The Glade and Its Glitch: Book 2 Allies or Enemies

Chapter 9

Jay and Lloyd headed down to the training room. Picking up a sword, Lloyd fell into a defensive stance.

Silver nunchucks sat in one corner of the room. Jay walked over to them and picked them up. Turning the handles over in his hands, he smiled remembering his golden weapon. A small bolt of lightning had connected the two handles. Jay knew better than to attack Lloyd with those nunchucks, he'd have an unfair advantage.

"Come on, Jay. Come at me." Lloyd bounced in place, waiting.

"Sometimes you act like an adult. Then there are times you act like a kid again." Jay laughed and picked up the silver nunchucks.

"I'm almost eighteen, Jay. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Yeah but time-wise you're about eleven or twelve right? And we decided you're seventeen, not eighteen."

"I'm probably close to eighteen," Lloyd said. With a twist of his wrist, he flipped his sword. Holding it in front of himself he edged closer to Jay.

"Still a kid though. Compared to the rest of us at least." Jay held his nunchucks out and prepared for any attack.

Lloyd swung his sword and hit the chain connecting the handles of Jay's nunchucks.

Jay pulled back and turned his arms to wrap the nunchuck's chain around Lloyd's sword. With a sharp pull to the right, he caused the green ninja to fall to the floor.

Sprawled on the ground, Lloyd looked up at his brother, "Nice one."

Laughing, Jay looked down, "Need a hand?"

"Nope." Lloyd swiped his sword at Jay's ankles, knocking him to the ground. "Payback."

"What are you doing?" Soar stood in the doorway, watching. His light red eyes gazed blankly at the ninja.

Jay stood and helped Lloyd to his feet, "Just messin' around." He swung his nunchucks around, showing off.

Soar took a step back away from Jay. Narrowing his eyes, he looked Jay up and down. "Humph," he said, no hint of emotion in his voice.

"You wanna join?" Lloyd offered. He flipped his sword and jabbed it, playfully, in Soar's direction.

"No," Soar took another step back, he clenched his fists at his sides. In an attempt to settle his nerves, he slowed his breathing. This also helped him avoid suspicion.

"It was just a question, you don't have to." Jay stepped closer to Soar, "You good buddy? I know Huntress hit you pretty hard."

Soar glared at the lightning ninja, "I'm fine." he crossed his arms before adding quickly, "And she hurt Cole more."

Moving to put a hand on Soar's shoulder, Lloyd tried to comfort him, "Yeah, but she still hurt you. We're on your side Soar."

But Soar moved his shoulder out of the way. "I think I just need some time alone." He headed out of the room and down the hall.

"That was weird." Lloyd looked over at Jay, "Don't you think that was weird?"

"He's probably just worried about Cole, and on edge from Huntress."

"Yeah, Huntress," Lloyd thought about the night he saw Huntress. He hadn't slept at all that night. Then again, no one did, they were all up with Cole. But Lloyd had spent most of the night stressing about the fact that Huntress knew where the monastery was and knew he was there.

If she had been able to take Cole down, she'd definitely be able to take Lloyd down. Cole was the ninja's rock, their oldest brother, and even though Lloyd was technically supposed to be in charge, Cole was the leader. Lloyd didn't mind though, he still felt like a kid.

"Earth to Lloyd, you good?" Jay waved a hand in front of Lloyd's face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Just thinking about Cole."

"He'll be ok Lloyd," Jay said, putting his arm around the younger boy, "He's strong."

~~~

Soar made his way back to the room he was using. Luckily, the ninja had a few unused rooms in the monastery. Once he got to his room he pulled out his communicator.

"Commander, come in Commander."

"Soar? Why in the world are you calling?" A voice sounded over the comm, but it wasn't Commander's.

"Glitch? I wasn't expecting-"

"Why are you calling? You could've gotten us all caught."

"But I didn't," Soar protested, "And because I told the ninja Huntress did it, they trust me more than ever!"

"Who's to say it worked? They could be tricking you. Just like you're tricking them."

"I'm almost an adult Glitch, but I can't say the same for you."

If Glitch could have reached through the screen and throttled Soar's throat he would have. "I am fifteen, you're only seventeen. We're not that far apart Soar, yet somehow, I am still in control."

Soar scoffed, "Seems like we're a lot like Huntress and Skylight. I am the same age as Huntress, you are the same age as Skylight. Who's in control there?"

"I am the only person in the entire Glade who had the courage to stand up. I rose, and I will end this. I will be victorious."

"You sure act a lot like a kid."

Silence answered Soar, Glitch said nothing. Back at his base, he scowled at the communicator.

"Why don't you leave the planning and plotting to the big kids. Obviously, ours work better. I was able to take Cole down, not you." Soar spoke in hushed tones. "I took out one of the ninja, and those fools still trust me. They think it was Huntress, so now they have even more suspicion aimed at the Glade."

"Yo Soar." Kai stuck his head out from around the doorframe.

Using his power to float the communicator under the bed, Soar lept off the bed. "Kai!"

"Hey man, the team and I were wondering if you'd be ok with telling us what happened. You wanna do that?"

"Yeah, yeah I can do that." Soar stammered.

"You don't have to if it's still touchy."

"Nah, I'm good, let's go round up the team."