Miss Toontastic was still processing what I had just said about returning to Stowchester when both our ears pricked at the sound of the TV downstairs increasing in volume.

"C'mon," I muttered.

And I picked up the remaining packets of food from the shredded coffee table and jumped over the balcony. I landed with a controlled thud after falling from a height which would have broken the legs of a normal person. Miss Toontastic slid into view as she lay sideways on the stairway bannister. She slid off in a single motion and continued the momentum as she passed me by on the way into the back pub lounge room.

Clang was awake and sat in the corner of the room on a length of couch he hadn't yet broken with his metallic weight. His eyes remained fixed on the flat screen TV as we entered.

The UKBC's twenty-four hour news channel was playing on the TV (UKBC standing for United Kingdom Broadcasting Commission.)

"Metropoliton Police Commissioner Molly Peters yesterday evening announced an 8pm curfew for all London residents," said a smartly dressed presenter from behind her recording studio desk.

The clip on TV changed to show Police Commissioner Molly Peters, a stout, hard-faced middle-aged woman with greying hair gelled into a quiff. She was standing outside the Metropolitan Police building whilst being interviewed by a just-off-screen reporter holding a microphone.

"Public safety is our first priority," said Police Commissioner Molly Peters, who sounded on the verge of losing her voice. She continued, "This measure is put in place because it allows our police easier access to problem incidents. It is a temporary measure as we adapt our response to MICE-related incidents - so we can nip 'em in the bud before they have a chance to cause serious harm to the public. I want to remind everyone in London that we will get through this difficult time, and we are all in this together."

The clip changed back to the news presenter in the studio.

"In other news," said the presenter, "Her Majesty the Queen has put out a statement that the Royal Family will remain exempt from all inheritance tax."

The TV was muted.

"Slippy!" said Clang in his regular voice with amusement in his tone, "Copying me much?"

"Hey," I said, "This weren't me you know. It was Slip."

"Sure, sure," said Clang, clearly not buying it, "You look good."

I chucked the packets at him. He caught them all with deft precision.

"There's nothing on the news about us," said Clang as he set each packet in his lap and then tore them open one at a time.

"No mention of Fauncherton Green at all?" I said.

"Nah," said Clang.

"Wouldn't want to show us saving the day, would they?" said Miss Toontastic.

"Nah," said Clang, again, but this time with a mouth filled with peanuts.

Miss Toontastic tapped me on the shoulder.

"Tell him," she said.

"I know," said Clang, he chewed the peanuts for a second then said, "You're together, yeah?"

"No," said Miss Toontastic, balling her hands into fists and going a little rigid where she stood, "Slip said he wants to go to Stowchester – to find his family."

Clang's chewing stopped. He swallowed as he considered this new information.

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"Cool," he said, "We leaving tomorrow, then?"

"You think it's a good idea?" said Miss Toontastic.

"You don't?" I said to Miss Toontastic.

"I just don't see why," she said, "Like, even when you see your family what good is that going to do?"

"I need to keep them safe," I said, "Soaks knows who I am. And he got away-"

"-because you let him-" Miss Toontastic interjected.

"-because I had to choose between going after Soaks or saving Joanne's life!" I interjected back.

"You told him who you are?" said Clang.

He started on his second packet, which happened to be salt and vinegar crisps.

"He figured it out. I was an idiot and gave too much away about myself. I'm sorry," I said.

"You were under a lot of pressure," said Miss Toontastic, "Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

"You sure you too aren't together?" said Clang.

"Cut it out, man," I said.

Clang guffawed and continued eating. Miss Toontastic was blushing again.

"So what do you think?" I said.

"About?" said Clang.

"Going to Stowchester, obviously," I said.

Clang shrugged, "Sure," he said, "There'll be stronger fighters in London."

"Really, Clang?" said Miss Toontastic, a little taken aback, "You're going to make major life decisions based on who you get to fight next?"

"Yeah?" said Clang, as if confused Miss Toontastic would even have to ask such a question.

He then said, "What do you want?"

"I want us three to not get killed by the Pied Piper officers," said Miss Toontastic.

"Peepers," Clang corrected.

"No, Piper Officers," said Miss Toontastic, "No more stupid names for them anymore. Okay?"

She looked at Clang, and then to me with an extra seriousness on her raccoonish face.

"Sure, whatever," said Clang.

"Sure," I said, softly, understanding clearly why Miss Toontastic wouldn't want to dehumanise the Piper Officers in her mind anymore.

"What's the alternative to Stowchester?" I said, "Because I want to keep my family safe and I don't see any other way to do that than to be there to protect them. They were cutting Soaks's Mum's fingers off and telling Soaks they would cut off a finger every time he failed to bring one of us Mice in. I can't let that happen to anyone in my family."

Miss Toontastic sat herself down on the other unbroken couch, running her clawed fingers through her long black hair.

"Wait," she said, "Do we know for sure Soaks is going to give your Mum over to the Pipers?"

"Why wouldn't he?" I said.

"Because he failed," said Clang, "You see the mess him and his Divisioner buddies caused in Fauncherton Green?"

"I don't get it," I said.

"He means that Soaks might choose to run away too," said Miss Toontastic, "If he failed so bad they're going to hurt his mother anyway. Then what else would they have over him to keep him in their control?"

"He loves his mother," I said, "I don't think he would just run away and leave her at Chellam's mercy."

"Maybe we were the last straw," said Clang, "We beat 'em pretty good."

What they were saying made a kind of sense. Soaks had failed so spectacularly to bring us in that there was a chance he wouldn't return to Robert Hoffman and by extension Chellam at all.

"I can't risk it," I said, "What if Soaks wants to get revenge on my family?"

"Have you considered your family probably just wants you to look after yourself?" said Miss Toontastic, "Maybe the last thing they want is you putting yourself in harm's way for them."

"Okay," I said, "So I asked you before so I'll ask again then. What's the alternative?"

The light from the flickering TV illuminated her pretty face as she considered the question.

"We could keep moving," she said, "But not just here in the UK. We're strong enough now we could swim across the ocean if we wanted to. We could travel the entire world."

Clang perked up at this idea.

"Like go on adventures all around the world, you mean?" he said.

"Yeah," said Miss Toontastic, enthusiastically, "We could go to all the countries in the world – a new place to go every day. One non-stop adventure – the three of us."

Images of travelling from country to country on one great big adventure flooded my mind.

"He's thinking about it," said Clang, wryly.

"Egypt," said Miss Toontastic.

"Italy," said Clang.

"Norway!" said Miss Toontastic, her excitement building.

"Greece!" Clang chimed in.

"Guys," I said, being the mood killer, "It sounds great. I would. I really would. But I can't. Not until my family is safe."

"We know," said Clang, grinning, "I like the idea of going to Stowchester better anyway. Gonna be a lot of action."

"We shouldn't go looking for trouble," said Miss Toontastic.

"So what's the mission?" said Clang.

I considered the question.

"Mission?" I said.

"Yeah," said Clang, "Once we find your family, then what?"

"I honestly don't know," I said, "I guess I just stick around and watch over them."

"Or," said Clang, "We could get them to safety."

"And how'd you figure we'd do that?" said Miss Toontastic.

Clang flicked a pork scratching from the third packet he had opened into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"We'll figure it out as we go," he said.

"Insane," said Miss Toontastic.

"All the best heroes are insane when you think about it," said Clang.

I chuckled.

"Are they really?" I said.

Clang shrugged. Miss Toontastic let out a theatrical sigh, as if to say she was going to concede on her objections. She then lifted her head and a tiredly enthusiastic smile reached her face.

"Okay," she said, "Insanity it is."

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