Olympians, the ruling heavenly body here. If you try to take the huǒ huán right off the bat, you won’t just have to deal with Lady Bone Demon, but a whole new set of gods none of you have ever seen before. So yes, we’re working together.”

When Macaque and Wukong didn’t answer, Sandy gave his best smile. “Welcome aboard! Let me show you around!”

He led her back, leaving the monkies and MK on the deck. Macaque growled. "We already lost the last place we can run to."

"What?" Wukong jumped in his skin.

"She said the possessed nine-year-old tore up heaven. That's the girl LBD's possessing." Macaque growled. "If we fuck up here, it's over. We can't slip up here or the whole world's through and there won't be any more second chances. Nowhere to hide, unless we think crashing into the Atlantic with an empty tank's a good option. So I'd hate to admit it, but we might actually need little miss sunshine's help."

"Yeah." Wukong noncommittally agreed, sudden;y rocking MK in his arms, not noticing the child's burnt orange eyes looking off into the distance. "You know, you probably only don't like her because you're both so similar."

"Fuck off." Was Macaque's only response, following Sandy inside.

Chapter Text

MK didn’t like Xihe. She was loud and she gave him weird looks and Uncle Macaque didn’t like her either. But she said a lot of stuff that sounded important and Uncle Mac didn’t throw her overboard yet, so she was probably going to be here a while. Or maybe it was just a sleep-over.

The bird crowed early, right when the morning peered past the horizon and night gave in to its hot enemy, then disappeared for the day as Xihe grew anxious every time clouds covered the sun. Nezha was awkward around her, ignoring her glares at him and his attempts to be pleasant.

On the third day of her being on the ship, everyone was up as early as her raven son, whispering about the halls and waking the child who never really slept. He left his room, not surprised that Monkey King wasn’t there anymore. “What’s for breakfast?” He asked, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

Pigsy jumped at the sound of MK’s voice, pulling his arm from around Tang. “MK! Don’t worry about that yet, it’s still time for you to sleep a bit. He tried to shepherd MK back into his room, only for the child to walk further away from his bed. 

“I can’t,” MK yawned, “everyone’s awake already and you whisper loud.” He continued passed them, Tang chuckling at the statement, said so factually.

He didn’t startle when arms scooped him up, used to Nezha’s surprise rides. The prince hummed when MK rested his head on his shoulder. “Breakfast hasn’t been made yet. Our powerhouses are in a meeting right now. Want to see your father there?”

MK hummed. “Can I get peach slices first?” Nezha hummed, adjusting MK on his hip, and heading to the kitchen, voices hushed but growing louder. 

“...anything on land without Hades or Poseidon knowing, so it’d be best if we tried to ally with them beforehand.” MK heard Xihe’s voice as the door to the kitchen opened. “Why’s the kid here?”

Nezha tried to keep his voice pleasant. “The food and his father are in here. You are a guest in his home. Please try to remember as much.” 

Xihe gave him a look but continued on. “Look, every step we take is on Poseidon’s jurisdiction, he’s the Earth-shaker. And they’re on Hades’ ceiling, they’ll both know it the moment we land, so if we head to them as we land, they’ll be more likely to accept that we’re here.”

“But didn’t you say they’re both this Apollo guy’s uncles?” Macaque questioned, fingers at his temples. “Why wouldn’t they either warn Apollo or just kill us as soon as we get there?”

MK’s head popped up, attention suddenly thrown into the conversation. Xihe groaned with impatience. “Because they’re petty as hell! Poseidon and Hades resent Zeus for being the king and they both have their own problems with Apollo.”

“Who’s Zeus?” MK asked, leading to another groan from Xihe.

She gestured towards Wukong this time. “Why even -- why is a kid here, that’s -- a kid’s here.” She interrupted herself, scowl turning, slowly, into a satisfied smile. “A kid’s here. A kid’s here! This is great!”

“Uh.” Wukong replied, raising from his seat when Xihe approached a weary Nezha and MK. “What’s the significance of that and why did you say it like that?”

Xihe giggled a bit, grabbing MK out of Nezha’s grip as both students of the Monkey King growled. “Zeus’ wife is the goddess of families, protector of children and women in childbirth. And we have a child, someone she swore to protect! If Zeus would go against us to protect Apollo, his wife has to go against him!”

Macaque grabbed MK out of her grasp, tail wrapping around the child’s legs. “So you want to use MK as a pawn, assuming this Hera lady would protect him instead of her own kid?”

Xihe continued to giggle. “Apollo isn’t her son.”

Sandy spoke up, giving Xihe a sideways glance. “But you said Apollo was Zeus’ son and that Hera is Zeus’ wife?”

“Out of the dozens of children Zeus has, only one of them is legitimate, and it’s not Apollo. She’s notorious for her pettiness, she’s probably been waiting for a moment to screw over Apollo this entire time!”

Sandy slowly blinked and nodded. “Wow. That sounds like a terrible family to be in.”

“You haven’t even heard about the Trojan War yet, it gets crazy.” Xihe waved away, grabbing for MK again, only for Macaque to shift the child away from her with a sarcastic smile. 

“And I’m sure you’ll throw that information at us regardless of if we want it or not. But we still don’t have an actual plan. Are we just supposed to walk up to the unhappy couple with a kid and tell them to make Apollo give us the huǒ huán?”

The goddess smiled, nonpulsed by the monkie keeping the child from her. “More or less.”

Macaque turned towards Wukong, sighing through his nose while MK’s grip on his fur tightened. “I swear to the Jade Palace, I’m going to blame you so much. So much for everything.”

Wukong scoffed. “Look, it’s probably going to be fine.”

MK lifted his head from Macaque’s shoulder. “That doesn’t sound fine, baba.”

“Which is why we’re not going to do that.” Macaque told MK, patting his head.

Xihe baulked. “I’m sorry?”

“Not yet you're not.” Macaque muttered. “We have enough people to get to all the brothers and forge alliances with them -- or their wives, I guess. Why just go to one of them if we can go to all of them and start off on the right foot with all of them?”

“I already told you, they’re all stupidly petty, someone in the mix is bound to be offended!” Xihe groaned. “Look --”

“You’ve been talking for hours and I think we’ve all had enough of your voice for today.” Macaque put it bluntly, eyes rolling. “ You can do your plan with Zeus or whatever, but know that I will split us into teams, no matter how much gossip about the Greeks you spout at me.” Macaque grabbed a banana from off the counter with his tail and left with MK, Nezha following closely behind.

Chapter Text

Macaque was starting to regret splitting everyone up, but only because he wasn’t with MK. And because Xihe had the kid instead. At least Nezha was with them, the child-warrior present to appease some guy named “Ares”. Xihe didn’t seem to be a big fan of the guy, so Macaque was going to be Ares’ number one fan. Get his face printed on t-shirts, hang posters around, the whole nine yards. Get an autograph or something.

Instead, it had been determined that Macaque was better suited to go to the Underworld. The shadows there would provide as much of an advantage as they could have in someone else’s domain. The kid next to him, Red, was as excited to be there as he was, sighing as he kicked rocks down the tunnel into the Underworld.

And what Macaque definitely wasn’t looking forward to some boat over a river of tortured souls, but there was only so much he could do about that. He had some ideas for that saved for later. If things went wrong, that is. Which it better not. 

The stench of decay filled his nostrils as his arm shot out and latched onto Red’s shoulder and his eyes scanned the darkness before them. Red startled to a stop at the feeling of the hand suddenly on his shoulder. “What is it?”

Macaque let his six ears feel the wind, keeping them open for the sound of flowing water and the suffering of eternal souls. “I think we’re near the death dock.”

Red sighed. “Why did you decide to call it that?”

“What else would we call it?” Macaque whispered back.

Red huffed. “The ferryman’s station?”

Macaque smirked. “Now you’re just taking the fun out of it.” He shifted them both into the shadows, slithering along the jagged obsidian accumulating on the shores of River Styx. They jumped back into matter right before the obsidian dropped off into the sudden depths of red souls flowing along.

Red gagged on the smell, waving the air before his nose. “You bring me to the best places, uncle.” He breathed through his mouth, sarcastic in tone. “I bet the ocean doesn’t smell this poor.”

“But I bet it’ll put your magic out pretty quick.” Macaque replied. “And you wouldn’t want to get embarrassed in front of your girlfriend, would you?”

Red sputtered but controlled the flames threatening to ignite his hair. “She’s much too understanding to allow me to be embarrassed for even a moment!”

Macaque cooed, noting the sound of bones shaking and steps shuffling ever-forward at the head of the approaching fog. “How nice it must be for her to defend your honour so valiantly!” 

Red looked about ready to bite Macaque’s head off when a boney hand sprang out of the fog, just shy of the prince’s face, open and expectant. The fog cleared slightly to reveal the rest of the skeletal arm reaching passed the wooden bow of a small boat, gray fabric hanging off of the being’s collarbone as his hand never once moved from where it stopped before Red.

Macaque placed coins into the open hand, walking onto the boat as the change lightly clanged against the dry bones of the hand. “You gonna give the guy your fare or not? He’s got other souls to think about, you know.”

“Ah.” Red exclaimed softly, fingers nervously flexing as they moved to his pockets. “You must be the ferryman, Kharon. I must thank you for transporting us, even if it's for a price.” The boatman didn’t have any reaction until the boy’s coins dropped into his hand. The skeletal being backed up slowly into his boat and waited for the demon to climb aboard, tilting his head as if entertained by the younger’s nerves. 

Macaque couldn’t tell if Kharon noticed the shadow clones that were left behind, multiplying in the dark of the Meditteranean Underworld. Maybe he didn’t consider them if they weren’t paying. Or maybe Kharon didn’t pay them any mind because they weren’t a threat.

--- 

Mei, Pigsy and Tang, with Sandy on the other end of a radio, made way under the sea with nothing but themselves and an air bubble around them. Xihe had given them a general direction, but even she hadn’t been to the Lord of the Sea’s domain before. That made sense, given how often Poseidon seemed to leave his domain to prod and poke at the Olympian gods. At least, according to Xihe herself. 

The waters on the surface of the sea were clear and light blue, but the bottom was dark and laden with traps and the debris of those who tried to pass without Poseidon’s permission. Tang and Pigsy were quaking behind her and she thought of comforting them, of telling them that breaking a few wooden boards on a boat wasn’t that hard, but a figure blackened the murk ahead. Mei grabbed her jade sword, pointing it at the approaching figure.

A head stuck into the air bubble, wet hair falling on scaled shoulders and pastel green antlers. Mei immediately dropped her sword, indignant. “Zēngzǔfù! Where the hell have you been?!”

“Xiaojiao!” The figure said, walking into the air bubble with a grace undeserving of how wet the man was. His face had scales at the height of his cheekbones and his clothes were white and green, enviably flawless even when drenched. “My little Mei-Mei, how you’ve grown!”

He threw his arms around her, nuzzling her. She growled in response, hitting the back of his head with the pommel of her blade. “You ass! I grew because it’s been 10 years! Were you seriously here the whole time?!”

