A Glitch Girl Christmas Story
by Silver Age Fogey

A lithe young woman stepped out of the shower in her bathroom and wrapped a big towel around herself, staring again and again at the clock on the wall despite her determination to stop. As she dried herself, she read again in her mind's eye the letter that was already framed and on the wall of her study.

"Congratulations! You are the winner of the Patriot City Charity Challenge. Having raised the most money for the Patriot City Orphanage, you have won the first prize; a guided tour of the Freedom Fortress. Please be ready at noon on December 24, 1963 at the front of the Freedom Fortress to be escorted on your tour. Thank you again for your dedication to helping others in Patriot City and your generosity in your time and effort."

Am I too old to be excited about this? she thought to herself. She padded into her bedroom and looked around that the paraphernalia that she collected; all the souvenirs and items relating to the Freedom Force that she could find. I don't care! This is the greatest moment of my life, and I'll be excited if I want!

She donned her underwear and looked at the hanging uniform she had created nearly a year earlier, for the first (and all subsequent) meetings of the Freedom Force Fan Club of Bunker County. The stylized yellow blouse, the leather jacket with the GG on the sleeve, the dark tan trousers... and the mask. She didn't know why a mask... who would ever care who she really was? And would a mask really hide what she looked like?

Doesn't matter! Super heroes wear masks - I'm wearing my mask! She quickly donned her outfit, grinning broadly as she applied the spirit gummed leather domino to her face. "Okay, Freedom Force - get ready to meet Glitch Girl!"

The grin hadn't disappeared in the thirty minutes it took her to get to the Freedom Fortress via the bus system in Patriot City. A few fellow passengers had looked at her as they boarded or exited, but most were too polite to stare - except for a pair of children who giggled and laughed. Glitch Girl had just smiled and waved at them, which made them burst into laughter again.

Finally, the bus had stopped at its stop nearest to Freedom Fortress, and Glitch Girl hurried off, practically dancing down the sidewalk toward the white marble walls and entrance. It's so beautiful! And look at all the lights around it! It's as if they mean it to shine out in the darkness like a beacon! She thought briefly for a second about why the lights weren't actually on, but quickly dismissed it. It's DAYTIME, silly! They don't NEED it lit during the day!

She came quickly around to the front of the building. There were a couple of reporters and a photographer from the newspapers, and the head of the Patriot City Charities... and MinuteMan. They were all watching her as she arrived, tripping up the steps to the level of the Fortress.

The Warrior of Freedom came up to her, hand extended, and said, "Welcome to Freedom Fortress! We're very glad that you could be here today. You've done a great job working for the boys and girls of Patriot City, Miss... um, Miss...?"

Glitch Girl had taken his hand, her own practically swallowed up in his mighty fist, gently gripping her. She looked into his mask, into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, at the most magnificent profile she could even imagine.

MinuteMan extracted his hand from hers, and said, "Say, are you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, you're fine... I mean, I'M fine, yes, I'm sorry!" she said, grinning again. "I just couldn't ever imagine meeting you face to face... this is so exciting!"

He smiled back at her, and she felt everything inside her melt. "We're pleased you could be here too. And your name is-"

"Glitch Girl," she interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"I... I want to be called Glitch Girl while I'm here," she breathed out. "I organized a fan club for you guys and I have every piece of Freedom Force merchandise ever made, and doggone it, I know it's silly, but I want to be called Glitch Girl. Please?"

The director of the Charities stepped forward. "Um, that may be presuming a bit much, Miss-"

"Glitch Girl," MinuteMan finished. "If that's what you would like, that's what you'll get. Here, turn around this way," he said, directing her around so that she was posed next to him and the director. "Now, if you would be good enough to snap our photos for the papers, we'll be starting our tour," he asked the reporters.

In the flash of the bulbs, she thought; He called me Glitch Girl... he called me Glitch Girl! He even stuck up for me!

