2 days until everything changes

On the main road, slicing through the dusty dunes of Brawltopia's desert, sat a small town. The buildings were made of wood and fitted with that rustic, old-western aesthetic. Amidst the plethora of smaller abodes was a large tavern in the town center. A neon sign rested atop with two cartoonish bottles spewing flames from their tops.

Inside the tavern, several men in ten-gallon hats drank to their heart's content and their stomach's regret. Women could be seen joining in the merriment or toying with the hearts of the drunken bastards. Their plans were simple: party until the sun went down, then the afterparty could begin.

The doors to the parlor slowly swung open, the large frame of Bull basked in the desert sun. Beside him was a small robot, his singular yellow eye radiating a welcoming spirit. His mouth (if he had one) was covered by a large chrome mustache. "So, we have come to an agreement?" he spoke in an augmented British accent.

Bull looked down at the smaller bot with an unusually-genuine smile. "You provide the drinks, I provide the food. And both our businesses prosper." He stuck his hand out, his large palms engulfing the tiny hands of the robotic owner. "Never made an easier deal in my life, Barley."

Behind him stood his partners in crime, Bibi and Crow. They patiently waited for him to finalize the deal. Bibi rolled her eyes as the two men continued with an irrelevant conversation. She lazily looked towards a family in a nearby corner. She saw a mother and her daughter merrily laughing together as they sang with the woman on stage. They both giggled as the girl absently drew a picture in her coloring book. Crow noticed Bibi's growing despair, "What's wrong?"

He tried his best to sound sympathetic, but Crow's ghastly tenor caused a shiver to run down her spine. Bibi coughed in her hand, "Nothing, this is just so boring." She hated coming on trips like this. No action, just talking.

Crow faced her head on, "You know business like this is necessary."

"I know but why do I have to be here?" she groaned.

"That is a wonderful question, darling." They both flinched after hearing her arrival. The duo was joined by a woman in a bright blue dress. Her southern accent was soft and airy; a stark contrast to Bibi's rougher vocals. She had a pink umbrella resting on her shoulder and a single-eyed robot following close behind her. Her robotic companion was wearing a blue bubble vest that partially covered the bouncy balls inside his glass stomach. "Why are you here?" the classy woman asked with mock laughter.

'And then there's this bitch,' Bibi hated her. She was always so condescending and a total smart ass. "You got a problem, Piper?"

"Yes. You see, I'm just so envious."

Bibi smirked at the compliment, "So you're finally admitting I'm better than you?"

Piper chuckled into her palm, "Oh no dear. I'm not envious of you. I envy the people who haven't met you."

Bibi's mood grew sour. She was being forced to play nice while Piper happily laughed towards the ceiling, "Rico darling, fetch me a drink." The robot obliged, leaving Piper alone with them.

Bibi had grown used to this, being on the backpedal in a battle of words. Piper would routinely hurl insults in her direction upon every visit. She hoped it would grow stale with time, but Piper's rude attitude aged like fine wine.

Piper loved Bibi's silence. She took it as a sign of victory, but she wouldn't stop just because she won. "Oh, what's wrong, honey? At a loss for words?"

Bibi ground her teeth. She wanted to punch Piper's pearly whites down her narrow throat. But today was different; She had a secret weapon, "Sorry, I'm just too busy thinking about my daughter at home."

Crow and Piper went stiff. Bibi threw her chin up so she could properly bask in her premature victory. However, her witnesses were still too stunned to notice. Crow was shocked she revealed such valuable information, Piper couldn't believe she had such luck with a man.

Rico returned with the requested refreshment, "Thanks, hun." Piper coughed out, taking a sip to regain her composure. "Well congratulations, you have a little rugrat running around your apartment. Daddy must be very excited, what with taking care of her all by himself."

Bibi visibly flinched at the invasive question. A slip-up that Piper took advantage of. She laughed into her fingers, "Oh-ho-ho. Don't tell me the baby doesn't know her daddy?" Piper leaned in closer, "Or does mommy not know who she slept with?"

