"Just hurry 'em up and get dem tickets, okay, Frank?" Stanley, the grizzly, told his manager as he still was massaging his muscles after his workout. "The fight's on Friday but I wanna get there early to check out their ring."

"Yes . . . yes, sir." Frank, a timid little finch responded as he entered Stanley's gym. "Actually . . . if you'd like, we can fly there tomorrow; I found this cargo plane . . . "

"Cargo plane?" Stanley gruffly interrupted the small bird. "What's you take me for?"

"Oh, but it's a nice plane, part of this new company, Higher for Higher. I think you'll like it, sir." Frank quickly answered.

"You don't say, eh? Well, okay then." The giant grizzly finally relented. "Babe! Start packin'. We're goin' to Las Vipers tomorrow to check out the ring!"

"We are? Well, alright then, hon." Tina, a petite, pretty brown bearess answered as she also entered the gym.

"Babe! Come here!" Stanley next commanded. "I need my good luck charm to give me some sugar." He said as he wrapped his large arm around his wife's waist. Tina gave him a quick peck on the check before trying in vain to free herself from Stanley's embrace.

"Okay then. I'm going to go start packing now." Tina said, just hoping Stanley would get the hint and let her go. For Stanley, Tina was a trophy wife and for Tina, Stanley was security. Although the marriage was not an ideal one for her, she was quite comfortable with all that it entailed. She would be happier, however, if she could only tell Stanley about the son she had given up so many years ago and perhaps even have him help her find the boy. Alas, she knew that Stanley wasn't exactly crazy about kids and much less ready to be a father due to the demanding schedule of being a boxer. So she had to keep her secret a bit longer at least.

When Stanley finally did let her go, Tina next excused herself and started preparing for the next day.

The next day, Stanley and Tina, accompanied by Frank, headed to Higher For Higher. Frank struggled with the couple's luggage until Stanley crept up behind Frank and lifted the two heavy suitcases as if they were feathers. "There you go. That's how ya do it!" He remarked with a taunting laugh.

The three of them were soon graciously greeted by Rebecca Cunningham. "Good morning and thank you for choosing HIgher for Higher. We are glad to assist you with your travel needs."

"Yeah, yeah, so when are we leavin'?" Stanley replied with an obvious impatience in his tone.

"Very soon, I hope." Rebecca answered. "Right after my pilot and his navigator return from this last delivery . . . err, flight of theirs." Rebecca subsequently hurried to her desk to call the Sea Duck from her radio. "Baloo, what's taking so long? Mr. and Mrs. Steele are already here ready to go to Las Vipers!" "Relax, Beckers, we'll be there in a jiff." The voice over the radio responded.

Another twenty minutes have gone by below, Baloo arrived at the H4H office. "Okay, Beckers, we're here! So where are these fancy pants clients that we're taken to the snake city?"

Just then, Stanley stood up and walked over to Baloo, towering the gray bear. "Finally! About time!" he huffed. "So when do we board?" "Woah, there, big guy!" Baloo responded, certainly in awe of Stanley's great stature. "We'll be up in the air before you know it! So I hear you have a fight coming up Friday, eh?"

"Yeah! Just want to check out the city first, maybe psyche out some opponents who are there already too, you know what I'm sayin'?" Stanley answered as he started flexing his biceps.

At that moment, Kit walked only . . . only to stop in his tracks as soon. "My gosh. It's her." He quietly said to himself as soon as he saw Tina.

"And this here is our navigator, Kit Cloudkicker." Rebecca announced, introducing Kit to everyone.

"Wait, this little runt is gonna navigate our plane?" Stanley remarked mockingly.

"Hey! Watch it, buddy! This here kid is the best navigator I ever had and no one talks to my lil bridges that way!" Baloo angrily responded, almost forgetting that the prize fighter was twice his size.

"Baloo, I really need to see you in the storage room now." Kit finally said, trying to compose his thoughts.

"Oh, well, Kit, I'm sorry but the Steeles really have to get to Vipers now." Rebecca interceded. "Can't this wait . . . "

"No, it can't, Miz. Cunningham." Kit persisted. "Please, just a few minutes."

"Oh, alright." Rebecca finally agreed. "I'll have Wildcat load their luggage on the plane in the meantime. But please hurry up."

In the storage room, Kit started looking through his bottom drawer, while Baloo looked bemused. "What's all this about, lil britches?"

Finally finding what he was looking for – a black and white photograph of a young woman – he said nothing but handed it to Baloo. "It's her, my mom." He then said in a lowered tone.

Baloo said nothing but stood there frozen, just looking at the picture. The silence in the air was just broken moments later when Rebecca entered the room. "Baloo! Kit! What's going on? Mr. Steele is growing very impatient and we really need to be up in the air A.S.A.P.!" She crossly said.

"Beckers! Look at this. It's a picture of Kit's mom." Baloo finally answered, handing the photograph over to Rebecca. Upon inspecting the picture, Rebecca too became quite stunned and turned pale as a ghost, in fact. She immediatey recognized that woman as Tina, just standing a few feet away in her office.