After a few questions and note taking, MinuteMan asked, "All finished, boys? Good. Now, the photographer is joining us for the tour, but remember - please don't take any pictures that we don't clear first."

"No problem, sir," the photo man answered. "You say it, that's what I get. You won't even know I'm there."

The director said, "And I must excuse myself. We have tomorrow's party to organize for the orphans."

"Right," MinuteMan answered. "Liberty Lad and I will be there by noon. It's a surprise, right?"

"Absolutely. Good day to you MinuteMan, and thank you again... Glitch Girl," he said with the twitch of a smile.

"Then let's go, Glitch Girl. Here at the front door is our security panel. It recognizes palm prints, and only members of Freedom Force can trigger it to get in." Patriot's Paladin led them in, and through the gigantic shrine to justice.

"...and this way is our main meeting room. We chose this date for you, Glitch Girl, because we assumed that there wouldn't be much call for us on Christmas Eve, and so we wouldn't be forced to rush off and cut your tour short."

"Oh, that's all right, MinuteMan," she said. "I've already seen enough to last me a lifetime!"

"I hope that's not entirely true, chiquita," a Hispanic voice said, "because then you'll miss the best part yet."

As they entered the meeting room, seated around the table were the remaining members of Freedom Force. Diablo leapt up gracefully and kissed her hand suavely. "Welcome to Freedom Fortress, señorita." A chorus of greetings echoed the Fiery Fury's, and Glitch Girl simply stared wide eyed.

"I think you know everyone?" MinuteMan asked. "From the way you've been describing them, you may know us better than we know ourselves!" he laughed, and the rest of the team chorused in.

Glitch Girl made her way around, meeting the team individually, eyes wide and bright with every hand she shook. She came to an empty seat at the far side of the Freedom Force's round table, and she asked, "But who's missing? All of you are here, except for Law, and I thought that Law and Order couldn't both be here at the same time."

The Juggernaut of Justice chuckled deeply and said, "That's right. That chair is for you, young lady."

"We wish to have a photo of you with the team," Mentor continued, "for what you have done is surely as important to the citizens of Patriot City as anything we have done. Would you agree?"

She could barely manage to nod as she slid into the seat, between Liberty Lad and Sea Urchin. "I... I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anythin', sugar," AlcheMiss answered. "Just look at the camera an' give us a big beautiful smile!"

The photographer snapped a half dozen photos of Glitch Girl with the Freedom Force, and excused himself to change film. The heroes rose, and MinuteMan said, "Glitch Girl, some of us have to go. Between the holidays and some other responsibilities, we're still busy even today. But Liberty Lad and Sea Urchin will continue your tour, if that's all right?"

She looked at the younger heroes, and answered, "That would be great!"

"Good," Man O'War answered. "Now you three guppies stay out o' trouble while you're castin' about, hear?"

"Hey, Man O'War," Sea Urchin replied, "she's not YOUNG enough to be called a guppy!"

"No... no..." Glitch Girl replied, still somewhat amazed. "That's okay..."

The Marine Marvel winked at her. "Aye, I didn't think ye'd be objectin', young lady. We'll see ye shortly. MinuteMan, let's go check out those readin's we got this mornin', eh?"

"Right. See you soon, you three," he answered, as they duo went toward the monitor center. The other heroes had already dispersed; most had left, leaving just MinuteMan, Man O'War, Mentor, and the two younger heroes to attend Glitch Girl.

The trio, followed by the photographer, had continued through the Freedom Fortress. "Now here's Mentor's Energy-X lab," Liberty Lad said. "You know that Energy-X is what has given us - well, most of us - our special abilities, right?"

"Oh, sure. I saw an empty container that one of the members of our fan club had found," Glitch Girl answered. "I never saw anything like it." She looked around at the computers and analyzing devices, absolutely stunned by the alien technology.

Sea Urchin whispered to her, "It's really kind of dull. Mentor studies the stuff, but it's just like purple powder, and it doesn't do anything once it's been triggered."