Rico and Crow took a step back. Bibi dropped her silent celebration so she could properly butt heads with the southern sweetheart. Every fiber of her being said to rip the blonde to smithereens. But Bull needed this deal and she didn't need to hear his shit. Besides, "I know who the father is!"

"Oh really? Then where and/or who is he?"

Now she was flustered. Bibi quickly scanned her surroundings as she tried to formulate a lie. Quickly turning to Crow for help, 'Well, it's not a total lie.' She ripped him from his position on the sideline, her hands burying his arm into her chest. "He's right here."

Now it was Rico that joined Piper in her shock and awe. But her flabbergasted face quickly morphed into a giddy grin. The sassy, southern belle burst into hysterical laughter, "Oh my. So, there is a romance in the business? How scandalous!"

Though his face said otherwise, Crow was uncomfortable with his current predicament. He covertly whispered into Bibi's ear, "Please don't drag me into this." Bibi silently convinced him to play along. She would pay him back later.

Piper couldn't hold herself back, "Oh, dear. Honestly, it's appropriate. A filthy half-breed, for a dirty couple."

A light lit in Crow's eyes, "What did you just say?" Bibi perked up as well, her deceptive height showing as she stood a few inches over Crow.

"Uh-oh. Did I offend you?" Piper laced her words with a lavish load of malice. Her increasingly-smug tone succeeding in boiling Bibi's blood.

Crow blew a frustrated breath, "I've heard worse things in a week than you can form within a year." He put an arm in front of Bibi, "You can't offend me. But don't you dare insult her. Or..." Crow tried his best not to roll his eyes, "Our daughter."

Piper smiled at his defensive tone, "Oh really? And what will you do to stop me?"

Bibi reached for the bat she kept at her waist, "Fuck around and find out."

Rico stepped up, his body acting as a weak wall between Piper and the Retropolis residents. Piper continued her taunts behind him, "Oh honey. You seem to misunderstand. I don't mind your daughter. In fact, I'm happy that you two found your own strange form of love." She took a final sip of water, "I just think your wife's gene pool could use a chlorine cleaning."

Bibi had heard enough. Deal or not she couldn't just stand there and take these verbal jabs. Piper reacted to Bibi unclamping her bat by dropping her glass. They could both feel time roll to a standstill around them. Bibi was able to shove Crow to the side and plant her front foot as a base for the swing.

The tip of Piper's umbrella was currently pointed at Bibi's head. The dainty fabric used to shield her from the rain had ripped apart, giving way for the mechanisms hidden beneath. A large metal barrel and a matching ACOG scope gave the markswoman a ranged advantage in the spontaneous brawl.

Just before the glass shattered on the floor, a British voice cut through the action. "Enough!"

The tavern froze as all heads turned to the front door. The owner stood with his hands behind his back and a frown in his eye. Bibi's bat was being held back by a very desperate Crow. Piper's sniper/umbrella hybrid was aimed at the sky thanks to Rico's quick thinking. "Put the rifle away," Barley politely ordered.

With the press of a button, Piper's rifle transformed back to normal. Bibi laughed at her opponent, "Somebody's in trouble." Her celebration was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Bull clearing his throat. She rolled her eyes at her cousin but obliged by putting away her bat.

Almost on cue, a large black hummer pulled up. Bull silently thanked the heavens as he ordered Bibi and Crow over. Bibi moved past him with her arms crossed and chin down like an angry toddler. Piper strolled to the back of the tavern, leaving the bird and bot standing alone.

They both turned in the direction of their female companions. Crow placed his hands in his pockets while Rico rubbed the back of his metallic head. Crow figured he'd share some helpful advice. "Get your girl under control."

Rico's retro voice softly responded, "Your's isn't any better."

The two walked away on that statement. Crow entered the hummer and took a seat beside a frustrated Bibi. Bull turned back to the owner, "My apologies, Barley. They're like children."

"Trust me. I know all too well." Barley removed his hat to wipe some dust off his chrome dome. He politely bowed before making his way back inside the tavern.

Crow saw Bull approaching with a crabbed frown. He quietly jumped into the hummer's trunk, it would be better to watch this performance than play in it. The car lurched from Bull's massive weight.

