25 - Attack of the Mutant (9 page)

She stretched up, growing taller. Muscles bulged on her skinny arms. And as
she grew, her clothing changed, too. Her jeans and T-shirt appeared to melt away—replaced by a familiar-looking costume.

The costume of The Masked Mutant.

“Libby—what’s going on?” I cried in a tiny, frightened voice. I still
didn’t understand. “How are you doing that?”

She shook her head. “You don’t catch on very fast, do you?” she said, rolling
her eyes. Her voice came out deep and booming. A man’s voice.

“Libby, I—”

She swept her cape behind her. “I’m The Masked Mutant, Skipper. I changed my
molecules into a girl your age and called myself Libby. But I’m The Masked
Mutant.”

“But—but—but—” I sputtered.

She tossed the toy gun aside and grinned at me triumphantly.

“But you just
melted
The Masked Mutant!” I cried. “We both saw him
melt!”

She shook her head. “No. You’re mistaken. I just melted The Magnificent
Molecule Man.”

I gaped at her in astonishment. “Huh? Molecule Man?”

“He worked for me,” she explained, glancing down at the crumpled, empty
costume on the floor. “Sometimes I ordered him to dress like me. To keep people
off my track.”

“He worked for you—and you
melted
him?” I cried.

“I’m a villain,” The Masked Mutant replied, smiling. “I do very bad things—remember?”

It all started to come clear. There never was a Libby. It had been The Masked Mutant all along.

The Masked Mutant stepped over the crumpled costume to move closer to me.
Once again, I pressed my back against the wall. “Now I have no choice. Now I
have to do something very bad to you, Skipper,” he said flatly, his black eyes
staring hard into mine through his mask.

“But—why?” I cried. “Why can’t I just leave? I’ll go straight home. I’ll
never tell anyone about you. Really!” I pleaded.

He shook his head. “I can’t let you leave. You belong here now.”

“Huh?” I gasped. “What are you
saying,
Libby—I mean, Mutant?”

“You belong here now, Skipper,” he replied coldly. “I knew it when I saw you
on the bus for the first time. I knew you were perfect when you told me you knew
everything
about my comics.”

“But—but—” I sputtered again.

“It’s so hard to find good characters for my stories, Skipper. It’s so hard
to find good foes. I’m always looking for new faces. That’s why I was so pleased
when I discovered you.”

His evil grin grew wider. “Then when you recognized my headquarters building,
I knew you were right. I knew you were ready to star in a story.”

The smile faded quickly. “I’m so sorry, Skipper. But the story is over. Your
part has come to an end.”

“What—what are you going to do?” I stammered.

“Destroy you, of course!” The Mutant replied coldly.

I pressed my back against the wall. I stared back at him, thinking hard.

“Good-bye, Skipper,” The Masked Mutant said softly.

“But you can’t do this!” I screamed. “You’re just a character in a comic
book! But I’m real! I’m a real, live person! I’m a real boy!”

A strange smile formed on The Mutant’s lips. “No, you’re not, Skipper,” he
said, snickering. “You’re not real. You’re just like me now. You’re a comic book
character, too.”

I pinched my arm. It felt as warm and real as always.

“You’re a liar!” I shouted.

The Masked Mutant nodded. A pleased smile formed on his face. “Yes, I’m a
liar,” he agreed. “That’s one of my
better
qualities.” His smile faded.
“But I’m not lying this time, Skipper. You’re not real anymore.”

I refused to believe him. “I feel the way I always have,” I declared.

“But I changed you into a comic book character,” he insisted. “Remember when
you entered this building for the first time? Remember when you walked through
the glass door and a beam of light passed over you?”

I nodded. “Yes. I remember that,” I muttered.

“Well, that was a scanner,” The Masked Mutant continued. “When you stepped
through it, it scanned your body. It turned you into tiny dots of ink.”

“No!” I shouted.

He ignored my cry. “That’s all you are now, Skipper. Tiny dots of red, blue,
and yellow ink. You’re a comic book character, just like me.”

He slid toward me menacingly, his cape spreading out behind him. “But I’m
sorry to say you’ve made your last appearance in my comic book. Or in
any
comic book.”

“Wait!” I cried.

“I can’t wait any longer,” The Masked Mutant replied coldly. “I’ve already
wasted too much time on you, Skipper.”

“But I’m not Skipper!” I declared.

“I’m not Skipper Matthews,” I said. “There
is
no Skipper Matthews.”

“Oh, really?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “Then who are you?”

