by Jack Patton
Alexis glanced up at the trees and frowned. “The parade’s tomorrow, you say? Fine time for a group of flying lizards to show up.”
Spike gasped. “We can’t let them spoil General Barton’s big day! That would really hurt morale.”
Max nodded slowly and patted Spike’s head again. “You’re right, Spike. We’ve got to do something about this new threat, and fast.”
“Why not just cancel the parade?” asked a ladybug.
Murmurs and buzzes went through the Battle Bugs’ ranks.
“She’s got a point,” whispered a katydid.
“We’d be asking for trouble if we went ahead,” hummed a tiny gnat scout.
“Just making ourselves a target,” bubbled a water boatman.
“No way!” Max said firmly. Silence fell, and all the bugs looked at him. “The whole point of the parade is to show the reptiles we’re not afraid of them. If we canceled it, we wouldn’t be bugs at all, we’d be chickens. So we should have it just like you planned!”
A cheer went up among the crowd.
“Well done,” Alexis whispered.
“Thanks.”
“You made the right decision. The brave decision. But there are still lizards in those trees. What do you plan to do about it?” the butterfly asked.
“We need to scout out that part of the forest. Send word to Buzz. I want the Insect Air Force up in those trees as soon as possible. Spike, you lead the ground force. If any of the Draco lizards have glided down to the ground, I want to know about it.”
“Roger that, sir!” Spike answered.
“What about me?” Alexis asked.
Max stared. “You want to volunteer?”
“Good bugs are putting themselves in danger,” Alexis said quietly. “I want to return to my glade, but I cannot stand by and do nothing while others risk their lives.”
Max beamed. “Can you fly me up to the treetops where the Dracos landed?”
Alexis hesitated. “Just us? You don’t want to wait for Buzz and the IAF?”
“There’s no time,” Max said. “We need information now!”
Alexis bent down so Max could climb aboard. “Hop on. It has been too long since my flying skills were put to the test.”
They took off from the bug camp battlements and flew up and up. Alexis went around in a spiral, gaining height all the time, as if they were climbing a gigantic staircase. Soon they were high above the clearing.
Max glanced over his shoulder, hoping Buzz and the rest of the IAF would be there soon. There was no sign of them. The leafy canopy could be hiding anything.
“Okay, Alexis. Let’s head in.”
The huge butterfly plunged into the leafy branches.
To Max’s horror, they instantly had to swerve out of the way of a mass of webbing that crisscrossed their path.
“What’s that doing there?”
“Must be some kind of air defense against the birds!” Alexis replied.
Max wanted to turn around, but they were already too far in among the trees. All around them, sticky webbing cables threaded from branch to branch. Living vines had been worked into the barriers. The spiders had obviously been building up the defenses around the camp—it was super difficult to get through.
Alexis dived suddenly, desperately dodging a thick web-line. Max had to grab hold of his antennae to keep from falling off his back. Alexis swerved again, almost too late. Blue-green dust from his wings was left behind on the tree he’d come too close to.
After too many close calls, they finally flew out from among the last of the web-laden branches. Max breathed a sigh of relief.
“The birds would have had trouble flying through that mess,” Alexis said. “That must be why they flew above the forest, and dropped the Dracos down. Sneaky!”
They flew between the silent, tangled tree branches. Shafts of light lit up the leaves, showing no lizards waiting to attack. The branches, too, were empty.
“Get a little closer and check the trunks,” Max suggested.
Alexis fluttered as close as he dared to the tree trunks, one after the other. There was no sign of any of the Draco lizards.
“I guess they moved to a new hideout pretty quickly after they landed. Let’s head down to the ground and meet up with Spike.”
“Good plan. I can’t wait to be out of this place.”
Alexis began his descent. Max took a last look up into the trees—and felt his whole body go cold.
A Draco lizard was headed right for them! Wings spread, claws out, it hissed as it flew. Max yelled in alarm as a claw caught his shirt and wrenched him sideways.