“Uh.” Pigsy squeaked out, making Mei realize just how much shorter the chef was compared to the person who was now lifting her off of her feet. She pushed her way out of his arms and landed roughly. “So, you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s, uh,” she started, sighing, “he’s my great-grandfather. Ao Míngzhì”

“Why is he not dead?” Tang asked suddenly. At the elder’s indignant expression, Tang jumped in his skin. “I mean -- it’s just -- well, it’s so rare for someone of your experience to be so fit! How do you do it?”

Míngzhì nodded, twirling a section of his long beard. “The key is to be a dragon.”

“Ah.” Tang responded dumbly, not realizing that he’d grabbed the scroll hidden in his sleeve. “Makes sense.”

“Ok, cool, but where were you for the past decade?!” Mei burst again, hands tensing as if trying not to strangle her great-grandfather.

He just looked pleasant, as if nothing could shake his chill. “It’s really been ten years? I’ve been having such fun with my good friend Posideon that I’ve completely lost track of time!”

“You’re friends with Posideon?” She didn’t wait for him to nod before smiling. “Can you take us to him?”

“Anything for my only great-granddaughter!” The tall man responded, turning on his heel quickly. “I’m sure he’ll welcome you with open arms and you’ll have a feast before you in no time!”

---

Xihe led the demon boy and the monkey, as well as the child, through the golden clouds of Olympus’ peak. The halls echoed with their footfalls, large halls towering above them as white marble moved like the clouds they broke through to get there. She muttered to herself, having given up on trying to convince Nezha to put his spear away. 

Wukong hadn’t let MK go since they had left the ship, the group breaking up to meet with all of the kingdoms the Greek pantheon ruled over. He seemed to get more and more anxious the closer they got to their destination, but it was his sudden jump that had Xihe focusing on the here and now.

Two figures, both at least double the height of Wukong, had turned a corner and met them before they could continue on. The first had bronze armour and a xiphos lined with crimson metal that glittered in the light of his fiery eyes. The second was a woman with hair falling with the colours of a peacock’s feathers. Where the man was all hardlines and intimidation, she was soft curves and poise, demanding more focus than her armed companion. Her gray peplos flowed with each step that was somehow silent despite how much larger she was than Xihe and her companions.

The Greek woman spotted them and smiled a politician’s smile, tight and small. “Consort Xihe! I didn’t know you would be coming by today. I would have prepared rooms for you and your guests.”

Xihe gave a similar smile. “Thank you but no thank you, Queen Hera. We’re actually here to lodge a complaint against someone who’s made himself a thief.”

Hera’s eyebrow quirked, curiosity peaked. “Well, I can at least make my husband available to you, as long as you introduce me to your companions.” Xihe bowed and moved to make Nezha and Wukong more visible, only to be lightly pushed out of the way when Hera knelt down. “You hadn’t mentioned a child! Oh, what a cute young creature.” Wukong had to stop himself from biting her finger as she lightly pet MK’s hair. “The skies should quake for your wonts, little one.”

Chapter Text

The River Styx was not one he’d want to cross with a fire demon again Macaque thought as he stuffed a grenade back into his pocket. Not that there was anything wrong with the light his flaming hair provided, but because he should’ve seen an entity of fire not doing well with water and getting seasick.

They weren’t even on the open sea. How had Red survived the ship they’d been living on for the past few months?

Red growled at him from where he’d positioned with his mouth resting on the side of the boat as Macaque realized he asked that question out loud. “There’s a fundamental difference between a smooth ride through the air and a million souls shuffling a small boat around, thank you.”

“I’m sure there’re more than a million souls in here.” Macaque ignored everything else. “Way more than a million people have died. I wonder if baby’s first kill is in here.”

Red retched again. “Can you not phrase it like that? It’s bad enough he found out, we don’t nee--” He nearly fell over, the boat stopping abruptly on the opposite end of River Styx.

Macaque burst into laughter, lifting the boy with his tail and walking them both to dry land. “I know better than to joke about it in front of the kid, but if you’re concerned about anything, maybe you should be more observant. It might help you as much as it might help MK.”

Red dropped onto his feet shakily. “Right, I’ll keep note of that next time you think startling out of my own shadow in entertaining.”

“It’s only exciting when you scream.” Macaque replied, walking into the fog. “Not my fault you scream every time.” Red followed him, grumbling into the fog behind the monkie.

---

Beyond the fog sat a tall woman sitting on a chair made for her with luscious vines and rubies intertwined. Around her was a garden, blocked off by a metal gate with chilled vines clawing up the bars. Her umbrella cast a shadow on her as she picked apart a pomegranate, letting the juice run unrestrained on her fingers. She abruptly stood, her several servants and courtesans startling at the movement.

“My Lady Persephone?” One asked, stock-still. “Does something trouble you?”

She licked her slightly-chapped lips clean of the dark juice of her snack. “I’d hardly say I’m ‘troubled’ so much as ‘intrigued’. I sense that two lives have entered the Underworld and I’d like to see them myself, is all.”

---

Macaque strode with confidence passed the main doorway of crystalline grays and whites. Red followed him with an exceptional amount of caution, hiding behind corners and hissing at the monkie to be more careful.

Macaque didn’t even bother to ignore him. “There aren’t any guards here, Red Boy. It looks like an open invitation and if it wasn’t we can just say that it looked like it. If he has a problem, we’ll just brown-nose the guy.”

Red groaned but stopped hiding. “You’re particularly untalented in diplomatic matters, aren’t you?”

Macaque just chuckled. “Well that’s why you’re here isn’t it?”

“And I’d thank you not to speak while we’re here asking for help.” Red huffed. They stopped when they came upon an emerald door, made entirely of the gem with no visible flaws except the handles that seemed to have been drilled in. Red took a breath before pushing them open with a great heave. 

The emerald doors lead into a dark room, the jewels adorning every piece of furniture black in colour and with only a small, dull light source in the ceiling giving any light to the room. There was a huge groan and suddenly Macaque and Red’s eyes were drawn to the black shadows, belatedly realizing that there were onyx toes poking out from the shadows. 

The toes slid back a bit, a huff sounded out as a giant figure lifted out of his seat, back and neck craned downward as the back of the figure’s head reached beyond the space the ceiling provided. Macaque looked up at the figure’s face and knew it would be hard to keep his intimidation hidden if it wasn’t already detected by then. Hades’ crown of pure obsidian had thorns both up and down, reaching into the skies and into the skin of his head. His golden blood seeped into his black hair and down his forehead. Some of it stained his blue chiton and dripped onto the barren floor underfoot. 

Hades stood, looking upon the duo as if simultaneously bored and infuriated at the entrance of the others. His steady old voice echoed, even in his hushed tone. “Let me guess, more mortals here to reclaim their love from death itself, only to fail like everyone else who tried since Orpheus?”

Macaque startled, reorienting himself. “I don’t know who that it is.”

Red cleared his throat. “Oh Mighty Hades, Lord of the Underworld, we are here not so selfishly, but rather diplomatically.” He bowed with a flourish, continuing even when Hades’ expression didn’t change. “We are but humbled travellers seeking help in acquiring a stolen item and a safe harbour to rest from our long journey.”

“Selfishness isn’t always different from diplomacy, boy.” Hades condescended, briefly noting his wife entering in through the ceiling as a shimmering cloud. “I want no part in whatever scheme you have up your puny little sleeves.”

Persephone reformed into her towering figure, arms wrapped around her husband’s neck. “You won’t even listen to them?” 

Hades frowned down at his wife. “I’ve done as much with Orpheus and about a hundred other little men who attempted to do what he could not and I will no longer waste my time--”

“You could’ve just said ‘no’, man.” Macaque interrupted the god. “Seriously, all this pretentiousness just to tell us to fuck off.” 

Red’s spine stiffened and Hades’ eyes landed on the monkie. “You dare come into my kingdom and speak to me--”

“You didn’t even want the damn place.” Macaque interrupted again. “I did some digging on you and your family on our way down here and I got to say, I’m not impressed. You got the short end of the stick and now your entire shtick is being an emo old man with brother issues. And that’s not even the only issue you have: your wife is your niece. She’s your niece twice over, she’s literally an incest baby in an incest relationship!” Macaque’s anger rose with each word, finger-pointing at the king of the Underworld. “You have literally everything you could want -- a kingdom with a population that never dwindles, a wife by force, and you’re literally the god of gems and riches and whatever -- but you’re still a lonely little dickhead! Maybe if you slept with as many people as your brothers, you’d have a better fucking attitude!”

Hades lunged at Macaque only for the monkie to grab Red and run, cackling all the way. Red’s jaw dropped before he struggled uselessly in Macaque’s arms. “What was that?! I could’ve worked with that!”

“Sure, but I had a better plan!” Macaque continued running, even as gems grew out from the ground after him. “And this option is way more fun!” The River Styx entered their field of view, Charon’s attention slowly returning to them.

“Ferryman!” Hades thundered out. “Stop them!” With a flourish, the boatman’s oar emerged from his boat, slicing in the air only for Macaque and Red to jump into the shadows in the cave above them. Before Charon could plant a foot in his boat to follow them, River Styx erupted.

Souls were pushed out by millions of shadow clones, their wailing entering every corner of the Underworld. As Macaque and Red dropped down on the other side of the river, hundreds of souls flew in a mad dash to the realm of the living, paying no mind to the monkie as he put his companion down. When Red was sure nothing else could go wrong, Macaque absolutely launched his grenade downstream. It exploded as Macaque ripped Red from the ground again, narrowly dodging rubble falling from the cave around them.

Red forced himself out of Macaque’s grip as a growl rose from the very Earth itself, the very ground breaking apart. The demon looked back to see a huge hand spring out of the ground and engulf Hades, who scratched and clawed and growled at the very fingers gripping him. Hades gave a great shout down towards the source of the hand. “Go back into the flames you belong, Titans, for you will find no freedom here!”

Red looked back to Macaque, who looked just as surprised as him. “Oh, was this not part of your plan?!” He sarcastically asked.

Macaque just chuckled. “If I said yes, would you believe me?”

“No!”

“It’s --” Macaque started, before tackling Red and diving back into shadow form before a boulder could crush them. He raced out of the tunnel leading to the Underworld, and didn’t stop until they were hidden in the woodwork nearby, “ -- I had an idea but that was a bit beyond what I expected.”

Red’s hands found themselves in his hair, calming himself. “Why would you do this? We have fewer potential allies, this region’s soul containment is compromised, and you may have just unleashed something worse!”

“Would your father beg for someone to return something stolen from him?” Macaque answered all vestiges of a smile vanishing. “Why should we? The way I see it, taking the huǒ huán is our right and the more chaos we leave in our wake, the less likely these self-important fucks are to try anything stupid again. Make sure they know to stay in their lane.”

Red glared at him, but with no heat. “You are a maniac, and I don’t know if I mean that positively or negatively.” 

