The Undoing of Sidekicks | ✓

fifteen

(a/n: dedicated to DaisyFlowerCat for the terrific support. hope you continue enjoying ;))

fifteen

HE GOT THE FIRST PUNCH. It was damned annoying, and made me scowl as I ducked to avoid the quick follow-up. I could see the mocking grin on his lips, which fueled my angry kick to his shin. It connected — I was sure it'd bloom into a wonderful bruise. 

I grinned at his hiss, then swung low again to avoid another devastating punch directed my way. As soon as I straightened, there was a low hiss and a sudden flash of light searing my shoulder. I winced, throwing myself to the side. Glancing behind me, I saw the smoldering hole from a ball of pure heat in the wall. 

"Redecorating, are we?" I quirked a brow. Brann didn't deign answer me, and instead turned his palm up once more, eyes flaming as he summoned another deadly sphere. I tossed myself aside in the last second, breath catching as I felt an almost astronomical heat caressing my cheek as it slammed into the other side of the atrium. 

Regaining my balance, I threw my arms up as he launched the next sphere my way. Golden light spewed from my hands, and the floor cracked and buckled as a wall of sand and dirt rose up from beneath it. 

Light burst across my cornea when his power impacted with my wall of sand. My eyes stung as I forced them open, peering at what'd formed from the impact of our powers. While some parts of the wall had fallen to the ground as I stopped manipulating them, the middle part had crystallized into opaque glass as a result. It was a brutal sculpture, and it rendered part of my field of vision completely blind. 

I could only see the shadow of Brann moving on the other side, determined steps leading him closer to me. I backed away, glancing uneasily at the fast approaching wall of the atrium's opposite side. 

Don't let him back you into a corner. 

My eyes darted around the room, scanning possibilities. A plan formulated quickly in my mind. I backed up even further towards the wall, attempting a 'oh-no-I'm-trapped' face. 

I mean, I tricked him once before with my superior acting skills. Who's to say he's any wiser now?

"Oh, no!" I called, surprised at the convincing wobble of my voice. 

Hollywood — I'm coming for you. 

Brann had side-stepped the brutal glass sculpture now, and eyed me warily. He was holding a glowing sphere, suspended above one of his palms as he stared me down. 

"Give it up, Nymph," started Brann. His eyes were hard, " - you're losing. Sorely."

"Oh, no." I said, again, because apparently my repertoire wasn't quite as vast as I'd believed, " -— you'd better come and finish me off."

He took another few careful steps toward me. I took a step backward, shoulders scratching the wall as I ran out of space. My eyebrows were furrowed, hands shoved in the air as I simulated giving up. 

Give up? Honey — that's not even in my vocabulary. 

Brann moved closer. I worked hard to suppress the shark-like grin wanting to break through. He stepped forward, raising his arm. There was a shadow of doubt in his expression, then he gritted his teeth and the sphere pulsed brighter. 

Now's the time. 

Twisting my hand, golden light spewed from my eyes as I tugged at my powers. My body evaporated into sand particles, particles swiftly moving across the floor until they piled up behind him. In a flash, I was behind his back. His sphere had lodged itself into the wall which I'd just stood in front of, and a burst of anger made me plant a boot in his back.