CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"He-Man and Mer-Man"

The drip, drip, drip of water awoke Adam from his unconscious state. His eyes were sore as he opened them and he struggled to stand up.

"Oh . . . ow . . ." he muttered to himself. It felt like he had a broken leg. "Ow . . . Ram Man? Roboto? Snout Sprout? Anybody?"

Adam looked at his surroundings. He was in a near cavern, one that was very large and very ominous. He looked up and saw how high the ceiling went up. He gasped. It was at least fifty feet. And he fell from that. He could see where he exited. Directly next to him was a large lake, somehow located underground.

"Wha-what is this place?"

Adam suddenly felt a surge of panic and looked for his sword. It was there, tittering on a rock next to the lake. He reached for it, shifting his body weight. He shifted too much and felt a searing pain from his leg. His hand spasmed and smacked the sword off the rock and into the lake.

"Damn it!"

He laid his head back on the hard, rock floor. He was screwed.

***

"Adam! King Adam!" shouted Ram Man through the tunnel he had fallen into.

"There is no point, Ram Man," said Roboto. "This tunnel goes nearly straight for miles."

"Yeah, well, we ain't abandoning him."

"We can't stay here for much longer," Snout Sprout said, eyeing the now unconscious giant. "We don't know how much longer that thing'll stay out. There's a another shattered door down that tunnel. It may led to the surface."

"It may not, elephant-face" pondered Ram Man.

"We should wait a few hours longer. Ram Man, keep guard on the giant. If he wakes, smash him in the head. If he does not, then we are in good fortune," Roboto commanded. "Let us also bear in mind that Adam does indeed have the Sword of Power. He can change into He-Man if need be."

***

As King Adam laid on his rocky bed, he could the splish-splash of water. He turned to see who or what it could be, but he didn't see anything within his line-of-sight.

Then, the splashes got louder and louder.

"Wha . . . who's there? WHO'S THERE?!"

A figure suddenly leapt to Adam's feet and starred at him with wide, yellow eyes. "OH NO!" the figure cursed. "Not you!"

Adam was shocked. "Mer-Man? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What am I doing here? This is my place!"

"Your . . . place . . .?"

"My secret place. When Mer-Man wants to be alone. But I'm not alone! No, because, you're here!"

"Mer-Man, if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be. But, well, my leg is broken and I'm stuck."

"Well, I don't care! Go back to that tunnel back there! Just get out!" Mer-Man insisted.

"Mer-Man, the only way I'm going to be able to get to that tunnel is if I had my sword. But my sword is now at the bottom of this lake. If you can get it - "

"Don't try to fool me, you stupid land lover!" Mer-Man shouted. "You'll get me in there and then seal me in here with some sort of weapon you're obviously holding. You probably have your sword with you, but are just hiding it."

"Mer-Man, if I had the sword, I would have changed already and been through that tunnel back there. Wait. What tunnel?"

"That one, stupid flesh thing! THERE!"

Mer-Man grabbed Adam's face and pointed it to a small, three foot opening in the wall. "What's back there?" asked Adam after the aquatic villain let go.

"A big, green giant."

Adam paused in thought. The giant apparently lived there. And he was able to into the chamber where the others were. That would mean would have a chance. But still, Adam was curious as to why Mer-Man was here.

"Mer-Man, where is this place?"

"This is at the very edge of the Harmony Sea. An air pocket, but still under the land. Very difficult to get to. I'm the only one that can do it."

"What did you mean this was your 'secret place?'"

"Enough questions!" Mer-Man shouted. He jumped behind Adam and pushed him up so he was in a sitting position.

Adam screamed in pain.

"My leg!"

Mer-Man ran in front of him and looked between Adam's face and his leg. "You . . . you're telling the truth?"

"Yes!"

"I see no sword. No weapons."

"That's right. I had a backpack, but it was Ram Man's turn to haul it around. Would you mind getting my sword, please?"

Mer-Man paused. "You will not have your sword. Mer-Man will take you to that tunnel himself."

"No!" Adam shouted. Mer-Man growled.

"You do not order me around!" he exclaimed. "I am here to get away from orders!"

"Is that why this is your secret place?"

Mer-Man knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of this one. "Yes. Evil Lynn and Skeletor take advantage of me. I only help because I have no choice."

"What do you mean?"

"For my loyalty, both Skeletor and Evil Lynn have promised that no harm will come to pass to the Sea People. Sometimes, though, I want to be alone and this is the place I go. They can not teleport from here. Strange magics."

"I see. Would you like me to leave as well?"

"Yes!"

"They why don't you take a chance and get that sword for me?"

Mer-Man struggled a moment with the decision before jumping right into the water. A moment later, he returned with the mystical blade. Adam retrieved it from the villain, then lifted it above his head.

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL . . ." he cried out. "I HAVE THE POWER!"

In a thunderous crash of power and light, He-Man replaced the battered form of Adam. He-Man stood up and took a breath.

"There! Now go!" Mer-Man said. "Just . . . just leave me alone . . ."

He-Man started for the tunnel, but paused just a moment and turned back to Mer-Man. "Mer-Man," he began, "there are other ways to keep the peace in your world."

"Oh?"

"Skeletor is gone. I think you should consider Eternos as a new negotiation ground."

Mer-Man looked at He-Man long and hard before slipping back into the water and completely disappearing from sight.

He-Man sighed and ducked into the tunnel. After a few minutes of walking through this, he reached a large set of caves. He ignored them all with the exception a large one with a tunnel directly above it. He stood underneath the tunnel and as soon as he reached it, he felt thrown up into it.

After a few moments of speeding through the large, giant-sized tunnel, heading directly upwards, He-Man arrived in the great chamber where his allies were waiting for him.

"He-Man! Good to see you're alright!" Snout Sprout welcomed.

"Yeah, now let's move it, huh? That giant ain't gonna be no sleeping beauty for much longer," Ram Man told them.

"Right. LET THE POWER RETURN!" He-Man shouted. He was then transformed back into Adam. He was fit and healthy again, just as he figured. The power of Grayskull had healed Adam's wounds as He-Man.

So, Adam led them on once again into the tunnel that took them out of there.