Fantastic Foxes of Zootopia: Series 2

by J Shute

Slowly warm a pot of water, and a frog won't realise it's being cooked. After the events of series one, Nick, Judy, their friends and family are all too aware of where they are, and just how hot the water has got. Now they have the task of finding why the long absent Padriac Rattigan is in Zootopia, all while those hurt before try to recover, finding a long road stretched ahead.

50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

.

.

Earlier that Day…

.

"So," Po said, marching across the open plaza of the Kung Fu Temple, paws clasped together behind his ramrod straight back, a slight drill instructor pomp to his current circumstance. "You come back here, yet again, spending away your summer holidays in pursuit of further mastery of… -Kung fu." He turned to look at the assembled trio. "Is that so?"

Kris, Ash and Haida blinked, looking at each other, the first fox shrugging. "I believe that was why we were here, yes."

"Cuss right we are," the young red fox said, crossing his paws in front of him and puffing up his fur for effect.

Haida gave a short shrug. "I mean, it's not my summer holidays or anything, but pretty much."

"Not your…" Po blinked, his stern act abandoned for cheek scratching confusion. "I mean, don't you work at a University or School or something?"

"Huh?" the hyena asked, raising an eye. "I'm not sure how you figured that out…"

"Long holiday periods to spend learning…" He swished his paws around, landing in an action pose. "-Kung Fu?"

"It's only been what, three days? And it's currently the weekend, so…"

"So what do you actually do?"

He held up a finger. "Search out tax cheats."

Po looked at him for a second before racing off into the distance. Haida stood there, slackjawed for a second before looking down at the foxes. "I didn't mean it like that. You know that, ri…"

The sound of frantic panting caught their ears and they turned back to see Po running back, a bunch of files in his paw. "OKAY!" the panda said, laying them down. "Here is our document showing us as a religious institution," he laid it out. "Here's our one showing that we operate as a not for profit trust."

"-I don't…" Haida began, as Po carried on.

"Here's our last three years of audits and accounts, and…"

"I wasn't looking into you for tax purposes!"

Po looked up to him and smiled. "Okay, that is good to know. Just as it is to know that we have all our math and money stuff all here and sorted. There are no accounts for which we cannot acc… -WindWINDWIND!" Eyes widening, the bear leapt down, pinning any errant papers that were caught in the breeze with all four paws.

A second passed before he sighed, picked them up, stuffed them back in his folder and ran off.

An awkward silent moment later, back he came, taking a deep breath in and out. "Okay…" he said, paw up before straightening himself out, firming his lip and carrying on as if nothing had happened. "So, you seek to spend your non-working and non-educational days advancing in the art of… -Kung Fu."

Haida raised a paw. "Moving on, my boss has arranged that I can start working at half five in the morning, be off by half twelve, which lets me get here by two having eaten lunch on the way…"

Po was left looking at him or a second before shaking his head. "Half five in the morning? Okay, Student Hyena, let me just say for a second there. That's dedication."

He smiled, giving a casual shrug. "Well, your noble art is owed nothing less."

"Indeed," Po said, going back into haughty mode. He paced in front of them. "Yet, all the power of a hammer is naught, if it is not directed at the right crack in the stone." And with that he walked back, paws out to reveal a new stuffed training doll, standing there at the base of an old ramshackled storage hut, wooden doors flaking and ajar and roof tiles askew and unsteady. "This here is your enemy. The great and evil Máo Róng Wánjù, in front of his evil lair, with me as the hostage." And with that, he threw himself at the foot of the plushie, eyes wide. "Oh no! Help me. The evil Máo Róng Wánjù has me with a knife at his throat. What will you do?"

The three looked at each other before taking up kung fu poses, eyes fixed on the stuffed doll. But, before they could do anything else, Po had a paw up. "But wait, even with your great skill, attacking him straight up will mean my demise. No, you must figure out a way to channel the true heart of kung fu. To ace him, to defeat him, not by playing the game as it is so set out. But instead, by expanding your parameters. By considering that which is not at the current time considerable. By, dare I say it, thinking 'outside' the box!" He made a quick perimeter trace with his fingers before pointing one at Kris. "Student Silverfox. You first."

To that, the young vulpine stepped forward, thinking for a second, before giving a long bow. "Greetings Máo Róng Wánjù. How are you today?"

There was a pause, Po looking around before lifting a paw to grip the painted on face on the doll. He then venquilitrised, very badly, his response. "Evil! For I am the evil…"

"But are you evil?" Kris asked, sitting down and offering a paw. "Or is that just an expected role society has imposed on you, and that due to constant negative reinforcement you have gone on to internalise."

Po mimed the doll looking at Kris, back down at him, back then forth, back then forth, before shaking him around a bit. "Dude. I love evil. I am literally evil. I don't know what you're thinking might be good about me, because it ain't there. I mean, after dealing with you I have a… a… A baby penguin broiling machine to fire up! Yeah. I'm gonna sail to the Antarctic and broil penguins for oil! It won't even be good oil. I'll use fraud and stuff to sell it to unsuspecting mammals, whose cars will break down and smell of fish guts, and then I'll run past laughing at them and say that they lubricated their cars… WITH BABY PENGUIN OIL!"

Kris kept his gaze softly fixed on the plushie. "It's an interesting metaphor you're thinking of there. Do you think that maybe the penguins mean something in your head, or represent someone who hurt you in the…"

"N-no! Penguins haven't ever done anything to me. Not the wild ones. Not those few that sentienced up like mammals, who I just remembered. Oh, and by the way, it's those whose babies I'll be broiling. Because EVULLSSSS! MUHAHAHAHA!"

"But what kind of feelings does this evil make you…"

"I LIKE BEING EVIL!" the 'dummy' said again. "GRRR. You and you stupid cleveries, you call us the dummies but you can't get this simple fact inside your bone encased, soft, warm, icky squishy fleshy brains can you! In fact, just for that, I'm gonna go around and start broiling YOU all instead. This guy!" Po somehow mimed the dummy pointing at him, his own paw coming up for a little wave. "Your cousin, your friends, your family, everyone you know then everyone you DON'T KNOW! AND I'M GONNA ENJOY IT! MUHAHAHAH! MUHAHAH-AHH!"

Eyes widening, Po mimed the doll throwing him away as Kris came in with a flying kick, sending the dummy back and spinning around. Landing on his front paws, momentum levering him up into a pawstand, he gave two short kicks to the stuffed face with his legs before turning, righting himself and following it with one big knockout punch.

Paws together, Kris bowed, looking down at Po. The panda gave a thumbs up. "Nice kung fu action, shame he had enough time to GRRrrrrrrkkkk… me."

"Ah," Kris said, fussing with one foot.

"-Still," Po said, standing up. "I loved the plan. Ha, you even totally fooled me! Making the evil Máo Róng Wánjù go on an evil villain monologue, ticked off by just how not-evil you thought he was! Alas," the panda sighed. "You chose to play your gambit too far away, with not enough time to catch up and off him before he could off his poor, helpless, handsome hostage."

Kris scratched his chin. "Well it was more that I was genuinely trying to negotiate with him, but it got to the point where negotiations and conciliatory language were clearly non-constructive against mammals, or in this case, non-mammals like that." His ears went back, a slight tremor running down his tail as he fixed his eyes on the stuffed toy. "The only language they understand is violence."

"Ooooh, that is cool. -But also chilling," Po said, waving Kris back. "Okay," he said, "not quite what I was thinking. I mean, negotiating like that, always useful, commonly forgotten by some, buuuuttttt not what I was going for. Right! Haida."

The hyena jerked to attention, even giving a short sharp salute. "Hoi."

Po, getting back into position, paused. "Hmmm, that's more a Japanese mannerism…

"Huh?" he said, blinking. "I've always…"

"Ah," Po said, "must be some past heritage or…"

"-But… I'm a hyena."

Po looked at him before shrugging. "Eh, strange where you can pick these things up. Anyway," he said, getting back into position with the dummy and pointing at him. "Your turn."

Haida closed his eyes, breathed in and out and squared up the uncaring, unemotive face of the evil Máo Róng Wánjù. "Máo Róng Wánjù huh?" He asked, standing up and squaring his hips. "More like what's wrong with you! I'll tell you what you limbless stuffed up burlap sack! You come in here, holding a helpless bamboo muncher hostage thinking it makes you the mammal! Yeah, might work for yo mama! But not on me! Yeah, you heard me. You heard me!"

Ash and Kris looked on as the hyena marched forward, paw out. "You think you're the cuss! Ha, no! I'm the cuss! I'm the real cuss here, and I know it. Know why? I'm the mother cusser who cussing killed your brother!"

Po's jaw hit the flaw, before he pointed at it and gestured at the doll. Then, he turned its face to look away before sweeping it straight back at Haida, putting on his voice. "You WHAT!?"

"Yeah," Haida said, paws crossed.

"But I don't even have a brother."

The hyena blinked a few times before letting out a great big whooping paws on his knees cackle. "What? You… You don't know?"

"Know what?"

He looked back at the foxes, all while pointing at the doll. "He doesn't even know."

"KNOW WHAT!?"

And then Haida turned, a mean mean scowl on his face. "That yesterday I fought a doll just like you. I came at him fast, I punched him into submission, and then?" A sneer grew across his muzzle. "I ripped his mother cussing HEAD OFF!"

"Wait," Po mimed. "Wait! Wait!? No. No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"YESSSSSS!" Haida cheered, before releasing out a bunch of cackles for effect. "And there's more. His insides were poor quality. More than poor quality. They're flammable itchy irritants banned in most nations, and probably shaved from a mangy mongooses muskgland to boot!"

"HOW DARE YOU! I was stuffed with the finest angora rabbit fluff!"

"Yeah," he mocked. "I betchya mama said that to you every night, before going out to meet her new super important business friend."

"Wait, WAIT! ARGGGHHHH!"

"I'd make up a yo mama joke there," Haida cackled, "but honestly, anything I say would be a step up."

"GRRRRR…"

"-Oh, and that's what she said to your father."

"I'M GONNA KILL YA!"

"Well here I am!" Haida boasted. "Come on, get me, GET ME!"

"I… -NO! I'm gonna kill him," the plush said, gesturing down at a suddenly panicking Po.

Two paws up against the side of his face, the panda let out an "Oh no!"

"Yeah," Haida mocked. "'Cause your chicken. You don't think you can take me!"

"No," Po said, miming for the plushy again. "I'm being…"

"Chiiiiiccccckkkkeeeeennnnn!"

"I…"

"BWAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Bu-Bu-Bukah! Bu-bu-Bukah! Bu…"

Haida was cut out by a pair of simultaneous stomach rumbles to his side. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at the offenders, the two foxes looking at each other sheepishly.

The hyena cracked a grin. "You really don't have anything to say?"

"-Evolution," they both replied, the larger mammal rolling his eyes, turning back and having his face hit soft and fast by the evil Máo Róng Wánjù.

"Ooppphhhh…" he muttered, stumbling back as the fluff filled doll fell to the floor and bobbed around innocently. After a few seconds he walked up to it, pushing out an accusatory finger. "You're lucky Ash has his turn next, as otherwise you'd be ending up just like your brother now. You hear me?"

"Among a whole lot of other stuff," Po said, nodding. "Okay, distraction aside which… Okay, that was a low blow… -After some real bigger low blows I may add," giving a smirk. "But yeah, trash talking him into fighting you? On your terms." A finger, out, the panda nodded in approval. "Fantastic. So, get him onto your turf. Then what?"

"Well, uh, fight him!"

"Hmmm, on the higher ground," the panda said, smirking a little as Haida nodded.

"Okay, yeah, I could plan that a bit better. But, in my defense, I wiped his brother to the floor…"

"Ah," Po cut in. "Alongside the great law of conservation of Ninjitsu, there is also the law of exponential vengencification."

"...So because he's avenging his brother, I'm screwed."

"Well, generally, pretty much," Po agreed. "-But I'm not sure if it applies to bad guys, except in the cases of origin stories… And we're already pretty far in with me being a hostage so… I think you're good. -Just remember, don't get distracted, and plan to be on the higher ground when they strike. Got it?"

"Hoi," Haida said, upright and giving a bow.

Po looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging. "Sure there isn't any Japanese in you?"

"No. Hyena."

"Anyway," the panda said, getting back into position for a third and final time. "Ash? Up to you!"

The small red fox nodded before leaping to the side in a cartwheel. Po just looked on confused, even more so as the fox cartwheeled back the other way.

And then began breakdancing. Or trying to…

He was just flopping his face and arms about, and then striking kung fu poses.

Which merged into robot dancing.

Po looked at the doll, the doll looked at Po, they both looked back as a stone rattled backwards into one of the walls. Ash picked up two in both paws, doing a weave with his arms, and then kicked a third so it skipped and skidded to the side of the panda and his plush.

One stone then went way up and back down, then the second off to the side.

Then more cartwheeling.

More kung fu moves.

More robo dance.

And then back to the cartwheeling, picking up some stones as he went and…

"You know I'll just kill him without you!" the dummy 'spoke', Ash cutting out of his cartwheel and throwing his paws out, stones included.

"I'm BUSY!" he said. "Maybe not interrupt me until I'm ready?"

