The Khalanium Blades

Chapter 11: Going Down

"How in the world are we going to enter their base?" Sarah asked, studying Rob's face, searching for an answer of hope. The Specials' jet had entered what seems to be the atmosphere of an unregistered moon orbiting the desert planet of Gyros.

Rob gazed into the vast scenery of flat red rocks covering their assumed location. "Well, it wasn't what we expected at all, but we're going to retrieve the project one way or another."

Sarah nodded, taking in all the moon's oddities as the jet descended smoothly. The ramp lowered and, from what they were told, the group didn't need any of those extravagant clothing or space outfits. Gravity and oxygen filled the air as they got out.

"Well, isn't this exciting!" Sam said, jumping up and down, somehow floating for a split-second, due to the lighter gravity. "Just look at all this! When we return home, we'll be rich when we tell this story."

Jane rolled her eyes. There he goes again, lost in his doubted dreams of returning home. She thought. "You know no one will believe us at all, even if we show them a thousand videos and pictures, right?" She reminded him, still eager to beat up evil's minions.

"Come on!" Rob shouted, jogging alongside Baron, guiding his other nine teammates. No one knew where they were going, doubtfully clinging to the hope that their leader knows the way to the enemy's base. Red rocks were kicked, but the lifeless minerals decided to have revenge, tripping Sarah and scraping her leg. For almost an hour of talking and tripping, Rob finally halted the group. The eerie sound of rough winds passing by made the skies seem ominous.

Rob's raised hand did not flinch, as Baron took his collapsible eyeglasses-shaped binoculars out from his pocket. After a while of pure concentration, he put it down and pointed northeast. Rob got the message and continued jogging, but first signaled to the group to be silent. Jane looked at Ray, clearly mystified and nervous. He just shrugged, not knowing where they were going either. They continued on their way.

A few minutes later, exhausted but still cool and refreshed from the soothing temperature of the moon, the group stood in awe. Many meters in front of them was the enemy's base. It was a tall but wide building covered in seamless smooth steel. Obviously their enemies weren't expecting enough guests to make the place look fashionable.

But there was something the whole group was expecting which didn't appear-weapons. No defense whatsoever, cameras, or even doors. Nothing but a giant rectangular box made of metal. Sam and Carson looked shocked, but deeply they were laughing inside. Everyone knew this had to be a joke. "Look! Over there," Someone yelled, waving his hands continuously.

Ray strained his eyes to see in the direction everyone was pointing. Then he saw it. Coming from the northwest and northeast were two groups. He recognized Agent Terah leading her team, while a man whom he heard was Commander Rook did the same. Suddenly, out of the blue, the ground they were all standing on started to shake rapidly.

Everyone was in panic, while Rob and Baron tried to keep them calm, moving the group away from the epicenter. The earthquake didn't seem to affect the other groups, who had noticed the problem and rushed to the scene. The Specials stayed together, trying to run out of the earthquake's grasp. But instead, as Ray led his friends further out, he smashed into a wall. He went face first, hitting his nose against what wasn't supposed to be there.

Sarah came first to help, attending to the bloody nose. Meanwhile, Sam, Carson, and Jane stood in shock. They felt around the invisible wall, moving sidewards until they found a corner. Others in their group suffered the same fate. The fact was undeniable. They were trapped in an invisible box.

Rob immediately started digging. Some helped only to find out that underneath the thin layer of rocks was another invisible layer. Ray and Sarah approached the scene and tried their combined strength of powers. Still nothing. After a few more trials and errors using electric disablers and layered bomb waves, they gave up, and so did the two other groups outside. As the ground stopped shaking, everyone sat down with worry and defeat.

Suddenly, an earthquake, louder than before, shook the group until they all stood upright. Ray stared at the bleak desert of rocks, wondering why someone would do this. As he began to feel sleepy, leaning on the wall, the ground outside of freedom seemed to rise. Fear crept up everyone's back as they realized they were going down. Like an invisible elevator, they descended, leaving the other groups to start panicking. A panel of metal blocked their vision.

Ray looked down at the spot where Rob had dug out, seeing only darkness, and hearing mechanical movements everywhere. Was this the end? The enemy already knew their plans. It

was hopeless. "What do we do now?" Carson asked him. Ray had never heard the boy speak so nervously. He just put his hand on the ninja's shoulder. "We'll be fine."

After exactly a minute, which was the most hopeless sixty seconds of Ray's life, the elevator came to a stop. The wall where The Specials were leaning on split open, as the five fell on their backs. Ray turned around, only to see a man wearing a lab coat, and four guards behind him. "Wait! You're the people who attacked us in the hangar," Someone called out, pointing to the guards. " Why have you brought us here?"

One guard stepped up and started walking towards the speaker. He was a fit man wearing plainly a black shirt and blue-striped pants, and so were the others too. His hand turned into a fist, but a glimmer of something shiny below his knuckles caught Ray's attention. In a flash, to everyone's surprise, the guard jabbed his fist into the speaker's chest. The small area glowed with bright blue, illuminating the dark elevator. The victim's whole face was filled with terror as he yelled in pain.

The guard released the man and returned to his position, a small grin of satisfaction appearing. PROTECT's recruit collapsed, leaving his partners to aid him. Rob was the first one, checking for life signs. While the other three guards snickered at the scene, Rob shook his head in disappointment. He was gone.

Ray and his friends boiled with anger at what merciless act had been displayed. The man in the lab coat even dared to take a step forward. "This is what we can do, and will do, if any of you even try to rebel." He smirked. "Now come with me."

Ray wanted to punch and beat them all up. And by the looks of all his other friends, they were tempted too. Not knowingly, Ray's hands ignited with red hot fire, and his eyes glowed yellow with fury. Sam strength also began to enhance. Sarah's eyes burned with blue anger, and Carson had his hands on the katana. Odd enough, electric currents flowed throughout the metal blade. Jane was breathing heavily, her eyes set on the guards.

All the other agents and recruits in their group including Baron and Rob slowly shifted to the back, where they aimed to stay out of the conflict. As The Specials waited for a trigger, the lab-coated man explained more. "I am Assistant Director Chris, and if you want to kill me now, do so. But remember that once you do, I have thirty guards around this place, and they really don't mess around." He sarcastically raised up his hands in defeat.

The four guards got their cue and pulled out their weapons. Chris step backwards until he was concealed behind his menacing escorts. They all prepared for what was inevitable.