Before I start this story here, I feel like I should bring in some background on how this story came to be. While discussing Defenders of the Earth and the characters, Harry2 and I were talking about Flash Gordon's son Rick and how he comes across as one who lives his life on the straight and narrow and that could lead to a heart attack. Yep, even at 18 – 19 years old with the stress that is endured, a heart attack is still possible.
Disclaimer: Defenders of the Earth and all characters and franchise all belong to Marvel, King Features Entertainment, Hearst Entertainment, Mill Creek Entertainment, Alex Raymond and Lee Falk. Some dialogue is from "The Deadliest Battle" which is an episode written by Chuck Lorre.
Taken For Granted
Chapter One. Training Pressure
It was an ordinary day at Monitor, the home base of the Defenders of the Earth. Flash Gordon was training his son Rick as their teammates Lothar Kewabe and Kshin with the zuffoid Zuffy were watching in the Battle Stimulation Room.
"Come on Rick!" Flash shouted, "Move it! Let's see some hustle!"
"Just imagine how he would be like Swiss cheese if this were real." Lothar chuckled before the two men laughed.
"Don't listen to them, Rick!" Kshin shouted, "You're doing great!"
Zuffy babbled in agreement.
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"Watch your flank, Rick!" Flash shouted from the intercom, "Watch your flank!"
Rick walked down the corridors of the training room as he heard his father's voice until he noticed an ice soldier appearing before him and started to shoot at him.
Rick dodged, leap and fired at the opponent, destroying it in the process. Then he turned to see what appeared to be a woman walking down with a baby carriage at his sigh. This caused the young man to sigh in annoyance, "Are we done yet?"
"Not quite, son." Flash replied through the intercom.
The woman turned to a frost person and the carriage turned into a laser gun which shot Rick in the leg as he had let his guard down, "Ow!"
Rick prepared to fire back but was stopped by Flash as he, Lothar, Kshin and Zuffy arrived.
"Too late son," Flash told his son, "You're history."
"Hey, wait." Rick objected, "That's not fair."
"Fair?" Flash replied with a question, "When is the last time that Ming fought fair?"
"I know, but..." Rick started to say.
"No buts," Flash interrupted his son, "You should know this by now that it is do or die in the battles against Ming the Merciless, the same tyrant that killed your mother almost two years ago. I expect you to do better. Now, you still have flight simulator practice to get through."
"But Dad," Rick objected, "I have to study because we got finals still ongoing at school and I have to graduate."
"They're right." Lothar added, "Maybe we should give Rick the rest of the day off as I am doing with LJ and the Phantom with Jedda. After all, they do have finals to take part of."
"Nah, the boy can take it." Flash replied to both of them, "After all, he is the one and only son of Flash Gordon."
Rick groaned.
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Flash and Rick were at the flight stimulation room, practicing flight in a space ship.
"Don't push her!" Flash shouted to his son, "Let the throttle out! Ease her over! More! More!"
"Dad," Rick nearly sounded like he was dealing with fatigue and some sort of pain that has not been recognized yet, "I'm really tired, and I still got work to do."
"Robo ship at 12 o clock!" Flash exclaimed.
The father and son duo were bracing themselves for an attack from the ship.
"Pull up!" Flash exclaimed, "Pull up!"
Rick pulled the controls up as his father ordered.
"Snap roll!" Flash exclaimed, "Quick, snap roll!"
"What?" Rick slightly stammered, "I...I don't understand."
They were hit by a laser blast, which ended the stimulation for them, at least for this day. Lothar, Kshin and Zuffy all looked on in concern.
"What has really gotten into you today?" Flash asked in annoyance.
"I know what I am doing, Dad!" Rick exclaimed in act of stress, "I just need room to breathe, okay?"
"What has gotten into Rick?" Flash asked in confusion, "He is not sounding like himself."
Mandrake was startled as his teammate passed him by. He saw that he was sweating more than usual, which didn't seem to be a good sign as he had noticed. Then the magician saw that Rick was clutching his jaw as if he was in some sort of pain.
"Do you notice something is off about Rick?" Mandrake asked Lothar, "He seems more stressed out than usual. You don't think it has anything to do with finals, do you?"
"I am not sure." Lothar answered, "but it seems Flash over here is pushing Rick too much."
"Why are you saying that?" Flash asked.
"Well," Lothar answered, "It sounds like pressure to me. You know as well as we do that Rick, Jedda and LJ all have finals before they graduate high school."
"Flash," Mandrake told his friend and teammate, "I know that we should be prepared to face Ming's forces at all times but has it ever occurred to you that all this pressure that you are putting on Rick is bringing him stress which might overwhelm him, or worse..."
Flash looked up in silence as he took that into deep consideration. The black man did have a point. The last time he put Rick in this situation, he was caught up in drugs that a guy, a so called "friend" named Jerry gave him, who ended up getting suspended from school for dealing the drugs to Rick and others. Flash had no idea and was unaware that he may have already pushed his son Rick. Pushed him to the point where his health would be held in the balance.
To Be Continued...