Star League 7 Page 3

  ‘No!’ screams Cale, but it’s too late – we’re free! We all line up and face the Shadow Six.

  ‘If you were looking for answers, you should’ve asked nicely,’ I growl. ‘Unfortunately for you, it’s a little late for that!’

  Connor lunges at the Shadow Six and chaos breaks out.

  At first Cale tries to freeze us with his psychic powers again, but it seems like his last attempt drained his energy. Ursula flicks back her purple hair and raises her wand to cast a spell, but before she can I pull my hand off my wrist and throw it. My hand grabs onto the wand and pulls it out of her grip.

  ‘Ugh, gross!’ screeches Ursula. ‘Give me back my Shadow Wand!’

  ‘It sure is a fancy stick!’ I say. ‘I wonder if Connor wants to play fetch? Hey, Connor!’

  Ursula’s face twists in anger. ‘It’s not a stick!’ She lunges for her wand and kicks my hand away. I catch it and reattach it just in time to see her aim a spell right at my head.

  ‘Arkazeus kalius!’

  A huge ball of fire shoots out the end of her wand and I only just manage to dive out of the way. She’s about to aim another spell at me when Connor appears out of nowhere. He knocks her wand clean out of her hands and sends it flying across the room. Ursula grunts in frustration and chases after it.

  ‘Thanks, Connor. See what happens when we stick together?’

  Connor groans. ‘Ugh, sometimes your jokes are so –’

  Before he can finish, something stinky and green lunges at him. Connor gets to his feet and turns to face the troll girl.

  Greta sneers at Connor and then lets out an enormous burp. Normally I’d be pretty impressed by how loud it is, but this doesn’t seem like an ordinary burp. A cloud of gas comes out of her mouth, and I think it’s safe to say that the curling green wisps reaching towards Connor are probably toxic.

  ‘Poisonous gas detected. Look out, Connor!’ cries Sam. His hands retract into his wrists and out pop two large fans. The spinning blades blow away the clouds of gas.

  ‘Nice try, robot, but how well will you work when your circuits are fried?’ sneers Zeke. He clenches his fists and from out of nowhere a jolt of electricity shoots towards Sam. Just as I think he’s done for, a black blur flies through the air and knocks Sam safely out of the way. It’s Asuka! I look back at the spot where Sam just was and it’s nothing but a smoking hole.

  ‘You might be fast, Asuka, but I don’t think you can outrun me,’ gloats Vlad. The vampire disappears in a cloud of smoke and reappears beside Asuka. He lunges at her, his fangs bared, and Asuka freezes. I fumble in my pouch for a particular potion, which I pull out and toss at Vlad. It smashes and a strong smell oozes out.

  ‘Garlic potion!’ I say triumphantly. ‘A vampire’s worst enemy!’ He hisses and scrambles away.

  I’m so busy gloating that I don’t notice Rach sneaking up behind me until it’s too late. When I finally spot her I notice that Connor isn’t the only one who can transform. The lower half of Rach’s body is gone, replaced by the thorax and abdomen of an enormous spider. I shudder and feel like I’m going to be sick. Anything but bugs!

  She holds out her hands and swarms of spiders pour out of the walls. Luckily, Leigh is on our side! She steps between Rach and me, and the spiders freeze as she uses her animancer powers to control them.

  ‘Somebody stop her!’ screams Rach.

  Cale stalks towards Leigh. She tries to avoid his black stare, but eventually he catches her eye.

  ‘Let the spiders do their work, Leigh,’ says Cale. Leigh nods and the spiders start to swarm towards us again.

  But Cale hasn’t noticed Jay coming up behind him. With one well-placed blow, Jay knocks Cale to the ground and his control on Leigh is broken. She comes to her senses and reins in the spiders just as they’re about to reach me.

  ‘Thanks, Leigh!’ I gulp. ‘I was starting to feel like a big juicy fly!’

  Cale’s face turns a furious shade of red that matches his hair. He glares at Jay but his mind control gaze has no effect on him. The psychic jumps to his feet and for a moment I think he’s going to try attacking again, but then he gives his next command.

  ‘Shadow Six, retreat!’

  ‘Don’t let them get away!’ yells Jay. ‘Get their crystals!’