He went toppling backward off Alexis’s back, and down toward the forest floor that seemed an impossible distance below …
Max tumbled through the air, his limbs thwacking off tree branches as he went. The Draco lizard grabbed hold of a branch and watched with glee as Max plummeted to the ground. Alexis’s blue, sail-like wings were a blur as the butterfly sped down toward him.
“Max, spread out!” Alexis shrieked.
Max instantly understood. Like the Draco lizards had done, he spread his arms and legs as wide as he could. He felt the air whoosh into his shirt, making it billow out. The wind resistance wouldn’t stop his fall, but hopefully it would slow him down just enough for Alexis to get to him.
Alexis swooped alongside Max, his wings beating so fast the dust went flying off them. “Got to time this right,” he cried. He lunged underneath Max.
Whump.
Max landed right in the middle of Alexis’s back.
“Thanks for the save,” Max panted. “Let’s get out of here!”
“I would, but I don’t think he is going to let us.”
Max looked up. The Draco lizard was snarling at them. The next second, it came gliding down, ready to tear them both out of the sky.
“This time, I’ll gulp you down in one bite!” he hissed.
Max thought quickly. “Alexis, bring me near that branch.”
As the butterfly passed by, Max caught hold of a protruding twig and broke it off. Now at least he had a weapon.
The Draco came charging at them, seeming more dragon-like than ever … but Max had a lance now, just like a real knight. He leveled it at the oncoming lizard. The lizard’s sharp claws came clutching for him, but Max thrust his twig into the lizard’s face and shoved him away.
The lizard screeched in anger. He fell past them, twisting in the air like a fighter jet shot out of the sky, and vanished into the leaves.
“Alexis, I know how we can win this!” Max said. “He’s a glider, but you’re a flyer.”
“How does that help us?”
“He has to leap from tree to tree, so he loses height each time. He can’t go higher unless he climbs back up the tree. But we can fly wherever we want. We just have to keep this fight going until we force him down to the ground!”
The Draco lizard was on the attack again. He leaned down for greater speed, plunging at them like a harrier hawk. His jaws gaped, ready to snatch Max off Alexis’s back.
Max got his twig ready again, but the Draco veered from side to side, just as if they were two planes in a dogfight. Max couldn’t take aim or be sure of a solid hit. Inspiration struck him, and at the last minute, he changed his grip so that he was holding the twig like a sword.
The Draco came at him. With a yell, Max swung the twig up under his head and landed a solid blow.
This time, the Draco flipped in the air and lost control. He tried to catch a branch, missed, and instead slammed into the tree trunk.
“Yes!” Max yelled. “Got him!”
The lizard frantically tried to change course, but he was plunging down too fast and the only tree he could have clung to was well out of reach. He crashed into the ground and plowed a little furrow in the dead leaves.
Max and Alexis landed beside him. The stunned lizard looked up at them. His eyeballs were wobbling around in his head. Then they focused on Max.
“I know about you Draco lizards,” Max
said. “You’re comfortable up in trees or in the air, but on the ground it’s a different story. Isn’t that right?”
The lizard slowly backed away from them. “I can still take the pair of you on,” he boasted.
“Try it,” Alexis growled.
They advanced on the nervous lizard until they had backed him up against a large tree. He glanced around, as if he were hoping for backup from his lizard friends. None came.
“This fight’s over and you lost,” Max said. “Now tell us what you’re doing here.”
“Wh-why should I?” stammered the lizard.
“Because if you don’t tell us,” Max began, “we’ll march you back to our camp and keep you prisoner. There’s a black widow spider named Jet who’s in charge of the bug jail. She could eat you for breakfast!”
“Literally,” Alexis added.
The lizard cowered. “No! Not a black widow! I’ll tell you anything you want to know!”
Suddenly, a piercing noise rang out across the forest. It was a cicada blast from one of the signaling groups that General Barton had set up. Three more short blasts came, then a pause, then three more.
