A New Color?

Ben pushed Elara back…
“Back off, little girl! This isn’t your job!”
Elara stepped back, but as she kept staring at the robot, her body started automatically analyzing and predicting its movements again…
“Wait… I shouldn't get in their way!”
She turned and started heading back to the base to avoid the fight—but suddenly, she heard Ben’s voice. The robot had thrown him right into the base!

Elara ran to Ben, who was lying on the ground and trying to get up.
“Ben! Are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”

“I’m not that weak, kid,but..…”
He handed her a sword and stood up. With a grin, he looked down at her.
“This could be some good training for you!” He laughed and charged at the robot.

Like a pro, he climbed up the robot and, with a powerful strike, cut off its right arm—the one with the rocket launcher. But just as he was about to jump back, the robot punched him hard and sent him flying into the base wall.

“Ahh! That seriously hurt.”
He looked at Elara. “The rest’s all yours now!” Then he pulled a popcorn tub out of his pocket. “Good luck, little girl!”
Elara shouted,
“WHERE DID THAT POPCORN EVEN COME FROM?! And what do you mean it's all up to me?! That giant was only acting tough with me!”
Talon sneezed from where he was lying on the ground.

The robot picked up its detached arm, reattached it, and started reconnecting wires and circuits, preparing its launcher for another attack.

Elara stood alone in front of the base, and the robot looked ready to launch several bombs.

Ben, mouth full of popcorn, yelled,
“Go, little girl! You got this!”
“Swallow first, then cheer!”
“I seriously don’t know what to do. That was my first time fighting…” She took a deep breath and steadied herself. “But I’m gonna win again!”

Elara ran toward the robot. Her eyes still weren’t glowing.
“Why can’t I see its movements? Why haven’t I changed at all?”

The robot launched a bomb. Elara dodged the first one easily. The second—no problem. But the third exploded close by, knocking her off balance and to the ground.

She was now dangerously close. The robot raised its giant iron fist to crush her—but Elara barely escaped.

“Phew! If that hit me, I’d probably cry like a baby for a full minute… Being immortal comes with its own problems!”

She got close enough to strike with her sword—but the robot’s body was way too tough for it to work. She hit its right leg first, then tried again—but this time, the robot blocked with its left arm, grabbed her, and slammed her to the ground.

While lying there in pain, she muttered,
“Why isn’t that stupid power working?! Why can’t I read its movements?!”

The robot raised its fist above Elara, who had just barely sat up.

Too late to dodge! She had no choice but to take the hit.
Ben saw what was happening from afar and ran toward her—but he was too far away.

Just as the robot’s fist smashed down, dust exploded everywhere.

The robot’s eyes glowed through the cloud… and just below them, a faint blue light appeared.

As the dust cleared, Ben saw Elara—she was holding the robot’s fist in her hand!

She whispered to herself,
“Raze, your power really came in handy here… But why is it even stronger now?”
She threw the robot’s fist away.
“No time to think about that—I need to end this.”

Elara’s eyes had finally activated! She could now see where the robot would strike and dodge with ease.

She picked up her sword and rushed toward it.
The robot aimed its launcher and began firing.
But Elara, using her purple eye to predict the robot’s aim—and her new blue eye to react faster—dodged each of the eight bombs like it was nothing.

“Alright! I’ve got a few seconds before it reloads.” She looked the robot over. “Only its iron fist left now. I should be able to dodge that.”

She looked more closely—and spotted an energy core inside the robot.
“There it is! The energy source usually isn’t that well protected. I just need to reach it and destroy it!”

She dashed forward, dodged the iron punch, jumped onto the robot’s back, and stabbed her sword deep into the energy core from the back of its neck.
A massive explosion followed—and Elara was flung into the base wall beside Ben.

“That was amazing, little girl!!” Ben held the popcorn near her face. “Want some? It’s delicious!”
Elara stared at the smoke from the explosion.
The robot’s eyes were still glowing!

It launched a bomb at Ben, but Elara—using her blue eye’s speed—jumped in front and shielded him.
The bomb hit her instead, throwing her back to Ben’s side… She was barely conscious now.

Ben placed her head on his lap, his voice full of concern:
“Hey, little girl!! Didn’t you say you were immortal?? Didn’t you say you had tons of power?! Then why are you dying on me?!”

Elara, eyes half-closed and voice weak, replied,
“Idiot… I said I’m immortal. Not that I don’t get tired…”

“You mean… you’re just exhausted?”
Ben laid her down gently and stood up, shouting at the robot with a grin,
“Good! That means I can stop worrying. Now it’s time to finish thi—”

Before he could finish, a powerful golden beam hit the robot and pierced straight through it.

Ben’s jaw dropped again. He turned toward the source of the golden blast…

It was Elara.
But this time… her left eye wasn’t blue anymore.

It was golden, glowing brightly.

Ben stared in shock.
“Wait, what the heck is that supposed to be?!”

Elara’s right hand, the one that fired the golden light, was still glowing. She looked at it, just as confused.