Macaque huffed out a laugh. “You can figure that out later if we survive.”

Chapter Text

Nezha almost regretted not bringing sunglasses. Not because of how close he was to the sun, or in this case the titanic embodiment of the sun, but because of all the gods-damned gold everywhere. It was impractical, ugly, and getting on his nerves. He was sure that someone around here could shit gold and they were currently facing digestive issues. 

Xihe’s posture had become impossibly perfect, to the point Nezha was concerned for her tense muscles as she tried to look up to speak to Hera, who barely saved her a glance. Then again, he wasn’t too concerned, since it was her fault he was here. Honestly, just stealing the damned thing back would’ve been simpler. 

He took a deep huffing breath as he realized he had been spending way too much time with Wukong. 

Speaking of the monkie, Nezha had another layer of uncomfortability added, as Wukong kept looking back at him as if he couldn’t handle himself with a few giants. The only saving grace was Ares, who had curiously asked about his weapons and shared a few stories of his own bloody battles and war-hardened dents in his armour. Nezha pointedly ignored Wukong’s embarrassed tensing in the neck when he told Ares of his battles against and alongside the Monkey King. 

Hera suddenly stopped before a corner, rolling her shoulders. “Prepare yourselves -- my husband’s moods are dangerous and unpredictable.” Even through her statement, she pushed forward, the group trying to keep pace with her long strides. Ares moved forward from next to Nezha, moving golden curtains to the side. Stepping beyond the curtains revealed a circular room with tall white walls and a raised sky-blue ceiling, Winebearers scuttled everywhere, filling the glasses of nearly a dozen gods. The circular table shouldn’t have had a head but it was clear who was in charge here; Zeus’ chair was hardly a chair but more a throne, towering over the heads of the other giant gods. His throne, unlike the marble chairs of the others, was as golden as gold could get. The god in question looked predatorily at a girl scurrying over to fill Demeter’s glass while his own was filled by Dionysus himself. 

Hera stepped in front of Zeus’ field of view, pointedly keeping a smile on her face as she approached him. “Hello, husband!” She greeted pleasantly, Athena across the room making a face. She laid herself on his lap, a hand running through his beard. “How has your day been, love?”

Zeus laughed jovially. “Truly a day worthy of the king of gods, my dearest! I’ve cleared the skies and filled our table! You’re late to our feast!”

Hera hummed, sitting up and on the arm of Zeus’ throne. “Oh, it should hardly be a problem as I was attending to some guests. I’d love for you to meet them!” She flourished her arm towards the group, Wukong nervously aware that Ares was now in between them and the exit.

Zeus looked passed Xihe quickly, even as the diplomat tried to open her mouth. “But of course! Let me see them better, let them approach!” 

Ares hummed comfortingly and Nezha gently brushed past Wukong and the child in the monkie’s arms, bowing to the god. “Your Highness, it’s an honour to be in your presence.” Monkie King followed suit, stiffly, in his lack of experience in kowtowing to others. “We only wish we could have arrived under more agreeable terms.”

Zeus wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, greedily grabbing a goblet. “Oh, I’m sure the circumstances aren’t too bad for me to handle! Come, tell me what the problem may be and I’ll see to it that it is solved in a timely manner.” 

Hera kissed Zeus’ jawline and the king of gods was visibly relaxing. Monkey King took that as his cue to deliver the bad news. “Unfortunately it seems your son, Apollo, has taken an artefact from our home that is incredibly important in fighting a demon that’s made its return.”

Zeus huffed fondly. “Oh yes, Apollo -- he’s a friendly one, he is. If this artefact is so important, why did you let him take it?”

Hera hummed in what sounded like a mock annoyance, but what Nezha heard as a very real annoyance. “Your son took it without permission, love. Perhaps it would be friendly of you and him both to return what has been stolen?”

Zeus hummed before his face suddenly fell. He looked, stoically, into his wife’s eyes. “Are you suggesting that my son is a thief?”

“I only suggest, dear husband that since he took something without permission, from a child no less, it would be neighbourly of us to return this item.” Hera purred with an edge. 

Zeus stood and Hera fell from his lap, the music and chatter silencing at his grave expression. “You accuse my heir apparent of being a common thief? Are you impaired in some sort? Or naturally so offensively stupid?”

Monkey King pushed MK into Nezha’s arms, putting his own on his hips. “Look, you big fucking douche, the fate of our entire planet kind of depends on the return of what your little shit-stain son stole so if you could just give back what doesn’t belong to you, that’d be peachy!”

Zeus laughed, sarcastically, at the Monkey King’s face, the rest of the gods nervously joining in, even at Hera’s face reddening in anger. “The monkey thinks to command me! A monkey!”

Hera rose from her spot on the floor. “He is our guest and I would hope you’d be a little more hospitable to him and his children , but apparently you’re as awful a host as you are a husband!”

“How am I an awful husband, dear?! What have I done wrong?” Zeus demanded, even Ares beginning to look awkward as he pulled the monkie family behind him, silently defending them from the upcoming explosion. 

Hera laughed just as sarcastically as her husband did earlier. “Most of your kids aren’t also my kids, husband !”

As their volume increased, Ares turned back to the group, heart silently breaking at the sight of MK pouty, eyes wet with frustration. “Right, well, they’ll be at it for a bit so we should --” he looked passed the group and an immediate bloodlust filled his eyes nigh literally as they glowed red. He levelled his spear towards the new figure in the entryway, a loud and hyena-like laugh escaping his throat. “Look who it is! The god of the hour! How generous of you to bless us with your worthless presence, Apollo!”

Xihe turned to face the god before slapping her hand over Wukong’s mouth. She mouthed something unintelligible to Nezha, who just shrugged, squinting at her face. She huffed and shallowly bowed towards Apollo, not moving her hand from Monkey King’s mouth, even as he began growling behind it. “Lord Apollo, very nice to see you again. Well, it would be, sir, but --”

“Are you saying it’s no longer a pleasure to see my son?” Zeus angrily yelled passed Hera’s shoulder, only for her to slap him across the face. 

She took a stuttering breath before continuing to yell at Zeus, who seemed more offended than hurt. “She shouldn’t have to be happy to see a thief! And now that he’s here, you can tell your son to give what he stole back!”

“No!” He responded petulantly. “Maybe Xihe shouldn’t have been easy to steal from!”

“Victim blaming!” Hera scoffed. “That is so completely you, I do hope you know!”

Apollo whistled lowly, his golden shawl barely scraping along the floor as he passive-aggressively ignored the spear at his face. “Look, it would be somewhere important if she needed it.”

“It was in my house.” Xihe breathed out evenly, ignoring Wukong licking her hand vengefully. 

Apollo just waved her off, planting his ass on the dinner table and grabbing at his twin sister’s goblet. “Your house, my playground. The point is, I have it fair and square. Better luck next time!”

“Next time?!” MK burst from Nezha’s arms. “But we need it now! There’s a scary lady trying to kill everyone!”

Apollo just laughed, even in spite of Hera’s glare being sent his way near-immediately at the sound. “Is that so? Maybe you deserve to be killed then.” He leaned forward from where he was sitting, even as Artemis beside him buried her face in her pale hands. “If you need a little trinket to protect yourself, you’re weak. Get stronger, then maybe I’ll consider giving you a thought.”

Nezha began yelling, but MK couldn’t hear what he was saying, a rush of anger running like a red river behind his ears. Empress Fang was strong. Grandmother Guanyin was strong. Big brother Nezha’s dad was strong. The Demon Bull Family, no matter how scary, were strong. Everyone he’d met on this journey was strong, but they were all either dead or worried about dying because the Lady Bone Demon was coming, she was after them, she wouldn’t stop, she was scary and no matter how strong everyone was, she just kept chasing and hurting and freezing everything --

The top of Olympus burst open, glowing a burnt orange as a giant ethereal monkey roared into the air. Nezha was stuck on the headband of the war-form that was just a second ago a  child in his arms. Ares had quickly jumped onto MK’s shoulder, cheering in such a quick flurry of Greek that even Hera couldn’t quite understand him. Dionysus seemed to be laughing, along with no one else. The gods quickly fled from their destructed home, and took to the air, the rubble still falling down around them. Zeus took an enraged look around his ruined city, realizing that the figure at the giant monkey’s feet was Apollo. 

The monkey crouched down and roared at Apollo. “Get stronger?!” MK roared. 

Wukong was about to run onto his nimbus cloud before his arm was pulled back by a frazzled Xihe. “What did your kid turn into?!”

Wukong growled at her, pulling his arm back to himself. “His war-form! I have one too, you  know, so don’t talk about it like it's weird or something!” He flew off and left Xihe to watch as chaos unfolded even further, as MK kept growling the same phrase into the air, Dionysus kept laughing, Ares declared his welcoming of the child into Sparta, Apollo tried to insult a not-listening giant, Hera cooing over the power in such a young child, and Wukong being thoroughly ignored by his son. 

Xihe floated up slowly, rubbing her hands over her face before screeching in boiled-over stress. Sunlight blinded the remnants of Olympus, air heavy. “This was supposed to be diplomatic!” By the time the Greek gods had regained their sight, the giant monkey, as well as everyone who had accompanied the child, were missing. So was another key member of the Greek pantheon.

“Where’s Apollo?!”

---

MK’s scream is what brought Wukong back into focus, launching towards the blurry shape of a rather tall person near the blurry shape of MK. He tackled the figure onto the ground while Nezha was right behind him, locking the figure's legs up. “Oh, you wanted to talk about hospitality, but you’ve got none for me, huh?”

Wukong was almost startled at the sound of Apollo’s voice before he growled. “You stole our thing, so we stole you! Fair’s fair.”

Apollo huffed but slumped against the arms. “Eloquent. I expect my cell to have suitable entertainment.”

“Your cell will have what I deem you worthy of, you thief!” Hera stomped on the ship, swaying it suddenly. She looked toward Wukong with a faux-shy smile. “If my hosts will allow me the pleasure of being his warden. I’ve always wanted to say that to him. May I?”

Wukong tried to quell the growl that only continued when he saw Ares pick MK up. “Knock yourself out, Highness.”

“Stop growling, Baba!” MK commanded sleepily, head resting against the armour on Ares’ shoulder. “You’re going to make your throat sore.”

Wukong commanded his growling down with a cough as Apollo was lifted from underneath him by Hera -- where had she gotten the rope from? -- and Xihe glared at the scene before her. “How about you head inside, bud, it looks like you’re tired. War-form really knock you out, huh?”

“Is that what it’s called?” MK yawned, Ares already bring the child inside as if made of glass in his hand and Nezha followed closely behind. 

Once Hera and Apollo made their own leave, Xihe burst at Monkey King. “What the fuck was that!?”

“What was what?!” Monkey King barked back, eyebrow twitching.

“You called the king of gods a douche and his son a shit-stain!” Xihe clenched her fingers so hard it was painful. 

Monkey King’s response was filled with bravado. “Well, I figured they’d appreciate some honesty!”

