There was no such thing as a normal magical girl anyways.
It was insane enough already, juggling a double identity where one half was tasked with killing supernatural monstrosities that no one else could even comprehend. It was doubly insane to do so when one was certifiably a child in the eyes of the law. Anyone who sought to follow a cat with a TV for a head rather than go talk to a psychiatrist about their hallucinations was already long gone.
So there wasn’t much need for Nonsuch to be all that bothered by her quarry’s own illusions. Exhaust seeped deep into her clothing and skin, the maniacal laughter finally audible amidst the roar of traffic as it ignored physics and ambience in order to inject itself directly into her senses. The paladin’s spine shivered at the sensation; rare were magical girls who possessed abilities so non-destructive, when it was in their nature and design to fight alone. It didn’t matter to Nonsuch though, what illusions were tossed in her direction. It didn’t matter what monsters appeared, if they scattered to mist by charging through. It didn’t mean much, the blood pouring out from her foe’s eyes. It wasn’t worth chasing, the motorcycles and doppelgangers that emerged from the shadows of passing vehicles.
After all, so long as illusion persisted, the gaze she held was the ‘real’ one.
And, despite illusion and delusion, the hallucination of another’s madness pulled into reality, it was Nonsuch who noticed first, the gradual decline of traffic. Her gaze, set ever-forward, had caught the blockade a precious few seconds before Evil Eye did. A tunnel, a collective of stopped cars, chugging through the gap, and…
…the opportunity, for Nonsuch to accelerate without worry.
The squealing of burning rubber was not enough to drown out the crack of a new pothole appearing as Nonsuch slammed her Sweet Arm into the ground, anchoring it there as her boots stepped upon the spike at the opposite end of the hammerhead. Magic flowed, the sole of one foot bleeding as the attractive energies between herself and her weapon rose and rose. Building up energy. Building up force.
Her right hand extended, forming a gun. Index pointed at her target. Thumb cocked.
“Bang.”And she switched from opposites to self-same.
One moment, Evil Eye was balancing upon the barricade.
The next, her motorcycle was behind her, far behind her and she could faintly register her partner’s flesh-puppet pressed hard against her back, could definitively
see the concrete pavement rushing towards her, a sander to turn her face into a smooth, bloody plane, bereft of eyes, a nose, lips, and teeth. And then, she could see nothing at all, but a metal gauntlet closing in.
Three bodies tumbled against the highway.
One was lost in transition, lifeless limbs crick-crackling as it was left in the dust.
Two continued on, slamming into another barricade and bouncing over it, before crashing into the grassy ditch beyond.
And Nonsuch, her face stained with the blood from injuries that could only be considered self-inflicted, pushed herself up from her quarry, the iron gauntlet that protected Evil Eye’s face falling apart to reveal fingers like broken twigs.
There was no such thing as a normal magical girl.
And of the unordinary, she was the nonsuch.
“Made me work for it, didn’t you?” Steaming blood fell, drop by drop, yet the smile, the scorching light, did not waver.
“This has to be the first time we’ve been properly face-to-face!”Crick-crack went the broken twigs, closing into a fist.
Kronshi,
Sky Blue,
Majoraa,
High Moon,
Emberdawn2,
VirgoDrago,
ppppppppp,
CitrusArms,
Soldat Elf,
Estylwen
