Chapter Text
Mei had dared him that he couldn’t eat all of the dumplings so naturally he had to do it. He had downed about half of the large bowl he had ordered when he started to feel off. MK paused as a wave of nausea crashed down on him and he bent over the table grabbing at his stomach. Mei stared at him from across the table with concern and opened her mouth to ask if he was okay when suddenly MK bolted away from the table and to the bathroom.
MK had crashed into the bathroom and after emptying his guts into the toilet was leaning over the sink splashing water over his face. He felt terrible, like someone was squeezing all of his organs. MK’s downed enough noodles and had food poisoning plenty to know that this wasn’t that. He tilted his head up to stare into the mirror only to shoot back in shock. He had a yellow marking around his eyes and hair had grown longer.
“Ok ok ok ok…no need to panic MK just stay calm” he was flapping his hands and pacing the bathroom trying to calm down but nothing was working. He was about to get Mei hoping she could help, when another powerful wave of nausea struck. MK buckled at the knees and grabbed onto one of the stall doors but used to much strength pulling off the handle. Quickly he got off of the floor and back up towards the sink. MK’s eyesight went yellow and he could see every detail, in a panic he gripped the counter and felt it creak under his hands before it snapped.
MK couldn’t get enough air in his lungs and then another wave came crashing down. His vision went black and he fell to the floor in a heap.
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Mei waited about five minutes to see if MK came back before worry overcame her and she went to the bathroom. Whilst banging on the door Mei shouted “MK are you in there?”, when she didn’t get any answer she grabbed the handle and warned “yo any half naked men pull up your pants I need to check on my friend”. Now Mei expected to enter a bathroom with a few shocked men, however that was not what greeted her. Instead she bursted in to find a pretty destroyed bathroom and a pile of clothes in the centre. Cautiously Mei walked into the bathroom, allowing the door to shut behind her and realised that the clothes were MK’s. On top was his Monkey King jacket and his red/black target shirt.
Mei spun around in fear about to call for MK when suddenly the pile of clothes moved. Warily Mei bent down and ripped the jacket off of the pile to reveal a small baby monkey. It stared up at Mei with big brown eyes and had dark fur that contrasted against the yellow marking over its eyes. “Um, hi little one… what ya doing here?” The monkey blinked up at her, before it’s eyes welled up with tears and it started sobbing.
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Mei burst into Pigsy’s carrying a small, crying, baby monkey wrapped in MK’s jacket. Pigsy jumped and spilt the noodles he had been handing to Tang (Thankfully only onto the bar and not Tang). “Mei what the hell you doing!” Pigsy scolded rushing to get a towel to wipe down the bar whilst Tang dropped to his knees in order to ‘mourn the death of his noodles’. Mei sped over to the two “do either of you two know how to comfort a baby?” She was rocking and shushing the baby monkey but it was still sobbing.
Pigsy stared at the baby monkey, watching in confusion as it’s one free hand (the other trapped in the jacket) tried to push Mei away. “Mei why are you holding a baby monkey and where’s MK?” Mei looked down at the monkey then back at Pigsy and said “I think MK is the baby monkey”.
Tang and Pigsy stared at her then bursted out “WHAT?!” Mei looked panicked and stammered out “I don’t know we were eating dumplings and then MK ran to the bathroom and when I walked in I found him surrounded by MK’s clothes”. They all looked at the monkey before Pigsy sighed tiredly and took him from Mei’s arms. The baby kept screaming when Pigsy tried to comfort him so Pigsy did the only other think he could think of and gently shoved a spoon full of noodle brew into the baby’s mouth. The baby paused before starting to slurp up the brew and all the restaurants inhabits let out a sigh of relief at the quiet.
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Pigsy closed up shop early and the group went upstairs to his apartment, shortly after joined by Sandy. The baby, or more accurately MK, would cry if he wasn’t eating so Sandy was put in charge of feeding him. They had also wrapped MK in a make shift dipper by using an old shirt.
