He-Man went over the teams once again. "Okay, does everyone know their mission? She-Ra will bring us the crest piece from Etheria. Teela, Mekaneck, Fisto, Snake-Eyes, Cover Girl, and Short-Fuze will go to Snake Mountain. Man-At-Arms, Sy-Klone, Shipwreck and Wet Suit will retrieve the piece from the Harmony Sea. Jinx, Dree Elle, Nunchuck, Orko and Man-E-Faces will retrieve the piece from Central Tower. Gwildor will remain here with The Sorceress and search the caverns beneath Grayskull because they know their layout. Tunnel Rat will help them because… well I think that's obvious."
Everyone chuckled. Tunnel Rat smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, when you got the skills, use them."
"Finally," He-Man went on, "Storm Shadow and I will fly out to Darksmoke and get the piece from Granamyr and the dragons."
"That's a simple diplomatic mission," Teela said. "Why don't you leave that to Storm Shadow? We could use your strength on one of these dangerous missions."
He-Man shook his head. "No. I understand what you're saying, but the fact is the dragons are still not too trusting of humans, let alone strangers, but they do trust me. We're more likely to convince Granamyr to give us his piece if I make the plea to him."
"And since time is our enemy, "Duke added, "we can't afford to wait for him to get back. We need to go after all of the crest pieces at once."
"Right," He-Man nodded in agreement. "Once you have your piece, return it here to Grayskull. After which I suggest you either take up guard here, or head back to Eternos. If the dark forces launch another attack, our divided forces will need all the help they can get."
"One last thing," Duke added loudly so everyone would be sure to hear. "You all have been given communicators. Now, if we can avoid letting the enemy know what we're up to, we'll be a lot better off. So you'll want to maintain radio silence, but secrecy in this matter is not worth sacrificing lives. If you get into trouble, don't hesitate to call for help. I don't want to loose anyone if we can prevent it."
While the others prepared to depart, Jinx pulled Storm Shadow aside. "I understand why He-Man's going on this mission," she said, speaking in Japanese so no one else could listen in, "but why are you? It's not like you to avoid one of the combat missions."
"Meeting a live dragon is an honor I cannot refuse," he said without looking at her.
Jinx was not convinced. "No, there's something bothering you and I think I know what it is. Come on Tommy, it's me. Be honest."
Storm Shadow sighed, "Right before you arrived back on Earth I had another one of my 'attacks'. I almost went off on Scarlett. And then, while we were in battle at the palace, I could feel myself slipping again. They're becoming more common Jinx. Especially when I'm angry or in battle. I'm not sure how much longer I can control my dark side. Considering what's at stake right now, I thought it best I avoid any conflict and risk another incident. Especially after what I have just learned."
"I don't understand," Jinx said, cocking her head to one side.
Storm Shadow placed a hand over his heart. "The Mark of the Serpent. All of Cobra bears it. I fear I might bear it too."
"That's ridiculous!" Jinx shouted, drawing the attention of those nearby. Noticing this, Jinx lowered her voice again, even though they were still speaking in Japanese. "You're too noble a man to bear the mark. What you did under Cobra's influence was not your fault. Even then you fought with honor. The idea that your soul could be pure evil…"
"But don't you see?" Storm Shadow cut in, his voice filled with concern. "Cobra Commander passed the Mark from himself to his soldiers. He could very well have passed it to me. I concede that it is not a path I chose for myself, but you cannot deny the possibility of the mark being forced onto my soul."
Jinx stared into the eyes of her cousin, her mentor, with a mixture of deep emotions. He was frightened. What's more he was admitting he was frightened.
Finally she said, "The Sorceress told us that when we have and use the Crest, any human who bears the mark will vanish from this world back to Earth. You are, and always will be, one of us. If you vanish, then and only then will I believe otherwise."
Storm Shadow nodded and embraced his young cousin. "If that happens, I want you to slay me. I would rather die with honor than live with a tainted soul."
Jinx shook her head. "They'll be no need for that. You'll see." As Storm Shadow walked away however, she whispered to Nunchuck, "Go with him will you? We've got more than enough members in this group. I'm worried he may do something rash. Don't tell him I said that though."
Nunchuck nodded and ran over to Storm Shadow and He-Man. Jinx couldn't hear what he said to them but a moment later Storm Shadow glanced at her with a look that clearly said he knew the truth, but did not disapprove. The two ninjas boarded the Wind Raider with He-Man and took off. Jinx watched them go until they were only a speck on the horizon. Then she climbed into the Attak Trak and began concentrating on her own problems. Central Tower was right next to Viper Tower and Jinx was not relishing a revisit to the area.
