Super Glitches

New Dawn, New Day

The next morning I opened my eyes and yawned, stretching out my arms. My head felt fine and I was well-rested after a good night's sleep. I twisted my wrists to shake off any joint-locking and accidentally hit someone in the face. A sleepy groan and a muttered curse in another language told my half-asleep senses it was Loki.

"Sorry," I said quietly, aware that the forest was sleeping. There was a frost on the ground and I frowned. I was sure that it was summer... I shivered and rubbed my arms. My jacket was able to keep me warm but due to it being leather it didn't fit very well and hung off me, unable to do up. I felt soft material over my shoulders and hugged it closer. Loki was sat up and had given me his green cape, noticing I was cold.

"How very chivalrous," I said in perfect English, trying to sound regal and posh. Loki laughed quietly and bowed, standing up. 

"Not a problem, my lady," he mimicked my accent. I smiled and out of the corner of my eye saw movement. I froze in fear, unable to turn around lest Jeff had come back. Loki's eyes fixed on something over my shoulder and his hand began to glow with a soft green light. 

"What's going on?" Rebecca's voice asked from somewhere to my right. I could tell that she was invisible again by the way a twig snapped and our surveyor jumped when she spoke. Lotte wandered over and stopped suddenly. She raised a hand and pointed.

"Who's that?" Rebecca asked, flickering into view and following the direction of Lotte's finger. I still hadn't turned around and had started shaking uncontrollably. Loki's hand still glowed green and sweat formed on his brow. I knew that it was taking a lot of effort for him to do whatever he was doing and that he probably couldn't keep it up much longer.

All of a sudden a figure burst from the trees and lunged towards us. Loki's hand dropped and he looked exhausted. I grabbed the hand he didn't use for producing light and ran, hurdling tree roots and ducking branches. I slapped a bush out of my way and kicked through a path of nettles. Loki's cape flowed over my shoulders like green water, wafting out behind me and blowing into his face. Rebecca's light footsteps were pounding alongside me - she was invisible again - and Lotte's heavier ones were close behind. The mystery person was bounding along at the rear of our group. As I ran I worked out what Loki had been doing. He was keeping the perosn at bay, by using mind control or a force field, I didn't know. 

"Stop!" a voice cried. I braked and Loki crashed into me. I went down, tumbling into a patch of nettles. The god's cape wrapped around me and protected me from the stings. I was pulled to my feet by a pair of strong yet clammy hands. The person was obviously as terrified as I was. 

When I was stood upright again I saw that our chaser was actually a young boy. He was about nine years old and was wearing a faded green T-Shirt. He was panting after the run and his jeans were ripped and torn from the bushes and branches scratching his legs. He folded his arms, chest still heaving.

"Why were you running?" he asked. Us Super Glitches exchanged glances. Loki had his eyes shut and had gone very, very pale. He was shivering, goosebumps standing up all over his arms. A single tear slid down his cheek and he took a shaky breath. Just as his eyes opened again he pitched forwards, eyes rolling back into his head. Rebecca caught him and lifted him into the air above her head. She looked frightened but had somehow aquried super strength. I shook my head at her but she didn't get it. Fortunately, Lotte did, lunging forwards like me and supporting Loki before he came crashing down on Rebecca's head.

"Well that's just depressing," Rebecca said, arms folded and frowning at Loki's unconscious form. His skin was rapidly fading to a peculiar blue colour and I remembered what I had seen from the Avengers and Thor. I dropped him, motioning for Lotte to do the same. It was lucky we did because the second he touched the grass it froze.