The first thing I noticed was Clang's irregular footfalls before he staggered into view like a happy drunk. He was severely battered, bruised, and bleeding, but in a great mood. He managed several more clunking steps before falling sideways on the carpet in the middle of the room. And even on the floor he continued to laugh.

I seemed to go unnoticed because Clang's attention was set on the doorway he had just entered in from. I heard Snap's giggling laughter before she also staggered into view.

She looked different to her Miss Toontastic look.

Her skin was a blemishless gray like a manga character yet to be coloured in. And her eyes, which I was used to seeing as huge cartoonish orbs, were almost back to a regular size. Their shape however was much more akin to a manga style; as if she were a character from Mega Fighter's M. Her eyes were more of a rhombus shape, and looked as if they were designed for the express use of frowning.

And her hair had returned to its shorter, pixie-like cut, and the raccoonish features of her nose, and ears, were slightly reduced though still there.

Like Clang, Snap was cut, battered, and bleeding across her face and body. She was no longer wearing her prom-like dress. Instead, she wore a white and black striped long-sleeved shirt, as well as black torn skinny jeans, both of which were blood-splattered.

Snap did a twirl as she entered the back pub room and then she let herself fall onto the broken booth seat which Clang had half-crushed with his weight before.

"You okay?" I said, genuinely alarmed at all the blood.

"We were training," said Snap, "Don't worry, it looks worse than it is."

Up close, I could also tell Snap had made changes to her face beyond the more obvious manga-inspired style. She was a good deal prettier, her face popping with beauty despite all the wounds.

Crap, I thought.

Because it was hard not to feel responsible for Snap feeling the need to improve her own looks.

Clang and I had done it, so why wouldn't she?

"New look?" I said.

"Yeah," Snap said, and she winced from one of her open wounds causing her pain.

She turned and settled on her back, looking at me still but upside down. We were eye-level because the end of the booth seat Clang hadn't crushed was raised and closest to where I was sitting on the adjacent seat.

Superficial damage, Slip resonated inside my head, They've healed the worst of their wounds already.

Slip's assurance came with a flood of medical knowledge which I had derived from Donald Matthew's medical textbooks. But there was also the additional, much more intuitive healing knowledge I had gained from my experience healing Joanne's severe wounds – on top of the numerous times I had healed my own already.

"I see you've got a new look too?" said Snap.

Her smile faltered a little, and Clang, who had stopped laughing, was sitting upright and looking at me too. He was dressed in a black vest, with baggy dull-silver running trousers. His leanly muscled body and handsome face gleamed under the bright backroom lights.

"You want to see something cool?" I said.

"Sure," said Snap.

I willed the Resin-visor to return. It formed over my face, covering over the scar-like lines. Snap flinched, but then smiled and showed her fangs.

"Wow!" she said.

Wincing, and dripping blood, she turned herself the right way up.

"What is that?" she said.

"Resin," I said, "My body's replaced a lot of my blood with the stuff."

Snap's eyes lowered to the rest of my body.

"Well at least you have skin again," she said.

"So you're stronger?" said Clang.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah," I said.

"Show me," said Clang.

He winced and rose to his feet, his blood, which had a metallic and somewhat silver shine to it, dripped from his wounds onto his clothes and more of the carpet.

"In your condition?" I said.

"I'm fine," he said.

Clang closed his fists and concentrated. The open wounds and the worst of the bruising across his body started to close up. I could see the strain on Clang's face, knowing all too well myself just how much it hurt to heal the wounds, because healing them hurt worse than receiving the wounds in the first place.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Bit by bit his wounds sealed themselves shut, and the bruising lessened.

"You're getting better at that," I said.

"I've noticed an improvement since I channelled some of my power into you," said Clang.

"Same," said Snap, "Must've channelled something back too."

She hadn't started to heal herself yet. It was a little unsettling to see her gray face, like a vampire, with a line of blood leaking down the side of her face.

"I'm ready to go," said Clang.

"No, I'm good," I said, "The three of us have been here too long already. We need to make a move soon."

"Not even one quick sparring session?" said Clang.

"We should save our energy," I said, "Because we're going into Stowchester. It's heavy Pied Piper territory. The danger will be on a whole other level."

Clang flexed his right arm, bulging the bicep.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he said.

I looked at Snap.

"You have enough power to heal and leave soon?" I said.

Snap winked at me, which had a somewhat mesmerizing effect given the additional beautification she'd graced her face with. I thought of Tiffany for a moment, and how she and Mikayla had beautified themselves too.

"What's up?" said Snap, looking genuinely concerned.

I just shook my head to dismiss the question.

"Snap got some supplies whilst you were cocooned-up," said Clang.

"Oh yeah?" I said.

"Yeah," said Snap.

She wiped some blood from her temple with her closed fist.

"Oh come on," I said, "Just heal already, you're being ridiculous."

"Fine," she said, "Just for you."

"Thank you," I said, exasperatedly.

