Beetle Power! by Joe Miller Page B

to be ruled by me and live peacefully among us. I wish I could be the one to fight this last battle, but I’m too old. So, one of you must step up to the challenge as my champion.”
    Zap’s antennae prickled with nerves as he looked around the crowd, waiting for some bigcourageous bug to raise his or her wing. But most of them looked at the ground, shuffling their legs.
    Zap sensed he was being watched. He turned to see the grasshopper gazing at him. Out of all the bugs here, he was the one Gonzo was looking at. Zap might be the smallest bug in the wood, but Gonzo often told him that he was the bravest.
    This is it , thought Zap. This is what he’s been training me for .

    Zap took a deep breath and flew up next to the grasshopper. “I’ll do it,” he said. “Even if I have to face Spinner alone.”
    The crowd gasped.
    â€œThank you,” said Gonzo.
    Lurch scrambled up the rock, quickly followed by Buzz and Crunch.
    â€œYou daft weevil,” said Lurch. “As if we’re going to let you do this by yourself!”
    â€œNo chance,” said Crunch.
    The crowd began to cheer.
    â€œBug Buddies are the best,” cried Willy the wasp beetle.
    â€œSpinner doesn’t stand a chance!” shouted Mazie the millipede.
    Zap felt proud to have such loyalfriends. But he wondered whether the Bug Buddies had taken on too much this time.
    â€œWhat have I got us into?” he said to himself, as a group of ants crawled over to wish them good luck.

    After all, Spinner would do anything to become leader of the wood. Could they really stop him?

  
    When everyone had finished wishing them good luck, Zap turned to the other Bug Buddies.
    â€œWe need to work out how we’re going to find Spinner,” he said. “We’ve flown all over the wood today and didn’t see him once.”
    â€œI’ll try my best to find his trail,” said Lurch. “But he and his spider friends have pooped everywhere!”
    Gonzo pointed towards the space in front of the crowd.
    â€œSay hello to my relatives,” he said, “the speckled bush crickets.”
    Zap watched as a group of bugs suddenly appeared and crawled up on to the rock. They had plump, grass-green bodies with a brown stripe down their backs. Their long, wispy antennae swayed in the breeze.
    â€œPleased to meet you, sir,” said a cricket, lifting his front leg to salute Zap. “I’m Sergeant Stealth.”

    â€œThe crickets can camouflage themselves, so they’re perfect detectives,” said Gonzo. “And detective skills are just what you need to find that spider.”
    â€œGreat,” said Zap, smiling at the crickets. “The more help, the better.”
    Captain Drone, leader of the bees, flew forward. “My bees can safeguard the bugs from attack while you’re gone,” he said.
    Snap, the leader of the green tiger beetles, waved his legs from the back of the crowd. “And the tiger beetles will help too,” he called.

    â€œThanks,” said Zap, pleased to know everyone was in safe hands. “OK, Bug Buddies, let’s go!”
    With cheers from the crowd, the Bug Buddies and the crickets headed off. Lurch led the way, hurriedly following the black spots through the grass. The bush crickets moved silently alongside the Bug Buddies.
    â€œI never thought I’d be following poo through the wood,” said Buzz, disgusted.
    â€œWe’re honorary dung beetles for the day!” joked Zap.
    They were about to enter a patch of shrubs when Lurch stopped.
    â€œThe trail has run dry,” he said. Then his antennae pricked up. “What’s that squeaking sound?”
    The crickets rushed into the shrubs to investigate, their camouflage making them instantly disappear.
    Zap and his friends glanced at each other, then waited patiently by the shrubs.
    It wasn’t long before Sergeant Stealth and the crickets returned,along with a group