A quick glance up to make sure the stone thrown would miss him, and Po leant in next to the dummy. "He's not very good, is…"

Clink.

Rattle…

Po and the dummy looked up, just in time to set a bunch of tiles dislodged by the stone crash down onto them, followed by the red fox pouncing forward and tackling the dummy away.

Standing up and rubbing his head, Po looked down as the evil Máo Róng Wánjù was beaten up by an angry little red fox, currently showing off the best of his kung fu ability. Punches, kicks, pushed out at the limit of his strength and a somewhat erratic aim. Though, to be fair, there were no weak points or anything on the plush, it was just all plush, so the panda couldn't really fault Ash on that.

Not that he wanted to either way. "And you got it," the panda cheered, Ash halting his assault mid palm chop and turning to face his teacher. "In fact," Po carried on immediately, "you more than got it. You know, back at the start I thought your bamboozling all around was just there to confuse us into submission. -I mean, play to your strengths and crazy like a fox, but that… I was scratching my head. In fact, I was scratching it so much I completely forgot that I'd set myself up here under those notably crooked roof tiles to tempt you guys into knocking them out!"

Ash closed his eyes and gave a fist-pump given his success as Haida cut in over. "Wait, so that was the solution."

"Well, the main one," Po explained. "But not the only one."

"So there are more?" Ash asked.

"Well, if mammals can think of them!" Po said, "I mean that would be thinking outside the box so much that even I, who made the box for you to think outside of, couldn't have thought of it. -But the point is that Ash here clocked it so well, he actually clocked me in the process. Nice!"

The red fox only smiled, giving a short bow as his tail wagged behind him.

"Outside the box," Po carried on. "Improvisation. Creating on the spot, breaking the mould, changing the rules of the game." He looked over at Haida and Kris. "You can punch the numbers and play by the rules all day and you can be good. Real good," he said, glancing at the silver fox. "But to be great, you have to…"

KNOCK

The panda broke off mid-speech, turning to the great gate at the front of the plaza.

KNOCK

Someone knocked it again, the timbers rattling slightly.

KNO…

The third one, hitting the small door-in-a-door that the mammals used to get in and out, bent the lock and swung it all the way out, making it hit the frame with a loud crack. There, framed by the doorway as he walked right through, was a giant polar bear, almost the size of Kozlov.

Po just crossed his paws, glancing back at his students. "Okay, that was rude."

"Hello!" Came a call, the polar bear thrusting his arms open. "Sorry about door."

"No worries," the panda said, waving down a little at the trio as he stepped forwards, a paw coming out. "What are you here for? Want to learn Kung Fu too? I must admit, that with your paws?" He gave a shiver. "Man, I don't want to be on the team fighting against you."

"Nyet," the bear smirked. "Nobody does. Nobody clever that is. Name is Osip."

"Osip?" Po asked, not noticing Kris behind him taking a few confused sniffs in through his nose. "Well, my name is Po."

"Ha, I have twice as many syllables as you."

"And I have twice as many colours as you."

"Da," Osip said, reaching out to shake Po's paw only to pause, breath hitching a little as the panda held on and shook it up and down. "Because this white too, huh?" he asked, pointing at his small black nose.

"Well," Po began, pausing for thought. "Ughhh…"

Kris stepped in, even with his ears folding back somewhat. "His fur is technically colourless. The air gaps inside just refract light back."

"Ah, yes," Po said, "that."

"Nobody likes smarty kit," Osip said, looking happy but with an edge to his voice. His stare landed on Kris and the fox, trembling a little and teeth giving a little chatter, stepped back somewhat. Po saw it and waved him off.

"Thanks for the support, but I can discuss whatever it is here."

"Business," Osip said. "Business."

"Kung fu business?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"Very well then," Po said, clapping his paws together and giving them a rub. "Students, if you could just leave us in private for a second, I'm sure this will be over quickly."

He turned back to face them, flashing them a wink, then turning back and gesturing Osip over to the other edge of the courtyard. They walked over there as Kris, Ash and Haida made their way around a nearby corner.

"Okay," the hyena said, pausing for a second. "I think if we take two lefts there and climb up some things we can peek through a fence and get a good view of whatever is about to go down."

"Right behind you," Ash agreed, pausing to put a paw around his cousin as he led them on. "Hey, everything okay?"

"I didn't remember at first, but that bear has a scent familiar to someone I knew."

"Good or bad?"

"Complicated."

Ash began to roll his eyes only to stop, looking at Kris as Kris turned to look at him. "Well," the red fox said, stepping forward and grabbing his paw, holding it hard. "You're safe now."

"Uh-hu," Kris nodded, looking around at the temple around him and nodding.

"After all, your big cousin is here," he said. "All trained up in kung fu."

"As am I," Kris said, managing a little smile. "And I know karate."

"But do you know how to think outside the box?" Ash questioned, the larger vulpine pausing for a second.

"Well, I must compliment you there," he said, managing a smile. "Both noticing the tile and your wild animal craziness." He huffed a small laugh, the grin flashing across his muzzle. "I was genuinely confused with what you are doing. You are certainly good at utterly disregarding social conventions in…"

Kris was cut off by a laugh, or rather a cackle, the foxes turning to Haida who just waved back. "Sorry, just… 'Utterly disregarding social conventions?'" He looked up at the sky, a paw scratching the back of his head. "I mean, no offence, but I'm now having to flip which one of you I consider has an autism thing or something."

Ash's head tilted to the side while Kris just nodded. "Understandable," he said. "Most mammals my age are not this polite, or formal, so I can see where you're judging it from. Those things though have nothing to do with that, it's about reading and implicitly understanding the social conventions first that… -Why are you looking at me like that Cuz'?"

Ash just looked at him further, his eyes somehow getting increasingly half-lidded.

"I'm not…"

"Different?" Ash asked, waving his paws in front of him before placing them down on Kris' shoulder. "Now you know exactly what it's like. You're welcome."

"I…" Kris stumbled with his words for a second or two before just shaking his head, giving a huff and walking off, ears peeled back.

Haida, blinking, stepped out. "Hey, hey, I didn't mean it bad or anything. Just… I'm sorry. You're still really cool, you know?"

"Don't worry," Kris said, shaking his head. Ash cut in front of him, causing him to freeze in place.

"Yes I should," he said, pointing at the silverfox's chest. "I said I was going to look after my baby cousin."

"Thanks for the downgrade."

"You're wel…" Ash began, smiling before cutting himself off. Any conversation was then forestalled as Haida, finger up, leant over and mimed picking something off of Kris' head and reverently placing it back down on Ash's.

"...PPPFFFffffff…." Kris managed a slight giggle through the lips as Ash, giving a short grumble, managed a few ha-ha's as well.

"First off, well done. Now, as I was saying," he continued. "I know what it's like, and how much I hated it. So I am sorry. I shouldn't have called you…" He made a few waves of his paws. "Different."

"I mean, I am," Kris sighed, scratching the side of his head. "I'm as different as we all are here."

"Yeah, but…" Ash began, his ears going back as he glanced away.

"Ash?"

A few unintelligible mumbles came out of the red foxes mouth.

"Ash?"

"It should have been me who was taken."

A long quiet filled the space between them as Kris, fussing the ground with his paw, shook his head. "No, it…"

"First off it was meant to be me," Ash said.

"And I'm glad I took it for you," Kris said back, voice rising, paw beating on his chest as he stepped forward right up against his cousin. "You don't know what happened there," he said, his tongue tripping over his teeth a little. "The kind of mammals around there. You'd have been the punching bag, the laughing stock, the runt of the litter."

"You were the most different one though, weren't you?" Kris breathed in and out a few times before Ash carried on. "Yeah, I know what you're imagining would happen if I'd gone in. I'd be angry, up in your face, sticking my nose in and getting hot under the collar." The red fox marched forward, Kris stumbling back. "Probably getting into fights. Getting hurt. Getting down with them rather than trying to keep myself above them. Yeah, I was probably more like them. Would stand out less. And yeah, I get it. I'm smaller. I'm weaker. But guess what. I'm not as rigid as you are."

"Rigid?"

"Yeah. You probably didn't change there at all, did you?" Ash said, looking away. "You tried to keep yourself together the same as you came in, all the same mammal. And yeah, you could do that for a while…"

"Until I got pulled into fights," Kris said, a snarl in his voice. "Until I was singled out. Attacked, accused, betrayed. And I got into fights too. I stuck my nose in too. So I'd appreciate it if you stopped this I-shoulda-been-the-martyr stuff because I know it would have been hell for both of us. So at the very least, accept that having the stronger one take it was the better option."

"No."

Kris blinked. "What do you mean no?"

"Yeah, you're stronger," Ash said. "So strong you take it and take it until, SNAP! You snap. Me?" he asked, pointing at himself and giving a cunning little smile. "I bend."

"... You tried to throw yourself off a bridge. We've already…"

"-Already been through this," Ash parroted, fingers in his ears. "La-la-la, it was a learning experience, okay?" He pulled them out and sighed, looking at his cousin. "Yeah, learning experience. I've improved since then. Maybe enough that I could have taken it better than you."

"Maybe not."

"I was implying I could have."

"I was stating you can't be sure…"

"Well how about you?"

Kris blinked a few times. "What about…"

"How have you improved?" Ash asked. "How have you gotten better?"

The platinum pelted fox gave a snarl. "This isn't a competition, Ash."

The red fox blinked. "Wearing your emotions on your sleeve some more. There's one."

…

"So what?" Kris scoffed. "You think that's what I should take from this? That after losing the game I should get mad some more?"

"Yes! Get mad," Ash said. "Get happy, or sad, or anything. Adjust, adapt, think outside the box!" He waved his paws about. "Move with the blows rather than trying to stand still until you snap." He waved his arms in a snake like movement. "Learn to be flexible."

Kris stepped forward to speak only to halt himself, giving a short shrug. "I think you'll find…" And with that he let his feet slip out from underneath him, his body transitioning fluidly into a set of perfect splits. Then, one straight paw wrapping around the back of his neck as he did so, he pulled his legs into a lotus position. Arms now free and resting on his knees, his back bent back, muzzle stretching over until the top of his head was almost resting between his shoulder blades, jaw opening up a little so his tail, stretched up, could be held just between his teeth.

He then let go, leaning forward, carried onto his hand paws by his momentum so that his crossed legs could shoot out straight while in the air. He then pushed off with his arms, letting him jump back into an upright position, narrowed eyes snapping onto his cousin. "-I've always been the more flexible one."

Ash just stood there silently, nodding a few times. "Thinking outside the box. Perfect, I've taught you well."

Kris shook his head. "That wasn't… -You didn't…"

"Save it," Ash said with a smile, paw up. "Take a compliment when you get it."

He mumbled somewhat. "I was never this haughty to you. But… thanks."

Ash's eyes widened a little, ears going up as he managed a warm smile. "Yes you were. But thanks too, I…" He paused, ears flicking around a little. "Why is the ground shaking…?"

"Earthquake?" Kris asked, both looking at each other.

"Now that your heartwarming family moment is over," Haida cut in, "but the Kung Fu Business?"

"Huh?"

"The Kung Fu Business. Don't you think the earth starting to shake has something to do with that?"

Their eyes widened before they raced off.

Looking on as the two foxes and the hyena went away, Po carried on leading the white bear, Osip, to the opposite edge of the plaza.

"Nice kits," the white bear said.

"Oh, they are great. Fantastic students."

"And the odd adult in the group."

"Also epic, cool, really fun to be around."

"Hmmmm…"

The panda paused, turning back on the spot and in a flash having his claw gently boop the nose of the polar bear before he could even react. "And I don't like you insinuating things about my friends here." Osip reached up with a paw to yank Po's down, only to find it back by the panda's side again. "-Anyway," he carried on, cheery and regardless. "They're just a bunch of good kits, and nothing to do with us."

"I wouldn't say so."

Po raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah."

"My son met the larger of the foxes not so long ago. He told me about it."

"Did he now?"

"Da. Said he was too principled for own good."

Po looked around a little. "Not sure how that…"

"Sometimes," Osip began, this time grabbing forward at Po with his right paw. The panda easily pulled his own back, only to shudder as he felt his other paw held in Osip's left. "You need to play a little dirty to get what is needed."

"Hey, you can try that," Po warned. "But there's this thing called Karma."

"Pah," the bear said, letting go. "Useless canid superstition. Besides, I am not saying anything."

"Yes you are," Po warned.

Osip laughed. "Whatever could you mean by that?"

The panda responded in the same distant, cautious, condemning tone. "You're implying that you're willing to play dirty tricks to get what you want. And that you're not saying anything, when you clearly are. I can hear the words come out of your mouth, see your jaw move up and down, and am currently remaining stoic and unaffected by your terrible awful breath."

The polar bear gave a single amused chuckle before shrugging his shoulders. "Dirty tricks are, how you say, hypotheticals. And even though I have had them pulled on me already, I am hoping we can rectify our issues like good business mammals."

Po looked at him for a second before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" And with that he walked over to a locked cupboard, opening it up and pulling out a square table and chairs. The polar bear looked on, not sure what was occurring. "Hey," Po offered, leaning back in to close the door but not before taking the time to ring a gong held within. It rang out, the sound echoing around the courtyard. "We talk like good business mammals? We talk like good business mammals. At a table, enjoying ourself with a good honest game. Together. Friends."

