𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 ➣ {𝕤•𝕔} ❘ [𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌-𝖈𝖍𝖎 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗]

˗ 𝜀𝑙𝜀𝜈𝜀𝜋ˏ ˋ 𝑀𝛳𝑇𝐻𝛴𝛤'𝑆 𝐶𝛥𝐿𝐿 ˎˊ ˗

⍣ ೋ

Wenwu led Y/N, Shang-Chi, Xialing, and Katy to his office where he had stored his artifacts— along with his Ten Rings.

"When you children ran away, I was so desperate to connect with your mother," Wenwu started, "I threw myself back into the studies of her village. The legendary Ta Lo. I wasn't able to find the secret path to the village entrance, but I did find what they are hiding. There's a gate deep in their mountains. Your mother is waiting for us there,"

Shang-Chi, Y/N, and Xialing shared a worried look at his words.

"What?" Y/N raised her eyebrows in incredulity.

"I know this is a lot," Wenwu nodded, "I might not have believed it if she didn't tell me herself,"

"What are you talking about?" Xialing seemed baffled.

"I was sitting right here in this seat, deep in my research —and she spoke to me. It was like she was standing in this room. I could feel her breath on my cheek and her hand on my back," he gestured to show, "She told me she needs my help." He rested his palms on the chair of his desk, leaning forward.

"To do what?" Shang-Chi asked wearily, taking a step forward.

"To save her from her people. After we fell in love, your mother wanted us to live in Ta Lo. She asked permission from the elders, and they refused. They said I wasn't worthy. And after what Edward did —" he paused giving everyone a knowing dark look as Y/N ducked her head with a grimace.

"She would still be with us," Wenwu continued, "We would all be living there together. Ta Lo did this to us. They locked her behind that gate to punish her," his voice was bitter with agony, but he brightened up when he turned to his children "Don't you see? She's leaving clues for us. She wants us to find her and bring her home, so we can be a family again,"

"Dad, Mom's gone," Shang-Chi shook his head, "She's not talking to you from behind a gate, and she's not leaving any clues for us."

He handed Y/N's fang back to her as he held up the other two pendants in his hand, "Then what are these?"

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Wenwu led them to the corner of a hallway that had beautifully carved walls in convoluted designs with the sculpture of a dragon emerging from it.

Shang-Chi looked over to Y/N, unsure of what was going to happen as she fiddles with her fang, which was safely tucked in the pocket of her jacket.

Wenwu pressed the emerald pendants into the eyes of a dragon sculpture, stepping back as they began to glow. Water began running down the walls before splashing outward.

The emitted water seemed to move in slow motion around them. Shang-Chi carefully reached out to feel it between his fingers.

Y/N curled her fingers around a semi-crystallized drop of water, smiling when she morphed it into a sword with her abilities. When she let go, the water fell to the ground below and materialized into a forest landscape on the ground, an orange glow led through the trees as though showing the way in a maze.

"The passage to Ta Lo is guarded by a moving maze. But there's a direct path through the forest that only opens once a year on Qingming Jie. To get through, you need to know the route and the exact time it opens. Now I know both." Wenwu told them, "Three days from now, we will rescue my wife from her prison and bring her home," He turned to his men as they chanted in agreement. "This is why you're here." He turned back the quartet, "To help me bring her back to us."

"And what happens if they don't let you open the gate?" Xialing questioned, knowing they wouldn't let him barge in and take charge.

"We'll burn the village to the ground," He stated with a calm smile.

"What?" Shang-Chi scoffed, walking forward towards the assembled men, "You can't just march into our mom's village with this bullshit. I mean, do you have any idea how insane—" he was cut off by his father flipping him harshly to the ground.

"Hey!" Y/N and Xialing made to reach for Wenwu, but he ducked away just in time and threw both of them on the ground in front of him, beside Shang-Chi.

Katy gasped as she brought her hand to place over her mouth.

Wenwu glared down at the three at their nerve as the men around them pointed their weapons at them threateningly.

"Where are you taking me?" Katy panicked when two men grabbed onto her arms and dragged her away.

"When will you stop pretending?" He stared down at the three in disappointment, "Lock them up" he ordered his men sternly. 

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