"Thanks for your help Hawk," She-Ra said as Sea Hawk's vessel the Solar Clipper cut through the waters towards Beast Island at breakneck speed.
"Anything I can do to be of assistance," Sea Hawk smiled. "Besides, from what you've told me of the situation, I couldn't very well say no. Hard to believe that one small crest could hold so much power."
She-Ra nodded. "Enough to reshape the whole universe. Small wonder the Elders chose to divide and hide it."
"Yes, but I have to wonder why they even created it in the first place," Sea Hawk said.
"You're the second person to ask that today," She-Ra chuckled.
"You laugh, but think about it," Hawk said seriously. "Why create something so dangerous?"
She-Ra shrugged. "They probably didn't realize just how dangerous it was until after it was already made. Let me give you an example. On Earth they have very powerful weapons called atomic bombs. Just one of these bombs is powerful enough to level an entire city. And that's just the explosion. The radiation left behind from the explosions continues to cause pain, suffering and death for countless generations.
"Now these bombs were first built during a time of war. A weapon was needed to end the war. So they made these atomic bombs, and it worked. After the bombs were used the war ended, but the cost of victory was that now every country lived in fear of another using the weapon against them. So as a deterrent they made more bombs so no one would risk using them for fear of having the bombs used back at them."
Sea Hawk looked like he was going pale. "That just proves my point. Why would anyone create something so evil?"
She-Ra sighed. "Like I said, it was in the middle of a war. They created the bombs to use against the enemy forces. No one knew at the time just how deadly the bombs would be. It wasn't until after they made them that the danger was realized, but by then it was too late. You can't uninvent something."
"So what you're saying is," said Sea Hawk, "the ancients probably had the best of intentions in mind when they made the crest?"
She-Ra shrugged. "Some of the worst things in history were made with only the best intentions."
"Oh well," Hawk sighed. "Maybe some good can come out of this. Once you get rid of this Cobra, perhaps we can use the crest to eliminate the Horde."
She-Ra shook her head. "I will admit the thought had crossed my mind, but somehow, I don't think we should. Or that Zodac will let us."
"Why not?"
"First of all," She-Ra pointed out, "it's not a good idea to put so much power into anyone's hands. We want to rid this planet of an evil force, but so did the men who made the atomic bomb. Second, the reason we're going after the crest is to restore the balance of the universe. Like Zodac said, there cannot be an absence of evil. That would disrupt the balance."
"You're right, of course," Hawk sighed.
At that moment Sea Hawk's first mate Swen came up to them. "Beg'n your pardon Captain, we're almost to Beast Island."
Sea Hawk stiffened, suddenly becoming all business. "Bring us hard about. All hands to battle stations." As the crew scurried about readying the ship, She-Ra beckoned Swift Wind over and climbed on his back.
"Okay," Hawk said, "you better get going. We'll keep the Horde distracted while you slip in and out."
"Be careful," she said with a deep concern.
He nodded. "You too"
She-Ra could hear her inner voice nagging in her head, Tell him! Tell him the truth. You may never get another chance. Tell him now!
But she couldn't.
Sea Hawk's distraction worked and She-Ra managed to stealthily enter the dark chamber which contained the feared, infamous Slime Pit. The cavern was silent as a tomb except for the slow dripping sound of the revolting green slime oozing out of the massive skull mounted on the wall into the pool below.
"I tell you Swifty," She-Ra sighed, "I had hoped I would never have to come back to this awful place."
"I can understand why," Swift Wind said softly.
"Well, let's not spend any more time here than we have to," She-Ra said, walking up to the edge of the pool of slime. "I just hope Sea Hawk can keep the Horde distracted. The last thing we need is to have to fight them when I'll be weakened"
"I was wondering," Swift Wind said, "why didn't you tell Sea Hawk your secret? I know you wanted to, and you said earlier you were going to."
"Yes," She-Ra nodded. "I am going to tell him, but I couldn't then. There were several reasons. First, the time isn't right. I want to tell him when we have time to sit down and talk without having to worry about anything else. Second, there were too many other people around. I want to tell Hawk and only Hawk. Finally, I want to tell him as Adora. I'm not sure why, but I think it would be better."
Swift Wind made a movement that would've been a shrug if he were human. "Maybe so, but with what's at risk, there might not be another chance."
She-Ra scowled, "That's not going to happen! We're going to succeed!" Taking a deep breath, she prepared to dive into the slime pool.
"She-Ra, wait."
"Swifty!" She-Ra groaned. "I want to get out of here. We can talk later."
The unicorn snorted slightly. "I was just going to suggest that you could conserve your strength more if you didn't have to hold your breath."
