They go out to meet her

"Answer's pretty clear, far as ah'm concerned" Texas said with a confident smirk as she crumpled up the note and tossed it over her shoulder. "Ah don't know who this lady thinks she is, but if she's spoilin' fer a fight, ah'm more'n happy to oblige"

April laughed and shook her head. That was the exact kind of response she was expecting to hear from her fearless employer. That said, she was having a hard time matching that bravado. They knew nothing of who this "Fang Yu" was, but if the report was anything to go by, she was a cut above the common criminals they typically dealt with. Texas could sense her apprehension and gave the fox a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Don't you sweat it none, deputy. There's two of us and one of her, after all"

"I don't think the numbers game will do us much good, Texas" April replied tensely. She thought back to the report of the bar scuffle and how their challenger had left eight grown men hospitalized, one possibly for life. Texas rolled her eyes at her partner's concerns.

"So she put down a couple of punks in a bar fight, big deal. If ah had a nickel fer every time ah was the last lady standin' in a saloon after a brawl, ah'd be able to buy a bottle of whiskey fer everybody in Gold Springs!"

April nodded as she looked away in thought. Her boss did indeed have quite the stellar record when it came to winning bar fights, a decent amount occurring while at the Crushed Weasel and against real hardened outlaws. She felt a little assured by Texas's words, the weasel's infectious confidence rubbing off on her. She looked back at Texas with a bright smile.

"Alright, boss. I'm right behind ya" she said with renewed vigor.

Texas gave the deputy a hardy slap on the back before walking over to her desk and retrieving her holster. She paused for a moment, her eyes turning to the throwing knife embedded in the table. Inspecting it closer, Texas could see that the blade was buried all the way to the handle. Whomever this Fang person was, she must've had one hell of a throwing arm. Her stomach turned as it dawned on her just how easily she could've been killed had Fang opted to aim that knife just little bit higher.

She shook her head and grunted. Now wasn't the time to get cold feet. Fang threw the gauntlet down and she intended to respond in kind. She yanked the knife free from her desk before walking over to the holding cell. Inside, Isabelle was focused on fixing up her hair in front of the cracked cell mirror while Joe was content to just lounge about lazily. She looked at Joe and Isabelle with narrowed eyes as she held the knife up for them to see.

"Ya'll know anything about this Fang Yu character?"

Isabelle glanced over at the sheriff with a raised brow. "Fang Yu? Is that some sort of exotic delicacy?" she asked as she tilted her head. Texas rolled her eyes at her response before turning her attention over to Joe who looked up at her with a bored expression.

"Don't look at me, love. Even if I knew anything, you wouldn't catch me flappin' me gums about it." he said as he scratched his hip.

"Sounds like you've heard of em, Joe" April said as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who's to say?" Joe said with a shrug.

April and Texas glared at the dingo but he didn't appear too concerned with their hostility as he yawned and rolled over onto his side. Texas sighed and shook her head. She wanted to step into the cell and beat some info out of him, but she knew better. Joe might've been a loudmouthed cad, but he was deadly serious when it came to his chosen profession. She would have better luck convincing Georgia to become a vegetarian than trying to intimidate him.

"Alright, looks like we're goin' in blind. Come on, les' just get this over with" Texas said as she walked towards the door.

"Right behind ya, boss" April said with a smile as she jogged over to join them. Once the pair had exited the station, an awkward silence filled the room as Joe and Isabelle sat in their cell. Isabelle paused from her grooming, looking down at her cellmate with a mildly curious expression.

"You seem quite knowledgeable for a bumpkin" she said in an almost accusing manner.

"Meh. I like to keep my ear to the ground" Joe said, scratching his gut lazily.

"So how much danger are they in right now?" she asked curiously.

"If it were any other lawman in their shoes, I'd say they had their chances of coming back alive are around... maybe twenty to one." Joe said as he scratched his ear with his pinky. "That Texas is a right tough bird though. Between her and that fine deputy 'o hers, I'd put their chances around.... eh, let's say fifty fifty"

"This Fang person is that good?" Isabelle asked in surprise.

"Yup. Word on the street is that she's some crazy good kung-fu master or somethin'. Apparently she moved to this country because her reputation back home made it so no one wanted to fight her no more. Texas is a right good scrappa herself but she ain't never fought a martial artist, I figure"

Isabelle frowned. That didn't bode to well for Texas and her deputy. Not that it was any of her business, but Isabelle took quite the liking to the pair. Much as she hated April, she couldn't help respect her for managing to best her in combat. The sheep gave a quick prayer for their safety before turning her attention back to the mirror.

"She said she'd meet us here, right?" April said as she looked around confusedly.

"The note said the middle of town" Texas said as she stood with her arms folded. The two had arrived to their chosen battleground, the town square. The townsfolk were bustling about, oblivious to the fight that was set to occur. The only issue was, their opponent was no where to be seen and it was already five minutes past noon.

"Something isn't right here. You think she set us up?" April asked.

"Nah. She had every chance to ambush us on the way here. She might be tryin' some mind games. Ah read a book once bout a feller who was fixin to duel someone and he showed up late to make his opponent get mad enough to lose his concentration"

"Sounds real underhanded, if you ask me" April said with a pout.

"Excuse me? Texas?"

Texas and April turned their attention to the elderly old dog man who had addressed them. He looked at the pair with concern before gesturing to a gathering that had formed several feet behind him.

"A stranger rolled into the square and asked fer ya before she collapsed a few minutes ago. We tried helpin' her, but she's not havin' any of it"

Texas and April exchanged glances before running over to crowd. They pushed their way through the concerned townsfolk were surprised to find a scrawny looking red panda woman laying on the ground. Texas feared for the worst until she saw that the stranger's chest was moving up and down. The sheriff was intrigued by her blood red silk ensemble. One thing was certain, this stranger was not from this land.

