Chapter Two
Cringer looked up from the pond just as Teela was walking over. He swatted at Adam next to him, who was snoring loudly. Adam blinked awake and within seconds, saw the red head standing over him, hands on her hips and shaking her head.
"Uh, Teela, what's up?"
"You're not, for one."
Adam coughed and stood up. "Sorry. Cringer and I were fishing."
"And napping, too, I see," Teela sighed. Much to his surprise, she sat down right next to where Adam was napping. She looked out at the pond and pulled her hair out from its tight ponytail. She shook it loose, a big red messy mane around her petite face.
"Um, Teela, you okay?"
"I'm exhausted!" she cried and fell backwards. "I've been running drills for three days. When I go to bed, I sleep for about three hours, and then I'm back up running more drills!"
"Why?"
"The night shift needs drills too."
"But why not let some of the Lieutenants do it?"
"I don't want them to. It's my responsibility." Teela looked around. The sun was high in the afternoon sky. The clouds were passing lazily across a bright blue sky.
Adam was staring at her.
"I'm sorry for the other day," she offered. "It wasn't right of me to explode at you like that. I was just upset."
"That's okay, Teela. I understand."
She knew he didn't, but didn't bother to say it. Instead, she simply laid back on the soft green grass and stared at the endless sky. She heard Adam move up next to her; her best friend. She missed moments like this. It felt like years since they had laid on the grass and stared up . . . or anything really fun like that. Their lives were full danger now and times had been too hard to have very much fun at all.
"This is a good napping spot," she told him. "No wonder you always come out here."
"Yep, it's my favorite."
Teela turned to him. "Adam, I know I'm tough on you . . ."
Adam put his hand on hers. "Teela . . ."
Sirens began to wail from the Palace.
Teela withdrew her hand and was on her feet. She grabbed her comm-unit, which was just starting to go off. Adams went off as well and he snatched from his belt.
"Four Collectors just landed at the secondary defense parameter!" reported the Comm-Tech. "Multiple vehicles sighted on an intercept course for Eternos Royal Palace and City!"
"Adam, let's go!"
Adam, Teela, and Cringer ran for the road back into the Palace. At the gatehouse, two Royal Guards met with them.
"Escort Prince Adam and Cringer back to the Palace," Teela ordered. "Bring me a Sky Sled immediately."
"Yes, Captain."
"Teela!" Adam shouted as one of the Guards took into one of the secret executive tunnels into the Palace. "Be careful!"
"I will," Teela replied. Adam, Cringer, and the Guard vanished into the tunnel entrance just as Teela got back onto the Comm-Unit. "This is Captain Teela! All Royal Guards and Soldiers, this is a priority one, urgency A emergency! This is not a drill! We have in-coming adversaries!"
The Sky Sled was presented to her. She nodded in thanks and hopped on. Within seconds, she was in the air, jetting over the city. Below, the masses were quickly moving into their designated secure areas. Guards were being deployed.
"Lieutenant Spector, I want the City Security Plan Beta-Two implemented!" she called into her Comm-Unit.
"Yes, Captain," the Lieutenant replied.
"Lieutenant Andras, initiate Palace Security Plan Alpha-Three."
"Moving into position, Captain," replied Lieutenant Andras.
"Royal Lieutenant, where is the Royal Family?"
"King Randor and Queen Marlena are in lockdown, Captain. Prince Adam is en route."
"Keep me advised on Prince Adam."
Adam gave the Royal Guard the slip as soon as he could. He and Cringer made a run for it and were quickly intercepted by Orko.
"What's going on?" asked Orko.
"We're under attack. Get to safety, Orko."
"You got it!"
Orko flew off and Adam and Cringer found a store room to make their change.
"Ready Cringe?"
"No!"
"Sorry." Adam withdrew the Sword of Power. He held it over his head just as he had so many times before. "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!"
Power exploded from the tip of the Sword of Power, flashing down into Adam's arm. In an instant, he was filled with the power of Grayskull. His muscles quadrupled in size. His skin darkened to a thick tan. His blonde hair grew longer and darker. Adam's face matured and changed. His garb was swapped out for a harness and new loincloth and boots.
"I HAVE THE POWER!"
Adam, now He-Man, turned the energized Sword of Power to Cringer and blasted with him the same transformational power.
Cringer's small frame was bathed in power. He grew huge and ferocious; teeth sharpening, claws longer, and hide thicker. He roared as all his fears seemed a distant memory. Cringer was filled with testosterone and felt like nothing could stop him! Armor appeared across his massive, fearsome body and Cringer's transformation into Battle-Cat was complete.
He-Man leapt onto Battle-Cat's back and the great tiger roared.
"Ready, Cat?"
"Ready He-Man!"
Alarms screeched as Royal Soldiers and Royal Guards rushed around the Palace. Teela was standing at the Palace entrance alongside her father and Orko.
