Hi! I've never written a One Shot before. I recently saw Kung Fu Panda 4 and felt inspired. I hope you enjoy!

The pads of her feet tapped lightly across the green marble floor as she ducked behind pedestals lining the hall. Brilliantly colored vases almost double her size sat atop each pedestal, each one curved just enough for her to peek at the two wolves guarding a door without being seen. The two were lost in conversation, and it didn't seem like a guard shift change would come anytime soon.

She wore a dark blue robe with a hood to cover most of her face, so attacking head-on could work. It wouldn't be the first time she's fought multiple mammals at once. But, the risk of having the rest of the guards alerted didn't quite add up for her. She needed a distraction.

Looking around the room, she spotted something that just might work sitting neatly between her feet. It was a piece of marble flooring, smaller than a piece of gravel, probably cracked off from the floor when the dense pedestal was originally placed. She quickly picked up, looked back to the rows of vases, and spotted her target. With one swift flick of her paw, she launched the piece across the room and back towards the end of the hall she entered from. The piece of rubble shimmered flying through the air before connecting with a satisfying tink against the ceramic of one of the vases.

Immediately, the guards ended the conversation and whipped their heads toward the sound. Their faces scanned the room and dawned focused scowls as they took their first stride away from their post.

Matching the rhythm of their steps, she crept closer to the door as they stepped further away. She had reached the final pedestal by the time they reached the vase, but now she wouldn't be able to reach the door without being spotted. One more distraction was needed. She scoured the floor for another piece of rubble to throw, but it seemed like the cleaners did their job better here. Backtracking to the previous vase to grab another piece was considered, but luckily, her opening was given to her on a silver platter.

"I told you it was nothing!" One of the wolves said, bonking the other on the head.

"You heard it too!" The other wolf shot back, rubbing his scalp.

"Yeah, but I knew there wasn't going to be anything here."

"How could you know that until we checked?!"

"I just did."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Beautiful idiots…" she muttered under her breath, darting quietly to the door.

She quickly cracked it open, slipped through, and gently pushed it closed. Her small frame came in handy in situations like this. The room was fairly small and nearly empty with only a few candles lining the walls. At the back end sat an ornate stone table with a small pedestal perched in the center.

With no guards in sight, she removed her hood, shaking her head of matted fur. The shape of a corsac fox with deep brown eyes flickered in the candlelight. She had a white muzzle and a small jade piercing in her right ear. Standing only four feet tall on a good day with the slim frame of an acrobat, Zhen was a nimble thief and force to be reckoned with.

She made her way to the table, rubbing her paws together devilishly. "The ring of Shi Pei. Come to Mama!"

As she reached for the jewelry, something strange happened. Her mirror image slowly rose from behind the table. The figure eclipsed her by almost two feet, but everything else felt like a parody. It wore similar dark robes that were closer to black than blue and a gray fox mask that didn't look cheap. She left her paw outstretched while she mulled over what she was looking at.

"Are you… Are you mocking me?" She asked, pulling her arm back and resting it on her hip.

The figure cocked its masked face slightly to the side.

"I feel like you're mocking me. The robes, the mask, the posture, the sneaky attitude. I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this just feels like a bit much, ya know?"

The figure returned its head to a neutral position, saying nothing.

"Alright, as much fun as… Whatever this is. I'm meeting with a buyer tonight and can't be late."

Zhen snatched the ring from the pedestal, holding it out to appreciate the shimmer. Suddenly, a swift kick to the back of her paw sent the ring flying into the air. The masked figure leaped over the table and Zhen, caught the ring with a gloved hand, and landed a few feet from the door.

"Ok, that was admittedly cool, but I'm not going to let you take that."

The masked figure twirled the ring across their leather fingers, glanced back at Zhen, and pocketed the item. Then, they turned and began walking to the door.

Zhen scowled, lowered, and then launched herself towards them. "You can't just steal what I'm stealing!"

The figure didn't anticipate how nimbly she moved, only having time to spin around before she crashed into their midsection. The pair tumbled backward, bodies smashing into the double door entrance, swinging the wooden barriers wildly open. The doors crashed against the stone wall just as the masked and unmasked fox hit the marble floor.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did… not?"

