Her face ached and blood spilled out from her gums, but Sunshine had no time to pay that any worry. Pulsating orbs of light began to separate from the energy hammer her dad slammed into Richman’s gut. However, that hammer’s purpose wasn’t just to hit. As the speed of the orbs scattering increased, the reason for their existence grew clearer in her eyes, and it spelled trouble. That alarming speed and monstrous power—there’s no way Jerome couldn’t account for how powerful his body had randomly gotten.

  Sunshine couldn’t even tell when exactly he moved. Her eyes closed to blink for probably less than a second, and Jerome was already attacking that guy. Her father looked normal, but he was somehow much faster than he was in that other form he was in. Not to mention his presence. Just him standing there felt like a radioactive bird was sinking its talons into her back, like an elephant was standing on her head, like a pack of Radions tearing her apart.

  Was this feeling a result of his anger or just the price weaklings had to pay for existing in the same area as Jerome Hunter!? Either way, he should have realized that using an attack like that could be the end of them all… except for him.

  And yet, he didn’t…

  Sunshine blitzed towards Moonlight’s body, pieces of the hammer stinging her face as she pushed past them. A barrage of different sounds attempted to lay waste to her focus. Someone screaming “Shadowverse”. The familiar sound of clapping as both Ricky and Jerome vanished into thin air. And the sound that immediately sent a wave of dread crashing into her—Boom!

  Fortunately, she got a hold of Moonlight and moved as fast as her legs allowed her to. What wasn’t fortunate though was how much the blast radius was increasing, and how fast it was ganging up on the two girls. Benches, street lamps, cars, concrete, entire buildings were all being disintegrated by Jerome’s attack, and Sunshine was about to be one of them if she didn’t hurry and find cover.

  Prioritize speed, and there’ll be nothing left of her body if the blast decides to speed up. Prioritize defense, and it’ll only endanger Moonlight’s life. Should she take the risk on speed or gamble her chances on a whole other plan? But what other plan was there!?

  Mind Trick maybe? It nearly fried my brain the last time I used it though… Oh well! Whatever happens, happens.

  Sunshine placed the girl on her shoulders and aimed a finger gun at her own chin.

  “Mind Trick: Dante!”

  In that painful instant in which her skin peeled away like an orange and her flesh rotted away like fruit left to fester in the sun, Sunshine’s brain was showered by an assault of emotions—a burning hatred whose only target was herself, a sea of regret that began to drown her, and the immense desire to prove everyone around her wrong about who she was.

  This was Dante. She was becoming Dante. Dante was becoming… her.

  Perhaps that wasn’t the best thing given the current situation, but there was one aspect of his character that gave Sunshine some assurance. The man’s genuine drive to shield the ones he cares about most from danger was strong, culminating in the dense energy behind her forming a forcefield around the two girls’ bodies. She wrapped her arms around Moonlight while the bubble was launched through the crumbling town. The automatic sliding doors weren’t fast enough to open before the forcefield crashed into a big store.

  Glass rained down while the bubble rolled through the aisles, knocking them down. Sunshine tried to keep her body steady, but she couldn’t stop herself from ricocheting within her creation. Finally, the forcefield stopped thanks to the help of a giant, pink teddy bear sturdy enough to stop its motion.

  Sunshine held her head. “God, my head’s fucking spinning. That damn father of mine…” She sat up, heart beating fast. “Since when could he do all that shit? And why can’t I do it yet? This is so unfair.”

  She examined her surroundings, realizing that they were in a toy aisle. Dolls, play houses, hair brushes, and makeup sets!? It was truly a disgusting sight, and Sunshine didn’t wanna stay long enough for any of it to infect her. The only problem with leaving was that she couldn’t deactivate the forcefield for some reason. Even though she had her hands up, attempting to manipulate the energy, the damn thing wouldn’t go away.

  Is it because this is made out of that Type Two’s energy?

  “D-D-Dante!?”

  Sunshine’s eyes scanned the aisle once more to see where that voice came from. It was only when she looked at the floor that she realized a woman was poking out from what looked like a bunker door.

  Was that door always there? More importantly, that voice sounds very familiar…

  “Oh, never mind,” the woman said, climbing out from under the floor. She was wearing a cloak that covered everything except her face. “You’re just some kid who somehow has the exact same power as my brother. A kid whose left side looks exactly like my brother’s too.”

  Sunshine scoffed. “Bitch, if I'm ugly, then you must be the toilet paper that I wipe my ass with!”

