Super Turbo vs. the Flying Ninja Squirrels Read online

  But on the ground, the squirrels were almost too quick for the eye to follow.

  Even the Great Gecko, one of the speedier members of the Superpet Superhero League, was having a hard time keeping up with the acrobatic Flying Squirrels. Surprisingly, Professor Turtle, whose normal fighting technique was to curl up into his shell, was doing quite well.

  The battle raged around Classroom C. Super Turbo climbed up on top of his cage and saw that the room—his room!—was getting destroyed! And what sort of official classroom pet would he be if he let that happen?

  Everyone stopped and looked at Super Turbo.

  “This is my classroom,” he said. “And you all are really making a mess of it.”

  The rest of the animals hung their heads, embarrassed.

  “We’re sorry, Super Turbo,” said Wonder Pig. Then she strolled up to the nearest Flying Ninja Squirrel, held out her hand, and said, “Hi, I’m Wonder Pig. Nice to meetcha.”

  The Flying Ninja Squirrel glanced back to her friends, shrugged, and held out her paw. “I’m Nutkin.”

  The rest of the superpets and Flying Ninja Squirrels made introductions to one another. Super Turbo was surprised at how polite the ninjas were. They didn’t seem so evil, after all.

  “So what brings you to Sunnyview Elementary, Nutkin?” Super Turbo asked.

  “We are missing something,” said Nutkin after a slight pause. “Something very important to us. And we have reason to believe it is somewhere in this school.”

  “What are you missing?” asked the Great Gecko.

  Nutkin looked back and forth to the other Flying Ninja Squirrels. “This is a very, uh, delicate matter for us. Do you mind if we take a moment to discuss?”

  “Take your time,” said the Great Gecko, waving his hand. “We have some important matters to discuss as well.”

  The two groups moved to opposite sides of Classroom C and formed huddles.

  After a few minutes, the Flying Ninja Squirrels signaled that they were ready.

  “We can tell from our battle that you are honorable opponents,” said Nutkin. “And because we feel we can trust you, we will tell you what we are missing. It is the sacred symbol of our clan, and we believe it gives great strength and speed to its owner. It is . . . the Golden Acorn!”

  Super Turbo shot a surprised look at Professor Turtle.

  “Weeeell,” Professor Turtle said slowly, “I think I know where you can find that.”

  The Superpet Superhero League and the Flying Ninja Squirrels followed Professor Turtle down the vent to the science lab. Maybe it was because Professor Turtle didn’t want to give up the Golden Acorn, or maybe he was just tired after their epic battle, but it was the first time all day that Super Turbo had no trouble keeping up with him.

  They exited the vent next to the professor’s terrarium. Professor Turtle slowly walked up to the cage and let out a gasp.

  The superpets and Ninja Squirrels stared at the place where the Golden Acorn should have been. Suddenly, a familiar and very squeaky voice rang out. “That’s right! Your precious Golden Acorn is gone!” said Whiskerface, strolling into view. “I have it!”

  “Whiskerface! You rat!” yelled Super Turbo.

  “Hey, Nutkin, look! It’s the gold-polish salesman!” said one of the Flying Ninja Squirrels. “That’s the guy who stole the Golden Acorn!”

  “Gold-polish salesman?” asked a Rat Packer in the back.

  “Yeah, he asked to see the Golden Acorn so that he could demonstrate his polish. We showed it to him, and he ran off with it, all the way back to the school,” said the other Flying Ninja Squirrel.

  “Hey, you told us you defeated the Ninjas in combat . . . ,” said another Rat Packer.

  “Never mind what the ninny Ninja Squirrels say!” squeaked Whiskerface, his whiskers trembling. “All that matters is that I got the Golden Acorn!”

  “And then you lost the Golden Acorn,” Professor Turtle pointed out.

  “Yes, and then I lost the Golden Acorn,” Whiskerface said through gritted teeth. “But then I got the Golden Acorn again! And now that I have it, I will be unstoppable!”

  “You’re nuts!” said Fantastic Fish from within the Turbomobile. “First off, your plan is missing some key steps again. Second, do you really believe that acorn is going to give you superpowers?”

  “Just ask your new buddies, the Flying Pinhead Squirrels! Or better yet, your old pal Professor Turtle!” Whiskerface squealed.

  Super Turbo saw Professor Turtle look sadly down at the ground. Maybe his strength and speed were all because of the Acorn. . . .

  Suddenly, Super Turbo had an idea. “Yeah, well, that’s not what I heard,” he said. The Flying Ninja Squirrels, the superpets, and the Rat Packers all looked at him.

  “That’s not what you heard, huh?” sneered Whiskerface. “Well, why don’t you tell me what you heard?”

