performed an impossibly tight turn, then streaked back in their direction.
Drake swung with the Deathblade. There was a ching of metal hitting metal, and a bolt of angry lightning ripped across the sky.
Mr Franks drew back War’s sword. Red fire crackled along the length of its blade. It lit up his face, illuminating the madness that danced behind his eyes. “Nice horse,” he said. “Had it long?”
He lunged again with the sword. The Deathblade twirled in Drake’s hand. Was he moving it, or was it moving him? He couldn’t quite say. The hooked blade clanked against the side of the sword, knocking Mr Franks’ aim off.
More lightning exploded and the teacher leaped back, his rocket-boots blasting him out of harm’s way. They both lunged again, hacking and slashing with their weapons as they climbed higher and higher into the sky. Each time the weapons met, fingers of electricity clawed at the air around them.
“I’ve got this problem, Drake,” Mr Franks said. He had stopped attacking for the moment, but was still moving upwards. The horse trotted across the sky, maintaining the distance between them. “At first I thought it was just this minor irritation, but, well, it’s got bigger, and it just refuses to go away. It’s you, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t,” Drake told him.
“I was trying to be nice to you. I wanted you free to fulfil your destiny when Armageddon all kicks off.” The teacher’s face filled up with contempt. “And it will all kick off. You see, you think you’ve stopped it, but you haven’t. You can’t prevent the end of the world, Drake. It’s inevitable.”
“There’s only one thing that’s inevitable,” Drake replied. “And I’m it.”
Lunging wildly, he swung the Deathblade in a wide arc. It sliced through part of a robotic arm, and a spray of red coolant pumped out. The liquid distracted Drake. He didn’t see the other exo-skeleton arm come up sharply. A fist the size of a breeze block went whump against Drake’s chin, and he discovered that he could, in fact, be separated from the horse.
The town was spread out below him like a toy village as he plunged towards it. He could see the roofs of houses. He could see his back garden. And there, lying among it all, was the giant robot the horsemen had defeated together.
The wind seemed to laugh as it howled past his ears. Gravity’s pull felt stronger than ever. Drake clung tightly to the Deathblade, as if it could somehow slow his descent, or stop his fall completely.
A metal fist clanged against his cheek, widening the split and sending blood spraying up behind him. He tried to twist, but there was nothing to push against. He cried out in pain as a robotic foot slammed against his lower back, and a white-hot jet-engine flame scorched his skin.
He hacked with the scythe, flailing it behind him. Mr Franks dodged easily. Hydraulics whirred and an alloy elbow was driven hard against the base of Drake’s skull.
The force of the blow flipped him. He spun until he was facing the right way, standing up as he fell down towards the now not nearly so distant ground. A flash of red fire sliced towards him. He held up the Deathblade and War’s sword smashed against the blade.
A jagged streak of electricity tore down at them from above, striking the weapons at the same time. They both watched helplessly, as the sword and the scythe were ripped from their hands, and sent tumbling down through the clouds.
“Now look what you’ve done!” Mr Franks roared. “Now how am I supposed to kill you? The fall? I doubt that’ll be enough.”
He looked up. A deranged grin spread across his face, and a metal hand caught hold of Drake. Rockets flared on the battle armour’s feet, and they began to climb, straight up at eye-watering speed.
“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?” the teacher hollered. “You and me. All of this. It’s been fun. But now I need you out of the way. The sword could’ve killed you, but now I’ve lost that, so you’ve forced me to improvise.”
A clear Perspex visor snapped down over Mr Franks’ head. “I still need to breathe,” he explained. “Until I eat your girlfriend’s soul, at least. But you? You’re a horseman. Breathing’s optional.”
Drake had no idea what the madman was on about. “So?”
“Look up.”
They had been climbing at an incredible rate. Drake raised his eyes and saw that the blue sky had become a haze of colours.