"He's found us!" That's not what eleven-year-old Trevor Tate expects his mom to say when she gets his third suspension noticed in three months. He doesn't expect a robotic tentacle to shoot out of the bathtub and drag her through an otherworldly portal, either. Now to rescue Mom, Trevor must follow her to Nil-- a world of giant bugs, monstrous machines and disturbing lack of working toilets. Then there are the Dark Crows, an army of superkids who think Trevor is a legendary champion sent to save them from the tyrannical teens. To Trevor, those short temper has always branded him a bully, the idea that he could be anyone's night in shining armor is a pipe-dream. But while rescuing Mom, he uncovers a secret about his past that will forever tip the balance between the villain he was, and the hero he was meant to be.