Cat turned to look at Kim as if she were suggesting total world destruction and snickered at the thought. “I couldn’t do that,” Cat snorted.
“Why not?”
“I could never do evil on purpose. It wouldn’t make any sense.”
“Maybe that’s what society needs. Besides, haven’t you ever thought about, like, killing someone.” Kim just kept talking this time. “You have all this power and you-”
“Kill people? Really, Kim?” Cat shook her head quickly. “That’s insane.”
“And again… why not?”
“Are you crazy? I can’t go around killing people. I’m a superhero; that’s just not going to happen.”
Kim reached out until she held Cat’s shoulders in her hands. Shaking her with every word, she said, “You don’t like people, Cat, remember? Why work for them when they can work for you?”
“I, uhm…” Cat was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable with the way the conversation was turning.
Kim looked at her while narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “Have you ever considered joining the super villains, Cat? Maybe they have fun conquering the world, have you ever thought about that? I bet if you join them you could have fun, too. More than what you’re having now, that’s for sure. I don’t think you have stopped to think that could be your real purpose in life. Just think about it, you wouldn’t have to work if you didn’t want to because you would have a lot of money from all the stealing you would do. All those humans out there who bother you can go to hell.”
Cat was quiet. The sarcasm in her friend’s voice almost didn’t sound sarcastic at all. Why would her best friend be saying all of this? Was she testing her? Surely this couldn’t be the advise she was giving her.
“You can’t be serious. I can’t just turn evil and start killing innocent people, Kim.”
Kim leaned back on the bed’s pillows and shrugged, “It’s just a suggestion.” She was looking so innocent now, not at all insisting on the wrong thing like she’d been a few minutes before. Instead, her voice had a calm tone as if she was about to revert to her normal self. Except she wasn’t. “If you think about it, Cat, are people really worthy to be alive? Maybe they shouldn’t be. From what I learned today, Magma-Girl doesn’t like the human race very much. I think you should do something else with all that power of yours. Make it work to your advantage. Why not? Just think about it.”
“For the last time, are you even listening to yourself, Kim? You know me. You know I could never do that. I can’t become the bad guy in this scenario, in any scenario. That’s not the point I was trying to make at all. That’s not why I came here. Stop playing and freaking me out and tell me what you really think.”
Kim nodded and exhaled slowly. She stood up before her super-powered friend looking thoughtful. Cat got ready to hear what her best friend was really thinking while regretting her powers didn’t include telepathy. It would have made it so much easier.
“I guess now there’s just one thing left unsaid, Cat.” Kim started, she stood over her friend, who was sitting on the bed in her civilian clothes, no trace of the colorful outfit she wore while saving the world; no trace of the magma that was hers to control.
Suddenly, Kim raised her hand as if she tried to touch the ceiling with the tip of her fingers. At that moment, a black fog began circling around her until it covered her completely. The fog seemed to be coming out of her palm and descended all the way down to her feet. Lightning stroke within the blackness as a storm whirled around Kim. This all lasted but a few seconds and when the storm finally ended, the fog lifted to uncover a new Kimberly. Only that wasn’t Kimberly anymore.
In front of her, Cat saw a face she had encountered more than she’d wished throughout her life of crime fighting. In front of her Woman Zero, her mortal enemy, stood in all her glory. Her black cape fell majestically behind her, and her long black hair now transformed into darkness itself. The white porcelain mask that Woman Zero always wore still reflected the entire universe, just like it always did when confronting Magma-Girl.
Cat stared at this new revelation, paralyzed. It was impossible to believe. This could not be true. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t move. She only knew now that the black witch, who she hated with her life, had taken possession of her best friend. Or had she always been Woman Zero?
It was too late for another thought. Woman Zero formed her blade of darkness in less than a second. With it, she cut her best friend’s head off with one stroke. No second thoughts. No hesitation.
The end of Magma-girl was quick. Painless.
“Good riddance,” Woman Zero smiled a wicked smile.
Her biggest obstacle to achieving world domination was gone.
The End
More by Claudia Silva
Thank you for reading my short story, Magma Girl.
There are more stories you will enjoy if you liked this one. Take a look!
Rivals
What Can’t I Be Here?
Vocation
Also, don’t miss my vampire secret agency series, a different take on vampire lore:
The Recruit
Werewolf Phenomenon
The Fall of Witchcraft (Spring 2019)
Part Four (untitled)
Part Five (untitled)
Part Six (untitled)
Magma Girl Page 2