by Jonny Zucker
Max realized instantly what the captain was doing. He’s going to keep me down here until I drown!
Max glanced back and saw the other bikes approaching. Dreydor’s army had arrived.
Zavonne had said that Max’s ability to hold his breath underwater could come in handy. But he could only manage three minutes.
Any more than that and I’ll be history!
There was no way he was going without a fight. Max gritted his teeth and gave Dreydor a hard punch on the nose.
Dreydor let out a yelp of pain and let go of Max. Max somersaulted through the water and landed on Dreydor’s floating bike. He cranked the throttle, and the bike flew forward. Max grabbed the handlebars. He directed the bike straight up for the surface. He knew he had very little time to get there. His breath was holding. But he was beginning to feel pressure in his lungs.
Dreydor and the Shark Corps charged after him.
I can’t hold my breath for much longer!
Max could feel himself getting weaker. But the shimmering surface was close. And with one last mighty push, the bike shot forward and crashed out of the water.
It flew up into the air, taking Max with it. Max let go of the handlebars and tumbled through the air. He landed with a crash back in the water. He plunged back down and saw Dreydor and his heavies heading straight for him.
Max turned and swam back up to the surface. He kicked frantically. He broke through and saw the dark, black sky. Silver stars sparkled overhead. About a hundred meters away was Decca Island. Max swam ahead in a furious front crawl, trying desperately to reach dry land. He heard gigantic splashes behind him as the other bikes sped out of the water. Their riders were suspended in midair for a second before crashing back into the ocean.
Max swam on. He reached the sloping bank of jagged rocks in front of the island. He scrambled out of the water. He grabbed at the rocks and dragged himself clear. He took a quick peek back. The Shark Corps were powering their way toward him.
Max took off across the rocks. Stretching up above him was the lighthouse and its rotating beam of light. Max stared up. He lost his footing and slipped. He gashed his knee, but he steadied himself and pushed on.
On and up Max climbed. He neared the top of the rocks and spotted something that made his heart leap with fear. On the other side of the lighthouse, the Tasmine Crystal was placed on top of a steel pole. Suspended a hundred meters in the air, it was held in place by a troop of sharks stationed in the water below. The crystal’s sides glittered in the moonlight. It looked like a giant orb of purple fire.
Max saw that it was the exact same height as the light rotating in the lighthouse. But the light shining out from the lighthouse wasn’t an ordinary beam. It was a deep shade of bright violet.
The Slithers must have already attached the Azulin Filter to the light for Ray Day! I’ve got to hurry. The completion of my mission is so very close!
Max upped his pace. He ran as fast as he could. He clambered over the rocks and toward the lighthouse door. He looked up and saw that the light had begun to slow down.
When the Azulin Filter shines the light onto the Crystal, it must activate the antigravitational pull. I have to knock the beam off course!
Max grabbed the door handle and gave it a twist. It was firmly locked. He barged his shoulder against it. There was absolutely no movement. He looked upward again. The lighthouse light was now almost stationary.
“STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT!” screamed Dreydor as he scrambled over the rocks behind him.
But Max was in no mood to obey any command from the freakish shark-head. He hurried around the side of the lighthouse. He spotted a long black metallic ladder rising to the top. Max sprang onto the first rung and began to climb. The light above him was grinding to a complete halt. Its eerie violet glow prepared to hit the Tasmine Crystal.
Max sped up the ladder. But he was running out of time. The special filtered light from the lighthouse stopped. Its immense ray of violet light hit the Tasmine Crystal full-on. The Crystal’s surfaces lit up. Sparks of light shot down toward the water.
No!
Max grabbed the next rung and hurried on. The waters below the Crystal were starting to froth and make a fearsome sound. The water began to rise into the air.
The antigravitational pull! It’s started!
And this wasn’t just a few little drops of water. This was the most enormous surge. A massive, ever-increasing vortex of water was streaming upward. And it kept on coming.
“YOU WILL NOT STOP RAY DAY!” screamed Dreydor.
Max looked down. Dreydor was climbing up the ladder behind him. There were five other Shark Corps guys farther down. Max heard a click as a bolt just below him broke away from the lighthouse wall. There was another click. Two bolts above him came away and fell to the ground. There was far too much weight on the ladder.
It’s going to come unstuck and take us all with it!