  As the Shadow Six activate their Shadow Shards, we each make a grab for them. My arm snakes out and grabs onto Vlad’s black crystal clasp just as he starts to teleport to safety. A feeling like an electric current travels up my arm.

  ‘Let go!’ Vlad snarls. I shake my head and hold on tight. A light surrounds us that glows brighter and brighter until I have to close my eyes. At the very last second Vlad forces the Shadow Shard from my grip and I’m plunged into darkness.

  Immediately I know I’m not at GALACTIC HQ any more. The temperature has plummeted to freezing point, causing me to shiver uncontrollably.

  ‘Hello?’ I ask, my teeth chattering. ‘Anyone here?’

  A light blinks on and I realise that Sam is here too. His torch-eyes cut through the darkness, revealing that we’re in some kind of cave. There are four more flashes of light and we’re joined by Jay, Connor, Roger and Leigh.

  ‘What just happened?’ asks Jay, scratching his head.

  ‘The last thing I remember was grabbing for Greta’s Shadow Shard,’ says Connor.

  ‘We must have been teleported by the power of the shards while the Shadow Six were trying to escape.’ I say. We look around but there’s no sign of our enemies. ‘I wonder where we’ve been transported to?’

  Roger walks over and grabs a handful of snow from the floor of the cave. ‘We’re definitely not in Kansas any more, or home for that matter. It was summer when we left.’

  Jay clicks his fingers. ‘Wait! I know where we are – think about it! What were the three places Ridley said might have been the professor’s hiding place? A jungle village, a desert laboratory or …’

  ‘An icy mountain stronghold!’ I exclaim. ‘The Shadow Six must have been trying to teleport back to Professor Pestilence’s hideout!’

  ‘And they accidentally brought us with them,’ says Connor with a grin.

  ‘I do not wish to alarm anyone,’ interrupts Sam, ‘but my circuits will stop functioning if they are continuously exposed to these temperatures.’ He’s started to frost over.

  ‘Sam’s not the only one who needs to get out of the cold,’ says Leigh. Chu shivers around her neck like some kind of monkey scarf. ‘We should work on finding the hideout before we freeze to death!’

  ‘We can’t just burst out of here,’ warns Jay. ‘If this is the professor’s hideout there will be guards around. We’ll need to do some scouting first.’

  Roger looks down at his shorts and Hawaiian shirt. ‘I’m not exactly dressed for snow exploration. I wish I’d packed a change of clothes!’

  What Roger said gives me an idea. ‘Wait! That’s it!’ I take off my ninja uniform until I’m standing in my regular clothes underneath. ‘You five might not be dressed for the snow, but a ninja always comes prepared.’ I pull my suit inside out to reveal the white reversible lining, then I slip it back on.

  ‘You’ve got a snow ninja uniform too?’ asks Connor, clearly impressed.

  ‘Of course,’ I say. ‘I don’t just wear black all the time. Even I like a bit of colour in my wardrobe!’

  Sam clears his throat. ‘Actually, Asuka, white isn’t technically a colour, it is a …’

  ‘I’ll go on ahead,’ I say, cutting Sam off. ‘Nobody will see me and I can come back and warn you if we run into any obstacles.’

  I slip my white hood over my head and run out into the snow, ready to find Professor Pestilence and make him pay.

  We follow at a distance behind Asuka as she scouts ahead. She’s practically invisible creeping through the powdery whiteness in search of Professor Pestilence’s secret hideout.

  ‘I hope we find this place soon,’ chatters Chu in my ear. ‘And I really hope that Professor Pestilence has invested in some decen
t heaters!’

  ‘I don’t know why you’re complaining,’ I tell him. ‘At least you’re wearing a fur coat!’

  Asuka pauses up ahead. She watches something that the rest of us can’t see, then moves stealthily back to us.

  ‘What did you find?’ asks Jay.

  Asuka pulls back her hood and her eyes are wide.

  ‘It’s a huge castle. It’s hidden between two mountains, so anyone who was randomly hiking would probably miss it.’

  ‘Well, if it’s hidden then it’s got to be the hideout, right?’ asks Connor. ‘Let’s go kick our way in through the front door and show Professor Pestilence that he can’t push us around!’

