CHAPTER 4

Doomsday

After the two heroes had dropped off the thief at the police station and brought the sign back to the donut shop, they returned home. Ellie sat on her bed, munching on a donut. Playing had made her tired. Well, that and saving the day.

“Time for a CBB,” Ellie said. “A Comic Book Break!” She grabbed Ice Boy’s Day of Doom! On the cover, her favorite frozen hero battled Doomsday, the trickiest villain in the entire comic book universe!

Doomsday, like any villain, had a no-good mission — he wanted to fill the day with doom and gloom. To do that, he played downright dirty tricks. He signed each trick with a frown that matched the ones on his frowny-faced suit.

“Poor Ice Boy!” Ellie said, scanning the pages. “First, Doomsday turns off his alarm clock. Next, he draws frowns all over Ice Boy’s homework. And then he ties Ice Boy’s shoelaces into a big knot. Untying a knot is impossible — super strength or no super strength!”

Ellie kept reading. Ice Boy caught Doomsday in the end, but he decided to let him go after Doomsday promised to fix everything. Sure enough, Doomsday’s promise was a trick, and that villain got away!

All of a sudden something tugged on Ellie’s cape. She peeked over her comic.

“Ruff, ruff!” Super Fluffy was holding Queen Bee’s broken scepter. Queen Bee had used the scepter to rule Ellie’s school — at least until Ellie’s muscle power had snapped it in two. The puppy bounced around Ellie, nudging her with his nose and wagging his happy tail.

“You want to play, don’t you?” Ellie asked with a giggle. “How about we make a deal? I’ll play fetch, but only if I can read and relax too. Can we shake on that?”

Super Fluffy tilted his head thoughtfully. After a moment, he lifted his paw and shook Ellie’s hand in agreement.

Lounging behind her comic book, Ellie threw the scepter across the room. Super Fluffy brought it back and waited to fetch all over again.

Throw. Fetch. Throw. Fetch. Fetching never seemed to get old for Super Fluffy!

On the fourth throw, the scepter landed in a heap of stuffed animals. Super Fluffy flew into the heap. Seconds later, he burst out triumphantly. With a terrific leap, he pounced onto Ellie’s bed, landing on the animator.

Click! The switch flipped to ANIMATE.

Ellie looked up just in time to see green animation particles heading straight for her. “EEEK!” she shrieked. Quicker than the Grim Sweeper’s broom, she swept up the comic book and ducked.

The green ray struck Doomsday’s picture.

Ellie’s heart started beating super fast. At any moment, Doomsday would step off the cover, on a mission to spread gloom throughout Winkopolis. His pranks would wipe everyone’s smiles clean off!

I’ll stop that! Ellie thought. She grabbed the Ultra Animator and pointed it directly at the super-villain’s picture. Any sign of villainous life — a stuck-out tongue, two thumbs down, the stink eye — and she would blast him with the anti-animating ray.

But nothing happened.

Ellie waited and waited — but still nothing.

“That’s weird,” she said. “Doomsday should’ve come alive by now.” Ellie eyeballed the Ultra Animator. “Maybe the animator’s run out of juice.”

Super Fluffy hid under Ellie’s blanket. He wasn’t so sure Ellie was right.

Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door. “Ellie?”

Ellie almost shot through the ceiling. The possibility of unleashing a comic book super-villain had made her jumpy. Thankfully, it was only Mom.

“Dad and I need some things for the Ultra Giant,” Mom called through the door. “We’re going to the Hardware Horse. Want to come along?”

The Hardware Horse was a huge tool store. It had every kind of bolt and nail, so it was Mom and Dad’s go-to place for gadget parts. Ellie liked going to play Spot Hardy. Hardy was a plush horse that was hidden somewhere in the store. If you found Hardy, you got a prize.

“Sure!” Ellie replied. “This time, I won’t use my X-ray vision to spot Hardy. Promise!”

“Great,” Mom said. “Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

As Mom’s footsteps faded down the hallway, Ellie’s nerves settled. Doomsday was still on the comic book cover. Winkopolis, as she knew it, wasn’t toast.

Ellie kneeled down beside Super Fluffy, who was trembling under the covers. “It’s all right, Fluffster,” she said. “You don’t need to worry about that super-villain. Just stay put until I’m back, and be a good dog. Okay?”

Super Fluffy whimpered.

Before leaving her room, Ellie grabbed the Ultra Animator. “I better put the animator away. Don’t want any trouble while I’m gone!”