The Spectrum Force by Heather Ray (good inspirational books .TXT) 📖

A young man in gray sweats and a plain white T-shirt dodged a stream of five purple energy blasts that streaked towards him. He then leapt to the side as another blast of energy, this one more massive, flew in his general direction. After somersaulting along the golden floor, he rose to his feet, and focused his eyes at his attacker. Two tight beams of bright white light shot from his eyes, plowing at her. But she was already gone before the beams struck, leaving a spark of purple energy in her wake. She rematerialized behind the young man, her fist glowing with purple light. She then hurled that energy toward him in the shape of a javelin, which he attempted to avoid. But he wasn't fast enough, and the javelin struck his ankle, and dissipated. With a muffled grunt, he fell to the floor.

"Do you yield?" the Purple Enforcer asked, her silver Lightning Saber taking shape in her hands.

"No," he said indignantly, firing another optic beam at her. She deflected the searing white energy with her sword, but he took advantage of her momentary distraction to roll out of harm's way. However, he soon found himself with his back against the wall.

"Last chance," she repeated, "Do you yield?"

Instead of responding verbally, he grinned cunningly, his eyes glowing with white light. Rachel's visor protected her eyes from the intense light, but she was still awestruck at the focus of power. As she watched, a pair of white wings, composed of bright energy, erupted out of her opponent's back. The wings stretched to full span, and then wrapped around his body. Then, they unfolded, releasing a powerful showering of white energy. Rachel tried to block the onslaught with a Spectrum Shield, but it didn't help. She was flung across the chamber, and crashed against the wall.

"Not bad," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "Not bad at all."

She glanced up, and noticed that he was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily.

"Chris?" she asked, running to his side. Her blue visor vanished, revealing concerned deep brown eyes.

"I'm... fine," he responded, taking a deep breath, "Just give me a minute."

"It still hurts when you form your wings," she observed, helping Chris Greyson to his feet. He nodded, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's not as bad as it was at first," he said, opening his eyes again, "Every time I summon my energy wings, the pain lessens. I can handle it."

"I still don't like the idea of training you to fight," Rachel uttered, crossing her arms, "It's true that you have these powers, but you don't have a Spectrum Stone to protect you! Your abilities don't include heightened durability, and one of Phaedra's creatures can cause a lot of damage."

"Yeah," Chris said, "that's why I need the training! I'm not planning on joining the Spectrum Force or anything, but you may need some backup." He grinned. "It's sweet that you're worried about me, though."

Rachel blushed slightly, and shrugged. "Well, ever since that encounter with the Phoenix, all I've done is worry about you."

Rachel's admission was followed by a long silence, which was broken by the sound of teleportation. Both turned around, and smiled at Spectra, the mentor of the Spectrum Force.

"You have both done well in your exercise," said Spectra, approaching the couple, "According to my observations, your mutation has given you marginally increased agility and speed, telepathy, as well as psionic energy blasts that can be thrown from your eyes or hands, and a focus of psionic energy in your back, allowing you to concretize your energy in the shape of wings. Your psionic abilities also allow you to somehow register memory energy within objects, causing you to experience memories of objects contacted tactilely. Christopher, perhaps you should deactivate your wings. Maintaining their energy depletes you."

Chris nodded, and the wings disappeared into his back. Rachel smiled with amusement when she noticed Chris' T-shirt had nearly been ripped to shreads.

"You're going to run out of shirts if you keep forming your wings, Chris," she said.

"That's definitely a problem," Chris said, looking down at his shirt.

"I believe I can remedy that problem," said Spectra, her eyes beginning to glow. Chris' clothes began to glow white, and suddenly, they were replaced by a solid white bodysuit, covering his entire body from his chin down. It fit just like a second skin, and moved with Chris' body.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It is a uniform made of unstable molecules," Spectra explained, "Your psionic powers can control it, reshaping it into whatever shape or color you choose. Since you focus your energy through the material, any energy blasts you throw, or even your wings will pass through the garment unimpeded. However, although your own energy can pass through, nothing else can."

"So it's like a body armor?" Rachel asked, examining Chris' costume with interest.

"Essentially," Spectra replied, "but it isn't quite as durable as the Spectrum Force's uniforms. The principles behind them are somewhat similar, though."

