Fanart by: DemiGboss

The cops stormed the building shortly after the battle concluded. They were silently scolded by a prone Bull and Crow who brought their attention to the slumbering child. The officers began their damage control procedures, albeit with a hushed pace. They searched the building for any suspects, checked the conditions of the remaining hostages, and conducted interviews with the witnesses. The paramedics rushed in to swaddle Nita in a warm blanket. Their attention shifted to the Retropolis trio's wounds.

Bull kept his grumpy attitude as they applied disinfectants to his wounds. It took several rolls of gauze to stop the blood pouring from his gnarly gashes. But he kept his eyes on the officers snooping around the diner. Three officers, plus one he assumed to be their captain, were heading towards the kitchen. Crow noticed this as well and quickly employed a distraction. The bird started whooping like a child that had fallen from a jungle gym. This provided Bull with just the right amount of chaos to slip away from the EMTs.

He was pleased to see most of the officers gathered around the tiny side room in the back of the kitchen. The rest could be seen taking pictures of the damage or gathering reports from the hostages.

Bull approached the majority, "What's the problem officers?"

The same officer he met before stood up front. His stuffy, white mustache was frayed. "Well, sir, my men have been reviewing the security cameras-"

"I don't remember giving you permission." Bull's aggressive tone and towering stature alarmed the officers. Some reached for their guns in case the beast decided to pounce.

The chief was much calmer, "Stand down." He looked up at the hulking monster. A little blood was still staining his upper lip, "You wouldn't be able to stop him if you tried."

The men backed off so the commander could speak up, "Besides, don't need your permission. Article 34 on the subject of armed robberies: The Retropolis police department has the right to examine all security cameras that belong to the business being attacked without consent from the business owner." Bull's nostrils flared but he couldn't argue with the law.

The commander continued, "Upon review of the security tapes, we noticed a few outliers. We rewound the tapes to about fifteen minutes before the call was received. Would you care to watch along?"

Bull stepped into the hole in the wall. The current perspective was of one of the tiny corners hidden within the kitchen. He watched as three thugs ran past the camera then ran back to gather more members. There were about seven or eight men rushing into the feed's blind spot. The camera went quiet for a while. Bull expected more people to arrive, but the video was stagnant. Then suddenly a door flew into the wall. Followed by the body of one of the robbers. For a split second, a shadow passed across the bottom of the feed, followed by gunshots and grown men screaming like children.

As one view ended the men shifted to another angle, following along as the black blur ripped along the ground. It tore through the robbers like paper maché. Bull smiled down at the officers, "Any problems."

"Several actually. First, we found your little... man cave. There's no documentation of an underground bunker in the schematics of this building."

"I paid the mortgage off on this diner years ago. I don't have to report any renovations to the city."

"Fair enough. Second," he played a specific part of the camera feed. Freeze framing on Nita as she threw a man into a burning grill. "Who... Actually, what is that?"

Bull was unintentionally smiling at the image, "That's Nita."

"What the hell is a Nita?"

"She-" he added a little emphasis on her pronoun- "Is a kid my cousin adopted. She was hanging out in the diner while we were away."

The officers pressed the fast-forward button, stopping at an angle showing the dining hall. Bull watched as Nita stood atop the counter and cracked a bottle across some thug's head. His heart sank when he saw gunshots flash off-screen. Nita's body collapsed behind the table. Even though Bull had just finished fighting her, he was leaning over the civil servants. He took a heavy breath when the guffaws of the robbers were silenced by Nita's stunning return. The stream of blood oozing from her forehead was staining her teeth.

Bull and the officers watched as Nita ripped the robbers apart. At one point literally ripping the arm off of the man who shot her. Bull remembered seeing body bags amongst the injured rescues. The commander paused the video, "And that?"

Bull was surprised, "Honestly, that's new."

The policemen grumbled to one another until the chief spoke up, "That brings me to my last point." He signaled for his men to leave them alone. "She held off most of our officers by herself for nearly half an hour."

"Wow, that is impressive."

"Very impressive. Which is why she's under arrest."

Bull choked on his tongue, "What?" He looked toward the kitchen exit, the officers had disappeared.

"Sir she has left over a dozen officers either immobile, in critical condition, or mentally unfit for combat."

"Oh, boo-hoo your puny mental stability." Bull attempted to exit but the commander blocked his path.

"Sir not only has she assaulted several officers, but she also participated in involuntary manslaughter."

"That was self-defense and you know it." Bull pushed him to the side. The officer held him by the arm.

"That child is a living weapon, a freak of nature, and needs to be contained for the good of our society."

