Ben Braver and the Vortex of Doom Read online

  Also by Marcus Emerson

  The Super Life of Ben Braver

  Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid

  Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series

  First published by Allen & Unwin in 2020

  First published in the United States of America by Roaring Brook Press in 2020

  Roaring Brook Press is a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

  Copyright © David Halvorson 2020

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

  Allen & Unwin

  83 Alexander Street

  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

  Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

  Email: [email protected]

  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  ISBN 978 1 76063 170 3

  eISBN 978 1 76087 356 1

  Cover design by Marcus Emerson and Sandra Nobes

  For Jim and Sandi …

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  You see that?

  That … is a black hole.

  Or something like it.

  It was more like a giant vortex of doom that was growing larger smack dab in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Not the best place for something like that to randomly appear, but that was the point.

  It was one of those ‘end of the world’ moments that always happens in movies. No superhero battle is complete without a massive hole of death in the sky, threatening all life as we know it, right?

  Yup. That thing was gonna tear the planet apart. I’d love to tell you I had nothing to do with it, but I think you know me better than that by now.

  I might be a little bit responsible for it.

  But only a little.

  I wanted to save the day, but instead, I set off a chain reaction that was about to lead to the extinction of the human race.

  Whoopsies …

  CHAPTER ONE

  My name is Ben Braver, and I am a nobody.

  For you noobs out there, here’s the deets …

  Two years ago, I was invited to Kepler Academy for sixth grade.

  It’s a super-secret school for super-secret kids with super-secret superpowers. The whole thing was super-secret. Obviously, I accepted the invite – because who could say no to that?

  I was pumped!

  Was I invited because I had a power?

  Was I gonna get a power?

  Was I gonna be the Chosen One?

  The answers to those questions are nope, even more nope, and nope with some extra salt.

  Turns out, the only people in the world who have powers are those born with them. And they’re all descendants of the Seven Keys – seven peeps who were experimented on in a laboratory. None of them got powers, but their kids (aka ‘the descendants’) did. And since I’m not a descendant, I’ll never have any powers.

  Bummer, right?

  So why the heck was I invited to the academy at all?

  Because I was destined to save the school.

  Twice.

  Turns out the headmaster, Donald Kepler, is a time traveller, and he saw a future where his academy needed a no-powered nobody like me.

  He had seen a future where the world ended, destroyed by some jerk named the Reaper. But it didn’t end, because Kepler changed history – and trapped the Reaper outside the universe so he could never ever become the bad guy. Kepler spent the rest of his life protecting this timeline from that terrible fate.

  But now, I’m at Kepler’s funeral.

  And the Reaper?

  He’s back.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Ten hours ago …

  So there I was, sitting in the last row at Headmaster

  Kepler’s funeral on the very last day of seventh grade, roasting marshmallows on Noah’s head. His hair had gone full Human Torch a few months back, and nothing he did could snuff it out.

  Penny and Jordan were chillin’ on the other side of me. You see Penny’s arm around my back?

  Yeah, no, I just wanted you to see.

  It’s not around Jordan’s back.

  Just sayin’.

  Anyway, those three are my BFFs, but sadly, I knew it was the last day I’d ever get to hang out with them.

  The school year was over, and in just a few hours, I’d be on my way back to my parents at home, never to return to Kepler Academy.

  Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to go home. As far as the school? I was over it. Too much danger for this kid.

  I mean, I had almost died there.

  Like, a hundred times.

  But I wasn’t ready to leave my friends.

  Not yet.

  We were all decked out because that’s usually how it goes for funerals. At least I think it is. I’d never actually been to one.

  Technically, I still haven’t, because Kepler wasn’t exactly dead. He was badly injured after saving me from a horrible explosion. If he’d stayed in our world, he would’ve died, so he escaped outside the universe. Now he’s stuck there, alone in a place where time doesn’t exist.

  I’m still alive because of him.

  And I never got the chance to say thanks.

  On stage, one of the teachers took the mic and started in with a boring story about the old headmaster, but she was interrupted by a loud crash.

  I got this gross feeling, deep in my gut – the kind that tells you to run away because something terrible is about to happen.

  I’m really good at ignoring that feeling.

  Students stood on their chairs, making it impossible to see what was happening from the back row, but I could hear it over the speakers.

  I jumped up from my seat and tore down the aisle.

  ‘Ben, wait!’ Noah said. ‘What’re you doing?’

  ‘Getting a better look!’ I said.

  I stopped in front of the stage. On the centre of it was a kid wearing an Elvis Presley mask, writhing around like he was wrestling something invisible.