Osip's eyes widened. "Sure, like friends," he smiled, pausing as he heard a thud off in the distance. Looking over, he saw a female tiger standing up after a hard landing, her eyes scanning the scene before fixing themselves on the table. Over she walked, smiling, claws sheathed, her tail swinging just a bit too gently and calmly behind her. "Master Po? Are you sure you wish to be humiliated again?"

"That was one time," the panda waved off, as the door at the bottom of the pagoda opened up. Out came an older, larger panda, looking over the scene before walking over.

"Young Po. I'm always willing to play with you, but I must say I am concerned. Needless suffering is never…"

"One time," the panda groaned, as he pulled out the stools and they all got into position.

Osip chuckled, threading his paws between each other and pushing them out. "You know, in between being good legitimate business mammal, I have won many a game and many a paw. Are you sure you want to face me, Mr Po?"

"I… You don't even know what we were talking about!?"

"I know enough to know I will be going home from today very happy," he smiled.

"We don't really do betting," Tigress said, with little to no effect on Osip's bluster.

"Point still stand," he said, paws on the square table. His eyes looked at it, resting on a strange round section in the centre. Inside it was a blue square, with another round indentation in the centre, decorated out. Probably just a place to roll dice in or something.

"So," the other panda said. "You are in which business?"

Osip gave a hearty chuckle. "Arts and crafts if you would believe, Mr..."

"King," the Panda King smiled, bowing. "And no. The greatness and strength of beasts in no way signifies that they do not appreciate beauty and art. I, too, found my earliest passions in spreading joy to the world with my creations."

"Sculpture, painting..?"

"Fireworks," he said, eyes sparking alight just a little.

"Ha," Osip laughed. "I like fireworks."

"Unfortunately," the black and white bear sighed, a regretful look growing over his face. "Those in my old home did not. Not for lack of quality, but for mammal who create them. There is nothing as hot and rage filled as passion of artist spurned. All, myself too, came to regret just what art my passion lie in. Paintings cannot harm. Gunpowder though…"

He waved his paws out and open, Osip just staring at him regardless. "-Well," the polar bear waved off, "artist spurned, I feel that, da."

"Are times… bad?"

"Da," Osip agreed. "Artisanal basket weaving, Tundra folk embroidery. Little Babushka dolls. Before, many a big, strong, powerful mammal wishing to give their soul respite would come into my store and spend great fortune on my art. My wife," he chuckled. "She was not starving artist, even if landlord was certainly… Well, we pay great, great premium for very good reason."

"And now?" the Panda King asked.

"No landlord, but no business. And now, new business mammal in town. Things work out, we never have to sell art again." He gave a laugh. "We keep it all for self."

"And where is fun in that?" the older panda chuckled.

Osip gave a grunt. "Where is fun in lot of things? That is why I am here. Today. Let us…"

"-Get on with this game," Po cut in, smiling as he threaded his fingers and stretched them out with a crack.

The polar bear looked at him for a second before shrugging. "Sure, who deal?"

"The table!"

A few blinks and the white bear looked down. "Must be very advance, clever table."

"Oh yeah, shuffles and deals all by itself," Po said, pushing down on the big button in the centre. It then began rumbling, a whole bunch of rattles and clatters coming out from inside as if it was shaking itself apart.

Osip just looked at it, the corner of his mouth pulling up, before leaning forward, elbows on the table and paws clasped together. "You see, artists get full of rage. Especially when artwork, wife's artwork, stolen."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Tigress said. "I'm not sure what help we could be, but if there's anything we could do…"

"Simple, give back."

The rattling continued as Po took over. "Give what back, I may ask?"

"My wife's creation," Osip said. "Small copper necklace. Old mammal, muscle of past landlord who was there to 'help us.'" He scoffed. "When old landlord go, he betray us." He jabbed at the table. "He use chance to rob us! To take thing that she hold dear. Break it in the process but that no matter. Is highly sentimental. All I want is it back. That too much to ask?"

He was met with silence across the table as the shaking and rattling from within ceased, four long strips of the table pulled away, and to the polar bear's confusion a long row of thick white tiles emerged in front of him. He watched on as each of the others took the thirteen or so on the top off, arranging them in front of themselves and doing a bit of rearranging.

Following on, Osip did just that, trying to make sense of the painted symbols. Some looked like regular playing cards, only with dots or sticks instead of the diamonds or hearts. Others had two pairs of Chinese characters on them.

Others… Pretty pictures. King or Ace or Jack, he did not know.

Po gave a short chuckle as he rearranged a few of his tiles, to the tutting of the Panda King. "As Hareison Ford say, do not get cocky kit." And with that he turned to Osip. "Young mammals, they think they have practice. They think they understand. Always causes fall on face. But you, I, older mammals of the world. We know what is going on, yes?"

"Da," Osip said, as the panda king threw a tile into the middle, one with two chinese characters on it. He picked up another one from the pile in front of him, eyebrow rising a little as he saw what it was, and placed it in the middle of his deck, giving a little rearranging for good measure.

"Of course," Panda King said, as Tigress rubbed her chin in thought. "As Al Shrewart ask, Why we choose to lose reason before we lose face?"

The tiger threw in another double character tile into the centre, sending it sliding and landing against the first, before she replenished her paw. Osip studied them. Two character tiles. Both with the same larger red character underneath… In fact, all had the same larger red character underneath… But with different top blue characters. And the red characters were touching… He scanned his paw.

"I think it because mammals do not know when to quit," the Panda King said. "Do you?"

"Ha, when I beat you," Osip replied, sliding out one of his character tiles and placing it so the blue one at the top rested against the matching blue tile on the Panda King's tiles. He then grabbed a replacement tile and brought it back into his paw, a smug look on his face.

Matched by the pressing gazes of the other three mammals.

.

.

…

"While you still have dignity," the Panda King said. "I think you should go."

"Nyet," Osip said, paws coming down onto the edge of the table and starting to grip it. "My wife has necklace that was stolen from…"

"Was not stolen from you," The Panda King said. "Was not yours. Not hers. Not even necklace. What it is is something you cannot comprehend," he said, shivering a little. "Sought after by menace of a mammal. We are done here. Go."

Osip stared at him for a second before standing up, paws carrying the table up with him and then hurling it backwards straight over his head, sending it flying and scattering the tiles like confetti as it tumble over itself and then crashed onto its side, splitting apart and disembowelling even more tiles like spilled entrails.

Po stared at him, the ruined table, back and forth a few times before yelling out. "I had a real good feeling about that game!"

"SHUT IT!" Osip roared. "I am here to get that useless trinket for new boss mammal, whatever stupid thing you say about it. I am here on job."

"As are we," Tigress hissed.

"And believe me, you do not want it," the Panda King warned, shivering. "I saw through it. Saw your old nation's worst day, apex of things cruelty."

"Oh, it is 'thing' now," Osip scoffed. "Well, I not care. I get it back from traitor, regardless!"

The three kung fu masters looked at each other with bated breath. "Really?" Tigress asked. "Just you?"

"Nyet," Osip said with a ravenous smirk, paw fidgeting in his pocket. And then there was a bang, more polar bears running through the small door, running out to the locks on the main gate and undoing them. With that it swung open revealing a wall of white fur. Together, the legion of bears began marching forward in unison, muscles flexing, teeth bared, claws out and ready. The air was filled with their low rumbles and the mahjong tiles spilled on the cobbled floor began shaking from the footfall of the approaching polar bear army. Osip just stood back a little and folded his arms. "Not just me."

There was a long pause before Po sighed with relief. "Oh thank god, there's tons of them. We're totally safe."

"I… You are totally stupid!"

"Ha," the younger panda mocked, stepping up to him. "No, you are," he said, pointing back at himself. "The conservation of ninjitsu is on our side now!"

"THAT NOT HOW FIGHT WORK!"

"No," he said, smiling. "But it be how kung fu work."

The bear shook his head only to pause, his grin growing as he stepped back. "You forget one thing though. Now time for my dirty trick."

Behind him the crowd of bears began to shift and finally parted, a pair coming out, long chains held over their shoulders and drooping down to a captive. Po, Tigress, The Panda King looked on, eyes widening, but not nearly as much as those of Haida, Kris and Ash as they peaked out through a wall.

"Those were nice kits," Osip smirked, stepping back between the new bears and putting his foot down hard on the cuffed, muzzled, shackled and very captive Mr Fox. "Shame if anything were to happen to their father and uncle. Da?"

Po could only stare down at the captive vulpine and then the bear above him, paw looming over his head like a hydraulic press ready to crush it into a pulp. "That's a dirty trick," he hissed. "But you won't succeed."

"I am fair bear," Osip said, smiling. "That one little itty bitty item, for lisa here."

"-I don't think that's his name."

"For fox here. Sounds fair, Da?"

"We won't…" Po began only to freeze, a pained whimper breaking out from the captive fox as he was thrown to the floor, a foot paw planting on top of his head to pin him in place. In response, Tigress and the Panda King moved forward, only to be matched with a retainer of polar bears advancing to block them.

From behind his defensive wall, Osip chuckled. "I give you one minute to decide." Another whimper came out from the fox, the masters, unable to see him, wincing regardless at the sound of his head being crushed down into the ground.

A move matched by Ash, Kris and Haida, peering in. Kris' fur was standing up, his body shaking as he began to slip away. "We've got to do something…"

A dark red paw grabbed him. "Wait."

"Wha… Okay, what's your plan?" Kris asked, breath coming in and out fast as the standoff out in the courtyard carried on, Osip starting to brag about just how much effort it would be to 'clean up the mess' if they didn't meet their demands.

Ash, shaking his head, glanced back. "Dad isn't in trouble."

"I… You think he's got a plan or something?"

"Well if it was him, yes," Ash said, paws out. "And it's not like dad would get into that kind of situation in the first place!"

Kris looked at him, blinking a few times. "You're clearly in denial."

"I… -No I'm not."

"Your father is out there, captive, about to have his head crushed and you're stating it can't be him as he'd never lose like that."

"I… Yes," Ash hissed, stomping his foot. "Because it's true! I know him and…"

His muzzle was clamped by the vice-like grip of Kris' paw, the silverfox's voice calm, clear, and cold. "And I knew him for years too. As a father when my own was on death's door. So don't think I don't. But unlike you I'm not stupid enough to think he's not a mammal like the rest of us. He's not able to win every match, he can get in trouble, he can be stuck without a plan to get out. That's him there, and I'm not going to stand by while he dies!" With that, Kris threw Ash back into Haida's paw as he began to march off.

"Listen," Ash hissed, standing up. "My gut is telling me something isn't right! Sure, he looks like dad, is dressed like dad, but…"

"Well even if it isn't," Kris mocked. "He's still a mammal in trouble and I am NOT going to stand around and let another one suffer."

"Even if it just ends up in you getting broken again?"

Kris cast a gaze down at him, lines growing up his muzzle as he shook his head. "It's not the beating that broke me. It was the cheating. -No, the throwing of the board when they'd lost."

"And what if they…" Ash began.

"-And what if they don't?"

"-You know," Haida cut in. "As the adult here, maybe I should point out that two fox kits, even with a hyena helping out, would probably struggle to bring down one polar bear. Also, if you're worried about your father being in trouble, there's a very easy solution I don't think you're thinking of."

Kris blinked a few times. "He's the leverage. They can't afford to…"

"Well that's if he is Mr Fox, which using my superior maturity and intelligence I will now find out!" the hyena said, before he brought up his phone. "Hello? Hello? Hi, a bunch of really scary polar bears turned up and have you hostage. I…" He froze. "Huuuh? Twice in one day? REALLY!? Oh yeah, they're fine. Right. Right. Of course. Okay then. Bye." He looked down at the kits. "So he visited the ZNN building earlier and had to fight an evil doppelganger. I'm guessing that's the same guy there."

The response from one of the kits was immediate. "I told you so!"

"Yes, you did," the other said, turning back to look at the confrontation. "And now I've got to stop them cheating on our friends."

Haida blinked, scrolling through his phone. "Hang on, do any of you have their number or… -We could just shout, couldn't we? Yeah, I'll just…" He turned to yell, only for a paw grip from Ash to stop him. He looked down at the red fox, who pointed off to the side. A group of polar bears had broken off from the main group while the three main heroes were distracted and were slipping away.

"They'll be going after that other polar bear, won't they?"

Haida looked at them and nodded. "Right," he said, the fur on his body starting to stand up. "So we go to warn him and beat them with him. Okay…"

Kris looked at Ash, Ash at Kris, and both nodded, racing off.

"Right! I'll," he turned to glance back and yelled out. "That isn't the real Mr Fox! It's a fake!" and then sped off after them.

…

"Face it," Tigress spoke, her voice calm yet with a sharp cut beneath it, her eyes coldly scanning the assembled bears. "You lose that fox, you lose your leverage."

"You willing to bet?" one of the bears laughed, the tiger returning a cold stare back as a slight smirk grew on her muzzle.

"Are you?"