"Alright, break it up! Show's over, nothing to see here!" April shouted as she ushered the crowd away. "We've got it handled, folks! Just go about your business!"

While she tended to the crowd, Texas was still examining the stranger. Her gaunt face and sunken features gave off the impression of someone who had gone a long time without eating. It was easy to assume that malnutrition was the cause of this woman's plight but there was nagging feeling in Texas's mind that there was more to it. She jumped in surprise when the stranger coughed, her withered eyes fluttering open to meet her gaze.

"W-Water... " she wheezed pitifully.

Texas didn't hesitate. She snatched the canteen from her belt and gently lifted the panda's head. She took care not to pour too much into her mouth as to not send the poor woman into shock. The second the first droplet of water graced her tongue, her eyes shot open, instantly regaining their vigor. After polishing off the entire canteen she leapt to her feet, the strength of her jump kicking up dust and nearly knocking Texas over.

Waving the dust from her vision, Texas raised a brow as the woman, who moments ago appeared to be at ****'s door, stood upright and beaming up at her. She was petite little thing, being just a hair shorter than Isabelle.

"I cannot thank you enough, stranger! I was beginning to think that the heavens had abandoned me!" the woman said as she deeply bowed her head. "I am in your debt!" Texas, not being familiar with such a custom, bowed her head in return.

"T'weren't nothin' miss. Just doin' mah job" Texas said with a friendly smile. "I gotta ask though, why'd ya accept mah help and not the folks what found ya?"

The stranger's face soured at the mention of the townspeople.

"Because those fools refused bring me what I needed to recover! 'Miss, you gotta have some food in your stomach before you take in liquids!' Feh! Idiots! I would've withered away had you not approached me!"

"Ah mean, they're not wrong. No offense, but you look like ya'll skipped one too many meals. If ya go guzzlin' down water without eatin, yer stomach's gonna cramp somethin' awful"

"Pfft. So they say..." the stranger snorted derisively as she stretched. She displayed unnatural flexibility as she placed her hands on her hips and threw her head back so far that it almost touched the ground. "Well, as engrossing as I find this conversation, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the area immediately. A great battle will be had in this very location and I'd hate for my savior to be caught in the crossfire"

"Is that right?" Texas asked with a slight smile. She didn't have to be a genius to discern that this was the woman she was looking for. "Sounds mighty dangerous. You sure yer up for a tussle after nearly keelin over not five minutes ago?"

The stranger rolled their eyes as she continued stretching. From her bent position she grabbed her ankles and tugged, a barely audible pop coming from her back as she folded herself in half. She came back up with a relaxed sigh and smirked at Texas's disturbed expression.

"I assure you, I am quite capable of taking care of myself" she said as she balled her tiny fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked.

"Ah... good to know" Texas said with an uneasy grin. "Not to change the subject but ah don't think ah caught yer name, friend"

"Oh? Ah, you're right!" the stranger dug into her cloak and retrieved an elaborate looking business card. "Forgive my lack of manners. I am Fang Yu, The Great Red Beast of the East. I'm an assassin by trade, top of my class as a matter of fact! If you want someone out of your life, fill free to dial that number. I'll even give you a fifty percent discount for your having assisted me today! Sixty if your target is a politician!"

Texas nodded slowly, though she wasn't really listening. At first she assumed that Fang was playing some kind of act but her ignorance came off as sincere. She tucked the card into her vest pocket and folded her arms.

"Ah see. So what brings ya to these parts?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Fang huffed. "I am here to engage in battle! I have traveled many miles, over land and sea, to meet the one they call Texas Stanton. Since I arrived at this country, I have heard many great tales of her skill and cunning! How she regularly topples giants as she fights to protect this town from a tyrannical government!"

Texas chuckled and scratched her chin bashfully. While she prided herself in her accomplishments, she couldn't help feel that Fang's description was a bit over-the-top. She blinked as it suddenly occurred to her that despite apparently being in the know regarding her past feats and knowing exactly where the Sheriff's Office was stationed, Fang somehow couldn't recognize her on sight. She considered using it to her advantage, but that idea was swiftly dismissed as April approached her.

"Got the crowd under control, Texas." the deputy said proudly. "Told em to skedaddle before the fireworks went off while I was at it"

Fang blinked, her eyes going wide as she looked over at April. She looked between the deputy and the sheriff several times, the gears in her head slowly turning. She frowned and jumped back from the pair, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"So, you would deceive me, Texas Stanton? I had hope that a warrior of your pedigree wouldn't stoop to such a low" she growled. "Well, your hand has been played and I now know who you are!"

"I mean... I don't know if you can call it a deception when we're literally the only folks walking around with badges on" April said as she tapped the badge on her vest.

Fang's expression darkened at the deputy's words. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them and delivered a surprisingly powerful palm strike to the fox's chest. April cried out as she was sent flying back. There was no way she could've stopped such a swift attack, even if she had seen it coming.

"Sidekicks are better seen, not heard" she said coldly. Texas was quick to retaliate with a right hook, but it was swiftly evaded as Fang leapt back again.

"Ya'll go'n accuse me of fightin' dirty, then hall off and sucker punch mah deputy?!" Texas growled as she got into a boxing stance. Fang scoffed as she took a fighting stance of her own, her arms bent forward as she balanced herself on the tip of her toes.

"Your arrival means that you've accepted my challenge. Our battle began the moment you approached me, sheriff" Fang answered with a smug smirk. Texas glared at her as she walked over to April and helped her to her feet.

"You alright, April?"

"Yeah... it'll take a lot more'n a cheap shot to put me down!" April chuckled as she stood up and dusted herself off. The pair stood side by side, ready for what would surely be an intense battle.