Bull turned to face him, "Okay first off, your best men couldn't contain her on her worst day. Second, she's not a weapon, she's a ten-year-old girl that was trying to protect herself. And third!" Bull picked the captain up by his collar. His massive stature allowed him to slam the commander's head against the foam ceiling, "Call her a freak again and you're gonna find out just how many strings I can pull in this town."

He threw the officer aside on that statement. He didn't understand what he was doing. Some strange instinct moved his body forward in hopes of protecting the child. Unfortunately, he was too late; the carnage had begun anew.

Bibi was holding onto a swaddled Nita. The sleeping princess was unaware of the turmoil that she had unintentionally created. Crow stood as a wall between the girls and a group of policemen.

Two officers pushed forward with handcuffs outstretched. A third followed close behind with his firearm drawn, "Come on bird boy. You really wanna do this?" He tried to persuade him.

Crow flicked his wrists, magically revealing three blades hidden within his sleeves. He placed the blades between his knuckles and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you?"

More officers showed up aiming their guns at the trio. Many of the paramedics chose to hide behind the nearby tables and seats rather than be included in the conflict. Crow stood off against what felt like half of the police force while Bibi held Nita close to her heart. Her free hand gripped her signature metal bat.

The kitchen doors swung open behind Bull. Bull desperately shook the captain by his shoulders, "Call them off!" The captain was prepared for this. His face was unwavering as he made the call.

"Arrest the girl. Treat anyone trying to protect her as collateral."

Bull's heart sank at the command. He turned to see some officers moving on Crow's position. He tried his best to think of a way out of this. Something that wouldn't involve angering the entire police department. He could only think of one thing a cop would want.

"Wanna make a deal?"

~--~

The rays of the sun produce a stunning amount of visible light. Enough to heat our earth, warm our homes, or burn our forests in the right conditions. For some the sun serves as another reminder of glorious existence. For others, the days could melt together as they dreamed of a better tomorrow. For one such boy, his extended trip away from his home was finally ending. And the sun did not mark a beautiful day, but an uncertain tomorrow.

The giant bag he carried was torture on his back. Each step he took caused his knees to buckle beneath him. His determination and destination kept him upright. He gratefully dropped the giant sack in the center of his village. A few villagers treated themselves to a peek at the boy's bounty.

Rosa approached with a proud smile. "Well well well. Looks like someone's been working hard."

Leon dusted off his lime hoodie. His felt chameleon tongue would rise and fall with his heavy breaths. "Non-stop for 6 days. Backbreaking labor. Worth every second." He pushed the bag over, allowing a large sum of gemstones to spill to the ground.

A deeper voice called from behind the boy, "Yes, he has worked very hard." Bo entered the village with a powerful stride. His green vest was smudged by the dust from the mines. "We have not enjoyed the luxury of sunshine in many days. I believe our skin has gone pale." Bo and Rosa shared a familial laugh.

Bo continued to praise their efforts. "Yes, while our glamour may have faltered, our bodies have been sharpened with diamonds." Leon covertly rolled his eyes under his hood. "It was hard work... but it was worth it." Bo rested a hand on Leon's shoulder. The two shared a knowing nod, signaling the unknown growth they experienced. "Speaking of working hard. Rosa, where's our guest?"

She smirked over her shoulder, "Hey pretty boy."

From around a tent came Brock. His usual jacket and jeans were ditched for more primitive clothing: a pair of animal skin pants stitched with twine and a loose-fitting cloth around his torso. His face was sunken inward as he trudged over with a plow in hand, "Yes ma'am?"

Bo smiled at the defeated husk that was Brock. "Hard at work?"

"Yes sir," Brock's body seemed to shamble along. His eyes had grown dull and lifeless as he tried to stay on his feet.

Bo leaned into Rosa, "What have you been doing to him since we left?"

Rosa returned a bright smile, "A hard day's work." Rosa smacked their guest on the back. His weakened frame nearly fell over from her touch. "Guess what, Brock? You're going home tomorrow. Chuffed?"

Brock's eyes brightened, "Yes ma'am." Rosa patted his head like a dog, the larger woman laughing at his enthusiasm.

Bo was amused by Brock's new docile nature. But Leon couldn't care less about Brock's successful domestication. The teen was more concerned with the approaching morning. He snagged Bo's attention, "I'm coming with you." Bo gave Leon his full attention, "No matter what you say or what I'll have to do; I'm coming with you."

Bo crouched to match Leon's height, "Of course my boy. You will be in attendance for the reunion with your sister." Bo gave him a fatherly embrace. He could feel the difference in width through his hoodie. The boy had grown into a powerful man. And in just six days' time!