  And even though I couldn’t see it, I knew what it was because the same thing tried to suction-cup itself to my head a couple of months ago.
/>   It was an invisible creature that ended the world in an alternate timeline, aka … the Reaper.

  And then the kid stopped.

  He ripped off the Elvis mask, frantically searching his body for whatever had been clinging to him, but when he shrugged it off, I knew it was too late – the Reaper wasn’t on him anymore.

  And it was obvious that the kid had no idea what he had just wrestled with – if he did, he’d be freaking out just as much as I was, but he was totally calm.

  When he saw Headmaster Donald Kepler’s portrait, he blew a raspberry and pouted. ‘I’m at my funeral?’ And then he raised a fist.

  The new headmaster, Raymond Archer, approached slowly. ‘Young man, are you … lost?’

  ‘Nope,’ the boy said, vigorously rubbing his head once more to check for the invisible creature.

  Still nothing.

  The boy jumped from the stage and strolled back to the school like he owned the place.

  Students mumbled, trying to figure out what was happening, but I already knew – it was Donnie Kepler, the eleven-year-old version of Headmaster Kepler. Donnie had been skipping through time, playing hide-and-seek with the older version of himself, and now he was here.

  And he had accidentally brought the Reaper with him.

  ‘Holy donks,’ I whispered.

  I pulled my shirt over my head to protect myself and frantically started searching for the invisible creature that was most definitely nearby.

  My friends caught up with me as Headmaster Archer ran to the school, disappearing through the front doors.

  ‘Bro, you gotta stop running off like that,’ Noah said. ‘Next time, wait so we can come up with a plan.’

  My friends didn’t realise the Reaper was with Donnie. They’d FREAK OUT just as much as I was if they knew. But it didn’t matter because Penny was clearly freaking out, too.

  She yanked my shirt down and stared at me with the fire of a thousand suns burning in her eyes. ‘What’s wrong?? You’re acting like something horrible is happening!’

  I wanted to tell her everything. To tell her that the monster who destroyed the world was literally standing around us somewhere, probably thinkin’ about destroying the world again.

  But I couldn’t.

  Because, at that moment, the Reaper didn’t know I knew he was there, which meant I had the upper hand.

  I needed to get to Donnie. He was wrestling that thing when he bounced on the stage.

  ‘I need to get to Donnie,’ I said. ‘Where’d he go?’

  Noah pointed to the front of the school. ‘He’s up there.’

  Donnie was at the buffet tables that had been set up for the funeral lunch. He was putting food on his plate like he didn’t even care he’d brought the apocalypse with him.

  Did he even know??

  I was about to run to Donnie but stopped because Penny looked like she was about to have a meltdown.

  She was whipping her hands like she was trying to shake water off them.

  ‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

  ‘Don’t worry about it!’ she said, mocking me, and then she shoved her hands into her pockets. ‘I’ll catch up! Just go without me!’

  She didn’t have to tell me twice, so I started running.

  ‘Ben, come on, man!’ Noah said, annoyed. ‘Do you hate plans or something?’

  None of the kids working the buffet tables seemed to care that Donnie was grabbing some grub, except for Dexter and Victoria – the academy’s unofficial bullies. They were helping with the lunch setup, but only because it gave them first dibs on all the food. They glared at Donnie as he carefully stacked potato chips on his plate.

  I stopped about a metre from him, not sure what to say.

  ‘You guys still eat hot dogs in the future,’ Donnie said, grabbing one with his free hand. ‘That’s so lame.’

  ‘Why?’ Vic asked.

  ‘I just expected more,’ Donnie sighed. ‘Where are the flying cars? The floating cities? I mean, do you guys even live on the moon yet?’

  Vic stared at the boy. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Donnie Kepler.’

  ‘No,’ Dexter said. ‘Donald Kepler’s dead.’

  ‘Right. That Donald Kepler’s dead,’ Donnie said, nodding towards the funeral. ‘But I’m not.’

  Dexter and Vic looked like confused mules.

  Donnie took a bite of hot dog. ‘Ew,’ he said. ‘Hot dogs still taste gross, too.’

  Apparently, that was the last straw for Dexter.

  Dexter marched around the table, glaring at Donnie. ‘Now put that food back and respect the dead!’

  Dexter grabbed Donnie’s elbow – my cue to jump in. Donnie’s face was about to meet Dexter’s fist.

  I grabbed Donnie’s other elbow, but just as I did, a coin-sized disc landed on his neck with a THP! It was one of the discs that Professor Duncan, our very own mad-scientist ghost teacher, had created before he became a ghost.

