During the training, and before and after, the power was continuing to work non-stop in the back of my mind. That Intuition part of the power. Although I was constantly aware of it working away, it was after I had finished my training session with Snap that I noticed the Intuition power was close to drawing a conclusion. I knew this because the Intuition power was like a weight in my mind, and along with that weight there was a sense of anticipation, like waiting for a download which had reached 99% to finally tick over to 100%. But it hadn't ticked over yet, so that only left being quietly aware of it for the time being.

On our way inside I made sure to pick up the Handsome Mask. With one hand I slipped it back on, the power and the tendons across my Slip-face fixing it in place in a microsecond.

I looked down to Snap, smiled, and said, "The mask's on properly, right?"

Gosh, he's hot.

It's not what Snap said, though I didn't have to be a mind reader to know that was what she was thinking.

Her face expressed that peculiar look people have when they're crushing on someone; one part discomfort, another part curious, and another part as if they've just had a bright idea.

"Nope," she said.

She reached up and pulled my right cheek, and it stretched unnaturally like rubber.

"Don't!" I said, my words a little garbled from having my cheek pulled.

"What?" said Snap, her fanged teeth on display.

She stopped walking, and she continued to hold onto my stretched out cheek, as if at any moment she might let it SNAP painfully back in place.

"My face," I said, "Could you ple-ee-ese!"

She pulled my cheek harder. It didn't hurt, but it did feel funny.

"Can I?" she said, fighting off a giggle.

"No," I said, "I forbid it."

"Please?" she said, tugging yet harder, stretching the cheek to its limit to about a hand-length.

"Mercy, mercy," I said.

"Hmmm," Snap hummed, winking an eye shut.

Finally, just before the giggles overcame her, she gently eased my stretched cheek back in place.

She moved away from my arm which had been draped over her shoulder and let the laughter she had tried to contain have its due.

When she had let the laughter out, she turned to me, wiping a marble-sized tear from her eye.

Seeing the happiness on Snap's face was more healing than anything I could ask the power to do.

And it was then I found myself looking at Miss Toontastic like I was curious about something, like I was a little uncomfortable, and like I had just had a bright idea.

Our eyes locked for longer than usual and then she broke out of the moment, and bobbed happily into The Shops Pub, leading the way.

"You know I was wondering," I said, as I followed her inside.

"Yeah?" she said back.

"Why don't you have a tail?" I said.

But the conversation died then. Because Snap was first to witness Clang, who was busy devouring the last of the pork scratchings. Which wasn't an insignificant amount since he had more than half a box's worth of packets opened and emptied of their contents piling up on the table in front of him. He was sitting at a long dining table close to the back of The Shops pub, perhaps, because he wanted to watch Snap and I train together whilst he recovered his stamina.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Between mouthfuls of more pork scratchings, Clang greedily drank from tall pint glasses, which he had set a half dozen, each filled with water, also on the table in front of him. Four were empty already.

For some reason Clang pretended not to have noticed us.

There was an unmistakable attitude of indifference, like an aura, emanating from him.

Not aggressive, but a noticeable closed-off vibe as if he didn't much care to make the effort to make us feel at ease around him.

I'd gotten that vibe around Blain a lot too.

There was an awkwardness to the thumping of mine and Snap's footsteps as we made our way around the left-side of the table where Clang was sitting. We moved into The Shops pub proper, and faintly the sound of the TV, which had been left on, could be heard.

Want to watch TV with me for a bit?

I heard exactly what Snap was going to say before she said it. Between this sudden awareness of what she was about to say next, and my wounds which were singing because they hadn't yet been properly healed, I felt suddenly overwhelmed again.

"Want to watch-" Snap began to say, but I cut her off.

"-no, I'm good," I resonated.

"Oh," said Snap, "...okay."

As was becoming common, it was then, in a sudden bout of inspiration, I knew what I needed to do next. That 99% had ticked over to 100%. And, I realised then, it was working in tandem with the part of my brain which worried about the future.

"Slip?" said Snap.

I felt her hand at my shoulder. Her eyes were mostly white again, and not the hostile black they had been during our training session.

"I'm fine," I said, struggling to speak a little, "I just realised what I need to do."

"Which is?" said Snap.

"What you and Clang did," I said, "It's my turn to change."

"Change how?" said Snap.

My ears pricked at the sound of the chair Clang was sitting in creaking. I didn't have to look behind me to know he had stopped eating and drinking and was leaning back in his seat, peering through the doorway to us. He wanted to know what I meant just as much as Snap did.

"But I don't want you to change," said Snap.

"We're all going to change because of the power whether we want to or not," I said.

"But why?" said Snap, "Why now?"

"Because we're leaving for Stowchester tonight," I said, "And I need to be ready to face whatever dangers are waiting for us."

"Like the Pipers?" said Snap.

"Yeah," I said, "But there's going to be lots of powered MICE too."

"Like who exactly?" said Snap.

I didn't have the answer to mind right away. It was something I knew from my Intuition that, in large part, was so deep in its contextual information it was more images than it was words.

"Gangs," I said, "Gangs with powered MICE among them. That's the danger waiting for us."

"But how do you know that?" said Snap.

I pointed to my temple.

"The power," I said, "It's running non-stop in my head. It's turned my worrying about the future into a super power. It's been growing since I was evacuated. Though I don't think predicting there being gangs with MICE among them in Stowchester is that impressive. I mean, gangs exist, and so do MICE, it's only logical some would choose to work together, and there'll be there when we arrive."

Snap's ears raised a little as she looked up at me.

"But would they want to fight us?" said Snap.

I searched my Intuition.

"Probably," I said, "If they don't have a reason I'm sure they'll find one."

"Has your Intuition ever been wrong?" said Snap.

"Hard to say," I said, "Before I don't think I could tap into it enough to make it worthwhile. I only really have the mansion prediction knowing the Sub-Divisioners were coming as a major Intuition win."

"So what?" said Snap, drawing her hand back and hugging herself, "What happens if you don't change yourself even more?"

Then we won't be ready, Slip resonated inside my head.

"Then we won't be ready," I said, aloud.

Snap's irises bounded around inside the huge orbs of her eyes as she tried to figure out what she even made of all this new information. She probably didn't know how cute it was the way her raccoonish nose twitched when she fretted.

"Okay," she said, finally, in a low whisper, "But I want you to still be…"

And then she whispered 'Burgess' as quietly as she could.

"Don't worry, Snap," I said, "I couldn't stop being-"

And then I whispered the name 'Burgess' too, and then said, "-even if I wanted to. Being me is more than just the face I'm wearing."

"Okay," said Snap.

She didn't fully understand. And that was okay. What she did understand was that she trusted me, and she was also starting to trust the Intuition ability that was seemingly unique to me. It had already gotten us out of a major scrape, so it wasn't as if she had a good reason to mistrust it yet.

"It'll be okay," I said.

I started to move away. It felt harsh to do, because everything from Snap's body language, to what I knew she was thinking and feeling thanks to the Intuition power, was telling me she didn't want me to leave. It was a different kind of discomfort.

I reached the stairs by the time Snap found the courage to speak again.

"Hey," she said.

"Yeah?" I said, holding onto the banister and looking over my shoulder.

"I'll try and make us something good to eat for when you're done," she said.

I smiled.

"Sounds great," I said.

And then I continued on my way to do what needed to be done.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.