THE MOMENT
"Did you say 'ow'??" Brooke reined back her fist and even took a few steps away to give the villain some space. He was an old, retired villain, and she tried to hold back. She didn't even punch him that hard; it was more of a heavy slap from her perspective, but regardless, it was obvious he wasn't prepared for it.
"Did you just punch me?" Lightning Strike asked. The senior villain was rubbing his wrinkled cheek. His skin looked a lot like his loose-fitting blue and black costume. "Aren't you supposed to use the power of love & friendship!?" he asked.
"No...," Brooke shook her head with a smile. "That wasn't specified in the contract." She was hired specifically to be his opponent because he wanted to fight a Magical Girl. It wasn't unheard of for retired villains to try and make a comeback, and it made sense he'd want to warm up with the new breed of heroes he'd be facing. It seemed like there were more Magical Girls than ever before, and the numbers kept growing.
"Oh, good," Lightning Strike laughed and nodded. "I didn't specify because I thought that was just the default. So, help me get caught up here... what can you do?" He asked. "Not you specifically, but I guess Magical Girls in general. How do you all work?"
"Uhh... is this still the job? It's my first one for Ozone, so I don't want to mess it up." L.S. laughed and nodded.
"Job's over, you won," he said. "But I'd really appreciate a peek behind-the-scenes. My daughter...," he sighed. "... for the longest time she wanted to be a Supervillain like me. But... I guess she's outgrown it. Now all she wants to do is be a heroic Magical Girl. I'm just trying to learn what it's all about... kind of secretly," he added. "I want to surprise her," he smiled. That was helpful, because she was starting to wonder why a respected supervillain like Lightning Strike would waste time on deals with Ozone. He definitely had access to plenty of information through normal channels.
"Did she say she wants to be a Heroic Magical Girl?" Brooke asked. If he was that clueless, he might not have known the options.
"That's the whole thing, isn't it? Heroic Magical Girls fighting for good using the power of love & friendship." He asked.
"Most of them fight for love and friendship; they're not necessarily limited to using it. Every Magical Girl has a different power source, and a lot of times, there'll be a hint in their name. But not every Magical Girl has to be a hero. There are evil ones too," she said. His eyes widened, and he smiled.
"Wait... really??" he asked. "She could be an Evil Magical Girl!?"
"If you raised her right," Brooke laughed. "I'm sure she still wants to continue the family business, just in her own way."
"I never even considered...," L.S. couldn't stop smiling as the pride was almost overwhelming. He'd been too eager to accept her decision, and he didn't hesitate to abandon his dreams of having a proper villainous heir. But maybe he didn't have to, and that hope was thrilling.
"So,... that was a solid punch," L.S. nodded. "What power are you fighting with exactly, Magical Girl Redline Express?"
"That was just a punch," Brooke grinned. "I hadn't even used my power at all. But, if you want to see what I can do..." She looked around. It was meant to be a private fight, and they were alone in a vast rocky canyon, so they'd have plenty of room. And, fortunately, they were close enough to one of the cliff walls for a suitable demonstration.
"Watch!" she spun around and dashed at the wall at full speed. L.S. could see crismon light gathering at her fist as she moved, and he heard a distinct whistling sound. Brooke reached the wall in seconds, stopped instantly, and thrust her fist forward into the cliffside.
"EXPRESS IMPACT!" She yelled, but it was hard to hear over the sudden train horn echoing through the air. An ethereal red bullet train aura shot forward from her and crashed through the cliff. It left an empty tunnel filled with dust.
"Whoa...," L.S. shook his head as Brooke dashed back to his side again. He looked down at her with a chuckle. "Thanks for using a normal punch on me," he said.