  Asuka shakes her head. ‘It’s not that easy. There are about a hundred guards at the front gate. Too many for us to take on, and security is too tight for us to just sneak past.’

  I’m distracted as Chu starts going crazy on my shoulder, sniffing the air.

  ‘Is Chu okay?’ asks Jay. I nod as I figure out what he’s smelling.

  ‘I think I might know a way we can go in through the front door after all,’ I say with a grin. ‘Come on!’

  We creep closer to the castle, taking care to stay hidden from the guards.

  ‘How many can you smell?’ I ask Chu, who has a much better sense of smell than I do.

  ‘Lots,’ he answers. ‘Probably fifty or so.’

  ‘What are you two talking about?’ asks Sam.

  I point to the castle. ‘Professor Pestilence’s guards don’t just come in human form. Look!’

  As we watch I catch a glimpse of movement through the snow. The white fur with black spots is so perfectly camouflaged that at first it seems like a snow drift. But thanks to Chu’s nose, I know better.

  ‘Snow leopards,’ I explain. ‘The Professor has trained them to guard his castle, and if I can talk them into helping us, we’ll be able to walk right in!’

  I close my eyes and make a psychic link with the leopard on patrol. I greet him politely and ask to speak with his leader. A minute later a huge black-and-white leopard pads through the castle gates towards us, his pale green eyes flashing.

  ‘I am Loki, the leader of the snow leopards. Why are you here, human? Tell us why we shouldn’t tear you to shreds!’ His face is scarred from many fights, and I have no doubt that he’ll attack us if I can’t convince him to help.

  I take a deep breath and decide to go with the bold approach. ‘Look at you, Loki! How pathetic you are!’

  Loki growls. ‘What? How dare you!’

  But I don’t back down. ‘It’s true. Why are you taking orders from a human? Don’t you know that Professor Pestilence is evil?’

  Loki stops growling and looks ashamed. ‘We have no choice,’ he tells me. ‘The one you call Professor Pestilence has minions who wield powerful objects.’

  ‘The Shadow Shards?’ I ask, and Loki nods.

  ‘If we do not do as he says, they threaten to use them against us. I am simply doing what is best for my kind.’

  ‘Well, we’re here to defeat them all. With Professor Pestilence out of the way you’ll be free, but we need your help. What do you say?’

  Loki stares at the castle for a long time. For a moment I think I’ve made a mistake, and the snow leopards won’t help us after all. Then he turns back to me, his eyes hard.

  ‘What do you need us to do, human?’

  We follow the snow leopards as they rush towards the guards on duty. Most of the guards throw down their weapons and run at the sight of the leopards turning on them, and the few who remain follow the others once they see us and our powers.

  As soon as the guards are gone we try the front gate, but it’s locked tight. There’s an electronic lock on it unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

  ‘Can you crack it, Sam?’ asks Jay.

  I bite my lip. ‘I’m not sure,’ I tell him. ‘But I’ll give it my best shot.’

  I close my eyes and connect the wiring in my hand to the lock panel. I rearrange the circuits, shifting them into place in a way that I think will unlock it.

  ‘Access denied,’ drones an electronic voice.

  ‘That’s okay, Sam, try again,’ says Asuka.

  I nod and try another combination of circuits.

  ‘Access denied,’ says the voice again. ‘Last attempt before lasers are activated.’

  ‘Uh oh,’ I mutter to myself. My circuits fizz, knowing that if I mess this up it could spell the end of our rescue mission. I take a moment to steady my central processing unit and try again. I concentrate more than I ever have in my life. I slot the connections into place, and eventually I hear a beeping sound.

  ‘Access granted. Gates opening,’ the voice says.

  I let out a huge sigh.

  The main gateway opens out onto a square so large it seems like a city.

  ‘This place is huge!’ gasps Connor.

  ‘Ten square kilometres by my estimate,’ I say, scanning the area. ‘It will take us approximately eighteen hours, twenty-six minutes and three seconds to scour the whole place.’

  ‘We don’t have that long,’ says Jay. ‘Anyone got any ideas?’

  I spot something. ‘Up there!’ I point and everyone turns to look.

  ‘A satellite dish?’ asks Leigh.

  I nod. ‘That must be how the professor sends his messages in and out of the castle. If we can get that down I might be able to pinpoint his exact whereabouts.’

