As dawn breaks, casting a golden hue over the landscape, Jayson crouches behind a thicket of bushes. His eyes, heavy with fatigue and framed by dark circles, remain fixed on the Taco King's battered green dumpster across the street. The chill of the morning air seeps through his thin jacket, making him shiver. His stomach growls incessantly. He licks his dry lips, yearning for the delicious trash burritos that wait in the dumpster.

Jayson watches the old, fat squirrel, Juarez, stomp across the parking lot, cursing up a storm under his breath with a hefty bag of garbage in his hands. He flings his garbage into the dumpster and storms off without a second thought. Once Juarez is back inside, Jayson sprints towards the refuse container, takes a flying leap that carries him over the edge, and he dives headfirst into the mess, creating a cacophony of clattering cans and crinkling wrappers.

A few minutes later, Jayson erupts from the dumpster, clutching a bag of partially devoured food. With a whoop of triumph and eccentric cackling, he makes his speedy getaway through the parking lot and across the neighboring park.

As Jayson sprints through the park, a net suddenly whooshes towards him. He curses and performs an impromptu leap, leading to a narrow escape from the net's clutches. Before he can catch his breath, another net zooms in his direction. Jayson swiftly pivots away from it, and as this happens, he hears Lexia's colorful stream of curses echoing in the empty park, prompting him to sprint off with renewed vigor.

Loud thuds echo behind him, and as he glances back, his eyes widen in disbelief at the sight of the harlequin-hare barreling towards him. She's decked out in her homemade armor, a determined gleam in her eyes and her brawny limbs propelling her forward. Her snarl reveals a set of teeth as she gains momentum, sending patches of dry grass flying into the air with each forceful stride.

“Jayson! Get back here!” yells Lexia.

“Bite me!” shouts Jayson defiantly.

Lexia reaches behind her and from her belt she yanks out a boomerang decorated with sharp teeth and angry eyes. She keeps running, but her arm flexes as she preps the throw.

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“Shit!” curses Jayson.

He runs faster and Lexia flings the boomerang. Jayson ducks as it sails by, nearly striking him in the head, and causing him to stumble. But that moment of slowness allows Lexia to put power into her legs, take a flying leap and kick Jayson in the back.

His face crashes in the grass, and Lexia keeps steady on top of him as she rides him like a surfboard on the sea of poorly kept grass. By the time they are done sliding, there is a trail of destroyed brown grass, Jayson’s groan is muffled by the plants in his mouth, and Lexia is panting with a proud smile.

“Ha! Gotcha!” says Lexia.

Then the boomerang hits her on the side of the head, knocking her off Jayson.

“Ow! Son of a- God dang it, that hurts!” cries Lexia, laying on her back next to Jayson and holding her face.

“Serves you right,” says Jayson, his face still in the grass.

Lexia slams her fist on the back of Jayson's head, causing him to grunt painfully. Then Lexia rolls on top of Jayson and digs her knee into his back while pulling out a roll of rope from her belt.

Jayson squirms, but Lexia keeps him pinned.

“What are you doing?” says Jayson.

Lexia’s bulky limbs keep Jayson pinned as her large hands expertly worked the rope to bind Jayson's his hands and feet with intricate knots. Each movement showcasing a surprising nimbleness and dexterity that Jayson didn't realize she had. Soon, Jayson found himself immobilized due to his limbs being trapped in a hogtie.

Jayson grunts and wiggles on the ground, and Lexia stands up and smirks as she brushes her palms together.

“There we go. Nice and helpless,” says Lexia.

“Okay, what gives?” says Jayson. “Taco King is my territory, so you have no right to do this!”

Lexia crouches in front of Jayson and smirks.

“Derrick said for you to take it easy. I saw you hopping around in the trash, therefore you were exerting yourself in direct violation of Derrick's instructions. So me being the good friend I put a stop to your self destructive behavior,” says Lexia with obnoxiously sweet affection.

Jayson groans. “You've got to be kidding me. Lexia, I'm always in that dumpster!”

“Yeah, and climbing counts as exertion,” says Lexia. “So, I'm going to make sure you don't move. This will ensure that you obey Derrick and that I can clean up Bliss Town without interference... Now, where do you live?”

Jayson cocks a brow. “You don't know where I live?”

“No,” snaps Lexia. “... Do you know where I live?”

“No.”

“Good!” Lexia tugs on the rope, tightening it and making Jayson wince. “Now tell me where you live.”

“Only if you tell me where you live,” says Jayson.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then we're at an impasse.”

“Impasse this!”

Lexia hits Jayson on the head, knocking him into darkness.