Arzosah - Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like my story and that you think that I've done well with developing the characters; keeping people in character is one of my greatest concerns. Glad you like, and I hope you like this chapter as well.

The Dark Temptress - Grumpy Ol' Skeletor. I just had a vision of Jamie saying that behind his back and him turning around to blast her into oblivion. Oh, what a scene that would make! Hell surfaced earth…….join the club, sweetheart, lol. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter ;)

Eva91 - It's alright; I'm just sorry that it took so darn long to get this chapter out; writer's block strikes again! You know, I just realized that the one year anniversary of the birth of this story is coming up. That makes me go "Wow."

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with He-man and the Masters of the Universe, but I do attain my individual rights to Jamie, Ailil, and anyone else not immediately recognizable to the MotU universe.

Chapter Fourteen

Closer to Evil: Part One

Trapjaw watched Jamie with concealed amusement as she skipped over some particularly large rocks. Whatever had put her in a good mood was contagious, for the cyborg found himself occasionally smiling at he girl's antics. Even Tri-Klops fell victim to her innate cheerfulness, lightening up enough to the point where he was actually contributing to conversations that weren't apropos with their journey. Jamie bounded over a few more boulders (which no one had any idea of how they came to be) and dropped out of sight, her white hair trailing behind her like a banner. Having forsaken the tattered clothes that she had worn upon arriving at Snake Mountain, Jamie had somehow managed to put together an entirely new outfit, one which had almost no use except for that of decoration. At least, that was Trapjaw's opinion, even though he felt that Tri-Klops would agree with him………if the man ever stopped ogling her.

A close-fitting top, complete with off-the-shoulder sleeves (it was a wonder that they didn't fall down altogether; it was probably a woman thing, for Evil-lyn had always declared that women had far more dress sense than men) and a plunged neckline, was a deep green in color and fell to mid-thigh; brown pants were tucked into knee-high black boots, completing the ensemble. Trapjaw had to admit that the kid was pretty cute, and could see what had Tri-Klops so enraptured. She was her own deal, and she knew how to work it.

Trike, thought Trapjaw solemnly, if you let something like that go, you'd be an idiot of the worst kind.

Trapjaw wasn't blind; he could see the attraction that the two shared, and it was just the complex matter of making them both aware of it. His opinion, of course, hadn't changed since he had first gotten the idea into his head to get Tri-Klops laid; it would do him so much good. But whether or not Tri-Klops loosened up enough to allow himself some much-deserved pleasure was no longer the issue; it was whether or not he would allow himself to become too attached. He has a better head than that, the cyborg reassured himself, grunting as he adjusted his heavy burden.

Having taken into account all that was bound to happen, Tri-Klops had made them prepare for the worst possible scenario. Their knapsacks were far heavier than they should've been, and Trapjaw was seriously considering dumping his to rely on nature's providence. He had done so before and he seriously doubted that his luck would fail him, even though Tri-Klops would probably pitch a fit. I'll risk it, he thought threateningly. Trapjaw had never been one to rely on others; it used to be that he trusted himself and only himself. Ever since joining up with Skeletor all those years ago, he had had no choice but to learn to trust his comrades. Even that was stretching the truth; no one truly trusted anyone. If not trust, then at least relying on the others to do their job so he wouldn't have to.

At first, they had been like a bunch of bugs, scurrying around in different directions and generally screwing things up. Thanks to Skeletor's experience and patience, though, they became the efficient body that they were today. There had been issues dealing with things like the question of whether or not Skeletor had been fit to lead them. This small matter had been resolved after Skeletor had blown off Trapjaw's right arm and had completely destroyed his lower jaw. That had happened so many years ago though, and Trapjaw had never been one to dwell on the past. He now respected Skeletor greatly, for what it was worth.

Of course, this was before the whole He-man and the Masters joining forces to thwart Skeletor at every corner. Since then the entire mountain had been disorganized and dysfunctional as a unit. Trapjaw suspected that it was because they had never gotten over the embarrassment of their first defeat. It had been so unexpected and so random, that they practically fell apart at the seams. The memory beginning to leave a bitter taste in his mouth, Trapjaw refocused his attentions on the road.

Tri-Klops had argued with Jamie and him for the better part of ten minutes on which path to follow: the one which led them closer to civilization or the one that toed the forest tree-line. In the end, Tri-Klops won, and his two reluctant companions were made to follow. Granted, he had a valid point, what with them not really wanting to draw attention to those who might contact the Defenders, but Trapjaw would've preferred to make a stop or two. Jamie had looked like maybe she would've liked sticking closer to the towns as well. Trapjaw didn't mind it that they were taking the more obscure route, but she had looked outright uncomfortable at the prospect, like she was expecting something bad to happen.

