The Spectrum Force Volume Two by Heather Ray (affordable ebook reader txt) 📕

own ruby crystal.

"I think its time for the Spectrum Force to join their leader," he announced, holding his ring above his head. Craig, Jocelyn, Tamara, and Matthew mimicked his motions.

"Spectrum Sync!" they declared in unison. The blinding array of rich color flooded the ship, flashing in a rainbow of pure energy. At once, the five were encased in similar crystalline cocoons that shattered almost instantly. Where five typical college students stood, five armored warriors took their place.

All the costumes looked the same, save for the color schemes of each outfit. In addition, Craig's mask protectively covered his entire head, including his short-shaven hair.

All five marveled at their metamorphosis just as Rachel had.

"Time is pressing," Spectra announced, grasping their attention. She then held her staff above her head, which began radiating discs of energy that stretched to encompass all present.

Within the encasing discs of energy, the Spectrum Force gradually faded from existence.
Chapter Fifteen

"Oh God..." Tamara whispered, her gloved hands flying to her masked mouth. Instinctively, she hovered backwards, her faint yellow aura increasing in intensity.

She continued to gaze at the empty subway tunnel, glistening with thick mucus that trailed the tracks and walls.

The Orange Enforcer scowled beneath her helmet. "Well, this is gonna be a messy operation."

The Blue Enforcer shrugged. "At least this thing isn't leaving too much damage," he pointed out.

Spectra hovered ahead of the assembled youths, her staff emitting a brilliant light to illuminate the entire subway.

"The Phlegnin couldn't have gotten far," she affirmed, floating down the tunnel, "I brought us all to its location at the time of transport. It went this way."

She then streaked forward, leaving a trail of white energy in her wake.

Rachel clenched her fists, her own energy aura intensifying. "Let's not lag behind, gang," she stated, flying after their new ally. The Force followed closely behind.

It didn't take long before the party could hear the monster's heavy movements.

Soon, the creature's sharp, wide tail came into view.

"This tunnel is tight," Spectra realized grimly, "The Phlegnin almost takes up the entire area."

"That means he won't have room to maneuver," Keith pointed out.

"But we won't, either," Spectra added, pausing her flight. "I shall transport myself in front of him, while you open your attacks from behind. Keep following him until he stops."

The Force watched as she flashed out of existence. Almost instantaneously, Spectra manifested a few yards in front of the gargantuan beast.

Her peach eyes faded into a pearly whiteness as she stared down the gaping maw of the nightmarish creature, lined with razor teeth nearly as large as a human adult.

Crackling white energy built around her body, flashing from her milky eyes and electrifying her hair, causing it to swirl in silver ripples about her body. Both hands tightly clenched her silver staff, causing the colored jewels to each radiate a faint glow.

"Your journey ends here!" she declared, her voice echoing through the empty tunnel. The staff emitted the stored energy, hurling a powerful stream of sinuous energy directly into the creature's open mouth. The monster roared angrily, closing its mouth to the searing energy and thrashing its body throughout the limited space around him.

The roar sent a powerful tremor through the subway tunnel, causing chunks of rock to fall from the ceiling.

Spectra ended her energy barrage just in time to deflect a falling rock with her staff. Her attention immediately turned to the rocks that fell like hail from above, flying about to avoid being struck.

Her attention was so diverted from the monster, she neglected to notice it slowly open its mouth again. Faint orange energy built within its body, smoke oozing from its mouth.

With a mighty growl, it fired a stream of pure flames at his opponent. Spectra shrieked as the wave struck her squarely in the stomach, throwing her upwards through the ground to the surface above.

Chapter Sixteen

The shriek of surprise mixed with pain startled the Spectrum Force, who lingered behind the monster about two truck-lengths distant from its anterior.

"Spectra!" Rachel called in alarm, flying closer to the monster. However, a sharp swing of its gargantuan tail just missed the Purple Enforcer, the gust of wind generated by the motion knocking her back.

"Careful, Ray," Craig noted, catching her arm to steady her, "It looks like this thing can see us, somehow."

"Subterranean animals don't usually depend on sight, since there's no light underground," Jocelyn explained, "So even from the back it can sense us."