In the hall of vases, four sets of eyes made contact. Two wolves gripping onto each other's uniforms, arms reeled back into fists mirrored the two foxes latching onto each other's robes. The room went silent.

"Ok, you can have it," Zhen frantically whispered.

Everybody scrambled. The wolf guards released each other and latched onto their resting spears, Zhen leaped behind the nearest vase pedestal, and the masked figure rolled across the floor in the opposite direction. The guards nodded at each other, agreeing to split up between the two foxes. Zhen anticipated the wolf's move and slid between his furry legs just as he rounded the pedestal. The masked figure tried to sit up but was forced flat on their back as a spear sliced at their chest. Quickly recovering from the assault, the masked fox spun their legs like a windmill, connecting with the wolf guard's shins, and sending him into the ground.

Zhen had already burst through the doors at the other end of the hall, following the long, red-carpeted corridor leading back to the main hall. She made it only a short distance before a brigade of eight guards rounded the nearest corner. She slowed and weighed her options for escape, but before she could act, the masked fox darted past her. The figure lunged at a corridor wall, taking three steps up before jumping, rotating in the air, and landing with both feet squarely on the faces of the two front guards. The momentum sent the entire group topping over like a set of bowling pins, the hallway slightly shaking from the crash of all eight wolves hitting the floor.

The masked fox landed, looked briefly back at Zhen, then continued to sprint down the hall.

"Show off…" She muttered under her breath, quickly following behind.

The two swiftly fell in step, bounding down the hall, searching for the nearest escape. All of a sudden, an arm shot out from the next corner, close-lining the masked fox. Zhen reacted quickly, leaping over the arm and delivering a powerful kick to the muzzle of the hiding wolf.

The masked figure lay on the ground catching their breath, when Zhen walked over and stepped on their chest.

"Hey, no, it's ok. Stay and relax," She consoled patronizingly, reaching into the figure's robed pocket. "I'll just take this little guy off ya and be on my way."

She triumphantly held the ring and was about to run off when she got another idea.

"You know," she said, reaching for the mask. "I feel like I deserve this,"

The feeling of mask ribbons being yanked against the back of the figure's head sent them into an energetic frenzy, reeling back their legs and bucking Zhen straight into the air. The ring floated in space before the masked fox snatched it, returned it to a robe pocket, and then rolled backward onto their feet. Zhen landed with a light oof.

"Feisty," she smirked. "I like when they play hard to get."

The masked fox shook their head and took off again. Zhen glanced around the hallway and noticed a scarf-like tapestry draped across the wall.

"Oh no you don't," her smirk grew.

She moved to grab it, twirling the red and yellow fabric like a lasso before sending it flying toward the masked fox. Zhen yanked hard as soon as she saw the cloth wrapped around the masked fox's body. The figure's legs were pulled tightly together, sending them tumbling.

"Yee-haw!" Zhen yelled, sprinting towards her captured prize.

Unfortunately for her, the figure was a lot more dextrous with their lower half than anticipated. With only a twirl of their legs, the other end of the scarf wound itself around her torso. The figure quickly rolled backward causing Zhen to be jerked forward faster than her legs could manage. She tripped and tumbled until she was only a few feet from the mysterious figure.

They simultaneously noticed the loose cloth between their connected bodies and started gripping as much as they could. The fabric went flying, their fight rapidly developing into a clash of textiles. Bits and pieces were whipped at each other's faces in an attempt to confuse while others wrapped around limbs, briefly immobilizing their attacks. The loose fabric began tightening as more was wrapped around each other's frames. By the time there were only a couple of feet left, their bodies were nearly pinned to each other. Zhen's arms were tangled up in awkward positions and only one leg was free. The masked fox fared no better, their legs still bundled together and an arm fully pinned to their torso.

In a latch ditch effort to gain control, Zhen wrenched an arm until it latched onto the mask, her free leg pressing against the figure's chest. The masked fox reacted violently, letting go of the little fabric they held onto and grabbing hold of the front of her robe. Zhen grinned knowing this was exactly what she wanted. She kicked hard, sending herself flying, unraveling the web of fabric as she soared backward. The quick action left the figure discombobulated, eventually tripping and colliding with a door to their back.

