How To Be Me (boboiboy galaxy)

┋0┋A┋6┋

Thunderstorm accepted the invite. She walked onto the golem's uneven palm, her swords in her hands.

She and the woman held eye contact the entire time, though she was questioning herself why she would blindly accept her offer. She was drawn to this woman, but why? She could just drop Thunderstorm to the ground right here, and it's game over.

The golem raised its hand towards its shoulder, bending at an unnatural angle as he wasn't organic. Thunderstorm stepped off, balancing herself on the steep shoulder.

"You know," the woman wisped, closing the distance between them, but Thunderstorm didn't budge, "it's difficult to survive in the world if you're a girl, especially one with special powers like me."

She was taller than Thunderstorm, but she didn't seem intimidating. In fact, she acted like a mother, something even Thunderstorm acknowledged when she didn't even have a mom.

The woman cupped her hand around Thunderstorm's chin, her soft, golden eyes narrowing in concern, her eyebrows furrowing. "Oh, honey... you're not treating yourself right, are you?"

Just then, Thunderstorm might have teared up if she would. Her guard was lowered so easily, and she didn't know why.

The woman brought her into a tight hug, her hand stroking her hair and back as if she was a mother soothing her child. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through, dear. I really am." She pulled away from the hug, patting her shoulder in a comforting manner, her hand firm and confirming. "But even so... we're still enemies. You have to fight me."

Through all of this, Thunderstorm's body was stiff with confusion. She nodded stiffly, her jaw tightened as she readied her swords.

"By the way," the woman said softly, moving into a battle stance, "my name's Quake."

"Oh..."

Without warning, Quake charged at her with her bare fists, which Thunderstorm was quick to duck and sweep her off her footing, causing Quake to land on her back, a grunt escaping her throat.

Thunderstorm lunged towards her fallen enemy, driving her swords down to Quake's chest, though she tripped up Thunderstorm's footing with her feet, causing her to fall face-first as Quake rolled out of the way, falling off the edge of the golem's shoulder, hanging off the side of the stone's crevice and swung herself back up.

Quake dusted the non-existent dust off her black shirt, shaking her long, curly hair from her face. Somehow she could manage her long hair, but Thunderstorm couldn't. Fantastic.

Thunderstorm growled in frustration, and mindless charging right at Quake, which Quake quickly grabbed her arm and slammed her to the ground, the uneven surface digging into her flesh.

Electricity bounced from her skin, forcing Quake to release her hold on Thunderstorm. She thrust herself up with her arms, ignoring the blood on her hands, staining the metal and stone. But Quake's foot was planted onto her back, forcing her down again, also knocking the air out of her lungs.

Thunderstorm took a sharp breath in, and tried the same strategy. But it didn't work, which Quake only applied more force as a response.

"You have potential, but it's raw," Quake said, with a tut tut tone to it. "Have you not gotten any training?"

"Only—how—" Thunderstorm wheezed, which Quake loosened her a little, allowing her to breathe. "Only how to—control emotions— and basics—"

Quake sighed. "Damn, they're getting lazy," she grumbled. "You can't beat me. You're far too untrained."

Thunderstorm screamed in anger, and the explosive electricity returned again. The force alone knocked Quake back to the side of the golem's head, but she was quick to regain her balance, clutching the crevices of the golem for assistance.

Quake looked down to her stomach as Thunderstorm rose from the ground shakily, glaring daggers at Quake. There was a slash across her shirt, which created a decent wound on her waist.

Quake smiled approvingly, much to Thunderstorm's discomfort.

"I'm not going to give up," Thunderstorm growled, the lightning dying down. She summoned another pair of swords, which drained her energy significantly, but she held on. "You're not going to destroy this city. I won't allow this."

"Of course." Quake nodded. "But I have my reasons too. So I can't let you win that easy."

Like hardened scales, chunks of iron and rock encased Quake's arms, almost like second skin and armor. She pounded her rocky fists together, creating a shockwave that affected Thunderstorm slightly.

Thunderstorm lowered her stance, keeping her eyes on the fists. Her grip around her blade handles tightened, the handle digging into bone, blood dripping to her blade and to the ground.

Quake leaped at her from the top, one fist raised, and the other extended forward to defend. Thunderstorm raised her blades in a crossed formation, blocking Quake's fist, creating sparks in their collision.

The lock broke, and Thunderstorm slashed her blades forward to rest her arms for a second, but Quake didn't give her a second. Her raised fist slammed down, sending Thunderstorm off the golem, and straight into the ground beneath.

Quake jumped off, following Thunderstorm's trajectory into the ground. She raised a slide for her to land gracefully, though Thunderstorm used her speed to slow her fall, dashing between lightning and physical form until she hit the ground.

They were in Quake's element now, which was dangerous. They charged at each other for a head-on assault, creating craters beneath their footing from the force, and a shockwave that shattered all the nearby glass shards into tinier shards.

Their power struggle broke apart, but it was visible that Quake had the upperhand. She was barely injured, but Thunderstorm was suffering from multiple serious wounds in vital areas.

Thunderstorm's knees began to shake, and her vision blurred from exhaustion and nausea. Her fingers unclasped her blades, which fell to the ground in clatters. Her breathing was heavy, and she struggled to even stand.

Quake's fist connected with her stomach, which forced her to cough blood and forced the wind out of her lungs. Thunderstorm was sent crashing into a building, the grass shards impaling her back as she was rammed through a partially shattered window, and into the wall, which created yet another crater, blood trailing down Thunderstorm's fall.

I can't—

Her vision was darkening against her will, and most of her body refused to work with her. Still, she forced herself to lean against the wall, her bloody hands desperately grasping for the phone in her pocket.

Quake's silhouette was outside now, framed by the harsh sunlight.

She swiped the phone to unlock it, leaving a trail of blood across the scracked creen. Her fingers were shaking, but this was her only hope.

She pressed call.

Beep, beep... beep beep...

They had to pick up... this was her last chance.

Quake was in the same room with her now, but she wasn't attacking.

Thunderstorm's ear perked, jolting her senses slightly. She heard the vibration of a phone, along with a melody that resembled a ringtone of it.

She watched as Quake dug into her jean's pocket, and pulled out a phone, the screen bright as there was a call coming through.

Quake sighed from her nose, her expression crossing between relief and concern at the same time. She pressed the reject icon, and the beeping from Thunderstorm's phone ended.

To Thunderstorm's horror, Quake pocketed the phone and knelt down to her. She placed her naked hand on her bloody ones, thought it were gentle.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's get you some medical attention first."

The ground opened up beneath them as Quake scooped her up in her arms, carrying her bridal-styled and careful not to worsen her wounds.

The last thing that Thunderstorm saw before her eyes closed was the ground closing up around them, and the warmth of a complete stranger, who was meant to kill her.