Super Glitches 5: The Soldier's Vow

The Final Showdown

A few days later I was discharged and allowed home again. Kevin welcomed me back by announcing that the bomb had gone off in the woods a few miles away.

"It's good to be home," I said cheerfully, throwing my jacket over a chair and then retrieving my phone from the pocket.

"I'm just glad we haven't been attacked whilst you were gone," Rebecca said, wandering about, still on her iPod. "That would be the logical plan of attack."

"Can we not talk about war, please?" Shaade said. "I'm really not in the mood."

"A message, sir," Kevin said, flying over and displaying a screen. "Shall I-?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations on not dying, Pepper," Benny sneered. "Unlike some people."

He held up Nosmo's head, closely followed by the General's. My eyebrows shot up and I heard the others gasp. Shaade went very, very pale and sat down heavily.

"Now, I want you to go come to the woods a few miles away. You know, the one where you dumped that bomb. There's now a new clearing there and that is where we will fight this out."

"Do we have to fight?" I said hopefully. "I mean, we can just talk..."

"If you don't come to the clearing in half an hour then I will blow up Kevin," Benny hissed. I raised an eyebrow.

"And how will you do that?"

"You left some of your notes behind, Pepper. I can hack your system."

"Dammit!"

*

I pushed another branch out of my face and broke from the shadows into sunlight. Where thick trees used to stand a large crater was and in that crater was Benny.

And a small army, of course.

"We're screwed," Georgina muttered, standing next to me and folding her arms. Her trenchcoat had been left behind and instead she wore a black T-Shirt, black skinny jeans and short boots.

"Yep, we're going to die," Rebecca agreed, floating past, surrounded by a bubble of electricity. Shaade jumped down from a tree and send shadows snaking across the ground.

"Aha, Super Glitches," Benny said with a wide smile. "You came."

"You didn't really give us much choice," I reminded him. He shrugged and beckoned for us to come closer.

We stood at opposite ends of the crater, a deep gap between us. He had soldiers, guns, swords, grenades. We had electricity, shadows, light, rainbows, shockwaves and super speed.

"So, shall we flip a coin?" Benny said pleasantly. "Or draw straws?"

I moved before he'd finished speaking, blurring down and up, flipping and kicking him in the face. That was the first move for an epic battle.

Guns fired and bullets whizzed, smoke grenades clouded the air and electricity shocked anyone that came close. The screams of the dying and wounded were everywhere.

I stopped for a breather, hands on knees. Running up and down a slope was hard, especially if that slope was covered in blood.

"Pepper, duck!" Shaade yelled, skidding across to me and shooting shadows from his palm. I rolled out of the way and watched as two soldiers went tumbling downwards.

A thick, acrid smell consumed all oxygen and my head started to feel... odd. "Smoke," I coughed, eyes watering. "Fire!"

"Not again!" Georgina yelped, backing away from the bonfire in the centre of the crater. A low, manic chuckle resounded from behind her and my eyes widened as Benny stepped forwards and gave her a shove.