Zhen hit the opposite wall with a thud. She rubbed her head to ease the dizziness but quickly recovered when she noticed her paw felt heavy. Looking down, she found half of the figure's mask still held tightly in her grip, a crack having split the face right down the middle. The other half lay sideways leaning against the wall, Zhen grabbing it while rising to her feet. She walked over to the door that had been thrown open when the, now unmasked, fox smashed into it.

"That's right! I got you!" She boasted, shutting the door behind her. "You thought you could just prance away with your cryptic personality and frisky ninja moves! Well, it looks like you were no match for…"

Zhen trailed off as the figure moved to stand.

"Woah…" Zhen stood wide-eyed.

What stood in front of her, Zhen wasn't entirely sure. The face of a mammal of unknown origin wearing a vicious scowl. It was male, the facial structure being a dead giveaway, but everything else was completely foreign to her. It had no muzzle and no face fur, minus the eyebrows and patchy mustache. Its ears were hidden behind a head wrapping, but Zhen was more deeply fascinated by how they protruded from the side of his head rather than the top. The most notable feature was a deep red scar trailing from the bridge of his nose down to his left jawline.

"My mask," the man demanded, his voice low and grizzly.

Zhen returned an embarrassed giggle, holding out the broken pieces in each paw. The man rolled his eyes and snatched them from her.

"What are you?" She asked. "I'm no world traveler, but I've never seen something like you before."

"Human," he shot back, unclipping his belt and searching the pockets for supplies.

"A hu-what now?"

"Hu-man." He picked up a vial of dark liquid and unscrewed the cap. "Homo sapien. Ape descended."

"You don't look like a monkey…"

He grabbed a tiny brush from his belt and dipped it into the vial of fluid, ignoring her comment entirely.

"Where'd you come from?" she pushed.

"Very far away."

He began painting along the cracked edges of the mask making sure every nook and cranny was coated.

"I see your skillset doesn't include comedy," she walked over to watch him work more closely.

The man finished applying liquid to both halves and had taken to meticulously lining the pieces up. He closed one eye and concentrated on keeping them even, his tongue poking out of his mouth to help focus. When he felt he'd matched their jagged edges, he pushed them together letting the dark liquid seep out along the main crack.

"Where'd you actually come from?" She pushed again.

"Very very far away."

After finishing applying pressure, he held the mask by the left side, testing the strength of the hold.

"Dude, the secretive act isn't as cool once you've been caught. How did you even get here?"

After the last word left her lips, the right side of the mask lost its grip, dropped to the floor, and cracked into two more pieces.

The man snapped.

"I don't know!" He shouted at her. "Everything was fine before! Mission success; no witnesses, no casualties. I was on my way to deliver the package and pick up my cut, when I got stuck in an insane storm! I lost control of my motorcycle and crashed. Next thing I know, I'm in ancient fucking China that's controlled by magic or voodoo or whatever. Oh, and all the regular people are now animal people! I thought I went insane and ended up in an asylum! I've been stuck here for months, but no matter how many times I fall asleep I can't wake up from this fucking nightmare!"

The man's tirade ended with him collapsing into a seated position on the floor, hands covering his face.

"You probably don't know what a motorcycle is," he added, mumbling between his fingers.

"Uh, yeah, of course I do," Zhen tried to play it off. "It's like a custom… um… carriage."

"I'm in hell," he moaned.

Zhen rolled her eyes. "Ok, the soap box routine is cute and all, but let's not act like you're the only one with a hard life. I mean, earth to monkey man, I'm a thief too ya know! If either of us gets caught, we both end up in prison."

"Prison?" The man pulled his hands away from his face to look at her. "That's what you're scared of?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"How about being skinned alive for your 'impeccably smooth hide?'"

The man rose to his feet.

"How about getting hunted down by some lunatic for 'belonging in his menagerie!?'"

She shrunk down as he took a step toward her.

