Chapter 1
Another Day, Another Mission

"I think we have a really good chance this year," Betty said to her two best friends Paloma and Noah.

"So do I," agreed Paloma, and Noah nodded too.

"We haven't won for three years now," he said, "The first prize has to have our name on it this year. After all, this has got to be our best comic book yet." He held up the special edition of their comic book series, The Ruby Red Avenger.

The three friends were standing in a long line of students waiting to submit their entries for the annual comic book competition. Every year, the school held this competition in the stage room, and every year so far, Betty, Noah and Paloma had come so close to winning, but failed. The first two years, they had lost to the Osbourne twins, who were as good at comic-making as they were. Last year they had lost to Penelope, Megan and Sarah, for their comic book Pink Poodles, but Betty had a sneaking suspicion that Penelope had paid off Principal Peterson to make her win, because their comic book had been a thousand times better than Pink Poodles, and Penelope had been afraid she would lose. Betty certainly wouldn't put it past her. She remembered when Penelope had paid off their soccer referee to allow Penelope's team to cheat. But this year was the one. Betty could feel it.

"Hey, Betty," a shrill and irritating voice wavered through the air. Betty and her friends sighed. They knew that voice only too well. "Is that your entry?" sneered Penelope Lang, trotting up to them.

"Yes," Betty replied, firmly, holding up The Ruby Red Avenger: Special Edition. "You got a problem with that, Penelope?"

"Oh," Penelope sneered, "You must have gotten the wrong place! This line is for the comic book contest! The competition for garbage collecting isn't til next week!" She walked off, laughing her irritating high-pitched giggle.

Betty fumed. "If Penelope makes one more crack about our comics..." she seethed.

"She can be a real pain," Paloma agreed.

"Don't listen to her, Betty," Noah said, confidently, "I'm sure we're going to win this year."

Just at that moment, Betty's bracelet beeped. The galaxy needed her! "Still..." Betty said, thinking desperately of something to say, "Maybe I should make sure we're on the list. Just to double check." And with that, Betty shoved The Ruby Red Avenger: Special Edition into Noah's hands, then shot down the corridor and disappeared from view. Her two best friends watched after her.

"Do you ever wonder where she goes?" Noah asked Paloma, interestedly.

Paloma smiled deep inside. "No," she replied, with a twinkle in her eye.

The truth was, Paloma was an alien from the planet Sharbena, and Betty, or should she say Atomic Betty, was a Galactic Guardian, whose job it was to protect the galaxy from villains and evil doers. Only a few weeks ago had Atomic Betty and her friends rescued Paloma from her evil twin sister Pandora, and got her safely home to Earth. Now both girls had a friend to share their secrets with.

"Good luck, Atomic Betty," Paloma whispered to herself.

Betty shot down the corridor and skidded to a halt next to the janitor's closet. Quick as a whip, she flung open the door and leapt in. Making sure she was alone, Betty pressed the button on her bracelet, and a hologram of her commander Admiral DeGill appeared.

"Atomic Betty reporting for duty!" said Betty, saluting.

"Atomic Betty!" exclaimed DeGill, "We need you! Maximus I.Q. is obliterating planets near his citadel in V Quadrant! He must be stopped!"

"I'm on my way!" Betty saluted!

"OK, how did I get wrapped up in this again?" wondered Atomic Betty, half an hour later, struggling against the metal bonds and looking at Maximus I.Q.'s ultimate vaporising ray, which was pointing straight at her face.

It had been another casual and ordinary mission. Maximus had been doing what he did best and in going to stop him, Betty had been lured into yet another of his elaborate traps. Again. Honestly, that supervillain really did have absolutely no intention of giving up. Until Betty was destroyed, and the universe was his, he would just come up with plan after plan after plan to get what he wanted. Betty had always foiled him, of course, but there had been many close calls. And now seemed to be another one.

"Finally!" Maximus purred, evilly, flicking some switches on the control panel, "After all these years, I can finally dispose of this wretched Galactic Guardian!" Maximus's whiskers twitched excitedly as his eyes bored down on his redheaded Galactic Guardian nemesis, "I told you I'd get you one day!" he smirked, "And that day is today!"

Betty struggled against her bonds, but it was no use. "You won't get away with this!" she yelled!

Maximus laughed. "Oh, but I—"

"—already have," cut in Betty, "I know. You say that practically every time we meet."

Maximus scowled. "Say goodbye to your wretched life!" he snapped, "For this will be the last thing you shall ever see! Mwahahahahaha!" And with that, Maximus jammed his hand onto the activating button on his vaporising ray.

Betty's eyes widened in fear as the vaporising ray warmed up! One blast of that thing and she would be reduced to confetti, and there would be nobody to stop Maximus! If she messed up now, the universe was doomed! She frantically struggled against her bonds, until she felt the metal scrape against her bracelet.

Betty suddenly had an idea! "Engage buzzsaw!" she ordered her bracelet.

A buzzsaw with razor-sharp edges popped out of it, and as it did so, it ripped apart the bond holding her left hand! It was the work of a moment to slice through the other bonds before the vaporising ray fired!

Betty gasped and threw out her hand! Her bracelet shield activated and took the full blast from the ray, almost knocking Betty back, but protecting her!

Maximus laughed. "You think you can protect yourself with that mere trinket!" he jeered, and with a flick of his fingers, he pumped up the power of the vaporising ray to full throttle!

Betty struggled to stay up as the blast got stronger. Then she had an idea. "Heat-seeking missiles!" she shouted! Her bracelet ejected three bright red missiles, which headed right for Maximus's control panel! There was a huge CRASH! and the floor was littered with the remains of the vaporising ray!

"No!" bellowed Maximus in fury, "Curse you, Atomic Betty!"

"No matter how many times you try, Maximus, good will always prevail over evil!" Betty shouted, defiantly, aiming her bracelet lazer at him.

"Chief! Up here!" exclaimed a voice from above!

Betty looked up to see her red starcruiser hovering above them, and Sparky hollering out the entrance!

"Quick! Beam me up!" exclaimed Betty, frantically.

"NO!" bellowed Maximus! He shoved his hand inside his robe for his spare death ray, but it was too late; Betty's starcruiser beamed her up and shot away from Maximus's citadel like a bolt of lightning.

"Great timing, boys!" exclaimed Betty, as their starcruiser shot away from the citadel and headed towards Earth.

"I do my best," replied Sparky, smugly.

"Noah! Paloma!" called Betty, running over and joining her two best friends in the group of kids who had entered their comic books into the contest a few minutes later.

"Hey, Betty," said Noah, "So where were you?"

"Uhhhh...it's kind of a long story," said Betty, uncertainly.

"Oh really?" said Noah, "Then do tell."

"Quiet, you two!" whispered Paloma, "Principal Peterson's about to announce the winner!"

Thanks, Paloma, thought Betty, in relief, That was close.

"And the winner of this year's comic book contest is..." said Principal Peterson.

The whole crowd held their breath.

"...The Ruby Red Avenger: Special Edition!" announced Principal Peterson, "Betty, Noah, Paloma! Come up and get your prize!"

The three friends' jaws dropped! For a moment, they thought they had heard wrong. With looks of pure delight, they hurried forward!

"We won!" squealed Paloma, as the three besties headed up onto the stage, "We won!"

They reached the stage and Principal Peterson handed Betty a large golden trophy.

"I have to say, you three," Principal Peterson said to the three friends, "You really knocked this comic book contest right out of the rink. How in the world did you come up with all those ideas of aliens and space monsters?"

"Oh, that wasn't hard," chirped Betty, innocently, sharing a knowing glance with Paloma, "It all just came naturally."