The monster then released another earth-shattering roar that caused more debris to collapse from above. Again, the Spectrum Force was forced to take the defensive.

"We're not getting anywhere," Keith noted with a measure of impatience. He brought his fists together, concentrating his red-hued energy into a powerful beam that leapt from his hands. However, the light seemed to have no effect on the monster. "This thing's hide is like armor!"

Craig frowned beneath his mask. "Maybe if we all hit one spot, we'll do some damage?"

Tamara shrugged, her energy aura brightening with effort. "It's worth a try."

Lingering behind the group, the disturbed Green Enforcer hovered, hugging his arms to his body in an effort to repress the growing anxiety that built in his body.

He never much liked tight spaces, but in times of severe stress, his claustrophobia was very much an issue.

"We're powerless down here," Matt noted to his friends, who were focusing their concussive wave blasts on the tail of the monster. "It seems invulnerable from this angle, and we're in its domain!"

"What are you suggesting?" Jocelyn inquired, her breath escaping her at the extreme effort, "We can't fight this thing on the surface! There're people up there!"

"Wait!" Rachel uttered, backing away from the beast, "Maybe not. Where are we, anyway?"

Matt glanced back in the direction they came. "I think we passed the exit to the Civic Center."

A grin crossed Rachel's face. "Perfect! Remember the old Towne Building? It was torn down in October to build a new strip mall! That's acres of land, pretty much empty."

"Right," Craig noted, "I don't think construction on the mall has begun yet. It should be relatively safe to fight there without destroying much."

Just then, the large beast waved its tail one last time, forcing the team backwards. Then, its razor-like quills dug into the ground beneath it, and pushed the Phlegnin forward through the tunnels.

"He's... running away!" Tamara shrieked, turning back to the others, "We can't let it get away!"

"But... Spectra was over there," Jocelyn whispered, her eyes widening with worry, "What happened to her?"

The question was answered as the monster continued to retreat, revealing a hole reaching to the surface. Moonlight poured into the darkened tunnel through the opening.

Rachel immediately launched herself forward, slipping through the hole into the city above. She looked around quickly, her eyes narrowing as she examined her surroundings.

After a few moments, she slipped back underground to the awaiting Spectrum Force.

"We're on Park and 15th Street," she noted, "so the construction site is six blocks west, on 9th and Arch."

"We passed it!" Matt realized with dismay, "That means we have to back this monster up over a mile!"

"Then that's what we'll do," Rachel decided, "Okay, the five of you have to turn that monster around."

"How?" Tamara inquired skeptically, "There isn't enough room in this tunnel for that thing to make a u-turn."

Jocelyn tapped her chin pensively. "I'm pretty sure this creature can burrow backwards just as easily. We've already established it's very perceptive in the back. Maybe if we just attack it from the front, we'll force it to retreat the other way?"

"And how do we get in front of it?" Keith posed.

"There's hardly room for us to squeeze past it, and Spectra didn't explain how exactly we can teleport," Craig analyzed, "but... didn't she say something about converting ourselves into light?"

"But... how?" Jocelyn asked.

Rachel frowned, glancing at her finger where her ring would be. "Spectra also said the Spectrum Stones would guide us. Maybe we can just imagine ourselves as beams of light?"

"I'm gonna try it," Keith decided, pulling ahead, "Besides, the longer we wait, the further that Phle... thing will get!"

"And I'm going to look for Spectra," Rachel announced, streaking through the hole in the tunnel.

Chapter Seventeen

The Phlegnin was on the move, cutting through the subway tunnels almost gracefully. As its quills dug into the ground, the force of its motion shook the entire city above. With only destruction on its primitive mind, the nightmarish beast pressed forward, occasionally releasing an earth-shaking roar.

Since the beast didn't have eyes, it didn't perceive the five beams of light that zipped between its impenetrable skin and the tunnel wall. It dimly registered the warmth, but not enough to react.

However, it did perceive the voices of the ones who attacked earlier. While it didn't actually hear their speech, it could feel the vibrations created by the sound waves.

"Wow... that was amazing!" Craig awed, performing a backwards flip while suspended in the air, "We actually moved as fast

as light! We overtook Earthworm Jim in a heartbeat!"

"But he's coming right for us!" Jocelyn reminded