Sitting and eating dinner, I go over the plan again once more, in my head.

  Yuna was worried about Lumi, so we need to check if it’s her or not. I don’t know when they would’ve been swapped, but it must’ve been a while ago, since we’ve covered all reflections.

  ‘...Except for anything in their bedrooms, she might have a screen in there like I’m using now. I thought they would’ve handled that in our preparations.’

  Regardless, I set up Lumi’s old phone on the bookshelf, facing the dinner table, behind where she sits. That way, I can easily check if it’s her by checking if she has a reflection.

  Taking a bite of my food, I give the exotic in question a curious look. “Hey, Lumi, what’s the occasion?”

  “Huh?” She looks almost confused, before smiling. “Oh! Well, you’re feeling better, aren’t you? Especially after my masterful massage?”

  Chuckling, I nod, the unease in my gut only getting worse. “Yeah… it helped alright.”

  As she turns to speak to Yuna, I glance behind her quickly, checking her reflection. It’s there alright.

  ‘So… she’s real then? Were we doubting her for nothing?’

  Perhaps she really is just in a good mood. And I just-

  ‘Wait. What was that?’

  Giving Yuna a little bump on the leg to distract Lumi, I look closer at the phone. In it… I see Lumi, but she’s facing us, not away, like the reflection should. And she looks dischevelled. Is it already trying to attack?

  Her Other wasn’t wasting time.

  As I begin to stand, ready to banish it back into the screen with its true name, it mouths words, unusually.

  “Salka, save me.”

  Just like that, it feels like the world is crashing down. It was her trapped in there.

  I nearly condemned her to her fate.

  But how does the Other have a reflection?

  ‘...it’s because it nearly replaced her. It’s so powerful it may as well be the real thing, so it even stole her reflection.’

  Eyes locking onto her… I can feel both the cats stare at me with somewhat scared looks.

  “Sal? What’s wrong?”

  After Yuna speaks, I just stand up and grab the chair I was sitting on, feeling its weight in my hand…

  Then the Other speaks. “Sal? Are you alri-”

  Twisting my body around with the newfound flexibility these two have helped me regain, I fling the chair straight at her face.

  Before it can crash into her, though, she ducks and lets it slam into the wall a few feet behind her, blowing apart into wood scrap.

  Yuna is already standing next to me, grabbing her own chair as a weapon.

  “How long?! How long have you been replacing her?!”

  Suddenly, Lumi… grins. Or the Other, as I guessed right.

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  “Oh, you realized? How could you ever swing on someone you care about so muc-”

  Grabbing the table, I shove it forward to stagger her, but she just punches it and makes it split in half. Stronger than even my Other, all that time ago.

  “Answer the question!” My heart is pounding and my eyes are begging to cry, but I refuse. Not because I’m not sad, but because I’m far too vengeful and spiteful of a person to not rip her head off first.

  “...the day you destroyed Yuna’s, of course. She looked into her TV screen, and there I was.”

  Yuna and I both freeze at that. Back then…

  ‘That was weeks ago… so all that time… the picture… the massages… the memories…’

  Now the tears flow, but…

  “Fuck it… Fuck you! I’m zeroing you, and bringing back my choom, whether you like it or not! What’s another body to the list?” Blade extending from my right forearm, I lunge at her, slashing out only for it to be ducked.

  Bringing my left arm up to block, I barely do so in time to block the strike aiming for my sternum. But it’s so strong, I’m sent flying back, the bones in my arm protesting. If it weren’t for my implants, it’d be broken for sure.

  “Fuck… Yuna, it’s too strong!”

  She doesn’t listen, rushing at her anyways and swinging the chair down at her with a warcry…

  It’s blocked with one arm over her head, the chair shattering on impact and at best breaking the skin, before it steps into her and punches her in the stomach, making her crumple like a paper bag. If nothing was broken, then I’ll be amazed.

  “Yuna! You… you piece of shit!” Turning, I break a fire extinguisher case, grabbing it before rushing at her again.

  This time, I pretend to swipe with my blade, only to step back and avoid her punch.

  “You’re open!” Swinging my arm around with the extinguisher, she tries to block it, and she does. Metal hitting her bones certainly damages some, but sends shocks rippling up my arm.

  Not that it matters, one hand is still recovering from her first swing, and the other is blocking my own. So I have the advantage.

  Bringing my blade down, I slash at her arm with all the force I can muster, and barely in my peripheral I can see Lumi in the phone, banging on the class in sync with my slash.

  That must’ve weakened its hold for a split second, because I expected it to barely cut her. Instead, the sound of shattering glass resounds, and the fake’s arm is severed clean off at the elbow.

  All of that in the matter of seconds, before I’m kicked away and the Other looks at me, barely phased but visibly upset.

  “You… couldn’t have just let me be? I’m better, I’m more open, more caring, I don’t hide, so why?!”

  Yuna slowly climbs to her feet, her left fist clenched tight. “Because… She's not a liar. She’s the one who saved me from the streets. She’s the one who fed me and treated me with love. Nobody can replace that.”

  The Other laughs, mocking those memories as she steps towards Yuna. “Oh yeah? Then what about these past weeks of memories? Do those count too?”

  Stepping between the two of them, despite the aching pain in my ribs, with a cold glare from my red eyes. “No. Because you aren’t her. You didn’t save me, aren’t the elder to confide in, aren’t the chef who can sense the slightest imperfection in her food. You…”

  Stepping into her, close enough I can feel the air thicken, I speak with putrid venom in my tone. “You’re just a shitty copy who should be deleted.”

  She swings on me, but I let it connect and grab her arm with both of my own as it hits my stomach.

  My vision blurs and my body reels, wanting to let go and vomit on instinct. But I can’t, not now, so I force myself to hold on tighter and enjoy the pain.

  “Such a piss poor fighter… when you fight two opponents, don’t let your only movement stall. Yuna! Now!”

  Her eyes widen, before she tries to break away. But there’s no time.

  Yuna swings around me and swings at the imposter, the small but heavy weight I gave her empowering her punch even further than her already impressive strength.

  With a slam at the reflection from Lumi, in sync with Yuna’s fist hitting her head, it shatters into glass and destroys the whole reflection.

  Finally, I collapse onto my ass, my body sore and probably a couple bones broken as well.

  “Ha… ha… fuck… you…”

  With a sudden yelp and flash of light, Lumi- the real one- falls in from above me and lands on top of me.

  “Fuck… Ow…”

  Before she can even climb off me, I just wrap her in a weak hug, Yuna joining the embrace right away.

  “Lumi, I’m so sorry we didn’t notice. I didn’t notice. It was my job and I failed.”

  “It’s okay… I’m sorry for being so stupid that I forgot about my tv.”

  “Lulu, I should’ve figured it out sooner, I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!”

  “You couldn’t have known, just, thank you for saving me. Both of you.”

  ___

  How was that for a risky gamble? How do you think Salka and Yuna should’ve handled it, if they had time to prepare for the fight?