Read Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council Page 9

Chapter Nine: Cragglyville turns into Swiss cheese

  Jimmy laughed loudly and evilly. Naomi’s plan was perfect.

  First, she had asked Peter to show her all of his powers. The cannonball trick was her favorite. When Peter wore his black hat he was able to transform into a cannonball. Once in cannonball form, he could do pretty much anything. Or destroy pretty much anything.

  Naomi said, “Peter, it’s time for you to pay another visit to Cragglyville. Put holes in everything. That will get Nikki’s attention.”

  Peter grinned wickedly and said, “Consider it done.”

  While Peter put his black hat on, Jimmy stuck his feet into his yellow boots. Naomi went into the bathroom and came out five minutes later wearing a green skirt in place of her yellow one. Jimmy wondered what power it would give her. But he didn’t ask. He wanted to be surprised later.

  “Ready?” Naomi asked.

  “Ready,” Jimmy and Peter said at the same time. With Jimmy’s yellow boots, he was able to teleport anywhere in the world. If he was touching someone else, they would teleport with him. He called them his “half-here, half-there” boots. He put his right hand on Naomi’s shoulder and his left hand on Peter’s. Then they disappeared.

  When they reappeared they were in Cragglyville and the sun was shining. It was much better than being in the middle of a thunderstorm like the last time they had been there. They were in a deserted alley behind a dumpster. It was where Jimmy always teleported when he went to Cragglyville. No one could see them there.

  Naomi took charge. “Peter—it’s time for you to do your cannonball thing. Jimmy and I will watch from the shadows and when Nikki shows up, we’ll come out and fight her together.”

  Peter nodded. Suddenly his entire body turned deep black, like someone had painted him with dark chocolate. He collapsed in a puddle of dark liquid. Seconds later, the liquid formed into a ball. It looked like a bowling ball, but without the three finger holes. But Jimmy knew he hadn’t formed into a bowling bowl.

  He was a cannonball!

  Peter the Cannonball rolled down the alley, headed for Main Street. Jimmy and Naomi chased after him and watched from the shadows as he smashed a hole through a mailbox before rumbling out onto the street. Torn and shredded letters from the mailbox flew into the air like confetti, before flitting to the ground, covering the sidewalk like snow.

  A man yelled, “What is that thing?!”

  A woman standing on the sidewalk screamed as Peter crashed through the side of her parked car, leaving a gaping hole in both doors. Next the cannonball levitated and then shot through the air, colliding with a large tree trunk. The oak tree split in half and collapsed across the road.

  Despite all the damage he had already done, Peter wasn’t finished yet. He bounced back and forth down Main Street, crossing the road and barreling into buildings and shop windows on both sides. Bricks crumbled, glass shattered, wood splintered. Eventually, Jimmy saw Peter rolling back up the street toward them. He turned left at the alley and Jimmy followed him back behind the dumpster, where he morphed back into a boy. Naomi waited at the end of the alley.

  Peter was panting from all his hard work. As he tried to catch his breath, he said, “Any…sign…of Nikki…yet?”

  Jimmy shook his head. “Not yet. But she will come. She has to.”

  Naomi ran up to them. “Congratulations, Peter. You have officially turned Cragglyville into Swiss cheese. There are holes in everything!”