Chapter Seventeen. The Hardest Battle

Flash, the Phantom, Jedda, Kisa, Lothar, LJ, Kendra, Baylin, Zarkov, Tavrok and Thun were venturing further into the castle, searching for Rick, hoping to get through to him.

"I am hoping that Mandrake's plan worked," Zarkov stated, "Whatever that plan may be."

"Knowing Mandrake," Flash replied, "it must be some illusion of some sort to help us win this tough battle."

"I know Mandrake will be successful in whatever he is planning with Shanna." Baylin assured the group. Suddenly, Kisa growled in anger.

"I hope that he makes it quick." Jedda stated, "because I sense something evil, something hostile that is coming this way."

"What kind of danger?" Kendra asked, "It is not like the danger will appear behind us."

As if on cue, one of the clay men appeared from behind the newest member of the Defenders of the Earth and grabbed her, causing her to yelp in response. Then the clay person tossed Kendra as she landed onto LJ causing them both to fall.

"Are you guys alright?" Lothar asked.

"Yeah, Dad." LJ answered.

"I think so." Kendra added.

"So, you were saying?" Jedda chided as the rest of the claymen appeared.

"You looking for me, father?" the leading claymen spoke in what sounded like Rick's voice, except that it was slightly altered, almost robotic.

"That voice!" Baylin stated in surprise, "It cannot be!"

"Rick!" Flash exclaimed.

"He is one of Astra's clay slaves!" Jedda exclaimed, "I had no idea that he would still have his own voice."

"You are right Jedda." Baylin replied, "Rick still has his own voice somehow, but because of the mutations, it has been slightly altered."

"That is correct, ladies."

Astra arrived at the corridor where the heroes were standing, "He is under my control now, serving Ming."

"My cousin will serve no one of the kind!" Kendra exclaimed as she was annoyed with the evil princess, "We are going to see to that!"

"We shall see indeed." Astra replied before instructing Rick and the rest of the clay people, "Destroy the Defenders of the Earth! All of them!"

"As you command." the claymen replied.

"Now Rick," LJ stated as one of the clay people, that being Rick, came for him to attack him, "Do not do anything hostile here."

Rick approached his friend and grabbed him, picked him up and tossed him to the wall.

"Rick! Stop this!" Flash exclaimed.

"Your father is right." the Phantom added, "We are on the same team. You have got to help us."

"You are a Defender, just as we are!" Lothar added in, "You have got to help us!"

"I serve Ming and his forces." Rick replied.

"What will we do?" Kendra asked.

"We will need to find Mandrake!" Flash answered, "and regroup with a new plan!"

"Flash is right." Thun replied, "the magician might be able to help us save Flash's young cub."

The heroes fled the area to search for Mandrake.

"They will not get far!" Astra exclaimed.

Flash, Baylin, the Phantom, Jedda, Kendra, Kisa, Lothar, LJ, Tavrok and Thun managed to arrive at the palace room where they met up with both Mandrake and Shanna.

"I was able to get through to Shanna." Mandrake told the others, "She is on our side now."

"Your plan has worked." Tavrok replied, "and it seems not a moment too soon."

"Let me guess," Shanna stated, "We need to save Rick Gordon?"

"That is correct." Flash nodded.

"I will do what I can."

"You traitor!" Astra exclaimed as she and the clay men arrived at the scene.

"You lost an ally," Kendra replied, "Deal with it."

"Now is not the time to taunt." Flash told his niece, "We still are not out of the woods."

"You are correct Flash Gordon," Astra declared, "and all of you, even the traitor will be destroyed by my clay people. Including Flash's own son. Destroy the Defenders of the Earth once and for all!"

"As you command, Princess Astra." the clay people replied.

"They are not going to let up!" Kendra exclaimed.

"You are right about that." Flash replied.

"I got a plan." Mandrake told the group, "I will use my wand to help Shanna knock out all the clay people that is not Rick so that we can get through to him easier."

There were 12 clay people in total. The plan would be to knock out a few to even the odds while the others fought with other clay people, Flash would try and get through to his son.

"Are you ready?" Mandrake asked Shanna.

"Ready." Shanna nodded. The magician lifted his wand and Shanna lifted her staff, and they both emitted energy which knocked out each clay person until there was only one left for each of the heroes to fight against, including Rick.

"Good." LJ stated, "We have now evened the odds."

"Great light show, Mandrake." Baylin told the magician.

"It was nothing." Mandrake took off his hat briefly, "Shanna helped me as well."

LJ was able to easily defeat one of the clay people with his martial arts skills. Lothar was able to defeat his clay person opponent using his super strength. Tavrok and Thun were easily able to defeat their respective opponents, as did Baylin. Jedda used her telepathic abilities to subdue her opponents and even Kisa defeated a clay person. Kendra struggled a little bit at first, but she managed to find a pole that was nearby and knocked out her clay person opponent. She stood up in victory.

"That should teach you not to mess with me!" Kendra chided.

Shanna and Mandrake on the other hand had issues. Despite their abilities, the two hostile clay people were able to overwhelm them.

"Mandrake!" Kendra cried.

"Oh no you don't!" Jedda exclaimed before using her bracelet to knock out both clay people, helping out her friends, "That should do the trick!"

"This is getting nowhere!" Astra exclaimed in anger, "Rick, destroy your father!"

"As you command." Rick replied. The son began his fight with his father. The fight ended up getting to the point where Rick was strangling Flash.

"This is not good." Kendra stated, "my cousin will kill Uncle Flash if we do not do something!"

"Leave this to me, Kendra." Mandrake replied before using hypnotic power to try and get through to Rick, "Rick, listen! You are a Defender! Listen to me, Rick!"

The hypnotic influence released Flash from Rick's tight grip as the clay person was groaning in pain, "No. No! No! Ugh!"

"Let me help." Jedda stepped in and used her telepathic powers to get through to her best friend/lover, "Rick, it is us. We are your friends, your family, your allies. We love you. We need you back. I need you back."

Even as a clay person, Rick could recognize Jedda, "Huh? J...Jedda? Jedda."

"Rick," Flash comforted his son, "you will be alright, son. We are going to reverse this."

"Your Dad is right." Kendra nodded in agreement, "You will be fine again. I know it."

"Help me. Somebody." Rick pleaded.

"Hang in there, Rick." Jedda approached her friend, "It will be alright. We are here."

"No!" Astra yelled in anger, "I forbid this! Destroy Flash Gordon and the Defenders! Do as I say!"

Astra used her bracelet to try to get Rick back under her control.

"No!" Jedda cried, "You leave him alone, Astra! Pendant of Mystery, give me your power. Reverse what has been done to Rick!"

Jedda's counter attack worked, and Rick had been turned back into normal, but as a result, Rick passed out from the massive strain on his mind.

"Rick!" Flash caught his son before he could hit the floor, "He passed out. The strain was too much for him."

"Will he be okay?!" Kendra asked in worry.

"He will be alright." Mandrake answered, "We just need to get him out of here. There is no need to worry."

"Mandrake is right. Rick will not be harmed by Astra ever again." Flash stated as he picked his son up in his arms.

"None of you will make it out of here alive!" Astra exclaimed as a couple of the clay people appeared to have recovered and this time some ice soldiers were with them.