THE MOMENT
The last thing Karin felt before she blacked out was Dread. She'd never felt that level of physical pain before. Karin was uniquely tough, but not enough to take a punch from one of the strongest people in the multiverse and stay conscious.
"Hey, you recovered fast," Dread smiled down at Karin as she opened her eyes. She felt comfortable, lying on a smooth, cool white track. Dread had spiky white hair and fierce purple eyes. "That's a good sign," she nodded. "Take ten minutes, then we'll start properly." The pale, tall teenager walked away casually, leaving Karin on the floor, but she wasn't alone.
"That hurt...," she commented even without having to look around for her twin sister. The pain was still subsiding, and she was overcoming it.
"She did hold back, you know," Davina informed her sister. The alert twin was sitting on the white floor nearby, just enjoying the cool evening breeze while waiting. They were outdoors on Dread's home practice track, and she was supposed to help them get stronger.
"Good..," Karin nodded. Despite her begging Dread to hit her as hard as she could, it was actually good news. If Dread was even stronger than that blow, Karina and Davina had a lot of ground to gain. She was looking forward to getting that strong someday. "I might not have survived," she laughed. Then grabbed her abdomen. "Ow..,"
"We can quit, you know," Davina said. "We told Oren that we're on the job until we want to stop."
"No way!" Karin powered through the minor ache to bolt upright and face her sister. "How long was I out?" she asked.
"About 10 minutes...," Davina answered.
"This isn't just about guarding the Princess for Oren," Karin said. "We have a chance to get stronger. A LOT stronger," she added. "It's DREAD!" The multiverse was vast, and across its entirety, Dread was recognized as an up and coming legend.
Karin and Davina were Unique Souls known as Calaveras. They were supposed to be the apex of physical strength, and yet Dread was an even stronger Calavera. Each of the girls had the strength to destroy an entire Earth with a single blow, and Dread could've probably accomplished it with a flick of her finger. Calaveras grew stronger by competing with other Calaveras, and that was exactly why Oren sent them to Dread.
"Okay," Davina nodded with a smile. Karin had been changing slowly, and this conviction was just another positive indication of that. She considered, and hoped, that maybe it was time to coddle her twin a little less. "Then we'll stay and get stronger," she said as she stood up. She habitually reached for Karin, but her sister got up on her own, wincing all the way.
"But.. you gotta take a punch from Dread too," Karin added.
"Of course...," Davina smiled. "You think I'm gonna let you get stronger without me?"