Chips came crashing through the same wall Lure had already driven a hulking arm into. His newly regrown spider-like-bone-appendages drummed against the living room floorboards sporadically before he came to a stop beside Lure. His stomach, where I had carved away a huge chunk of flesh with my vibration-punch, wasn't so much regrown as it was patched with a large wad of milk-white, pulsating meat tissue. I could only imagine the difficulty Chips would have trying to heal the lumpy tissue there after the fight, if he ever were able to return to normal.

Although both sides – that being me, Clang, and Miss Toontastic, versus Chips, Soaks, and Lure – didn't exactly need to stop to catch our collective breaths, we did however pause to sum up the other side. The first round, as far as I could tell, had ended in an overall victory for Team Archetype, on account of the injury done to Chips, with just Clang getting superficially singed from Soaks's acid.

Team Archetype – 1. Sub-Divisioners – Nil.

My mind was racing with possibilities with how the fight might progress. What I knew for sure was that things had to be different. I wasn't going to let history repeat itself. I already had enough regrets for how I had handled things in the past to last me a lifetime.

No more, I thought to myself, things are going to change. And I'm going to be that change.

"Leave," Clang's voice rang, "You can't beat us, so why don't you just go?"

Soaks's were-salamander jaw, which was fixed into a scary grimace, crunched and shifted enough to allow Soaks the ability to speak.

"I told you," Soaks hissed, "We don't have a choice-sss."

"What kinda thinkin' is that?" squeaked Miss Toontastic, her arms folded, her tone like a scolding parent.

"Dont'cha think ya being a lil' – ya know - cringe?" she squeaked.

Clang and I stifled smirks. Soaks and Lure on the other hand grimaced, as if deeply insulted. Chips, his withered leathery-skinned and skeletal body curled up, remained suspended in the air atop his bone-limb-appendages, beside Lure. Other than looking ghoulishly at the three of us, he showed nothing in the way of emotion.

"I'm not the one dressed like Minnie Mouse—ssss!" Soaks hissed.

"Yeah," Lure bellowed deeply, "You're cruh-inge."

I took note yet again that there was a mere four large strides between our side and theirs.

And again my head was starting to ache with that strange pressure from before which had warned me of the Sub-Divisioner danger in the first place. It was trying to tell me something – but what?

And then it clicked.

"They're not trying to beat us on their own," I said in my resonant voice, "They're stalling."

The way Lure's big fishy eyes widened, and looked with a start down at Soak's own, widening, salamander-like eyes, told me my intuition was correct.

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"What d'you mean?" Clang's voice rang.

The whirling steam, tinged with the silver and gold particles beneath his hood, slowed.

Just behind Clang, Miss Toontastic's huge, cartoonish eyes asked the same question.

Rain was continuing to fall thick and heavy outside. I strained my hearing, doing my best to ignore the cacophonous drumming of the rain, as if tuning a radio receiver within my ear. There, amid the innumerable raindrop explosions, was a familiar zipping noise.

"The Peepers are here," I said, "They've likely got the mansion surrounded."

"You don't miss-sss a trick," Soaks hissed.

"So that means," squeaked Miss Toontastic, "Even aft'a we beat these bullies to'a pulp, we gotta get away from the Peepers?"

I nodded slowly.

Miss Toontastic let out a frustrated grumble and rolled up her dress sleeves.

"They're not fightin' fair," she squeaked.

"This ain't bout fair," Lure bellowed, "They've got our families."

"And they'll still have your families af'ta we beat ya' up!" squeaked Miss Toontastic, "You doodle-heads!"

It seemed like the fighting was about to start again, but the other side hadn't made their move yet. It was clear to see Lure and Chips were waiting on Soaks to initiate the next attack.

"It's not too late," I said, "We can still just go our own ways."

Lure and Chips fixed Soaks with even more questioning looks. Soaks flashed a quick glance back at them, seemingly unsure himself of what he might decide for them to do.

Then, after this momentary indecision, he fixed his gaze on me.

"If we fail to bring you in," he hissed, "They'll punish us. We'll lose those we love. We've made our choice, and you've made yours."

I had one last question, but it wasn't quite meant for Soaks. I already knew it was a forgone conclusion we were all going to have to fight it out. But I wanted a different kind of confirmation from Soaks.

"Is this how it usually goes?" I said, "You just find mice on the run and betray them, rounding them up with the Peeper's help?"

Soaks considered the question. I could tell he was gearing up to begin fighting again, because more of the rainbow-hued acid was dripping from his worm-like right limb, burning holes into the floorboards.

"You're the first to be smart enough to keep your identities a secret," he hissed.

"Thanks," I said, meaning it.

That sentiment, of how important it was for us to keep our identities a secret, was exactly what I wanted Clang and Miss Toontastic to hear.

"Clang! Toontastic!" I said, my resonant voice becoming much more so to make sure they understood the seriousness of my words.

"Yeah?" Clang's voice rang.

"Yeah?" Miss Toontastic squeaked.

"You both take Soaks," I said.

And it was when the fight started anew.

"The corridor!" I shouted.

Miss Toontastic and Clang led the way out of the living room, with me bounding out right behind them. Soaks, Lure, and Chips began to give chase.

"I'll take Lure and Chips!" I shouted, "I'll hold them off whilst you both handle Soaks. Got it?!"

"Gotcha!" Miss Toontastic squeaked.

"Yeah!" Clang's voice rang.

We'd made it to the front door. Lure and Chips were moving in through the hole in the wall which had been made before. Soaks landed on his dragon-like legs at the doorway, his chimeric form blocking the route to the kitchen.

"And whatever you do!" I shouted, "Stay in the mansion until we're ready to go!"

"Right!" both Clang and Miss Toontastic shouted back in unison.

Clang darted up the stairs, using it as a ramp to then leap off in the direction of Soaks. Miss Toontastic followed right after him, the pair springing off together.

Soaks let out a snake-like hiss of fury, and began flinging yet more rainbow-hued acid at them.

Clang threw up his bronzed and heavily muscled arms and took the brunt of the acid, his skin singeing, but holding strong. Miss Toontastic remained behind Clang, using him as a necessary shield in order to close in on Soaks.

Lure let out a bellow like some horrifying ogre, and swiped with a hulking arm at Miss Toontastic.

I bounded forwards, landed, and caught Lure's arm. The adhesion at the soles of my slip-suited feet held strong despite the immense pressure bearing down on me.

Chips sprung into action, his limb-appendages like several spears aimed for my back.

Round two was under way.

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