Ray wiped a tear off before slamming his hands together, causing a strong wave of burning heat to hit the traitors' faces. Not really effective, the guards huddled behind Baron and Terah, as the former agent detached a small disk from her shoulder and threw it up in the air. It split into two and out from the core slowly came a force field. The energy-absorbing dome protected Conquest's guards and the traitors, but it also allowed them to shoot the Specials.
As Carson swiftly dodged the bullets, the other four teenagers did their best to protect one another. The young ninja couldn't penetrate the force field, even with his electric katana. But to make matters worse, two guards switched their mere guns with a beam cannon. The two heavily handheld cannons shot out a bright green beam, frightening the four. "Sarah and I will take care of the beams! Sam and Carson, you two try to destroy the disk from on top of the dome. Jane, you try to counter the bullets before it kills us," Ray ordered.
Ray and Sarah's beams both successfully countered Conquest's, like they did when they fought Torg. Ray sighed. It felt like it was just yesterday when Rob and Baron were congratulating them for defeating the metal robot. But now Rob was gone, and Baron turned out to be a traitor. As Ray started to overpower the opposing beam, his eyes wandered off to Rob's body, lying lifelessly on the ground. The reoccurring scene angered him once again. But this time it was not directed towards himself, but at the group enclosed in the force field. He started to walk forward, still blasting out a heat beam. He walked until he was almost four feet away from the cannon.
He looked to his left and saw Sarah parallel to where he was standing. And with one last burst of energy, both cannons exploded. As the two nineteen-year-olds stepped back in awe, the energy shield suddenly disappeared! Ray looked up and saw Sam squish the small disk in his palms. Now the two duos were done with their job, but Jane wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Sam and Carson both quickly swept through the enemy, throwing punches and smashing people together. Terah and Baron were tied up, and Chris, with a burnt arm and painful stomach, was forced to follow the four and help them escape. "But before we escape this underground base," Ray explained to Chris, "we'll have to first find our friend. You have no choice but to obey."
Chris solemnly nodded, clinging to the wall for support while holding his stomach with his good hand. Ray scanned the area one last time before exiting the room and into a hallway. But he noticed that the other PROTECT recruits and Commander Rook weren't in sight. "Guess we'll have to find the PROTECT recruits too," Ray added. "But we can't split up."
They started walking down the long but wide hall, and oddly but conveniently, no one was there to pick a fight with them. Ray thought this was a great time to ask a few questions to their extra company. "So, Chris, what exactly were you going to do with us once fully trained?" Chris just shook his head, his burnt arm looking worse without immediate aid.
Carson quickly flashed his katana across the assistant director's face, barely missing contact. "Tell us," he whispered. A stern look and the threat was enough warning. Chris held up a finger and slouched on the wall.
"I assume you have heard about the Khalanium Blades, eh? Well, we want it too. With its strength and ability to be multiplied, more worlds will join our cause for peace and universal unity. So when Lok told me that you five were chosen by the Red Lightning, Conquest took action," Chris explained. "And Project Alpha helps a lot too."
Ray could see the rage in Sarah and Carson's eyes. But he decided to remain calm and learn more. "How about those wolves that came out a portal Quick told us about? Did you send them?"
"No, but like I said, Conquest has already united four major planets across the universe. And I'm only one of the assistants."
"Ok, now get up. We can't lose much time. Where do you think they went?"
"Most likely your friend, Jane, abandoned you all and escaped while you were distracted." Chris now had a small grin, seeing how shocked Ray reacted at his statement.
"Impossible. She would never leave us in something this serious. She probably just went to help the recruits move away from the chaos."
Chris just shrugged and stood up. Ray led the way, though he didn't know at all where he was going, just hoping they'll accidentally find them. And right away, coming from the left corner, were Jane and Commander Rook, followed by PROTECT's remaining group. Ray could see Jane's face brighten up as his did too. "Jane, where have you been? You got us worried," Ray asked.
Jane smiled. "What else? When these guys started to run off, I caught up and kept on trying to convince them that we're not controlled anymore."
"Ok. So, Chris here is willing to help us escape this evil place. Shows what the power of life threatening situations can do, eh?" Ray chuckled.
The now unified group made their way through more halls, according to Chris's directions. "After going up the elevator and making a left turn," Chris explained, "we'll reach the hangar where a passenger jet should be waiting to aid your escape." Up the elevator they went, still seeing or hearing no one at all.
Oddly, a shiny blue door stood at the end of the corridor, seriously out of place. Sam suddenly blocked everyone from moving forward with his spread out arms and faced the door, as if the color blue surrounded by white was the most ominous thing in the world. Ray thought his friend was just a little paranoid and tried to tell Sam it was just a door. But the door opened a few inches, a human shadow appearing.
This time, Ray believed his friend and motioned to the group to stay quiet. Sam and Ray slowly tiptoed their way to the door, which was also moving. Ray silently dashed behind the door and closed it by slamming it shut. He knew he couldn't take any risks. The group followed, turning left. But right before Ray stopped leaning on the door, he felt a strong push. The man inside wanted to get out. Sam added his weight, and the man didn't bother to push harder.
First, the sound of charging energy was heard from inside. Next, the frame came crashing down on the two boys. Sam was fast enough to block his head, but not Ray. The edge of the frame smacked the leader right on the side of his head, knocking him out. Jane and Carson came to help, only to see a man in a lab coat emerge from the room. Sam stood up, Carson dragged Ray, and Jane blew the debris away. "Hello, kids." It was Doctor Lok. He held something that looked like a green blaster, but Sam didn't know what it was. Sarah also came to see what was happening.
Sam knew the man alone could possibly jeopardize the whole escape. He ran and and slammed into the doctor, pushing him down back inside the room. Lok got out a small syringe from his pocket and injected it into Sam's arm. The boy screamed in pain as the liquid flowed through his veins, turning it green. His powers activated again, and his muscular form returned, but this time with uncontrollable rage.
Sarah and Jane faced their friend as his eyes turned green. Sarah shot Lok lasers from her eyes, hitting his arms and chest. Carson was now leading the group to the jet along with an unconscious Ray. Sam, without hesitation, threw a table at the girls, meaning Sam wasn't Sam.
"Watch out! He's like the Hulk now. But smaller," Sarah exclaimed as she split the object into two. Jane tried blowing Sam down, but the boy kept on throwing stuff. "We got no choice but to run!"
Sarah started for the hangar, but Jane just stood there, not knowing what to do. "But he's our friend! We can't just leave him here to let Conquest do whatever they want," Jane called out. The older girl didn't respond and disappeared into the hangar. Jane felt a tear drop down. "I'm sorry!" she shouted to her friend as she followed.
Jane couldn't believe what she was doing at that moment. Ray would have done something, not run away, she thought. But it was hopeless, and she decided to forget everything and everyone and focus on leaving.
The metal hangar door was already wide open, and her eyes immediately drifted to a jet in the middle of the room. Carson was motioning her to hurry. She wondered how they would escape an enclosed room that somehow can fit one jet with an angry Sam on his way. But once the door shut, and everyone sat in the back, facing each other on two lines of seats, the jet rose.
A.D. Chris activated a device, the ceiling retracted inwards, and the platform the jet was on rose up to the surface of the moon. The pilot turned the engines on and flew. And just like that, they were finally free. Chris was searched and cuffed, the jet was flying to nowhere in space, and Ray finally woke up. Jane knew things were different now. PROTECT's main watchtower in the Alpha Sector was destroyed, Quick may be dead, Sam is now like the Hulk and in the possession of Conquest, and Rob was gone. But depressing thoughts aside, the Specials were able to sleep.