-Chapter Four-

Where do you go, if death is breathing down your neck?

Ice's eyes widened in horror as he stared at snake Theo. He held his older brother in his arms, hoping that he could do something, anything that could help him. Panda's gasps and wheezes grew heavier, and his breathing was getting more rapid. What was worse was the weather conditions. The air was humid, and since it was about to rain, it made the air musty and thick.

Ice tried everything he could. He tried to make Panda breathe more through his nose then through his mouth, but that didn't help much. Panda wheezed even more, causing Ice to snap out of his trance and look back down towards his older brother. They needed that antidote, and they needed it now. Ice flashed Grizz a silent plea before turning back towards Panda once again, attempting to find a way to open Panda's airways so he could breathe a little easier.

Theo looked amusingly at Grizz, then turned towards Ice bear. It was somewhat amusing to see how much you can make people squirm. It was almost just as amusing to see how predictable people can be. Turning back towards Grizz, Theo decided that it was about time to make things more... interesting. " I'll give you to the count of three to make a decision, Grizz. Don't make a decision," Theo teasingly waved the medicine in front of Grizz's horrified face. " Well, I think you get the idea."

Grizz's eyes widened fearfully. " You... You don't really expect me to choose between my brothers?" " Honestly, Grizz, I already know that someone will choose for you," Theo said. Unknown to Grizz, Theo directed his gaze to Ice bear and smirked. Ice saw his gaze and glared back. Theo lifted the bottle up higher and higher. He stopped... And started counting down.

"3."

Theo lifted the bottle even higher, ignoring Grizz's pleas to stop. He continued to stare at Ice bear expectantly.

"2."

Ice bear clenched his paws angrily. He glared at the ground in defeat, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. It was hopeless. They couldn't lose Panda, just because Ice bear was too scared to do what was needed to be done.

"1-" " Wait."

Theo's smirk widened, if that was even possible. Ice didn't exclaim, scream, or yell. He said it quietly, in his normal monotone voice. Yet, he made sure that Theo could still hear the words that admitted his defeat. "Right before I dropped the needle too," Theo mused in his head. How… predictable.

Ice bear gently lifted his brother's head off of his lap and got up. Suddenly, a black paw reached up and grabbed Ice's arm weakly. " N- no.. bro... don't," Panda rasped out, before wheezing once again. His time was ticking away, and Ice couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Ice took Panda's paw and gently placed it down on the grassy floor.

Rain drops fell from the dark sky while thunder rumbled quietly in the distance. It started to sprinkle even more. Ice walked around Grizz to stand in front of snake Theo. Said snake slowly shifted into a different form. This form looked like Theo's original form, but he was now taller than Ice and older looking as well. He still held the needle away from Ice bear. Ice bear looked up at Theo and said," Ice bear doesn't understand why you want him, but that's not important now, is it?"

" True, it is of little importance now, but I'm sure your curiosity will get the better of you. And when you ask, I'll give you an answer. However," Theo moved his gaze to Panda. Grizz was now at Panda's side, guarding him while staring at both Theo and Ice helplessly. " I don't think Panda has time for meaningless chatter." Ice bear gave Theo a small glare before reaching his paw out to Theo.

Theo's smugness dimmed slightly as he glared at Ice Bear. " If I give you the antidote now, what makes me believe that you won't run away with your brothers." " You did bring the real antidote." Theo chuckled and said," I'm not as dishonorable as you make me out to be Ice bear." Ice bear bit his bottom lip, quickly trying to think up a good compromise that Theo would agree to.

Theo stared at Ice's expression before suggesting," If I give you the antidote, you can then hand it to Grizz. However, he will have to come to you, for I will be holding your paw so you won't run away." Nodding hesitantly, Ice felt Theo's cold hand wrap around his paw while he gave Ice bear the medicine. Quickly, Ice turned towards Grizz and handed him the medicine.

Running back towards Panda, Grizz injected him with the medicine. The swelling was already going down and Panda started to breathe normally. Grizz turned towards Ice bear with a saddened expression on his face. Before Theo could start walking, Grizz called out," Why are you doing this to us? Why... Why is this happening?" Theo smiled as Grizz asked the redundant question and started walking towards Grizz with Ice bear in tow. "There really isn't a reason why I'm doing this. I have a plan for San Francisco, and I feel that your brother can help me with that. I, however, don't need you two." He then shrugged and added, " It's a win-win situation for me. I like Ice bear better than you two anyways."