There was a series of clicks and pops. Nuts and bolts rained down. Max looked out to sea. The massive tide of water was still rising in the air. It grew bigger and bigger. The land would be completely submerged when it crashed back down! The ladder was now swaying dangerously from side to side as it was ripped further and further off the wall.
Max pushed on. He was now only a few meters from the light. He pulled himself onto a slim ledge when he reached the top. The floor was very slippery and coated in grease. Max crawled toward the circular drum of metal that held the light.
I have to stop the Ray’s focus on the Crystal!
The mass of water was rising fast. It was already hundreds of meters high. Max took hold of the metal drum and tried to twist it. There was absolutely no give. It was firmly rooted to the spot. He tried again, but it didn’t budge.
“I COMMAND YOU TO HALT!”
Max looked around. Dreydor was half-sliding, half-crawling toward him.
Max again tried to move the drum. It was no good.
I have to shift the Ray, I HAVE TO!
“Give up,” hissed Dreydor. “You’ve tried and failed. Come away from the light. I won’t hurt you. Trust me.”
Max gave a short and bitter laugh. “I trust you less than your weedy, lying king,” he snapped.
“How dare you insult the Mighty King Flago!” roared the captain.
But Max had no time for an argument. He’d just spotted something. On the surface of the drum was a tiny oval opening just big enough for him to squeeze through.
He grinned as he contorted himself. He slipped inside the drum. He relished Dreydor’s howl of horror. Max knew he was running out of time to set the light off-course before the tower of water grew too powerful. He threw his whole weight against the side of the drum. There was no movement.
Come on! Earth will have the biggest bath in history if you don’t do something!
Max gritted his teeth. He summoned every single ounce of energy he possessed. He slammed his whole body against the side of the drum. There was a slight creaking noise as the drum cranked the tiniest fraction to the left.
Do it again!
Max threw himself at the wall again.
This time the drum groaned and shifted several centimeters. The beam of light moved a fraction more.
The light wasn’t completely shining on the Tasmine Crystal anymore. Its antigravitational pull was broken. The gigantic sheets of swirling water stopped in midair and began to retrace their steps.
“NOOOO!” bellowed Dreydor from outside the drum.
But it was too late. The water that had been heading so forcefully upward was now smashing back down. And it was going to pulverize the lighthouse.
Max had to move fast!
Where was the Power Shoot? Max reached into the pocket of his Second Skin Suit and rooted around. To his joy, he felt the green-and-black marble in the lining.
The DFEA really needs to employ some better tailors! He pressed the tiny red button on its surface. The water hurtled down toward the top of the lighthouse. Max shot a hundred meter
s up into the air. He hovered there. He could see Dreydor and all of the Shark Corps being thrown over the rocks and tossed back into the sea.
The water hit the Tasmine Crystal. It shattered into thousands of fragments that rained down into the sea. The steel pole that had been holding the Crystal sunk. So did the Shark Corps troopers who had been holding it up.
Max remained perched in the air as the water continued to rain down. But as he watched the flow of water subside, the effects of the Power Shoot wore off. He dropped down into the ocean below.
He hit the water and sunk downward. He kicked back up to the surface with some powerful leg strokes. Max had to tread water as he reached for the blue cord on his Second Skin Suit. Snub would be here in ten minutes.
Max kept on checking the waterline for signs of the Shark Corps. But the waters were clear. He saw no menacing shapes about to break out. He slowly began to relax a bit, even though he was neck-deep in cold water.
I did it! The lab computer had said the conditions for creating the Azulin Filter occurred once every ten thousand years. The Slithers would have to wait a long time to try to pull a stunt like this again.
Max floated calmly, listening for the sound of Snub’s approaching boat. Without warning, something clasped his feet. Max was being dragged downward. His head dipped under the water. He held his breath. He looked down to see what was holding onto his feet. It was Dreydor, with a more crazed look than ever.
“Thought you’d get away with destroying Ray Day, did you?” snarled the captain. His eyes burned with hate.
Max was about to reply. Then he remembered he’d get a huge lungful of water if he spoke. So he just shook his head.
“Say goodbye to the world, Human boy!” cackled Dreydor.
Max anticipated the snarling Slither’s next move. Dreydor lunged up and opened his huge jaws. He was prepared to bite Max’s head off. But Max was ready. Max reached out and grabbed something floating beside him in the water. Dreydor’s teeth flew toward him. It was a chunk of the Tasmine Crystal. He stuffed it into the captain’s mouth just as his jaws snapped shut. Dreydor howled in agony.
