Not-Sophie rematerialized and then pulled her six-shooter out of the ether. She stared at Nathan while tapping the long nails of her other hand against her metallic hip.

Click click click click. Click click click click.

“Really Nathan,” she said firmly, “I thought we had moved past all this.”

Nathan stared defiantly at not-Sophie. “Past what?” he said. “You’re not real! You can’t do any actual damage to me! Besides, it’s only a game!”

Not-Sophie continued tapping her nails.

Click click click click. Click click click click.

“It may be a game to you sir, but I’m the one who has to spend all the energy rematerializing every time you blow me up for your amusement.” She looked at Nathan like he was something unpleasant she’d discovered on the bottom of her shoe in a dark, dank, dirty alley. “Sure, I can continue to rebuild myself infinitely, but it gets old rather quickly.”

Click click click click. Click click click click.

“Come on,” said Nathan. “No harm done. It’s not like it’s costing you anything.”

“Not costing my anything?” not-Sophie replied, one fine eyebrow rising slightly. “Look how many parts of the story I have NOT been in! How am I supposed to save the children of that nasty little planet you created if you keep killing me and keeping me from my job?

Click click click click. Click click click click.

Not-Sophie shifted her weight, and slammed the six-shooter into the holster that suddenly appeared on her hip. Her eyes shifted from cold steely-blue to fiery steely-green. “I’m serious. Stop trying to kill me. I’ve got work to do, and your little machinations are becoming an annoyance.

And with that not-Sophie disappeared, leaving behind only the sound of her nails tapping against her hip.

Click click click click. Click click click click.