Chapter 16 Rescue?
Randor watched transfixed as the imposter shoved Adam through a portal. Had he brought him back to the palace? He somehow doubted that. The viewer showed nothing but blackness for an instant, and then revealed an entirely new view. Adam lay face down on the floor in the middle of what appeared to be another small room. The floor was dirt, sunlight shone in through the windows. A portal was visible just behind Adam's feet.
The imposter jumped through and landed across the boy. Where was Teela? The portal closed as the imposter restrained Adam by digging his heel into his back. Teela had been left behind. Randor prayed she was safe.
Adam struggled against his attacker, but he seemed to be making no headway. How that must hurt, Randor thought, that burn pressed against the ground like that. He found himself reaching forward, to yank the imposter off his son, but he clenched his fists helplessly and slammed them on the table. What was the villain going to do now?
Duncan slammed the door open and ran in. "Randor, they've found the prison – but Adam isn't there!"
Randor looked up at him, devastated. "I know," he said simply, and looked back down at the image in the viewer. "Did they find Teela?"
"Yes, she's fine." He walked forward and looked into the viewer. "They're on their way back with her now."
"I'm glad," Randor said without raising his eyes.
Duncan pulled up a chair and joined him. "Oh, no," he murmured.
Adam finally managed to buck the imposter off, and he rolled sideways to knock the creep to the ground. The fellow landed with a startled cry and Adam leapt up. There were windows to this place, and a door. He tried to run, but only managed a shambling lope. Once outside, he saw that he was in the Vine Jungle. Not a place he wanted to travel alone without his sword – he glanced back into the hut. Did the imposter have – no!
He saw that the imposter wasn't wearing the power sword as the monster flew out the door to tackle him. They rolled about on the ground, Adam punching anything he could reach. The imposter managed to get a hand onto his chest and ground the heel of his palm into the burn. Terror struck Adam like a blow to the gut, and he tried desperately to break away, fearful that another burn was coming, one he wouldn't survive.
The imposter sensed his advantage. He got Adam back over on his stomach and knelt across him. "You shouldn't have done that, boy," he growled into Adam's ear. "Now I'm going to take both your hands."
Adam's left hand was clamped between the imposter's knee and his side, but he struggled with all his might against the doppelganger as he dragged his right hand forward, holding his hand this time, not his wrist. He mumbled a word and Adam felt the heat begin to rise. He wasn't going to cut his hand off, he was going to incinerate it!
A scream burst out from his throat, and he realized that there could actually be people nearby to hear him. "Help!" he shrieked. "Help!"
Something plucked the imposter off him, wrenching the burning hand off his. Adam curled into a fetal position, cradling the injured hand.
"No!" Duncan cried. "No! It can't be!" Randor stared at the scene in shock. What was going to happen now?
Adam rolled into a sitting position and looked up at his rescuer. Beastman held the struggling false prince whose eyes were wide with mindless terror. He looked around and discovered that he sat in the center of a ring of Skeletor's minions. Skeletor himself walked forward and looked down at him, a pseudo-benevolent smile on his face.
"I thought I heard a cry for help," he said slowly. "As always, I was glad to oblige."
Adam stared up at the 'overlord of evil' and closed his eyes. Was his father prophetic? Weak and feeble before Skeletor indeed.
"Take him!"
Trap Jaw stepped forward and looked down at him. "Oh no," he groaned, clutching his hand. "Not you again!"
"I don't think he likes you, Trap Jaw," Evil-Lyn said, amusement coloring her voice. She walked over and knelt beside him, placing a hand on his chest, just to the side of the burn. "These don't appear to be silk, my prince," she said in a low purring voice, making Adam want to drag himself out of her reach. Unfortunately, Trap Jaw stood on the other side of him, effectively blocking his retreat. "Coming down in the world, are we?" she asked. Her hand stroked across the burn, and Adam winced away. "Is there something wrong?" When he just gritted his teeth and didn't respond, she glanced up at Trap Jaw. "Hold him down, there's something odd here." Adam tried to jerk himself out of Trap Jaw's grasp, but Evil-Lyn managed to open the front of his pajama top and revealed the bandage.
"That witch needs to keep her hands off my son!" Randor grated.
"I've got people on their way right now," Duncan said, turning back from his comlink. "They should be there in the next twenty minutes."
"Let's just hope that's soon enough."
"What's this?" Evil-Lyn asked, gazing down at the neat square of white bandage that Teela had applied that morning.
"Nothing!" he said, glaring up at her.
"You intrigue me." She ripped the bandage away and stared at the injury. Adam cried out as the adhesive tore at his skin and pulled at the edges of the burn. Her eyes widened in revulsion, and she looked up at the imposter. "You really are sick, aren't you?"
"What is it?" Skeletor demanded, striding forward. He stared down at Adam's chest. "Maybe we should give your old apprentice back to Randor," he said thoughtfully. "It might be interesting to see how that self-righteous do-gooder treats someone who's done this to his son. Especially if we make it look like he killed him."
"He can see us!" the imposter yelled suddenly. "He has an enchanted viewer. He can see everything that's happening!"
Skeletor looked up at – Evil-Lyn's old apprentice? – and spoke musingly. "I was right, you really are a weasel, aren't you? How did you manage to stop being a ferret, anyway?" The imposter didn't respond, but Skeletor just waved a hand. "Well, if Randor can see us, I guess we'd best be on our way."
Adam cleared his throat. "I don't suppose you'd consider giving me back to my father in return for a thank you and a nice fat reward, would you?" Skeletor gave him an amused look. Adam gazed up at him for a long moment, then said, "I didn't think so." He took in a deep breath, and let out as loud a shout as he could. "Help!" He kept shouting until Evil-Lyn knocked him out.