He gave the signal for the chauffeur to take them home. Thus began the quietest and most awkward ride Crow had ever experienced. The only sounds permeating the still air were the car's engine and their echoing heartbeats. After what felt like an hour, Bull broke the silence, "Do I need to start bringing a baby-bottle on our jobs?"

Bibi was too enamored by the setting sun to look his way. But she did manage a muffled, "Fuck you."

Bull rubbed his eyes, "Honestly. How am I younger than you?"

"She started it."

"There is nothing she could have said that would warrant an attack."

"She called Nita a filthy half-breed."

"God-"

Bibi cut him off. Her eyes squinted as she yelled at him, "I can't let her get away with that!"

"Who cares about the kid. She's leaving in two days."

The car fell silent again. Bibi stared at her feet and Crow fiddled with a spare dagger. They had forgotten about the deal. They were going to meet Nita's real family outside Tara's Bazaar.

Crow and Bibi shared a silent nod. The two had talked about it once or twice before but with the time growing near, Bibi figured it was now or never, "Hey, Buru." Bull raised a brow at the name. "Me and Crow have been talking and we were wondering..." she looked to Crow for support.

The bird, lacking a filter, just blurted it out. "Can we keep her?"

Bull looked forward. His response was clear and concise, "No."

Bibi groaned, "Why not?!"

"In two days, I will have access to 3,000 emeralds and a superhuman boy with the power of invisibility. Why would I trade that for an infant with a mean right hook?"

"Okay first, 3,000 emeralds is chump change to you. Second, don't you dare downplay my panda bear. She is literally superhuman. A beast in the body of a child. She loves to drink suckers under the table, and fights like a wild animal..." Bibi paused as she searched for another point, settling on, "And she's just so damn adorable."

Bull still wouldn't budge, "She isn't adding anything valuable to the team."

Crow calmly called him out, "Actually after last night's fight, we hit a record high for customers this morning. Most asked if they could see, 'The Panda'? If I had to guess, there will be even more people tonight."

Bull stayed silent. If what Crow was saying proved to be true, she could be good for business. However, trying to control a kid was like throwing salt on a grease fire; It could work out, but one wrong move and he'd just make an uncontrollable flame.

His phone's ringtone broke the tension. "We'll talk about this later... This is Bull." He went silent as he listened to the person on the other line. "Yes... How long has it been...? I'm on my way." Bull hung up and signaled the driver. "How long to get back to the diner?"

"Two hours, sir."

"Make it one." Bull sat back in his seat as the driver surged forward. The G-Forces acting on their body pinned their backs to the leather seats.

Bibi turned to her cousin, "What's wrong?"

"We're being robbed."

~--~

The usual soft green and blue hues that hummed around the diner's exterior were being dwarfed by a dangerous display of flashing red and blue lights. The excruciating wails of the police sirens threatened to wake up the entirety of Retropolis. The surplus of squad cars left little room for their jet-black vehicle. Bibi's heart dropped to her toes when she saw several body bags being transported away. Bull ordered their driver to stop on the edge of the lot. Bibi leaped out like a panther. "If any of you laid a finger on my precious baby's head, I will scalp you to make up for every misplaced hair!"

Bull sauntered past his neurotic cousin, his current destination being the commanding officer's field tent. Instead, he saw a man standing by a folding table surrounded by officers. Bull approached them, "You the man in charge?"

The officer nodded his head, waving the other men away. His thick white mustache matched his gruff voice, "You must be the owner."

"Bull," he looked to his diner. "What's the situation."

The leading officer scratched his chin, "That's the issue. I'm not entirely sure." Bull observed the area. A few officers could be seen carrying away some men in handcuffs. Most of them were beaten and bruised while others were willingly stepping into the squad cars. The commanding officer continued, "You see when we first arrived, these men were keeping us out via gunpoint and live hostages. Demanding a getaway car, a few thousand dollars, the usual stuff."

A paramedic pushed a robber to the ambulance. The man rambled about something as he held his bandaged head. Bull pushed, "Looks like you have it under control. So why are you still here?"

