G9

The Prince of Mongo

By Marzena

Chapter 3: Vanished

"What do you mean, Duffy's missing!?" Flash exploded, glaring at Kit, who had had the misfortune of telling everyone, including Flash who just had arrived in Africa, that he hadn't been able to locate Duffy anywhere.

"She's just gone," Kit tried to explain. "LJ, Kshin and I have been looking for her everywhere, and there is no sign of her anywhere. Last time anyone saw her was just before the battle. She ran off to warn Tad about something and then she just vanished..."

"Warn Tad about what, son?" the Phantom interrupted, turning around to face his teenage son.

"I don't know, father," Kit replied. "It all happened so fast. We were fighting those man-bats of Mongo and there was Krotan and everything, and LJ and I found Tad lying in the grass, unconscious. So I don't even know if Duffy found him to warn him about whatever it was she wanted to warm him about."

"Krotan!" Flash practically spat out the name of Ming's up-to-no-good-son. "He must have something to do with her disappearance! I just know it! He tried it before – it was stupid of us not to think he wouldn't try again!"

"There were a few months of peace," Lothar quickly reminded him. "We all thought Krotan was busy playing Emperor on Mongo. It didn't look like he would try to get to Duffy again or try to conquer Earth anytime soon."

"Looks like we were wrong," the Phantom stated, getting into the Terry. "Let's try to find Duffy's signal. She's got to be somewhere!"

"Yeah – on Mongo!" Kshin cried, studying the data Dynak was showing them on the small screen on the Terry's on-board computer system.

Uncomfortable silence greeted those words, and nobody dared to look at Flash. It was Mandrake who finally spoke while brushing some non-existent dust off his shiny black cape. "The last time Krotan was around, young Daphne was... well, quite smitten by him, as I recall..."

There was a flash of anger in Flash's bright blue eyes but before he could say anything, Kit exploded, glaring at Mandrake.

"No. No frickin' way, Mandrake! You know Duffy – we all know her! While masquerading as Dan, Krotan might have fooled her, but there's no way she would go anywhere with that evil son of a b... with the prince, I mean. You should have seen her right after Dan turned out to be Krotan – she was devastated and she hated herself and felt disgusted with herself! How can you, even for one second, believe that Duffy would just run off with that jerk like that!?"

Mandrake looked quite taken aback because usually, Kit didn't have a temper like this. He was a levelheaded, quiet young man, sensible and trustworthy. But apparently, not today.

The Phantom quickly but his hands on Kit's shoulders, trying to calm his boy down. "Easy, Kit. Mandrake was just considering a possibility, that's all."

"For his sake, I hope he was just doing that," Flash growled, taking Kit's side in this. He glared at Mandrake. "I know my daughter, Mandrake. She's hot-headed and should think more before she acts but she would never run off with Ming's son – the son of the man who killed her mother of all people!"

"No, of course not," Mandrake quickly said. "But, as you can see on the computer screen, she is in fact on Mongo. And why would she accompany Krotan there if not... you know. But I also know young Daphne and yes, she was smitten, but still – it doesn't seem likely, somehow."

"Well, there's only one place where we can get the answers to our questions," the Phantom quietly interrupted before anything more could be said. "Ice Station Earth!"

And that was were they went next, right down into Ming's not-so-secret base where they had to fight off a small army of ice robots to get to Garax and Octon who they finally cornered in the empty throneroom.

"It's not enough to take our Emperor down, isn't it, Flash Gordon?!" Octon said in his never-changing computer voice. "Now you have to come here and destroy everything and everyone, too!"

"Okay, first of all, Ming's disappearance wasn't our doing at all – that was Prince Krotan's masterplan!" Lothar impatiently corrected. "Get your facts right first, Octon. And don't pretend you don't know that Krotan's taken over Mongo!"

"He's the heir, of course he's taken over after our Emperor disappeared!" Garax icily cut in. "So you're saying you've got nothing to do with this!?"

"We don't," the Phantom stated in the same tone of voice. "But, know you, we might be able to help you out a bit. Krotan will destroy the two of you the minute he's done playing Emperor of Mongo and decides to get everyone out of the way who's still loyal to his father. And there's nothing the two of you can do about it. We, on the other hand, might be able to keep Krotan in line and find out more about Ming's disappearance..."

"You – helping us!?" Garax almost laughed at the ridiculous suggestion. "If this is a trick, you should try again. Nobody would fall for that one!"

At that, Flash exploded, firing off his laser pistol and knocking Garax on the ground in the process. The Phantom tried to stop him but Flash just stood there, pointing his gun at Garax.

"Krotan kidnapped my daughter Daphne and took her to Mongo with him and we want to know why!" he growled, furious and also sick with worry. "And we are going to get the answers from you two, one way or the other, Garax!"

There was a long pause. Nobody tried to hold Flash back anymore. And Flash looked like he was ready to blast Garax into oblivion anytime. Finally, Octon spoke.

"In the name of Emperor Ming, we should be able to help you", he stated and several parts on his round frame began to glow. Octon was working on something, but it took him a while to get back to the waiting Defenders.

"Indeed, Prince Krotan brought Daphne Gordon to Mongo," Octon confirmed.

"Yeah, we know," Lothar impatiently interrupted. "We want to know why!"

"Oh, I have the answer to that, Defender – I'm just not so sure you're going to like it. Krotan brought Daphne Gordon to Mongo so she can become his Queen – and also, his wife..."

Stunned silence greeted his announcement, and then Flash spoke with a cold voice that didn't really seem to belong to him.

"He's done for. He's so absolutely done for." Impatiently, he turned, leaving Garax behind him on the floor. "Let's go, guys. We have that scumbag of a prince to hunt down."

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Article

Author

Chapters

1: Worried

Kit disapproves of Duffy's bond with her new romantic interest.

2: Aftermath

Duffy is left reeling after the truth comes out.

3: Vanished

The Defenders are stunned by Duffy's disappearance.

4: Imprisoned

Duffy rejects her captor's advances.