He wished to understand the reason behind him and his sister's physical abilities, but that was a secret lost to time. Only their parents could answer such a mysterious question. But they were long gone. He would never forget to thank the Gods for gifting his people with such exceptional youths.

Bo politely interrupted Rosa's teasing of Brock. "Rosa! Will you be joining us in retrieving Nita?"

"Of course. I miss the red devil. Besides," Rosa snatched Brock to her side. Her muscular arms ensured he wouldn't escape. "I wanna say goodbye to Bea and I's special assistant." Brock locked eyes with Bo, his lips mouthing 'help me' as he smiled awkwardly.

Bo and the villagers within earshot laughed as if he was an old chum. He hoped to find Leon joining in the fun but he had wandered off. The stealthy assassin was standing on the village edge watching the sunset. His hands were hidden in his pockets as he looked past everything but focused on nothing. Bo silently approached him. He opted out of a speech and let the boy speak when he was ready.

"I can feel her, Bo." A fierce wind blew over them, knocking his hood off his head. His shaggy, black, rats-nest of hair now absorbing the heat. His emerald eyes sparkling against the purple skyline. "I can feel it. Her anger, frustration, worry. I can feel so many emotions running through her." He looked at his blistered hand, "And I'm too weak to save her."

"You are not weak my boy. You are stronger than many men who have been in your shoes. Most who've found themselves in your shoes have gone on rampages. Blindly battling their way through hordes of enemies only to find what they wanted was never obtainable. But you, you remained calm, negotiated a deal, and did everything in your power to meet their demands. That takes strength."

"What's strong about hiding behind money?"

"You did not hide. He chose the battle, you chose the battlefield."

Leon slid his thumb across the blades he kept in his pockets, "We should have taken the fight to them."

"A fight on their home field would be akin to suicide. We give them what they want, and we guarantee Nita's safe return. That is the best option."

Leon blew an exasperated breath. He absently slid a blade into his sleeve. The sun was growing low. The night would soon take over. "She's hurting, Bo."

Bo comforted him, "One day. One more day, then we fix everything."

~--~

Nita gave a squinted glare at the five men before her. Her panda pelt worked excellently as a cover for her thoughts. Each of these men challenged her spot at the top. Four of the men had accepted defeat but one refused to falter. Bull.

She didn't fear anyone or anything. But Bull had this aura about him, it made her nervous. He had proven on several occasions that he was the boss for a reason. To challenge his position on the throne was like trying to take meat from a lion. Suicide.

A hand rested on her shoulder. Bibi whispered advice into her ear. If anyone knew Bull it was her. His strengths, his weaknesses, all his most prevalent secrets were housed in her head. She was a vault Bull wished to keep shut. Now Nita had the combination.

Her eyes fell to the battlefield that separated them. A king stood at the front dressed in black clovers with a pair of twins following close behind. One sported a garb of bright red hearts, the other chose a fashionable set of dazzling diamonds. The next members were a family of flower-bearing sextuplets and a matching queen for the king.

Nita looked back at Bull; it was his turn to make a move. She watched as he pushed his army of minions forward. The size of his forces would have made a weaker warrior cower. But Nita had a strategy. Bibi attempted to whisper some advice, but she was quickly silenced. Nita's tiny hand had halted the subtle flapping of Bibi's lips.

She looked past his eyes and stared into the bull's heart. He was the kind of man to sacrifice others for his gain. All were just pieces to a puzzle for him, but he wasn't the type of leader to randomly sprawl his pieces on the board. He wouldn't blindly throw down the box without carefully arranging the parts by color. So why would he make a bet he couldn't win? She pushed her entire army forward, her troops dwarfing his in size.

Bull looked back at the girl. A deadly clash of their souls grew thick in the air. Their eyes danced a perilous tango as they battled for dominance.

He let out a climactic snort. Using his massive hand, he lowered his artillery and surrendered to Nita. Bibi couldn't help but snicker at Bull's withdrawal. "What's so funny?" he grumbled towards his cousin.

Bibi motioned for Nita to show her cards. The girl revealed a pair of pocket sevens. Bull's eyes widened at the garbage hand. He flipped his hand over to show a 2 of Diamonds and a random 9 of Hearts. Crow leaned over his shoulder, "Why didn't you play that?"

"How was I supposed to know she was bluffing? She doesn't even know what we're playing!"

Nita looked up from the massive pile of chips in her face. "Go Fish?"

Bull gave her a frustrated grumble as he rose from his seat, "I'm out." He requested the dealer save his balance for the next game. He made his defeated departure with Crow following him to his office door. The two men stood against the doorframe and observed the party from afar.

