‘Well, I must say no one’s ever come up with that excuse before,’ she said at last. ‘But since Miles was in danger and you were helping one of our greatest superheroes …’ (she beamed at Captain Courageous) ‘… I am willing to let you off this once.’
‘Thank you!’ cried Minnie, hugging the head teacher round the waist. Pudding barked, reminding them his part shouldn’t be forgotten.
‘Nevertheless,’ said Miss Marbles, ‘it doesn’t excuse you from passing exams like everyone else. I suggest you take a seat right now and I will hand out your test papers.’
‘Sounds like fun,’ grinned Captain Courageous. ‘Well, best of luck, kids, and keep up the good work!’
He shook hands with them all and kissed Miss Marbles’ hand. (She almost fainted on the spot.)
Then he took off into the sky, forgetting that it was wise to open a window first.
Stan, Minnie and Miles sat in the front row of desks while Miss Marbles placed exam papers in front of them. Stan scratched his ear out of habit. After all they’d been through, an exam didn’t seem so daunting. But their whole future at Mighty High would depend on the next hour and the answers they gave. Miss Marbles glanced at the clock.
‘You may turn over your papers and begin!’ she said.
Stan finished the last question with five minutes to go and checked over his answers. To be honest, the exam hadn’t been half as bad as he’d feared. In fact, many of the questions only required common sense (though that probably ruled out a few people passing, like Tank, for instance).
Miss Marbles collected their papers, adding them to the pile on her desk.
‘Excellent,’ she said. ‘So that’s the written exam over. Now all that remains is the practical.’
Stan’s heart sank. He’d forgotten about the practical – and they all knew it involved flying.
In their lessons with Professor Bird, only Miles had flown, and he was an alien at the time so it didn’t really count. What chance did they stand of achieving lift-off now?
Miss Marbles led them on to the stage and brought out a stopwatch.
‘It’s very simple. I’d like you to remain airborne for ten seconds,’ she said. ‘Jump, float, fly – it doesn’t matter as long as you’re off the ground. I shall be timing you.’
Stan looked at his friends helplessly.
This test could only end in failure. He’d never flown in his life, so he wasn’t likely to start now.
‘How did the others do?’ asked Minnie.
Miss Marbles sighed. ‘Not one hundred per cent success,’ she admitted. ‘But still, no bones broken.’
Miles’s shoulders drooped. ‘This is impossible,’ he muttered.
‘Think,’ urged Minnie. ‘It’s only ten seconds; there must be a way.’
‘Yes, if you’re Captain Courageous,’ said Miles.
‘I’ll give you one minute to prepare,’ said Miss Marbles. ‘Who wants to go first?’
Stan tried to remember Professor Bird’s advice. Let go; imagine you’re light as a feather.
But it hadn’t helped when he’d fallen off the high-diving board. Nor had the bionic bubblegum – though come to think of it, that was probably their only hope. Maybe if he blew a monster bubble it would keep him airborne for ten seconds?
‘Bionic bubblegum. I’ve got just one stick left,’ he said, showing the others.
‘That won’t work; there’s three of us,’ said Miles.
‘You try it, Stan,’ said Minnie. ‘At least one of us can pass.’
‘No way, we’re the Invincibles! We stick together,’ said Stan. ‘When I nod, grab hold of me and try to breathe in. We have to be as light as possible.’
He put the bionic bubblegum in his mouth and began to chew.
asked Miss Marbles.
Stan nodded and blew a blue gummy bubble. In seconds it grew so big that Miss Marbles stepped back to get out of the way.
Stan kept blowing till the bubble started to lift his feet off the ground. He waved to Miles and Minnie, who grabbed hold of him around the waist.
moaned Miles.
cried Minnie.
The bubble grew and grew, wobbling like a giant blue jellyfish. Stan was running out of puff. Finally they felt a tug as they lifted slowly off the ground.
whooped Minnie.
They floated up towards the ceiling, with Miles and Minnie hanging on to Stan’s waist.
Below them, Miss Marbles counted off the seconds.
she cried. ‘You can come down now!’
They’d reached the ceiling, where the bionic bubble was stuck like … well, like bubblegum.
‘Brilliant! We did it!’ said Minnie. ‘So how do we get down?’
Stan hadn’t thought that far ahead. He’d got them up in the air; getting down was another matter. ‘Wait,’ said Miles. ‘Surely sooner or later bubblegum is bound to …’
Mrs Button poked her head round the door. ‘How many times? No jumping on the bed!’
‘But Dangerboy has to save mankind from Dr Doom!’ said Stan.
‘Well, tell Dangerboy his dinner’s getting cold.’
Stan sighed. By now Dr Doom would be halfway to his secret volcano lair. Stan peeled off his superhero mask and hung it on the bedpost. He’d have to finish saving the world after dinner.
Halfway downstairs he stopped and scratched his left ear. It was tingling, which probably meant sprouts for supper.
‘Come on, lad, we’re hungry,’ said Mr Button, looking up.
‘I had to practise my surprise attack move,’ said Stan. ‘Dr Doom was getting away . . .’
‘Well, if he’s a doctor, he’s probably very busy,’ said Mrs Button.
Stan sat down and looked at his plate. His tingling ear never failed.
Mr Button speared a chip on his fork. ‘Have you given any thought to what you might like to be if you don’t become an – um um – superhero?’
‘I’ll be a superhero,’ said Stan without hesitation.
‘Yes, but it’s good to have other options,’ said Mrs Button.
‘And it’s good to have ambition,’ Mr Button sighed. ‘But not everyone can be a superhero. Do you actually know any superheroes?’
‘What about Captain Courageous?’ said Stan.
Every week the Gormley Gazette reported on Captain Courageous’s latest daring adventures. Stan had pictures and posters of him all over his walls. Beside his bed was a plastic model of the superhero that he’d got free in a packet of cornflakes.
‘Exactly,’ said Mr Button.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Stan.
‘Well, he can fly and he’s got superpowers. It’s difficult to learn things like that.’
‘Maybe he started off by jumping on the bed too,’ said Stan. ‘Then one day he discovered he could fly. That’s why I need to practise.’
‘What for?’
‘So that I’m ready,’ said Stan, smearing a chip with ketchup. ‘You don’t know – I could get a call at any time.’
A letter came through the door and landed on the doormat.
Mrs Button went into the hall and returned holding a long silver envelope with no postmark or stamp, just a name and address.
‘Ooh, it’s for you, Stan!’ she cried.
‘Me?’ Stan looked up. He never got
letters – except when he had an overdue library book. But this didn’t look as if it came from the library; it looked exciting.
Stan tore the envelope open. Inside was a letter written in purple ink. It was short . . . and baffling.
LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT
SUPERHERO SCHOOL ADVENTURE
COMING SOON
Also by Alan MacDonald
The Superhero School series:
The Revenge of the Green Meanie
The Troll Trouble series:<
br />
Trolls Go Home!
Trolls United
Trolls On Hols
Goat Pie
The History of Warts series:
Custardly Wart: Pirate (third class)
Ditherus Wart: (accidental) Gladiator
Honesty Wart: Witch Hunter!
Sir Bigwart: Knight of the Wonky Table
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in April 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
This electronic edition published in 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Text copyright © Alan MacDonald 2015
Illustrations copyright © Nigel Baines 2015
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
eISBN 978-1-4088-2531-0
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