"You see... while we were trying to find a way inside, gunshots rang through the building. I had a few of my men rush in to deal with it, but," Bull saw the diner's doors fly open. An officer was dragging two of his injured men behind him. They were alive, but the wounds visible along their legs left them immobile. The one that could still speak was in hysterics. Grabbing at his legs screeching, "I can't feel them... I can't feel them!"

Bull turned back to the commander, "What's in there?"

"No idea. The lights were broken during the initial gunfight. We've been trying to retrieve the hostages, but we keep getting stopped. All my men that make it out on their own two feet say they saw the same thing. A tiny panda." Bull's body stiffened at the revelation. "Any idea what's in there?"

Bull walked away from him, "I can guess." Bull searched the hectic parking lot. "Bibi!" He moved around the stretchers and squad cars. Perplexed by the lack of swears in the ever chaotic air. "Bibi?"

"I can't find her!" Bull jumped at her disembodied voice. She had appeared behind him with a shaky voice and watery eyes. "I checked with all the officers that don't have their ankles broken. The paramedics that weren't busy treating the injured, even the bastards that robbed us. No one's seen her." Bibi grabbed hold of Bull's shirt, "Where's my baby?!"

Crow flew down beside them, "I scanned every rooftop within our block. She's not here."

Bibi continued in her desperate attempt to shake an answer out of Bull. He threw his hands on hers, "What did you ask them."

"If they've seen my baby girl. Brown skin, wearing a panda head."

"How did they react?"

"Most screamed, then begged me to get away."

"Thought so..." Bull pushed her to the side and stomped to his diner's entrance.

A few officers tried to stop him, but he shoved them aside. Bibi followed close behind with Crow bringing up the tail. "Hey, Buru! What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna discipline a child."

Bull threw his diner's doors open. The lobby was pitch black, only a faint light bulb from the kitchen illuminating their path. The moonlight leaking through the windows gave little to no vision. That alongside the flashing lights from outside gave the room a strange horror movie feeling. Bull noticed the floorboards were splintered again, "Dammit, I just got that fixed."

Bibi's reaction was less than docile, "Panda? Nita baby? Momma's here." She ran through the diner looking under the tables. "It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you now. Everything's okay."

Bull left Bibi to search for the rest of his staff. His memory of the diner easily guided him through the darkness. He found the kitchen door as if it were bright as day. Crow followed behind, watching as his boss stood still in the doorway. "What's wrong?" Crow inquired.

Bull motioned for Crow to join him. Upon inspecting the kitchen, Crow too froze from the oddity. Sitting in the corner were all of the diner's chefs. They were using their bodies as a human shield for the few customers that couldn't escape the carnage. Bull reached out to Sous Chef, "What are you doing?" Bull was expecting a vocal response, but they silently pointed behind him.

Both men snapped at the sound of a spoon clattering to the floor. Crow pulled out a dagger while Bull just turned with an unamused scowl. A knife fell next, which brought both mens' attention to the cabinets above. Their hearts froze when they saw her. Her bright white eyes were covered in blood leaking from her head. Her arms had a series of lacerations which oozed blood across the cabinets she was posted on. She was watching them while sprawled along all four limbs with a territorial growl escaping her lips.

Bull took a step back. He hadn't seen this side of her before. He reached an arm out to grip Crow. However, rather than Crow's leather jacket, Bull's fists only clasped the air. He was in a daze while Crow slowly stepped forward.

He let out a hushed order, "Crow! Get back here!"

Crow snuck a peek at his boss. Openly ignoring the order as he slipped his knife away. He somehow kept a cool expression as he stretched a hand out to the deranged girl. "Nita? It's me... Papa."

Nita's fangs retracted behind her lips. Her tiny nose poked out from beneath her mask to catch a whiff. Bull and the customers watched on as the two slowly grew closer. Nita's feral state falling at Crow's scent.

Nita's nose was practically touching Crow's feathers now. The bird allowed himself a passive sigh as she calmed down. Then the kitchen doors busted open and Bibi rushed in wildly. "Where's my baby?!" Bibi's aggressive entrance knocked some pots off their racks. The clamorous sound echoing off the tile floors.

