Chapter Eight
"I think Felicia is jealous," April spoke up.
Everyone eyed her in response.
"Now what makes you say that?" Joe asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" April quipped, "Tori is a flippin genius, and what does Felicia have?"
"Felicia manipulates people," Duncan answered, "she probably manipulated David too."
"Even then," April stated, "I believe those two, David and Felicia, deserve each other, based on what you guys told us."
"If either of them hurt Richie," Tori stated, "let alone Felicia, so help them."
"You might get your chance," Duncan replied.
"Dad, are we there yet?" April asked.
"Just about it," Flash answered, "Ice Station Earth is dead ahead."
"And that bitch will lose her head," Amanda declared.
"So will that David guy," Rick added.
"That's an understatement," LJ quippped.
-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-
"Are you insane?" Koegh asked, eyeing Felicia, "I thought what you did with Richie was a one and done thing?!"
"I never said that," Felicia replied, "The drug thing was one and done."
"What's all that going to accomplish?"
"What I did to Richie will hurt MacLeod and possibly Richie's little girlfriend too," Felicia smirked.
They shared a passionate kiss.
"Sire," Octon announced, "the Defenders of the Earth are on their way. Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod is with them."
"Well, it's about time!" Felicia exclaimed with delight.
"Garax," Ming called to his head soldier, "take Richie to the special room. He will be part of my plan against Duncan MacLeod."
"Yes, sire," Garax replied before leaving the room.
"What?!" Keogh exclaimed in surprise.
"Now, wait just a minute!" Felicia exclaimed, "MacLeod's mine!"
"Perhaps if Richie fails to take MacLeod's head," Ming stated, "you might be able to take it."
"Why you little..." Felicia started to yell, but she was cut off when she lunged towards him, only for Keogh to block her from making a move.
"Let go of me! Help!" she heard Richie shouted as he was being carried away into another room.
-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-
"Joe," Duncan suggested, "I think you should stay here with Kshin."
He looked on as the Defenders armed themselves and Tori and Amanda readied their swords.
"You're going to bench me?!" Joe exclaimed, annoyed, "Seriously?!"
"Someone should keep an eye out on things," Amanda stated as Duncan readied his sword.
Amanda, Tori, and Duncan joined the Defenders as they tracked down where the hideout was.
"Right..." the Phantom stated, reading the scanner, "here."
"Let's drop in then!" Flash exclaimed.
He fired a gun, creating a hole. Everyone dropped in Ice Station Earth and made their way to the corridors.
"So far, so good," Amanda stated.
The ice robots arrived. The Defenders fired their guns at the ice robots. Duncan, Amanda and Tori slashed at their opponents.
"Piece of cake," Flash stated.
"For you," Duncan chimed in.
"Don't be too cocky," Mandrake told his friend.
More ice robots arrived at the corridors.
"Where do they come from?!" Amanda exclaimed.
"Bring MacLeod and the Defenders to me!"
"Just as I was hoping you'd say," Flash stated with a grin.
"Just as we expected," Duncan stated.
The ice robots brought Duncan, Amanda, Tori and the Defenders to Ming's throne room. Ming, Felicia and Keogh were waiting for them.
"Long time no see, Ming," Flash greeted his adversary.
"You have met your end, Defenders of the Earth," Ming declared, "Not ever your immortal friends have a chance against me."
"Don't get too cocky, Ming," Flash replied, "we've only just begun."
"Indeed we have," Ming smirked.
"Where's Richie?" Duncan demanded.
"What have you done to him?" Tori added.
"Funny you should mention Richie," Felicia smirked.
"If you've hurt him, I swear," Duncan tried to make a move, but Amanda held him back.
"He still has his head, if that's what you mean," Felicia smirked, "but I figured out some boredom killers while waiting for you."
"What are you talking about?" Duncan asked as a part of him didn't really want to know, "How did you even get a different sword after breaking your old one?"
"I stole this sword from a museum," Felicia bluntly answered.
"As for the boredom killers," Ming added, "allow me to answer that one. I allowed Felicia to drug Richie. I bet you'd be familiar with this drug, Flash Gordon, as I planned to use it on your wife when you first arrived on Mongo."
"No!" Flash shot up, realizing what he was talking about, "You've crossed the line this time!"
"What is he talking about?" Duncan asked, worriedly.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat this, MacLeod," Flash answered, "so you need to brace yourself. From what they're saying, Richie has been drugged, possibly raped as well."
"And Flash Gordon is correct!" Felicia declared.
"What?!" Tori jolted back in shock.
"No. No!" Duncan exclaimed in shock, "What...What..."
"At least I know he was raped as the witch herself confirmed it," Flash stated.
