Free The OK Team 2 by Nick Place Page B

therefore greater aerobic capacity.’
    â€˜Huh?’ says Cannonball.
    The Gamer swipes some gold coins that appear when he kicks a patch of grass. Bling. Bling. Blorrrrp. ‘It makes you bigger and stronger and less tired,’ he translates.
    â€˜Exactly,’ agrees Chameleon.
    â€˜Why S.T.O.M.P.?’ Logi-Gal asks.
    â€˜Serum That Overly Magnifies Powers,’ Chameleon says. ‘It’s powerful stuff. Very powerful, and potentially dangerous. Nobody knows what its side effects are. But we’re definitely seeing increased S.T.O.M.P. effects in battle. It’s a worry.’
    We all ponder this.
    â€˜I wonder if that’s why the Bushranger was so good?’ says Logi-Gal.
    â€˜And what about Blink?’ I say, although I haven’t wanted to talk about it since the fight. ‘How is he so good at appearing and disappearing?’
    â€˜What’s wrong, Focus?’ Torch is smirking. ‘This town not big enough for two invisible boys?’
    â€˜I’m just saying he was very good at it. For a Category 2 Villain.’
    â€˜We’ll just have to him ’em harder,’ says Cannonball.
    â€˜Yeah, exactly,’ The Gamer agrees. ‘They can juice up with this stuff all they like, but we’ve got real muscles. Well, actually, I’ve got W.O.W. Hand of A’dal-level body armour, but you know . . . same thing.’
    â€˜I hope that’s enough,’ says Chameleon. ‘And Torch? What’s with the penis tattooed on your arm? It’s a an odd choice.’
    â€˜It’s a flaming pointing finger, like his power,’ explains The Gamer loyally.
    Logi-Gal and I frown at one another. S.T.O.M.P. is definitely bad news.
    â€˜And we haven’t even discussed you getting yourself into a Knight-Hood Pact yet,’ she says.
    I frown. ‘One thing at a time.’

A female Super Newsreader is on the screen, wearing a black cape and lycra costume, with a small velvet mask.
    ANCHOR: This is Channel 78737 News. All Heroic news, all the time. Concern tonight over Triple A’er Southern Cross, who collapsed for the third time in recent weeks midway through a routine capture of armed bank robbers earlier today.
    The screen cuts to shaky mobile phone footage. The unmistakably huge frame of Southern Cross, stars gleaming weakly on his chest, is being helped up by a local Hero, The Big V, and a policeman. Three bandits wearing masks and waving guns are sprinting away from the camera. Suddenly Golden Boy appears, standing serenely with his hands on his hips. The robbers are knocked out on impact. In the foreground, Southern Cross is sitting, sipping a glass of Super water.
    ANCHOR (VOICE-OVER): As this dramatic footage from the scene shows, the bandits would have escaped, if not for Golden Boy’s timely intervention. Southern Cross reportedly fainted moments after entering the bank. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, he flew away, but unconvincingly.
    The screen returns to the Super Newsreader.
    ANCHOR: Southern Cross released a statement later today blaming his lapses on a change of diet. He laughed off suggestions that his powers were weakening permanently and also refused to entertain speculation that his Triple A status might come under review if the episodes continue.
    And now to other news . . .

CHAPTER 9
A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR
    A fter lunch, autumn sunshine is streaming through the window of my classroom and I’m trying not to fall asleep when two adults appear at the door. The maths teacher, Mr Snotwrangler, frowns and opens the door a crack for a whispered conversation. Finally, he looks at me. ‘Mr Retina. You have visitors. I’m sorry the study of algebra is getting in the way of your social calendar.’
    I ignore the sarcasm and simply shrug at him as I scoot out the door. Two men are in the hallway. One is unshaven and has a ponytail, a crinkled suit and a novelty Ironman tie. It’s Kyle Smythe-Davies,