  Asuka climbs the wall and rips the small dish right off the roof. She throws it down to me and I search the underside of the dish until I find what I’m looking for – a data storage chip that contains all the messages the professor has sent from the stronghold. I pop the chip out and insert it into my wrist.

  I select a file that, according to the time code, was sent out less than a minute ago. It’s a video transmission from Professor Pestilence, who’s wearing a mask over his face. My eyes dart around the image of the room the professor is recording from and finally I spot what I’m looking for. Behind him is a window, but not just any window.

  ‘We need to look for a stained-glass window in the shape of a volcano!’ I tell the others. ‘If we find that, we’ll find the professor!’

  We immediately run around the castle, looking for the window I described. There are plenty of stained-glass windows, but none in the shape of a volcano. It’s like playing hide and seek, only this game isn’t as much fun. I know the longer Professor Pestilence holds Ben hostage, the less likely it is we’ll find him safe and sound.

  Finally, just as I’m about to give up, I glance up and there it is. ‘I’ve found it!’ I tell the others. We crowd around and peer up. The window is at the top of a tower so tall my neck aches as I look up at it. It’s wide, too, and seems like it’s built out of solid, impenetrable stone. I can’t see any doors at the base of the tower, or any other way that we’ll be able to get in.

  ‘How on earth are we going to get up there?’ I ask.

  Roger grins and steps forward. ‘Leave it to me!’

  I rummage around in my satchel until I find the potion I need.

  ‘Who needs to climb when we’ve got a climbing vine?’ I shake the vial of green liquid, then smash it against the base of the tower. Green tendrils start to curl out of the ground. ‘Quick! Grab a vine and hang on!’

  The others reach for the vine and are catapulted into the air as it grows with lightning speed. ‘This is like Jack and the Beanstalk!’ I yell, feeling the wind rush through my hair.

  ‘I just hope we don’t meet any giants on the way,’ adds Connor.

  ‘You know, Connor, I actually agree with you on that one.’

  In less than a minute the vine has grown up the side of the tower and stops just below the stained-glass window. I stick my head over the ledge and peer through the window. What I find inside makes me gasp out loud.

  ‘What is it?’ asks Jay. I move aside so he can see what I’m seeing, and when he does his mouth drops open. ‘Ben!’

  I’m overjo
yed to see Ben, but he doesn’t look too good. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen him without a grin on his face. His skin is pale and his eyes have huge dark circles under them. And even worse news, he’s surrounded by the Shadow Six, though there’s no sign of Professor Pestilence.

  The others climb up and peer through the window, the colour drained from their faces.

  ‘How are we going to get in there?’ I ask. ‘I don’t see how we can sneak in, since this window doesn’t open, and I …’

  Before I can finish, Jay reaches up and smashes the window with his elbow.

  ‘Are you crazy?’ I ask. ‘They’ll know we’re here!’

  ‘Good,’ says Jay firmly. ‘It’s about time we made Professor Pestilence and his Shadow Six pay for what they’ve done!’

  Jay launches himself through the window and the others climb after him. I shrug and slip through. I guess if all else fails, we still made a good entrance. Ben looks up as we slide through the broken window.

  ‘Star League!’ he gasps. ‘You shouldn’t be here, it’s a trap! Get away while you still can!’

  ‘Silence!’ screams Cale. Ben flinches, which makes my blood boil. What have these six done to him since he’s been their prisoner?

  I step forward and raise one of my potions.

  ‘Go ahead,’ jeers Cale. ‘Do your worst. But at this range, how are you going to stop it from splashing onto your precious Ben Beaumont?’

  I hesitate. He’s right. Any move we make against the Shadow Six could put Ben in danger.

  Cale smirks. ‘Well, now that we’ve settled that, we can move on to the main show! We’ve been waiting for all of you to show up so you can watch us put an end to the world’s most famous director. I guess you couldn’t exactly call me a fan!’

  ‘You’re not going to harm a hair on his head,’ says Jay. He’s so sure I can’t help but believe him.

  ‘Ha! That’s what you think! Now, Shadow Six!’ Cale and the rest of his crew activate their shards of the Shadow Stone. There’s a bright white flash that blinds me for a moment, and when I can see again I feel sick to my stomach.