“Are u a hundred percent sure that’s MK?” Pigsy asked, “for the fifth time yes, why won’t you believe me” every time Pigsy had asked Mei her voice had gotten a little more high pitched and she was practically whining at this point. Tang butted in and said “ I think Pigsy is just trying to understand what’s going on and to do that we need to be sure that’s MK”. From where Sandy was feeding MK at the kitchen table he said “ oh it’s MK alright I can tell by his aura”.
The group stood around in silence for a minute before Pigsy asked “so what are we gunna do?” He was only answered with silence before Sandy dragged all three into a hug “don’t worry guys we’ve got this”. Everyone relaxed into the hug before Tang exclaimed “wait who’s watching MK?!” They looked over to see an empty dinning table, no MK in sight.
They panicked while racing around like headless chickens trying to find where he was. “Guys look!” Mei screamed while point out of the kitchen window. Baby MK had managed to climb out of the kitchen window and onto the fire escape. He was currently leaning over the railings reaching out before he slipped. The entire room held their breaths as terror set over them.
Tang was the first who managed to climb onto the fire escape and look down only to sigh with relief and sink to the ground like his bones were jelly. MK had managed to grab onto the stair railing below with his tail and was currently dangling while smiling up at Tang. Whilst the others were getting MK, Tang looked across the road wondering why MK had decided to climb onto the railing like that only to see a billboard advertising a new peach tea with a giant photo of the Monkey King.
Once everyone was back in the kitchen, MK being tightly held by Mei, Tang brought up his suspicions “umm guys I think MK wants to see the Monkey King”. Pigsy gave him a confused look “Tang how could you know that?” Tang pointed out of the window towards the billboard and a mumble of agreement followed. That was until Pigsy grumbled “well how the hell we gunna get in contact with him, MK said he’s gone on a trip to heaven”. Tang and Sandy looked stumped but Mei waved her hand in the air, careful not to startle MK. Pigsy nodded at her showing that she could start “we might not be able to get in contact with our magic monkey but we know another one, and I know where we can find him”.
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The wind had picked up so all of them had put on warm coats and wrapped MK once more in his jacket. It wasn’t dark but even in the day the dojo had this ominous aura and MK’s whining seemed to reflect the entire group’s feelings about walking into the building.
Mei cuddled closer to MK before walking to the door with Sandy, Pigsy and Tang in tow. Nervously, she knocked on the door. When there was no reply she knocked again, louder, and finally heard a loud clattering sound. Suddenly the door flung open to reveal an aggravated, black fur monkey. Macaque had dark bags under his eyes and was wearing a black band shirt with monkey king pyjama pants. He did not looked happy to see them “what the hell do you want?”
With her usual pettiness Mei answered “good to see you too sunshine!” Macaque looked down at the baby monkey then back at Mei, seemingly doing a double take. “Why do you have a baby monkey?” Mei nervously rocked from side to side before saying “Meet baby MK” she anxiously giggled at Macaque’s shocked expression before continuing “was hoping you might know a way to get him back to normal”.
Macaque ushered them all inside and led them to the centre of the dojo which had two sofas facing each other, looking like a makeshift living room. Pigsy and tang were sat on one while Mei and Sandy (with MK in his lap) were sat on another. Macaque paced in between the sofas while they recapped everything. “Okay okay okay, MK most likely ate cursed dumplings, thankfully it doesn’t seem to be deadly” Macaque’s pacing seemed to have stressed MK out because he started whimpering and trying to get away from Sandy. Macaque looked down at him in confusion “what’s wrong with him?“ Sandy tried to calm him down but it wasn’t working “Mr macaquack you hold him”.
Macaque physically recoiled at the idea of him holding the kid and MK stopped crying just to babble and look up at Sandy panicked. Everyone else seemed to think it was a bad idea too giving Sandy confusion glares “wha I thought considering he wants Monkey King-“. Sandy was interrupted by MK babbling loudly until he managed to get one word out “Baba”. Mei cooed “awwww MK’s first word isn’t that adorable”.