“That’s a warning signal,” Alexis said, fluttering up into the air. “Bugs in danger!”
Max turned to face the direction the signal was coming from. “It’s the watchtower on the Howling Cliffs. They must be under attack.”
While their backs were turned, the lizard quickly skittered up the side of the tree. He let out a mocking laugh. Max turned around and ran at it, yelling, but it was too late. The lizard was already climbing high above his head, vanishing into the leafy branches.
“As if I’d ever tell you bugs anything!” he sneered. “The reptile plans are underway. You couldn’t stop us now if you tried.”
The cicada alarm signal kept blasting out across the forest. Max and Alexis looked at each other in confusion.
“Should we go after him?” Alexis asked.
Max shook his head. “There’s not enough time. Let’s get to the watchtower. Sounds like they’re in big trouble.”
Alexis took off and flew as fast as he could, weaving between the tree trunks and branches.
“Good thing the signal’s so loud. It must carry for a long distance,” Alexis said.
They flew out of the forest above the Howling Cliffs, where the watchtower stood looking out toward Reptile Island. It was made of termite mound material, and it had withstood several reptile attacks. Until now …
“Oh, no!” Max called out as he and Alexis approached. He stared in horror as he saw the huge chunk missing from the tower’s side. The most important defensive structure on all of Bug Island looked like it was about to go crashing into the sea and take a whole bunch of Battle Bugs with it!
As they got closer, Max could see the culprits: Draco lizards, swarming all over the watchtower.
“So that’s what they’re doing here,” Max cried. “They’re trying to take down our defenses.”
Max and Alexis flew toward the tower. From the forest, a fresh wave of Dracos launched themselves into the air. They silently glided down to the watchtower and instantly began to tear the walls away.
“Listen!” yelled Alexis. “That sound. Do you hear it?”
At first, Max heard nothing but the deafening blasts of the cicadas, still sounding the alarm. Then he noticed a steady hum, growing louder and louder. It was the sound of thousands of whirring bug wings.
“It’s the Insect Air Force!” he yelled.
“They must have heard the alarm and come to help. Let’s hope they’re not too late.”
Max looked over his shoulder to see an astounding sight. The entire IAF had taken wing and was rushing to the watchtower’s aid. They formed an immense cloud of flying insects: bees, wasps, and hornets, along with flying ants, dragonflies, crane flies, and common houseflies. Even the deadly tarantula hawks were there.
Just then, a familiar black-and-gold figure zoomed into view. “Good to see you, Max!” called Buzz the hornet. “What’s the situation?”
“It’s bad. The lizards are tearing the tower to pieces, and more of them keep flying down out of the forest. We have to stop them somehow.”
“Can we cut off their reinforcements?” Alexis suggested.
“Good plan. Buzz, tell the non-stinging bugs to fly back and forth by the edge of the forest. I want a constant stream. With any luck, the lizards won’t be able to fly through.” Like traffic on a busy road, he thought.
“Roger that,” chirped Buzz. “And the tower?”
“Bring the hornets to the front for a mass power dive. Our only chance is to sting as many of them as we can and hope the others get scared off.”
“On it!”
Max got his twig-lance ready. The hornets lined up in an arrowhead formation, while the flies zoomed over to barricade the forest.
“On my mark,” Buzz ordered. “Three, two, one … dive!”
Alexis followed the screaming hornets down toward the tower. Max’s face stung from the wind. The termites inside the tower looked up, saw the hornets coming, and threw themselves into the fight with fresh courage.
The Draco lizards that were munching away at the tower didn’t see the hornets until it was too late. Suddenly, they were engulfed in a buzzing, stinging storm of insects. Max saw Buzz deliver three quick, hard stings to the biggest of the Dracos. The lizard hissed in pain, curled up, and fell off the side of the tower.
Max watched him bounce off the edge of the cliff and go tumbling down toward the sea. The lizard only just spread his wing-flaps in time. He glided a short way, then clung to a rock, shivering.