“Monkey!” Xihe yelled, so angry she didn’t know what else to say.

Wukong put his hands up in surrender. “Look, Xihe, you’re one of the wives of the Jade Emperor. You’re the goddess of the sun. You’re a mom and a diplomat and they were treating you like shit! You deserve better! Some dude broke into your house! The way I see it, we performed a flawless citizen’s arrest on a burglar.”

Xihe sighed and deadpanned. “Ok, first off, we aren’t even citizens of Greece. Second of all, you just thought all of that up on the fly, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” 

“Ok.” Xihe took her arms out of the sleeves of her dress, fanning herself. “Here’s the plan: you’re going to wait for the others to get back. I’m going to a room, alone, with a bottle of the strongest consumable alcohol on the boat, and we’ll talk in the morning.”

Wukong only had enough time after Xihe left to take a breath when, adding to the chaos, Mei’s dragonic form and several passengers along her back, burst through the clouds. 

A soaking-wet Tang, squished between an equally-wet Pigsy and de-dragoned Mei, smiled shakily towards the Monkey King. “It’s a long story.”

Chapter Text

Mei had been stewing in a frustrated air as they followed her family’s patriarch on the floor of the Mediterranian, Tang seeming to be the only person nervous about it. Not that the others weren’t nervous -- faces grim and hands shaking -- but their gazes were fixed ahead of them, searching the dark water ahead of them for any sign of Poseidon’s bailiwick. Tang sent her a concerned look, though if she was ignoring him or simply didn’t see him, he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he wasn’t spared a glance nor even a blink. 

He had thought about taking his scroll out of his sleeve but stopped himself. What if Ao Míngzhì sensed it? What would his reaction be? Perhaps his newfound knowledge containing the power of the golden cicada is better kept a secret for the time being. Instead, his hand reached out for Pigsy’s.

The chef was startled out of his own thoughts at the touch, but he nevertheless returned the grip in full, running his thumb over the professor’s knuckles. Tang seemed to be considering something and Pigsy didn’t have the heart to pull him out of his own head. Not before he needed to, at least.

Ao Míngzhì was yammering on about nothing they even pretended to care about, to the complete oblivion of the dragon himself. Mei rolled her shoulders as the shadow of a palace cut a shadow through the already-deep blue waters before them, the only light source being her grandfather’s horns.

A great curtain of water broke ahead of them, revealing a multicolour coral city, greens and blues occupying the eye as pink scattered around business signs and orange lined the streets. They walked passed a StarfishBucks where sirens and mermaids took selfies with their pet seahorses, ocean nymphs walking along the streets with pearl adornings everywhere. 

Tang eyed a McTriton’s before interrupting Ao Míngzhì’s ramblings. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but the city seems to be, uh, very busy. How close are we to any other civilization?”

“Oh, I don’t mind one bit; I’ve even forgotten what I was just talking about! Atlantis is actually much closer to Sicily than it is to any other part of Greece, so we get a lot of Italian business down here. Italian fashion has been getting pretty popular recently, though since I haven’t really kept track of time, it could have been popular this entire time and I haven’t noticed. Gucci is Italian, isn’t it?”

Mei huffed, but chuckled, shaking tension from her shoulders. “Yeah, it’s Italian. But the Americans are really obsessed with the stuff. ‘Father, son, house of Gucci,’ and all that.”

Ao smiled but shook his head. “I don’t know what half of that means, but I’ll make sure to listen very carefully next week. I’ve decided I’ll come back home as soon as possible! I’ve already missed out on way too much!”

Mei’s smile dulled. “Uh, gramps, maybe -- maybe wait for next month. There’s a bit of a chill back home right now.”

“You’re so sweet, little Mei! Thinking about your old grandfather’s weary bones, you’re too good to me!” Míngzhì glowed. “Alright, I’ll move it to next month! Dear, it really does sound like a long time when I speak it aloud.” 

Tang whispered to Pigsy, who was eyeing an appliance store with ovens on display. “When did she have time to watch House of Gucci?”

Pigsy shrugged, turning back to him. “Where does she find the time to do half of the things she does?”

“Oh! I should take you to see the fountains around here, they’re quite beautiful!” Míngzhì suggested, already starting to veer off-path. 

Mei quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back on track, her earlier tension returning quickly. “Maybe later, grandpa! We really have to meet your friend as soon as possible. It’s really really important!” She gave him the most powerful puppy-dog eyes she could muster, though the power of the eyes was likely unneeded. 

Ao sighed dramatically before readjusting his direction, going back towards the central palace. “Well, if it’s important, the fountains can wait for later!” Suddenly, he was off like a bolt, dragging them as quickly into the city centre as possible. Papers and cans were thrown up from the speed, the sound of doors banging open at sonic speed.

Mei’s hands clenched in frustration. “You could’ve done that the entire time?!” 

He turned back to her with a broad smile. “Yup!”

Mei looked back to Pigsy with a tight smile. “Yeah, ok. This is how the day is going.”

Pigsy patted her shoulder, giving her his own tight smile. “Keep your face like that and you’ll get more wrinkles than I’ve got.”

“Oh, damn, an entire nightmare right there.” Mei deadpanned, trying to suppress a smile at Pigsy’s offended snort. She followed the steps of her patriarch, who whistled and skipped about the halls, antlers glowing a bit in the dim hallways. 

He practically skipped through the halls, not minding the intense whispering going on between the three behind him. “Just over --”

He slammed into someone turning a corner, only to bounce back up and squeezed the other person in a tight hug. “Hey! I was just looking for you, old pal!”

The other person’s tone was pleasant but his voice was much softer than Ao’s. Nevertheless, the dragon laughed jovially, turning back towards Mei, Pigsy, and Tang, a slightly-shorter man in his grasp. The man had brown dreads and nothing draping his shoulders, the top of his toga folded over his belt and dragging along the ground. His skin was as dark as the bottom of the ocean and his eyes matched the sun-kissed seas. His braided beard was buried in Ao’s shoulder as he hugged back with vigour. “Who’re these?”

Ao only let him go with one arm, looking to be joined at the hip with the other. “Poseidon, this is my granddaughter and her friends!”

Chapter Text

Poseidon’s party hall was way more elegant than Mei had expected, she’d give him that. The walls were smooth sapphiric and a small string ensemble was nestled on a large Alexandrite stage, which itself was across the hall from a large unlit fireplace. The table and seats were all minimally-cut huge slabs of Purple Tourmaline. Waiters and waitresses all swam and flittered about, cleaning and setting, whipping everything down and placing more spoons in one setting than Tang had ever seen.

There was a variety of merpeople and politely-dressed sea horrors sitting about. Unlike Poseidon, they wore suits and gowns with silver and pearl adornments all over. They didn’t seem to mind the group’s seemingly underdressed attire, instead ignoring them in order to quietly greet Ao and their host. 

Poseidon waved over at some of the waitstaff and they immediately brought new chairs, adding them alongside the god’s end of the table. Ao sat with a huge smile towards Poseidon, seemingly completely unaware of the merman across from him, eyeing him with vitriol. Mei sat next to her grandfather, passive-aggressively smiling at the merman until he looked down at his plate. But it seemed this merman was daring as his eyes shot right back up, even at the intensifying of Mei’s glare. 

Pigsy looked between the two with a confused expression but let it slide, back cracking as he straightened it. He turned towards Poseidon and swallowed shallowly before speaking. “Ah, Mister Lord Poseidon, ah, sir. I don’t mean to uh lower the mood --”

The god seemed confused for a moment before Ao leaned towards him. “He means he doesn’t want to kill the vibe.”

Poseidon groaned but affectionately pat Ao’s hand, finally gaining Mei’s attention. “Yikes, man, you just got here! Enjoy the food for a second or something. You can relax here!”

Pigsy shrank in his seat with nervous energy when he realised there was a large ham platter on the table. “Thanks for the offer, but I, uh, ate before we got here. Yeah.”

Tang finally spoke up, leaning over his plate, and twiddling his radio in his pocket. “I don’t mean to be contrarian, but we really can’t afford to wait at the moment, given the world’s impending doom.”

Poseidon groaned, placing his face in his hands with a groan. “Speaking of killing the vibes.” Poseidon leaned back in his own seat, hands going to his hair. “Ok, you came just for business then? What’s this about the end of the world?”

Mei burst up from her seat, energy buzzing in and around her. “So we need the flame rings in order to defeat a demon back home who’s freezing everything and possessing people and stuff and we have three of them! But Apollo stole the fourth and that’s why we’re here, we really need help to get it back from that Apollo dude and we were hoping you could help us with that. Like, I don’t know, do the whole disappointed uncle shtick until he gives it back or something?”

Poseidon seemed unmoved by the outburst, mulling over the words with significantly less nonchalance than he had when he was walking hand-in-hand with Ao earlier in the hallway. “Now that implies that Apollo is a thief. And really, that sounds more like Hermes.” The god responded. “Are you sure your statement is true, dear?”

Ao’s jaw dropped slightly. “Now that implies my Mei-mei is dishonest.” He lilted his voice dangerously yet pleasantly, a dare laid bare. 

Poseidon pat the grand dragon’s hand. “I only observe, dear.”

“Might want to check your ears then, love.” Ao’s smile included fangs this time. “My Mei is not a liar.”

Poseidon frowned, holding Ao’s hand tightly. “And my nephew isn’t a damn thief.” There was a beat of silence from everyone, the fish-people shifting in their seats and the merman across from Mei looking ready to pounce. Suddenly, the room burst with noise, the room crackling with chatter and the dropping of glasses. People launched out of their seats and Ao and Poseidon’s voices rose. The merman launched himself at Mei, who quickly turned and grabbed a plate and sent it flying to the merman’s face. 

“Food fight!” Mei announced and Pigsy grabbed her and Tang. The radio in Tang’s robes buzzed to life, no words piercing through the thick static. “So, uh, that could’ve gone better!”

The merman caught up and tackled the three, embracing them tightly around their waists. “I don’t know, I’m liking how this is going!”

Mingzhi yelled over, “Triton, put them down, right now!”

“Hey!” Poseidon interrupted, upset, “Don’t talk to my son like that!” The two quickly went back to their own argument.

Mei looked up at the fish man with thinly-veiled aggression before grabbing the gills at the base of his hair. “Listen here, Tripod: I don’t know why, but I must establish dominance over you. It has been written in the stars and I am the brightest of them all. Eat my bubbles.” Her form burst into the dragon she is, green scales bursting through the stones and ripping through the ocean above, bringing a water spout with her. She launched herself into the clouds, the change in pressure causing her to quickly fall out of the air, only for her long noodly body to belly flop against the agitated ocean.

Pigsy quickly swam out of Mei’s grasp and climbed up her body, holding on tightly to the scales along her back. Tang was already there, throwing the beyond-damaged but still-sparking radio into the ocean, its crackling dying before it left the professor’s hand. Mei seemed to grumble at the splash that licked at her scales, only to jump up when water spouts narrowly missed her, emerging from the water below. She stuck her head under the water, only to grab Pigsy and Tang and launch into the air, keeping her eyes open for the familiar glint of the golden ship’s underbelly. Waterspouts burst upwards, giving glancing blows as Mei rose above the clouds, soaking her passengers.

