Luca stood there-the pure and overwhelming energy that erupted from his body struck down the Naxons attacking him. Their bodies melted away in the searing light. He still was in Symbiote but had no control over it. The energy sapped him, and Luca fell to the ground.
A few moments later, he awoke, groggy and disoriented. A small cat sat on his chest staring at him intently. Luca blinked, reaching for it, but the cat spoke. "Don't put your hands on me."
Shocked, Luca sprang to his feet, and his heart raced. As he did so, the cat transformed back to the middle-aged woman: tall, imposing, with stunning black silky hair, and stark naked. Immediately, Luca covered his eyes as he stuttered through, "P-put some clothes on, woman!"
Smirking, the lady swished her hand, and clothes appeared on her body.
Luca hesitated but finally took his hand away from his eyes. She was standing right in front of him, staring him down. The boy, startled, took a few steps back. The woman chuckled. "What? Never seen a naked woman before?"
Luca flustered, "Wh. who are you?"
The woman cocked an eyebrow, "Who am I?" Then she looked around and sighed. "Wow, you really made yourself at home."
"What are you talking about?" Luca asked.
"This is my home," she said nonchalantly. "So tell me, who are you?"
Luca did not back down. "I don't have to answer any questions from you until you tell me who you are."
The woman flipped her hair back. "Oh, so you wanna play games, kid? Alright. My name is Tsumugi, and I live here."
Luca eyed her skeptically. "How do I know you aren't lying?"
Smirking, Tsumugi said, "Follow me." Downs to a concealed underground doorway that opened into a supply room, Luca followed her, despite his better judgment. She turned to him. "If I were lying, would I know this?"
"Okay. I believe you," Luca relented.
In a flash of second, unknown to him, Tsumugi slammed Luca against the wall, pressing a knife to his throat. "Now, tell me, kid, who are you, and what brings you here?"
Stammering, Luca quickly replied, "I-I'm from a village. Me and my friends were on a trip, but they got kidnapped. I'm the only one that's remaining. I lost my boat and found this island and found this house."
Tsumugi pushed him away, mumbling, "So you're lost."
Luca sighed, "Pretty much. but I'll be off soon enough."
Tsumugi grinned once more. "What are you waiting for?
"I'm trying to get stronger, but. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere."
Tsumugi's eyes narrowed. "A Symbiote user, eh?"
Luca nodded. "I figured you were too."
"Yes," she said as her form shimmered and she changed into a cat, jumping onto Luca's shoulder. "I can shapeshift. Now, what's your power, kiddo?"
Luca was reluctant, but replied, "Telekinesis."
Tsumugi's eyes showed interest. "Interesting. quite the rare power. How much of it can you use?
Luca froze, caught in his dilemma whether he was telling her the truth or not. "I can use. 5%."
"Oh, so you're average," she teased, jumping off his shoulder and turning back. "Let's go outside, kid."
Outside, Tsumugi turned to him. "Call out your Symbiote."
"I can't at the moment," Luca said, refusing to look at her.
"Why?" she said sharply.
"He. doesn't want to come out," Luca muttered.
Tsumugi took another step closer to him; her tone of voice had taken on a shade softer. "Alright, I get it."
Luca exhaled a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. "Since you will not show me your Symbiote, then I'll have to drag it out myself."
In but a second, she was a fly and away; he followed her body, turning, until she materialized behind him as a bear. She threw her arms around him and tossed him to the ground, where the earth beneath them cracked with the impact. He tried to use his telekinesis, but by the time he had turned toward her, she was gone again.
Luca got up, in despair. "We really don't have to do this! We really don't have to!"
Tsumugi flew above him as a fly and changed into a huge elephant. Luca caught her mid-air with his telekinesis and threw her away. She transformed back into her human form, impressed. "Lifting that much weight? That's great, but let's see how you deal with a real enemy."
Before Luca could respond, Tsumugi became a Naxon. The images flooded into his mind of his friends being taken away and his heart began to pound in his body. For a while, he couldn't move because he was afraid. Tsumugi blurred before him as she became a Naxon. In desperation, he tried binding her with his telekinesis, but she merely broke out of the binds and then grabbed Luca's foot and pounded him once more onto the ground.
Unrelenting, Tsumugi closed in for another strike as he lay on the ground. With a struggle for air, Luca pushed her away using his telekinesis. She laughed-mocking, really. "Running away now, are we?" She charged at him once more, and up went Luca into the air, going higher and higher.
"And he flies." she murmured, leaping after him.
"Stop this!" Luca yelled, ignoring him as she morphed into another Naxon in midair and slammed him back to the ground. Dust exploded around them, and Luca's body lay limp.
Tsumugi crept closer, her attack about to reignite, until an intently sharp aura suddenly burst out of Luca's body. His energy was different from what she had ever seen before. In his Symbiote form, Luca grasped her hand and crushed it with overwhelming force. "Enough," he growled.
But with as much speed as he was imbued with that power, it drained him, and Luca collapsed once again. Now transformed into her human form, Tsumugi stared in shock at her crushed hand. "What. what was that?"
Moments later, she had doused water over Luca's face. He awoke, scrounging for air, looking at her warily. "Are we done here?" he asked, concluding that he was spent.
Kneeling beside him, Tsumugi wore a stern expression. "Tell me, what are you?
Luca said nothing.
"What are you? Did you bite your tongue or something? Answer me!"
"I'm. a hybrid," Luca finally admitted. "I'm half-human, half-Symbiote."
Tsumugi's eyes went wide in shock as she froze. "You've got to be joking."
Luca shook his head. "No, I'm not. My mother. she was a Symbiote. A Shifter, just like you. She was killed protecting me. I'm the first hybrid, as far as I know."
Tsumugi was at a loss for words. "A living, breathing hybrid. the first in history." She took a step closer. "That is why you did not want to show your Symbiote. because you have none."
Luca cast his gaze down. "I had one. he sacrificed his life to save mine. because I lost control."
Tsumugi softened her tone, her voice not too loud. "I'm sorry, kid. Losing a Symbiote is like losing part of yourself. It has to be hard."
"I still call out for him every day," Luca said, his voice cracking. "I still think that he's in me. but no response."
Tsumugi asked softly, "Before you lost your Symbiote. how much of his power could you use?"
Luca hesitated, then answered quietly, "50%."
Tsumugi's eyes grew large. "F-Fifty percent? You're. you're a chosen hero!"
In an instant, the residues of Luca's Symbiote energy flared for but a second, sending out shockwaves of power that rippled across the ground. Luca clenched his fists. "I'm no hero. couldn't protect my friends. and I lost my Symbiote."
Tsumugi leaned further in, laying a hand on his head. "It's all right, kid; you'll get them back. because that is your fate-to save people. Now tell me. would you like me to teach you how to control the Symbiote form?"
Luca looked up into determination lit bright in his eyes. "Yes. please."