She-Ra understood and nodded. Quickly she drew the Sword of Protection and called out, "Sword to diving helmet." Slipping the helmet over her head she braced herself and dove into the revolting glop. As a result she failed to notice either the dark figure lurking in the shadows of the corner, or the hover bike floating high overhead.
She-Ra was a fast swimmer. Possibly the fastest on Etheria, with the exception of her mermaid ally Mermista. Nevertheless, the slime was slowing her down immensely. And it wasn't just the energy draining properties of the ooze either.
This is like swimming through cold peanut butter, she thought as she approached the bottom of the pool at last. Visibility was poor in the green mucus, therefore it took her several minutes to spot the dim shine of the golden metal beneath her. The crest piece had obviously been there for many years as it was wedged inside layers of dried hardened slime. The artifact would've been difficult enough to dislodge under normal circumstances but, even with a ready air supply, every second that passed She-Ra was growing weaker and weaker.
Normally prying the section of crest loose would be a simple matter for She-Ra. She was, after all, the strongest woman in the universe. However, with her strength so depleted and still lessening, the task became more difficult. Finally, with no other choice, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, pulled off her helmet and began smashing it into the old hardened slime bed. Slowly the encasing began to chip away. The job would have been much simpler had she been able to return her sword to normal, however, in her current position, she could not give the command. She needed to keep her mouth shut to hold her breath in and the slime out.
Finally, the crest broke loose . Seizing the artifact, she headed for the surface. By this time her lungs were aching for air. However, she could not replace her helmet for it was now full of the slime and would offer no assistance. Just when it seemed she was going to drown in the repulsive glop, her head broke the surface. She took in a much needed breath but found she did not have enough strength to swim to the pool's edge.
"Swift Wind," she called out, "I need your help!"
The unicorn leaped into the air and hovered over the pool, attempting to lower enough to help She-Ra out but, at the same time, avoid becoming stuck in the slime himself. She-Ra managed to hold up her helmet, turned it into a rope and tossed it up to him. Pulling with all his might, he dragged her out of the slime, which seemed to be yanking her back into its bowels. Once on dry land she laid on the ground taking in air in short gasps.
"Are you okay?" Swift Wind asked.
Despite her condition, She-Ra managed a smile. "I almost lost all the energy in my body, but I got it," she said holding up her piece of the Crest of Infinity. "One down, five to go."
Just then, a sinister voice came out of the darkness. "Thanks for doing my work for me." She-Ra turned as a rather ugly man walked out of the shadows. He had solid white hair. His right eye was puffy, pupil-less and milked over, and a huge deep scar ran down his face. He was wearing a green environmental suit and there was a large tank strapped to his back with tubes leading to a gun of some kind in his hands. What immediately caught She-Ra's attention though was not any of this, but rather the large Cobra emblem on his chest.
"A Cobra agent? Here? How… who…?"
"If you must know," he said, "I'm known as Cesspool. Now please, just hand over the Crest of Infinity. And don't bother playing dumb, we know everything."
She-Ra gasped. "You know? You came after the crest?"
Cesspool scoffed at her asking the obvious. "I was sent to recover this piece because sludge and toxic chemicals are my specialty, but I found that even I couldn't stand up to that slime. So I waited for you to retrieve it for me. Now give it to me before I'm forced to introduce you to my brand."
With that he leveled his gun at her. "This is a highly pressurized water cannon. Only, my tanks are filled with my special mixture of toxic chemicals. If you get so much as a teaspoon on you it'll be like swan diving into a pool of battery acid!"
She-Ra struggled to her feet and converted her rope back to a sword as Cesspool slowly closed in on her. "Keep behind me Swifty," she whispered. To Cesspool she said, "If you're new allies told you anything about me, then you know I never give up, no matter the odds."
"Pity," Cesspool chuckled. "I almost feel sorry for having to destroy such a beautiful face… almost!" With that a wall of steaming acidic chemicals burst forward from Cesspool's gun. Fortunately, She-Ra was just as quick.
"Sword to shield!" Though the sheer pressure from the sludge pushed her back, the shield held up and blocked the vile compound from touching her.
"Impossible!" Cesspool shouted. "That metal should have dissolved on impact!"
"The Sword of Protection was forged by the magic of Grayskull," She-Ra grinned. "It'll take much more than a little acid to destroy it!"