By the time she finally spotted the ship, Mei was being pummelled by the spouts, that were aiming wildly up, their master unable to actually see her through the clouds. She burst towards the boat and dismissed her draconic form as soon as she felt wood beneath her feet, form shivering. 

Monkey King looked at her confused but obviously tense. Mei smiled at him, enjoying the heat of Pigsy and Tang at her sides, no matter how wet they were. “It’s a long story.”

Chapter Text

Tang threw a soaked towel in the hamper in the corner of his and Pigsy’s shared quarters, thankful for the feel of a large cotton sweatshirt enveloping him in warmth. With the chill that had begun to cling to him from the moisture of the ocean, even a simple hot shower was enough to bring him to near glee. He had offered to be the last in the shower, his husband’s mood terrible and Mei’s energy spent from the mad rush out of the Medditteranian. He didn’t mind it, but it did mean he was one of the only people still awake onboard. And he hadn’t even had dinner yet.

He hadn’t made it two steps past the doorway before he realized something was wrong. Glancing passed the island, he made out a figure sitting there by candlelight, something on the counters in front of them. They looked to be pouring tea. “Sit with me?” Their voice wasn’t rough -- far from it -- but a bit gruff, as if having just left a gym, or regularly facing great effort. Her clothes were Greek, seemingly deceiving: she had copper gauntlets on and armour near her abdominals disguised as a belt.

He left the scroll in his room. He was effectively unarmed with someone who was actively displaying her ability to get on the ship without detection. Hell, she made them tea, so who knows how long she’s been onboard? He sat on the stool next to her, noting that he had just had breakfast on the same stool earlier that day. She gave him a teacup, then poured some more into the one that she had made for herself. At least it wasn’t poisoned, at least. Or maybe it was and she wouldn’t be affected by it, given that she’s a goddess.

He took a light sip, sighing into the family flavour of earl grey. It’s Pigsy’s tea really, but it was a nice familiarity. He looked down at the chess set, already set up for a game. “Did you want a round?” He offered.

She hummed. “If you’d indulge me?”

“So long as I know your name.” Tang responded, eyes peeled on the figure who was making herself at home. She sat back on the stool, seemingly entertained by the request.

“I suppose that’s a reasonable request, certainly in this position.” Her alto lilted. “I am Athena, daughter of Zeus and his first wife, Metis of the Titans. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor. I’ll play the black pieces.”

“Likewise, miss.” Tang returned neutrally. “You’re letting me have the first move?”

“Sure!” Athena replied, leaning on the counter. Tang moved a pawn to D4. “Though I suppose you already know that I haven’t come just for a round of chess.” She moved her own pawn to D5. 

Tang moved a knight to F3. “I had assumed so,” Athena moved a bishop to G4, “but far be it from me to put words in your mouth.” White pawn to C4. 

Athena considered her words while quickly moving her knight to C6. “Well, I appreciate the consideration, though I have to ask why you’re so calm about my presence.” Tang moved his pawn to take Athena’s at D5. Athena’s bishop took the pawn at F3.

Tang took a second, then moved another pawn to take Athena’s bishop. “ Well, if you were going to kill anyone, you could have done so before I noticed, or killed me before I noticed.” 

Athena moved her queen to D5. “So you didn’t notice me on board?” Tang moved a pawn to E3. “Though I suppose that fact doesn’t surprise me.” She moved a pawn to E5. “At least not when I consider your background.” 

Tang moved his second knight to C3. “My background?” Athena moved her bishop to B4. “What about it.” Tang moved a bishop to D2.”

Athena floated her hands above the board, looking like she was finally taking interest in the game. She moved her queen back to D7. “As a whole, I mean.” Tang moved a pawn up to D5.  “You’re not what I would expect of a force that’s essentially declared war on my father and uncles.” She moved her knight back to E7.

It was Tang’s turn to contemplate his next move, eyes darting back up to read Athena’s face. His queen went to D4. “And what did you expect, exactly?”

Athena chuckled. “I didn’t expect anyone to challenge them.” Her black bishop took a pawn on C3. Tang’s own bishop took her’s at the same square. “Though when I realised someone or a group at least, had -- well I was expecting warriors, battle-hardened and skilled.” Her king took a pawn at D5. “But when I looked more into your crew, I realized that was only true for some of you. How does a college professor get mixed up in all of this, I wonder?”

He moved a pawn to E3 and watched as she put her own pawn on E5. “That’s a very long story,” White knight to C3, “but that’s not actually the question you want to ask, is it?”

Athena moved her bishop to B4 and Tang moved his to D2. “I think my questions are too broad to broach all at once.” She moved her queen back to D7. “I will be completely clear here: I am much better with soldiers than families; families are more my stepmother Hera’s area of expertise.” Tang moved a pawn up to D5, clicking into whatever information Athena would be giving him. “You can give me five soldiers and I can give them a strategy to conquer all of Greece, should they follow their training and my plans. But what you have here is something I can’t strategise for.” She moved a knight to E7, mouth twitching when Tang moved a knight to B3.

Tang’s brows furrowed. “So you came for information and figured that I would give it to you over a cup of tea? Tea that was already onboard, might I add?” She moved a bishop to take Tang’s knight at C3 and he immediately moved to take it with his, Athena now left with neither of her bishop pieces. She used her queen to take the pawn at D5, and Tang took that with his own queen too. Black knight took that and Tang’s bishop took the pawn at E5. “Unless I’m misreading your intentions?”

“You are.” Athena said bluntly, yet still lilting in tone. Black pawn to E6. White bishop to D4. “Let me explain what will happen as things stand right now: should you and your family here fail, whatever it is that you are running from will catch up and Olympus will be ill-prepared for whatever it is. There is a chance that we wouldn’t be as successful with that endeavour as against you.” Black knight to E7, white rook to G1, black king to G8 and black rook to F8. 

Tang took a deep breath, tired and frustrated. White bishop to C4 and black king to H8. “And if we do win? What’ll happen after that?” White bishop to D5, black rook to D8. 

As Tang made his own move, Athena considered hers. “What is likely after that, is more war.” Their next few moves happened back to back, pieces clacking loudly against the board. “And this one would not include you, but rather a civil war upon Olympus. Hera believes that Ares would become the King of the Gods, as he is her oldest son, my father thinks Apollo will naturally follow in his steps, but as Zeus’ first child, the claim to his throne is mine by both of their own rules of law.” A piece was moved with finality, leaving the board with a black pawn and king and two white rooks and a king. “Apollo would be dispatched fairly easily by Ares and I -- we are both gods of war, after all, and Apollo isn’t very well known for his ability to fight a war.”

Tang hides a scowl when his rook takes one of hers. “What is it that you would like for me to do with this information? Do you propose I tell two gods that the one right in front of me wants to take what they think is theirs?”

“Nothing of the sort, Professor.” Athena seemed entertained, though tired as her rook takes his last one. “I propose that I join you in helping to overthrow my father if you can convince Hera and Ares to allow my brother to be my heir. I will have no children by my own decision, so he wouldn’t need to worry about any adjustment in the line of succession.”

Tang watched her as her queen took his rook at B4, nails tapping on the edge of the board. “It still seems like you have a lot more to gain from this than Ares and Hera to be quite frank, ma’am. How am I supposed to bring your proposal to him? Wouldn’t making Olympus a council solve problems in inequity that may come up any disagreement?”

Athena’s queen was put in the crosshairs as Tang moved his diagonally closer to hers. “Well, Olympus is technically a council, all things considered, but the ruler of Olympus would essentially be a tie-breaker, given there are 12 Olympians. After my father would be dethroned and Apollo no longer in the races, that would leave two empty chairs on Olympus. I propose that these seats be filled by Ares’ twin sons Phobos and Deimos.”

Tang remembered the history lessons he had taken when he was earning his degree; marriages between families strengthening their control, implanting usurpers and taking the crown quietly, and this felt a lot like that, his mind whirling with thoughts. Did this chess game have any deeper meaning? Was this some sort of test? A spy trying to get in his good graces? He looked down at the board, letting out an airy chuckle. “It seems we’re at a stalemate.”

Athena glanced down at the board herself and actually barked a laugh, pleasantly surprised. “It seems we are, sir! Congratulations!”

“As for your proposal, you’re right in one sense.” Tang replied, “We are a family, and before I go toying with my family’s safety, I’d like their input.”

“Of course. I’ll return same time tomorrow.” Athena’s eyes sparkled, seemingly curious. She pat the counter as she rose, leaving a small bronze owl pendant where her hand touched.“Have a pleasant night, Professor.”

She disappeared in a shadow, her brown hair being the last bit of her that could be seen. Tang looked at the pendant and then grabbed it. He turned it over in his hands before a wall of realization hit him like a train. “Holy shit.” He muttered, before running down the hall, screaming. “Holy shit, Pigsy!”

Chapter Text

Wukong sat on the counter in the kitchen, a headache forming very quickly. Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus were a total bust -- though he could admit he had a hand in that -- and one of the gods apparently was able to sneak onboard and make herself at home before anyone had seen her, nevermind the scheming she was happy to do. And the gods they already had onboard didn’t really seem the brightest. Hera floated about in a shrunken form that made it easier to fit around the ship but all she did with the new size was hum and tease Apollo. Her son, the supposed god of war, also teased Apollo but spent the majority of time trying to gift MK with various blades that were much too big for him, even if weapons were an appropriate gift for a child. Which Wukong learned wasn’t.

He sat before most of his group and sighed, ignoring them looking at each other nervously. “Whelp,” Monkey King started, “things could be going better. Things could be going much better.”

“Well, they could be.” Tang offered. “Athena seemed to be genuine if not a bit uncomfortable to talk to.”

Macaque harumphed. “Can we even consider her an ally? Given the whole ‘sneaking around’ thing?” Tang gave him a look, which both Monkey King and Macaque ignored. 

Ares grunted from where he was leaning against the doorframe. “She’s shrewd but honourable and no liar. As much as it pains me to say it, we should take her up on her offer.”

“Even if it takes you a step away from the throne?” Pigsy asked, feeling like Hera beside him was close to bursting in frustration.

“Aye.” Ares scowled, more tired than angry. “I may be the god of war in bloodshed but she is the goddess of war in strategy. We have already seen that she can defeat me, back during the Trojan War. And aside from that, she has more own reasons for going against Zeus than what she’s told our scholar.”

Hera sighed but nodded. “Well, that is true, isn’t it? Still, I’d much rather you be on the throne.”

“I know, Mother.” Ares acknowledged but pressed no further. “Still, with the armies of Sparta and Athens, I worry we may just send mortals into a war that would crush them and leave both Athena and I with no power.”