There was a pause before the bear began to snigger and laugh, followed by another, and another, the group laughing out loud. Po sided up to Tigress, paw up to his mouth as he whispered. "I don't like the sound of…"

A muffled cry came from behind them, the pair flicking their heads to face it. Tigress' eyes widened. "They must have mammals going around us."

"The kits!" Po yelled.

"The bear," Panda King spoke, marching forward and glancing at his son in law. "Po, can you hold them off?"

The younger panda looked at him and nodded. "Leave it to me."

"In case we don't meet again," Tigress said, grabbing him by the shoulders. She then squeezed his cheeks between her palms, leaned in, then jumped up and back, Po grabbing her paws and swinging her into the front line of bears, her feet kicking out on each and every ones faces. They yelled and stumbled backwards, knocking the line back, as the tiger let go of Po and landed on all fours, racing off along with the Panda King. "I'll get the security system back online," she yelled, before the pair leapt clean over a wall, on their way.

Po just stood there, smirking. "Works every time," he said, racing forward and aiming a square uppercut right at the one bear at the front still standing. His head jerked up with a crack, the Panda kicked a knee in,and then swept down with a paw, cutting the leg out from under him. Over he toppled, right onto the next two or three trying to get back up, causing them to topple once more. "Haha!"

Osip, in the second row, just snorted, looking at all the bears around him. "ATTACK!"

They all raced forwards together, Po's excited face dropping. And then he turned and fled, leading them on.

.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Haida asked, turning the corner as he followed the two foxes. Both looked up at him, Kris speaking out first.

"We can smell polar bear, so given that those new ones haven't been this way yet I think it's safe to assume it's him."

"Yeah," Ash said. "Just trust us. We can do it, no need to put a spotlight on us or anything."

There was a click, the whole alley they were in lighting up with security lasers and spotlights, one cast right on the pair of younger vulpines.

There was a pause, before a shrill siren roared out. 'ALARM-ALARM-ALARM.' The lights vanished, the machinery casting them whirring up as the power increased, and Haida leant in and yanked them back just as a burning red version of the lights lit up the area.

There was a pause as they stood in their currently safe area, the hyena glancing at Ash. "Well, guess it happened regardless."

"Couldn't we just go through them anyway?" Ash asked. "They're lights, what's the worst they can do?"

"Those are now high powered lasers," Kris said. "They'll likely cause significant and incredibly painful full body burns…"

…

"Though if they stop the even larger enemy polar bears getting through," Kris carried on. "That could be seen as a positive."

"Okay," Ash said, "we need to find him regardless. Is there a way to get through these or…"

"Use the higher ground."

"Yes," the fox agreed, his voice just a bit stressed. "But how…"

"Haida can throw us."

Ash blinked.

"-Onto the roof."

They both turned to the hyena, who knelt down, paw out. "Right, get on and…" He let Kris step on his arm and jumped, swinging the fox upward. He landed on a nearby low section of roof, quickly joined by Ash.

"Okay," the latter said. "If we go around, you can…"

There was a thump and a clatter, two paws appearing on the edge of the roof, clasping on. "-Uh, guys?"

They leant forward and grabbed them, straining to pull it up as the sound of feet scrabbling against the wall rang out below. Grunting, groaning, they pulled up and Haida's face emerged over the lip, letting him move his elbows up and over. A quick pause to catch his breath and, with one big push and pull, he made it up and over. "You were saying?"

"Doesn't matter," Ash waved off, Kris turning and leading them on. The red fox followed, the cheering hyena right behind them.

"Teamwork makes the dream work!"

On they raced, avoiding the security lasers, in many cases yellow but in a few red as they saw a group of polar bears trying to make their way through. Kris, looking down at one trying to navigate between some static lasers, saw him pause, their eyes meeting. The bear stood up for just a second, his brow hitting the yellow light above him.

The emergency claxon immediately began screaming out, the bear cursing and ducking back down to avoid the newly red laser beam.

"Oh, by the way," Ash said, coming up to his cousin and calling down. "We know your My Dad is fake."

He yelled out something, paws swinging out and cutting into another laser. Both foxes flinched back at the following sight as he yelled, cursed and began begging for water.

"Well," Kris said, giving his cousin a look. "I suppose we know it works."

"Yeah," Haida said, coming up behind him, tiles slipping off the roof as he went. "Haha groundies! Guess you're stuck with the security system, while we get to go over your head."

The bears, even the one currently whimpering with his paw thrust in a stagnant drainage gutter, looked at each other. Two of them then raced forward and jumped, leaping up onto the roof just below the trio. "I just had to…" Haida began, before a crack and splintering of wood rang out.

The two ursines looked at each other before they plunged through a hole in the roof, a cloud of dust kicked up out of it.

"-Just had to trick you into that," the hyena cheered, fist up.

A few excited words came out from beneath them before the grating of some heavy wooden furniture sliding around rang out. It went silent for a few seconds before a massive bang shook the building. The trio on the rooftop looked at each other in confusion before looking down at where a second bang, then a third, then a fourth rang out. Cutting through the rows of buildings, leading on up ahead. Those still outside broke through the door and raced in after.

"Cuss," was all Ash could say, as Kris raced off after them along the rooftop, the others in fast pursuit.

"Do you think they know where they're going?" was all Haida could ask, all while concentrating on staying on the roof.

"I don't know," Ash said. "It just looks like we're going towards the kitchens."

.

.

Kozlov cursed as he ran, bringing up the small remote he had to turn off the next set of security systems and turn back on the ones he'd just passed. "Stupid, stayed here too long!" he cursed, as he heard alarms going off around him. There were yells, the sounds of roars, curses, alarms going off. He turned off the security systems around the next building and walked inside, passing by the pots of boiling soup and steaming dumplings. -Only to freeze as one of the walls in front of him burst open.

Four bears, covered in plaster and dust, emerged, laying down the heavy and mangled chest they'd carried between them. Its legs hit the ground hard and the old varnished wood on top cracked and fell apart, the thing broken from its ordeal.

"You did good," one of them said, patting its remains before turning to Kozloz. "Old friend, please! Make this easy on us."

He looked at them coldly. "Rattigan can't have it."

"I don't care about sentimentality," one of them scoffed. "This about survival! Paying the wage. Like before, all like before. Nothing has changed."

"What about honour?" the old bear asked.

"Honour was luxury we have no time for anymore," a third said. "Just give us thing, turn off security system, let us go." He paused, sniggering. "Help you, help our hostage."

"How so?" Kozlov asked.

"He not need to get face destroyed," the fourth laughed.

"Come on, please," the first said. "Make it easy for us."

Kozlov paused, then shrugged, brought out his remote and turned on the security system. There were no lasers inside, but all the entrances and exits, bar the tight hole punched through the walls by the bears, were sealed off.

At a high window up in the roofspace, Kris froze just outside, nose a whisker's breadth away from tripping the beam.

"Really?" one of the bears inside asked. "Be reasonable. Turn off, now."

Kozlov looked at the remote, shrugged, and then threw it into one of the boiling pots of soup.

Looking on from above, Kris backed up, met by Ash and Haida, the pair catching their breath.

"Okay," the red fox said, panting. "Now what?"

"Now," one of the bears inside said, shaking his head. "We fight."

"Da," Kozlov nodded. "We fight."

And with that the lead two bears raced forward, jaws opening as they let out mighty roars, the full strength of their bodies levered up and then sent crashing down onto their opponent. Kozlov stepped back, dodging the first strike and hitting the bear on the right with his fist in return, socking him across the face with a tooth splitting crack.

-Only for the second bear to jump in and grip onto his clothes and fur with his claws, digging in, shredding the fabric on top into ribbons as his sharp points clutched the thick fur and blubber beneath, twisting as they tried to get a grip, scraping and cutting through as Kozlov reared back, pushing at his opponents face to try and throw him away. The wood floor cracked and groaned as the massive footpaws of the attacker were slid back from the force of the brawl and then cracked as Kozlov jumped up and in, headbutting his opponent with his forehead.

The enemy bear cursed and hissed as he stumbled back and was dragged around, blocking the first bear from intervening for a few seconds more before being pushed around to block the third and fourth. Head up but claws still gripping, the captive bear held on only to roar as Kozlov reached down and bit one of his wrists, breaking it free. His other one clutched on harder, tighter, streams of blood starting to flow from it. All as the paw, released from its toothy grip, came down on top of Kozlov's head, trying to force it down.

Kozlov gripped back with his own paws, wrapping around the neck of his opponent, trying to duck him down and failing. Pulling him, hobbling, to one side or the other, still trying to spare himself a few more seconds before the other bears could come in and fight.

The third and fourth polar bears split, coming around either side of him and each kicked him in the back of the knees, forcing him down and holding him, pinned to the splintering floor, with their weight. Together they grabbed his arms, feet pressing on the floor as they tried to pull Kozlov back and off their comrade.

Kozlov, in the middle, pulled back and forth, closed his eyes, grit his teeth and let out a roar as he held on to his opponent in front even harder and then threw himself back.

For a second, the two bears thought they'd succeeded in prying him free from the one in front, only for their eyes to widen as they saw the half a tonne mass of muscle, fat, bone and fur rise up, pulled by their own strength in a full on suplex. They tried to move out of the way, only to have their comrade come crashing down onto them, knocking them back and off their pinned opponent.

Up Kozlov rose, shaky, torn up, panting and angry. Right into the first bear, fully recovered from his sucker punch. He tried to brace himself, only for Kozlov to tackle him, push forward, grip under his elbow and yank him around.

The older bear tried to headbutt again, the younger one ducked to the side only to then wince at a gut punch. A swipe hit the side of his head again, only for him to return in kind, causing Kozlov to curse and then push hard with both paws.

The bear stumbled back only to be caught by the second bear, who he'd attacked Kozlov with in the first place. Paws on his backs to steady him, he stood his ground, soon joined by his comrades in arms. Together all four took a second or two to catch their breath, staring off against their lone opponent. Still standing but weaker, wearier, his opponents glancing at each other and sniggering with confidence before charging again.

Kozlov, stepping back towards a collection of massive cast iron pots laying spare and empty, grabbed one and swung it forward, letting it fly through the air and hitting one of the bears hard in the face. A dull ring and a squelchy crunch rang out, halting the bear for a second or two. A second pot was swung, two of the bears working together to bat it away. Shaken slightly from the assault, they carried on their relentless march again as a third pot came flying, then a fourth, then a fifth. Each one hitting hard, each one pushed to the side, each one doing little to halt the advance. Growling, angrier with each hit, one of the bears grabbed the sixth pot as it hit him hard in the stomach and threw it back, smashing into the seventh and final one as it flew at them.

They rung out and wrenched, the brittle metal cracking apart from the collision and the mangled fragments flying out and away.

There was a few seconds of quiet before the blaring ALARM, ALARM, ALARM of the sirens rang out, not that the bears seemed to care. Kozlov raced over as fast as he could, over to the pots on the burners, full of boiling soup.

He threw the first one, the bears scattering to avoid a scalding. One pair coming in on his left, one on his right, he grabbed two pots. One placed between his feet, the other was clutched in his paws, ready to throw out its roiling hot contents at anyone who tried him.

The others kept their distance, fanning out so they covered him on all sides. Waiting for the first move to be made.

One of them, one of the two who'd pinned him down at the back, shook his head. "Give up," he said. "Give us the thing. We go home."

"Oh no!" came a muffled curse from the bear who'd taken a sucker punch to the muzzle at the start. "He want fight, he get fight."

"I never want fight…" Kozlov said bitterly, head snapping between the various mammals as, together, they slowly advanced on him.

"Then why do it?" One of them asked.

"Because someone must carry the burden," he said, his grip on the pot slipping for a second or two before gripping on firmer, tighter. "Someone must always fight. To save the others. To take defeat, so they don't have to."

"Ha, so you know you're going to lose?" one of them asked.

"Da," Kozlov said, "Game is rigged. Always have been."

"Then why take fall, brother? Why take the fall?"

"Because," he said, breath catching as they took another step forward. "If not me, with my sins, who else. WHO ELSE!"

He roared, as did the others, stepping forward one step only for a cloud of red to cast down on all four.

.

.

"Da," Kozlov nodded. "We fight."

And with that, the front two bears charged at him, to the horror of those up above. Ash grit his teeth as Kris covered his eyes, looking away as the roars and grunts of the brawl sounded out below.

Punches, splintering wood, yells and curses, still trembling, Kris looked forward again, his ears peeled back. "We've got to do something…"

"I… What can we do?" Haida asked, paws out. "There's four of them."

"And four of us," Ash said.

Haida looked at him for a second. "You do realise I'm the strongest of us by far and there's basically no way I could match the weakest of them on a good day, right?"

"I…" the red furred todd began, only for Kris to cut in.

"We can't do nothing," he stressed, standing up on his trembling legs, eyes glistening. "I'm not going to stand here and let him get mobbed. I…"

He flinched as Haida gripped his paw. "Listen, I… -Maybe he has a plan! He turned the security system on, maybe he plans to break free, jump through the laser things and let them hold the other bears back."

