After descending the fire escape, Big White managed to avoid the crowds. Luckily, the fire escape was at the back of the apartment building. Had it been in the front, with all the reporters and onlookers, he would have been spotted immediately.
Now that he had escaped, he contemplated his next move. His current appearance would undoubtedly attract attention if he ventured out, leading to photos online that would quickly bring the police or animal organizations to take him back to the zoo.
Currently, he was tucked away in an alley, surrounded by debris and mess. The graffiti-covered walls starkly contrasted with the clean streets.
The pungent aroma attacking his sensitive nose made him long for the clean and tidy panda house.
Hiding behind a wooden box, he watched people pass by outside, grateful that no one ventured into the alley.
As he contemplated his situation, a somewhat cheeky voice broke his thoughts.
"Huh? Who left such a brand-new panda doll here?" the voice called out behind him.
Startled, Big White turned to see a figure clad in a black sweater, a felt hat, a red-striped mask, and sunglasses.
"Oh my God, it moved!" The young man, Peter, jumped back in surprise. Once he regained his composure, he raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, kid, that's quite the prank, but it's dangerous here. Can you head to the street?" He approached, his brows furrowing beneath his sunglasses, sensing something off about the "kid" in the panda suit.
Seeing the masked figure sparked an idea in Big White's mind. He could walk upright like a human, so why not wear a coat to blend in?
He pointed at Peter's coat and then at himself.
"You want my coat? Why aren't you speaking?" Peter asked hesitantly, noticing the panda's gestures.
Big White nodded eagerly, letting out a whimpering sound.
"Oh shit, you're a real panda!" Peter exclaimed, finally piecing it together. It wasn't his fault—who would expect a panda on the streets?
He recalled news he'd seen earlier and removed his sunglasses for a closer look.
"Are you Big White, the panda that escaped from the Smithsonian Zoo?"
Big White nodded, pointing again at the black hoodie.
Come on, just tell me if you'll give me the coat or not.
"Really? My God, why are you here? Hiding in an alley... Can I touch you? I've never touched a panda, only seen them on TV."
"Are you really a panda? Can you open your mouth and show your teeth? It's okay if you don't want to."
"Oh, sorry, am I talking too much? But you're a panda! I don't know why I'm so excited, but I just can't help it..."
Big White listened, feeling exasperated by the chatterbox before him. It was unfortunate to be unable to speak and stuck listening to endless chatter.
Just then, a commotion erupted on the street outside.
Peter paused his rambling.
"Stay here, I'll be back to take you to the police station."
With that, Peter shot a web and swung out of the alley like a spider, leaving Big White in disbelief.
So... I didn't get the coat.
Sniffing the sour air, Big White spotted a pile of garbage with discarded clothes in the alley's shadows.
After a moment of hesitation, he found a shabby cardboard box and donned it.
He cut two holes in the front for visibility and, on all fours, ventured out of the alley with the box on his back.
Remembering his mission, he hoped to find a chance to earn some goodwill points.
A cardboard box began to move, dragging along the ground.
Big White peered through the makeshift holes, slowly making his way to the street.
At the street corner, a mother and her little girl watched the commotion ahead.
The girl noticed a box against the wall that seemed out of place.
As she pondered, the box moved forward a few steps, startling her.
Rubbing her eyes, she checked again, but the box remained still.
Perplexed, she concluded it was a trick of the eye until the box moved once more.
"Mom, mom, the box moved by itself!" she exclaimed, pulling her mother's hand and pointing.
"Hush, hush, be quiet," her mother said.
At that moment, a man with dreadlocks, a plaid shirt, and bell-bottoms dashed down the street, knife in hand, pursued by a black police officer with a gun.
"Stop! Stop, or I'll shoot!" the officer yelled.
The fleeing man panicked, scanning the area before fixing his gaze on the mother and daughter. In a flash, he lunged and seized the little girl.
"Ah!!" she screamed as he held her hostage.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!" he warned, pressing the knife to her neck.
"No, no, calm down! Let her go!" the officer pleaded, gun still aimed.
"Drop the gun! Drop it!" the man demanded, his grip tightening.
The little girl, terrified, cried silently.
"Please, don't hurt my daughter! I'll give you whatever you want!" her mother begged, having been shoved aside.
The area cleared quickly as bystanders hurried away, leaving the tense scene behind.