Nita was currently raking in another small pile of chips as Bibi laughed wildly behind her. Bull let out a short and stiff snort, "Bibi only laughs like that when she's busting someone's skull."

"Yes, now she seems to smile every day."

Bull let his eyes rest on Crow. The smaller bird had a content look on his face. Bull's eyes widened as he inspected his beak, "You're...?" Crow's posture was inquisitive. "You're smiling?"

Crow's hand rested on his face, "Strange. I seem to do that a lot lately." Crow glanced at Bull, "What about you."

"Me?"

"You lost in a game of poker, but instead of taking their thumbs, you let 'em keep their winnings. You've changed too."

Bull looked back at the table. Most of the men had left the board before they lost more money to the child. The two girls were celebrating as Bibi helped Nita count the money she had won. Bull examined his calloused palms, his massive fingers balling into fists. "So I have..."

He took a seat in his office chair. He instinctively reached for another cigar while Crow slunk into the corner. He beckoned for the bird to stand by the desk while he contemplated the future.

Crow broke the palpable silence, "It's a shame."

"Hm?"

"I said it's a shame, sir."

"What's a shame?"

"Tomorrow. She's leaving."

Bull knocked the ashes off his stogie, "Right, almost forgot. Even cut that deal with that officer yesterday to keep her safe."

Crow fidgeted in place. He had to risk it, "If you don't mind me asking, what was that deal?"

Bull rolled a kink out of his neck, "Simple, just like all the other filthy pigs that work on the Retropolis Police Force. He wanted money; I gave him money."

Crow wasn't buying it. That was too lame an explanation. "With all due respect, sir. He was the chief of police. A simple bribe would never be enough."

Bull rocked back in his chair, blowing a giant cloud of smoke. "He didn't ask for that much... about 2% of a month's revenue."

Crow's eyes bulged out his head, "2%!? Sir, you make 18,939,393 coins a month. 2% of that is still roughly 300,000 coins." Crow did some quick math in his head. His feathers stood on end. "That's over 50,000 gems!"

Bull raised an eyebrow. He hadn't seen Crow exasperated in months, and Crow hadn't been this vocal in years, "Your point?"

"Spending that much money on a kid we're just going to return in a day? Are you insane?!" Bull blew some smoke from his nose. Crow bit his tongue, "Sorry, sir. I-I overstepped."

Bull rose from his seat, his massive steps echoing through the tiny room as he approached Crow. The bird silently awaited his punishment; A shot to the gut, a quick choking, even a thunderous blow to the head wouldn't be unexpected. But Bull's attack never came. He felt the boss brush past him and crack open the door.

The boss peeked outside at the girls. Crow joined him in time to see a chef enter their bunker, "An order for Mrs. Bibi?" He presented a large silver platter with two large burgers resting atop.

Nita ran up with Bibi just behind her, "And me? What about my food?"

The chef warmly smiled down at her, "And of course I didn't forget our resident panda's favorite meal." He put his free hand in his mouth, whistling towards the stairwell. A waiter came down with a giant ceramic display. A giant hunk of freshly prepared beef oozed over the sides. "An extra-large T-Bone steak for our fierce fighter. Medium rare, just how you like it."

Nita's mouth was leaking a viscous trail of drool as she reached out for the meal. Bibi pushed her hands down, "Nita. What do we say to our chefs before we eat?"

Nita stared up at the chef. Her eyes shifted from soft circles to jagged triangles as she bared her fangs. "It better taste good."

The chef gladly accepted the threat. Something about hearing it from her mouth was wonderful. "Of course, Madam Nita. I would never fail you." Nita snatched the tray and gave a passing thank-you before bolting into her closet. Bibi expressed her gratitude for them playing along with her taunts then joined Nita inside.

Bull ordered the rest of his men out of the basement. He didn't want them eavesdropping on the girls. Once Crow was the last gangster remaining, he cracked Nita's door ajar.

Nita's trashy mattress had been replaced with a pristine new air cushion. The lack of furniture was quickly rectified with a small desk and a beanbag chair for the girl to relax with. Currently, Nita was being swallowed by her massive novelty seat while she inhaled her meal.

Bibi was slower to eat. She had a troubled look on her face. She was less interested in the sandwich and more focused on the girl before her. "Hey, Panda Bear..." she patiently awaited a response. Unfortunately, the tiny girl's mouth was full of steak. Bibi decided to just ask the heavy question, "Are you... excited?"

Nita swallowed as much food as she could, talking through stuffed cheeks. "Excited for what?"

"Tomorrow, you're going home."

