Chapter 2

chapter two I yanked the cord on my backpack, and there was a loud— SNAP! POOM! The pack's top exploded open, and a metal shield burst out! It was instantly unfolding—a swinging mechanical thing, pieces connecting until it formed a half-moon shield atop my forearm. I swung the shield just as Skaelka's DoomKart was upon me, and—

Repel surprise.

"IT WORKED!" I exclaimed, gasping and grinning. "THE SURPRISE SHIELD WORKED!" And, I mean, I knew it would work. But also —HOLY MOLEY I CAN'T BELIEVE IT WORKED and MAN OH MAN I cut that close. VA-ROOOM! I couldn't lose focus. Spinning back around, I saw the next DoomKart nearly upon me. I slammed the shield into the ground as I dropped to one knee, and— KLANG! The DoomKart hit the shield and drove up it, straight over my head! "That's it!" Jack hollered, vaulting over the walls and into the rink. "I'm comin' in!" Dirk hurled himself into the arena after him and Quint followed. "Just couldn't watch from the sidelines, huh?" I shouted.

"No way you're having all the fun without us!" Dirk barked as he skidded to a stop beside me. My friends each carried shields, though theirs weren't able to pop out on demand like mine... yet. IT WORKED. The SHIELD worked. You design. I build together. We are unstoppable. Don't forget, I inspire my role as head inspirer is very important. "We're gonna need more than shields to find the Tower," I said.

"You mean destroy the tower," Jack said. "Uh, friends," Quint said. "We have to find the Tower to destroy it...." "So guess we gotta find Thrull, huh?" Dirk grunted. I nodded. He was right. We didn't even know— SHRIIIIIEK! A high-pitched, monstrous scream! I spun around, just in time to see something burst into the arena. Something fast—

"What is that thing?" I yelled, ducking down. "It looked like a living, breathing rocket!" Jack shouted. The creature was just a speedy blur—like a bee trapped under a glass, ricocheting from one side of the rink to the other.