Cesspool snorted in disgust. "No matter, you can't hold out much longer in your condition." Though it would not seem possible, the intensity of the toxic flow actually increased. She-Ra was forced to her knees. As if the pressure wasn't enough, the mere stench of the chemicals was getting to her. It smelled like a cross between burning oil, and a backed up sewer pipe. Swift Wind whinnied and spread his wings, preparing to take action, though he had no defense against the deadly liquid. Before Swift Wind could move however, Cesspool dropped his weapon and screamed out in pain as a laser blast struck his hand.
As the echo of the shot died away in the cavernous chamber, She-Ra looked up to see a clearly customized hover bike lowering from above. Its occupant, who was holding the smoking laser gun, was a young woman. Perhaps a couple years younger than She-Ra was. Her hair was a strange pink/lavender color similar to Glimmer's and carried a wind swept look. She was dressed in a black and red outfit and wore a black leather trench coat, sunglasses with ruby tinted lenses, and a burgundy scarf wrapped around her neck.
"Who the hell are you?" Cesspool growled.
"All you need to know," she said in a soft but firm tone, "is that there's no way I'm letting you kill She-Ra. I need her alive."
"I see," Cesspool said, "a bounty hunter. Well, you can have the woman, she's of no concern to me. All I want is that artifact she's holding. Give it to me and I'll be on my way."
The bounty hunter, for that was indeed what she was, frowned and shook her head. "No. If She-Ra is willing to die rather than surrender it, then it's obviously too important to let a piece of shit like you have."
"How dare you?" Cesspool bellowed and picked up his gun. Before he could pull the trigger though, the woman fired her laser severing the tubes that led to the tank on his back. Instantly the toxic waste splattered over him instead. Cesspool screamed in pain and horror as the acidic substance began eating away at his flesh. In his panicky fraying he staggered into the Slime Pit's main pool. Finally the mysterious woman fired one last shot that struck him right between the eyes and went straight through his skull.
Cesspool stood still for a moment, with smoke billowing out of the hole in his head and his flesh being eaten to the bone, then he collapsed over dead. Both women stared in silence as the Cobra agent's body slowly sank beneath the slime. Then the woman climbed off her bike and walked over to She-Ra.
"Thanks," She-Ra said. "If you hadn't shown up when you did…"
"I was here the whole time," the hunter cut in. "I only interfered when I realized you couldn't handle it yourself."
She-Ra was growing more confused. "If you didn't come to help than what…"
The strange woman smiled. "The dead guy was right, I am a bounty hunter. The Horde's put a price on your head so large, every mercenary on Etheria will soon be after you."
She-Ra pulled herself up and stood strong, "I actually thought I'd found a new ally. If you want me, you'll have to kill me."
The hunter sighed. "I'd rather not. You see, the Horde has something I want besides money, and you can help me get it. We could be allies, or I could just shoot you and take your corpse in."
"I don't have time for this," She-Ra shouted and held up the crest piece. "Aren't you curious as to why that man wanted this? If I don't get this back to Eternia soon, the entire universe will be destroyed."
"Well then, you'd better get going," the stranger said and holstered her gun.
Even though this was what She-Ra wanted, she was rather surprised by it. "You mean you're going to let me go? No argument? No explanation?"
The biker woman shrugged. "I have no reason to believe you're lying to me. And even if I did, I'm not willing to take that risk. Now go before anyone else comes. The Horde Troopers aren't as trusting as I am."
She-Ra nodded and slowly headed towards Swift Wind, but as she attempted to climb on his back she collapsed to the ground. The slime had drained too much of her energy. Determined, she began pulling herself back up with great difficulty. Then, to her astonishment, the strange woman came over and helped her up and onto the unicorn's back.
"Don't quit on me now," she said. "You've got an important job to do."
She-Ra stared at her in wonder. A moment ago this woman had held her at gunpoint, ready to transport her to the Horde, and now she was helping her and acting like they were good friends. Finally she asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm either going to be the best friend you ever had," the hunter said with a smirk, "or I'm going to be the one to cause your death. Only time will tell."
She-Ra could see she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of her. "Can't you at least tell me your name?"
The biker held up her hand. "No more talk. You're wasting time. We'll save the formal introductions until next time we meet. And believe me Adora, there will be a next time. Now get going!"
She-Ra was growing increasingly uneasy around this woman and decided it would be best to leave before she changed her mind. In her weakened state she nearly lost her balance as they took off but managed to hold on.
As Swift Wind flew off the stranger called out once more. "I'll be waiting for you. Don't disappoint me!"
Perhaps it was because she was so weak, or perhaps her mind was simply too preoccupied, but the weight of what the woman had said did not hit her till much later. She-Ra quickly returned to Eternia, gave the crest piece to The Sorceress, and got some well-deserved sleep to replenish her strength. Only then did she suddenly realize that the stranger had called her by her real name.