"Oh." Nita took a large gulp, "It's been seven days?"

"Just about. Tomorrow you finally get to go home." Bull and Crow watched as Bibi choked out her next words between soft sniffles. "Aren't you excited?"

Nita rocked back and forth for a second, "Not really."

The peeping-toms leaned closer; Bibi unintentionally said exactly what they were thinking. "Why not?"

"I can't have fun in my village. The only people that I can play with are my brother and Ms. Rosa. Everyone else always gets hurt. And whenever I hurt someone, they always tell Mr. Bo and I get in trouble." She stared into Bibi's eyes, "But here I get to use all my strength against everyone. Yesterday a guy asked me to arm wrestle him. And when I broke his arm, he just laughed and bought me a drink." She gave Bibi a toothy grin, "It's way more fun here than at home."

Bibi's heart skipped a beat. She didn't expect that response. The girl wasn't one for words, but that was probably the most emotional thing she said in the six days she had been here. But Bibi knew she needed to let go; it would be better for them both if they prepared to separate. She tried to remind her of home, "What about your family? You're finally gonna see your brother again." She choked back another painful sob, "Tell your father and... mother you love them." She held her hand over her mouth for a second, fighting back a flood of tears.

"I don't have a momma."

Bibi's heart stopped for a second, "W-What?"

"I don't have a momma. Or a papa."

Bibi leaned closer. Her short black hair annoyingly obscured her vision, "Really?"

"Yep. I wasn't old enough when they left. Leon said they went to a better place when I was a baby. So, I never met them." Nita took another large bite of her steak. "You're the closest thing to a momma I've ever had."

Bibi's breath grew heavy. Her mind couldn't handle this. Loss of this capacity had never been experienced before. She needed to let her go, loosen her grip before she lost the strength to release. Nita didn't give her time to think. The words flowed from her childish mouth like water from a spout.

"Oh, I'm gonna miss Papa Crow too. And Uncle Bull." She giggled out that statement. "But most of all," she looked up at Bibi. "I'm gonna miss you... Momma."

Bibi snapped. The dam she had worked countless years to create burst at the drop of a leaf. The younger girl dropped her steak as she found herself inside Bibi's lap. Her head was desperately smushed deep inside Bibi's chest, "I can't do it. I can't lose you!" She buried her face in Nita's pelt. Her body was on fire as years of pent-up emotions spewed out. "I haven't felt this happy in years. And now I'm sadder than I've ever been in my life. I can't give you up. I won't give you up. I'll adopt you. They can't take you if you're legally my daughter."

Nita readjusted herself in Bibi's lap. She gripped Bibi's bawling cheeks so she could allow their foreheads to connect. For a second, Bibi's lamentation stopped. Her breath halted as she listened to their shared heartbeats. Nita's eyes were shut as she whispered, "It's okay Momma, I promise I'll visit." Bibi's weeps only grew as she clutched onto Nita for life.

Bull slowly shut the door. His cousin's heartfelt sorrow was unnerving for the hardass. He was still processing the events that had transpired. His cerebrum rationalized the future of the diner. He hated to admit it, but with Nita's absence, there would be a drastic shift in the diner's atmosphere.

He hoped he could lean on Crow's usually cold personality. Those lifeless eyes would surely sedate this tumultuous situation. Instead Bull found himself gawking at the crow in bewilderment. Crow's body shifted towards his boss, "What's wrong, sir?" His voice was oddly quiet.

"Your... eyes." He pointed a shaky finger at Crow, "Your... face."

Crow nervously inspected himself. His feathered hands returned with water droplets retrieved from his cheeks.

"You're... crying."

Crow's face was frozen. His mouth was expressionless, his voice was unwavering, but his eyes were puffy and red. A stream of salty tears were streaking along his leather jacket.

Crow continued to inspect his face. His mind tried to comprehend this involuntary action. "Sir..." he shyly turned to Bull. His emotionless face was terrifying as his eyes continued to gush water. Bull trained him to remove all weak emotions. Yet somehow, "Sir. I don't want her to leave."

Bull clutched his chest as if threatening a heart attack. Worse than that, he could feel a new feeling boiling up to the surface. He felt joy watching the girl tear through that obese bastard a few days ago, he felt pride as he watched her shred through the cops and robbers last night, and now he felt something he had forgotten years ago. A feeling reserved for his immediate family members.

Love.

He leaned against the door, the soft sobs of Bibi still leaking out of the cracks. Crow said he didn't want Nita to leave and now Bull couldn't fight this feeling any longer. In this one moment, he finally accepted the truth, "I don't want her to leave either."