"How about always hiding your face because you never know how people will react?!" He pointed to the scar traveling across his cheek.

He huffed and looked down at the broken mask pieces scattered across the floor, his voice hoarse and broken. "As long as I keep the mask on, nobody bothers me. I only took this job because the contract accepted an anonymous drop. I can't trust anybody. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

He lifted his gaze to meet Zhen and witnessed the softness in her eyes. She stared at him just like everyone else in this world did, but she didn't look disgusted or frightened or greedy. She looked somber. She looked contemplative. She looked sympathetic. Silence engulfed the room for almost a full minute while she watched him.

"That does sound a lot scarier than prison," she finally said. "You look a bit different, but I didn't think it'd make everyone… hostile toward you."

He exhaled slowly in response.

"I may not know what it's like to be the only one of my kind," she continued. "but, I do know what it's like to have trust issues."

The man chortled. "That supposed to make me feel better?"

"I sure hope so. I don't think I can stand to hear you whine much more." She laughed, nudging him.

He sighed. "At least one person isn't completely terrified of me."

"Are you kidding? I was raised in the Den of Thieves! I've seen much worse than your ugly mug."

The man returned a small small and extended a hand. "Liam, intelligence agent"

"Ooo, an Agent," she teased, then took his hand. "Zhen… uh… The thief."

They released their grip and simultaneously looked down at the shattered mask on the floor.

"Sorry for breaking your mask," Zhen rubbed the back of her neck. "I just got a bit too curious. Plus, you decided to steal from me. I mean, who thieves from other thieves? That's got to be a rule in a book somewhere?!"

"I get it," Liam let out a long breath. "Doesn't matter now, does it? The money is meaningless at this point. If I get caught, I'm royally fucked." He sighed again. "Not sure how I'm going to get out of this one."

Zhen dawned another pensive look before responding. "Look… Let me help you escape. There's probably another rule about thieves helping thieves somewhere, but I'll make an exception this time."

The human looked at her skeptically. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Maybe I feel bad for you. Maybe if I do one good deed every now and then, it cancels out all my other wrongdoings. I don't know. Don't question it, or I might change my mind." She pointed a furry finger at him.

"Alright, I'll take it," Liam chuckled, holding his arms up in mock defense. "So then, Zhen the thief, what's the plan?"

"We're going to fight our way out without a single mammal seeing you."

"Oh yeah? And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Got everything we need right here," she smirked, dangling the lengthy tapestry from her paw.

The pair raced down the hall, Zhen leading the charge with Liam close behind. They stopped when they reached a half-turn staircase leading up another floor.

"There's a roof exit at the opposite end of the building," She whispered. "No guards once you're on the outside. We just have to make it past the third floor without getting caught, and then you're home free."

Liam nodded, then hoisted Zhen up by her torso just enough so she could gaze across the upper floor at eye level. She peered between the feet of a guard standing just past the railing and took count of the five other wolves patrolling the area. He let her down, she relayed the status, and then they both readied for action.

Liam stood on the bottom step and grabbed both ends of the tapestry, spinning it in his hands until it spiraled into a taut rope. Zhen crept up past the first landing, keeping her body low and her movements silent. They looked back at each other and nodded before silently miming a countdown: Three… Two… One!

Liam reeled his arms back and whipped them forward sending the tapestry flying up over the railing and catching the guard's face right in the center of the fabric. Zhen then reached out and tripped the wolf, forcing him to stumble back just as the human yanked hard, pulling the entire animal over the railing and down to where Liam waited. The guard landed with a thud, and Liam delivered a punch to the side of the head, knocking him out cold. The human quickly made his way up to join Zhen on the top step.

"Who's next?" He asked with a goofy grin.

"A few of them rounded the corner on our left," she returned the smile. "Three for one?"

"I always liked a challenge."

Zhen slinked forward, hugging the wall. She peeked past the corner, telling Liam to wait with an open paw. A few seconds passed before her paw morphed into a thumbs-up, and she dashed around the corner and out of sight.

"Heya boys," she said in a sing-songy voice.

