“Pinky! Pinky, listen!” Lucy called out to me as she pulled tirelessly against my ear lobe, trying to get me to pay attention to her. Unfortunately for her, I was feeling particularly stubborn and knew that all she’d want to do is pull me off my path.

“I know what you’re thinking, we can’t go confront your dad! We’ll be in big trouble if we do!”

I simply scoffed at the warning, to Lucy’s dismay, but honestly it wasn’t like we weren’t already in big trouble with the police trying to take us to God knows where.

“Besides, isn’t he somethin’ of a big deal too? Won’t he be protected, or somethin’?”

“No,” I replied simply as I stomped down the street, my eyes deadset on the horizon.

“Pinky, please! I don’t want you to get hurt!” Lucy replied. I finally gave her a glance, but I could tell it wasn’t the sort of look she was hoping for.I grinned at her and balled my fists.

“I think I’ll be just fine.”

I was quickly making my way away from the taller buildings, finally giving my growing body the chance to stretch its arms and legs with all the newly found free space around me. I hadn’t realised just how claustrophobic those ever-tightening streets were, and with buildings out the way I realised just how far I could see - the houses only reached my hips at best, so I could survey the whole of the suburban area from where I was standing. Even in my anger, I couldn’t help but admire the view. It only reaffirmed my thoughts - if I was nothing, I wouldn’t have such a magnificent look on the world.

The sound of blades chopping through the air caught my attention - my head jerked up towards the sky and I saw a news helicopter hovering high overhead, following me along on my stroll with no doubt a camera or two pointed right at me. So they were planning on following me, huh? Nothing that could be done about that. I grinned at the idea of disgracing my dad on live television, just as he did me. Another cry from Lucy went unnoticed as I picked up my pace, my feet slamming hard against the ground and kicking up asphalt and mud as I strode ahead.
I kept my eyes trained on them as I tried to figure out what they were saying about me, but it was difficult to say the least: they were so tiny, and so far away. I couldn’t catch what they were saying, especially with the ruckus I was making from simply walking, but the body language was clear enough for me to understand - they were no doubt sensationalising my supposed ‘rampage’, and I was happy to provide.

“Out of the way!” I’d bellow down to my viewers down on the street - I wouldn’t slow down for them, even as I kicked aside cars that were still holding their drivers. I did warn them, so it was up to them to move. Besides, with the cameras on me, it was time to put on a proper show.

“Puella!!” Lucy roared, causing my head to snap in her direction with a scowl on my face.

“That’s not my name anymore, Lucy,” I warned, but she didn’t seem all too fazed.

“Enough of this, you’re gonna hurt someone!” Her eyes kept darting from my face to the ground and back again: “Come on, it was fun before, but you’re going overboard!”

“Am not!” I huffed: “Lucy, you don’t get it. This is what they want to see!” I pointed up at the helicopter: “Everyone expects it, and they’re just waiting for it.”

“It? What is it?” Lucy asked.

“You know! Causing a bit of chaos,” I grinned.

“And this is somehow going to prove your dad wrong, huh?” Lucy challenged.

“I–” I grit my teeth: “I’m putting on a show, is all! When he sees the traction I’ve gotten, he’ll have to admit the truth!”

“And this will get you traction?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah!” I replied, as if that were obvious: “People love a bad girl, Lucy. A rebel! I’ll be that rebel.”
I glanced at Lucy’s worried expression and managed a gentle smile: “And, trust me - it looks worse than it actually is.”

Lucy looked down off my shoulder at the ground again as I kicked aside trucks, crushed street lamps and let print after print deep in the road’s surface. My eyes were on her though, and she bit her lip, but eventually did not and looked back up at me with a smile: “I mean…” She chuckled a little: “It is pretty cool.”

“There you go! Damn right it’s cool!” I laughed, raising a finger to give Lucy a gentle pat on the head. She complained and pushed my finger away, but it seemed I’d convinced her.

Giggling softly, my attention turned back down to the ground. My brow furrowed a little as I focused on each swing of my legs, the sensations of my shins cutting through the air as it fought back against my movements with every step. I caught a glimpse of a lot of panicked little people bolting out of my path as I moved, and it made me think - while I was just having a conversation, I was causing so much chaos down below without even a thought. That… quite nearly threw me for a loop. Like, just how strong was I? It had been a good while since I’d grown, and in that time I was pretty sure I was inching onto the 100ft mark. Like, I was huge, kicking trucks aside like toys as I walked and even leaving imprints in the ground from my own feet. Like I was walking on sand, or something. I looked behind me, and bit my lip - it really was looking like a giant monster stomping through a city at this point, huh? I couldn’t help but be in awe of myself - that’s so fucking cool and so fucking hot. I was glad I was getting into this whole giant thing because man, it was fun.