  “Well,” said Super Turbo, turning to face Nutkin and her squirrels. “You guys told me how you had to get the Golden Acorn back before it’s too late. Before it does any more damage. . . .” Super Turbo winked at Nutkin.

  “Damage?” squeaked Whiskerface. “What do you mean? What kind of damage?”

  Nutkin stepped forward. “It’s true that the Golden Acorn gives strength and speed to whoever owns it. But unless you know the secret word to unlock it, the acorn will do the absolute opposite. It will suck out any powers you already have!”

  “You’re—you’re—you’re lying!” cried Whiskerface.

  Just then, Professor Turtle started to wobble.

  The Great Gecko ran up to Professor Turtle. “I can’t believe it!” he said. “Professor Turtle has been drained of all his powers!”

  “Oh no!” cried the Green Winger. “Who knows what will happen next!”

  Whiskerface stared wide-eyed at Professor Turtle.

  “You know what?” Whiskerface squeaked. “I don’t want this anyway!” He shoved the Golden Acorn into the hands of the Rat Packer next to him and then ran off.

  The Rat Packer squeaked in terror and passed the acorn to the rat next to him. The game of hot potato continued until, finally, one rat handed the Golden Acorn to Super Turbo.

  Then all the Rat Packers ran screaming from the lab.

  “I believe this belongs to you,” said Super Turbo, passing the Golden Acorn to Nutkin.

  Nutkin smiled. “I knew we were right to trust you superpets.”

  “Are . . . they . . . gone . . . yet?” asked Professor Turtle from the floor.

  “That was an impressive display of acting!” said Wonder Pig as she and the Great Gecko turned Professor Turtle right-side up.

  Professor Turtle answered as slowly as ever.

  The superpets and the Flying Ninja Squirrels made their way back to Classroom C. Professor Turtle was really bringing up the rear now, and Super Turbo hung back to walk with him.

  “I guess . . . it really was the . . . acorn that . . . made me . . . so fast,” Professor Turtle said sadly. “It was nice . . . while it lasted . . . but I guess I’m back . . . to slowpoke Warren.”

  “But you’re not just slowpoke Warren!” Turbo said. “You’re a member of the Superpet Superhero League! And whenever you put on your Super Visor, you’re never just Warren . . .

  Back in Classroom C, the Flying Ninja Squirrels stood in front of the same open window they had snuck in through.

  “Superpets,” said Nutkin, “the clan of the Flying Ninja Squirrels will forever be in your debt. You returned our sacred symbol, the Golden Acorn. If you ever need our help, just ask. We live in the big oak tree on the playground.”

  And with that, the three Flying Ninja Squirrels flew out the window.

  “Today was a great day!” said Super Turbo.

  “Yeah, it was,” said Fantastic Fish.

  “We had nachos!” cried Wonder Pig.

  “We made a volcano!” exclaimed Boss Bunny.

  “We had the best battle ever and made some new friends!” said the Great Gecko.

>   “And I got to be fast . . . for a little while,” added Professor Turtle, smiling.

  “But, best of all, we defeated evil! Again!” yelled Super Turbo.

  HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK AT SUPER TURBO’S NEXT ADVENTURE!

  There’s a new villain in the classroom. He’s big, he’s shiny, and he can sharpen a pencil like Super Turbo has never seen. And he stares at Turbo. All. Day. Long. But just when Turbo begins to think that the Pencil Pointer might not be that evil . . . the villain starts spitting pencil shavings! If he keeps at it, Turbo’s hamster home will be destroyed. Then Turbo learns that evil isn’t only trying to take over his classroom. The rest of the classroom pets are battling their own Pencil Pointers! Can the Superpet Superhero League stop the Pencil Pointers and save the school—and themselves?

  When Lee Kirby has the proportionate strength and abilities of a man-size hamster. He spends his days chewing up cardboard and running in giant plastic bubbles throughout his very own fortress of solitude in Brooklyn, New York. And, no, he is not related to world-famous Captain Awesome author, Stan Kirby. Or is he?

  GEORGE O’CONNOR’S cover—as a mild-mannered clerk in one of Gotham’s most beloved children’s bookstores—was completely blown when his first picture book, KAPOW!, exploded onto the scene. Forced to leave the bookselling world behind, he now spends even more time in his secret Brooklyn, New York, hideout—where he uses his amazing artistic powers to strike fear in the hearts of bad guys everywhere!

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster · New York

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division • 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 • www.SimonandSchuster.com First Little Simon paperback edition December 2016 • Copyright © 2016 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected]. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Designed by Jay Colvin. The text of this book was set in Little Simon Gazette.

  Jacket Illustrations by George O’Connor.

  Jacket Illustrations Copyright © 2016 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Manufactured in the United States of America 1116 MTN 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this title is available from the Library of Congress.

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8888-4 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8887-7 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8889-1 (eBook)