Snap closed her eyes, and the veins in her temples and forehead visibly throbbed as she concentrated on healing her wounds. Other than a pained whimper, Snap managed to seal the open cuts and lessen the worst of the bruising.

"So we're leaving soon?" said Clang.

"Yeah," I said, "Ready to go now?"

"Give me a minute to wash up?" said Clang.

I gave him a thumbs up. Clang leaned back, and a metallic clunk followed as his spine 'popped'.

He raised a hand on his way out and Snap gave him a high five.

"You two seem to be getting along better," I said when Clang was gone.

Snap looked away from me and lay on her side. The faint glow of the TV, which was playing the 24-hour UKBC news on mute, flickered across her face.

"It's nice to see more of the old you in your look," I said.

Snap shot me a playfully challenging look.

"Old?" she said.

"You know what I mean," I said.

"Yeah," she said, "Don't worry, Miss Toontastic's not going anywhere."

"So…what?" I said, "You're both taking turns?"

Snap snapped her fingers and pointed at me in a gun gesture.

"Yep," she said.

"You both agreed on that?" I said.

"She's not too happy about it," said Snap, "But Miss Toontastic's her thing, anyway."

Feeling restless, I decided to stand up. Being my six foot tall self felt weird, because some part of my brain still thought of my former five foot seven height as the default.

"Slip?" said Snap, in a quiet, and more vulnerable sounding tone.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Are you sure about this Stowchester thing?" said Snap, "If it's going to be dangerous then maybe we should go somewhere else? We don't have to travel the world like I said before. Just not, you know…"

"I have to do it," I said, "We've already stayed here too long. I need to get back to my family so I can keep them safe."

Snap sat upright.

"How is that keeping them safe?" she said, "What good is you being around them going to do? If anything you're only going to put them in even more danger."

"They're in danger anyway," I said, "Soaks knows who I am. Which means he's going to tell Chellam, The Pipers, and Robert Hoffman – and they're going to go after my family."

"Do you know Soaks is going to do that for sure?" said Snap.

She stood up. It was my turn to frown.

"Yes," I said, "He said he would."

"But that was when he thought he might be able to bring you in," said Snap, "But he failed. We stopped him. If all that stuff about them cutting off his Mum's fingers is true, and he's failed again, who's to say he'll even go back to the Piper's this time?"

I nodded.

"You're right," I said, "Maybe he won't. But I can't risk it. I don't have a plan. I wish I did. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to my family because of me."

"But it's not because of you," said Snap, "It's the Pipers that are doing this. It's Chellam, and Robert Hoffman. You're not to blame for any of this."

"I chose to go against Chellam," I said, "I decided not to join the PUNCH program."

"Your family would still be in danger," said Snap, "They're always going to be in danger."

"Which is why I need to be there to protect them," I said.

Snap put her hands to her back jeans pockets, and then, in a low tone she said, "Is going home to protect your parents the kind of thing a hero would do?"

"You suddenly care about being a hero now?" I said.

"I care about you," said Snap.

We both stood silently in the aftermath of what she had just said. I felt a whole mix of overwhelming emotions I didn't even know how to sort through.

"I…" I said, but then I thought better of saying what I had intended to say.

"No, go on," said Snap, "What?"

"No," I said, "Forget it."

"No, no," said Snap, side stepping to prevent me from walking out of the room like I had started to do, "Don't be like this, what were you going to say?"

"I can't," I said.

"Can't what?" said Snap.

"I can't give up on my family," I said.

And there it was. That look on Snap's face as if I had just slapped her. Her eyes looked downward.

"Okay," she said, "I get it."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"No, it's fine," said Snap.

But from the way she said it things weren't fine at all. She looked up at me again, but with a fresh attitude.

"I'm just the bitch her abandoned her family," she said.

"That's not what I meant," I said.

"Wasn't it?" said Snap, "Because it sounded to me like that's what you meant."

"First off," I said, "You're not a bitch. I know your parents, and your Aunt and Uncle, made it so you had to go on the run on your own."

Snap nodded.

"And," I said, "I thought you had started to trust my judgement?"

"I do," said Snap, "I really do."

She tried reaching out to put her hands on me. Instinctually I took hold of her wrists, firmly at first, then gently.

"So," I said, "How about you stop second guessing me and follow my lead?"

I didn't know where this new self-confidence was coming from. Maybe it was just delusional thinking. But some part of me had simply had enough.

"Where's this Slip been all along?" said Snap, with a look of awe and renewed enthusiasm.

I didn't come up with an answer right away. Instead it just felt nice to gently hold Snap's wrists.

I let go.

"Slip?" said Snap.

"Yeah?" I said.

"I really do believe in you, you know?" she said.

I nodded.

"I don't know if it's the right thing to do," I said, "But I just have to follow my gut with this one. Between you, Clang, and my gut, I've managed to get out of a lot of close calls."

"Okay," said Snap, "I'm sorry for doubting you."

I shook my head.

"It's fine," I said, "I'm not trying to be some tyrant. Question my decisions all you want. I need the input."

Snap cocked her head to one side and smiled.

"So," she said, "What are we waiting for?"

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