“I’m The Colossal Elastic Boy!” I replied.

The Masked Mutant uttered a low gasp. “Elastic Boy!” he exclaimed. “I
thought
you looked familiar!”

“Good-bye, Mutant,” I said in a deep voice.

“Where are you going?” he asked sharply.

“Back to my home planet of Xargos,” I replied, starting toward the door. “I’m
not allowed to guest-star in other comic books.”

He moved quickly to block the door. “Nice try, Elastic Boy,” he said. “But
you have invaded my secret headquarters. I have to destroy you.”

I laughed. “You can’t destroy Elastic Boy!” I boasted. “I’ll stretch out my
elastic arms and wrap you in them, and squeeze you into Play-Doh!”

“I don’t think so,” The Masked Mutant replied dryly. He let out an angry
growl. “I’m tired of all this talk, talk, talk. I’m going to tear you to pieces—and then tear your pieces into tiny pieces!”

I laughed again. “No way!” I told him. “I’m elastic, remember? I
can’t
be torn into pieces. I bend—but I don’t
break! There’s only one way that Elastic Boy can be destroyed!”

“What’s that?” The Masked Mutant asked.

“By sulphuric acid,” I replied. “That’s the only thing that can destroy my
elastic body!”

A pleased smile spread behind the masked face.

“Oops!” I cried. “I didn’t mean to let that slip out!”

I tried to make it to the door. But I wasn’t fast enough.

I saw The Masked Mutant quickly begin to change. He changed into a steaming
hot wave of sulphuric acid.

And before I could move, the tall wave of acid swept toward me.

With a loud cry, I leaped away.

The tall wave swept past. It missed me by inches.

I turned and watched it splash over the carpet. The carpet began to sizzle
and burn.

“Yes!” I shouted gleefully. “Yes!”

I had never felt so happy, so strong, so triumphant!

I had defeated The Masked Mutant. I had totally tricked him. I had destroyed
the most evil supervillain ever to walk the planet!

Me! A twelve-year-old boy named Skipper Matthews! I had sent The Masked
Mutant to his doom!

Such a simple trick. But it had worked.

From reading the comics, I knew that The Masked Mutant could change his
molecules into anything solid. And then change back again.

But I tricked him into changing himself into a
liquid
! And once he
changed into a liquid, he could not re-form himself.

The Masked Mutant was gone forever.

“Skipper, you are a clever guy!” I shouted out loud. I was so happy, I did a
little dance on the thick carpet.

I couldn’t
believe
The Masked Mutant had believed that I was Elastic
Boy. I’d made that name up. I’ve never
heard
of any Elastic Boy!

But he fell for it. And now the evil supervillain is gone! I thought happily.

And I am alive! Alive!

I couldn’t wait to get home and see my family again. The bus ride seemed to
take hours.

Finally, I was running up my front lawn. Into the house through the front
door.

I immediately saw a brown envelope lying on the mail table. The new issue of
The Masked Mutant.

Who needs it? I asked myself.

I ignored it and hurried to say hi to my parents. I was so glad to be home, I
was even happy to see Mitzi. “Mitzi—how about a game of Frisbee?” I asked.

“Huh?” She gaped at me in shock. I never want to play anything with my little
sister.

But, today, I just wanted to be happy and celebrate being alive.

Mitzi and I hurried out to the back yard. We threw a Frisbee around for about
half an hour. We had a great time.

“How about a snack?” I asked her.

“Yeah. I’m starving,” she replied. “Mom left some chocolate cake on the
counter.”

Chocolate cake sounded just right.

Humming happily to myself, I trotted into the kitchen. I pulled down two
plates from the cabinet. Then I found the big cake knife in the drawer.

“Don’t make your slice bigger than mine!” Mitzi warned, watching me carefully
as I prepared to cut the cake.

“Mitzi, I promise I won’t cheat you,” I said sweetly. I was in such a good
mood, even Mitzi couldn’t get me upset.

“This looks like awesome chocolate cake!” I exclaimed.

I slid the big knife over the cake.

It slipped.

“Ow!” I cried out as the knife blade cut the back of my hand.

I raised my hand and stared down at the cut. “Hey!” I uttered in surprise.

What was trickling out from the cut?

Not blood.

It was red, blue, yellow, and black.

INK!

“Cool!” Mitzi cried.

“Where’s that new
Masked Mutant
comic?” I asked. I suddenly had the
feeling that my comic book career wasn’t over!

Scanning, formatting and
proofing by Undead.