"The plans not going very well," Ash said, looking through the rooftop window as two of the bears knocked Kozlov down, pinned his knees, reached forward to drag his paws off of a third only to then have their move used against them, the force dragging their comrade over Kozlov as he…

"Okay, epic suplex," Haida said, suddenly holding up a fist in celebration as Kozlov broke free. "Okay, go through that gate there, through… No, no, AGH…" He watched on tight as Kozlov threw the first pot.

"We should go in," Kris said, only to hold a paw up as he looked at the yellow beams in front of him. "But it'll have to be together, at a time that makes sense so we don't distract them."

"What time would make…" Ash began, only for the bang of a snapping pot to ring out, fragments thrown out, towards the laser guarded doorways in and out of the kitchens.

"Now," Kris said, grabbing Ash and pulling him through. Eyes widening, Haida ran in after them as the yellow lasers were broken, grabbing the wooden beams of the open roofspace and pulling himself through just as the red lasers came back on. Glancing back, he gulped as he saw his tail still in the danger zone only for it to carry on pulling out between two beams, curling up behind him. He then turned back to Ash and Kris, muzzle pulling up into a near snarl.

"Well done," he hissed. "We're now trapped."

The fox kits, standing on one of the many small wooden storage platforms and beams crisscrossing through the open attic, shrugged. "We didn't train in kung fu all this time for nothing," Ash said.

The hyena shook his head. "It's been three days. What are you even going to do?"

Kris took a breath in and out. "Show him he's not alone. Fight. Go for their pressure points, give them all the force we can give…"

"-And play dirty," Ash said, pulling open a cardboard box of spices and pulling out one of the large plastic baggies within. Teeth biting around the top he tore it off, coughing and spluttering at the dust kicked up from it.

Haida looked between them, then down at the ever more surrounded bear, and let out a resigned cackle. "Well, I suppose we do have the high ground."

Kris nodded, before jolting as Ash threw him another bag. Just like his, the dark red and brown substance was labelled up. 'Ground Shiziuan Pepper.' "Dirty and dishonourable," was all he said, before gripping the top of the bag in his teeth and ripping it open too. Haida grabbed two for himself and then sped out over towards Kozlov, over each of the bears on that side as they advanced on him.

"Game is rigged," Kozlov said. "Always have been."

Kris, in position, closed his eyes, felt the slight breeze on his still just a little too bare tail. He looked down at Kozlov, ears back, eyes closing as he nodded ever so slightly

"Then why take fall, brother?" one of the attackers asked. "

"Because," Kozlov said, breath catching as they took another step forward. "If not me… WHO ELSE!"

Kris felt his paws grip hard, his eyes dart open, and, his body seized by anger and passion and a single burning resolution, threw out the bag of spiced powder right at one of the bears. Ash did the same on the one nearest him. Haida threw his two down at their targets.

For a second, the bears held themselves where they were as if processing what had just happened. And then they clutched their eyes, covered their noses and roared in pain, coughing and sneezing, charging forward in blind fury.

Eyes widening at his sudden reprieve, Kozlov swung around the first pot, boiling hot, sticky glutinous chicken and sweetcorn soup cast onto each and every bear, thrown into their fur and sticking in place like delicious, delicious napalm.

Even if it was just for a second, their flinches and increased yells of pain were seized on as a second pot, full of simmering sweet and sour sauce, was sloshed into them with much the same effect. Both pots freed of their contents, Kozlov wielded them both as he leapt to the right, hitting one bear hard on the head with one, another with the second, and then pushing them apart as he leapt through the gap.

Behind them there were kicks and punches as the blinded mammals briefly pounced on each other before quickly realising their mistake, stumbling and lashing out as they formed a line and advanced once more on Kozlov.

This time though the larger bear had the advantage. One came at him before the rest and the older bear came in with a sideswiped that was easily dodged, only to be nothing more than a feign for a splitting uppercut. Still dazed, two paws on his sides and half a ton of muscle swept him into one of his comrades and sent them both to the floor. Not even stopping, Kozlov ran up to one of the still-standing bears, grabbing his pots once again and slamming one hard down onto the head of the unlucky mammal with a dull echoing ring, then the other came smashing down hard, then the first crashed and rang out against his head a second time good measure.

The mammal held himself still for a second before slowly starting to tilt and fall, like a tree about to come crashing down. The kick to his gut sent him to the floor in a near instant, the bear only able to slowly rock from side to side feebly, paws covering his moaning head.

With one enemy still left, Kozlov didn't even think, yet alone take time to savour his victory, before turning to him. Only to find him already there.

A furious fist smashed into Kozlov's head and wrapped around him, putting him into a lock as his opponent marched forward, pushing him clear of those on the floor and back. Back further. Slowly tilting him to the side to cast him down, or push him so far back he hit the glowing red lasers. Either would do. Kozlov tried to headbutt again but it was a non-started, his shoulder already locked down. He tried to open his mouth and take another bite, his near blinded opponent felt it coming and bit back on his own, catching the side of Kozlov's face. They shook, they roared, they scraped against the cracking and groaning floor as they went.

A bag of chillies came down on top against the attacking bear, they had no effect. Neither did the cardboard boxes of spices or even the odd plank of wood or spare wok. The mammal just grunted out. "Whoever you are, you DIE next!"

There was a yell of protest from above, a thump behind, and a singular stoic statement. "I'd rather not." And then the bear buckled at the knees, stumbling ever so slightly but ever so slightly enough. Off balance, Kozlov pushed him back and down, bending him over himself and throwing him back with enough force that his head hit the wood floor with a splintering crack.

He moaned a little, but otherwise lay there silent and defeated.

Kozlov could only blink, turning to the side and seeing his saviour. Young, vulpine, pale furred… "You…?" he gasped, "How…" His paw began making the sign of the cross before it froze as he took in the sight of the platinum furred fox. One he knew from the day before, a student of the temple. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Spasibo," was all he could say, pausing as saw the two bears he'd pushed back before stand up, faces snarling as they saw their knocked out comrades. "Get behind me."

"No," Kris said, looking forward and breathing in and out, body shaking ever so slightly yet held firm as he stood by him. "I'm not letting you face this alone. Not like how I had to."

Kozlov blinked. "Are you stupid? You are kit! Who do you think you are?"

"My name is Kristofferson Silverfox," he said, staring ahead. "I am the Anonymous Vulpine. And I am here so you don't have to take the fall again."

Kozlov didn't get another word in as the two remaining bears pointed at the young vulpine and laughed. "Hey, Kozlov, nice backup!" one yelled, before the other froze.

"Wait, he one who throw chilli at us!"

His companion fixed his suddenly now also metaphorically burning gaze at Kris and yelled. "NOW I BREAK YOUR FACE!"

And together, united in fury, they raced forward, only for a red furred mammal to swing down from the rafters and jab the two broken halves of a chilli pepper into one of their eyes each. They roared, jumping together to grab at the mammal as he jumped down, landed on his feet and scrabbled forwards at a rapid pace. He stood up, turned to them, and pointed at himself. "I was the one who spiced your faces! I'm the one whose face you need to break. And don't you forget it!"

They lunged at Ash as he raced off on all fours, crazy as a wild rabid fox, out of their way, darting and weaving and toying when he could. They lunged back at him, missing him as he raced to their exposed foot paws, which they quickly tucked under them as they got back up and began moving on him once again. The one on the right marched forward first, only just managing to see the fox slide something under his descending foot before wincing up in pain and almost tumbling back down again. Instead he hopped back, revealing the bent metal pasta server he'd stepped on, the metal points around the edge of the perforated ladle having pushed up into his paw pad.

Ash didn't wait a second, leaping up onto the exposed leg and swinging around it, before pulling out a second one and hooking one of the bear's toes.

He yanked it back, the ursine hissing and feeling his balance start to go. He looked out to see where his fighting partner was… Kozlov had tackled him, the pair were currently locked in another brawl, the silver fox kit helping out around the back, punching in at his partners weak spots to help the traitor bear topple him.

His eyes narrowed. He was not going to go down to some single pathetic fox. A new resolve burned in his burning eyes, he twisted his body as he fell, landing on all four paws and kicking out with his rear ones. The red fox took the hit and grunted, rolling onto his feet and scrabbling around before pouncing onto his front, a kick landing onto the bear's weeping nose and knocking him back in a dazing blister of pain. Just as the fox planned, until his opponent leapt forward regardless, arms out and sweeping. And this time, despite the vulpine's speed, the bear caught him.

He threw Ash to the floor, the fox sliding and skidding as he tried to get up onto his paws again, a sudden panic growing on his face. The bear just leapt again, paws out to tear the precocious little kit clean apart.

The swoosh of swinging metal crashed into him as a grey furred paw kicked his target away. "You think you can just take him?" A new voice yelled, the bear looking up to see a hyena standing there, wok in one paw and a skewer in the other. "You're going to have to come after me first!"

The bear did just that, leaping forward and swinging, catching the hyena by surprise. He yelped, jumping back as the paw glanced him, sending him stumbling away but not before repaying the paw for its efforts. A jab of the sharp skewer, in and out, caused the paw to wince back as Haida began circling around. Dodging another paw, he whacked the bear on the head before jumping back to avoid a lunge.

Not playing the game anymore, the bear pushed down and lifted himself up, towering over the scrappy scavenger and then charging, his paws swiping down to cut him up. The hyena raced off and around, keeping out of range, out of striking distance, only adding the odd whack of his wok onto an offending paw to ward it away.

The bear turned, trying to keep focussed, keep his blurred tear-stained eyes on the sight of the brown furred menace. Only for him to dart around past him and a sudden jab to come up from his rear end. He hissed, turning, jumping forward to try and crush the hyena where he stood.

Haida backed out and Ash slid in, dropping down his pasta server right where the paw came crashing down.

They looked on as the bear yelled, hopping up in pain and clutching his injured foot. Haida then whacked the other knee with his wok and jumped around to prod its backside once, twice, three times. Again, the bear toppled down, Haida and Ash running out of the way to avoid the tumble.

His paws came out to catch him, leaving his head vulnerable to another pair of poundings from the hyena, at which point he roared and charged. No more sense, no more planning, the bear was just a savage mammal charging after the fleeing pair as they raced on, raced towards the other side of the building, snaking and swerving to try and throw him off but it was futile.

He was gaining, he was going to grab them, they turned to face their death and he leapt at them, paws out as they split in two revealing the red lasers of the…

Ash and Haida watched on as his momentum carried him clean between them and into the burning red security laser, which blazed out the second he touched it, burning into his fur. Any slowing down he was doing was immediately cut off as he yelled and pulled himself clean through as fast as he could, clear of the blazing lights and outside.

Ash and Kris breathed a sigh of relief and looked back. Kozlov had the bear he was facing in a headlock, subdued. Kris had just finished tying up one of the two on the floor, and was making his way over to the second.

Turning ahead and outside, they saw their bear stand up, shaking and weary. All along his sides were smoking black lines from the lasers and he limped and stumbled as he walked forward. "You three cannot win!"

"Oh really?" Haida asked, paws out. "Because I think we just did."

"Yeah," Ash said. "If you want a rematch, come right back in, Humbug," he said, pointing at the lasers. Which then turned off.

Haida just gave the fox a look. "You just had to ask. Kris! Rematch!"

"On it," the silverfox said, hurriedly finishing tying the restraints on the moaning bear. He turned to race forwards, only to freeze as a warrior in black and white and orange landed down outside.

Tigress gave the polar bear a look, eye cocked, as he froze where he was and then slowly pulled up his paws. She sighed and in one instant uppercut he stumbled back against a nearby wall and slid down, defeated.

And with that, the feline turned to face the crowd as the Panda King joined her. "Is it?" he asked, looking at Kozlov.

"Da," the bear said, standing up and gesturing out. "With much help."

The two masters looked at their three students and their work, and a smile began to grow on their face. Kris gave a bow, Haida sighed with relief and started going on about how they all worked together and got it done, and Ash just stood there smiling, his tail wagging contently behind him.

"You have all done very well," the Panda King said, before pausing as he saw Ash. "But we must hurry. They have your father as leverage."

"-It's not his father," Haida cut in. "It's an imposter."

"How do you…" the elder panda began, only to pause and laugh as the hyena brought up his phone and pointed at it. "Very good. With this, we and the police can work together and help Po defeat the…"

"-Wait, the police?" Haida asked, pausing before pacepawing. "Why didn't I call the police?"

"Does not matter then," the panda cut in. "Too late now, but information enough. Tigress, we must…"

He froze, eyes widening in horror, as the bear Kris had been tying up broke free of his restraints and grabbed the silver fox tight in his paws, holding him up and close, the vulpine straining for breath as he was gripped tight. "First fox may be imposter," he said, stumbling to the side and to one of the boiling pots. "But this one is not! Ha! Now, unless you want fricasse fox, I… -Why can't I move?"

He looked down to see Kris pinching one of his fingers with two of his own.

"What is this?"

Kris, as much as he could, shrugged. "Wuxi finger hold."

And then he lifted his pinky and bent it down.

For a moment nothing happened, then a loud grumble pierced the room. The polar bear shifted, then bent down in on himself as a larger one rumbled out, then an even larger one. Teeth gritted, moaning with pain, he stumbled and staggered forward, Kris slipping out of his loosened grip.

The Panda King, Tigress, Po and Haida just looked on, wide eyed, as the unsteady, bent over, gut clutching steps of the now whimpering polar bear carried him back to the door.