"Let's give this a shot, then," Chris said, closing his eyes. Rachel stared in amazement as Chris' uniform glowed and rippled on his body. The sleeves flowed up his arms like water, and the legs loosened, and the final product was the T-shirt and sweats he was wearing moments ago. Once the transformation was complete, the eerie glow subsided, and the clothing stabilized. Chris opened his eyes, and smoothed his shirt with his hands.

"If even feels like cotton!" he marveled.

"Let's just hope it's machine wash," Rachel quipped.

"It can weather the elements without damage, and protect from extreme heat or cold, as well as energy or kinetic assaults," Spectra highlighted.

"Great!" said Chris, grinning widely, "So now I have a uniform, to protect my identity and stuff. But do I need a superhero name?"

"I thought you said you weren't going to be a superhero," Rachel pointed out.

"Well, not full-time, anyway." he answered, still smiling with excitement.

"Fine," said Rachel, "but if you want to fight with the Spectrum Force, you have to follow my orders."

"Don't I anyway?" he joked. Rachel raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Spectra's eyes widened, and she pivoted her head, and stared upwards and to the side, as if she had heard something from that direction. Rachel and Chris noticed her actions, and followed her gaze. But all they saw was the high ceiling of Cloud Castle's lower training room.

"Spectra?" Rachel asked, "What's going on?"

"It's... impossible," Spectra whispered, more to herself than her young companions, "After all these centuries... it's back."

"What's back?" Chris inquired. Spectra locked eyes with Chris and then Rachel. Rachel shuddered at Spectra's expression. It was the first time the Purple Enforcer had ever seen the usually calm and collected sorceress display fear. And the fear in Spectra's ancient, wise eyes was fathomless.

"I'll be back," Spectra said, stepping backwards away from them, "Do not leave Cloud Castle."

Suddenly, in a brilliant pulse of white light, Spectra's form vanished. Chris and Rachel looked at each other in confusion and surprise. Rachel immediately began pacing across the metallic floor, and Chris followed her around the room with his eyes. Then, Rachel stopped, and looked up at Chris, a pensive frown on her face.

"Are you as scared as I am?" she asked quietly.

"Definitely," he answered, "Whatever could scare Spectra that badly can't be good for Earth."

Meanwhile, on the Hamilton Walkway in the center of the UCLA campus, Craig Gillis, Jocelyn Armand, and Matthew O'Conner walked towards the cafeteria for lunch after a long morning of classes.

"I can't believe I got a C on that Clinical Psych midterm!" Craig growled, a bitter scowl on his face, "That means I'll have to get an A on the final if I'm going to pull a B in the class!"

"It's not the end of the world," Jocelyn said. Craig frowned at her.

"Like you ever got a C, Brainiac," he muttered.

"I'm trying to cheer you up!" she shot back, "Besides, with all the attacks the Denebians have been sending, its no wonder your grades are slipping. That whole mess with Phoenix and Acheron was a nightmare!"

"It's not like I can tell my advisors why my grades are slipping," Craig remarked, "My chances of getting on the Dean's List are shot."

"Come on, Craig," Matt said with a smile, "Once Doctor McNeil curves the exam, you'll probably end up with an A."

Craig looked at Matt, his eyebrow arched. "She already curved the exam. That's how I got a C."

Matt's smile fell. "Ouch."

"Exactly."

Suddenly, the sky grew darker. Matthew blinked, and glanced up at the sky. His dark green eyes widened. "I don't believe it..." he muttered.

"You mean it's not a passing cloud?" Jocelyn said, turning from her friend to the sky. A frown crossed her delicate features when she saw a black shape slowly block the Sun. "Not again!" she fumed.

"Why would Phaedra try to eclipse the Sun again?" Craig pondered aloud, "I mean, it didn't work the first time. Spectra managed to dispel the black cloud, before she even summoned us to be the Spectrum Force."

"We'd better get to Cloud Castle," Matt said, walking off the walkway between two buildings. Jocelyn and Craig followed, and the three college students held up their rings. At once, they all transformed into beams of orange, green, and blue light respectively, and streaked through the darkened sky to the clouds above.

"Here we are," Keith said, parking Rachel's minivan right in front of the Ramada Hotel on the UCLA campus. He borrowed his friend's car because his car, a tomato red Porsche, wasn't