Super Glitches 5: The Soldier's Vow

Christmas!

All the next day Georgina had a distant look in her eyes. More than once I caught her looking over at me, frowning in thought.

"Do you know what day it is?" Rebecca said, bouncing over. I shook my head and feigned a look of interest.

"It's a Friday, Rebecca."

"No! It's exactly a week until Christmas!" she squealed, jabbing my arm for my sarcastic reply. My eyebrows shot up and I called Kevin over. He zoomed through the air and dipped his domed body in a respectful bow.

"Sir, you summoned me?" he said. I nodded and told Rebecca to repeat what she'd said. She was jumping up and down gleefully.

"I can't believe I forgot," Georgina said, smiling, walking over.

"I know. The days go so fast," I agreed. Shaade tutted and shook his head.

"What? It's Christmas!" Rebecca yelled, running over and hitting him on the arm. He growled and forced her away using his shadows.

"It's a Midgardian tradition," he said. "I'm really not interested."

"Wait... so this will be your first Christmas ever?" Georgina said. "Wow. Pepper, Rebecca, we need to make this really special!"

*

An hour or so later we finally managed to place the Christmas tree. Kevin had ordered a load of decorations and advent calendars that were coming, special delivery, later that day.

"This is going to be fantastic," Georgina grinned, brushing pine needles off her hands. "Look at the size of that thing!"

The thirtieth floor of the Stronghold had a large, arced ceiling, well over twenty feet high. This tree brushed the very top and had yet to have a star or angel put on the point.

"Sir, your deliveries are here," Kevin said calmly and quietly. I raised an eyebrow and checked the CCTV. He was right - there were two delivery men stood outside with a set of crates stacked behind them.

"Let them in," I said, tapping a few more buttons on the screen to open the door. The men walked into the reception area and stopped dead. I sighed and turned on the speaker function.

"Just put the crates into the middle lift, the one with the thirty button. No, no - the middle one. Yep, there we go. Press the button for the thirtieth floor - yes, I know they're bright and shiny, don't hit any other buttons... Good delivery men. Now, step out of the lift and go away unless you have any other things for me. No? Then get out." I stopped my announcement and watched the crates as they went up every level, counting the seconds. In total it was twenty seconds for them to go from the ground up to floor thirty.

"Decorations are here," I called. Georgina opened the lift doors and proceeded to drag the crates out, metal arm creaking slightly. Shaade helped using shadows and the crates were wheeled out of the lift and into the main area.

Immediately we all piled onto the racks, pulling out decorations, calendars and tinsel. Shaade used a piece of rainbow tinsel as a scarf, tangling some through his quiff. He struck a stupid pose and started laughing.

"Never has anyone looked as camp as you do right now," I sighed. Shaade tossed his hair and pranced off, dancing with his tinsel. He snapped his fingers and the tree turned to rainbows and music started playing.

"Jingle bells, Batman smells," he sang, tears of laughter forming in his eyes. Georgina sent a shockwave rippling through the air and he fell over, still laughing.

"Do not offend superheroes," she said sternly. "Not whilst I'm around."

"Look! Chocolate decorations!" Rebecca yelled, starting to unwrap them. I darted across and snatched them off her, hanging them up quickly and far out of her reach.