"I really like how you're fighting amongst yourselves now," the rabbit sneered.
"We're not," snarled Victor, letting go of Juliet. "We're fighting her, and she's not with us."
"Close enough."
Juliet got to her feet and lunged angrily at Dennis. "Leave our base alone!" she yelled.
The rabbit easily grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, restricting her air supply immediately. "Or what?" he asked lazily.
Perry managed to get up and punch Dennis in the stomach, since it was open from holding Juliet. "Just because I don't like her doesn't mean you can hurt her."
As Dennis reeled back, Juliet dropped from his grip. She collapsed to her knees, choking and gasping for breath.
"Juliet!" Peter ran over to her.
As he knelt by her side, Christina charged from nowhere and attempted to attack Dennis, but the rabbit easily dodged her attack and dealt her a harsh blow to the side of her head, knocking her to the ground, semi-conscious.
Perry, with help from his own friends, shot another blow at Dennis. But the rabbit dodged all of them. "Too slow, OWCA losers," he jeered.
Pinky suddenly appeared and got between Dennis's ankles, tripping the rabbit over backwards. "How's that for too slow?" the chihuahua taunted.
Dennis snarled at him.
"Why are you attacking our base?" demanded Peter angrily.
"OWCA isn't enough of a challenge," Dennis sighed.
Peter snorted. "THAT I agree with you on."
"SERIOUSLY?!" Juliet screeched hoarsely. "JUST ATTACK HIM!"
"You really are an aggressive one, aren't you?" Dennis smirked.
Juliet glared up at him. "I certainly am at the best of times. That's why you're really in trouble when you do what you just did to me."
Perry glared over to Dennis, who was still on the ground. "Where are the others?" he snapped.
Dennis smirked. "Where do you think?"
"Not helpful."
"Do you really think it was supposed to be?" countered Dennis.
"Could you please just shut him up already?" snarled Juliet.
"You can try," Dennis taunted, leaping up from the ground.
Perry immediately attacked him, but he dodged by jumping into the air, and Perry accidentally smashed right into Peter, who had apparently been trying to attack Dennis from the other side.
"Seriously?" Juliet simply sounded exasperated by now.
"It wasn't my fault," snapped Peter immediately.
"I know, and I wasn't talking to you," Juliet countered.
"Of course you weren't," Victor muttered under his breath.
Dennis grinned and shook his head. "This is how I know the Rogues and I are going to destroy you. The only way you have greater numbers than us is if you two organizations team up, but that is never going to happen, because you will simply fight amongst yourselves and eventually destroy each other. The Rogues and I will take you both down."
"In your dreams," Perry snapped.
"Then allow me to make my dreams a reality."
Dennis whipped out a small red detonator and pressed the button on it, causing a massive fiery explosion to consume the base.
"YOU'RE KIDDING ME!" Juliet screeched. "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!" she screamed at Perry.
"I DIDN'T KNOW HE'D DO THAT!" Perry snapped back.
"Guys, he's getting away!" Pinky called.
But by the time Perry and Juliet could react, Dennis was already long gone.
Juliet scrambled to her feet and raced towards the flaming base.
Perry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "So…um…"
Peter glared at him before rushing after Juliet, grabbing her arms to hold her back as she struggled. "Don't go in!" he yelled desperately. "You'll die!"
"No, don't." Christina shook her head in agreement.
Juliet fell to her knees. "It's…it's…it's all gone…"
"Don't you have other bases?" Pinky asked in confusion, cocking his head.
The ARCHANGEL agents in the vicinity all glared at the chihuahua, and even Victor rolled his eyes. Perry nudged his friend. "Uh, dude…even I could tell that sounds a bit insensitive."
"Sorry," Pinky immediately apologized, staring down at the ground.
"We only have four bases in the country," Christina explained, trying to sound civil. "And in the world."
Perry sighed. "I'm really, really sorry, guys. Trust me, if I had known this was the plan, I would've poured a bit more effort into my fighting."
Christina nodded understandingly but Peter strode furiously towards Perry. "Well, it's easy for you to say now!" he yelled, clenching and unclenching his fists as if in two minds about hitting Perry. "It isn't your base that's just exploded!"
"Peter, please try and calm down," Christina instructed.
"No, he's right." Juliet stood up, her head bowed and her shoulders hunched. "It's all well and good saying sorry now, but that isn't going to change what happened."
"Neither is fighting," Christina pointed out. "Or pointing the finger of blame."
"But the fact remains that you didn't pour more effort into your fighting," Juliet said quietly, addressing Perry. "WHY didn't you?"
"Because normally he's easier to fight." Perry wouldn't meet her eyes. "I've fought him several other times, and he's been easier before than he was today."
Juliet shook her head in disgust. "The fact that you expect him to never up his game is just...it's disgusting and ridiculous. You should always pour 100% energy into your fight. ALWAYS!" she added in a shriek, almost hysterical.
"I-I…I know. I know that I can't change what happened, and that you probably won't forgive me OR my friends, but…I am really sorry."
"Us, too," Pinky said quietly.
"It's not just their fault, though," reminded Christina. "We were just about as involved in the fight as they were."
"Chrissie, just…shut up," snarled Juliet, blinded by hatred. "Stop trying to justify their actions."
Perry swallowed and stared at the ground. "I...guess we'd better get going now. Unless you want us to help in some way, but I doubt you will."
"Yeah, just get outta here," Peter snarled. "You've helped plenty."
Perry nodded. "Alright. Let's go, guys."
Pinky followed Perry away, but Victor hesitated, looking back at Christina, who was just staring at the ground.
"Victor!" called Perry over his shoulder, breaking the otter out of his trance.
"I-I'm coming." He ran after his friends.
Christina chuckled and sighed, turning back to her friends and the exploded base. It wasn't just their fault, and I'm sticking to that. They're too nice for it to have been. Glancing at Peter's livid face, she grimaced. I wish things were different, but…Peter's right.
We need to stay away from OWCA.