100% Hero by Jayne Lyons

His shoulders sagged a little.
    'Oops,' he said to himself faintly, as the shaven
head of Vinny appeared from behind a rock. He didn't
look at all pathetic, nor like a girlie fluff bunny.
    What was he doing here?
    Two of Vinny's friends jumped onto the tarmac and
all three walked towards Freddy. They were wearing
camouflage trousers, green t-shirts and big heavy
boots. In fact, it was exactly the outfit Freddy would
have worn on adventure camp. Vinny stood in the
middle of the road and stared across at Freddy.
    'And what 'ave you come as then – a princess ?'
    'A wolf, why? Are you scared?' Freddy raised his
eyebrows.
    'Do I look scared, Cinderella?' The big boy glared.
    Freddy had to admit that he didn't. 'This is private
property.' He summoned his courage, and flung his
finger down the road. 'You'd better leave now.'
    'And who's going to make me, fluff bunny?' Vinny
snorted.
    'I might!' Freddy posed like a karate superhero, but
as he had to untwang his tights from his bum again,
it wasn't terribly convincing.
    'Hoo-aah!' Vinny suddenly leapt forward.
    'Argh!' Before he remembered to be brave, Freddy
jumped away and hurtled back into the ditch once
again.
    'Groof!' He landed on the mud and garbage, his
face glowing with shame. It had never been part of his
heroic plan to be a coward.
    Vinny and his friends stood on the edge of the
ditch looking down.
    'What a girl,' Vinny sneered. 'Not even worth
squishing.'
    'Yes, I am worth it!' Freddy scowled at them.
    Vinny laughed. 'Okay, so if I catch you outside
again, Cinders, you get squished. Stay inside your
school for sissies, if you know what's good for you.'
    With that the boys disappeared.
    Freddy climbed out of his ditch and watched the
boys racing off down the lane.
    'Bit of trouble, laddie?' Dougal shuffled up next to
him, and looked at the brown and green stains on
Freddy's dishevelled Charming outfit.
    'Nothing I couldn't handle,' Freddy declared.
    'They'll be the boys from the boot camp a mile
down the glen,' Dougal said.
    'Boot camp? That doesn't sound much fun.'
    'No, not at all,' the old man agreed. 'All army games:
canoeing, abseiling, rockclimbing and mountain
hiking. No place for a delicate wee lad like you.'
    'I'm not delicate, I'm tough!' Freddy roared.
    It was so unfair! Why couldn't he swap places with
Vinny? He'd give anything to be him, instead of Prince
Charming in tights. He was so glad his father couldn't
see him at that moment. He wasn't exactly saving his
pack from the danger he had placed them in. Well, at
least Flasheart was safe. As long as Freddy behaved
himself, his father was in no immediate danger.

    Chester Puceley had arrived back at Farfang Castle late
the previous evening. Mrs Mutton had been delighted
to see him – he was always so charming and polite.
    'My, my, Mrs Mutton, you look good enough to put
on a birthday cake.' The man smiled and stroked his
moustache.
    Mrs Mutton gave a shriek and slapped her leg.
'Get away with you!' She blushed like a girl. 'I'll make
you some tea.'
    Chester winked and walked towards the study.
Once there, his smile fell away and he locked the door.
He searched through the drawers of the desk.
    'Aha! Exactly where he said it would be.' He picked
up a small key, and placed it in his pocket.
    Chester opened the door once again and, after
listening to make sure Mrs Mutton was still busy in
the kitchen, he crossed the Great Hall and carefully
slipped through the large front door. In the light of
the three-quarter moon he crossed the bridge, walked
through the rose garden and into the woods. After a
few minutes he reached a clearing in which there was
a small stone hut with candlelight flickering inside.
Chester opened the door.
    'Do you have it? The key, sir! The key.' A large man
with bushy red eyebrows stepped forward into the
candlelight.
    'Yes, but do I have your word, Hotspur? Half the
Treasure of Bane will be mine?'
    'Yes, yes, of course – you have the