An explosion rolls into the sky, rocking the weak buildings of Bliss Town’s main street. A missile streaks across the road and hits another building, flinging debris and rolling dust into the air.

As the rubble rains down, Lexia reloads her rocket while staring at the gaping hole of the building across the street. Her eyes strain to see through the thick cloud. After it settles, she spots Claribel digging her way out of the rubble. Claribel hisses, and her tail rattles as she beats the dust off her hat. Then she slaps it on her head, grabs her rifle and shoots outside.

Lexia takes cover behind a car. The bullets pop its tires and crack its windows, and after the shooting stops, Lexia gets up and launches another rocket, resulting in another chunk of the building being blown to bits.

The explosion destroys a chunk of the building, and Claribel uses the falling rubble and rolling dust for cover as she kicks open the side entrance door and hurries down the alley.

Lexia runs across the street as she reloads her bazooka and enters the destroyed building. She sweeps her bazooka side to side, and perks when she sees the open door.

Lexia runs into the alley, and once again sweeps her bazooka side to side.

Suddenly Claribel pops up from behind a graffiti tagged dumpster and shoots Lexia with her rifle. Lexia's armor holds but she falls back, yelling painfully and squeezing her trigger. The rocket streaks at an angle and strikes the wall just above Claribel.

Claribel curses runs from the falling debris, holding her hat on her head. She runs across Main Street, and when she reaches the sidewalk she gets whacked in the gut by Jayson's cosmic wood sword.

Claribel falls on her back, out of breath, and her hat lands just out of her reach. Claribel lays on the sidewalk in a daze, gut and head throbbing, and Jayson stands above her while eating a trash burrito.

“Wow, that was easy,” says Jayson.

Jayson puts his foot on Claribel's collar and stares at her. The world fades and his eyes lock on her. Her tail rattles and her hands latch around Jayson's ankle.

“Where's your fox friend? Morty?” asks Jayson.

Claribel hisses, and Jayson increases the pressure on her collar, making her wince, and he narrows his eyes while resting his weapon against her head, like a golfer preparing to strike his ball.

“Well?” presses Jayson.

Suddenly, Claribel tugs on his leg with her tail, causing him to land on top of her with a grunt. And with swift motions, she punches Jayson on the side of the head, kicks him off and rolls on top of him. She draws a knife and is about to stab him in the neck, but Lexia grabs Claribel's arm, twists the knife out, and pulls her off Jayson.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“Not today, snake!” says Lexia. She slams Claribel against a storefront window and holds her head against the glass, squishing her cheek, and she speaks into the snake’s ear. “He still owes me twenty bucks.”

Claribel elbows Lexia, which brings a flash of pain to her due to her hitting the armor. Lexia retaliates by tugging and then slamming Claribel’s head into the window, cracking it. Claribel’s tail snaps around Lexia’s waist and swings her off. Lexia’s back cracks the glass on impact, and Claribel draws her pistol but Jayson whacks it out of her hand and slams his wooden sword into her side.

Claribel drops to her knees, clutching her side. She coughs, gags, and wheezes, her back arched and mouth open. As she suffers, Jayson and Lexia crowd around her, with Lexia nibbling on her little finger tip claws and Jayson leaning against his weapon as a cane, his eyes curious.

“Oh... I think you might have hurt her,” says Lexia.

“I didn't hit her that hard. Plus, you've been shooting rockets at her,” says Jayson.

“Yeah, but that's different, though.”

“Technically you're not wrong. But she's fine. We'll cuff her and send her to the cops, and I’ll get reward money. And you can go back to your side.”

“And you'll give me twenty bucks of that reward. Nice plan. Love it.”

Jayson sneers at Lexia, but before he can say anything, Claribel vomits a yellow tinted mess all over the sidewalk and drops to the ground, motionless with her long forked tongue flopped out and eyes shut. Jayson and Lexia look at her with grimaces.

The seconds tick by and Claribel still doesn’t move. Even when Lexia nudges her with her foot. She nudges her again, and frowns when Claribel remains motionless.

“Poke her with your stick,” says Lexia.

“Why?” says Jayson.

“The stick test is never wrong.”

Jayson sighs and pokes Claribel with his cosmic wood sword. She still doesn't move, and Lexia gasps and drums her fingers together in front of her mouth.

“Oh no... We have to hide the body in a dumpster! Either that, or get a hold of some heroin and needles and fake a heroin overdose. I think my mom still knows a heroin junkie, so we can use them for supplies,” says Lexia.

“What are you talking about?” asks Jayson, staring at Lexia with a quirked brow as she plucks Claribel's hat off the ground.

Lexia slings Claribel's limp body over her shoulder and puts on the stetson, awkwardly squishing her ears down.

“Don't worry, Jayson. I'll protect you from murder charges!” says Lexia.

“What are you talking about?” says Jayson.

Lexia runs off, and Jayson watches her go with a slack jaw and his hand barely raised. He keeps staring at Lexia until she rounds the corner, and when she is out of sight, Jayson shakes his head and looks down; there, he sees Claribel's radio. He picks it up, studies it, shrugs, and walks away with it.

----------------------------------------

In a nearby alley, Lexia stops by a dumpster and paces in circles, eyes flicking and nose twitching. Her eyes see no one and her nose smells nothing but rotten trash. So, she tosses Claribel in the dumpster, slams the lid shut, and takes off the stetson for inspection. Liking what she sees, Lexia walks away with a smile and twirling the hat on her hand.

----------------------------------------

Back at the safehouse, Mortimer slips on his shoes, grabs a bottle of chilled ginger ale from the fridge and goes to the door as he activates his radio.

“Clair, you there?” asks Mortimer.

Silence.

Mortimer frowns and opens the door as he speaks into his radio.

“Claribel?”

More silence.

Mortimer walks down the decrepit driveway, his steps picking up speed

“Claribel Belle Blair? ... Damn it.”

Mortimer clips his radio to his belt and starts running to Bliss Town.