Star League 7

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Star League 7: Box Office Smash

  9781742754451

  A Random House book

  Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060

  www.randomhouse.com.au

  First published by Random House Australia in 2011

  Copyright © H.J. Harper 2011

  Illustration copyright © Nahum Ziersch 2011

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia.

  Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at

  www.randomhouse.com.au/offices.

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry

  Author: Harper, H.J.

  Title: Box office smash / H.J. Harper; Nahum Ziersch

  ISBN: 978 1 86471 872 0 (pbk.)

  Series: Harper, H.J. Star league; 7

  Target Audience: For children

  Other Authors/Contributors: Ziersch, Nahum

  Dewey Number: A823.4

  Cover illustration and design by Nahum Ziersch

  To my lovely Emma.

  – N.Z.

  Contents

  Cover

  Copyright Page

  Imprint Page

  Dedication

  Title Page

  Meet the Star League

  Jay

  Sam

  Connor

  Asuka

  Leigh

  Roger

  Sam

  Leigh

  Connor

  Roger

  Asuka

  Leigh

  Sam

  Roger

  Jay

  Collect them all

  About the author

  About the illustrator

  The mood inside the limo is tense. I’ve been to so many film premieres that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to get nervous. But when it comes to cameras and bright lights, Sam, Asuka, Connor, Leigh and Roger are still on their training wheels.

  ‘Don’t worry!’ I glance from one anxious face to another. ‘Reporters aren’t that bad. They’ll ask you a few questions, take a few photos – it will be a breeze! You’ve all faced much worse than this!’

  Roger pulls at his collar like it’s strangling him. ‘I can totally deal with evil professors trying to take over the world, but this is just terrifying!’ He looks out of the tinted windows to the crowds gathered outside the movie theatre.

  ‘But don’t you want to see the result of all our hard work?’ I point to the words Secret Agent Showdown written in giant letters above the cinema. We’ve been making this movie for months, with the director, Ben Beaumont, cutting together filmed scenes with real footage of us fighting bad guys, like our arch-enemy Professor Pestilence.

  The others nod, but they still look nervous.

  Our limo finally pulls up to the red carpet and somebody opens the door. I step out and the crowd goes wild. I’m nearly blinded by all the flashing lights.

  ‘Jay! Jay! Over here! Just a few questions!’ A reporter shoves a microphone at me. ‘What’s it like to work with so many talented young actors?’

  ‘It’s great,’ I say with a grin. ‘We really work well as a team. But why don’t you ask them?’ I turn back to the others, who look stunned and say nothing.

  ‘Come on,’ I say, trying not to laugh. We walk down the carpet and into the safety of the movie theatre.

  As we make our way into the cinema I catch a glimpse of a very welcome sight.

  ‘Jefferson!’

  ‘Jay! I was wondering when you’d show up!’ My Uncle Jefferson is standing with the families of the other members of the Star League, who have all shown up tonight to wish us well. Everyone seems to relax as they head over to talk to their loved ones. The only one who doesn’t have any family here tonight is Sam, though since he was created in Pestilence Labs, I guess it’s probably a good thing his family didn’t show up!

  Sam seems a little bit uncomfortable and quickly excuses himself from the rest of us. I’m about to go after him when I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. I spin around and find myself face to face with Ben Beaumont.

  The first time I met Ben I was really nervous. I mean, it’s not every day that you get to meet your all-time favourite film director, even if you are a movie star! Of course, I had no idea when I met him that he was a member of the General Anti-Lawbreaker Association Committed To Immobilising Criminals, a secret organisation better known as GALACTIC. He was the one responsible for bringing the Star League together, and because of us more than one evil villain has had their plans ruined.

  ‘Another film premiere, eh, Jay?’ says Ben. ‘Makes a nice change from chasing down Professor Pestilence.’

  ‘Yeah, everyone looks really happy to see their families.’ I don’t mean to sound sad, but my voice comes out a bit funny. When I was a kid my parents disappeared while hiking in the mountains. My uncle raised me, and even though he’s a great uncle, I can’t help but wonder for a moment what my life would have been like if my parents hadn’t gone missing.

  Ben seems to know what I’m thinking. ‘I’m sorry your parents couldn’t be here tonight, Jay.’ He sighs. ‘I was going to wait until after tonight to tell you this, but I’ve been using GALACTIC resources to look into your parents’ disappearance, all those years ago. Something always seemed fishy about it to me.’

  My heart starts to pound. ‘Did you find something? Some clue about where they are?’

  He shakes his head and my hopes come crashing down. ‘Sorry, Jay, there were no new leads in the files. But this was taken as evidence from the place where they were last seen.’

  He hands me a heavy gold object. ‘It’s a compass. It belonged to your parents and I think you should have it. Even if they can’t be here tonight, at least a piece of them is.’