The Panda King raised a finger and pointed. "Third on the right."

Eyes widening in desperation and hope, the bear raced off.

Tigress could only whistle in appreciation before bowing. "Most impressive Student Silverfox. I hope you use this ancient art very wisely."

"I will," he said, bowing down and receiving a fist bump on the elbow for his trouble.

"'Course the ace would work it out," Ash said, a smile on his face.

"I could teach you."

"Maybe later," the red fox waved off. "I see now why they don't use it so much."

"Indeed," the Panda King said. "But with polar bear now evacuated to spirit world, now we must go." And with that he turned and raced off, Tigress giving them one last look.

"Look after the bear," she said, as she followed him off.

Kozlov, standing up, sighed. "Thank you. Thank you for your help." He bit his lip a little before sighing. "But I must go, I…"

"Wait, wait, wait," Haida said, cutting in. "You're safe now."

"Am not safe!" he barked. "Am NEVER safe. All I can do is keep moving, so mammals around me do not get hurt." He sighed, rubbing his face. "Not again, never again." He began to move, only for Ash to cut him off.

"So that's it, huh? You think you can just keep running? Why? What's even the problem? We beat off those guys!"

"There are worse!"

Ash only groaned. "Who? What? Where?" He threw out his paws. "Give us specificics."

Kozlov began to move only to pause, an angry scowl growing on his muzzle. "You want specifics?" he asked, turning to face the fox and pulling something out of a pocket as he did so. A strange pendant on a chain. "See this?" he said. "I lost my brother, to this. I lost friends to this. Innocents died to this. I threw away my innocence for this. My country fell apart, because we thought we could defeat this and something terrible wished to humble us!"

Kris looked on, pausing. "That picture. Those mammals. That raccoon. They…

He looked up to them, a smile growing on his face. "That raccoon, with help of one other, did what I suffer for… Others at my own paws suffer for, for decades to try and do. In one glorious moment, freeing the world of an evil that…" He sighed, clutching his head and looking at them.

"So wait?" Ash blinked. "It's gone, the thing is gone…"

"Da," Kozlov hissed. "But then came those who want to bring it back! For years, I thought us safe, until Big fell. They found me. And now…" He began moving again.

"So why don't you just let these guys help you," Haida cut in. "They knew that raccoon or whatever. They were like him…"

"They are not, NONE OF US ARE!" Kozlov roared. "What don't you get? This is a game that cannot be won. That is not for us to play. We are all just pieces, having to run about. No control, no hope, only here to suffer and bear it. To TAKE the burden." He gritted his teeth and sighed. "And I have suffered, I have bore it, and I have made others suffer. I am already tainted, and if I can do just one thing? One thing right in my life!? That thing is making sure others don't…" He sighed. "And in ways, I have already failed in that. Tchhh… But no more. No more using bunnies, or foxes, or hyena. If hero raccoon or hero vixen come? They will probably be set upon by scum of earth too. Nobody can win here. No one. So better I take it on, take it all on, me and my dirty paws, make sacrifice and not let others have to suffer it. Not any more! Not any more."

And with that he began moving on, only to freeze as a small paw gripped his. He turned, face angry, only to soften ever so slightly as he looked into the soft eyes of Kris.

"I get it," he said, softly. "To be caught up in someone else's games. To be a piece. To be moved around by others. A dumb mammal wanted to hurt my cousin, but I got caught in the crossfire and was the one who was left holding the hot potato when it blew. And those looking into it? At first they tried to say how the rules of the game were meant to be in my favour. How this was the best place in the world to fall into this trap, as there were safeguards and rules and all that. And they knew things didn't add up, and it would be a pain, but I wouldn't have to suffer as they'd chosen to make it so mammals like me didn't have to suffer. Only…"

His voice hitched a little, paws balling up and then releasing. "The wrong mammal in the right place, he found a crack weaving through all the rules to the other side and piled on through, to make me suffer. To throw me to the worst place possible, to punish me and all those who'd been on my side. All because I was now just a piece in his game, and he was gonna play me to win. Nothing more. To cuss with what it meant for me. So I was sent to a terrible place, and in that place there were NEW rules, a new game, that I tried to play the best I could. And you know what, I WON! I won it, I held my head above the water, until those other guys lost their game and I was supposed to get out. It was supposed to be over. And then?" He sighed. "Some others who lost the game? They just couldn't stand it. They couldn't let me get out having won the stupid game, they hadn't rigged and played every dirty trick they could for nothing! So they flipped the cussing board at the last, last moment they could, just to hurt me. Just to make me suffer. Just so they could smile and say they won after all! Because cuss me. I wasn't a mammal. I was just a piece to them, something for a terrible mammal to humble."

A long silence was held between them, before Kris walked forward and hugged the larger bear as hard as he could. "So I understand," he mumbled. "Hating what it is. Hating what it does. Hating being the piece, holding the hot potato. And at the same time… Wanting it, on you, because you know if it wasn't you it'd be someone else. Good mammals. Mammals you think back on and every fibre in your gut says would have it worse than you did. So what kind of mammal would you be if you shirked your duty to them. You're here, here to take it, just get it on already, and cuss them for not getting it! How could they? They weren't there, thank god."

Kozlov leant down, slowly pulling a paw around the fox. "So you understand," he said. "And I am sorry you do. But, you understand…"

"Yes," he said, looking up. "And I know however hard it is, you can get through it." The bear made a move to get away, but Kris held on harder. "It's tough, you want to wallow, cuss it, things just don't feel right and you don't get why. Or…" He closed his eyes, glancing over at Ash. "You want to be the one who did it, who saved them, because if not? If not? Then…" His mouth trembled and he let out a sigh. "Then what was the point!? What is there even left to hold onto for dear life? Without that wretched little raft for you, there's nothing. Nothing!"

The silver fox panted, his head turning down.

"So you hold onto it for dear life, until it's the only way you can think of living as. BUT you don't have to live like that. You can break free! You can move on. And most of the time, at the start, everything feels pointless, you don't seem to be going anywhere. But you keep pushing, and there ain't one moment where it all changes or anything, but one of these days… One of them, you look back, at where you were and where you are and…" His voice hitched, and he looked back at Ash, back at Haida, and he smiled. "And you realise that yeah, you're better. Much better." And with that, he looked back at the bear. "But you have to start. You have to start somewhere."

"Then…" Kozlov said ever so quietly, mumbling over it. "Then where…"

"Stop being a piece," Kris said. "Start being a player. Start living in the free world."

And Kozloz closed his eyes and shook his head, only to pause in thought, looking down at the fox. Eyes freezing as he saw the too-thin tail, even now pulling behind his back to hide its shame. The bear just closed his eyes, let his mouth utter out a silent prayer, paw marking the cross on his chest.

Kris just smiled up at him. "Don't worry…"

"Is it really you again, little pioneer?" he barely whispered. "Here again, after all this time?"

The silver fox paused, head tilting. "I don't know. But whoever… whatever it is, I will help you. We will help you."

A large white paw came down and rested on his shoulder. Kozlov just looked at him, deep breath in, deep breath out, in, out, in, out, mouth held part open and face shaking until finally, finally, he fixed his eyes on the fox. "Are you sure? After all I have done?"

"Certain."

"Nyet," the bear said. "Not certain. But sure is enough."

.

.

.

.

"You can run but you can't hide!"

Sliding through a wooden gate and slamming it closed behind him, Po quickly slid on the crossbeam and rested, panting under his breath. "No…" He gasped, feeling the wooden gate jolt and shake as the mass of white mammals collided up against the other side. "I think you'll find…" He breathed out before taking a deep breath in. "-I can hide…" He shook, inhaling once more. "That's what I'm doing now…" Another deep breath in to catch his breath. "The running meanwhile, that…"

A loud crack rang out of the wood as the timber crossbar cracked, the gate jolting apart. Eyes widening in shock, Po slammed himself back against the gate as it jostled. "No-nononononono…"

Another slam jolted it further back, the centre of the crossbeam splintering open and only held together by a thin strip of bent wood. The panda looked up at the looming, jostling mass of white fur through the widening gap and groaned. "Oh come on, can't you give me a little break?"

"Ha," came the barking cry of Osip from the other side. "You think the more of us there are, easier it get? Well, we have something to tell yo… -HEY!"

The sound of cursing and jostling broke through from the other side before a polar bear head pushed through the gap, wide eyed and wearing a cackling grin. "HERE'S JOHNNY!"

He was immediately joined by a pair of heads above him and one squeezing in beneath him.

"-HERE IS JOH…" They began, before Po jumped up in a backflip, right foot uppercutting each of them one after the other.

Landing poised, the black and white bear looked on as they winced and cursed, second from the bottom biting his tongue, lowermost one cursing and trying to pull back, and the second from the top fainting, collapsing down, and pinning the two beneath him while tripping up the one above him for good measure.

"I mean," Po began, "I get why you'd do that. But WHY would you do that!?"

Any response was cut off as the door splintered open, the horde racing in and trampling over their comrades as they pursued the now once more fleeing kung fu master. He raced off, breaths huffing, turning sharply around a corner and making his way down a narrow path. He then turned, squaring himself firmly against the enemy forces.

He smiled, surveying his surroundings. On both sides were high walls, pushing the bears down a narrow path even before the majority of the walled garden was taken up by a long and narrow pond, filled with flowering lotus plants, water lilies, and teeming with fish. Moving himself back, just before the path widened out into a small sheltered seating area in the centre of the pool, he was in a perfect position.

Jostling into a line, the bears began advancing, one after the other, squeezed against the wall on one side and just starting to overhang the water on the other.

The first of them shuffled along, trembling, breathing in and out hard as he raised his fists.

"You don't have to do this," Po warned, baring his fists too and giving a few punches and swings for effect. "What's your name?"

"-Don't tell him Simeon!" came a shout from behind, followed by a slap and a curse.

"You don't have to do this, Simeon," Po said. "And let's face it, this isn't going to end well for any of you. I mean, come on, you're mooks. Have some self awareness." They paused, looking at each other for a second. "-All that's going to happen is you'll advance one at a time, get punched into the water, and lose. This is basically that movie with the ancient Greeks."

"You mean Three-Hundred?" someone yelled from the back.

"Yeah, I think so," Po called back, paws cupping around his mouth as he shouted it, before darting down as Simeon lunged with a leading fist. Po's right paw came up in a vertical block, pushing it to the side and opening up the polar bear's armpit for a sharp uppercut from the panda's left. He then pulled his arm up and around, twisting around the exposed limb like a boa constrictor and yanking down. Hissing, the bear gave an unwieldy punch with his left paw that Po easily caught and pulled down, crossing his paws and locking them as he used his body weight to twist the polar bear's torso and head into the wall. A sudden swipe with his right foot and he knocked out his opponent's legs, the bear toppling down as his support collapsed below him, sliding out and into the water. A push off and Simeon's weight carried him down and to the side, disappearing into the pond with a splash.

"I did not realise it was that deep," Po commented, before snapping up as the next bear, enraged, lunged at him.

The panda raced forward and dodged the lunge, arms out to grab him and then shove him to the side. He hit the support of the covered sitting area head on, body crumpling for a second before gravity cast him down into the pool in a crashing bellyflop.

The third came up and Po just raced back to meet him, sliding between him and the wall like a knife and pushing off, throwing him straight in as well. All in time to turn, do a double paw-stomp on the feet of the fourth bear and toss him in before he even had a chance to hop and yelp in pain.

The mist of spray drifted over Po's face as he pulled himself back out to block the advancing path, paws once more raised and his eyes boring into those of the fifth bear. "You wanna try my punk?"

"-Do not do it," Osip called from behind, pushing through the bears and making his way to the edge of the pool, just as the path narrowed down into the start of the pinch point. Po could easily see him, he could easily see Po.

"Good advice," the panda said, smiling. "Face it, this is basically Three-Hundred. You can't get past me."

Osip laughed. "Da," he said, before his eyes narrowed. "But do you know how Three-Hundred ended up dying?"

"Uhhh… Old age?"

"No," the bear said, turning back to those behind him. "NOW!"

And then those not on the narrow path began throwing rocks, stones, tiles they'd picked up, all in a sky-filling mass flying right up and then down at where the panda was. "Oh," he said, before racing back into the small shelter, just as the first wave crashed down on where he'd been.

Despite getting hit by a few bits of friendly fire, the bear at the front marched on to make up the distance, holding himself steady as the second wave of rocks and stones crashed down into the diminished gap. Po stood his ground as they hit the earth, splashed into the water or, in most cases, hit the tile roof above him. The sound of sliding and shattering tiles rang out and Po spared a quick glance up, seeing spots of light starting to break through. All as the bears at the back ripped up the brick paving and let loose again, more coming down, some bits of brick piercing right through the roof and bouncing off the ground to Po's side.

The panda still held his ground. "You can't do that forever," he said. "You will run… -Hey, don't knock down that wall, DO NOT…" He flinched as the sound of toppling masonry filled the air, the ground shaking. The bears raced over to the parts they'd toppled, in some cases doubling up to haul over the larger fragments, either smashing them down to break up into pieces or just getting ready to toss it anyhow.

