The air hung thick with tension. Del’s breaths felt labored. She wasn’t sure if that was all the hits she’d just taken or her mind struggling to accept her approaching death.

And I’m going to have to watch Margie die first.

Red and black seethed over Margie’s hand, the colors pulsing and mixing together in a furious strobe.

Raph broke the standoff, blasting forward with enough force to crack the ground and tear carpet.

Margie vanished, appearing to the left as Buford stood before the charging man.

The dog met his charge, accepting a knee to the chin as he planted his weight against Raph.

The dog slid back several feet before stopping.

Del saw the moment his shroud changed, becoming as sticky as glue.

Noodle rushed in from the other side and Raph spun to face him. So far, the little dog was the only thing that could reliably pierce his Skill.

He kicked out at the dog, and Noodle jumped back. At the same time, Margie closed and swung for the man’s cheek.

He heard her coming, and turquoise light flashed over his head. Just before impact, Margie pulled the punch.

Raph froze, and a heartbeat later, the turquoise light vanished.

Margie‘s fist crashed home.

Even as his head snapped to the side, Raph laughed and aimed a spinning backhand at the old woman.

Her hand had been flashing with red and black the entire time, and she vanished, Noodle standing in her place.

Buford tried to bite him, and he delivered a blurringly fast kick to the dog's side.

There was a crunch, and Buford staggered.

Del’s heart clenched, but she couldn’t afford to spend a charge on the dog unless it looked like he might die.

He could take it better than any of them.

Noodle darted in again and Raph spun. He was more wary of the dog than any of them.

Noodle again backed off as Margie closed from the other side. Instead of trying to block with his skill, black threw his foot back like a kicking horse.

Margie skidded to a stop, but she was too slow. Just before his foot made impact, Del snapped her fingers, a flash of light sinking into Margie.

His foot caught her in the hip, and she stumbled but didn’t go down.

Before Raph could focus on Noodle, Margie threw herself at the man, and her arm pulled back to strike.

Raph raised his hands, obviously expecting a swap. Instead, Margie followed through, slamming her fist down onto the man’s raised arms. He granted and sent a kick, blurring up at her.

Del’s eyes widened.

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That kick was coming up from below. If he swapped in Noodle, it would hit him regardless.

Buford surged into motion with a whine of pain. His shroud had never released Raph, and now the dog sprinted away from the man like he was trying to pull a sled.

The shroud snapped taught and Raph, completely unready for the sudden pull, stumbled back, his kick going too wide.

Before he could recover, Noodle was on him, his teeth sinking into the man’s ankle. Raph screamed, and things became a blur.

He caught Noodle in the side before he could recover, sending the dogs flying. At the same time, he threw a punch at Margie, his motions impossible to track. Del layered another charge on the woman, but she still hit the ground.

Raph grabbed a handful of the shroud-like he was gathering up a net. He heaved, dragging Buford off the ground and into the air.

The dog yelped, and before Raph could send the dog crashing into the ground like a hammer, Margie released the effect.

Buford went flying but slowed before he hit the far wall, a burst of his own momentum shoving against him. He still hit hard, but he was already scrambling to his feet as Del watched.

Raph charged for Margie, and a water orb caught him in the hip.

He didn’t even slow. He just kept pushing toward the old woman.

Margie snarled, and red and black surged.

Noodle swapped places with her, lunging for the man. He moved to slap the dog out of the air.

Another flash, and Buford was sailing for him.

The hit that would’ve sent the smaller dog crashing to the ground lightly nudged the malamute.

His crackling teeth started to clamp down on the man’s leg. Turquoise light flashed over his thigh, and then Buford was gone, and Margie was driving an uppercut into his chin.

He stumbled, and before he could retaliate, Noodle was there again, and Margie was a dozen feet away.

The little dog bit down on Raph’s side before hurling himself away. Another water orb struck him.

Buford crashed, gassing his legs from behind, and he went down.

A third water orb came in, but instead of bouncing off, it burst, spraying water into the man’s eyes.

Margie swapped with Buford and faked a kick. No turquoise light materialized. She started to kick again, and as soon as the light materialized, she swapped with Noodle, who bit down. His teeth pierced the skill, and Raph screamed.

Raph raised both hands, his cry of pain morphing into anger.

He slammed his fists down. Carpet and concrete flew into the air, blasting Margie backward.

She swapped with Buford, and as the dog rose into the air, a burst of momentum sent him a slamming right back down towards their opponent.

Both paws crashed down onto Raph’s chest, and he gasped, the air exploding from his lungs as the massive dog slammed home.

Margie clenched her fist one last time.

Noodle took Buford’s place, his teeth flashing for the man’s throat.

Turquoise burst from the man, several times brighter than before, and Raph threw himself to his feet.

The expanding ring of light caught Noodle and hurled him from the man.

All of them were still, the only sound their own gasping breaths.

Raph took an exhausted step towards them. His fists hung limply at his sides, but his eyes were shining.

“We’re.” He took a step

“Not.” Another step.

“DONE!”

Before any of them could throw themselves back into the fight, a woman’s voice rang out.

“Yes, you are. I’m not letting you die for nothing, you idiot.“ A portal appeared on the theater railing, and the portal woman leaped through.

She wrapped her hands around Raph before he could dodge and stomped her foot.

The cracked, uneven ground beneath them flashed lavender, and then they were gone.

Margie collapsed onto her ass, and Noodle and Buford trotted over to lean against her.

She laid her hands on them and let her head fall back, exhaustion traced into every line of her face. “Good boys.”

“Good boys.”