Ragtag Team (Slamdown Town Book 2) , livre ebook

ABRAMS BOOKS - Nicoll Maxwell Nicoll

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134 pages

English

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It's time for a tag team as Big Chew jumps back into the ring Ollie and Tamiko saved Slamdown Town, and wrestling is popular again! The rise in popularity draws two newbies to the ring: the Krackle Kiddos, Linton Krackle's son and daughter. They may be puny middle schoolers, but they're somehow unbeatable. Something's fishy about Linton's kids...and it's not just the prize crackle fish on display at Krackle Manor. Soon the son and daughter of the Slamdown Town CEO are changing the arena into something it's not. This identical duo is up to no good, and no one-not even the The Referee or Werewrestler-can stop them. No one, that is, until Tamiko transforms into Game Over-the combo-savvy wrestler with a flair for turning her opponents into a pile of pixels. When Ollie joins Game Over as Big Chew, the two best friends become the Ragtag Team. They determine to find out the truth behind the Krackle Kiddos' winning streak and give them a run for their money in the ring while they're at it. Being tag team partners with your best friend is awesome...but when it comes down to it, can Ollie and Tamiko make for the kind of winning combo that sniffs out clues and takes down the competition?

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Publié par	ABRAMS BOOKS
Date de parution	16 février 2021
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781683359456
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0674€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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PUBLISHER S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Nicoll, Maxwell, author. | Smith, Matthew, author.
Title: Ragtag team / by Maxwell Nicoll and Matthew Smith.
Description: New York : Amulet Books, 2021. | Series: Slamdown Town ; 2 |
Audience: Ages 8 to 12. | Summary: When Tamiko is transformed into Game Over, she and best friend Ollie, as Big Chew, team up to face Slamdown Town tag-team champions the Krackle Kiddos, but will their friendship survive?
Identifiers: LCCN 2020019061 | ISBN 9781419745942 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781419745959 (paperback) | ISBN 9781683359456 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Wrestling-Fiction. | Best friends-Fiction. | Friendship-Fiction. |
Brothers-Fiction. | Magic-Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ71.N536 Rag 2021 | DDC [Fic]-dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019061
Text and illustrations 2021 Abrams Jacket illustrations by Christian Garland Book design by Brenda E. Angelilli
Published in 2021 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Amulet Books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below.
Amulet Books is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ABRAMS The Art of Books 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007 abramsbooks.com
To Ryan, Olivia, and Lindsey, our original tag team partners

