Deadly Mission by Max Chase

Author:Max Chase
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: 2012-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Eeeerrraaaa-eeerrrraaaa. The palace alarms were screeching at full volume.

One of the gates had jammed halfway down. Peri, Diesel, and Otto ducked under it and ran.

They passed a picture of the Xion king in full battle gear. Instead of black, his shell was a brilliant gold. He held the suit’s helmet under his arm, but his hands were pincher claws and the suit’s scorpion tail curled behind him. Peri couldn’t help feeling their daring rescue was about to end badly.

Peri urged his crew on, turning this way then that, down the twisting corridors. It was getting so hot and stuffy that even the Expedition Wear struggled to keep them cool. They raced around the next corner, and another portrait of the king of Xion greeted them. It was the same as the last one.

“Don’t they have any other pictures of the king?” Diesel wondered aloud.

“Wait a minute,” said Peri, trying to catch his breath. “We’re running in circles.”

“Nonsense!” snapped Otto, adjusting the silver bundle over his shoulder. “Meigwors have a keen sense of direction!”

“Listen,” Peri panted, supporting himself against the corridor wall. “We’ve seen this picture twice already.”

Otto licked the sweat off his forehead with his tongue. “No, we haven’t!”

“Yes, we have,” panted Diesel. “It’s a self-repeating maze.”

“We’re trapped,” Peri said. Anger pulsed through him, as a computerized voice rang out inside his head: Fight-or-Flight—activated.

That had never happened before. Peri’s Expedition Wear tightened as his muscles swelled. His feet tingled and his arms throbbed. He didn’t know what was happening. His circuits buzzed with energy. His bionic abilities obviously extended beyond the Phoenix, but it was no time to test them! He didn’t know what he’d activated, or how to switch it off.

“I’m going to get us out of here,” Peri told Otto and Diesel. His legs powered forward. Without hesitation, he grabbed hold of the metal bars that were blocking their way and twisted. Snap! Peri gasped at his superhuman strength, but continued to pull bars from the gate as though they were nothing more than matchsticks. Snap! Snap!

Before either of the others could react, Peri heard the sound of the palace guards’ heavy boots thundering along the marble corridors behind them. The effects of Otto’s freezing trick must have worn off. Peri grabbed Diesel and Otto and pulled them through the gap in the gate.

“Run!” Peri sprinted down the marble corridor.

The corridor ahead was clear, so he put on an extra spurt of speed. As he reached the next junction his body stopped so suddenly he thought his eyes would pop out. One moment he had been zooming down the corridor, the next his muscles were fighting to keep him upright. His heart was pounding fast enough to explode. What if he had overdone it and snapped some internal wiring or tripped a switch?

He glanced behind him. Diesel and Otto were still struggling to catch up. The palace guards were in hot pursuit. He tried to move forward again, but his legs were frozen. Instead, he heard the

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