Danny Flash and the Alien Crash

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I dove to the side, and tumbled behind a pillar with an alien in it. The blue ball of magic, or energy, lets just call it magical energy, whizzed by me and crashed into a wall. I felt a few of my hairs singe as it went by the narrow space, between my shoulder and cheek. I quickly stood up, and tried to brush off the fact that I'd nearly died.

"Let them go," I demanded, trying to stand my ground. Had Mr. Not-So-Nice seen what had just happened to my alien? Did he know that I just lost my powers?

"How did you get magic?" Mr. Not-So-Nice asked. "It took me years to figure out how to extract it from them."

"I didn't have to figure anything out," I shot back. "I did something you're probably incapable of."

"Oh yeah?" Mr. Not-So-Nice asked, taking the bait. "What's that?"

"I made a friend," I said. I took a step forward, putting myself between my alien friend and Mr. Not-So-Nice.

"A friend, huh?" Mr. Not-So-Nice chuckled to himself. "They came here to steal from us!"

"All he wants is a few seeds," I said.

"It starts with a few seeds," Mr. Not-So-Nice exclaimed. "Then they want a few more. Then they want our crops. Then they want our climate. You know how they get our climate? They take over our planet."

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," I said. I looked down at my little alien friend, still lying peacefully in the dirt. He didn't look much like a world killer. I gave it a soft tap with my shoe, trying to wake my little alien.

"That things out pretty good," Mr. Not-So-Nice said, starting to circle around me, leaving Penny and Andrew by the door. "What did you do to it?"

"I just,ah..." I couldn't think of a lie quick enough.

"You know what it looks like?" Mr Not-So-Nice said, thoughtfully. His expression changed as if he'd just figured something out. Mr. Not-So-Nice took a step towards me.

"Stay away from us," I said, putting my arms up as if I was about to do something.

"Or what?" Mister Not-So-Nice challenged me. "Are you going to shoot me with your magic?" He raised an eyebrow and curled the side of his mouth up into an "almost smile," like he had just made a joke, or passed gas.

"I'm warning you," I said. I cupped my hands, imagining energy was building there. But when I looked desperately at my arms, nothing was happening.

"Did he take it back from you?" Mr. Not-So-Nice asked. "You see? We're not so different after all. You're starting to see things my way. These things take and they take and they take..." Mr Not-So-Nice's voice trailed off.

"It didn't take anything from me. I gave the magic back."

"Right," Mr. Not-So Nice said. "So, you, a little boy who's dreamt of magic all his life, finally got a little taste of what he had been hoping for, and then you just gave it back to this little thing that's here to destroy our planet?"

"That's right," I said, still trying to hold my ground, still keeping my arms up as if they were going to do something.

"Well, I'd say that makes you the enemy." Mr. Not-So-Nice built up a blue ball of energy in his hands and he shot it towards me.

"No!" I heard Andrew call out. I dove behind a pedestal and as I landed I saw that Andrew had swept his feet to the side and kicked Mr. Not-So-Nice in the ankle just enough to throw off his balance, sending the ball of energy careening into the ground, a few inches from where I had just stood.

"Well now that wasn't very nice," Mr. Not-So-Nice said. He turned his attention to Andrew and started to build up the same blue ball. I looked over at my alien friend.

"Come on, buddy." I said, tapping my alien's face slightly. Its eyes opened warily. "I need your help."  My alien fried lifted its head and saw Mr. Not-So-Nice standing over Andrew, the blue ball of energy swirling to the size of a basketball now.

"This is going to sting a little," Mr. Not-So-Nice said, but before he could do anything else, the room went dark.