Maybe it was a woman thing.

Three standard hours passed, bringing the threesome to the outskirts of a small village; Tri-Klops had finally relented after Jamie had practically begged him to stop by at least one village. Unlike most frontiers on or near the Dark Hemisphere, this one didn't have much in the way of defenses and no way of contacting Eternos. A ten-foot tall wooden gate surrounded the entire perimeter of the village and sentries were posted within ten feet of each other along its length. The guards were armed with simple blaster rifles and several other "weapons of choice". That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. All in all, a rather pitiful ensemble.

"Hey, Trike!" called Trapjaw, getting the swordsman's attention. "We should stop here before goin' through Gwylvos Forest; navigatin' that place at night is like tryin' ta find yer way through the Sands of Time blindfolded."

Tri-Klops nodded curtly. "I agree," he said, "but I want to at least get to Waedimort Pass; the journey will be easier from there on out."

"Says you," mumbled Jamie, who didn't think much of the idea. She knew that traveling through Gwylvos Forest would lead them straight to Blackmere, which was just as close to the Berserk Islands as Havenshore. The last thing she wanted right now was to be near the very cause of all her problems. In fact, earlier, she had been so desperate to avoid Blackmere that she had actually darted off the trail and into the forest, forcing both Tri-Klops and Trapjaw to try and catch her. In the end, it had been the swordsman who had caught up to her, and the first thing he had done was smack her soundly across the face.

A bright red mark had immediately appeared on Jamie's cheek as she had reeled back, shocked that he had actually struck her (she hadn't been expecting that). Her eyes had glinted with rage and something a bit more sinister, but Tri-Klops was oblivious. "I've no time for this," he had said sharply. "We need to cover as much ground as possible and going through Blackmere is the easiest way to do so. You can either come along or stay behind; it's your choice." Turning away from Jamie, the scientist had trekked back to the trail, eager to get to the edge of the Gwylvos Forest before nightfall.

Trapjaw had tried to cajole Jamie into giving them both a break, but she had huffed and refused to say anything else on the matter. Brat, Trapjaw had thought. It wasn't like too much was being asked of her. Deciding to leave her alone to her thoughts, the cyborg had taken Jamie's pack from her and moved on ahead. Jamie had lagged behind, seething on the inside. In fact, she was still irate.For some reason, Tri-Klops' s infringement on her person caused her to feel somewhat betrayed. She didn't very much care for the feeling that was generated within her chest, nor did she know where it had come from. It was one of those things that swooped in out of no where and was gone before one could figure out what it was supposed to mean. I hate this, she grumbled internally. Jamie, like Tri-Klops, didn't like not being able to decipher her own emotions, but she didn't make as big of a deal out of it as he did.

Normally, after being hit, she would've attempted to strike that person back, but this time had been different. While the murderous rage that accompanied her………moments did indeed arise within her, Jamie hadn't really wanted to cause Tri-Klops any harm. She had tensed at first, ready to spring up and punch him or something, but her arms and legs suddenly felt as heavy as lead and she was unable to carry through with her desired actions. What the hell is wrong with me?! she had asked herself, frightened that something horrible had happened to her body. The last thing she wanted was to be incapacitated at a time like this.

"Hurry up!" drifted a faint voice from far ahead. Jamie snapped out of her disturbing thoughts and ran to catch up with Trapjaw and Tri-Klops, who were at least forty meters ahead. I'm beginning to hate this, she thought, ignoring Tri-Klops's chastisement about her dawdling.

The sooner it's over, the better.

Somewhere in the Northern Polar Ice Cap………

"Liala!" whispered a small, frightened voice.

Water dripped from a crack somewhere far above, possibly from the ceiling. Horned rats hissed threateningly at one another as they fought for dominance over a few bread crumbs. In the darkened chamber, one could hear the faint rattling of heavy chains, and the scuffle of skin as someone scooted across the dry stone floor.

"What is it Tanny?" asked an older voice.

"W-what's gonna to happen t-to us?" asked the other voice, presumably Tanny.

"I don't know," said the older girl, Liala, as she sighed into the dark.

"B-but I'm hungry!" whined Tanny persistently. "I-I wanna go h-home! I'm c-cold and we-wet. I-I want my m-mommy and, and daddy!" the child's voice broke, and quiet sniffling could be heard. Liala groaned; she hated having to play at babysitter.

"Look," she said soothingly, putting on a false cheery voice, "he'll let us go soon. When he does, you can go back to your mommy and daddy, okay?" Tanny whimpered, but she was no longer crying, which was a good thing.

"Hey Liala?" she said after few moments of silence.

"Yes, Tanny?"

"I'm young, not stupid."