Osip held his paw up, waiting. "On my mark, all together," he said. "One, two, GO!"

The bricks flew, the first coming in low and under the roof, Po dodging to the left and right and then letting one small brick bounce off his belly and right into the polar bear at the front of the line. He grunted, but the panda's victory was short lived as the crash of the high flying missiles hit the roof, debris and shattered roof tiles hailing down around him. Something heavy glanced the left of his head and smashed into his shoulder causing him to curse, the bear at the front racing forward. Po pushed past his pain to meet him back on the narrow path, paw going back ready to sucker punch him and…

His arm was torn back with enough force to make the panda yelp, his head turning around just in time to see a fist smash into it. The pain flashed out and blinded him, followed by a head spinning punch to the back of his neck and then four sharp, searing, raking slices running down his side.

Adrenaline crashing through him like a lightning bolt, Po jumped, feet coming out to either side in a sudden kick to clear the attackers away from him. His eyes managed to open just enough to see another fist come in from what had been his rear and his own arm coming up and knocking it away, pulling him into the side and between the mammal and the wall. Body in, he pushed out with his stomach and knocked him away, before he saw two bears come in on his left and right, fists racing in to punch his head against the wall.

Duck down, paws up to grab the attacking fists by the wrists so fast the owners couldn't even yell from the pain of punching the brick wall at full force. Instead he pulled them across each other in a cross and then kicked out their knees, causing them to stumble down. Jumping up, he let his feet touch and then kick their heads, pushing them away from the wall and sparing him a few precious seconds to work out what the heck was going on!

On his right the polar bears were swarming into the shelter, filling the space up.

On his left was one more bear who, like the two below him and the one he'd knocked forward, were soaking wet and covered with muck and vegetation. More bears like them were emerging out of the water on the other side of the shelter, climbing up onto his escape route and running forward to close him off. All as the bears below him began to rise, paws coming up to grab him by the legs and pull him down.

Looking forward, Po charged, jumping off the heads of the bears under him and racing straight for the bear, Simeon, he'd knocked forward, just as he hit a support column and stumbled forward, back bent.

The panda raced forwards and jumped, straight onto his head and then up, fist raised up and smashing a hole through the roof of the shelter for the rest of him to follow. His head and then his shoulders broke through the splintered tile roof, scattering them like the burning sparks of a firework, the panda balancing with one foot on the top of the support column and using it to push himself off. Back onto the main roof, straining and buckling under his weight as he raced up onto the top of the long thin wall that ran along the edge of the garden.

Not even stopping, he ran back the way he'd come, scooping up a bunch of tiles and debris as he went before he cleared past the shelter, new ammunition in paw. "Okay, that was on me for forgetting polar bears could swim. But you have only pushed me onto the high ground. You know what that means?"

"WE STONE YOU!" Osip said, as the bears ripped apart the remains of the toppled section of wall, grabbing every bit of debris they could to throw.

"Nah, in Kung Zootopia, I stone you," he said, "SHURIKEN TIME!" And then, grabbing the tiles, he began throwing them, sending them spinning through the air right at the heads of each and every bear he could see trying to toss stuff at him. All with added sound effects. "FWOOSH! NYEOW! KABLAM! BLOT! WHAMMO!"

They hissed and cursed as they were hit, before throwing off their ammunition regardless. Turning and running back, Po ducked and weaved, dodging the hurled bricks and… "-OW!" Almost escaping unscathed. Jumping back past the now ruined roof of the shelter, he gave a wave to the bears within before pausing, bending his back away and then out, his belly meeting an incoming chunk of brick and bouncing it away again.

"-OW!"

"We're even," he smirked, before carrying on along the top of the wall, the bears trying to follow along behind him but cut down to single file.

There were a few splashes, some of the bears leaping into the water and swimming instead, so maybe not single file. But close enough. At the end of the long thin garden, Po turned around the top and started along the other long thin wall, on the pond's side. He paused, noticing some of the bears, reaching its end, trying to climb out.

A paw reached out, plucked a bamboo strand out of the ground, and immediately went to work.

"Boop!"

Knocking the bear on the nose mid climb out, he was knocked back into the water.

"Boop!"

A second one suffered the same fate, as the first tried again.

"Bo…"

The polar bear reached out and bit the end of the bamboo cane clean off. Po, eyes narrowing, pushed down further, the bear just chomping more and more as it was fed in until it reached the end, the panda shocked for a moment before just lobbing it.

The polar bear, moaning and gagging, his mouth overflowing with bamboo, could take no more and turned, spitting and coughing the vegetation out.

All while the bear by his side had climbed out, followed by two more.

Po, quickly dodging a few more thrown rocks, plucked out a shorter strand of bamboo as a staff and then raced off, vaulting onto a roof on the other side of the wall and retreated.

The bears, at both ends of the pond, saw him go and raced off after him.

The panda meanwhile raced along the rooftops, jumping and leaping, even sliding down a slope before kicking off the upturn on the eaves, flying over the pathway to the next street. He laughed and whooped, turning back to see the polar bears race after him, eyes glancing up and arms suddenly hurling more debris.

His smile vanished. "Uh-oh." And with that he turned, trying to race for cover as the chunks of bricks and tiles started clobbering him. "AH-OOOH-AH-EH!"

Arms over his head to provide him with some cover, he pushed on faster, only to freeze as he saw himself come up to the edge of the central plaza. A quick pause, he glanced around, hunkering down as another load of missiles pounded down on him, multiple ones painfully bouncing off his body. "Why couldn't my fat be up here," he whined, rubbing his skull before turning and racing towards some bamboo stalks. Ripping them out, holding them tight with his hand paws and pinched in place between his toes, he began stilt walking across the plaza to the other side and…

"-YOU FORGOT SOMEONE!" Turning around, still walking backwards, the panda winced as the bears piled out, their captive held out in Osip's paws. "I know you can hear us!" the white bear roared, fist tightening further, the fox croaking and struggling in his paw.

Po's stilt walking froze, the panda gritting his teeth. "You can't beat us so you're relying on dirty tricks. Is that it?"

Osip shrugged. "Da. But only reason we not beat you is big boss not give us guns."

The panda scowled. "Okay, that's a cheap trick and just paints your boss as a bit of a jerk don't you think?"

The bears paused, looking at each other, whispering. Until Osip cut them off. "You know why! Because if we use guns early, so will ZPD. He saving them for Big Day!" The bears settled down, slowly moving out and around, surrounding Po. "So," he carried on, walking forward with the fox in his paws. "Let us bargain. I give you fox. You give us necklace."

Stepping forward on his bamboo poles, Po shook his head. "I don't have the necklace. And how do I know you'll let the fox go?"

Osip shrugged, paw tightening as the fox croaked out, wheezing for breath. "Do you have choice?"

Po breathed in and out, eyes glancing at the fox, at Osip, at the bears slowly moving around to surround him. A careful step forward.

Osip stood back, letting a group of bears cut in in front of him. Their leader, looking out from behind his protection, just smiled, wagging a finger and chuckling. "No Kung fu tricks, panda."

A second passed and the bear tightened his grip around the fox, the sound of cracking knuckles and bones coming out. His captive, struggling and whining, looked up to Po with pleading eyes. The panda could only close his eyes and glance away.

"I know you're not going to do anything," he said. "You can't afford to lose your leverage."

"Leverage has name, you know. Family." Osip chuckled a little, smiling as he leant forward. "Can you afford to lose him?"

More whines and pleading, whimpering, gasping for breath. Po just looked on, trembling, discomfort etched onto his face.

Osip just looked up, face glowing as a look of divine inspiration came over him. "You know, we can do plenty to little Mr Leverage here." He paused, stroking his chin, before breaking out laughing. "How about little Chinese burn?"

And with that, he waved over two bears next to him and whispered in their ears, watching as they came up, paws gripping around the foxes tail. "On count of three. One, two, three!"

They twisted, the fox's eyes almost bulging out of his sockets as he screamed through his muzzle, legs kicking out and straining against their chains.

Po, looking up, began racing forward on his bamboo stilts, the bears protecting Osip racing forward to intercept him. He gave a double flick with each pole, knocking them back only for one of them to grab on tight, jolting him hard. His other leg pulled its pole across to give him a painful thrash, almost making him let go but not quite.

Instead he made up for his almost lapse and held on twice as hard, soon joined by more bears holding on tight as others made their way towards Po's other bamboo stick. Eyes widening as they saw them approach, he hauled it up and away, out of their reach as he held on to his single pole, surrounded by enemies.

Breathing in hard, breathing out hard, his head snapped to glare at Osip, the bear laughing out at him. "You still believe in conserving ninjas? Huh?"

"NO," he yelled. "It's called the conservation of ninjitsu, and…"

"TIMBER!"

Po blinked, taking a second to clock it, the same as the bears beneath him. Pushing and pulling, they swung the bamboo pole down, Po scrabbling to the top in a panic and bringing out the second one. He aimed it for what he thought was a divot in the ground and felt it grip and bend before jumping off the doomed pole, letting his momentum vault him over. A few bears made to grab for the second pole, getting their paws around the base, but Po already leapt off, backflipping away and landing hard on the ground, outside the pack of bears, his back to the central pagoda.

Wiping the sweat off his brow as he stood up, raising his fists, he watched the bears surround him again, Osip coming to the front. "We take you prisoner," he said. "We let go of fox."

"Yeah…" Po said, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Raising an eyebrow, Osip just tightened his grip further.

"I mean, I don't think you'll honour this agreement," the panda carried on, a concerned look at the captured vulpine.

"As I said…" Osip began.

"-Could we set up some kind of see-saw system or something?"

The bear blinked. "WHAT!?"

"You know," Po carried on, "some kind of see-saw. You place him on one end, I give myself up by jumping down on the other end and… Spa-boing! Fox goes off to safety, doesn't that sound…" He paused, spotting the fox frantically shaking his head. "Oh come on, work with me, please?"

Osip sniggered, waving at his bears to carry on surrounding Po. "Get down, on front. We do this easy way, or hard way."

"Or…" Po said, paws up. "You leave this place, we all forget this ever happened and nobody gets skadooshed."

"Skadooshed?" One of the bears asked.

"Youuuuuu don't wanna know," he waved off, pausing as he noticed the bears getting increasingly closer to him, surrounding him more and more. "Besides," he said. "I know you're still scared of me. AND you haven't done anything bad to that fox there. So you DO need him as a captive."

Osip raised an eyebrow, knuckles cracking so more.

Po glared at him before his head tilted slightly, paw coming up to scratch it. "How hard have you been squeezing him, really? I'm surprised his head hasn't popped off yet."

As if on queue, Osip began squeezing some more, more croaks and hisses and kicks coming out. Po just looked on, confused at first but a slow dawning realisation coming over his face.

The white bear glanced at it for a second before roaring out. "Screw this!" He threw the captive fox back, the startled vulpine landing on both feet, poised and ready as he started taking off his chains and muzzle. Not that it mattered that much as his former 'captor' marched forward, paws bared. "Enough of this chit-chat. I take you, one on one."

Po smirked, walking forward and then flashing into a powerful punch that hit Osip in the side. The polar bear grunted, roaring as he gave a wild sweep down with his claws that Po ducked under, transferring the momentum of his fall into a set of kicks to Osip's knees. He hissed, falling down to crush the panda who then kicked himself back and up, fist coming forward to slam into the polar bear's head as it swung down.

Osip threw his own fist Po's way, the panda's punch pulled to the side to try and deflect it only to get caught in its grip, all as the polar bear's other paw came down hard and fast.

Arm up to deflect, he shuddered from the slam.

"My Ulna," Po winced, only for a flurry of other hits to slam down, paw trying to pull up to properly catch the assailing fist.

It reached out and caught it with his fingers, only for them to buckle and bend back, the giant white paw bulldozing through, aimed right at Po's face.

He started to pull away only for it to smash in, his world going blurry. Another hit, and another, and another as Osip pushed forward with his legs, forcing Po into a skidding retreat. "NO! MORE! TRICKS!" the apex carnivore roared, laughing as he punched, doing his best to get past Po's attempted blocks. "BEAR AGAINST BEAR!" He said, as one skidded off the blocking fist and knocked his opponent in the Adam's apple, a splutter of saliva thrown out from the impact. "GOOD TIMES!"

Another punch came down, striking right towards the exposed white and increasingly black face of his opponent, only to suddenly miss as it was pulled to the side. His arm overshot past it, reaching its apex just as Po's formerly blocking paw shot forward and coiled around it like a boa constrictor.

He gave a short, sharp yank, bending the elbow painfully the wrong way, before releasing Osip's other paw and using his free arm to punch up, serving back what he'd been given. The polar bear yelled as his lower jaw was crashed up into his upper one but kept fighting, pushing up with his legs and gaining as much height as he could. One of his paws might now be out of action, but the other was free and up it came, ready to stoop down into a bone pounding dive. He glared at the panda and let his attack fly, only to then see the smirk grow across the black and white face.

Bending his caught arm further to the side and kicking out at his knee, Osip felt himself collapse forward, pulled by his own momentum down towards where the panda had just been.