"I did it twice," Felicia declared, almost proudly, "the first time, while he was drugged and the other time, I made sure, the drugs were out of his system, and both times, David stood guard."
Keogh nodded, confirming the statement.
"You..." Duncan lunged towards Felicia again, but Amanda and the Phantom held him back.
"I know what drug they're talking about," Flash stated, "Dale mentioned it before. Ming planned to use it on her when we first landed on Mongo, but Dale's quick thinking saved her from the fate when she tricked a servant into consuming the drugged drink and escaped."
Tori clasped her hands to her mouth, tears falling down her face as felt hurt for Richie. Duncan was in tears himself, shaking with silent fury.
"Richie Ryan wasn't so lucky," Ming stated with a grin, "He was injected in the arm with that drug and Felicia had her fun with him once he was..."
"You son of a..." Duncan started to yell. He started to fight with Felicia.
"Mac!" Amanda exclaimed in surprise.
"Remember the plan, Felicia!" Ming exclaimed.
"What do you mean this time?!" Tori demanded.
As if on cue, a shirtless Richie appeared in the area.
"Richie?" Duncan called out.
"Richie, are you okay?" Tori asked.
"I'm fine," Richie answered in a monotone voice, before he looked up revealing icy blue eyes, "but you will not be."
"He's become a frost person!" Flash exclaimed in shock.
"What?!" Duncan exclaimed in shock.
"He's under Ming's control," the Phantom added.
"Now, Richie, take MacLeod's head," Ming instructed.
"Yes, Mighty Ming," Richie replied, before making his move against Duncan. He drawn out his sword and started dueling with Duncan. The Defenders tried to help, and so did Amanda and Tori.
"No outside interference!" Duncan called out, while dueling with Richie. He then looked at Richie during the duel, "Richie, listen to me. You have to snap out of it. You don't want this!"
"I fight for Emperor Ming," Richie replied, "I have to destroy you."
The duel continued.
The Defenders with dueling with ice robots. Tori dueled with Keogh and Amanda dueled with Felicia.
The Phantom used his ring to mark both Keogh and Felicia during the duel as enemies.
"What was that for?!" Keogh demanded.
"Part of Phantom tradition," the Phantom answered calmly.
Amanda impaled Felicia, killing her instantly.
"Felicia!" Keogh called out before Tori impaled Keogh, killing him instantly as well.
Lothar and LJ used their strength to defeat his opponents. Flash, Rick, April and Jedda used their guns to defeat their opponents. Mandrake used his hallucination powers against his opponents.
Richie disarmed Duncan and had him by the neck.
"Richie," Duncan called out, "Richie, wake up!"
"You are an enemy of Ming," Richie replied, "You must be destroyed."
"I know I am breaking the rules, but I don't have much of a choice," Mandrake stated, but proceeding to use his hypnotic powers on Richie, "Richie Ryan, you are not a servant of Ming! You are our friend! You are an ally of the Defenders!"
"Ally of the Defenders," Richie started to lower his sword.
"Yeah. Remember us, Richie," Duncan faced his friend, "Remember your friends. Charlie, Maurice, Anne!"
"Charlie, Maurice, Anne." Richie repeated his mentor.
"Good. That's good," Duncan nodded with satisfaction before continuing, "Dawson, Amanda, Tessa!"
"Dawson, Amanda, Tessa." Richie repeated his mentor again. Duncan could tell Richie was breaking free from the mind control.
"MacLeod, Tori!" Duncan called out again.
"MacLeod," Richie said before his voice returned to normal, "Tori!"
"Yes, it's us, Richie," Tori approached her boyfriend, "We're here."
"You think your human emotions will triumph?" Ming retorted before ordering, "Richie, destroy these Earthlings!"
"Earthlings," Richie eyed Duncan and Tori in his monotone voice.
"Remember what you told me?" Tori walked towards him, "You told me you were capable of making your own decisions. Well, make the right decision here, Richard Ryan! You're smarter than this! Fight back! Don't give in to what Ming wants!"
"Do as I command!" Ming ordered.
Richie groaned, overwhelmed, and he collapsed as Duncan and Tori caught him before he could hit the floor.
"Richie!" Duncan called out.
"The strain was too much for him," Mandrake stated.
"But he will be okay, right?" Amanda asked.
"He should be," Flash examined Richie, "He just needs to rest."
"I'll help the immortals take him back to the Terry," Lothar said as he picked up Richie in his arms.
"None of you are going anywhere alive!" Ming shouted.
"Leave Ming to us!" Flash told the immortals, "Lothar, you and Mandrake get Richie to the Terry. The immortals will aide you."
"Of course," Lothar nodded.