Chapter Fifteen. Rick's transformation to a Clayman
The Defenders made their plan to divide into two groups. One group would go into the castle to rescue Rick while the other group would remain on the ship in case Ming's forces decided to attack and go after Flash's parents again.
"Barin, I am counting on you to protect my parents." Flash told the lion man before glancing over at the hawkmen leader as well, "You and Vultan are strong and I am sure you two are capable of protecting my parents."
"No problem, Flash my friend. Ha ha ha!" Vultan replied, "I will be glad to protect your parents!"
"It will be an honor for me to protect your parents, Flash." Barin added, "Are you certain that is what you want me to do, my friend?"
"Yes," Flash nodded, "I am certain. Thun, you will be joining me in saving my son."
"With pleasure, Flash." Thun replied.
"Kshin, I need you and Zuffy to stay on this ship as well." Mandrake told the youngest Defender.
"I know," Kshin replied, "so that I can be safe."
"Jedda and I are going with you Flash!" LJ exclaimed, "Rick is our friend! He will need all the help he can get!"
"LJ is right." Jedda nodded in agreement.
"I am coming too!" Kendra declared.
"I do not think that will be a good idea." Flash told his niece.
"Oh my god!" Kendra exclaimed, "I am not helpless, uncle!"
"I understand you are protective of Kendra and do not want anything to happen to her," Mandrake suggested, "but might I suggest that she comes with us to save Rick? I have seen her in action and she was brilliant!"
"Yeah." Kshin added, "Kendra beat the daylights out of those ice robots and we were able to get out of the maze with ease thanks to her."
Zuffy exclaimed in agreement.
"Alright. I guess it would not hurt to have Kendra along." Flash replied, "Just remember to be careful. Got it?"
"I hear you loud and clear, uncle." Kendra replied.
"Steven," Norah told her son, "You be careful and return our grandson safely to us."
"And that I shall, Mother." Flash nodded, "I shall do just that. I want you two to be safe. I love you."
"We love you too, son." Lawrence replied before Flash's group returned to the castle to find Rick, unaware of what was about to happen to their young friend. The group found themselves face to face with ice soldiers.
"You have got to be kidding me!" LJ exclaimed.
"It is just one obstacle we can overcome." Kendra replied.
"By jungle law, the ghost who walks calls forth the power of ten tigers!" the Phantom called forth his powers and that took down most of the guards of the castle. LJ and Lothar used their strength to defeat the ice soldiers and even Kisa took some down as well.
"That seemed a little too easy." Kendra stated.
"I only hope that we're not too late to save Rick." Jedda stated.
"Where do we even start to look?" LJ asked.
Suddenly, Ming appeared on a holographic image to the heroes, "You shall look no further, Defenders of the Earth."
"Ming!" Tavrok exclaimed in anger.
"You are about to find out just how I am about to rob you of the planet Earth." Ming told the heroes.
"And just what are you going to do this time?" Flash asked as his patience was wearing thin. Kendra had a strange feeling, feeling tension coming as she felt a knot in her throat.
"While Shanna and Astra placed you in the maze," Ming explained, "my troops gathered all the material needed to create a solar bomb, one powerful enough to bring your planet to ruin."
"It must have been another reason Ming wanted to distract us." Zarkov said.
"It was to prevent us from stopping him from collecting the material he needed for this bomb. He succeeded in that."
"Where is my son, Ming?" Flash demanded, "What have you done to him?!"
Then Astra appeared on screen, "You may not worry, Flash Gordon. Your son has not been harmed. We have decided to let him live, serving Ming as one of my hostile clay slaves."
"What?!" Flash exclaimed in shock as he saw his unconscious son laying on what looked like an altar of some kind.
"Stop this." Baylin demanded, "You cannot do this!"
"Oh? But I can." Astra replied. Suddenly, Rick started to come to as he saw his father on screen where he was at.
"Dad!" Rick exclaimed hopefully, "You're alright!"
"Rick!" Flash exclaimed. The young Defender was caught off guard as Astra prepared to turn him into one of her clay slaves.
"Mortori tae salut!" Astra chanted before spreading her dust on him. Rick screamed a bit before transforming into one of Astra's clay men.
"No! Rick!" Flash cried as the screen turned off and Mandrake and Baylin grabbed him. Lothar
"I can't believe it!" Jedda exclaimed.
"Rick is a clay person!" LJ added.
"My cousin has turned into one of those clay monsters!" Kendra added.
"We cannot despair." Baylin told the group, "We will get Rick back, have him to come back to us and we will reverse what has been done to him. I promise you that."