Nita snarled and clamped down on Crow's feathered fingers. He instinctively pulled back falling on his rear and slamming into a metal cabinet. Bull ran forward, "Alright kid it's nap time." He threw a punch at Nita's skull. The girl leaped over his fists and bounced off the tiled wall. Her skull collided with Bull's nose and added a few extra drops to her blood-stained panda hat.

Bibi saw Nita fly from above and land on Bull's sprawled body. "Panda!" She stretched out her arms, ignoring her cousin's predicament. "Momma's here!"

Nita's teeth resembled knives but Bibi was too excited to care. She was also too excited to process that Nita was sprinting towards her less like a gazelle and more like a lioness. Bibi still sported a dazzling smile as Nita plowed through her like a fourteen-wheeler through a stack of hay. The force of the blow caused Bibi to roll out of the kitchen.

Her adopted daughter tumbled forward and disappeared into the darkness. Bibi couldn't help but chuckle as she clenched her aching gut, "That's my girl." She rolled over to her stomach, looking out into the shadows. "Nita? Baby girl? Momma's not mad. She just needs you to come out." She used her bat as a prop and took a defensive stance.

Crow sucked on his aching fingers, "Where is she?"

"Dunno she knocked the wind out of me then disappeared."

"I'll find her." Crow jumped up into the rafters out of her sight.

The doors to the kitchen slowly opened again. Bibi saw Bull stroll into the dim room with a ruby red nose, "Woof. She got you good."

"Yeah," he slowly brought his hands up to his face. "This is a new feeling. Pride in somebody else." He wiped his bloody nose. The red liquid was thick on his thumb. He clenched his bloody palm and let the bodily fluid ooze between his fingers. "Unfortunately, it's being overshadowed by my UNYIELDING RAGE!" He smashed his blood-covered fist through the counter. The wooden bar folded in on itself, adding more destruction to the dark diner. "Nita! Where are you?"

He trudged through the ruined room in a blind rage. Bull's demands for Nita to come into what was left of the lights fell on deaf ears. But his constant calls did bring Crow into the view, although his arrival was less than classy. His body had been slung their way with him gliding and slicing his jacket along the shredded flooring. He rubbed the bottom of his beak as he sat up, "Found her."

Bibi and Bull looked into an inky black section of the restaurant. Their human eyes were unable to process what was standing there. A passing squad car's lights swept the diner. The red and blue lights flashed as Nita's body came into vision. The blue light caused the red bloodstains to turn black against her white fur hat. Her eyes glowed in the dark as she growled at them from a distance.

Then as soon as the light came, it left, plunging the room into darkness again. Bull grinned at where she last was, "Someone's cranky. Looks like I gotta put you in timeout." He cracked to prepare for the brawl.

But Bibi jumped in his way, "Wait we can't hurt her."

"The hell do you mean we can't hurt her?"

"She's just a kid."

Bull pointed to his face, "That kid broke my nose!"

Bibi looked back at Nita's last location, "She's scared. Maybe she's just trying to protect herself?"

"She's a wild animal. Crow back me up." He turned to his assassin. The bird was staring up at the rafters. "What are you..." He followed Crow's gaze upward and got his face smashed in by Nita as a reward.

Bull slowly stumbled backward as Nita landed in front of Bibi. She clamped her hands down on the child's shoulders, trying to calm her down. Without batting an eye, Nita took one of Bibi's hands and threw her over her shoulder. The woman crashed into her little cousin's chest.

Nita's razor-sharp eyes latched onto Crow. If her deadly glare wasn't enough, Nita also dropped to all fours again. She slowly crawled towards him so he matched her pace and walked further away. Crow tried to formulate a plan; he had to find a way to stop her but he didn't know of a way that wouldn't use violent force. He could try reasoning with her but she was a rabid beast, a mindless animal hell-bent on taking them out. His hands tapped a few plates sitting on a table. 'Yeah, that won't hurt her... much.' He picked up a stack of china and prepared for a ranged assault. But Nita had disappeared while his back was turned. His eyes were trained to see even the smallest difference in the shadows, the tiniest inconsistency in reflecting light, but he couldn't find Nita.

