Dangerous Days of Daniel X

Chapter 84

TEN MINUTES LATER, the sun was blazing directly over our heads, and all the Earth kids were watching with google eyes. The scene reminded me of the Roman Colosseum, or at least the way it looked in Gladiator.

Seth’s clawed feet made nails-on-a-blackboard scratching sounds as he approached across the courtyard of our makeshift arena.

Me and my big yap, I thought. Defeat Number 6? I doubted I could last thirty seconds with the beast.

That’s when Joe started his ridiculous ringside announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen. And all of Seth’s creeps,” Joe shouted. “In this corner, wearing Eagle Outfitter jeans and a powder blue Gap T-shirt, weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds-Daniel, the Wailin’ Alien.”

By this time, along with the Earth kids, what seemed like everyone surviving on Alpar Nok, including my aunts and uncles and my grandmother, had arrived on the scene. They’d held back at first-probably as frightened as I was-but now they were cheering like a home crowd at Dodger Stadium.

“And in the nether corner, standing seven and a half feet tall and weighing in at a whopping six hundred ninety pounds, and maybe more-Ergent ‘The Planet Eater’ Seth.”

I turned and stared at Joe.

“Would you shut up already?” I said. “You’re making him angry.”

“Angrier,” Seth corrected. “Just wait till you see angriest.”

“Sorry,” Joe said sheepishly. “I always wanted to do that. It was great!”

“Fair warning, sir,” I babbled as Seth got closer and closer. “Did I tell you? My powers came back. In full. And maybe some extra since I’m now well rested.”

Bluish light crackled from my fingertips as I spun to my left. Then an enormous wall of energy flew up, protecting the Earth children from any kind of harm.

Seth threw up one hand-the energy wall I’d created buckled and disintegrated with a loud sucking sound. The Earth kids were left unprotected again.

“You were saying something,” Seth said, holding a claw over his mouth as he yawned.

“Oh, I get it,” I said. “I’m the one who creates, you’re the one who destroys. Interesting concept.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Seth said as he rushed forward to end my life.