"It's still fascinating," the older girl answered. "I've heard about it, but I've never actually seen Energy-X."

"Well, then," Liberty Lad said largely, "c'mon over here and take a look at a sample." He lifted a sealed beaker and held it before Glitch Girl, and she eagerly took it in her hands.

Merry poked Nick in the side and said harshly, "We're not supposed to show it to anybody who hasn't been affected by it, remember? It could affect her!"

"Nah, it's sealed," Nick answered distractedly. He was staring at Glitch Girl and continued off-handedly, "It won't do anything to her."

"Big dummy," Sea Urchin said, and she went to Glitch Girl. She took the container and replaced it on the lab bench, saying, "Glitch Girl, maybe we should be moving along...? Our trophy room is next."

The young visitor turned to the Scintillating Sea Star and replied, "Oh, that's great! I can't wait to see it!"

Liberty Lad strode up next to her, and, cocking his arm, said, "Well, then, my lady, I would be pleased to escort you." Glitch Girl giggled as she took his arm, and, together with a simmering Sea Urchin, they proceed down another wide corridor through the Fortress.

They emerged into a large chamber, filled with display cases and hanging items. "It's like a museum!" Glitch Girl gasped in wonder.

"Well, yes, it is. It was my idea, you know," Liberty Lad said proudly.

"Oh, come on, Nick!" Merry responded sharply. "MinuteMan was already collecting mementos before you even joined Freedom Force!"

"Yeah, well, it was MY idea that we put ‘em on display!" he snapped back.

"Hey, hey," Glitch Girl said. "Calm down. C'mon, let's get a photo over here in front of this giant head." She gestured toward a large robotic head. "This would be a great shot!"

The two heroes joined her, still glancing at each other with ire, and stood on either side of the robot head. Glitch Girl lithely leapt up on top of it and sat cross legged on the metal crown. "Just what is this, anyway?"

Sea Urchin answered, "It's the top of Mr. Mechanical's giant robot. He was controlling it when he attacked Patriot City, and he got pretty close to demolishing Freedom Fortress with it, too!"

"Hang on a second," the photographer said. "I'm going to use a bigger shot for this... let me get my other camera out." He extracted the camera he had used for the full group shot of Freedom Force and focused it on the trio. "Okay, guys, that looks fine. Now hold still... say ‘cheese'..."

Suddenly, a purple ray shot forth from the lens of the camera and into the eyes of the head, causing circuits to audibly close and crackle. The ray cut off, and an electrical field emanated from the camera, surrounding the reporter with a charged aura and knocking him out.

"Hey, what was that!" Liberty Lad asked, as he and Sea Urchin came to the photographer to check his condition. But before they could react, a thick metallic tendril shot out of the mouth of the robot head, ensnaring them and lashing them together. Atop the head, Glitch Girl clung with all her strength as the head suddenly shifted and rose up off the floor, thick short metallic legs telescoping from underneath it.

Entangled, Liberty Lad and Sea Urchin both struggled in the metallic clutches. Nick yelled, "Glitch Girl! Are you okay?"

"I think so, but this thing is rocking like a crazy chair!"

"Hang on!" Sea Urchin said. "The safest place right now may be out of the line of sight of that thing. We'll get help as soon as we break free..." With that, Merry and Nick began flexing their considerable muscles, pulling against each other's bodies as the metallic tongue began to stretch...

Just as a noxious cloud of gas issued from the nostrils of the robotic head, surrounding them. After a few seconds of coughing and choking, the two teen members of Freedom Force collapsed wordlessly to the ground.

"Oh damn oh dear, what do I do NOW?" Glitch Girl thought, as the head began tottering down the hallway the trio had just come through.

Glitch Girl held on with all her strength as the rocking motion of movement swung her back and forth, while the stubby legs moved down towards Mentor's Energy-X lab, Sea Urchin and Liberty Lad still unconscious and still being held and dragged behind the head.