Max took advantage of Dreydor’s pain. He aimed a powerful kung fu kick at his stomach. The captain howled again and shot downward into the murky depths. Max gave him a quick good-bye wave. He kicked up to the surface. He felt a strong grip pulling him up.
Not another Shark Corps heavy!
But the grip belonged to Snub, who yanked him out of the water and over the side of the boat. Max fell onto the boat’s floor.
“Let’s get out of here!” Max croaked.
Snub didn’t need telling twice. He pulled at the engine cord. The boat shot off into the night. Max heard Dreydor’s frenzied whine of defeat as the boat sped away from the island.
“What was that?” asked Snub while looking at Max with amazement.
Max took a deep breath and sat up. “OK,” he began. “Right at the bottom of the sea, there’s this amazing city called Aquatropolis …”
Zavonne stared out frostily at Max from the plasma screen in the room below the Flash family’s cellar. She had spent the last hour debriefing him in detail about his experiences in the depths of the ocean.
“And you’re sure about the Slithers not being able to repeat this plan?” asked Zavonne.
“They could build another Tasmine Crystal. But it won’t be any use if they don’t have this. In fact, they’d have to wait ten thousand years to make another one!”
Max reached into his pocket and pulled out the Azulin Filter. He’d snatched it just before the water had hit the lighthouse.
Zavonne gazed at it in silence.
OK. Maybe, just maybe, I’m going to get some praise!
A metal drawer on the wall began to flash.
“Open it and place the Azulin Filter inside,” Zavonne said.
Max walked over. He opened the drawer and gently placed the Filter inside.
“Now close it,” demanded Zavonne.
Max followed her instruction.
Zavonne was silent for a few seconds. “Your parents must be pleased at your safe return.”
Max nodded. His mom and dad had hugged the life out of him. Then they told him they wanted to hear every single detail about the mission after his debrief with Zavonne.
“There is, however, an issue of great concern to me,” noted Zavonne curtly.
Come on, Zavonne! I’ve just stopped the Earth from being totally washed out. Don’t tell me off for anything!
“It’s the Second Skin Suit,” said Zavonne. “I did tell you to bring it back in one piece.”
Is she for real?
“Yes,” replied Max defensively. “But you didn’t know I’d be facing Captain Dreydor and the Shark Corps.”
“True,” mused Zavonne. “But repairing the Suit will be very costly and time-consuming.”
“It was ripped in the course of action,” Max pointed out. “There was nothing I could do.”
Zavonne considered this for a few seconds. “I won’t belabor the point,” she declared. “I just want to remind you to be extra careful when using DFEA materials.”
“Yes, Zavonne,” answered Max.
“Right then,” she said in a brisk, businesslike fashion. “Our paths may cross again soon.”
Max didn’t get a chance to reply. The image of Zavonne disappeared. And the screen went blank.
At dinner, Max kept his promise. He went into every detail of his mission. His dad got up after the meal to start cleaning up.
“We dealt with Mutant Sandmen,” said his mom with a smile. “But the Shark Corps sounds a lot more fierce.”
“They are,” replied Max. “And they’re still down there.”
“Well, at least they won’t be trying to flood the Earth again,” said his dad.
“Yes,” agreed his mom. “Keeping the Azulin Filter was brilliant. We’re really proud of you.”
At least someone appreciates me!
His dad flung a kitchen towel in his direction. Max caught it and looked at him in shock.
“You’re not serious, Dad?”
“What?” his dad laughed. “Let you off drying the dishes because you’ve defeated the Slithers? No chance!”
Max grimaced and picked up the first plate.
I’ve just managed to save the world from a watery grave, and my reward is drying duty? How outrageous is that?
EPILOGUE
Down in Aquatropolis, the Mighty King Flago had just given Captain Dreydor the most immense ear-bashing of all time. He sat alone in the palace banquet room. The doors opened. A line of servants entered. They carried a selection of silver trays. The servants came to a stop and placed the trays down on the table. The king didn’t move.
The headwaiter gave a nod. The servants pulled off the tray lids in one swift movement. King Flago let out a shriek and banged his claws on the table.
“I HATE SEAWEED!” he yelled.
