At just about a year old, Big White, the panda, was not yet an adult. His size resembled that of a five or six-year-old child. Though his limbs had evolved slightly, there was no significant change in his body size. Thus, walking on the fire escape ladder, he didn't appear bloated, nor did he worry about his weight collapsing the ladder.
Supporting himself on the guardrail, Big White carefully descended, avoiding looking down. To be honest, twenty floors was quite high for him, and looking down made his heart race.
---
Meanwhile, George led the Smithsonian Zoo team around the house, searching diligently, especially in the kitchen, but they found nothing.
Eventually, they focused on the bedrooms.
Soon, they reached Gwen's room.
Opening the door, George found his son perched on his sister's desk, peering out the window with bright eyes.
"Oh, Little John, what are you looking at?" George asked, checking his son for any signs of distress and feeling relieved when he found none.
"Big White! He went out, opened the window, and ran away. I saw him. He longs for freedom," Little John reported earnestly.
"What? He went out the window?" The director, following closely, was alarmed by this news. He quickly approached the window and opened it.
Gwen suddenly realized why Big White had been so intrigued by the window earlier. He had planned his escape all along.
"So clever! It's almost like he's human," she marveled.
"Perhaps we can communicate with him. From the surveillance footage you shared, this panda is unlike any other, showing remarkable intelligence," George suggested softly to the anxious director and his team.
"Of course, we thought of that, but we can't leave him outside. It's too dangerous. If he gets caught in a gunfight, the world loses a treasure," the director insisted, stepping forward to climb through the window.
"No, sir, it's too risky. This is the 20th floor! The fire escape is dangerous," his staff urged, pulling him back.
"Don't stop me! In danger, Big White is also in danger. I must see him!" The director shook them off and stepped onto the fire escape.
Leaning on the fence and looking down, a breeze whipped past, and dizziness hit him.
Swallowing hard, he steadied himself, scanning the rusty fire escape below.
Soon, he spotted a plush black-and-white figure moving below.
"There! I see him! He's safe! On... the..." he exclaimed, unable to determine the exact floor but knowing they could intercept him at the bottom.
Excitement replaced his fear of heights, and he hurried back inside.
"Quick! Hurry downstairs! Big White is already descending. We must intercept him before he reaches the ground!" he shouted, dashing from the room with surprising agility for his age.
The others quickly followed.
"Dad, should we chase him?" The Stacy family was still processing the situation.
"Of course," George nodded, immediately following the rush.
Little John wanted to join but was stopped by his mother.
"Stay with me, don't run off. It's dangerous."
"No problem, let's hurry. I hope they don't catch Big White," Little John urged, hand in his mother's.
"In New York, freedom isn't friendly to pandas," Mrs. Stacy said, shaking her head but following her son swiftly.
---
The group crammed into the elevator, growing more anxious by the second.
It was past eleven, lunchtime, and many apartment residents were using the elevator to head to the mall.
The elevator stopped frequently, and the director grew increasingly irritable, prompting wary looks from others.
Finally, after what felt like forever, they reached the first floor.
As the doors opened, the director shot out like an arrow.
"Maybe he should take up sprinting," someone suggested, drawing attention.
"I hope the panda isn't on the first floor yet."
"I'm certain he timed this escape," another chimed in, the staff member responsible for the panda's surveillance footage.
---
Outside, they turned the corner to the fire escape, finding the director sitting on the ladder, looking dejected.
After their delay in the elevator, Big White had already made his escape.
The director took a deep breath, regaining composure. Seeing George, he seemed to remember something.
"George... George Stacy, aren't you a sheriff responsible for Queens' security?"
"Yes, but our officers are busy chasing a criminal in tights. We might not have enough personnel to help," George replied, eyebrows raised in exasperation, sensing the gravity of the situation.
The director, taken aback, approached George, eyes wide, finger pointing at his chest.
"Do you realize what you're saying? A criminal in tights?"
"Don't you know the importance of a panda over a criminal? If you won't help, I'll go to the mayor of New York."
"He'll call you soon after I hang up, chastise you, and then you'll mobilize all officers to find the panda!"
"...Okay," George conceded, sighing as he reached for his phone to call his team.
He had returned early from vacation because of reports of a masked vigilante in New York. While the vigilante caught criminals, his actions disrupted police operations, complicating their plans.x