Chapter 7
As the Wind Raider landed outside Greyskull, He-Man surveyed the castle grounds. Except for the jawbridge being lowered, things looked as they normally did. To his dismay, Skeletor was nowhere to be found...not outside, at least.
Which meant there could only be one place he could be.
He-Man dashed into the castle, running toward the throne room at high speed. The anger that welled up inside was quickly combining with an intense anticipation, as he thought of how he was going to rip his enemy to shreds.
And as he thought about it, he allowed a twisted smile to emerge on his face, a smile that he was beginning to like.
He couldn't wait.
Skeletor was sitting on the throne, as He-Man suspected. The darkness, both inside and outside the castle, shrouded all but his hooded visage in total shadow. He leered down at He-Man with the look of a triumphant conquerer. He-Man balled his fists, awaiting the chance to tear his nemesis asunder.
"So you received the Sorceress's distress call," Skeletor said. "Too bad you got here too late to save her."
Before He-Man could respond, Webstor lowered her body from the celing with his grappling hook. She dangled like a grotesque marionette, the fatal wound far too large to ignore. Her eyelids were half open, and her pupils had rolled into the back of her head. He-Man was shocked, but the sight of her only made his desire to kill more intense-and, he knew, would make it more enjoyable.
"So you finally took off the kid's gloves? I was beginning to think you were nothing but a wimp-too weak to actually do something truly sinster to show you were serious about taking over. I must admit, I'm surprised."
"Come now, He-Man. Surely you'd know me better than that. But then, I thought I knew you, until you started down the road of brutality and murder. And from what I can see, you like the taste of it."
"What can I say? I'm full of surprises."
"Planning on offing me like you did my minions?"
"Can't get anything past you, can I?"
Skeletor chuckled. "I seriously can't see that happening. But you're welcome to try if you wish."
That was what He-Man was waiting for. He drew the Power Sword, then sprinted up the steps to the throne, taking them two at a time. Skeletor never moved, never even tried. He-Man grinned; surely the villain was paralyzed with fear. He raised the sword over his head, then thrust it downward as hard and as deep as he could. Blood spurted from the wound as Skeletor screamed. He-Man never felt so triumphant, so...alive...
The screaming stopped abruptly, and suddenly Skeletor was laughing as loudly as he ever had in his life. He-Man then heard more screams, this time muffled, and higher pitched. Cautiously he took several steps backward, sensing that something wasn't right. Skeletor would never make himself that easy a target...
Skeletor, still laughing, stood up from the throne and stepped into the dim torchlight. The sight that He-Man saw made him more sick than he'd ever been.
Held up by her arms in front of his chest was Teela. The wound from the Power Sword was the deepest he'd ever inflicted, and the blood was spreading too quickly to stop. She was convulsing in the same manner as Evil-lyn had when she'd died, only more wildly. He-Man stood, horrified, as he watched the woman he'd loved for years slowly die in the arms of his greatest enemy, only turning away as the last of her breath escaped her body.
He-Man was stricken with guilt and grief-stricken with the knowledge that he was the one who had brutally killed her. That he'd done so after being tricked by Skeletor.
And the rage returned.
With a mighty leap, he cut the cord that was suspending the body of the Sorceress, catching her as he went. As he fell to the floor, he quickly grabbed the end that was attached to Webstor's backpack, dragging him down with him. Before the villain could run, He-Man wrapped the cord around his throat, pulling as tight as his massive strength would allow. In less than a minute, Webstor's body was limp.
Still holding the dead warrior, He-Man turned back to the throne, his eyes ablaze with fury. "NO MORE RUNNING FOR YOU, SKELETOR! YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
As the Wind Raider landed outside Greyskull, He-Man surveyed the castle grounds. Except for the jawbridge being lowered, things looked as they normally did. To his dismay, Skeletor was nowhere to be found...not outside, at least.
Which meant there could only be one place he could be.
He-Man dashed into the castle, running toward the throne room at high speed. The anger that welled up inside was quickly combining with an intense anticipation, as he thought of how he was going to rip his enemy to shreds.
And as he thought about it, he allowed a twisted smile to emerge on his face, a smile that he was beginning to like.
He couldn't wait.
Skeletor was sitting on the throne, as He-Man suspected. The darkness, both inside and outside the castle, shrouded all but his hooded visage in total shadow. He leered down at He-Man with the look of a triumphant conquerer. He-Man balled his fists, awaiting the chance to tear his nemesis asunder.
"So you received the Sorceress's distress call," Skeletor said. "Too bad you got here too late to save her."
Before He-Man could respond, Webstor lowered her body from the celing with his grappling hook. She dangled like a grotesque marionette, the fatal wound far too large to ignore. Her eyelids were half open, and her pupils had rolled into the back of her head. He-Man was shocked, but the sight of her only made his desire to kill more intense-and, he knew, would make it more enjoyable.
"So you finally took off the kid's gloves? I was beginning to think you were nothing but a wimp-too weak to actually do something truly sinster to show you were serious about taking over. I must admit, I'm surprised."
"Come now, He-Man. Surely you'd know me better than that. But then, I thought I knew you, until you started down the road of brutality and murder. And from what I can see, you like the taste of it."
"What can I say? I'm full of surprises."
"Planning on offing me like you did my minions?"
"Can't get anything past you, can I?"
Skeletor chuckled. "I seriously can't see that happening. But you're welcome to try if you wish."
That was what He-Man was waiting for. He drew the Power Sword, then sprinted up the steps to the throne, taking them two at a time. Skeletor never moved, never even tried. He-Man grinned; surely the villain was paralyzed with fear. He raised the sword over his head, then thrust it downward as hard and as deep as he could. Blood spurted from the wound as Skeletor screamed. He-Man never felt so triumphant, so...alive...
The screaming stopped abruptly, and suddenly Skeletor was laughing as loudly as he ever had in his life. He-Man then heard more screams, this time muffled, and higher pitched. Cautiously he took several steps backward, sensing that something wasn't right. Skeletor would never make himself that easy a target...
Skeletor, still laughing, stood up from the throne and stepped into the dim torchlight. The sight that He-Man saw made him more sick than he'd ever been.
Held up by her arms in front of his chest was Teela. The wound from the Power Sword was the deepest he'd ever inflicted, and the blood was spreading too quickly to stop. She was convulsing in the same manner as Evil-lyn had when she'd died, only more wildly. He-Man stood, horrified, as he watched the woman he'd loved for years slowly die in the arms of his greatest enemy, only turning away as the last of her breath escaped her body.
He-Man was stricken with guilt and grief-stricken with the knowledge that he was the one who had brutally killed her. That he'd done so after being tricked by Skeletor.
And the rage returned.
With a mighty leap, he cut the cord that was suspending the body of the Sorceress, catching her as he went. As he fell to the floor, he quickly grabbed the end that was attached to Webstor's backpack, dragging him down with him. Before the villain could run, He-Man wrapped the cord around his throat, pulling as tight as his massive strength would allow. In less than a minute, Webstor's body was limp.
Still holding the dead warrior, He-Man turned back to the throne, his eyes ablaze with fury. "NO MORE RUNNING FOR YOU, SKELETOR! YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...