C3 Shang-Chi

In a dark hazy dream-like space, a well-built 30-year-old man with a short military hairstyle stood with a confused look on his face.

He wore a desert camouflage military uniform without his usual supplies or weaponry, making him feel oddly naked in a weird sort of way.

“Was I dreaming the whole time?” He asks himself, as he no longer felt pain from the wound in his shoulder.

Even the exhaustion and stress that weighed on his small body from the stressful situation against the Iron Gang was completely gone.

Now that he thought about it, even his body was back to normal, which was far more comfortable and familiar than little Shang-Chi’s 7-year-old body.

Though what’s odd is the fact that he could still remember all of Shang-Chi’s life. Even to the point where he felt genuine love and affection for all three of his family members.

“No, we’re just asleep.” A young childlike voice echoes throughout the hazy darkness as a small familiar black-haired figure appeared out of nowhere.

“Okay... that’s not creepy at all.” He commented as he eyed the boy, knowing exactly who it was. “Shang-Chi?”

“Yes, but we’re one and the same now.” The boy speaks with a very similar cadence, showing a shocking amount of maturity for a 7-year-old boy. “You are me and I am you.”

“Right...” The military man says unbelievably as he looks around. “I’m still dreaming, huh?”

“It seems that no matter what I say, you won’t believe me, but you’ll understand when we wake up. After all, the fusion will be completed by then.” Little Shang-Chi disappeared just as swiftly as he appeared, leaving the soldier all alone once again.

“This is the most f*cked up dream that I’ve ever had...”

——————————————

-Ten Rings Mountain Compound-

“Daddy? Are Big Brother and Mommy going to wake up?” Cute little Xialing asks worriedly, as she sat at their bedside alongside her father.

The unconscious mother and son shared a large bed, as it was easier for Wenwu to watch over the two of them.

Ying Li had bandages all across her body, like some sort of mummy. She took a lot of damage during her fight against the Iron Gang before Shang-Chi came to the rescue.

Though, thankfully, her injuries weren’t anything fatal.

Based on Wenwu’s discerning and experienced eye, his wife would be back to normal in just a few months.

As for Shang-Chi, he wore a bandage over his shoulder and suffered from exhaustion and blood loss, which can easily be healed with rest and a healthy diet.

Thankfully, his son would heal much faster than his mother. He didn’t have nearly as many injuries and had the perk of being a young child.

Children tend to heal faster than adults after all.

“Of course, Xialing.” The rings on Wenwu’s arm jingle as he pats his daughter on the head, doing his best to comfort her. “Both of them are strong. They’ll be back with us in no time.”

*Knock Knock*

As the father and daughter were having a moment, a knock could be heard from the sliding door.

“Enter!” Wenwu calls out and the door opens, revealing an Asian man in a black form-fitting Chinese-style robe with armor pieces strapped here and there and a Dao sword on his hip.

(A/N: The Ten Rings members in the movie looked dumb as hell and most of them were white, which made no damn sense. Don’t get me wrong, they can have members that aren’t Chinese, as they have branches all over the world, but those people would be rare in China, so I changed the characters to be more realistic and the style to a more Chinese assassin robe outfit for the grunts.)

“Sir, we’ve cleaned the garden as you instructed.” He bows lowly and speaks with respect and reverence.

Xialing watched in confusion as this unfamiliar man, who arrived alongside many others shortly after last night's incident, bowed to her father like a loyal soldier.

The only thing that she knew is that her father seemed to have called them, and they all treated Wenwu and his family as if they were royalty.

“Good work.” Wenwu says thankfully as his demeanor soon turned dismissive. “Leave us.”

As the door was shut, leaving the father and daughter alone again, Xialing looked at her father questioningly.

“Daddy, who are those men?” She finally had the chance to ask.

“They are my followers.” Wenwu answers as he didn’t want to hide anything from his children. “Did your mother ever tell you about the day we met?”

“Yeah, she beat you up and threw you into a pond.” Xialing says, causing her father to laugh.

“Yes, that’s true.” Wenwu laughed as he picked his daughter up and placed her in his lap. “Before I met your mother, I had many subordinates like the ones you see now, but I sent them all home so that we could all live a simpler life.”

“Why are they back?” Xialing asks curiously as she didn’t like the strangers invading her family's home.