His ears weren't the best, but he could hear faint breathing over his shoulder. His bones chilled at the warm feeling running on his neck. Crow took a peek over his shoulder, surprised to find Nita posted like a dog guarding its home. 'How did she get there?!'

Crow didn't know what to do. He attempted to face her but the further he turned the louder she growled.

In the middle of the room, Bull and Bibi made a groggy recovery. The boss yelled into the night, "Crow! Where is she?! Where are you?!"

Bibi also called to Crow, "Don't hurt her. She's just confused."

'Didn't plan on it.' Crow took a second to observe his surroundings. They were hidden in a pocket with low light exposure. His dark clothes and dark fur allowed him to blend in. But Nita's white fur should have made her slightly visible. Unless, 'She must be hiding. She's using me as a shield so they can't see her white pelt.' He made a mental note to compliment her on that strategy later.

He looked through his peripheral vision and felt his soul ache. Nita was using the cover to lick her fresh cuts like a wounded animal. His usually-stone heart broke at the sight. He didn't know how to help her. Or at least, he didn't know how to stop her without violence.

He steeled his nerves, he'd apologize later; for now, he needed to act. Crow quickly dropped the plates he gathered and sent his elbow back towards her face. The shattering glass gave his position away to Bull and Bibi. His goal was to strike her cheek for a clean knockout. He would normally aim for an opponent's temple but he didn't want to cause serious damage. A clean shot to the jaw would lay her out for the rest of the night.

Instead, his arm was engulfed by the fangs of his self-proclaimed daughter. A searing pain coursed through his arm as he tried to remain calm. This bite didn't pack quite as much punch as the one before. Unfortunately for him, Nita hadn't fully clamped down. She locked eyes with him as she snapped her jaw shut. Her teeth sunk to his bones.

His regret was immediate and extremely vocal. Screams of pain and anguish filled the barren diner as he tried to fall away from her. But Nita's jaw refused to relinquish its grip. "Get her off me!" he screeched in his naturally high-pitched voice.

Bibi pulled on Nita's legs expecting her to offer some resistance. But Nita's feral instincts unlatched her jaw so that Bibi would fall backward. Nita jumped off Bibi's chest and once again used her head as a battering ram, this time aimed at Crow's sensitive beak.

When she landed on the ground she scanned her victims. Bibi was currently reaching for her bat while Crow was flailing about. Her next target was Bibi since she was showing herself to still be a threat. But she should have been looking for Bull, for his massive fist hit Nita with the force of a four-door Sedan. Her tiny body was flung to the wayside and crashed into the splintered rubble.

Bibi jumped up, "Don't hurt her!"

Bull looked down at his cousin, "Are you serious?! She's been kicking our asses since we got in here."

"She's just scared. We can reach her. We don't have to hurt her."

"Oh, don't worry. She won't feel a thing." Bull walked up to the shattered wood. He wasn't lying, he was going to knock her out in one punch. But when he reached her landing zone she had disappeared. "Where did she...?"

A sharp pain entered his right calf. He fell to his knee and dislodged a giant splinter of wood. While he inspected the strange weapon, another jagged piece of wood was forcibly inserted into his left arm. One by one, his limbs were punctured by the giant shards of flooring until he was left immobile on the ground. His hands rested against his waist and his legs tucked beneath his bum like a defeated samurai.

Nita appeared before him with a bloody streak along her face. He couldn't tell where her blood ended and her victims' began. He smiled up at the kid as she revealed two giant wooden shards. "Not bad..." He accepted his fate.

Though Bull had thrown in the towel, Bibi was still on the offensive. She carefully slipped her bat under Nita's throat. She released her wooden shards and flailed against Bibi's augmented rear-naked choke, the lack of oxygen making her vision fuzzy.

Bibi regretfully lifted Nita by her throat. "Please go to sleep," she groaned through clenched teeth. Nita squirmed and wiggled under the bat, trying her best to fight out of the hold. Bull and Bibi's moods brightened as her aggressive tantrum grew sluggish. She struggled to stay conscious, but the lack of oxygen was too powerful.