CHAPTER 1
TAMIKO
100,000 points.
That was the high score Tamiko Tanaka was trying-no- going to beat today.
Bionic Unicycle Racing II, The Quest for Dinner, Porcupine Heist . She held the high score on every game in Slamdown Town Arena s decrepit arcade room.
Except for one.
Brawlmania Supreme , the retro eight-bit wrestling brawler, was Tamiko s greatest gaming challenge. Being the only wrestling-focused game in an arcade set in a wrestling arena naturally made it popular, but the game was infamous for being extremely difficult. There were rumors that it was unbeatable, like the video game version of a claw machine.
Tamiko had no problem wrestling her way to the game s final opponent, the dreaded and diabolical Buff Boss. After years of practice, she could even get there with one quarter.
But the problem was actually beating the eight-bit menace.
She strolled across the stained, mildewed carpet, past beeping machines, clacking air hockey pucks, and screaming kids. With each step, she prepared herself for today s victory.
Nothing would get in her way. That is, except for the fresh-faced fourth grader who had the audacity to be playing her game when she arrived.
Get out of my way, newbie! she yelled.
The boy s eyes went wide when he saw her. Sorry, he squeaked, and scurried off.
He hadn t even finished playing, but everyone knew Brawlmania Supreme belonged to T-A-M, the three letters that held every place in the top ten list except for number one.
That belonged to D-E-V, the game s original developers. For years, she d climbed the ranks, creeping closer and closer to the first-place position. She d grown to despise those three letters and the sinister creators behind them who knowingly made a game that would eat your quarters and ask for seconds, all while dangling victory in front of your face.
As Tamiko planted her sneakers in front of the game, a familiar greeting flashed across the screen:
ARE YOU READY FOR BRAWLMANIA SUPREME?
You bet your pixely butt, I am, she muttered.
The sounds of retro music and the murmurs of the other gamers in the room faded away. As was tradition, she pulled up her lucky sock-the only one she was wearing-and blew a strand of tangled hair out of her face. She took a quarter out of her oversized pocket and placed it in the machine. The coin landed with a satisfying clink in the bowels of the arcade cabinet.
A list of playable characters filled the screen. Tamiko yanked the semi-functional joystick over to her preferred choice, the mysterious masked wrestler Miss Creant. She wore all black from head to toe and boasted a high-flying, high-energy move set that allowed Tamiko to control the ring. Tamiko slapped the worn attack buttons, gritted her teeth, and readied herself for action.
Quick maneuvering and intense button-mashing tapped out her first-round opponent, the commander of the ring, Staff Sergeant Stryker. She pinned the jokester Hyena-whose constant laughing fits crackled out of the speakers-with a flashy animated combo. And the letters K.O. flashed on-screen after she hit the heroic Sammy Slamdown with Miss Creant s special attack, a Heinous Hangman, by spinning her joystick and tapping both buttons at the same time.
The text on the screen issued a warning that sent goose bumps up her arms:
PREPARE FOR FINAL MATCH!
Her skills had brought her, once again, to the big, bad, pixelated champion.
The Buff Boss, muttered Tamiko under her breath.
He was big, he was buff, and he wore a suit and carried a briefcase.
So the boss of the game is a literal boss? asked a voice from behind her.
Tamiko whipped around, ready to tear into the person responsible for ruining her concentration. Instead of one culprit, she found a dozen onlookers surrounding her.
Of course the boss of Brawlmania Supreme is a literal boss! said Tamiko.
She used to be able to game in peace, but not since she, her best friend Ollie, and his brother Hollis saved Slamdown Town from closing a few months ago. New fans continued to flock to the arena ever since, and that meant having to deal with fresh-faced newbies hogging her game and gawking bystanders messing up her focus.
Stand back, everyone! she said, raising her hands in the air. Professional gaming is serious business. I wouldn t want any of you to get hurt .
Tamiko grinned as the onlookers took two steps back. Part of her liked having a crowd. But the other part of her realized she needed to focus and forget the annoying onlookers.
GAME ON!
On-screen, Miss Creant bashed Buff Boss with a Corrupt Chokeslam that left her opponent dazed and confused. Tamiko yanked the joystick back to avoid the Buff Boss s Briefcase Beatdown before leaping forward and attacking with a Monstrous Moonsault Combo. A siren wailed as Buff Boss trapped Miss Creant in a Business Meeting Hold. With her sweaty, aching palms, Tamiko smashed the attack buttons to escape. She twirled the joystick, tapped both buttons simultaneously, and rammed an Enraged Elbow straight into Buff Boss s gut.
EPIC MOVE!
She timed her attacks to perfection and evaded incoming blows with practiced ease. Behind her, the crowd grew anxious, all eyes trained on her rising score.
She s going to do it!
POWER UP!
This is it! thought Tamiko. Buff Boss began to blink, which meant two things. First, that a few more well-timed hits would finish him off. But second-and more important-that he had transformed into a super version of himself, one that could end the match in just one move.
Before she could react, Buff Boss crossed the ring and grabbed Miss Creant.
No, no, no! she whispered.
It was too late. He lifted Miss Creant high above his head. Tamiko watched, helpless, as Buff Boss slammed her character onto the mat and pinned her. She tapped the buttons as quickly as she could to try to break free, but the in-game ref called the pinfall.
GAME OVER
She looked at her score: 95,052.
I was so close! said Tamiko. She dug into her pockets and found them empty. Oh great. And now I m out of quarters! Show s over, everyone.
Her gaggle of newly acquired fans dispersed. Fame was fickle and fleeting, but it didn t bother her. She d try again next weekend. For now, all that gaming had worked up an appetite.
She made her way out of the arcade, eager to find her best friend and gather as many snacks as her arms could carry.
CHAPTER 2
OLLIE
Hey! That s not fair. I ve been waiting in line for ten minutes!
Ollie Evander really needed to pee. But as he danced back and forth in the long line for the bathroom, it became painfully clear that, one, he would need to hold it; and two, that eighth graders were just as annoying at the arena as they were at school.
What are you going to do about it, sixth grader? demanded the eighth grader who had pushed his way past Ollie toward the front of the line. Cry to your mommy?
I m not a crybaby, said Ollie.
The eighth grader ignored him. Actually, when you do, get her to sign this. He shoved an autograph book into Ollie s hands. The Referee is my favorite wrestler. Now outta my way!
Ollie instinctively reached for the magic gum in his back pocket. The second he tossed it into his mouth and chewed, he d transform into Big Chew, the giant wrestler with arms the size of dump trucks. Then he d give that eighth grader something to cry to his mommy about.
Only, there wasn t a wad of sticky gum in his pocket. A bit of lint, yes, and a hardened, been-through-the-wash piece of paper that he d been doodling on-but no gum.
Right , he remembered. I gave it up.
The sound of a flushing toilet brought him back to reality. He bounced up and down, trying to see over the heads in front of him and think of anything other than having to pee.
Gotta pee! said another eighth grader as he cut in line.
Grrr, said Ollie.
He opened the autograph book and thumbed past pages of hastily scratched wrestler signatures. On the first blank page he saw, he scribbled a drawing of Big Chew wrestling a