  The woman’s red eyes widened in shock, the blue haired doll falling out of her hand. “Wait a minute. Those words, the way you said them, and that scoff right before them… You talk like him, but you look familiar, like someone I'm supposed to know.”

  Sunshine slicked her hair back. Well, she didn't actually do that considering her hair was braided, but that was something Dante usually did. “Don’t act so confused, Lyra. I know you didn't inherit the brains of the family, but you should know who I am just from looking at me.”

  “Shut up,” she shouted, stomping towards the forcefield and pressing her face against it. “You only seem smart right now because you know more than me!”

  “Yeah, that's what being smarter than you entails, nuts for brains.”

  Lyra gritted her blue teeth. “That's not what I meant, Dante! Wait, why am I calling you that? You can’t be that stupid brother of mine. And who’s that kid behind you?” She paused for a while, glaring at Sunshine’s face. “Ooooh, you’re that Sunshine girl everyone wants dead. If you’re here, then where’s your Radion father? And why are you speaking like Dante? And what happened to your face?”

  Sunshine groaned, putting her hands in her pockets. “We got a real yapple doodle-doo over here. All you need to know is that Sunshine used her Radius Ability to give her the mind of your brother. In other words, I’m Dante for now.”

  Lyra’s eyes slanted, clearly suspicious of her. “You’re Dante?”

  “In the flesh,” she replied, smirking.

  “Sure, you have the flesh wound, the powers, and the talking style down, but I know that piece of shit better than anyone else. There are things he knows about our life that a shitty liar like you wouldn’t-”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “The day Mother died was the day your hatred for me began, right?”

  Lyra’s pupils shrunk instantly, as though Sunshine’s words brought her back to that fateful day.

  Sunshine’s lips pursed, tightening her fists. “Before that, we used to do everything together. We were twins, after all. But I knew our bond would've been shattered many times if it weren't for our Mom to glue us back together. No wonder everything got all fucked up the moment I sunk my teeth into her.” She relaxed her hands and took a deep breath. “That was the day I took someone important from our family. And it was also the day I realized I needed to protect the ones important to me that were still alive. That was the day my power awakened, remember? It was to save you from that Radion. It was to-”

  “Enough of the words, dickwipe,” interrupted Lyra. “I get it. You're Dante. You're not fully him, but you're him. Which begs the question… where is my actual brother?”

  “He’s supposed to be with the Type Two. But that's enough about him.” Sunshine turned back to the giant teddy bear, and then looked back at her, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing in a store… on the surface? If father found about this…”,

  A sweat ran across her forehead. “That’s none of your business. In fact, none of my life should be the business of this kid, Dante. She should be in a cage underground, waiting until Father decides to make her an afterthought.” Even though she tried to hide it with a serious tone, Sunshine could still hear the fear in her voice. “You know, if I capture this kid, then Father won’t even care that I was up here.”

  Sunshine ears perked up like a bunny, sensing a trio of energy signatures at the front of the store. “If you value Father’s attention so much, then you’ll tell me how to get rid of this forcefield before–”

  “Before those three guys figure out our location and kill you or something?” she asked, walking behind the forcefield to the teddy bear. “I've sensed them ever since they got here.”

  “Why thank you, Ms. Know It All,” she replied sarcastically, following her to the giant toy. “Do you also mind telling me why you sensed potential danger outside and still decided to create this stupid ass bear?”

  Lyra didn’t respond, instead hoisting the bear onto her shoulders, veins popping out of her arms. She inspected the bear’s artificial fur and started listing outIt was like Sunshine’s words went in one ear and out the other. “Do you think Father will notice if I make my room just a teensy bit bigger to fit this in there?”

  Sunshine punched the bubble in frustration, seething like a radioactive dog. “I’m sure he’ll notice Sunshine’s dead body if you don’t tell me how to deactivate this shit.” Despite her growing anger, she kept her voice quiet while Lyra kept her attention on the teddy bear. Thankfully, she finally seemed to get the message the moment she placed her hand on the forcefield.

  “A hard mixture of radioactive and nuclear energy…” To Sunshine’s disgust, Lyra took a quick lick out of the bubble. “With a touch of radioxide too. A real strong taste too. Definitely from a Type Two Radion. Of course only a piece of that explosion could protect you from it as well. Maybe the energy’s so powerful that it doesn’t want to be dispersed yet. Good thing you didn’t try and break this with your fists.”

  Lyra’s always had this weird affinity for minerals, materials, and substances ever since her and Dante were kids. Licking them, eating them, shitting them out after eating them—it was no wonder why Dante was the closest thing she could call a “friend”. He probably would’ve needed more than two hands to count the doctor visits she went to get pieces of plastic and fake gold out of her system. It was a stark contrast to the pompous way she made her voice sound.