  He had a dozen different kinds of discs, each one colour coded so you’d know exactly what it did. Blue discs teleported you. Red discs made you grow bigger. And pink discs straight up exploded like grenades.

  The one on Donnie’s neck was yellow.

  I didn’t know what the yellow ones did.

  A surge of electricity suddenly ripped through my body. Donnie and Dexter felt the same thing as the three of us seized up in blinding pain.

  And then it all stopped, and everything went black.

  So that’s what the yellow discs did.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘Ben?’ a man said. ‘Are you all right? You look like you’re about to blow chunks.’

  I shook my head. I don’t know why, but I was tired. Like, stupid tired. The soothing sound of rain on umbrellas wasn’t helping, either.

  ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I said. ‘Sorry.’

  Everything was a blur of grey colours. I couldn’t focus on the faces in the crowd, but I knew they were waiting for me to say something.

  Where the heck was I?

  ‘It’s okay,’ the man said, putting his hand on my shoulder. ‘Take all the time you need. We’re all here for you, buddy.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, turning to him.

  Then I saw it wasn’t a him but an it, and by it, I mean it was a gigantic lollipop.

  In fact, everybody there was a different kind of lolly, dressed up and keeping themselves dry with huge black umbrellas.

  It suddenly dawned on me – I was at a funeral.

  My wife’s funeral to be exact.

  My peanut butter cup wife’s funeral to be even more exact. My friends and family were waiting for my eulogy.

  I cleared my throat and did my best to keep from choking up. ‘Hey, everybody… thanks for coming. I know Buttercup’s heart is filled with love and joy as she watches us from peanut butter heaven.’

  The lollies nodded, tears in their eyes.

  ‘Yes, she murdered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on our wedding day. Yes, she tried to kill me with a laser sword on our honeymoon. And yes, she was an intergalactic assassin, but she was still the love of my life. All things, good or bad, come to an end …’ I cleared my throat. ‘And she will be missed.’

  The service ended.

  Lollies in the crowd took turns dropping flowers into Buttercup’s grave before leaving.

  But I stayed behind awhile.

  I knew that when I left, it would really be over.

  My life would never be the same, and I guess I just wanted to hang on to it, even if only for a few more seconds …

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ‘Wake up, ya nub,’ a gruff voice said.

  I opened my eyes.

  A bright light was shining right over my face. My body was killing me. Every bone ached, every muscle stung, and my hair smelled like I just came from a bonfire.

  It was quiet, except for a television playing in another room. ‘… and in other news – a bank robbery was foiled in Portland, Oregon, earlier today when witnesses say a boy jumped
in front of a moving car to stop the would-be thieves …’

  When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. I was in the nurse’s office, and a goat wearing a nurse’s cap was standing next to me.

  Ironically, I knew I wasn’t dreaming because of the goat. His name is Totes, and whenever things get weird, he shows up. His superpower transformed him into a goat, but he’s never been able to turn himself back into a human.

  Some superpowers just suck.

  ‘What’s with the hat?’ I asked with a raspy voice.

  ‘It’s part of the uniform.’

  ‘So you’re the school nurse now?’

  ‘Nope.’

  The clock on the wall said eight p.m. Kepler’s memorial service was at noon, which meant …

  ‘I’ve been asleep for eight hours?’ I said.

  ‘Not asleep,’ Totes said. ‘Unconscious. Huge difference. Honestly, as many times as you’ve been knocked out, you should probably get your brain scanned to make sure all your stuff is working right.’

  ‘What happened?’ I asked. ‘The last thing I remember is Donnie, and … Dexter. Dexter was gonna hurt Donnie! What happened to Donnie?’

  Totes shrugged. ‘I don’t know about any Donnie, but Dexter’s fine. He woke up around six and got some dinner. He’s been eating ever since – that boy can pack it in.’

  ‘So is everybody gone? Did they all go home?’

  Noah and Penny appeared in the doorway.

  ‘Not everybody,’ Noah said. ‘I’m here for the summer, remember?’

  Noah wasn’t allowed to leave because of the fire on his head. Students who couldn’t control their powers had to live at the school, full time.

  Penny didn’t have that problem, though.

  ‘But you could’ve gone home,’ I said to her.

  ‘I didn’t really have anything better to do, y’know?’ she said. ‘Anything to get out of a long car ride, am I right?’

  Totes leaned in. ‘She refused to leave. Said she wasn’t goin’ anywhere until you woke up and she knew you were okay.’

  Penny blushed.

  Pretty sure I did, too.