“Second wave, dive!” Buzz called.
More hornets came swooping in. The panicked Draco lizards ran around in confusion, which made them an even easier target. Alexis hovered close to the tower wall so that Max could knock the lizards off with his twig. At the foot of the tower, more and more wiggling lizards were retreating.
The tower made an ominous groaning noise. Max looked up and saw the tower top lean over a few inches. Hastily, the termites ran and plastered fresh globs of gluey mud into place, helping to shore up the building.
Over by the forest, Max’s plan was working. The thick cloud of swarming flies was impossible for the Dracos to steer through. One or two tried to glide down to join the attack on the tower, but the flies buffeted and jostled them until they flopped down for a crash landing.
That’s the trouble with gliding, Max thought. You can only ever go down, not up.
“Keep attacking,” Buzz shouted as she speared yet another lizard with her stinger. The Dracos were scuttling around to the other side of the tower, closer to the cliff top and the sea.
“I agree,” Max said. “Send in a fresh wave of stingers—better make it the wasps, since they can sting multiple times.”
“Good plan.”
“And see if Dobs and the other giant dobsonflies can pull some of those Dracos off the tower with their big mandibles.”
“I love the way you think!” Buzz waved her antennae.
But the lizards had heard Max’s idea, too, and the very thought of more stings seemed to put a mighty fear into them. “Retreat!” they shouted to one another. “Retreat! Every lizard for himself!”
One by one, the Dracos flung themselves off the tower and out over the cliff. Even the ones who lay groaning at the tower’s base pulled themselves to their feet and joined their comrades. Wing-flaps spread, they glided along the coast until they vanished from view.
Alexis and Buzz landed at the tower top.
“That was incredible,” Buzz said breathlessly. “We did it. I can’t believe it!”
“No,” said Max, looking at the spot where the lizards had disappeared. “I’m not sure I believe it, either.”
“What do you mean?”
Max’s brow knitted together. “Well, didn’t this victory seem kind of easy to you?”
“No battle where good bugs get hurt is ever ‘easy,’” Buzz said darkl
y.
“Sorry. You’re right.”
But Max found his head was still full of doubts.
The cause had looked lost. There had been dozens of Draco lizards on the tower, and they had already done severe damage. Taking out the bug watchtower would have been a major blow. So why had they turned tail and run so quickly?
“I think Buzz is a little offended,” Alexis remarked, once Buzz had left to call the troops to order.
“I know. I didn’t mean to offend her. I’m just kind of suspicious.”
“Go on.”
“It all comes down to one question. Why would those Draco lizards come all the way to Bug Island just to be scared off at the first sign of trouble?”
Before they could talk any more, Buzz came in for one of her high-speed stunt landings. “We’re heading back to Bug Base Camp to get ready for the parade,” she announced brightly. “Want an IAF escort?”
“Gladly!”
Buzz’s cheerful tone told Max his comment was already forgotten. But the doubts still lingered in his mind. There were still many more Draco lizards out there, lurking in the treetops.
* * *
Bug Base Camp was bustling with activity. All the bugs were full of excitement and pride, and the news of the IAF victory at the watchtower just added to it. Max watched them hanging up banners made from webbing, going through parade ground drills, polishing one another’s plating, and marching in formation.
Webster popped up in front of him without warning, as he so often did. “Hi, M-Max! Want to help me put some decorations up?”
Max sighed. “Not right now, Webster. I’m not really in the mood.”
“But it’s a celebration. Everyone’s helping out,” said Spike, who had waddled over to join them.
“What’s the m-matter?” Webster asked.
“I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.”
Webster patted Max on the shoulder. “I get that feeling a lot,” the spider admitted. “Everyone says it’s my n-nerves. Maybe you’ve got n-nerves, too.”
“I guess.”
“It’s going to be fine!” Spike boomed. “Now, come and give my armor a polish and stop being such a worrywart.”