Like a big icky tongue, Glitch Girl thought. What am I going to do? If I jump off, it'll gas me too... or something even worse!

Seeing no choice, she hung on as the staggering automaton slowly made its way into the Energy-X laboratory. The machine made its way toward the sample of Energy-X on the test table that Liberty Lad had shown to Glitch Girl. On the wall next to that table was a large red button that was obviously an alarm of some type.

I have to get to that... but how? It'll get me, and I'm too far away to run for it. Can I jump that far...? Glitch Girl pondered. A diversion... I need a diversion...

Liberty Lad chose that moment to stir and moan, starting to struggle back up to consciousness. Again, an acrid green mist issued forth as the head turned to its captives... but it was the break that Glitch Girl had been waiting for.

As the attention of the robot was drawn away, she crouched and dove for the button, stretching for all she was worth. Her fist slammed the emergency alert... just as she splayed across the lab table...

And onto the container of Energy-X.

The warbling alarm rang through the Fortress, and MinuteMan and Man O'War, in the monitor chamber, both switched to the internal scan channel. They saw the red light flashing in the lab.

"Ah MinuteMan, an' ye don't suppose that our guest has somehow gotten in deep in Mentor's lab?" the Marine Marvel asked as the duo rushed out, toward that lab..

"Who else could it be?" MinuteMan answered. "Mentor is doing deep space scans, you and I are here, Microwave is inert in recharge mode for another eighteen hours, and the others are all out on their own business."

"Yeah, I figgered that's what you'd think too," Man O'War answered. "What do ye figger she got herself into?"

"There's only one thing in that lab that could be of any interest to anyone, Hank. I hope we don't have a viper at our breast," the Sixty-Second Sentinel answered, as they charged down a level, and toward the lab.

In the laboratory itself, the unconscious teens had been further bound by the cable that surrounded them, and Glitch Girl lay dazed and immobile across the surface of the table, feeling a tingling running through her body. The gigantic head had risen to view the scene, and appeared to be scanning for something.

"Hold it right there!" MinuteMan called, Patriot at the ready, as Man O'War soared up and around to a flanking position above the head. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The eyes flashed purple, and a voice issued through the mouth speaker of the robotic head. "Why, if it isn't my old friend, MinuteMan. And the old fish too."

"Ye lousy- wait a minute," Man O'War said. "I know that voice!"

The men both shouted, "Mr. Mechanical!"

"Ah, so nice to be remembered," the robot master replied. " I DO so wish I could be there in person today, it being Christmas Eve and all, but I'm engaged elsewhere."

"It's a good thing for you that you're not here, Mechanical!" MinuteMan answered. "What have you done to Sea Urchin and Liberty Lad?"

The head rotated toward the youngsters, and it replied, "No need to worry, MinuteMan. I haven't killed them... yet. Nor that nitwit girl who helped me penetrate your considerable defenses."

"So she was workin' with ye, then?" Man O'War asked.

"HA ha ha ha ha!" the speaker roared in vile mirth. "Hardly. I don't work with people, fish man. I work with machines. Sleek, efficient, clean, perfect machines. This was just an opportunity I took advantage of."

Dazed, Glitch Girl worriedly thought, What have I done? I brought this here...because of me, Mr. Mechanical has penetrated to the heart of Freedom Force!

The two heroes waited ready and MinuteMan said, "Surely you know you can't get away with this! We won't let you!"

"And how do you intend to stop me? I have your young friends here, trapped, and I'm not one to allow such an advantage to pass!"

An arc of electricity flared between Man O'War's hands, as he said, "An' we're not gonna let you keep that advantage, metal mind!"

"I wouldn't do it, fish man. My metallic head here is designed to channel any electric attack through the cable, and all you'll be doing is electrocuting your own partners."

But Man O'War had no intention of attacking. Instead, his task had been misdirection, pulling the attention of the robotic head. In the meantime, MinuteMan wound up with his silver staff, and exerting all his Energy-X infused strength, swung Patriot like Paul Bunyan's axe.

