The Khalanium Blades

Chapter 26: The Final Battle

Four men stood behind the captured and made sure a pair of hands were behind their backs, ready to ruthlessly whip the ropes and send electricity into the arrested. Ray knew this was the final obstacle, and that he and his team needed to first free the four before doing anything drastic. Next, they desperately needed a ride to wherever they were going to afterwards. That is, if they actually prevail. He was still the leader figure, and for the first time, attempted to formulate a pre-battle plan.

But Conquest had something else in mind. The "looks high-ranking" guy moved to face the Specials with a grin of satisfaction and achievement. "I am Casmir Royce, director of Conquest. I have built this organization in hopes and belief of a peaceful galaxy, ruled by only one Supreme Empire. And I will not tolerate resistance, especially since I am only about a year away from accomplishing my life purpose. So, please, my young friends, do not be deceived by this monstrosity called PROTECT and give us the Khalanium Blades. Please."

For a second, Ray actually felt the urge to just give it and be done with the whole mess, but he knocked out of it instantly. He inconspicuously tapped Sam and Carson's arm to get ready.

"I don't know, Casmir," he replied casually and calmly. "How can I trust you enough?" He was trying to stall for a bit, hoping his team would realize he was going to strike soon. The director panicked for words. "Oh, wait, the answer is I don't." And he blasted the man, but turned out ineffective.

"Fireproof suit, Ray, like it?" he didn't even flinch when shot at. That triggered it, and guns started firing from every direction possible. Ray grumbled and faced the veterans behind him. The bullets were faster and harder to avoid, and the soldiers on the guns, more experienced. He hit a few targets, but they were all around them, making their chance of getting shot as high as the Empire State Building. It was difficult, and even harder to even take a few steps towards their captured friends.

However, Ray spotted an opening in the battlefield and approached the captors without hesitation. He quickly burned an arm, then another. He sliced a hand-cannon in half with the Blades and crashed his elbow into a jaw. Pia and Quick were unguarded, and they helped without their arms. The fourth guard ran into the trees, and Ray pursued her. A second in, and he already had a bullet in his arm by someone on his right. He shouted for help, but then that earned him a blow to the head.

* * *

Sarah was paranoid to use her powers and wished she were fighting a robot, but she wasn't. She didn't want to accidentally slice off an arm or worse, brutally kill someone. So she restrained herself and instead used her lasers to scare or to break off branches, and let it distract her opponents before Sam punched away. She also tried to separate the electric ropes binding the hands together, but it wouldn't budge.

"Hold your fire!" Casmir ordered over the gunshots. It came so abruptly, all Conquest's soldiers paused immediately. She and her team stopped too, looking around in pure confusion. Were they surrendering? Then she saw Ray, dragged and held on either arm by two men, one of them a guard of the four. She gasped when she spotted the bullet in his right arm, and realized he was unconscious. The evil director snatched the Blades from the guard's hand and swelled with pride.

"Drop the weapon, now!" she commanded him. "Or you'll have a nasty mark on your face." Her friends gaped at her courage, and the surrounding fighters held their guns more tightly. "I mean it." She saw Quick and their three older teammates threatened with new guards behind them, still bound electric-wise.

Casmir laughed. "No, if you all don't surrender right now, your leader will pay for it."

Sarah froze, not knowing what to do. Ray stirred, half-conscious. And confirming her worst fears, Casmir aimed for Ray's chest, stiffly positioning the sword high above. Her legs almost moved on their own, until Quick kicked the other director's knee from behind, making him drop on one leg. PROTECT's leader then bashed his guard's chin with his head, and prepared to attack the evil director, but something stopped him.