Chapter Twelve. Labyrinth of Danger
Rick had found himself in a room, but it wasn't the palace room as he thought it was. It looked something like the Hall of Inquisition, and Ming was waiting for him there. The young Defender had no clue what was going to be in store for him this time around.
"So young Defender," Ming greeted the young blonde, "I take it that you are wondering what is in store for you."
"Feel free to save me the suspense." Rick sarcastically replied.
"We are going to let you live," Ming announced, "at least for the time being, we have something in store for you in regards to one of my traps for your father and the rest of the Defenders. Place him at the machine. Flash will see his son again, but probably for the last time."
"No!" Rick objected, "I am not about to let you use me to kill the others!"
"You do not have a choice in the matter." Ming replied as Astra's lizard soldiers dragged Rick onto the machine, forcibly seated him and strapped his arms at the machinery. He looked to see two lasers pointed at opposite sides of his head as the last of the strapping being his head was complete.
"Now that we got you seated in," Ming declared, "We can use the inquisitor to project your image onto one of the traps meant for Flash Gordon. Activate the inquisitor!"
An ice soldier that was standing next to the machine turned on the switch which would activate the inquisitor. When Rick was first hit with the rays, he resisted as he refused to give in to the power.
"No!" Rick exclaimed through the extortion of resisting to the control of the inquisitor, "No! I will not give in to you, Ming! I will not be the one who kills my father and the others! I will never do it! Never!"
"Soon you will have a different answer as resisting will become too much for you to bear."
"I...I would...rather die."
"But you will not die. Not yet."
Rick yelled in pain before groaning, "Dad. Please. Do not listen."
Then he closed his eyes as the power of the projection was about to take full effect.
"Good." Ming stated, "Right on time too. Flash and his group should be on the spot any time now."
Flash, Zarkov, Baylin and Castra walked through their area of this mysterious maze as they were unaware of the trap that was about to become set for them.
"I just know that Ming will not let our mission to save your loved ones go with success." Baylin spoke up.
"That is with no doubt, Baylin." Flash replied, "Astra and Shanna want revenge against me, and this time how they are getting revenge is personal."
"Flash, look!" Castra exclaimed, pointing at something. Everyone looked to see what appeared to be Rick and he was standing before the group.
"Rick?!" Flash was in complete shock as was Zarkov and Castra, but Baylin's instincts were telling her otherwise, and little did they know her instincts would be correct. What they were seeing before them was actually a holographic image of Rick Gordon set up by Ming in an attempt to keep the group from advancing through the maze. If they went to the opposite direction, a deadly trap would be in store for the group that they would have no chance of escaping.
"No." Baylin walked in front of Flash, "That is not your son and you know that."
"Father," "Rick" pleaded with his father, "You and the others must go back or this force field will destroy me."
"You know Ming has the power of illusion just as Mandrake does." Baylin insisted, "We cannot allow Ming to have his way."
"You must save yourselves." "Rick" pleaded, "Stop Ming. Leave me here!"
"I will not leave you, son." Flash replied, thinking the illusion was the real thing.
"We cannot advance, Flash." Zarkov stated, "We will kill your son if we do."
"What will we do then?" Castra asked.
"You have to listen." Baylin insisted to the group, "All of you! I can tell whether or not that is Rick's scent! That is how I can tell that what you guys are seeing is not Rick Gordon! I do not detect his scent anywhere!"
"You are a Verden." Castra stated, "That is why you are able to easily pick up one person's scent, correct?"
"That is right."
The group looked on in surprise to see an explosion at the opposite side of where they were standing.
"Ming has gone too far this time!" Flash exclaimed in anger, "Trying to use my own son against me."
"We must hurry to find where Rick really is as well as your parents." Zarkov replied calmly.
"You are right." Flash nodded.
"Come on." Baylin told the others. The image of Rick screamed as Flash, Baylin, Zarkov and Castra advanced past it and then the image vanished.
"Good. They are...okay." Rick stated in between breaths, "Thank God. Thank..."
He then passed out while still in bondage of the inquisitor.
"Flash did not believe the illusion!" Ming exclaimed in anger.
"How is that possible?!" Shanna added in annoyance.
"You should have known that they have a Verden in their group." Astra answered, "She is not as easily fooled by these illusions as you should know."
"It does not matter." Ming replied, "There are plenty of other ways to bring the Defenders of the Earth to meet their end and that is what I intend to do."
The Phantom, Jedda, Kisa and Barin were wandering down their area of the maze. Jedda appeared to be worried.
"Is everything alright, Jedda?" the Phantom asked his daughter.
"I am worried about Rick, father." Jedda answered, "I know that we have all been captured by Ming and his forces in the past, but I just have this feeling that what he might do, what Astra, or even what Shanna might do, could be something...I just cannot describe the feeling."
"Do not worry, Jedda." Barin tried assuring the young lady, "Rick is the son of Flash Gordon, and I am sure no matter what they do to him, he will be okay."
"I know that, but something just does not feel right."
"If it makes you feel better, daughter, I feel the same way." the Phantom replied. Suddenly, Kisa growled in anger as if there was danger coming this way.
"What is wrong, Kisa?" Jedda asked her panther, "Danger coming?"
"It looks as if we must prepare to fight." Barin declared. Seconds later, a group of ice soldiers and clay men appeared before the group and they were ready to attack.
"You spoke correctly, Barin." the Phantom replied as he and Jedda prepared to fight along with Barin.
Mandrake, Kshin, Kendra, Zuffy and Vultan walked through their area of the maze, wondering how they will be able to get out of the maze alive. They were certain they would escape alive, but how remained a mystery. Mandrake had something else on his mind in the meantime.
"Kendra?" Mandrake addressed the newest Defender.
"Yes, Mandrake?" Kendra replied.
"I wanted to thank you for defending Kshin and Zuffy from those ice soldiers back there," Mandrake said, "I was not able to and I was glad that you was able to."
"Hey. Nothing to it." Kendra replied, "I was the closest to him after all. I have no idea why, but Kshin reminds me a little bit of my younger siblings: Alexa and David. I used to have to look after them especially after my Mom started dating Frank shortly after my Dad's death. They had no one else to turn to."
"It must have been hard on you guys." Kshin stated. Zuffy stated in agreement.
"But you have nothing to worry about anymore lass!" Vultan replied, "You will be in good company with Flash Gordon's friends! Ha ha ha!"
"Thank you, Vultan, and I think Alexa would have loved to meet you, Zuffy."
Zuffy slightly blushed in response.
Mandrake got everyone quiet as he could tell that danger was on its way at any given moment.
Lo and behold, he would be right, a group of ice soldiers and clay men appeared on the scene, ready to attack.
Lothar, LJ, Tavrok and Thun walked through their area of the maze.
"So how long have you known Flash?" LJ asked Thun.
"I helped Flash against Ming after we realized we were both enemies of the evil tyrant." Thun answered.
"I am pretty sure that the leader of the Lion men is not really interested in small talk, LJ." Lothar told his son.
"It is alright." Thun answered, "We must search for a way out of this maze to stop Ming!"
"I just hope that Castra is alright." Tavrok stated as he was worried about his lover.
"Princess Castra will be okay." Thun assured him, "If she is with Flash, then she is in good hands."
"I hope so."
"You will not stop the Emperor Ming! We will see to that!"
Lothar, LJ and Thun looked to see ice soldiers and clay men appear before them, ready to fight the group.
"The witch's clay men!" Thun exclaimed.
"They used to be Queen Aura's clay men." Tavrok stated.
"And Ming's ice soldiers as well." Lothar added.
"Ming and his forces are not gonna hold up!" LJ added.