"For freedom!" he cried, and the metallic staff's strike parted the tendril like a strip of taffy. "And now, what do you intend to do, Mechanical?"

"Aargh! I felt that, you patriotic fool! You will pay for this!"

Seemingly in response, a blinding glare filled the room, and the three humans cried out in shock as much as pain, clapping their hands to their eyes. Before either MinuteMan or Man O'War could react, they found themselves suddenly locked in mechanical grasps.

Glitch Girl could only squint, protecting her eyes, as the stunning luminescence dimmed, to show the two heroes being detained by thin, pole like robots, with flat circles instead of faces at the end of elongated necks...

"The lamp posts!" Glitch Girl said. "No wonder there seemed to be so many outside Freedom Fortress! They weren't lamps at all! They're your robots!"

"Freedom Force are not the only ones who can use misdirection and camouflage," Mr. Mechanical answered through the gigantic cranium, as Man O'War and MinuteMan were bound by hundreds of tight filaments, effectively immobile. "Now, little lady, if you get out of my way, there's no need for you to get hurt. I'm not interested in you."

Mentor is still free... I've got to buy him time to get here! "Uh, get out of your way where? What are you looking for?" She didn't move as she tried to look surreptitiously at the doorways.

But the giant head laughed again. "Foolish, foolish girl! Do you think I don't know what you're waiting for? Here... here's what you're waiting for."

There was a grinding noise, and three red and silver fire hydrants - or at least, hydrant-looking robots - trudged in, carrying a bound and gagged Mentor. Their stubby arms slammed him against the floor.

"Now, there is no one else. I tell you one last time, girl - get out of my way," he said angrily.

"No! You can't have it!" she cried in response.

"I have no time for this." Four metal tentacles slowly extruded from the automaton's ears, weaving and swaying, and looking like nothing so much as mechanical pythons. "You WILL move out of my way."

Suddenly, like a striking python, one of the tendrils whipped out and wrapped around Glitch Girl's waist. She screamed, "No! NO! Let me go!"

The others quickly wrapped around her arms and legs, binding her and lifting her into the air. "I told you, girl. What I want, I take! That's a lesson you should learn, right now!" And the limbs began contracting around her, starting to crush her, as the light posts holding the male heroes also reached out for her, blinding her with their incandescent glare.

Deep inside her body, the tingling she had been feeling got stronger, and seemed to be coming to the surface of her skin. "No... put me down..." she gasped.

She felt it, like an itch under her clothing, that she could almost force out by sheer will. "I said... put... me... DOWN!" she roared.

There was a sudden cracking sound, and Glitch Girl was falling. She twisted her legs under her and landed gracefully, as the mechanical tendrils collapsed limply as overcooked spaghetti, and the burning street lamps flickered and died out.

Sparking and sputtering, the speaker in the giant head hissed, "What have you done? You have deactivated my tentacles! You have deactivated them!"

"I... I don't know. But it felt good..." she said, slowly.

"You won't find this to your liking, girl!" he bellowed as a narrow nozzle issued from the forehead of the robot. "The concentrated energy beam from this weapon will dissolve you! And whatever you did to my limbs, you can't do it before I can fire! Say goodbye, little girl!"

She took a deep breath, feeling no fear; just a sadness that she had let Freedom Force down.

But she was wrong. "G'bye, then!" a crusty rough voice called out, as Man O'War, now freed of his bindings, swung a mighty punch at the robot head. "MinuteMan, curve ball comin' in high!"

The potent green fist slammed into the robotic head, sending it flying across the lab... straight at MinuteMan, poised with Patriot like Mickey Mantle awaiting a pitch. "Right over the plate, Man O'War!" he answered, as he struck the mechanism. The force of his blow drove the head out of the lab, and into a wall in the outside corridor.

