[3.5 years before the Brevon Incident]

Deep within Scarves HQ, an olive-furred lynx skips towards the main courtyard while singing a cheerful ditty slightly out of tune. As she enters the courtyard, she's spotted by an ochre badger.

"Hey Maria!" the badger calls.

Maria stops singing and turns to the voice, smiling when she sees the familiar face of Danny Brock. "Hey blondie!" she calls back in return, turning and skipping to her friend.

Danny shakes his head in amusement. "Must you insist on calling me that?" he asks as he joins Maria on a nearby bench.

"Why not?" Maria grins. "Hanna's 'meanie', Rob's 'fluff-tail', and you're 'blondie'."

"I thought Rob was 'big-ears'?" Danny asks.

"I changed my mind," Maria replies. "'Big-ears' is mean and icky. Plus, mine are bigger. Also, 'Fluff-tail' is cute and… well, fluffy."

"Fair enough," Danny smiles. "How do you think their mission's gone?" he asks a moment later.

Maria sighs. "I don't know why they keep choosing to work together," she answers. "They're on a worrying run of failure."

"I know," Danny sighs in return. "I can't even begin to understand what's going on, especially as they used to work together so well before."

"Something's changed," Maria concludes. "And I don't want to admit it, but…"

"You can tell me."

Maria takes a deep breath. "I'm scared it'll tear our little team into itty bitty pieces."

"That won't happen," Danny assures.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I'm Rob's best friend, and you're Hanna's best friend, and we'll be able to convince them both to take a break from working together until whatever tension that exists between them is resolved," Danny explains.

"Tension?" Maria asks, confused.

"There's something they're holding back. Or at least, one of them is," Danny continues. "And the longer they hold it back, the worse it'll get, until something gives way."

"I pray to the Ancients it doesn't get that bad," Maria sighs. "Hanna's really scary when she's angry."

"And she's liable to do something foolish," Danny adds.

Maria stiffens as a thought occurs, sending a wave of fear washing through her. "Do you think she'll be thrown out the Scarves?" she asks nervously.

"I don't think it'll get that bad," Danny answers. "At least, I hope it doesn't."

The two friends sit in silence a few moments.

"I think we're being big sillies, worrying about this," Maria eventually decides. "It'll all work out in the end."

Danny is about to reply, but stops himself when he sees Hanna storming into the courtyard, her tail puffed to its fullest, and wearing an expression of pure thunder. More worryingly, following right behind her is an equally furious Rob.

"Oh, this isn't good," Danny sighs.

"What isn't?" Maria asks. She then notices the incandescent vixen and the volcanic hare. "Oh poo, here we go again…"