The old gym was getting wrecked, bits of the floor and ceiling shaking like crazy from the glitch giant's power source. Luna stumbled through the dusty air, coughing. She put a hand up to block the junk falling from the sky like burning snow. The monster's loud roars vibrated through her body. The noise of lockers smashing, metal bending, and wood breaking echoed around the collapsing building like the world was falling apart.
Then she saw Riko and Kaze. They were stuck in the giant's huge hands.
The thing lifted them like they were light as feathers. Its fingers, covered in glitchy armor, squeezed them hard, pulling them close to the bright, white core in its chest. Riko struggled, yelling something, but Luna couldn't hear her because of the noise. Kaze was quiet, super still, studying the situation even as he was being crushed. The giant's armor became brighter, the light rolling around its chest like a charging storm.
No, no, no—don't you even think about eating them! Luna shouted, running forward.
Her shoes slipped on the cracked floor as she reached a pile of bleachers that had fallen apart. The metal was bent into a spiky shape, and she used it to climb over the junk that was blocking her way. Sparks flew above as wires came off the ceiling, twitching like snakes. Any second, the whole place was going to give way. The building sounded like it was about to scream.
The giant pulled Riko and Kaze closer, its big body glitching like a bad television signal, its armor moving in a scary way. Luna's heart pounded in her chest. No, stop—stop!
Suddenly, some static appeared near the wall. Luna turned without thinking and ducked as a piece of the ceiling nearly hit her. She saw a power box hanging off the wall, half broken and shooting sparks. Every few seconds, electricity shot through it and made black marks on the peeling paint.
Something clicked in her brain.
That was it.
Okay, okay, come on—work with me, she said to herself. She ran to the power box, her fear replaced by adrenaline. The floor went down under her feet like the building was taking a breath. She jumped over a beam, tripped, then caught herself and sighed heavily.
The power box shot a stream of blue electricity close to her fingers. She ripped the metal cover the rest of the way, cringing as sparks flew onto her arm. She ignored the burn on her skin.
Inside, the wires were a mess of copper, tubes, and flashing lights. Great. Risky. Just what she wanted.
She grabbed the cover, heavy and sharp, and yanked it off. It cracked, but it was still good enough. She took a few steps back, holding the plate like a shield, getting ready. The giant was in the middle of the collapsing gym, its shiny armor reflecting off all the broken surfaces.
HEY, JUNKFACE! she yelled.
The giant didn't even react.
Of course not. Why would it? It had what it wanted.
She took a deep breath and ran, throwing the metal plate as hard as she could.
The thing hit the giant's cheek with a clang. Its head moved a little, not like it hurt, but like it was annoyed. Its glowing eyes looked down, finally seeing her.
Yeah, that's right! Luna yelled. Here I am! Let them go!
The giant didn't let them go.
Instead, it turned slowly toward her. The plates on its arms moved with a grinding sound. Riko was yelling louder now, but Luna still couldn't hear her because of the static filling the gym.
The monster took a heavy step toward her, squeezing the boys even tighter. Luna felt the air change—heavy, electric, with a sense of doom in the air. She moved back toward the broken power box.
Okay, she said to herself, I'll give you something to look at.
She bent low, grabbed the sparking box with both hands, and yelped as electricity shocked her fingers. The shock went through her, but the pain was gone thanks to the adrenaline. She kicked the metal shell off with a loud crack. The box dangled from its last wires, shooting wild streams of electricity.
She winced. This was crazy.
But crazy was all she had left.
Come on, big guy, she said. Come get me.
The giant leaned forward, reaching with its free hand, its armor clicking as it got ready to crush her. The electricity sparked behind her, and she watched the pattern of the sparks—short burst, long burst, pause.
She breathed out, stepped back, and kicked her leg up at the box.
Her foot hit the power box.
The box flew.
Electricity sprayed out.
For a moment, Luna watched the sparking metal fly through the dusty air like slow-motion lightning.
It slammed into the giant's face.
And then the gym exploded with light.
A burst of electricity raced across the monster's head, down its armor, through its joints, and over its chest and arms like a wild tornado. The giant jerked violently, its glitching body popping and crackling. The floor shook. Dust flew up.
Luna felt the explosion push her back.
Riko yelled something from inside the monster's grasp.
For a second, Luna hoped.
Maybe—just maybe—
Maybe it hurt.
Maybe it stunned the giant.
Maybe—
The giant stood up straight.
The electricity didn't stop.
It took the electricity in.
The sparks were brighter. The electricity moved along the armor like coded veins lighting up. The plates shifted again, getting stronger, changing, and getting used to the electricity. The core in its chest pulsed like a supercharged heart.
Luna's face froze.
Because she had a realization.
The electricity wasn't hurting the giant.
It was feeding it.