  With the love she had for that hobby, it proved to be a good match with her Radius Ability.

  Sunshine tapped the inside of the forcefield. “If I did punch this thing, my hands would look like Uncle Dantevious during that in our summer home. Maybe if I was still Sunshine, but she turned into me. Mind Trick doesn't just utilize their abilities, it changes her physicality to match the person she's turning into.”

  Lyra nodded in understanding. “That's probably why she got your butt-ugly looks too.”

  “Shut your mouth,” she hissed in a low tone, sensing the trio beginning to walk towards them. “Are you gonna transmute this forcefield already or what? I know you can sense them coming, so hurry up.”

  Lyra’s lips curled into a crooked grin. “Oook, but I want to make a deal first. I’ll fix your little problem if you make one little promise with me.” No matter how innocent Dante’s sister made her voice sound, that smile told no lies. Whatever she wanted in exchange for Sunshine’s freedom, it was totally gonna stink. But Sunshine knew she couldn’t afford to argue any longer.

  “Fine,” she said, scrunching her eyebrows. “What stupid promise do I gotta make?”

  Lyra’s grin disappeared, replaced with an expression more serious. “You have to promise me you’ll never risk your life again.”

  Huh? Why the hell would she care about that?

  “Uh, sure,” said Sunshine, stepping back as though she was face to face with a ghost.

  Lyra nodded and pressed her hand against the bubble, preparing to activate her ability. That was until… they disappeared. The trio of outlines in Sunshine’s Energy Sense had somehow left her range entirely. Considering Dante’s own Energy Sense was greater than normal, that would've been impossible. There was no way they’d risk going outside, so they would have to still be in the store.

  But where did they go?

  Judging by Lyra’s widened eyes, she was asking herself the same question. It was a question she clearly didn’t want the answer to yet as she began the process of morphing the forcefield. The transformation didn’t have a chance to be completed as Lyra’s attention was turned to a sound.

  *Click*

  A metal bracelet the size of someone’s head had locked around Lyra’s neck, and the person holding it was someone Sunshine was unable to recognize. The man was enshrouded with a dark, shadowy aura, bull-ish horns sprouting from the side of his head. The only things that darkness didn’t cover were his right hand, holding the bracelet, and his mouth.

  Sunshine grunted, trying to deactivate the forcefield again. It was to no avail. “That bracelet… I’ve seen it before.”

  “And now you’re seeing it again,” said the shadowy figure, the black aura leaving his face to reveal Ricky Saints. “It wouldn’t have mattered if that big ball of energy was there or not. Did you forget that you still have that tracker inside of you? You really should have gotten rid of that by now.”

  I wish I could, but…

  Ricky exaggeratedly pointed his finger to something or someone behind Sunshine. She turned around, heart racing, hoping it wasn't who she thought it was. It was exactly who she thought it was…

  Roddy Richman had the same shadowy aura around his body, lumbering towards the forcefield like a bear who hadn't eaten in days. “That motherfucking Hunter… We nearly died trying to capture this stupid girl. What was Mr. Corleone thinking sending us-”

  “Hey, Roddy!” Ricky’s face had become strangely serious, as if Richman was gonna say something he shouldn't have. “Can you move through her shadow or what?”

  Richman took a deep breath, pulling down on his ski mask. “No. The omnidirectional light inside is preventing any shadows from forming.” He touched the bubble. “This thing’s hard as hell too. Only a few people I know could probably break through this thing.”

  Ricky sucked his teeth. “That coward thinks he can just make a few forcefield and run off somewhere. I wonder how he'll feel when his own sister finds and kills him later. He got closer to Lyra’s ear, feeling up her neck. “As for you, Daemon’s daughter, you're absolutely way hotter up close. Then again, you and your brother are twins, so it feels wrong saying that.”

  Lyra sighed. “I get that a lot, sadly. Although, I don't get how I could ever be compared to that dried raisin.”

  “Your life is in danger and you're using that time to insult me!? These are members of the Corleone family we're talking about. They'd be higher ups if they were in the Underground Radius.”

  Dante’s sister gave the girl a dirty look. “Risking your own life constantly, and now you're worrying about mine? You really do remind me of Mother.” She grabbed the bracelet. “I assure you that I can handle myself, dickwipe.”

  Ricky cackled, making sure everyone in the aisle saw his shiny, white teeth. “No, no, no, noooo. You see, that will absolutely not be the case. Lyra Williams, your power of transmutation is now under my absolute control.”