"I want all Sky Sleds and Road Rippers to keep the City secure," Teela ordered into the Comm-Unit. Her father was next her, punching commands into a computer pad. "We have in-coming Fright Fighters, so I want the Talon Fighters to focus on keeping them away from the Palace and the City if possible. Wind-Raiders are to remain in a secondary position defending the Palace."
"All Heroic Warriors, assume defensive posture Theta-One," Man-At-Arms called into his own Comm-Unit.
"Lieutenants, coordinate with Heroic Warriors," Teela said with a nod. "I need a sitrep on Prince Adam, please."
"Adam and Cringer are safe," He-Man said, stepping out of the Palace with Battle-Cat behind him.
"Cancel that, He-Man has reported that the Prince is safe," Teela then said. She put the unit on mute and faced the warrior. "Glad you're here, He-Man. We have an emergency."
"So I've heard. We're ready, Teela."
She smiled at him and got back onto the Comm-Unit. "We have in-coming Rotons, Spydors and Land Sharks. I want Bashasaurases, Lazer Blasters, and Battle-Rams in a defensive position around the city. Dragon Walkers and Attack Traks on hot stand-by. Blaster Hawks remain in position at the Palace. Coordinate all attacks with your Commanders."
"The Heroic Warriors are ready," Man-At-Arms said, stepping up next to Teela. He-Man, Battle-Cat, and Orko stood by her as well.
"Here they come," He-Man said, watching as the Fright Fighters were growing larger in the distance. The dots that were the enemy vehicles were starting to take shape.
"This is Captain Teela to all points. Prepare for battle."
King Randor would not sit down. Even through the heavy walls, he could hear the sounds of explosions and feel the Palace vibrate with each strike. Marlena sat at the end of the table, hand over hand and simply stared at the screens.
"I need be out there, defending my people, not hiding in a cage!"
"That is not your place," Marlena told him. "This is why we have the Heroic Warriors and the Royal Soldiers and . . . and He-Man." Her eyes locked onto the screen that showed the champion of Grayskull battling it out with Hover Robots.
Randor stalked around the table, but did not give his wife a clear answer. The room rocked once again as something else exploded nearby.
"Skeletor has been recruiting," Queen Marlena said, looking at another screen. "He has new Evil Warriors among his old ones. I don't recognize them."
King Randor grunted. "We've been hearing rumors of several sellswords and mercenaries finding work in Skeletor's thrall. Let us hope that we're up for it."
The ground below was littered with burning debris. The air sizzled with hot energy beams. Lazer Blasters continued to fire into the maw of the enemy. Bashasaurases drove forward, smashing as best they could the in-coming Land Shark. They often left a pile of slag, the robotic controllers broken amongst the wreckage.
Spydors, however, gained a distinct. They dove in, faster than the Bashasaurases could act, and managed cause serious damage to the machines. Battle-Rams were rendered useless as well, with only Lazer Blasters being able to avoid the great mechanical arachnids.
Royal Soldiers leapt from their vehicles, trying to regroup with the Dragon Walkers.
Beneath a sky war between Talon Fighters and Fright Fighters, the city of Eternos was engulfed in violence. The gate to the city was wide open and both Hover Robots and Evil Warriors were pouring in.
Laser beams cut through the marketplace, destroying stands and kiosks. They roared up in flames, huge plumes of smoke rising into the blue sky. Rio-Blast and Fisto arrived from securing one of the holdfasts, finding Roboto and a dozen Royal Guards outnumbered by Hover Robots, a score of Goblin mercenaries for hire, and both Trap-Jaw and Tri-Klops.
"Here's the plan," Rio-Blast said after a moment of strategizing. "I'm gonna fire two rockets at those there Goblins. When I do, you, me, an' Fisto are gonna charge the big baddies. The soldiers are attack the 'bots. Got it?"
"Let's do it," Fisto said, flexing the fingers of his massive mechanical fist.
Rio-Blast lifted his head just long enough to see where the Goblin mercenaries were. With but a thought, his chest opened and twin rockets shot out. They spiral through the air and collided on the other side of the market. The ground rocked and smoke and debris blasted out.
"NOW!"
Roboto and Rio-Blast were in motion instantly, lasers firing. Fisto ran behind them, shoved out ahead, and leapt over a smoldering market stand, his fist drawing back. He landed on Trap-Jaw, his fist smashing into the villains jaw. Trap-Jaw staggered back, his one arm flailing, sparks spitting from his jaw.
Trap-Jaw raised his laser bow, but Fisto's huge hand crushed it. Fisto then elbowed Trap-Jaw in the head and he fell back, smacking against a wall. Trap-Jaw snagged a laser blaster from his belt and fired. Fisto deflected it, but it gave Trap-Jaw the chance he needed to get back on his feet and run. Fisto chased after him.