  Speechless, I click the compass open. On one side is a photograph of the three of us, taken when I was just a baby. I can see I inherited my mother’s blonde hair and my father’s blue eyes. I imagine my parents using this compass to navigate the icy mountains where they disappeared.

  ‘Thanks, Ben,’ I say, trying not to let my voice waver. With the compass in my hands I somehow feel stronger. I take a deep breath and slip it into my pocket.

  ‘So what are we waiting for?’ I ask with a grin. ‘Let’s go and get a seat before the movie starts, or there won’t be any left!’

  As the others greet their families I quietly slip away. Since I’ve never had a family I don’t feel like I’m missing out, but I do feel a bit strange hanging around so I decide to go check out the technology in the projection booth. I’ve heard that it’s some of the most advanced movie-screening technology in the world and I’m pretty excited to see it.

  I
climb up a set of stairs towards the projection booth. There’s nobody around, so I let myself in. On one wall is a large window that has a perfect view of the whole cinema beneath me. I can see the Star League with their families. They’ve started to take their seats and are waiting for our movie to start. I should get back soon, but I can’t resist trying out the controls first.

  There are so many flashing lights and buttons. As I reach towards a glowing purple lever I hear footsteps outside the door. It must be someone coming to start the film! I wonder what will happen if I’m discovered somewhere I’m not supposed to be. Can I get thrown out of my own film? I quickly step into a cupboard and pull the door closed after me.

  I peer through a gap in the door as two people shuffle into the room. I’m wondering if I’ll be able to sneak past them and get back to the cinema when a voice makes me freeze.

  ‘Is the trap set?’

  Trap? What trap?

  ‘Sure is,’ answers the second voice. ‘They won’t know what hit ’em.’ They both laugh, but something tells me that whatever they’re laughing at isn’t very funny.

  ‘So we just have to hit this green button?’ asks the first voice.

  ‘No, no, no!’ scolds the second voice. ‘How many more times do I have to explain this? You hit the red button and the sleeping gas comes out of the air ducts. Then it puts them all to sleep and we grab what we came for before they can wake up!’

  ‘Not if I can help it!’ I leap out of the cupboard and deliver an electric shock to the first guy. His eyes roll back in his head as he’s knocked out cold. ‘What’s the matter, shocked to see me?’ The other guy is much faster to act. He lunges for the red button before I can stop him.

  ‘No!’ I grab him and deliver another shock. He slumps to the floor, but the damage is done – he’s already pressed the button!

  I open the control panel and try to rewire the current. ‘Come on, come on!’ I mutter under my breath. I picture the sleeping gas seeping into the cinema and knocking everyone out, which makes me work even faster. Just when it seems like it’s too late, I finally divert the signal so it won’t release the gas. ‘Phew, that was close!’

  ‘You think it’s that easy to stop us?’ I spin around and spot someone in the doorway holding a walkie-talkie. ‘Control room has been breached,’ he says into it. ‘Put Plan B into action!’

  I glance out the large window at the theatre below. I can see a group of people dressed in black sneaking towards the Star League, who haven’t noticed the intruders yet. The man in the doorway blocks my way, and I know that by the time I defeat him it will be too late to warn my friends.

  Then my eyes fall on a microphone attached to the control panel and I realise what I have to do.

  ‘Everyone! Look behind you!’ Sam’s voice crackles over the speakers.

  I look up and spot him pounding on the glass in the projection room, pointing behind us. As I turn around I notice about twenty people dressed in black have crept into the cinema.

  ‘Who are they?’ asks Asuka.

  I shrug. ‘I don’t know, but something tells me they weren’t invited.’

  Most of the people in black gather at the front of the room while a couple of others block the exits. Then one of them steps forward and raises her hands.

  ‘Star League! We are the Pestilites, the loyal servants of Professor Pestilence.’ Her voice echoes around the theatre. ‘We bring a message from our leader: give yourselves up or be destroyed!’

  I almost snarl. Who does Professor Pestilence think he is? He can’t just show up and ruin our big night!

  Jay crosses his arms over his chest. ‘You can tell the professor that we’ve beaten him before, and we’ll beat him again! Come on, Star League, let’s do this!’

  A loud cheer goes up. I turn around and find that the audience is watching us in delight. They must think this is all an act! Except for our families who watch on, concerned.

  I mouth to my family not to worry, then I turn back to the battle ahead. I can’t transform into a werewolf here in front of the crowd or my cover will be blown. I race behind a thick velvet curtain that covers the movie screen and make the Change. Brown fur sprouts through my skin and I let out a ferocious roar as I transform completely into my werewolf form. I burst from behind the curtain and rejoin the Star League.

  Out of the corner of my eye I see Sam running towards us and then there are six of us, ready to defeat the minions of our greatest enemy.

  Jay jumps among the Pestilites, lashing out with a judo kick and winding a few of them at once.

  Roger grabs an itching potion from his satchel and tosses it at some Pestilites. The vial smashes, and the minute the orange liquid touches their skin they start scratching all over like crazy. They’re so busy scratching that they can’t even fight back.

