Chapter Six
A horrified Sorceress of Grayskull stood atop her pedestal before the Throne of Grayskull, clairvoyantly witnessing the scene transpiring on the bridge.
By The Ancients, no, The Sorceress thought. So engrossed was she in the vision that she did not notice an armed Jaxx suddenly appearing before her pedestal.
Jaxx leveled the blaster pistol at The Sorceress. "SORCERESS!" he cried, his face expressionless.
The Sorceress looked down at Jaxx and raised her hands in a gesture of submission. Her attention wavered from the drawbridge just long enough to allow Skeletor, Trap-Jaw, and Evil-Lyn to pry it open and venture inside the castle.
"Ah, Sorceress," cackled Skeletor. "I see you've met my newest weapon." He turned to Trap-Jaw and Evil-Lyn and smugly added, "The sentimental fool would never DREAM of killing a child.
"It will be her undoing."
That would explain why he's waited THIS long to attack, The Sorceress thought. Jaxx is old enough to hold a gun ... yet he's young enough to be prey to influence.
Skeletor turned to Jaxx, pointed towards The Sorceress, and commanded, "DESTROY HER!"
Jaxx fired a shot at The Sorceress … and then another … and then another. The laser blasts bounced off a forcefield surrounding The Sorceress.
"Why won't you FIGHT?" cried Jaxx.
"I'm not your enemy," The Sorceress replied. "You don't have to do this."
"I have my orders," said Jaxx flatly.
"You had your orders back at the palace, too," said The Sorceress. "And yet, you chose not to obey them."
"What part of 'He's a machine' do you not UNDERSTAND?" Skeletor jeered.
"He's only HALF-machine," said The Sorceress. "He's also a human being. A human being … who possesses the power to choose between good and evil." The Sorceress paused. "A bullet flying through the air cannot distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil … moral and immoral.
"YOU can, Jaxx … and you HAVE. You had a chance to kill King Randor back at the palace. You did not do so." The Sorceress paused. "You did not do so … because a part of you knew that doing so would've been immoral."
Jaxx lowered the pistol to his side, his face wearing an expression of bewilderment. How does she KNOW all this?
"Don't just stand there … KILL HER!" Skeletor screamed in frustration at Jaxx.
Jaxx looked to Skeletor for guidance. He then looked searchingly towards The Sorceress.
"Don't listen to him, Jaxx," said The Sorceress. "He's an evil, cruel tyrant."
"W-w-what do I ... do?" Jaxx asked, his voice quavering with uncertainty.
"Fight him, Jaxx," The Sorceress replied. "Fight him … resist him. Fight whatever hold he has over you
"Follow your conscience … follow your heart."
Jaxx dropped his pistol, pressed his hands against the sides of his head, closed his eyes, and clenched his teeth. Skeletor could only stand by and watch in mute horror at the sight of Jaxx straining against his electronic hold.
"That's it, Jaxx … fight him," The Sorceress encouraged softly. "You can do it."
"Kill HER…" Skeletor growled menacingly.
"I WON'T KILL FOR YOU!" Jaxx screamed. With that, he took a flying leap and kicked Skeletor squarely in the chest, sending him to the floor.
A dazed Skeletor looked up at Jaxx. He was now lying on the floor, flat on his back. Regaining his composure, he commanded, "TRAP-JAW! EVIL-LYN! FINISH HIM!"
Trap-Jaw replaced the mechanical claw that was at the end of his cybernetic arm with a laser cannon. Just as he raised his arm to fire, a set of flash beads landed in the midst of the three of them.
The Sorceress of Grayskull wheeled into action. She disappeared from her pedestal, reappeared at Jaxx's side, grabbed the back of his neck, and spun him away as the beads exploded in a blinding light, shielding his eyes from the blast.
"What WAS that?" Jaxx asked The Sorceress.
"Teela," The Sorceress murmured in reply.
It was then that He-Man and Teela entered Castle Grayskull, He-Man wielding his Sword of Power and Teela - dressed in her regular battle uniform - wielding a quarterstaff.
"Looks like the party's started without us," He-Man commented.
"HE-MAN!" The Sorceress cried. "Jaxx is under remote control!"
He-Man walked over to the prone Skeletor. "I'll take that, thank you," he said as he snatched the remote control device from Skeletor's hand. He then threw the device into the air and sliced it in half with the Sword of Power, destroying it.
Skeletor turned to Evil-Lyn and Trap-Jaw. "Don't just stand there," he commanded. "DO something!"
With that, Evil-Lyn raised her magic wand and opened a portal. She then rushed inside, Trap-Jaw bringing up the rear.
"COWARDS!" Skeletor cried. He then scrambled to his feet and ran inside the portal.
"Well, I guess that's that," said He-Man. He then looked around and said, "Where's Jaxx?"
He-Man, Teela, and The Sorceress looked around the room and towards the bridge. It was there that the three were treated to the sight of a panicked Jaxx running across the bridge at breakneck speed, away from Castle Grayskull.
"I'll find him," said Teela. "It was I who found him … I'm responsible for him."