A silence fell between the two, with Liala feeling more and more embarrassed by the second. "You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better," Tanny continued, a disappointed tone in her voice. Liala shook her head sadly and turned to the side, where she stretched out along the cold floor. It was so sad; Tanise, or Tanny, as she had insisted on being called, was only thirteen. Naïve in both body and mind, she had come to this horrid place not knowing what was in store for her. Like so many others, she had been kidnapped from her homeland to be used for more sinister purposes. Liala wept inside at the thought of what would happen to the child.

At twenty-three, Liala was no stranger to pain. She had lived in the castle since she was nineteen, and she knew what to expect. Unfortunately, Tanny did not, and neither would she understand why anyone would want to do such a thing to her. Liala could only pray that when the girl was finally released for what would most surely be her last moments of innocence, that it was all over quickly for her. Liala hadn't been so lucky; the very first day she had spent in the dungeons, she was called upon by the Lord of the castle. Several guards had hustled her out of the dungeon and had handed her over to an old woman of about sixty. Liala could remember the pain in the old woman's eyes as she instructed her to take a bath and to put on the new clothes that had been lain out for her.

She had complied, confused at first, but grateful to have been given the chance to freshen up. Little did she know that it was all for naught. She had been escorted to the Lord's room, where he had done things to her, unspeakable things that made her cry every time she thought about them. She had become inconsolable, and had curled up into a ball and screamed until there was no more breath left in her to make even the smallest of sounds. They were the type of memories that the very worst kind of nightmares were made out of.

Please don't let it happen to Tanny, prayed Liala, hoping that the Elders were listening. She couldn't bear the thought of the poor child being forced to endure what she had; it was unspeakable, the crimes that the Lord committed against women. She had heard it being whispered among the guards that the man who lived so secretly within this fortress wasn't privy to gender; she had heard that it had happened to men and young boys as well. Liala didn't want to believe it, for it was too horrifying to even think of. Unfortunately, she did not doubt that the guards were telling the truth, for what did they have to gain from lying? Oh, Elders, she thought sadly, why do men like him exist?

"Liala?" came Tanny's small, frightened whisper.

"Yes, Tanny?"

"I'm so scared."

Groping about in the darkness, Liala found the other girl's small hand and gripped it tightly, hoping that it was enough to let the poor thing know that she was there for her, even though they barely knew each other. "It'll be okay," lied Liala sorrowfully, wishing that her words could become a reality, "we'll get through it, I promise." Tanny sniffed a couple more times and squeezed Liala's hand, her grip painfully tight.

"I just w-wanna go home."

"I know, baby, trust me, I know."

The two girls leaned against each other, grateful for the warmth that their combined body heat generated. Eventually, with Tanny's head drooping onto Liala's shoulder, thee two girls fell into a fitful slumber. They dozed for about two, maybe three standard hours before they were awoken by a loud banging on their dungeon door.

BAM!

Liala bolted upright and hurriedly brushed the sleep out of her eyes, immediately aware of what was about to happen. "No………!" she whispered fearfully. Tanny was a bit slower in coming too; it had been, surprisingly, a good nap.

BAM!

Something crashed against the door again, most likely the fist of one of the guards. There was a rattling noise, the keys to the door, and then a soft clicking. Liala and Tanny both held their breaths, awaiting for the next moment.

Click!

The lock slid open and three hulking men entered the room at once, one of them brandishing his hand like a weapon. "Take the girl!" he roared, directing the other two to Tanny. Liala cried out and pulled the younger girl to her, desperate to save her from what she knew was about to happen.

"Get back, bitch!" snarled one of the men, kicked her cruelly in the jaw. Liala yelped and was thrown back, leaving Tanny to the mercy of the guards. Grabbing the tiny girl by the upper arms, two of the guards hauled her to her feet and out of the dungeon door. The third man, who was undoubtedly their leader, bent over Liala and pulled her up by her hair.

She cried out again from the pain, but her jaw flopped uselessly to the side; it was broken. "That should put you in your place, you worthless whore!" whispered the man fiercely, as he leaned forward to lick the blood off of her lip. Liala gave another incoherent howl at his contact with her injured jaw, and he dropped her into a heap. Bounding out of the room and locking the door behind him, he left Liala to lay there, curled up in a sobbing ball. Her face felt like it was on fire, and she couldn't properly move her lower jaw without it feeling like it was about to fall off.

She knew that someone would eventually come in to care for her, but it didn't matter anymore. She no longer wanted to live in a world where things like this happened. She wanted to die and be done with it. Why is this happening? she sobbed to herself.

Isn't there anyone who can help us?

A/N: This chapter's okay, but I don't like it too much; maybe it's because Jamie is too unfeeling in this one, but I also think it reflects her annoyance very well. Tri-Klops can't be the only one who's letting this get under his skin.