  Asuka is a blur of kicks and punches. She launches herself off a wall and lands on the shoulders of a Pestilite. He spins around, trying to throw her off, but as he’s spinning Asuka grabs her ninja staff and uses it to knock out all the Pestilites around her.

  Leigh stands there for a moment with her eyes closed, and soon the floor starts to rumble. A wave of rats crash through one of the doors towards the Pestilites and sends more than one minion running for their lives.

  Sam runs over to a row of switches on the wall as some of the Pestilites corner him. He hits one of the switches and a lighting rig shoots a blinding beam right into their eyes. While they’re stunned, Sam takes the opportunity to deliver a few electric shocks.

  I turn back to a group of Pestilites that have decided to pick on me.

  ‘Just get the werewolf out of the way and we can grab what we really came for,’ shouts one.

  ‘Don’t you know it’s rude to talk during a movie?’ I flex my claws and lunge at the group, knocking a few of them to the ground. The ones that can still stand race for the door. I doubt they’ll be coming back any time soon.

  ‘Job well done,’ I say with a grin. Then I hear a gasp. I turn and spot Asuka staring at something over my shoulder. It looks like she’s seen a ghost! I spin around and what I see stops me in my tracks.

  ‘Oh no!’

  As I send the last Pestilite crashing to the floor a bright light makes me look up. A glowing portal has appeared in the middle of the cinema, out of which step six kids. Even if they hadn’t stepped out of a glowing portal I’d know there was something different about them.

  There are three boys and three girls. They wear black costumes with red Ps on the front and nasty sneers plastered across their faces.

  ‘Hello, Star League,’ says a boy with curly red hair. You can tell he’s their leader from the smug look about him. ‘It’s so nice to finally meet you!’ The way he says it makes me think it’s anything but nice.

  ‘Who are you?’ growls Jay.

  Redhead smirks. ‘Oh, how rude of me! Let me introduce my companions. This is Ursula.’ A girl with bright purple hair that reaches past her waist steps forward. She clutches a silver wand with a swirling black crystal at the tip. ‘She’s a sorceress, and can turn you into a toad quicker than you can say alakazam!’

  He moves on to a boy with spiky blond hair poking out from under a metal helmet, which I notice has another black crystal in the middle. ‘Meet Zeke, human lightning rod.’ Lightning crackles around Zeke’s head, causing his hair to stick up even more.

  The leader steps up to a girl covered in cobwebs. On her wrist is a bracelet that contains another one of those crystals. ‘This is Rach, the Spider Queen.’ Roger turns deathly pale.

  The next boy in the line-up grins nastily, and I swear I can see fangs. ‘Don’t worry, Vlad won’t bite,’ says Redhead. ‘Actually, he will – that’s what vampires do best!’ I look for another black crystal and find it on the clasp of Vlad’s cape.

  ‘Last but not least, we have Greta!’ The last girl looks like something out of a monster movie. She has scaly, green skin, and when she burps a cloud of deadly-looking gas seeps out of her mouth. ‘You’l
l have to excuse her,’ says Redhead. ‘Trolls aren’t known for their manners.’ Another piece of crystal hangs from a rough bit of twine around her neck.

  ‘And that just leaves me.’ Redhead’s smirk grows even wider. ‘My name is Cale, and I’m the leader of the Shadow Six.’

  ‘Oh yeah?’ I ask. ‘And what’s your superpower? Showing up places you’re not invited?’

  Cale glares at me and his eyes turn black. Suddenly my whole body freezes. I try to struggle but it’s like I’ve been turned to stone. Cale raises a hand and beckons to me with a finger that wears a ring containing another piece of black crystal. I try to resist, but I’m completely powerless. I start to take a step towards Cale, followed by another. Cale is controlling me like a puppet!

  Then Jay steps between us and blocks my view of Cale’s black eyes. His hold on me breaks, and I take a deep breath, relieved to be free. I watch as Cale turns his gaze on Jay, but Jay returns his look without flinching.

  ‘Interesting,’ says Cale. ‘My powers have no effect on you.’

  ‘Why don’t we see if our powers have an effect on you?’ growls Jay.

  Cale laughs mockingly. ‘As much as I’d love to stay and wipe the floor with you, we didn’t come here for you.’ He turns to face Ben Beaumont. ‘Something was stolen from Professor Pestilence, something very precious. Where is it?’

  Ben looks shocked. ‘Where is what?’

  ‘Don’t play innocent with me! Where is the last piece?’

  Either Ben really doesn’t know what they’re talking about or he’s the world’s best director AND actor. ‘Very well, Ben Beaumont. If you won’t talk here, we’ll take you back to Professor Pestilence’s lair!’

  The members of the Shadow Six surround Ben. We all get ready to leap to his aid, but before we can the crystals they wear start to glow. A bright flash makes me look away, and when I look back I can’t believe my eyes!