Star League 2 (6 page)

My mouth falls open. Professor Pestilence? We've run into the professor before when he was up to no good but he managed to get away from us. The Baron switches off the screen and turns to me.

‘The professor learned of my experiments and paid me a tidy sum for my research. But so far my experiments have not been successful. The test subjects have either not been full werecreatures or the potions wear off very quickly.'

I think of the werecreatures that attacked us outside the factory and how they were still half human. I'm also reminded of how the werewolf that attacked Howard Higgins transformed back into human form mid-attack.

‘You were the one who attacked Howard Higgins in the park,' I say.

‘That fat old human? Yes, that was me. I wanted to see how powerful my newfound werewolf strength was. But unfortunately the potion wore off too quickly. That's not going to happen this time, though,' he says with an evil gleam in his eyes.

‘I've perfected the formula. In order to make sure the transformation lasts I've created a potion that strips the test subject of his ability to transform into a werewolf and transfers the power into whoever drinks the potion.'

‘Wait a minute, are you saying that the werewolf you use in this experiment will never be able to Change again?'

He nods. ‘I am indeed! And you are that werewolf.' He comes towards me with a knife in his hand and I gulp. I unsheathe my claws and get ready to attack him, but all he does is cut off a piece of my fur then turns back to his potions.

If the Baron goes through with this experiment I'll never be able to transform into a werewolf again! I think about how I'll never be able to race with the wind in my fur, never be able to howl at the moon, never be able to be with my family again. And forget about the Star League! What use would they have for a regular kid?

Speaking of the Star League, there's no sign of them – they must've gone home. For a moment I'm angry, but then I remember how I acted outside the factory. I yelled at them, told them I didn't need them. I don't blame them for going home. Who'd want to help me after the way I acted?

I thought I'd be better off without them, but I was wrong. As I struggle in the net, unable to get free, I realise that the Star League are like my new pack. Just because they're not werewolves doesn't mean they're not family. And you shouldn't treat family the way I have. I hang my head in shame.

I jump as a door on the other side of the room slams shut. The Baron stops what he's doing and
grabs a potion. He creeps over to the door and takes a look around. I watch carefully, hoping that at any moment Jay or one of the Star League will jump out and knock him unconscious.

The Baron returns with a nasty smirk on his face. ‘Nothing. It must've been the wind. This old factory is terribly draughty. Were you expecting company?'

‘Not really,' I mutter. ‘Just get it over with, Baron.'

‘Patience, young mutt! Just adding the finishing touches.' He grabs the piece of my fur that he cut off earlier and drops it into the potion. It fizzes and dissolves, the mixture in the vial turning dark green.

‘Any last words as a werewolf?' he asks.

I look at the backs of my furry hands for the last time and take a deep breath. ‘Yeah, I hope the potion makes you sick!'

He laughs and gulps down the potion in one go.

I wait for my werewolf form to start wearing off. I wait to see my skin appear instead of fur. But it doesn't happen.

Suddenly the Baron clutches his throat and screeches. Brown fur sprouts all over his body and he starts shrinking.

He shrinks until he's about a tenth of his original size. He's grown a long, curling tail which is nothing like a wolf's tail and two round eyes stare out of his tiny face.

I'm so surprised it takes me a second to realise that the Baron isn't a werewolf, he's a weremonkey!

‘It worked!' comes Jay's voice. He and the rest of the Star League race up the stairs. They must've been hiding there the whole time!

‘What worked?'

‘Jay's plan,' says Asuka as she takes out one of her ninja knives and starts cutting the ropes of my net. I land on the ground with a thud, then get to my feet.

‘Which was? Can somebody please explain why the Baron over there is going to be craving bananas instead of raw meat?'

‘We switched the fur,' says Leigh. ‘We took a sample of Chu's fur, then Asuka snuck over here and switched it with yours when the Baron was distracted by the door slamming.' Chu jumps down from Leigh's shoulder to sniff the weremonkey on the ground.

‘But won't that hurt Chu?' I ask. ‘He said that using my fur would stop me from being able to transform into a werewolf.'

‘Negative,' says Sam. ‘Because Chu does not transform he is able to escape the adverse reaction that would have befallen you.'

‘So does that mean Chu will be fine?' Sam nods. Phew! Now there's just one last thing to take
care of. ‘Roger, do you have a potion that will make the Baron go to sleep until we can figure out what to do with him?'

‘Sure thing!' He reaches into his pouch. ‘One vial of nighty-night potion for the monkey man.'

He passes me a vial of blue liquid, which I pour down Baron von Monkey's throat. In less than thirty seconds he's snoring on the floor. ‘When he wakes up, he's going to behind bars for a long time,' I say, ‘either in a prison or a zoo!'

We all grin at each other with relief, and I feel a rush of happiness. I thought the Star League had abandoned me, but they showed up just when I needed them, even though I'd treated them badly.

‘Look, guys, I'm really sorry about what I said outside the factory. It's not true that I don't need you. If you hadn't shown up I don't know what would've happened.'

‘Well, to begin with, you'd be one hairless werewolf,' says Roger.

‘I think what Roger means to say is, don't worry
about it,' says Jay. ‘We all have moments where we get sad or angry, and that's what friends are there for – to help us through it and forgive us when we might not be acting like ourselves.' The others all smile at me and, for the first time since my family left, I don't feel so lonely any more.

‘Thanks, everyone,' I say with a smile. Then I remember something. ‘But what about Howard Higgins? He's still a werewolf!'

‘Leave it to me,' says Sam. ‘Going by all these notes that the Baron has made, I can create an antidote for the werewolf bite.'

Outside the factory, Jay and Leigh leave to check that Henry made it back to his family safe and sound, while Sam, Asuka and Roger head off in the direction of the hospital to give Howard Higgins his antidote. But I tell them I'm going home instead. There's something I've got to do first.

When I get back to my room at Beaumont Film Studios I pick up the phone and dial my dad's mobile.

‘Connor! It's good to hear from you.' I feel a rush of relief when I hear his voice. Even though I know the hallucinations I saw before weren't real, I was still kind of worried that maybe there was some truth to the mean things they were saying. But the moment I hear my dad's voice I know everything's okay.

I stay on the phone for over an hour telling him about our latest case and by the time I hang up I'm dog-tired and I have to go to bed.

That night I dream about my family again, but instead of running away we hunt together. At one point we're joined by five other werewolves – one with blonde-brown fur, one with a pure black coat, one covered in stitches, one with a monkey riding on her back and one that runs with a whirring sound as if there are gears and cogs under his fur.

Dreams are weird, huh?

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