Chapter 54 - Magic, Martial Arts, and M&Ms

Matt trudged down the stairs with Jenny following behind, her magic still crackling faintly in the air. He kept throwing glances over his shoulder, his face set in exaggerated disapproval.

"You are going to fix my door," he said flatly, motioning toward the splinters littering the hallway behind them.

Jenny smirked. "Oh, is that a demand, Matthew?"

"Yes, actually," he shot back. "You blew it off its hinges, so the least you can do is—"

She cut him off with a lazy flick of her wrist. There was a brief shimmer in the air, and just like that, the door was back in place, pristine and good as new. Not a single scratch.

Matt stopped mid-step and turned to look at her, his face twisted in disappointment. "What the hell was that?"

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "What? It's fixed."

"Yeah, but that's it? No suffering? No groveling? Not even a single ounce of guilt?" He shook his head, throwing his arms in the air. "Come on, Jenny! At least make it satisfying for me. I didn't even get to make you squirm a little."

"Oh, poor baby," Jenny teased, brushing past him and patting his cheek. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for me to irritate you later. Speaking of which…" She shot him a wicked grin. "You're going to love what's coming next."

Matt's eyebrows shot up. "Oh no. What are you talking about?"

Jenny wiggled her fingers dramatically as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Oh, you'll see."

Matt's stomach sank, but before he could ask what kind of chaos she was about to unleash, Jenny breezed into the living room where Anastasia was sitting, flipping through a map of the celestial territories.

"Hey, Ana," Jenny said casually, plopping herself down on the armrest of the couch.

Anastasia looked up, already suspicious. "What?"

Jenny grinned, as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell in her mind. "So, I've decided I'm coming with you guys. To the Celestial City."

The silence in the room was deafening. Anastasia blinked slowly, her expression unreadable at first. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Jenny shrugged, inspecting her nails like she hadn't just declared war. "I'm coming with you. End of discussion."

Matt, who had been hovering near the staircase, leaned casually against the banister and folded his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. This was going to be good.

Anastasia's face morphed from confusion to barely restrained fury. "Jenny," she started, her voice unnervingly calm, "you can't just decide to come on this mission. This isn't some fun little road trip."

Jenny waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, relax, Ana. I'm not just 'deciding' to come. I've already decided. Big difference."

Matt bit his lip, hard, to keep from laughing. Anastasia's face was turning red, her jaw tightening as she stared at Jenny like she was trying to set her on fire with her mind.

"Matt," she said sharply, her eyes flicking to him. "Do you think this is funny?"

His smirk widened, but he quickly covered his mouth with his hand, pretending to cough. "Me? Laughing? Absolutely not."

"Don't you dare," she warned, giving him a glare so fiery it could have melted steel.

He raised his hands in surrender, the picture of innocence. But as he did, he forgot to keep his mouth covered, and a snort of laughter escaped before he could stop it. His eyes widened, and he slapped his hand back over his mouth, but it was too late. Both girls turned on him with matching glares so lethal he briefly considered running for the door.

"Matt, if you don't want your favorite shirt being singed, I suggest you shut it," Anastasia snapped, making Matt give a mocking gasp before whipping her attention back to Jenny. "As for you—"

"What about me?" Jenny interrupted, her tone dripping with faux innocence.

Anastasia stood, her voice rising. "This isn't some game, Jenny! The Celestial City isn't safe! You don't even understand half of what we're about to face."

"Oh, and you do?" Jenny fired back, standing as well. "Don't act like you're the only one capable of handling yourself, Anastasia. I can handle whatever's out there just fine."

Anastasia took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "This isn't about handling yourself. This is about not being a liability."

Jenny's jaw clenched. "A liability?" Her voice dropped, deadly quiet. "Careful, Ana. That's a big word for someone who still doesn't fully know what she's doing with her own powers."

"Oh, really?" Anastasia snapped, her fists clenching at her sides. "And what, you think you're better equipped to deal with this?"

"Damn right, I am," Jenny shot back.

Matt, who had now slid into an armchair and popped open a bag of M&Ms, watched the scene unfold with the detached interest. He tossed a handful of candy into his mouth, chewing slowly as the tension between the two girls reached a boiling point.

"I don't have time to babysit you, Jenny," Anastasia said through gritted teeth.

"I don't need a babysitter, Anastasia," Jenny snarled. "But you know what? Maybe I do need to teach you a lesson."

Before Anastasia could respond, Jenny raised her hand and flicked her fingers. A sharp jolt of magic shot out, slamming into Anastasia's face with a crack. Anastasia stumbled back, her hand flying to her nose as blood dripped down her fingers. She looked up at Jenny, her eyes wide with shock—and then narrowed with fury.

"You did not just do that," Anastasia said, her voice trembling with rage.

"Oh, I did," Jenny replied, her smirk returning. "What are you going to do about it?"

Anastasia didn't bother answering. She launched herself at Jenny, her movements swift and feral. The two collided in an explosion of fists, magic, and chaos. Jenny dodged a knee to the stomach, throwing up a shield of energy as Anastasia's fist came hurtling toward her face.

"You're insane!" Anastasia shouted, her hair flying wildly as she spun to avoid another magical strike.

"Says the girl who just tried to punch me!" Jenny shot back, ducking and retaliating with a burst of light that burnt the edge of Anastasia's sleeve.

Matt, meanwhile, was completely unfazed. He leaned back in his chair, tossing another M&M into his mouth as if he were watching a particularly thrilling episode of his favorite show. The sound of fists and magic colliding filled the room, but he didn't so much as blink.

"Don't mind me," he muttered, popping another piece of candy into his mouth. "Just sitting here, watching my life spiral into chaos."

Anastasia caught Jenny with a well-aimed kick to the chest, sending her sprawling backward into the couch. Jenny retaliated instantly, sending a burst of energy that shattered a lamp and singed the edge of Matt's M&Ms bag.

"Hey!" he protested, holding up the bag and inspecting the damage. "Do you know how hard it is to find peanut butter M&Ms in this town? Honestly, you two have no respect for snacks."

Neither girl paid him any attention. They were too busy circling each other, their faces flushed, their eyes blazing with determination.

"You're reckless and impulsive," Anastasia hissed, her magic sparking dangerously around her hands.

"And you're a control freak," Jenny snapped back, her own energy crackling like a storm.

The two lunged at each other again, the room shaking with the force of their clash. Matt sighed, shaking his head as he popped another M&M into his mouth.

"Yep," he muttered to himself. "Totally normal day."