Now far away, Tri-Klops took up protection behind a shattered stone wall. His eyes were constantly switching and he was firing away, aiming for both Roboto and Rio-Blast. The pair were able to deflect most of the attack and pressed on, blasting at the wall with their laser beams. Tri-Klops was pinned.
Roboto's sensors read the motion nearby, but it was too late. Two swords suddenly smashed into his back, through his chest and out the front. Energy conduits were cut, processers were heavily damaged, and most of his major systems were compromised.
"ERROR!" Roboto shouted. His primary systems shut down.
"Who in tarnation are you?" Rio-Blast asked, turning to the new arrival.
The bald man withdrew his twin blades and turned to Roboto. He had an eye-patch over his right eye and his smile was playfully sinister.
"Name's Blade, you dumb hick."
He was about to leap onto Rio-Blast – when suddenly an energy beam slammed into the cowboy and he was thrown back. Blade turned to Tri-Klops and snarled.
"Pay attention, one eye," Tri-Klops goaded, leaping into the fray between the Royal Soldiers and the mercenaries.
Hover Robots swarmed on the Palace's main entrance. Teela and Man-At-Arms had left to handle Jitsu, Beast-Man, and Evil-Lynn. He-Man, Battle-Cat, and Orko were left to defend the huge doors to the Palace. He-Man's fists annihilated Hover Robots. His Power Sword sliced them apart. His shield deflected their weaponry. Battle-Cat was leaping and snatching them from the air and crushed them with his huge weight.
"Here comes more of them!" Orko yelped as He-Man and Battle-Cat finished twenty of them.
Thirty were dropping from the sky.
"Orko, use your magic to widdle them down!"
"Um . . . I don't know what spell to use!"
Laser fire began to rain down on the trio.
"USE ANYTHING!"
Orko went silent. He-Man, taking cover behind his shield, glanced back the Trollan. Orko suddenly shot into the air and waved his hands. There was a huge puff of pink magic around a third of the Hover Robots. At least ten tin cans fell to the ground.
"Good job, Orko!" He-Man laughed, smashing his shield into an in-coming pair.
A furious explosion of magic went up around them. He-Man, Battle-Cat, and Orko were thrown in three directions. He-Man rolled onto his feet, having taken the brunt of it. His skin was smoldering and his muscles ached, but he had to be ready.
Skeletor landed just beyond the statue of King Gray the Great and rose to his feet. His Havoc Staff was brimming with power.
"I wondered when you would show up," He-Man declared.
The Havoc Staff and the Sword of Power collided. Magic sparked from the contact point. Skeletor stepped back, swinging the Havoc Staff out at He-Man, unleashing a bolt of energy at He-Man's chest. He-Man's harness rattled on him and he stumbled backwards. He-Man leapt up, Sword of Power glinting in the sunlight as he came down upon Skeletor.
Skeletor shifted out of the way, black smoke flowing from him in his wake. He-Man lost himself for a moment and felt the sting of another energy bolt.
"Skeletor!" He-Man roared, rushing out of the smoke and heading towards the skull-faced villain.
Lightning shot from the Havoc Staff, but He-Man managed to avoid all of them, charging at Skeletor with all of his might. He leapt over a pile of debris and came upon Skeletor, his blade crashing against Skeletor's staff. Energy flashed and flared. Skeletor raised his hand to summon more lightning, but He-Man grabbed his wrist and tossed Skeletor to his left.
"Fool!" Skeletor shouted.
"That's enough, Skeletor," He-Man said, walking towards his old enemy. "Call off your forces."
Skeletor jerked his head towards Orko.
He-Man followed his line of sight.
A man dressed in all black appeared from out of nowhere. Before either He-Man or Orko could react, the man pulled out a small box from his belt and opened it.
"ORKO!"
"What – what – what's happening?!" Orko shouted.
Shadows flew out form the box and wrapped all around the Trollan. Orko was dragged inside the box, which closed up immediately. Symbols along the sides of the box lit up with power, sealing Orko inside.
"Good work, Ninjor," Skeletor said, rising to his feet.
"RELEASE HIM!" He-Man roared, his heart racing. He raced towards Ninjor, but the ninja was faster. He leapt off the side of the stairs and seemed to vanish in thin air.
"Another time, He-Man," Skeletor said, firing another bout of lightning at the hero. "Evil Warriors! Begin extraction!"
He-Man leapt at Skeletor, but the villain swept away. He jumped onto the shoulder of King Gray the Great and then leapt again onto an Air Board. Skeletor rode it off, shooting above the city.
He-Man was about to run after him – when suddenly, explosions began to go off over the city. Hover Robots were self-destructing. Battle-Cat shoved him down as a dozen nearby Hover Robots exploded, unleashing flames and debris all around them.
And then it was over. The Evil Warriors and their mercenaries were gone – and they had Orko with them.