“Which is why I’m doing something about that right now.” Macaque answered, poorly suppressing a smirk. “We’ll be fine, so long as one of your twins isn’t an Olympian and we save that last seat for one of our newer allies.”

Wukong’s headache grew, golden eyes flashing briefly as he looked over to his counterpart. His jaw dropped as he growled. “You’re a damn shadow clone!”

Xihe’s head turned back to the clone so quickly, Wukong was afraid she’d given herself whiplash. “You meddling little shit, where’s the real you?”

“Rowing up Tartarus with an army of immortals, why?” Macaque replied as relaxed as he had been, even as Hera and Ares startled.

Xihe just squinted at him. “It -- is that a euphemism? What does that mean?”

“He released the Titans.” Hera muttered, expression unreadable. “On his mission to the Underworld?”

“What the fuck are the Titans?” Pigsy asked, tensing as much as those around him seemed to be. 

Ares suddenly started laughing, head thrown back and patting a tense and confused Nezha on the back. “The key to our victory! I agree to these terms!”

---

MK woke up slowly, Sandy’s arms very comfortable. He didn’t really want to wake up yet, but Mo’s paws were pressing on his back and in his hair, like he knew MK was already awake. The child’s head lifted up, blearily looking towards the control panel in front of him. 

“Oh, hey!” Sandy greeted, muscles under MK feeling a bit like an earthquake. “Good morning!” 

“G’morning.” MK replied, moving to sit on Sandy’s lap. “Where are we going today?”

Sandy pat MK’s head, repositioning the child so he was sitting in his lap. “Well, me and you are going to stay onboard, but we’ll be sailing above an island called Cyprus to see if we can’t make some new friends to help us!”

MK’s eyebrows scrunched up, frowning slightly. “More?”

“Yup!”

“M'kay.” MK replied, leaning back into Sandy before he continued. “I think something bad is going to happen.”

The river demon became uncomfortable, eyes darting between the windshield and the child. “Uh - What makes you say that?”

MK looked up at him, neck comically bent up. “Just have that feeling in my tummy. I’m going to go get juice!” He jumped off Sandy’s lap, humming as he left. He left the nest and climbed down the stairs with a single-minded goal. That was until a sound like the wind tickled his ears. He looked around for what could have made the sound, but he was alone on the staircase. He shrugged the sound away and took another step, before the wind sounded louder in his ears, strong enough now to make his hair move and tickle his face. He looked around again before he gasped in realization. His vision turned golden and for a moment he couldn’t see anything other than a golden pattern before he realized he had walked right into a dress. He backed up, nearly stumbling on his own feet when he felt a familiar warm hand on his shoulder keeping him up.

Guanyin smiled down at him, her soft eyes filled with fondness. “Hello, grandson.” She greeted, kneeling before MK. “How have you been, dear?” 

“Grandma!” MK jumped to hug her -- only to fall through her. 

“Oh!” Guanyin gasped, turning towards him. “Oh, my dear, I’m sorry! I’m -- I’m using magic to speak with you, I’m not really on board, Sūnzi.”

MK sat up from when he fell, still happy to see her. “It’s ok! I’m so happy you’re ok! I thought -- I thought something bad happened to you!”

“You needn’t worry about me, MK. But I do need you to do something for me, ok?” Guanyin responded, worry at the corners of her eyes. “MK, I need you to stay away from Kronos.”

MK’s head tilted in confusion. “Who’s that?”

Guanyin’s smile faltered for a moment. “He’s -- you’ll know him when you see him. He’s very dangerous, so stay away from him, ok? If you have to be around him, make sure you have another adult with you, ok?”

MK considered this as deeply as he could. “He’s a bad guy?”

“He has been.” She answered, pursing her lips nervously. “And he can be. But he might not be anymore. Until you know, you need to be very, very careful around him. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” MK nodded, worry on his brow. “I pinkie promise!”

Guanyin smiled gently at him, wishing she could embrace the child. “Very good, MK. Very good. Now, you were about to get juice?” He smiled broadly, face lighting up almost immediately, beginning to yap on about anything that popped into his head from Xihe to Ares, from apples to oranges.

The kitchen was empty, though neither MK nor Guanyin seemed to mind. MK pulled the door of the refrigerator open, only to fall and the door to slam open when the ship suddenly stopped. It was so sudden that Guanyin felt a bit seasick, even though she wasn’t even on board. “Sūnzi! Are you ok?”

MK jumped back onto his feet quickly, nodding just as fast. “What was that?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he climbed onto a counter, Guanyin’s projection sliding behind him.

They stared out of the window, silent as the air that stopped in the face of a god as tall as a mountain and with skin as gray as a storm. He had torn clothes and old wounds that still spilt golden ichor and blue eyes that struck through one’s soul even when they weren’t looking at you. “My daughter wishes an alliance? Isn’t this a treat ?” His bellowing voice shook the ground and made the air heavier, MK’s hackles rising.

Guanyin’s heart clenched. “That -- that is Kronos.”

Chapter Text

Wukong hated giants. Not just because they are giants but because they are also giant assholes. They regularly thought their messed up height meant that anyone normal-sized couldn’t go toe-to-toe with them and Wukong took extreme pleasure in proving them wrong on that account. 

But he couldn’t even do that now because this particular giant -- Titan, he calls himself -- and his ilk were supposed to help them and if anything, proving them wrong would already complicate an already too complicated war that was in its infancy. And that was all just to get a ring that they’d need for another war back home. 

The cold blue eyes of the Titan was as big as Wukong himself, including the cloud he stood on. The Monkey King tried very hard not to growl at Macaque, who was sitting, smiling, on Kronos’ ear. It looked like Macaque had found his new bestie because he was talking at a volume Wukong couldn’t quite make out but loud enough that Kronos’ rough chuckling filled the air. 

Kronos had the gall to look passed Wukong and smirked at Hera, who floated in between Wukong and the ship. “Oh, my most beautiful daughter! What a treat to see you again!” Macaque looked like he’d just heard the most hilarious joke that had ever been told and Xihe winced at the greeting.  Ares stood on deck, spears in both hands and body blocking Nezha from sight. Pigsy tried to do the same for Mei and Red Son, though Mei was a bit more open about her aggression, glaring at the Titans before her unabashedly. 

Hera let out a measured breath, the only note that she may be offended or angry was tightening the cross of her arms. “As it should be. But now is hardly the time for pleasantries, father. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course!” He rumbled, shaking the mountains. “Now, let’s negotiate.”

---

Tang was rather tired after negotiations with the Titans, who were roarous and seemed to be entertained by anything and everything. He knew they were dangerous, having spent the entire day before studying all recorded history of the Titans -- monstrous creatures who ate their children and killed the sky -- but he hadn’t expected them to be so condescending about everything. He set a full kettle onto one of the burners.

He felt his headache throb incessantly as he opened a cabinet. The Titans have been defeated by the Olympians before, surely they’d know to take this whole situation seriously -- Tang paused. His hand fell onto fabric instead of the tea packet he was reaching for. He looked up to see that he had grabbed MK’s sock-covered foot, the child looking at him with wide eyes. “MK?” Tang asked, halfway convincing himself that his headache was causing some form of hallucination. “What are you doing in there?”

“Is crow’s nose gone?” MK asked instead of answering Tang’s own question. The professor noting the child’s hands slightly shaking.

“Crow’s nose?” Tang muttered. “Crow’s nose. Crow’s nose, crow’s nose, what -- Kronos. Kronos?”

MK nodded. “Is he gone?” MK leaned down into Tang’s arms, gripping the shoulders of his robe tightly. 

Tang’s brows scrunched as he rested the toddler on his hip. “Yeah, he went with his family into the mountains. Were you hiding from him?” MK nodded. “Why?”

The child looked into his eyes and the professor was almost unnerved but the intensity of the gaze. “He’s a bad guy,” was the only response Tang got before Macaque entered the kitchen and quickly grabbed MK out of the arms he was in.

“Hey buddy!” Macaque exclaimed, victorious smile kept on his face. He lowered his face to nose at the child’s face. “How’s it going, huh? What’re you --”

A glowing bronze beam of light flashed out side of the window, followed quickly by Pigsy’s high-pitched scream of surprise. Tang raced onto the deck with the boiling kettle in-hand, where Monkey King was already poised to fight and Mei’s sword was pointed at a new figure.

Athena had arrived again, this time with her full armour and her aspis glittering in the light of the sunset. A spear was stabbed into the floorboards and Tang felt foolish for bringing a kettle with him. She smiled at him, ignoring the growls being directed at her. “It’s good to see you again, Professor.”

“Likewise, your Majesty.” Tang bowed to her noting that Macaque -- and MK -- had followed him out of the kitchen. Mei lowered her sword but Wukong didn’t drop his alertness. 

Athena hummed. “I hear you were making some negotiations. Should those interfere with our alliance?”

“Minimally.” Tang replied, approaching Pigsy to help him from where he fell on the deck. “One of the twins will not be taking the vacant throne. That one will be filled by Kronos. If that’s still acceptable?”

Athena frowned and Red burst forward, brushing passed Macaque and MK. There was a beat of silence before she smiled softly. “It is.”

Chapter Text

The coast of Cyprus was usually a peaceful one, with soft waves curling onto the sand almost silently. Footprints would tell a story before they were washed away by the tide hours later. The trees hardly shook in the wind, grown strong in the heat of the birth of the king of Olympus among them so long ago. The caves echoed a peaceful melody and the wind carried it along each cliff and crevice, every statue and stone. 

Yet it was along this paradise that Kronos and Rhea met again, after a millennium. The Titaness felt her knees shake at the sight of her former husband and brother, fury and fear melding together and keeping her in place. When Kronos’ expression changed, to one of arrogant expectation, she spoke up, keeping her voice from wavering. “How unfortunate to see you again.”

“ ‘Unfortunate’?” He replied, tone even and dark with intent. “Rhea, my dearest, you haven’t seen ‘unfortunate’ yet.” He didn’t give Rhea another chance to speak nor even think about his response before launching at her, technique abandoned with rage. She stumbled back and was overtaken, falling back onto the treetops of Cyprus and crushing the very cave her son was born. 

Kronos snaked his hands around Rhea’s throat before she kicked him off and moved to rise to her feet. She fell again when Kronos grabbed her ankle and pulled, clawing up her body and she struggled. “Husband!” She tried, only for a gray arm to choke her from behind. 

“Not after you betrayed me for those brats, my dear.” He replied, ignoring her legs kicking and her golden nails scratching at the arm around her neck.

She took in as much air as she could, wheezing. “You ate our children!” She reasoned, her clawing becoming more desperate. 

“And yet I still hunger,” Kronos replied coldly. “Can you guess what for?” He pressed his nose against her scalp, inhaling the familiar scent before he kissed down, lips ending at the scruff of Rhea’s neck.

He opened his mouth and bit down, breaking her skin and bone with his teeth.

----

Macaque took a breath in, hands clenching into fists as he oversaw two armies combine, marching shoulder-to-shoulder with men who had previously been their enemies and weapons dangerously clashing in the moonlight. His confidence wavered, even if just for a second.