With a skip in my booming steps, I’d managed to shove aside those cruel words from my father just like I did anything else that got in my way. ‘When he sees me in the flesh… Well, he’ll eat his words, to say the least,’ I thought to myself with a cocky grin on my face. A few more minutes, and I’d found my destination - nestled down one of the more affluent streets, one of the houses was a little more run down than the rest. I grinned and stomped towards it, more than happy to ruin this street of pompous pricks as I pushed aside the thick foliage of the trees around me to get a better look at where I was stepping. I could see him waiting on his front porch - I would have been surprised he knew I was coming, but… well, you’d have to be both blind and deaf not to. He was sitting on a wooden chair, his eyes glowering at me as I lowered my body down so I wasn’t so engulfed by the healthy trees surrounding me. I looked down at him with a smug grin, making sure my shadow coated both him and his house. Gotta get that good imagery, after all.

A few seconds passed, and neither of us said a word. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I expected him to react. Be a little scared, maybe? Shocked? In awe? All good options.

Unfortunately my dad wasn’t so up to entertaining my fantasies.

“So, what, are you going to keep staring?” He asked, arms crossed: “I would assume you came to tell me something. Well? Spit it out already!”

My face scrunched up when I didn’t get the reaction I wanted, and Lucy yelped as she almost slipped when I leant down further to the ground, getting right in my dad’s face. As I did, though, I realised I hadn’t really thought about what to say. Only really about scaring him, but apparently that just wasn’t working. He waited impatiently as I thought. Fuck, why even when he’s so tiny, does he make my nerves go on high alert? I hated this feeling, and punched the ground angrily.

“Why did you say all that stuff? About me??” I shouted at him, his hair blowing back from the force of my voice.

“Because it’s true,” He replied matter-of-factly: “And I knew you’d be watching. I knew you’d be lost without my guidance.”

“Lost without–” I scoffed, again smashing my fist against the grass and making quite the crater, chunks of the garden tossed airborne: “Bullshit! I’ve been doing just fine without you!”

“Hm. Really? And what have you accomplished in the last three years then, huh?” He asked.

“Plenty!” I retorted: “I’m a singer, dad, I get gigs and stuff!”

“Gigs on the street? Please, that doesn’t exactly take peak talent, does it?”

“How do–” I blinked, recoiling back slightly: “Have you been keeping tabs on me??”

“Of course! I never would have expected you to get far, so I had to make sure you weren’t doing anything too stupid.”

“You bastard–” I snarled, my fingers tearing through the soil.

“I’m sorry, um…” Lucy shuffled toward my ear: “What’s going on here?”

I sighed and turned to her, “Ugh… it’s… a long story, Lucy. Trust me, you don’t want me to go into it.”

“No no, feel free to tell her!” My dad interjected to my frustration: “I doubt you haven’t even heard Puella mention me, have you, miss?” He asked Lucy, to which she shook her head and turned back to me for answers.

I groaned: “Fine! Fine… Well, where do I start…”

By now, it had been over three years since I’d last seen my father. I used to live with him, you see, but I hated every second. My mum hated it too, that’s why she left when I was young. But somehow, my dad won custody, the bastard, and I wasn’t allowed to see my mum again after that. I’ve long lost track of where she went. Point is, it was just me and him.

Not that I ever really understood why he kept me around - I could tell my dad despised me, for about as long as I could remember. All I ever got from him was shouting and barrating. ‘Be better!’ ‘Do better!’ ‘Is this seriously the best you can do?’ over and over and over and over and over again. I could never just enjoy myself or go at my own pace. If I ever decided I wanted to try something, he’d make damn sure I put 110% into it. Which may sound good from an outside perspective, but this applied to every hobby, every class in school, anything I thought of. I ended every day feeling like I’d just taken part in a military boot camp. I was exhausted, but even then I was still expected to put in my best. It was not a lifestyle I – no, not a lifestyle anyone could manage.

It all kinda just boiled over on my graduation day.

The fireplace was the only thing lighting up the living room as I sat in an armchair opposite my father, who was slowly sifting through my results papers. The ‘fire’ cast the both of us in a warm orange glow, but it only made the shadows in the corners of the golden-red room that much more striking. I could see it on my father’s face especially, his angular features painted with inky black markings on their left from how his face would so well block off the cosy light illuminating its right side. His eyes were focused on the paper in front of him as he slowly flicked through it, studying every word used. I sat nervous and fidgeting, dreading what would come next - I was fully aware they wouldn’t meet up to his expectations but still, a small part of me hoped he’d soften up just this once. My fingers were crossed.