Grizz's defeated expression depleted even more at Theo's words while Panda looked up at Ice bear sadly. With Theo still holding his paw, Ice bear bent down and hugged his two brothers. He didn't want to let go of them. He didn't want to say goodbye, but what choice do you have, when you have a supernatural psychopath literally squeezing your paw in a death grip. Panda weakly returned the hug and started to cry. His crying didn't have screaming or yelling, only large water droplets spilling from his eyes.

Grizz hugged Ice bear as well, though he didn't cry as much as Panda, small tears fell from his eyes. He tried to hold in his sadness, but in the end, his tears just fell faster down his cheeks. The sprinkles of rain slowly went down heavier and faster, until it was pouring on the three brothers and the creature. Ice didn't cry, he didn't want to cry, not in front of his brothers. The creature fought the urge to roll its eyes and started to pull Ice bear away from his family. Feeling his younger brother slip from his grasp, Grizz almost lunged at Ice bear, but Ice stopped him. " Get him to the hospital," was all Ice said before he was pulled deeper into the forest. Grizz stood there, looking at the forest then back to his younger brother. Gritting his teeth, Grizz ran over to Panda and picked him up gently. Tears continued to fall from his eyes and onto a half conscious Panda as he started to jog to the hospital.

As the rain poured harder and harder on both the creature and Ice bear, Ice bear felt himself get heavier and heavier. A realization struck Ice bear. He might never see his brothers ever again. Another tug on his paw, and Ice bear walked faster. The hand was extremely cold, and with the cool rain beating against it, the uncomfortable coldness seemed to numb Ice bear's paw. Ice squirmed uncomfortably, trying to loosen the grip the creature had on his paw, but the more he squirmed, the tighter a grip the creature had on him. The creature, annoyed with Ice bear's tuggings, squeezed his paw in a painful manner. Wincing at the grip, Ice forced himself to relax and stop squirming.

Both Ice bear and the creature walked in silence, with Ice bear being dragged behind him. Though Ice bear wasn't shackled, it seemed like the rain placed weights on his body, stopping him from moving fast, and the hand was like a chain, dragging Ice bear along forcefully. Ice bear felt tears prick his eyes as he continued to trudge. He was scared, and he didn't know what the creature wanted with him, but most of all, he didn't know if Panda was still okay.

It's okay to cry, but for Ice bear, it was better to cry in the rain, for no one can tell when you're crying or not. However, the creature could tell. Smiling quietly, the creature peaked at Ice bear and saw a silent stream of tears falling from his eyes. To a human, it just looked like the rain was simply sliding down his face, but the smell of salt was easily detected, and though Ice was always monotone, the creature could see the misery swirling around in those unique silver gray eyes. Eyes that were usually hard as ice, and steely like metal, now soften to a light gray, dimmed a little with tears cascading down the polar bear's cheeks.

The creature looked up at the sky and smiled. " We're almost there."

Panda opened his eyes and groaned. Everything was blurry. The first thing that came to his mind was that he forgot to put on his contacts, but then he noticed that he was lying in a bed. A hospital bed. After a few minutes, Panda's vision cleared and saw Grizz sitting next to him, his head resting on his paws. Leaning forward, Panda tapped Grizz's shoulder gently. Grizz looked at Panda and smiled weakly. " Hey little bro... Had me worried for a second." " Grizz... Where's our little brother?" Panda asked. His heart stopped when he saw tears flowing down Grizz's face.

Memories flooded into Panda's brain, and everything started to piece together, like a puzzle, except Panda didn't want to solve it. He didn't want to believe that everything that happened… could possibly be true. Sadly, it was, and Panda knew it. Slowly sitting back in the bed, Panda covered his face with his paws and began to sob. " I... I'm so, so sorry Grizz!" Panda sobbed out loud. " If I wasn't so stupid! I wouldn't have... I... Oh God! I'm sorry!" Suddenly, Panda felt strong arms envelope him in a hug. Panda looked up, surprised. Grizz was hugging him, tears similar to Panda's spilled down his face. " Don't apologize Panda. None of this is your fault. It's mine. I should have listened to you. I should have talked to Ice sooner. I shouldn't have let him search for Theo's phone. I... I'm sorry."

By now, Grizz was shaking violently now, crying loudly on Panda's shoulder. "You...You could have died Panda! And now... now our little brother is gone! I'm sorry Pan-Pan! I'm the one who should be sorry." Panda bit his lip sadly and returned Grizz's hug. Both brothers cried, each depending on each other to keep whatever strength they had left. But what hope do they have? They didn't know where Ice bear was, who Theo really is, and where to start looking. Both brothers knew that their situation was hopeless.

But they had to stay strong... For Ice bear.