That was Liam's cue to dart up, round the corner, and whip the tapestry in their direction. All three guards were facing a back wall where Zhen stood, spears at the ready, blissfully unaware a cloth blindfold flying in their direction. As soon as the fabric passed their heads, Liam let it drop to eye level and pulled. Their muffled confusion quickly synchronized into a satisfying thunk as the left and right guards bonked heads with the center wolf. All three collapsed into a pile of canines.

The pair continued sneaking their way across the floor, Zhen pointing out the room with egress to the roof at the end of the hall. They paused at an intersection of two hallways, Zhen standing off to the left and Liam on the right of the perpendicular passage. The final two guards rounded the corridor, marching their way towards the intersection, while Zhen reached into a robe pocket and pulled out a broken chunk of the mask. She briefly twiddled it in her palm before lobbing it further down the hall in the direction the wolves walked. The piece plunked against both side walls and rolled across the floor, before finally coming to a halt.

"What was that?!" A voice shouted.

"There!" Another responded. "I saw something!"

The sound of two sets of feet bounding down the passage grew as they neared the intersection where Zhen and Liam waited. The human began wrapping the tapestry into a rope again, almost snickering to himself. Once again, the pair mimed a countdown as the sound of paws slapping against the floor neared: Three… Two… One!

Liam took one end of the tapestry and flung it across the intersection to Zhen. She caught it and they immediately yanked in sync just as the wolves passed the threshold. Both of their furry legs were caught by the taut cloth, sending them falling face-first into the floor. As soon as they landed, Zhen lunged at them with her end of the tapestry and began wrapping their faces in it while Liam used his end to tie up their legs, spinning them together in a colorful web.

Zhen pompously wiped her hands together as they stood up and waltzed their way to their destination.

"Piece of cake," She elbowed him. "What'd I tell ya?"

"I'll admit, not too shabby," he praised.

"Not too shabby!?" She moved in front, stopping him in his tracks, and staring him down with an incredulous look. "I just saved your butt, and all I get is a 'not too shabby!?'" She poked at his stomach emphasizing each word.

Liam's eyes suddenly dawned a deer in headlights look.

"Ah, finally," she looked pleased. "Now I see you're starting to witness how great–woah!"

Liam interrupted her commentary by scooping her up, spinning around, and sprinting back down the hall. From over his shoulder, Zhen noticed two more guards exiting a room no more than 50 feet from where they stood. He latched onto the handle of the nearest door, prying it open, and squishing them both inside.

Out of all the rooms in the building, the one Liam chose happened to be the smallest they'd come across yet. It was a utility closet no bigger than a shower stall, with a shelving unit that took up more than half the space. A broom, dustpan, and a couple of feather dusters littered the floor, which the pair did their absolute best to avoid shuffling around.

The tiny space didn't provide much room for personal space either. The human held her by the waist, so they were at eye level. Their chests pressed up against each other, her legs wrapped around his torso and back pinned against the wall. They felt each other's hot breath on their faces.

"I think I saw something go into that closet!"

Zhen and Liam tensed simultaneously, their eyes growing wide as dinner plates.

"I can't let them see me," he desperately whispered.

She felt his heart pound in his chest while he looked around frantically for a Hail Mary solution to their predicament.

"Maybe it was this closet?" The voice of one wolf asked from down the hall.

"No, you dummy! It was definitely that one!" Another wolf responded, followed by the sound of a bonk echoing against the walls

"You're the dummy… Dummy!"

The bickering guards gave the fox an idea, but she wasn't sure the human was going to like it. She grabbed his face, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"I have a plan. It's kind of insane, but I think it has a shot of working. When I pull away, keep your head low and don't turn around."

"What?"

"Just trust me."

With his heart about to beat out of his chest, he answered. "Ok."

Then, she leaned in and kissed him. The sporadic connection sent his heartbeat into overdrive, his eyes growing wider than he thought they could stretch. It was by far the most unique kiss he'd ever experienced, but it didn't feel as strange as he thought it would. After a few moments, he felt himself relax and lean into it, her arms circling his neck, pulling him deeper into the embrace.

They continued locking lips as footsteps approached their hiding spot and the closet door was torn open.