“Hrm,” My dad suddenly huffed, causing me to straighten my back in surprise and watch him with wide eyes. He was quiet for a few seconds more, before suddenly he tore all the papers in two! I let out a shriek and jumped to my feet, but he’d already tossed them right into the open fire.
“What the fuck?!” I screamed, reaching for the papers but flinching as the flicking flames’ heat was too much.

“They’re utterly useless,” He replied with his usual condescending tone: “A line of C’s might as well be a line of fails.”

“What are you talking about?” I shouted in return as I tried to wave the fires down, but it was too late - my prized papers were nothing but cinders in mere moments.

“You think anyone will pick you out because you, what, got a passing grade? That’s the bare minimum, the baseline,” He replied: “In other words, it doesn’t count for shit.”

“It does!” I argued back, stepping away from the fire. My voice quivered and I wiped my eyes: “You bastard, it mattered to me! Doesn’t that matter?”

“You don’t study for personal satisfaction, you do it for results. And you have none!” He returned: “That’s the truth of it. You wouldn’t get anywhere with them. We’re going to try this again, this time with my tutoring. Clearly whatever you were doing didn’t cut it.”

My hair stood on end and I balled my fists, shaking: “You bastard, you think you can just snatch control of my life like that? No way am I going through that again!”

“Then what will you do? You can’t possibly–”

“I can!” I roared, stomping toward him and jabbing a finger at his face: “And I will. I don’t need your bullshit tutoring!”

“Will you, now?” He asked, peering back up at me with his small eyes: “How? You have nothing to show for yourself, you don’t even know what you want to do.”

“Well I guess I’ll find out!” I bit my lip and held back my tears: “You bastard, I’ll make it on my own!”

“That right?” He huffed: “Then go! Do it! Prove me wrong!”

“You know what? I will!” I shouted, stepping backward: “I’ll leave right now! And I’ll make something of myself! Then you’ll see what you’ve been missing, you– you–”

“And what have I been missing?” He asked.

“That I’m worth a damn!” I shouted back at his face, before storming upstairs to my room.

I packed my stuff pretty quickly, though I didn’t take everything. Just what I needed. And before the night had passed, I’d left my horrible home and began my journey to become somebody he would have to admire. Respect.

“But you look at this and say it isn’t enough?” I exclaimed, motioning down to my huge body: “Maybe you are just a mad man, like mum always said.”

“Please. A body makeover isn’t an accomplishment - besides, how did you even grow to begin with?” He asked.

“I…” I bit my lip: “That’s none of your business.”

“So you don’t know,” He sighed: “Well, that’s certainly nothing to be proud of.”

“Listen!” I shouted, causing Lucy to cover her ears and the tiles of the house’s roof to shake: “I’m respected now! I'm somebody! People have to look up at me and when they do, they are in awe - I’ve seen it!”

“Respected? That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“Huh?” I blinked, pulling back a little: “What are you talking about?”

My dad sighed and reached to one of the small porch tables behind him, picking up a portable radio. He switched it on, turning the volume up to the max before lifting it up toward me. I couldn’t help but want to listen in, and lowered my head down until I could catch what those on the other end were saying.

“--This situation has definitely been incredible to follow - a giant, of all things, walking through our streets!”

I beamed as I listened to them talking about me. Me! It was still an amazing thought.

“Quite right, Tom, and she’s been causing quite a ruckus in town, hasn’t she? The locals haven’t been taking it so lightly. We’ve interviewed a few of them to see their thoughts on this giant woman!”

It then cut to a much choppier-sounding recording - no doubt it was from a quickly put-together news team sent outside, which piqued my interest even more.

“Ah, I saw that chick. She was fuckin’ huge!” A rough-sounding voice exclaimed through the radio: “She just smashed through everythin’ like paper,” they marvelled.

Then it switched to another voice, this one more feminine but just as crude.

“I dunno who she is, but she had the nerve to smash my car! She’s a ruffian, why aren’t the police doing anythin’?”

The next was a more refined-sounding voice - upper class, no doubt.

“I don’t know what she thinks she’s doing, but the damage she’s causing is going to drain our pockets when the tax goes up to fix everything. Just you wait. People like that should just be locked in a cell for all I care.”

Then another.

“Seemed like just some spoiled brat to me, I think people are overreacting.”