"Nice shot, MM!" Liberty Lad said, slowly disentangling himself and Sea Urchin from the limp tendrils. "Looks like a double at least!"

"Glitch Girl, can you do that spark again to the head itself?" MinuteMan asked tersely.

She slowly answered, "I can try." She ran lightly over to where the head had driven into the side of the hall, and felt for the sensation again... and once again, the aura suffused her, and insinuated itself into the robot.

Another crack of nearly invisible electricity, and the last thing that came from the robot was, "Not fair... not fair... not fairrr....."

"And so it appears that somehow, Mr. Mechanical was able to substitute his own camera for the one that the photographer brought with him," Mentor explained. Freedom Force and Glitch Girl were seated around their meeting table again. "He used the mechanism in the camera to trigger and reprogram that robotic head; apparently, he had had it in place here in Freedom Fortress as a contingency all along."

MinuteMan continued, "And it seems that he had the excess hydrants and street lamps in place, actually functioning, to respond to the radio commands from the mechanical brain. Good job, Man O'War and Sea Urchin, in getting the water taken care of from those missing hydrants, by the way."

"What's wrong, Glitch Girl?" Liberty Lad asked.

"Oh, it's just that I feel bad that it's my fault that I caused this to happen. If I hadn't have been here-"

Mentor interrupted, "Had you not been here, then the photographer would likely have brought that camera next week, when we have scheduled a photographic montage of Freedom Fortress. The only issue was that of timing, not of occurrence."

Glitch Girl asked, "Is that photographer okay?"

"He'll be fine," MinuteMan answered. "He's recovering from the shock very well, and he should be going home today. But we do have one more issue to address, and it concerns you, Glitch Girl."

"Y'see lassie, we were watchin' ye when ye were confronted by that big head in the lab," Man O'War continued.

MinuteMan continued, "We saw how you handled yourself when we were all incapacitated."

What the... did I do something wrong? Was I scared? It all happened so fast...

"An' ye handled yerself in fine form, missy, fine form indeed," Man O'War went on. "I doubt any o' Freedom Force coulda acted better."

"We are quite impressed," Mentor said. "From the scans that I have made, I have determined that your exposure to Energy-X has only enabled you with that ability you manifested, that of disruption of electrical systems."

MinuteMan asked, "Why did you take the name ‘Glitch Girl' anyhow?"

She smiled self-consciously and answered, "Well, I don't exactly have a mechanical touch. Kind of the opposite, in fact. My mom had a typewriter that I tried to work on... and I managed to mess it up. I tried to build a crystal radio once, and nearly burned down my room. Sort of a black thumb with machines..."

"It would appear that this has manifested itself to a degree of conscious control on your part. However, this is not an ability which would be of regular use in Freedom Force," Mentor answered.

"Still, your power could be pretty useful at times," Liberty Lad continued. "We figured that you'd be a great help to us."

MinuteMan said, "And so, we'd like to offer you a reserve membership in Freedom Force. We'd call on you at times when your talent would be useful."

"Well... wait a minute," the girl replied excitedly. "Are you saying that you want me to join Freedom Force?"

"In a limited role," the Mentatic Master responded, "but yes."

Sea Urchin added, "'Sides, we can always use more girls on the team!"

"I... I don't know what to say..." Glitch Girl gasped. "Yes I do. Yes! Yes! I want to join! Oh my gosh, I never even dreamt it was possible! YES!"

MinuteMan smiled and said, "I think she's interested in the idea, team. All those of favor of inducting Glitch Girl as a reserve member of the Freedom Force?"

"AYE!" rang through the room like a clarion call.

Patriot's Paladin turned back to her. "Welcome to the team, Glitch Girl."

"Th... thank you..." she answered. "I still don't believe it! This is incredible!"

"Well, think of it as a Christmas gift come a little early," Liberty Lad said.

"Oh yes, yes! Thank you all very much! And Merry Christmas to you too!" replied the newest member of the Freedom Force - Glitch Girl!"

The End.