“For our safety.” Wenwu says sadly as he looks toward his sleeping wife and son. “I don’t want something like this to ever happen to our family again...”

“...” Xialing remained quiet as she sat on her father's lap, both of them stared fixedly at the injured half of their small family.

...

Soon enough, Wenwu left his daughter and returned to the garden, where twenty men in similar clothes to the man from early lined up in rows, bowing respectfully upon his arrival.

These men were loyal followers before their dismissal and remained that way even now, heeding their lord and master's call to return as soon as the message was sent.

“Where are the bodies?” Wenwu asks as he sits on a wooden throne-like chair, overlooking his men from an elevated position.

The feeling of having his power back as well as his loyal soldiers, who would die at his smallest order, was intoxicating to experience once again.

Especially the rings on his arms, which granted him his immortality, strength, and magic-like powers.

The only thing keeping his power-hungry former self from fully returning is his sleeping wife, who would take their children and return to Ta Lo should that ever happen.

“We moved them down the mountain, as you commanded.” A man steps forward and kneels reverently with a hand over his heart.

“Good, take the bodies to an open space and burn the them.” Wenwu orders as half of the men turn and rush out of the gate, heading down the mountain to complete their lord's orders. “The rest of you start looking into the remnants of the Iron Gang. I want locations and numbers as well as...”

Wenwu stopped himself and took a deep breath, looking over his shoulder to the room where his daughter was waiting patiently for her mother and brother to wake up.

‘Sigh... I can’t go that far.’ Wenwu thought as he was just about to ask for the locations of their families and loved ones as well. “That's enough. Just focus on what I've already listed.”

Waving his hand dismissively, Wenwu shoos his men away and they rush off just as quickly as the first group, ready to help their leader enact his vengeance.

The great conqueror of old wouldn’t have thought twice about slaughtering the innocent families of his enemies, especially if they tried to take something precious from him, but things were different now.

Ying Li would be both disappointed and disgusted if he were to spill the blood of innocent people in her name.

Although Wenwu wouldn’t stay the pacifist that his wife made him into anymore, that doesn’t mean he would relapse completely.

After all, his wife, the pillar of their family, was still alive and Wenwu couldn’t betray her trust in him.

-That night-

After waiting in the dream space for what felt like days, Shang-Chi finally awoke in his bed beside the warmth of another.

Sitting up in confusion, Shang-Chi caught sight of his sleeping mother. She was covered in bandages, but thankfully, still alive and breathing.

“Ugh!” As he sat up, Shang-Chi grunted and grabbed his bandaged shoulder in pain.

“You’re awake.” A voice fills the dark room.

Looking to the side, Shang-Chi saw his father smiling proudly in his direction. He was seated at the bedside with a sleeping Xialing cradled in his arms.

“...” Shang-Chi remained quiet as he processed everything. ‘He was right. It wasn’t a dream... No, I was right. This is so confusing.’

At this point, the two souls have completely fused, which was hard to process for him, though he now knew that all of this is 100% real.

“Are you thinking about the man you killed?” Wenwu asks sympathetically, misinterpreting his son's silence for guilt.

‘I completely forgot about that moron...’ Shang-Chi thought, as he now had the kill count of an experienced Army Ranger. “Yeah...”

Since he had no idea what to say in reply, Shang-Chi went along with his father's misconception.

“I understand. I was the same way after my first time...” Wenwu could relate, though his first kill happened almost a thousand years ago. “Our situations are very similar, though the outcomes were completely different. Where I hesitated and lost my family, you stepped up and rose above... I’m very proud of you, my son.”

Shang-Chi didn’t speak and simply looked toward his father, waiting for him to continue.

“Never feel guilt or shame for protecting yourself and your family.” Wenwu says seriously as he locks eyes with his son. “That man almost killed your mother. He made her bleed and a blood debt must always be paid in blood. Remember that.”

“Yes, Father...” Shang-Chi answers back as Wenwu stands up with Xialing still in his arms.

“Wait here. I’ll put your sister to bed.” As Wenwu left the room, his rings of power clinked softly, like window chimes.

‘Damn, I can’t believe that’s my dad... He gives off deadlier vibes than that Sayeret Matkal squad who almost killed me in Israel...’

A/N: 1711 words :) eating and then doing another chapter.