'That tree won't save you, Eriksson,' said the Flicker rubbing his hands together, a little blue still visible from beneath his skin, like a kitchen stove after use. 'I understand that you have principles, but so do I. You have a good heart. My sister told me all about how badly she treated you…she even wept over it. And you're still willing to save her all the same. To risk your life for someone that treated you like garbage. Dissed you for being an orphan etcetera. And you helped those people back there, at the bank. I mean, if it wasn't for you, they'd be toast right now. Literally.' He shrugged, now getting closer to Brendan's hiding spot. 'I guess I can respect those principles, Eriksson. But it doesn't mean they won't get you killed some day.'
The Flicker began hurling electric spheres at the tree Brendan was hiding behind. The impact of one of these spheres would produce a whip-like sound, ripping a huge amount of the bark and scattering it in many places, progressively decreasing the size of the tree.
'If only you could think about the power guaranteed, Eriksson. The world would be ours for the taking.' He was drawing closer and closer while he spoke, still hurling the deadly electric balls at the tree.
The tree finally caught on fire and Brendan somersaulted from behind his hiding place to another tree.
The Flicker continued his assaults with the electric balls on this tree too.
Brendan knew he had to think of a plan, and fast. He looked around him. No more trees to hide behind. He could make a run for Samantha, pick her up and he'd be out of the forest in no time. But he was not as fast as electricity, and if Flicker shot more of that electricity at him, then he was doomed. He would not break that current and the Flicker would probably roast him alive. What if he ran out of the forest for a while, then come back for Samantha a few minutes later? Rescue her from behind? But this was another high-risk plan. He'd already wasted too much time. Anymore time spent would mean her life.
Plan after plan he contemplated, only to have another one take over. It was extremely hard to think when someone was trying to kill you. Like playing Sudoku with a gun to your head. One wrong calculation and that was it.
Brendan finally decided there was no other choice. He had to confront him head-on.
Without thinking, he zoomed from his hiding place and zigzagged with his heightened speed towards him. In half a second he had struck the Flicker with an uppercut, sending him flying through the air. In the process of his retaliation on the Flicker, the Flicker had tried to hit him with his electric spheres while still in the air but his attempt failed. He landed in a thorn bush back first, the dry wood crunching under the weight of his soft flesh, readily and hungrily digging into his body.
'Aargh!' He bellowed in pain. 'You dirty little rascal!' He was stuck and bleeding on his forearms and legs. His pupils had returned to their original color.
Brendan rushed over to him and grabbed a huge boulder beside the bush and held it above the Flicker. 'You're done, Flicker,' he said. He began to slowly lessen his grip on the boulder to drop it on him. Now his heart raced. This was a human being…well, not anymore but he used to be. A boy with eyes and ears like him, a life and parents. A heart, dark, but a heart all the same. Brendan watched it beat from beneath his adversary's chest. And he, a sixteen year old boy was about to stop that heart from beating, to close those eyes and take a child away from their parents. Brendan was about to kill him. He was about to become a murderer.