Nezha settled next to him, sitting on a ledge on the cliff that hid the mortal armies from Olympic sight. “Ares and his twin terrors will lead the frontal assault with Wukong and Athena is making some final preparations with the generals.” The Lotus Prince updated the other, ear prickling at the hum he got in return. “Something troubles you.”

“Something.” Macaques replied. “If -- damn it. We don’t have time for all this.”

“And yet it’s the only option we have at this point.” Nezha leaned his spear against a rock, running his head through his hair. “According to Hera, Apollo’s residence was in the Olympic Palace, which was destroyed the last time we were there. The minute we’d get close enough to search the rubble, we’d be struck down by those gods. It would have started a war anyways.”

Macaque sighed. “Doesn’t change what’s coming.” He straightened how he stood, looking into the starry night when his shoulders went lax, and dropping his glamour to Nezha’s shock. “But -- but time can be bought. Nezha, I know we aren’t besties or whatever, but I need you to promise me something.”

“I -- sure?” Nezha asked, suspicious.

“Don’t let the kid blame himself.” Macaque replied, fear evident in his eyes. “And -- and tell Sandy.”

Nezha’s shoulders tensed, a stubborn confusion on his face. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re smart. You know.” Macaque turned to face Nezha fully, biting the inside of his mouth. 

Nezha lowered his gaze, grabbing his elbow. “You’re buying us time.” Macaque nodded. “Could I dissuade you?” Macaque shook his head. Nezha rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Macaque. The monkie didn’t react until Nezha lowered his head onto his shoulder. 

Macaque returned the hug in full, taking grounding breaths. The clamour of the armies below still rumbled when they pulled apart. “It’s been an honour, kid.”

“Likewise, Six-Earred Macaque.” Nezha replied with a bow, sniffling when he felt more than heard the other move over the cliff, heading towards the frozen East. While Nezha rose, his heart sank, taking a moment to breathe. He moved to sit where Macaque had been just a moment before.

There was no time to take in all he had lost when he and the monkie escaped the encampment with MK that first time. No time take in the fact that his father was frozen and mindless, nor the fact that everywhere they had been up to this point had to be frozen by now. He couldn’t process the loss of the celestial realm nor the near-death -- the might-as-well-be death -- or all he’s ever known. It should be crushing him.

But it won’t. He’s a soldier of heaven, a warrior both inside and out. There was a battle to be fought and a war to win. They’d take in the casualties when the casualties stopped rising. 

Nezha grabbed his spear and activated his fēng huǒ lún, flying just above the heads of the warriors below. He met Wukong on his cloud and Ares on his own chariot at the head of the charge. At his master’s questioning glance, Nezha gave him a sad scowl. “Macaque has gone to buy us time. In the East.”

----

“I do hope you know this is all your fault.” Hera snapped, picking at her fingernails.

“As you’ve so consistently told me.” Apollo replied, laying all too relaxed on the bench in his cell. “And yet it’s you who seems so uneasy. Have you finally realized your place?”

Hera’s expression turned scandalized. “How dare you?!”

“No, not like that!” Apollo sat up, halfway between offended and entertained. “I mean your place in this fine mess you’ve involved yourself in. You, the goddess of marriage, might as well be divorced, your blacksmith son will be supplying the gods with divine weapons, and you’ve nothing to show for it. If you ask me, you’ve chosen the wrong side.”

“Good thing I didn’t ask you then.” Hera stood from where she sat.

Apollo leaned back and rested his hand on his face, smiling as he watched Hera through his fingers. “Maybe you should have asked the god of prophecy then, stepmother. But as you’ve so clearly stated, you didn’t as me.”

Apollo relished in the anxiety of Hera, who paced in front of his cell with a righteous anger that was not too rare on her features. He watched as she murmured to herself, nothing of which had anything to do with the fact that it was a full moon.

His twin would be at her most powerful that night.

Chapter Text

Sandy could feel something was wrong in his bones. The moment the feeling came about, it hit him like a truck, a stone dropping into a still body of water, a symphony turning into a cacophony. Mo meowed next to him, looking up at him in concern. Sandy looked down at him and pet the top of the cat’s head, still having difficulty regaining his breath.

The river demon looked out of the windshield, taking in the movement of armies, noting the lack of shadow. 

Pigsy moved with Tang on the upper deck of the ship, painting in bright red paint a protection ward that worked with the professor’s still-new magic. “Can you climb up the crow’s nest? I don’t think I painted this all symmetric-like.”

“Well it’s going to have to be symmetric-like enough 'cause we’ve got incoming!” Tang pointed off into the distance and silhouetted in the full moon, tinged with green rings, was a chariot pulled by 4 flying caribou bucks. Tang recited a  spell from the scroll, memorizing them just a few hours before, and a blinking shield formed around the duo, just in time to stop a blazing green arrow just in front of Tang’s face. It dropped as the shield went down but the chariot was upon them, circling above the ship. 

The shine off the chariot momentarily blinded Pigsy when he felt an impact on the deck just a little ways from him. He blinked his eyes open while fumbling to his feet to see a young woman -- not a warrior in the way Athena was, but built to deal death. She held her bow and arrows at the ready and with three different-sized daggers on her hip, each larger than the last. Her hair was bright green, like leaves in the summer sun and she wore a headdress of antlers and the moon's phases. Her cloak was lined with brown furs and all about her flew birds of prey, all eyeing Tang and Pigsy the same way they’d eye mice in a field. Her figure was plenty short for a goddess, but well-muscled, built to take on any prey she may make of any creature.

She let three arrows go straight for the duo, all of which were thankfully blocked, just barely, by Tang’s shielding. With a frustrated grunt, the woman charged with her bow at the ready as Pigsy pulled a butcher knife from his belt, meeting the woman in the middle. She swung the bow and Pigsy was launched into a wall to his husband’s horror. She burst forward again, bow dragging through the paint and breaking the lines in the ward before going to strike Tang.

He hurriedly whispered spells, his arms covered in light wards. She swung down as he covered his head with his arms and let out a surprised huff when her bow just bounced off of the wards. She didn’t let that stop her for long, though, as she kicked Tang in the stomach and sent him wheezing to the ground. Pigsy tried to run up behind her, knife lifted to chop when one of the birds of prey descended on him and snatched the blade out of his hand, talons tearing at the skin of his hand.

“Artemis!” Xihe shouted from where she made herself known on the threshold. “Please, stand down!”

“Consort Xihe.” The goddess, Artemis greeted, standing straight from her battle stance. “I would have to ask you to do the same.”

“You’ve been my sole friend in Greece since I arrived, Lady. I know that you know your brother is to blame for this chaos. Why come here?” Xihe asked, walking closer to the goddess -- and between her previous target.

“Because he is my brother, regardless of his transgressions.” Artemis answered, pulling an arrow from her quiver and knocking it. “While I value your company and insight, I must ask if you could so easily turn your back on family?”

Xihe’s brows furrowed as she spared a glance at Tang, who was still recovering from the kick. “I suppose I couldn’t if you can’t either.”

Artemis released her arrow for it to imbed in Xihe’s escrima stick, the goddess of the sun pulling back her outer hanfu to reveal an orange and black tracksuit with thick steel-toe boots. Her crow-son launched out of the discarded hanfu and towards one of Artemis’ birds, choking it out with its third leg. The goddesses rose higher into the sky, matching blow for blow.

Pigsy ran to Tang, helping him get to his feet. “What do we do now? The other Olympians have to know we’re on our way if she’s here!”

“We…” Tang started, looking around the deck for the bucket of paint. “We have to try to finish the ward. It’s the best chance we have of some sort of protection.”

----

On the ground below, Wukong was about to fly up and help Xihe when the very Earth before him groaned and quaked, splitting apart in front of the armies. If that wasn’t bad enough, smoke rose from the crevices in front of skeletal hands that dragged bodies along with them. Skeleton after body after corpse rose from the crevices, stumbling -- then racing -- towards the living armies of Ares and Athena.

“Shit!” Wukong snarled, tail twitching in frustration. “We’ve lost the element of surprise!”

Ares huffed an annoyed laugh, xiphos in one hand and the reins to his chariot in the other. “ ‘Intelligent Stone Monkey’ is what you call yourself?” Nezha let out a huffed, strained chuckle at that, spears at the ready.

Wukong growled. “Shut up and fight.” 

----

Mei and Red Son stayed in Sparta with MK, a group of guards assigned to the trio by Wukong’s request. They were kept in a simple, minimal, very Spartan house, nondescript and hidden among other plain houses. The only thing that may give it away was the helmets peering through the windows, guards at the ready to attack whatever may come too close.

“I don’t get why we’re here instead of the fight!” Mei groused. “I mean come on! Does it look like I can’t fight?!”

“I don’t think it’s that, love.” Red admitted, peering through the windows of their shelter. “At least, not the full extent of it. Remember how, when you touched the huǒ huán, it, uh -- it had a rather explosive negative effect?”

“Well, I’ll say!” Mei answered. “Felt like I put my hand in a stove.” At Red’s grim expression, Mei’s brows furrowed. “That can’t be why Monkey King didn’t want me there.”

“Not the full reason, at least.” Red answered, sitting across from her on the floor. “But I can’t say the whole reason; I don’t know it. Many of the secrets of the Samadhi Fire were lost to me when it was separated from me as a child.” The statement left the two in silence until a door opened, MK toddling in with a helmet much too large for him and a guard who had previously not revealed his brown curls.

“They have peaches here too!” MK exclaimed, climbing onto Mei’s lap. She offered her a slice of peach, juice running down his hands. “I saved you one!”

Mei took the slice and ate it with a smile. “Thanks, MK!”

“None for me?” Red asked, feigning offence. “I see how it is.”

“No!” MK whined back, reaching for Red Son. “I didn’t think you liked peaches.”

Red grabbed him from Mei’s lap, smoothing the child’s hair over. “I’m just joking, ankle-biter. It’s all good.”

MK met his gaze, pouting. “I don’t like when people joke with me. It’s not nice!” Mei’s gaze didn’t meet MK’s wandering one, biting her lip.

Another guard came into the room with a quickness. “Flood incoming, we need to get to the top floor.” Red rushed to follow with MK in his hands with Mei right on his tail. The bottom of the stairway was already wet and water was rushing against the door. MK curled closer to Red Son, burying his face in the jacket before him. The fire demon held MK closer when he felt this.

“I hate water.” Red murmured, running to the attic, nodding to the guards who had pulled the stairs down from their compartment. 

Mei rushed up next to him and kissed his cheek, hand on the hilt of her sword. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the wa-wa.”