Po, sweeping to the side, watched him fly down and past him, paw crashing into and cracking the stone tiles, ripples sent up his arm and into the rest of him as he bellyflopped to the floor. The polar bear managed to pull his head up, ply enough momentum from it so that it didn't smash into the floor as well, only for a foot on the back of his neck to drive it in anyway.

He hissed as Po stood on top of him, yanking his arm into a painful lock around the back of his neck. Panting, heaving with heavy breaths, the panda smiled. "Not gonna lie," he huffed. "That was tough."

"What you call it," the bear growled. "Conservative ninja?"

"-Conservation of Ninjitsu, my defeated foe. Conservation of ninjitsu." He smiled. "Now what?"

"This," he said, suddenly buckling up. Po's eyes widened with shock, body twisting and doing its best to keep the bear under him under control, only for his grip to slip. Half forced off, half jumping clear, he backpedalled as a swipe of giant claws cut out, grazing the front of his neck.

A jump back and the return swipe from the other set of paws grazed his nose, as Osip turned behind him. "Roman! Iriney! With me!" Two bears charged out, flanking Po and coming in with Osip as one. The panda pulled back, punching out, keeping them clear as best he could only for the punches to slip through. One knocked into his shoulder, sending him half spinning around and out of position to avoid another punch right to his face.

Coughing, stumbling back, wavering and dazed paws held up in a wavering pair of fists, the two new bears marched up and in, ready to finish it.

Only for a lightning bolt of red white and black to fly down, two foot paws opening out in a perfect split to knock into their heads, sending them backpeddling. It rose, leaping up and spinning, foot out and straight, T-boning Osip's jaw before he could even realise what was going on. One then two hard punches to his solar plexus and one last heavy kick to his gut pushed him further back, into the rest of the assembled bears.

Po, swiping his brow and breathing out, smiling despite his trembles, could only whoop. "YES!"

Tigress, stepping back next to him ever poised, ready, coiled to strike, gave him a quick look. "You held up well."

"You came in at the perfect time."

"The others are safe. The fox is an imposter."

"I figured it out, then they totally proved it."

"King is getting ready to finish it."

"Awesome," Po said, looking forward with her. "Shall we hold them off?" he asked, smiling as Osip roared, leading the entirety of his pack into a sudden charge.

"I guess we don't have much choice," she said, as they pulled their bodies into position to meet the oncoming horde. They looked out as the wave of roaring, screaming, claw-baring white bears charged in, looming over them like cresting waves ready to drown them and, sparing one last glance, diving forward. Po aimed a kick in the knee of one while Tigress socked another in the jaw, knocking them back while those around them lunged in at the kung fu fighters.

Fighters that pulled back, grabbing the incoming mammals and pulling them along past them into a head on head collision, their skulls colliding with a crack and the white furred pair falling limply to the floor. Not that it stopped the other bears from racing on in after them, stepping over their groaning comrades to get the height advantage and crush down.

In an instant, Po and Tigress lunged out and back in, kicking the legs of those just to their left and right out from underneath them. The attacked mammals, still navigating over the shifting, rolling mass of the previously downed bears, buckled and fell, falling in together. A sudden grab by a pair of paws and yank on each of them knocked their skulls together. A crack rang out, they fell like those before them, those others still trying to get over tripping on the sudden barrier in their path or getting their foot wedged in the closing gaps between their fallen comrades.

Tumbling together, arms wedged from moving to the side, paws came out to try and grab the ground, brace the fall or drag them forward. Po and Tigress' fists whacked forwards into their faces, knocking them clean on or uppercutting them as they rolled forward, a full on shooting gallery the pair lit up on before jumping back.

The ground rumbled and shook as a whole mass of dazed or just trapped polar bears were forced onto the ground, struggling over each other like crabs in a bucket as they tried to get up. Those further back froze at the sight, joining those in the flanks in trying to get around the roadblock.

Po and Tigress, the frontal attack stalled, turned to cover their flanks, Po's bears reaching him first. He raced forward, tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth and foot raised, before STOMP-STOMP-STOMP-STOMP-STOMP…

The bears pulled back, screaming and yelling as they clutched their crushed feet.

"The toe crusher?" was all Tigress could say, smirking as she turned to the mammals in front of her and… STOMP-STOMP-STOMP-STOMP-STOMP…

Another bunch of bears pulled back, hopping as they clutched their feet, Tigress smirking. "Child's play."

As the battle played on, across the plaza and up in a window of a building, the shutters opened and Ash and Kris peered out. "You know," the latter said, "if those two practised hard, they could probably be the best dancers or synchronous swimmers in Zootopia."

A few bears pushed in through the hopping foot-crushed lines, Po and Tigress swapping sides and each giving out simultaneous double-punches knocking them back into those they'd slipped in through and knocking them all down like bowling pins.

Ash just nodded. "More likely Zootopia's best kung fu masters. -Also, great effort on the reference."

Kris smiled a little as Ash patted him on the shoulder, all as Haida stepped up to look at the ongoing battle. "I mean, keeping them at bay on three sides is impressive, but they're about to be boxed in and…"

"-I'm not going to run in or anything," Kris cut in, quirking his eyebrow at their looks. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Hey, we could be dumb heroes together," Ash said, "if they need us."

Kris nodded, looking back. "Question is will they?"

Glancing behind them, seeing bears starting to swarm into the final, unbarricaded, route in, the kung fu fighters spared a worried glance. One that grew as the bears that had been in front of them finally got up, helping each other to their feet. The two turned to the rear and started punching their way out, powerful ringing impacts sounding out as they started to knock their opponents back, making their way through the ever closing gap…

Only for more bears to run around, filling it, boxing them in. The maw closing tight, Po and Tigress were forced, panting for breath, back into the centre of the mob, paws constantly up and trying to bat away the attempted lunges and swipes. All as they got closer, all as the pair was forced back to back, the new mammals and those who'd got up roaring in and lunging, together, to crush them like a peanut in the jaws of a lion.

"PALMS OF THUNDER!"

With a blazing orange flash, a third figure crashed down, flames billowing out from either side of him and the screaming poppings of firework sparks drumming out like gunfire. The bears screamed and yelled, falling over themselves as they backed away from the sulphurous smoke shrouded figure now standing where Tigress and Po had been. There were kicks, there were yells, and the two and the Panda King emerged, fighting their way back out of the crowd, to the base of the pagoda the newcomer had leapt from. He stood in front of them, pushing a large rucksack off his shoulders and kicking it back to them, nodding as they nodded back. He then grabbed a small bag and splashed his smoking paws with water. Another bag came out and, in an instant, ripped it to shreds, letting the black substance left billowing in its wake stick to his paws.

A few brave bears raced forward, roaring.

The panda king swung his paws together, there was a spark, and then they lit up, blazing hot as he charged forward. "FIREY CHOP!" Paw up, he let it swing down like a meteor, cutting in front of the panicking bears as they tried to backpedal away. Others tried to go around, pushing into his exposed side.

He turned, pulled his back back, and then pushed it forward, his belly bouncing into them and knocking them down onto their tail.

Kris let out a sigh of relief. "I think they've got it."

Ash smiled, nudging Kris with his elbow. "Hey, remember when Po did that to you?"

The silver fox smiled. "Seems you can add polar bears to foxes and raccoons."

The Panda King, stepping back, pulled up his paws once again and let out another fiery chop, this time aiming down at their feet, the bears leaping up to avoid it only for a sudden headbutt or swing with his other paw to knock them off balance mid-air. Osip, coming around the side so fast he skidded onto all fours and then chose to stay that way, lunged. The Panda King pulled his stomach back to bounce him clean off, only to yell as the bear clamped on hard with his jaws.

Further back, Po and Tigress looked up with shock, the former starting to run forward only for the latter to grab him, holding him back down. They went back to where they were, carrying on emptying the bag they'd been given.

Osip's paws raced forward to try and rip and tear at the Panda King, who raised his own to hold them off. The polar bear grit his teeth, only to scream in pain as his paws, touching his opponents burning ones, signed and fried. He pushed them off, jaw opening to scream, as the Panda King raised both paws up and yelled out. "PALMS OF THUNDER!" Down they swooped, cutting down onto Osip's elbows and pushing him down, right into his rising knee.

All across the plaza mammals winced from the sound, Panda King stepping back to his comrades, the three taking up positions and looking on, wide eyed, as Osip, struggling and shaking, rose to his feet.

The polar bear sneered, even as Panda King gave him a bow. "You have fought most bravely. Honourable. But please, call it a day."

"NYET!" He roared, scoffing. "We will wear you down! On and on, waves against the cliff until it falls. And nothing… NO cheap firework tricks, can stop us!"

"Then what about expensive firework not trick?" The Panda King asked, as Osip, not even caring, raised his fist and roared. The other bears behind him did the same, raging forward regardless of their injuries, ready to wipe the three heroes out like mud huts in the face of a tsunami.

Panda King gave a short bow before leaping back, to the side, and cartwheeling across in front of them, burning paws grazing the fronts of the firework launchers he'd given Tigress and Po to set up.

All at once, the polar bear's feet came out to try and halt them, their eyes going wide and heads turning in panic.

And then the fireworks roared. The boxes screaming out their flames, whistling, calling, beckoning out as the multi-coloured kaleidoscopic hwacha roared right into the now fleeing crowd, brilliant explosions bursting out in their midsts, their white coats painted every colour of the rainbow as they raced through the billowing grey smoke and multi coloured flames. The echoes of the screamers and the explosions and the roars of pain and panic echoed around the great plaza as the retreating army covered their eyes, blindly stumbled through the blazing brilliance, hopped and tripped over the burning embers and incandescent, spitting, white hot stars. Through the great gates they went, patting each other down and dragging their injured with them, tumbling and rolling down the slope to get away from it as fast as they could.

All as more sparks and lights flared out, more screams and bangs signalled their retreat, all as Po, Tigress, Panda King, Haida, Kris, Ash and Kozlov looked on. Eyes wide in shock, mild horror, but also amazement, wonder, relief and success.

The Panda King gave a signal and Po and Tigress raced over to the gates as he pulled the firework launchers up, their glorious ammunition blazing up into the air like was intended. Even through the light of the day, their brilliance shone out as they painted the sky with colours and fizzled in the wind, signalling their victory as Tigress and Po closed and barricaded the doors, tight.

And then, out of the shadows, they all came.

Looking up at the sky as the display went on and on until, finally, it ended with one final screamer, its explosion echoing out through the air.

And then…

"THAT WAS PAWSOME!"

They all turned to Po and cheered. Their victory had come. They had done it. On the panda went about how cool it was, as Tigress then mentioned that their students had done an amazing job too. That led to Po pestering them to tell all, Kris explaining it calmly, Ash giving an excited by highly brief summary, and Haida giving all the exaggerated detail. The three masters looked on impressed as Kozlov, retreating from a corner, just nodded, smiling.

A smile that paused as the sound of a helicopter approaching began to echo in. He turned to the Panda King. "Fight might not be over. Others are after me."

The older panda just smiled, gesturing to the burnt out boxes. "I have more where that came from."

He began to turn, only for a knock on the front gate to open up. "Police, open up."

"Uh-oh," Po began, only to be cut off as he saw Panda King and Kozlov both stand up, hair on the back of their head straight.

"It cannot be," the latter said, as the former raced forward.

"Master," Tigress cut in. "The helicopter…"

"If bad," he yelled over his shoulder as he approached the gate. "This far better than firework."

He reached it and, peering in, opened it up, Carmelita walking in and looking up at him, pausing. "I thought last time we met you knew fireworks as weapons was a no-no," she said, a smirk on his face.

"Was in self defence. They ask for it."

There was a pause before they burst down laughing, Carmletia rising up only to pause as she saw Kris and Ash standing there. "You… here… ¿Que?" she asked, paws coming up to the side of her face.

Ash shrugged. "Kung fu lessons."

She facepawed, only to pause as her eyes fixed themselves on Kozlov, and his on her. Even as the helicopter swept over, ZPD emblazoned on its side. Even as it did a fast touchdown, Nick and Judy leaping out, weapons drawn.

They looked on as the aircraft took flight again behind them at the scene of devastation, their friends in the midst of it, and the polar bear they were pursuing racing forward and pulling himself down on his knees, kissing the feet of Carmelita before pulling her into a hug.

"I… Okay, bit tight…" She gasped, as he let her go.

"I am sorry, but seeing you now," he began, trembling as he said it. "Knowing a hero like you is here, at last… That things might be safe."

"Do I know you from anywhere?" she asked.

"No," he said. "But I know you. I know you from the dance above the burning mountain. Seeing you and the great grey one, through the eyes of the demon you vanquished that day."

She bit her lip, not sure what to say, before resting a paw on his shoulder. "It's safe now," she said, as a confused Nick and Judy walked over, giving her a critical eye. "We can end it all. At last."

"I will tell you everything," he promised, looking up at her, clutching her paw.

She looked on, ears back, ever so slightly flustered as Nick and Judy walked up next to her, the bunny looking down and up before crossing her paws. "Yes," she said. "And she will tell us everything."

Carm could only sigh. "Are you certain you want to know. I keep secrets for very good reasons."

"And I think we've earned you trust, yes?" Nick asked.

"Sí." She said, after a long pause. "I suppose… I suppose I owe you that."