"Hey! What do you think you're–" The wolf trailed off upon seeing two mammals furiously necking.

Zhen moved her head to look at the guards, Liam quickly burying his face into her neck.

"Ugh!" She shouted in feigned disgust. "Do you mind?!"

"Oh!" The wolves blushed wildly. "S-sorry folks. I thought that… Nevermind!"

They shut the door as quickly as they opened it, scurrying away, their footsteps petering out as they left the area. Zhen leaned in and the pair slowly started giggling into each other's shoulders.

"Beautiful, beautiful, idiots." She said.

When they felt the coast was clear, they cracked open the door and poked their heads out, peering down both ends of the passage. When all they found was silence, they exited the closet fully, dusting themselves off before continuing, with a bit more haste this time, toward their final destination.

"You know," Liam drolled. "Tongue probably wasn't necessary."

Zhen grew a sly smile. "I had to make it look real."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, it felt pretty real."

"Oh, and I assume the little moan was just you 'playing along' then?"

Liam chose not to respond.

They entered the storage room at the end of the hall, Zhen immediately climbing a stack of boxes sitting in the back right corner. Upon reaching the top of the tower, she yanked the last one away to reveal a small window leading outside. Liam quickly followed her up and they both squeezed past the wall, Liam needing a little help from Zhen to tug him all the way through. They landed on a small platform atop the roof of Shi Pei's Palace, bathing in the moon's luminescence.

"I got to hand it to you," he said. "That was impressive."

She gave an exaggerated bow. "Thank you."

Liam walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at the trees surrounding the building. "I guess it's back to the drawing board for me."

"You know…" Zhen twiddled her thumbs awkwardly. "You might have more luck finding work in the Den of Thieves. I assume you'll get a weird look or two, but I'm sure they'll come around eventually."

"I highly doubt that. But, I'll consider it," he laughed. "I think you're just a special case with me."

"You're not so bad yourself, mysterious monkey-man."

They stood there smiling at each other for longer than either of them realized. Nothing about it felt uncomfortable, though.

"Thank you, Zhen. For everything."

Her smile brightened in return.

He stepped up onto the ledge and gazed down, ready to make his final escape.

"Wait!" She stopped him. "I have to know about the mask. Why the fox?"

He turned to face her, chuckling under his breath. "I loved foxes as a kid. I guess you could say I've always had a thing for them."

He shot her a wink and then leaped backward over the edge, disappearing into the night. She raced over and peered past the precipice, but the human was nowhere to be seen. She stood at the edge of the platform for a while, searching for a glimmer of movement from her unique friend and reflecting on the events of the night, all with a goofy smile plastered to her cheeks.

Eventually, she sighed and sat back, looking up at the universe.

"Well, that's one of my problems taken care of." Zhen blew a raspberry into the night sky. "No ring; No coin."

Zhen lay all the way down, facing the stars head-on, taking a moment to mull over her next move. Avoiding the meeting with the buyer was the easiest solution, but she wasn't ready to get a bounty placed on her head. She let out a frustrated moan, mentally preparing herself to get chewed out when she showed up empty-handed.

She absentmindedly stuck a paw in her robe pocket, fiddling with the broken mask pieces she'd collected before. Suddenly, a finger grazed something metal. Quickly pulling it out, she held the item up to her face where the ring of Shi Pei shimmered brilliantly under the moonlight. She stared at it for a while with a blank expression before a grin snuck its way onto her muzzle.

Zhen sat up and twiddled with the ring, a cackle escaping her lips so loud she thought somebody might hear.

"Oh, yeah," she said, tossing the ring up and catching it again. "I bet it felt real."

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to favorite and leave a review if you have feedback. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

For those following my Stuck: Redux story, I want to give a little update. I apologize for how few chapters I've posted. I really want this story to be special, and that requires a lot of work. I've taken the time to plan out the story, and it's 75% done. Once everything is fully planned, it should hopefully translate into faster and more substantial updates. I can't promise anything soon, but I do not intend for the story to die. Thank you for being patient.

Thank you to everyone who enjoys my work. It means a lot :)