The Halloween Raid

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“It’s been five years of raiding the Pumpkin, and some patterns have begun to emerge.
Appearances seem to alternate between the US and the UK each year, at a random city. Why that is so, nobody knows.”
The Halloween Raid podcast

Ed ran towards the door.
“You better not go anywhere near that Pumpkin, you hear me, Edward James Price?” his mother said, waggling her finger.
“No, mom, I won’t. Just going down with the lads, see the raid on the streaming,” Ed said, one foot out of the door. He threw his backpack with his gear to the side, next to the trash bin.
“Going to watch your brother raidin’? Good lad. But cheer him on a little bit this time, eh?” she nodded, drying a plate with a towel.
“Bah! He never risks anything, just sticks to the lower levels,” Ed waved the comment away.
“Slow and steady wins the raid, that’s all it takes,” his mother said wisely. “Now come on back and give your ma a kiss, will ya?”
“Of course, mother,” Ed said, and lowered his head. He went back inside the house and planted a kiss on her cheek, and a quick hug.
Then he ran off into the night.

Archie was waiting on the corner, all decked up in gear. Arms wide, he complained, “Come on, mate. It’s nearly time, we’ve been waiting on you!”
Ed stopped and put his arms on his knees, panting. “I… Yeah, I needed to get out of the house, sorry.” He dropped the backpack on Archie’s feet.
Archie rifled through it. “Taser, flashlight. GoPro. Nice. You came through.” He added the items to his belt.
“What are you going with?”
Archie grinned, then slid his hands into his pockets. They came out with brass knuckles on them. “These babies.”
Ed raised an eyebrow. “Okay, might work. They’ll force you to get up close and personal, though.”
Archie clenched his fists. “Oh, don’t worry. That works for me, I’ve got a lot of anger to punch through.”
Ed sighed. “Charlotte dumped your ass again?”
“Yeah she did, that cunt!” Archie snapped back. “But enough about her, let’s get some looting done tonight!” He chuckled like a mad man.
“I… Uh, won’t be coming,” Ed apologised.
“What the fuck are you on about?”
“I promised my mom.”
“Your mom? This is the Halloween Raid, man! Get your head on straight, we won’t have another chance for two years,” Archie said, incredulous.
“I know… I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m gonna watch you at the pub.”
Archie looked like he wanted to argue a lot longer, but the Pumpkin was about to open up any minute now. He pointed a finger at Ed, “You’re gonna regret this, I’m tellin’ ya. Don’t you be whining to me about it afterwards.”
“Good luck!” Ed said, as his mate ran towards the alien Pumpkin looming over London.