The attic doors slammed closed behind the guards, who seemed nonpulsed by any of the happenings. The one who gave MK his helmet turned towards the group, expression grave. “If the water rises much higher, we may have to evacuate to the roof, but that’ll leave us exposed to sight by air. We may need to evac --”

He was cut off by the wooden doors to the attic bursting open and a trident cleaving his head straight off as it emerged from the water. A scaley arm followed, as well as several shadows in the water. Triton emerged, pushing two other guards away with a brutal swing of an arm. More merpeople emerged from the water even as guards rushed over with their weapons. Soldiers of Sparta and soldiers of the sea clashed as Mei rushed forward with her sword, meeting Triton on the soggy wooden floor. 

Red rushed towards a window and punched it out, clenching MK closer to his chest. He turned towards Mei, whose blade was locked against Triton’s trident. “Dearest?!”

“Get MK out of here! I’ve got some business with Ariel here.” She growled, pushing at Triton, who sputtered indignantly at the name. Red nodded but was still hesitant when he jumped out of the window, flying him and the child in his arms up onto the roof of a neighbouring building that had water bursting from all of the windows. 

The streets were completely flooded, doors floating and wavering among the rapids that had formed in the alleyways and the roads. Red was lost for a moment, seeing nowhere to go before he decided on a direction that didn’t have merpeople riding the crests of waves that broke on walls. His knee bent for a leap before a shadow rose from the water. The first bit of the shadow to emerge from the water was a pair of black horses, fins and gills among sleek fur. As they rose, they were followed by a chariot of dead coral, gray jutting at every angle. On the chariot rode a mighty figure, his own trident somehow being the only object of colour in the dreary and stormy landscape. Red Son scowled, hair alight but blown hither and thither by the salty air.

“Fire demon,” the figure spoke, voice deep and unwavering, “I’d surrender if I were you, for you face the god of oceans and earth: I am Poseidon and you will be extinguished.”

Chapter Text

Macaque bit his tongue, shadows gliding under the footfalls of stumbling corpses and frozen bodies with their frozen hearts. The creaking of bones was the only sound aside from the march and Macaque could feel his blood rushing to his ears and fingers. He had to stop himself from taking a large -- loud -- stabilizing breath, pushing forward. 

Lady Bone Demon’s glacier slid along the ground, taking boulders from the Anti-Taurus mountain range with it. It was way too close to his family for comfort. Macaque smirked bitterly, taking the breath he denied himself earlier. All it took was for him to walk towards his second death for him to finally admit his love for that rag-tag group of unorganized chaos gremlins, huh?

He pressed his form into the creviced shadows on the glacier, making his way further and further up. He could feel the chill even in his shadow form, but continued on, knowing his target would hardly make things any more comfortable for his sake. He jumped when he got to the top, landing as gracefully as his mind allowed. He realized his brain was scattered but didn’t have the time to centre himself before his eyes met hers.

Lady Bone Demon sat upon an icy throne, toe-tapping steadily. She frowned, but with no real heat. “Six-Earred Macaque, what a pleasure.”

“As it should be.” Macaque smiled, running a hand through his fur. “Though I got to say, the welcoming party could use some work. They’re dead on their feet.”

LBD stayed seated, the only movement being folding her hands over her lap. “I hope you’re here for more than just puns, pet. Because we have work to do.”

“You say ‘we’ so confidently.” Macaque growled, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles.

Her expression soured even more. “Have you forgotten the debt you owe me? Have you forgotten the reason you owe me in the first place? And you still stand against me? Against destiny?”

“Please.” Macaque rolled his eyes and moved to launch himself at her. “Destiny’s my bitch.”

He flew right into her, only to get knocked to the side by a glowing blue figure that Macaque was already tired of. He fell into a shadow and popped out of it behind the icy throne, only to falter for a moment at who he saw. It was General Li, but much had changed since the monkie had last seen him: his armour was melted around him, engulfing all of his face save for a singular eye. What skin could be seen was covered in a layer of ice holding charred skin in place.

That second of faltering was enough time for Goliath’s form to enter Macaque’s space, but not enough to strike the other. Macaque twisted in the air and kicked the spider’s face down, the force causing the ice below to crack on impact. When Macaque’s feet hit the ground, he immediately ducked, Huntsman rocketing towards him. Macaque rolled and transformed into a panther, latching his mouth on Goliath’s shoulder and turning the giant away from Huntsman, using him like a demonic shield. Li jumped back into the fight and Macaque transformed back and sunk into the shadows right before the general’s spear hit, instead going into Goliath’s back with a crunch. Macaque kicked the general before Hunstman finally got his hands on the monkie.

The spider went right for the neck, his hands constricting around Macaque’s windpipe. The monkie kicked the other off with a cough and pushed himself up just to trip in his haste to dodge Goliath, who didn’t seem to be affected in the slightest by his wound. Macaque sunk into the shadows of the ice but was grabbed, and thrown into the air by the larger. He tried to right himself -- to get his bearing at least -- but Li kicked him down again, into the ice and making a crater beneath him. 

He looked up and around, realizing two things: General Li and the spider demons were the only ones attacking him and the Lady was still sitting on her throne, looking -- insultingly -- bored. He growled, sinking into the cracks in the crater, laying in wait. When the spiders landed in the crater, trying to find where he may have gone, he burst up. His shadow monster form’s fist scattered the spiders, sending them and giant chunks of ice flying away from him. He pulled himself from the shadows, eyes narrowed on LBD, who now had the decency to look mildly interested. 

As quick as he could, Macaque’s giant launched a punch towards her, putting his entire weight and strength into the attack -- only for it to be stopped short by her seal. He pushed even harder on it, but the effort was for nought: the ward didn’t break and his arm was suddenly engulfed in webs, Syntax suddenly making his appearance. 

Macaque pulled at the webs with a grunt, only for more to hold his legs. He was forced to his knees as General Li kicked the back of his head, dropping the monkie onto his stomach. Macaque squirmed, pulling at limbs that were stuck no matter how hard he pulled at them. A pull at a web around his neck had his shadow giant dissipating violently. The webbing pinned his physical form down as LBD’s ward appeared underneath him.

His chin was grabbed and he was forced to meet LBD’s gaze. “Did you really think you could stop me just by showing up? Did you think at all when you came here?” Macaque spit on her face, satisfied even as his face was shoved down. She whipped the spit from her cheek with a scowl but maintained her composure as she stood. “Well -- now I know you haven’t thought anything through. Though, I will give you some leeway on that matter: I brought you back to be a weapon and weapons don’t exactly think, by design, do they?”

Macaque’s ears twitched even as Li’s boot rested on his head. “Yeah, you really fucked up my resurrection didn’t you?” He chuckled huskily. “Bet you regret it now, don’t you?”

“Hardly.” She turned back towards him with her smirk set in place. The seal beneath Macaque glowed brighter, causing him to struggle with renewed vigour. “Now that you thought you could do anything here, it’s given me the chance to correct my mistake. The chance to lead you to your destiny. Who's whose bitch now?” 

Macaque felt his throat freeze as ice entered his veins. His very mind felt like it was locked in a freezer and it was just getting colder and colder. His mouth opened in a scream and the frozen spit in his throat scratched at his insides, but it seemed no one was listening. Not the spider demons, not General Li, and certainly not the Lady Bone Demon. 

His screams stopped and the seal disappeared after a moment, the world silent. Macaque rose robotically, glowing LBD’s signature blue.

From the clouds, Guanyin looked on with a quivering lip. She was too late. She jumped across mountains and through rivers, the refrozen Mayor hot on her trail as she went to get here -- only for her to be too late for her last student. She closed her eyes and steeled herself before looking at the scene before her. 

Lady Bone Demon was looking up at her with an expectant smile, arms folded within her sleeves. Guanyin backed further into the clouds to head west.

Chapter Text

Wukong let out a roar that scratched at his already-weary throat, but his own comfort was the least of his worries. Nezha’s ankle had been grabbed by a skeletal hand and the child had screamed. He was embarrassed about it, Wukong could tell, but that wasn’t the king’s worry solely on turning the bones to dust. He stomped on them and threw Nezha closer to Ares, who delighted in fighting back-to-back with the young warrior. 

“Young warrior,” Ares called behind him, cutting through decayed torsos, “would you lend me your fire for a moment?”

“How much do you need?” Nezha asked, spear cutting through another maggot-riddled torso. 

Ares took a breath, looking at the horde stumbling and tripping their way towards him. “As much as you can spare if you can?”

Nezha peered over Ares’ shoulder and sighed. “Well, I have plenty to spare, so I might as well.” He shot flames from his mouth, spreading over the army with snaps and crackles and pops as everything burned. When he stopped, he licked his teeth, trying to remove the feeling of ash on them, only to cringe at the feel of the ash on his tongue. 

A hand emerged from the ash below to be struck down by Ares’ blade. “Think you can do that again?” He asked the prince, lowering into a defensive stance.

Nezha nodded. “I can optimize it with some altitude.”

“Not a problem!” Ares responded, grabbing Nezha and throwing him into the air, laughing when he saw flames bellow out from Nezha’s mouth to cover the field of fiends before them. “How’s the view from up there?”

Nezha took a look around, about to float down when he had the thought to look with his True Vision, gold taking over his irises and pupils. He took a glance over east, to the waterline, and his heart dropped. He dropped to the ground like a meteor, head snapping towards Wukong, who snapped another’s head. “Sparta’s flooded! Poseidon is after MK!”

Wukong snapped to face Nezha. “What?!” He summoned his cloud but didn’t have the chance to step upon it as more skeletons jumped onto his back, covering his eyes with their calcium claws. Wukong growled and threw them off, only for another three climb on top of him. “Someone needs to get there and kill the fucker!”

“Language, father!” Nezha snapped automatically. 

Wukong broke the bones that bound him. “Fuck language, I’m gonna curse as much as I want until MK’s safe!”

---

MK screamed as Poseidon summoned a water funnel that splashed down on the roof -- the same one Red jumped from as quickly as he could. He summoned flames to teleport -- only to realize that as every surface was wet, there was nowhere for his ward to settle. He couldn’t teleport.

He jumped again, flames releasing under his feet, flying up only to have escape blocked by Poseidon’s body. The god launched towards the boys, only for Mei to startle him out of his attack as her draconic energy ripped through the building she was formerly trapped in. She tore through the water around her like a knife through summer butter and Poseidon prepared to take the power head-on, giving Red the chance to flee with MK, who dug his face into Red’s shoulder to mute his crying.

Even as onyx horses rose from the dark stormy waters and as Mei roared into the night sky, Red rushed as quickly as he could eastward towards their main forces, unknowing that they were under assault themselves. 

---

The silence before her was much more welcome than the screams that had met her on almost every stop of her conquest. The Lady Bone Demon took pride in the cold that settled over the air, in the ice that froze everything. 

It wasn’t destruction, really, not at all. To destroy would mean to tarnish something beyond the point it could be repaired. No, what she was doing was freezing them in place -- in time -- so that they would all be in their most perfect state for all of eternity. 

Her monkie launched into the air, her chill tailing him. He jumped from winter cloud to snowflake-filled cloud, his new mission the only one on his mind, the only one she allowed him to have. 

Her Six-Earred Macaque was not destroyed. He was perfected.