Bibi loosened her grip, hoping that Nita would fall asleep soon. But Nita saw an opening and used her last bit of strength to raise her foot high above her. Her foot came careening back down like a pendulum directly into Bibi's groin.

Bull cringed after imaging if he had taken that shot. On the other hand, Bibi's eyes turned to stars as she lost all strength in her body. She felt an intense shiver rock her core as if her body was covered with pins and needles. She couldn't get any air into her lungs so she desperately heaved on the floor in a feeble ball.

Nita was still a girl possessed. She slowly reached down for her shard of wood, her tiny knuckles turned white under her grip. She was so focused on finishing Bibi she didn't notice the monster behind her. Her body was wrapped up in a killer bear-hug. Bull's grip progressively tightened as he regained a bit of strength. He could feel her bones bending under his forearms.

Bull was enraged as he tried to squeeze the life out of the girl. His arms exploded with blood at the strain he was putting on his body. He ignored the bloody screams of the girl in his grasp. But Nita's painful cries brought Crow back to his senses, "Don't..." He clutched his aching beak, "Don't hurt her."

Bull couldn't hear him, he had long since gone mad. Regardless, Nita used her sure-fire technique: Biting. Her teeth dug deep into Bull's enormous arms. In turn, her claw-like fingernails shredded his hands. Bull grunted his discourse but the pain only made his grip tighten.

Bibi forced herself to a seated position. Even with a hoarse voice she made her plea, "Don't... do it. She's... family."

Bibi's words reached Bull's clouded mind. His frustration grew at their ridiculous claims. "You're both idiots!" He tried to tighten his grip, but for some reason, he couldn't put any more strength into his arms.

He tried to squeeze her, but his body refused to listen. He looked down at the girl. Her teeth were still gnashing and tearing at his arms. In all cases, his anger should be growing. But he couldn't find a reason to be pissed.

He clenched his teeth, "Nita!" Somehow, "Kid!" In a strange way, "Panda!" He understood how they felt, "Uncle Bull doesn't want to hurt you!" He roared his last line as he allowed his grip to loosen. Preparing for Nita to fight back once again.

Instead, he felt Nita's teeth slowly leave his body. Her fingernails no longer slashed at his skin. The child in his arms was more perplexed by the carnage around her than her current position. She finally noticed her predicament and looked up at Bull with that same sweet expression she had given him when he first met her. Her pupil-less eyes had a soft expression. Bull swallowed some saliva, "Panda Bear?"

"Uncle?"

Bull sighed, "That's right... Uncle Bull's here."

Nita looked at the wreckage. Her eyes fell on Bibi, "Momma Bibi?"

Bibi continued to clutch her privates, her response raspy and hoarse. "Hey, baby girl."

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she painfully smiled. "Just taking a nap."

Nita's head swiveled to an approaching Crow. He was holding his arm as a deep dark stain formed along his sleeve. "Papa Crow?"

"I'm okay," his voice was deep and lifeless, but he tried to sound as friendly as possible. He sat down beside them to massage his potentially-bruised beak.

Nita turned around to Bull, her childish mind processing the blood pouring down his arms and nose. "Mr. Bull?"

Bull took a deep breath, "It's Uncle now, kid. Uncle Bull." Bull laid down with Nita still in his arms, "And Uncle Bull says we all need a nap."

Nita's body laid parallel in his arms. "But I'm not-" she tried to speak but was cut off by a tiny yawn.

"See you're sleepy," Bull concluded.

Nita pouted, "But you've been gone all day. Today's been so boring." The three adults groaned at her ironic gripes. Nita's constant questioning was only halted by her body's natural fatigue. Bull took a peek after she fell silent. The girl was currently using his pectorals as pillows and his arms like blankets. She wistfully snoozed away in her clothes still soaked in blood and sweat.

Bibi started to recover from Nita's low blow, she was content with the night's conclusion as she watched Nita peacefully resting, "She's pretty cute when she's not ripping us to shreds, huh?"

Bull looked back at the kid, his face too tired to smile. "Yeah."