My smile faded a little at that.

“Girl will get caught by the police soon, don’t worry. Then we can put this all behind us.”

“She’s kinda weird, have you seen her? Seems to love getting in people’s faces.”

“Seems like someone’s desperate for attention, with what she’s wearing! Haha! What a freak.”

I pulled my head back a little, eyes wide as the comments continued.

“Ruined my route to work, she did! Now I have to explain that some giant bitch smashed the road on my way, how is my boss supposed to take that?”

“You heard what her dad said, right? She’s just some kid looking for attention. She’ll get her kick then things’ll go back to normal, I’m sure!”

My eyes darted to stare at my father. Oh, he did this on purpose.

“Imagine all you could do with power like that! And what does she do? Prances around shaking her butt and smashing property. I can’t wait for her to be caught already.”

“I think that Kristian guy was onto something, she’s big and that’s neat but… honestly? She’s nothing worth remembering.”

“You see?” My dad asked as he switched off the radio: “Just because you suddenly have these powers doesn’t automatically mean success. You have to know how to use them. Like–”

“YOU,” I snarled, stepping closer to him and cutting off whatever he was saying: “YOU did this!”

My father was pulled out of his reprimanding and looked up at me with a slightly annoyed look on his face: “Young lady, let me finish–”

“No!” I shouted, throwing both my hands down to the ground either side of the house, causing a quake that knocked him right off of his feet: “You fucking asshole, you planned this, didn’t you? Why? Why can’t you just let me enjoy something??”

He opened his mouth to reply, but in reality I didn’t care what he had to say, so I interrupted him again.

“Every time I do something– anything– you always have to pull the rug from under me! Remind me how much better I can be! Well, you know what? I am better! And I am someone!”

“If you were someone, you’d have actually done something worth talking about!” He shouted back: “You stupid girl, this is the best chance you’ve ever had! The world is practically giving you the key, and you’re squandering it. Because you have a small mind, Puella! And no wider view of what could be!”

I snarled and my fingers tore through the garden as I balled them into fists: “You think I can’t make a name for myself… you think I’ll just be a fuck up for the rest of my life, don’t you?” I gritted my teeth, and felt my cheeks grow wet with tears: “Well I don’t need your fucking approval! I’m gonna be someone, starting right. Fucking. Now!!”

I raised my fist into the air, dirt and rock cascading down into the neighbouring property. My father– Kristian– he took a step backward, and for a moment I saw his face finally shift to not one of disdain or sneering superiority, but of fear. Of respect. That only fuelled the fires inside me even more, and with a roar I threw my fist down.

The wooden planks making up the porch didn’t stand a chance against my swinging hand and it shattered as my fist tore right through its foundations, the ground beneath erupting in a cloud of earth and rubble. My arm tingled with delight as I looked closely at all the details of my attack, relishing the idea that I could do such a thing now. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and, not even thinking about it in the thrill of the moment, I threw my other fist down, this time right through the roof of the house. The front wall crumbled as my wrist cleaved through the brick, my fist smashing through the attic and upper floor before impacting against the ground floor. I couldn’t even see the devastation as a thick cloud of dust billowed up from the newly ruined house, but that didn’t stop me - half a dozen more times I’d smash that house, not content until all that remained was an unrecognisable pile of rock. My chest heaved and my arms were aching, scratches all the way up to my elbows, but I felt amazing. I pulled myself back and shook my arms of the rubble stuck to them, before falling back onto my backside to rest. I could hear screams, and glanced around - people were running down the street, some scrambling into their cars while others taking the chance of running by foot. I stared at them for a few moments, not realising what had scared them so in my emotionally tired state. One of the screams was louder than the rest, though - I glanced around, trying to find the source, before realising that Lucy wasn’t on my shoulder anymore. My heart virtually leapt in my throat and my head whipped around as I tried to find where she’d fallen to, though I soon found her - she was hanging from my bikini strap, struggling to hold on.

“Lucy!” I exclaimed, instinctively reaching toward her to pick her up: “I’m so sorry, I– are you okay?”

As my hand came into view, though, I paused. My eyes grew wide as I turned it round to get a better look at what I was seeing. Lucy saw it too, and her skin drained of colour.

There was blood on the side of my hand, where I’d first thrown my fist down. Clothes too, stuck to my skin, and eerily similar to what my father had been wearing, too. I took in a deep breath, but couldn’t get myself to breathe back out while I struggled with the reality of what I’d just done. I looked back at Lucy, and her face… I hadn’t expected her to look so horrified, but maybe I would have if I’d realised I was smiling.