Macaque scowled “yes precious” when his bad vibes didn’t get Mei to stop Pigsy coughed getting her attention “Mei remember why we’re here”. Macaque had finally stopped pacing instead standing off to the side. Pigsy then levelled him with a stare and asked “do you have any idea how to get MK back to normal?” Macaque shook his head dejectedly.
“Great so what do we do now” from his corner Macaque suggested “call Monkey King?” at the mention of his name MK started yelling ‘baba again’ “we can’t he’s in heaven” answered Mei. MK grabbed at Sandy still repeating ‘baba’ which caused Sandy to look down at him and in a gentle voice explain “Sorry little MK but we can’t get your baba”. Angrily MK yelled ‘baba’ and threw his arm out letting out a wave of golden energy which banged into the wall causing one of Macaque’s weapon racks to fall.
That was only the beginning. MK started glowing gold and zipped across the room. Pigsy yelled in panic “how’s he doing that”, Macaque and Mei shrugged and raced after Mk who had burst open the front door and walked into the street. His tantrum continued as his screaming shattered the glass windows of local shops. Macaque covered Mei to protect her at the shards of glass fell around them.
Mei tried to run to MK but Macaque held her back “Mei no the kid can’t control his powers” Mei fought against his hold screaming at him “Mac let me go MK needs me!” Pigsy, Tang and Sandy tried to run towards them but suddenly the ground broke apart and giant chunks of rock started flying towards them. Macaque and Mei froze in shock as they saw the rocks flying towards their friends. Sandy wrapped his arms around them bracing for and impact that never came. Cautiously Sandy looked up to see the rocks turned to dust and PIF floating above them.
She turned to Macaque and sternly asked “what is going on here and -“ she paused for a second looking at macaque in disappointment “- what are you wearing?” Macaque snapped back “don’t judge me I wasn’t expecting to have to deal with a de-aged monkey king brat today, okay?” She sighed and reached into her back pocket to bring out her phone. Slowly she glided to the ground while dialling a number “husband you said that Monkey King was at the same celestial meeting as you, correct?”. There was a deafening silence as everyone waited for for an answer “good I need you to tell him his successor is currently destroying part of the city” she ends the call with a click.
For a few seconds everyone just stood around in panic, except PIF who looked shockingly calm considering the circumstances. Then what sounded like thunder echoed across the sky as Monkey King landed in front of them. He was dressed in a lavish red robe, embroidered with gold that dragged along as he walked. His hair was slicked back with a solid gold headband but his bangs were still sticking out to shape his face. He had bold eyeliner with soft red lipstick. Monkey King turned to PIF and gave a small courteous bow. Meanwhile Mei nudged Macaque and whispered “no offence dude but he’s kinda out of your league” Macaque gave her a quick glare in return.
Monkey King calmly walked towards the glass tornado with MK at its centre; not even blinking as the glass nicked at his skin and clothes. He gently picked up the whimpering child, rocking him back forth “hiya kiddo it’s okay”. Monkey King softly shushed MK and once he stopped crying Wukong carefully placed MK on his back and interlocked their tails to keep him there.
Wukong walked back to the group and smiled. Mei stared in shock at the sleeping MK before yelling “it took you like 10 seconds to get him to stop crying, we couldn’t do it in 2 hours”. Wukong was about to be all smug until PIF interrupted “Sun Wukong I’m assuming you know how to reverse this” pointing to MK for enthuses.
“Oh that” Wukong stroked back some of MK’s fur before saying “it’s just a 24 hour curse no need to worry”.
Wukong then cooed at MK “you didn’t mean to destroy half the city did you” MK answered with happy little babbles.
Macaque sighed in relief as Monkey King walked off “next time we have troubles with MK we’re getting Wukong right away. No matter where he is” the whole group answered back with affirmative mumbles.