Chapter 11: Turn For The Worse
"This is it," Adora said looking up at the doorway to Hordak's throne room.
"You ready for this?"
"Doesn't really matter if I am or not now does it?" Adora chuckled holding up her hands, which were once again bound. Granted it had been her own idea in order to keep up appearances, but it did leave her at the mercy of anyone.
"One last thing," Road Queen said glancing around to make sure no one was there. Normally an escort of Horde Troopers would have seen them to the throne room but, given what had happened yesterday, the robots were giving Road Queen a wide birth.
Seeing they were alone Road Queen took a small knife out of her coat then slipped it into Adora's boot hiding it from sight.
"Just in case," she said. "You may need it later."
Adora nodded. Granted she would have preferred having her sword back instead, however that was not so easily concealed. She supposed the knife was better than nothing. It did give her a little feeling of confidence despite the overwhelming sense she had that something extremely bad was about to happen.
As they entered the chamber Adora immediately knew her premonition had been correct. Standing to one side of Hordak was Caries, looking none to pleased at seeing her alive. Though Adora had never seen Caries before, she recognized the uniform immediately.
"It's an inspector," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth, trying to keep her lips as still as possible. "This could complicate things."
"As long as I get my brother nothing changes," Road Queen muttered back.
"You've done well Road Queen," Hordak grinned.
"Yes, Caries smirked. "She's succeeded where you and your best warriors have failed repeatedly Hordak. Not exactly something for you to be boastful about."
"Yeah, yeah we all know I'm the greatest," Road Queen scoffed. "Now let's dispense with the flattery and get on with this!"
"Just a moment," Caries said. "The Horde could use someone like you. What do you say? I could make you commander of an entire legion."
"Join the Horde? Be a stooge taking orders from some psycho warmonger? Shove it up your ass. I take orders from no one. I do what I want, when I want, how I want!"
Caries' smirk faded into a sneer. "I sounds to me like you could use a little discipline in your life."
"I don't remember asking you shit," Road Queen shouted. "Why am I even talking to you? My deal is with Hordak." She turned her attention back to the dark lord. "Do you have what I came for or are things going to get ugly around here?"
"Not that it isn't already ugly enough with them here," Adora added softly causing Road Queen to unsuccessfully hide a laugh.
Hordak snapped his fingers and Dragstor appeared with a sick looking man. It was hard to tell how old he was because he was clearly undernourished, and covered with dirt. His face had a ratty beard that had not been cut or in any way managed for years. He had no shoes and what clothes he did have were old, ragged and filthy.
When she saw him Road Queen -or perhaps it would be more accurate to say Reina- nearly lost her tougher-than-nails attitude and almost gave in to emotion.
"Speedy?"
The man looked up at her with sunken eyes. "Sister? Is that really you?"
"I apologize for his appearance," Hordak said (with no real sign of remorse). "It took us quite a while to locate him and there was no time to clean him up first."
"And the rest of the bounty?" Road Queen asked suspiciously.
"The money is being taken to your vehicle as we speak," Hordak grinned.
"All right then," she said pushing Adora ahead slightly, perhaps a little harder than she had intended. "She's all yours."
The young biker walked over to her brother and placed his arm over her shoulders, leaning his weight on her as he was clearly too weak to walk. As she started to move away however, she paused and stared at Dragstor. The cybernetic warrior stared back in silence.
"Something wrong?" Caries asked impatiently.
"No, there's just something about this guy I like."
"You have what you came for now leave so we can get on with our business!" Caries snapped.
Road Queen glared at the inspector. They had just met and already she hated her. Nevertheless she turned and headed for the exit pausing for a moment to look at Adora.
"You got him back," Adora said softly.
"Couldn't have done it without you," Reina smiled. She spoke with a sarcastic mocking tone but at the same time she lowered her shades slightly and winked. Adora suppressed a smile but winked back.
"See you around princess," Road Queen said as she moved for the door.
"Not likely,"' Caries said. "Seeing as this will be her last day to live."
Road Queen stopped dead in her tracks. "Excuse me?"
"Adora is a traitor to the Horde. The punishment for treason is death."
"I was told she was to be kept alive," Road Queen snarled. "I went to a lot of trouble to make sure she stayed unharmed."
"You wasted your time," Caries smirked. "But that's your problem. You've been more than compensated for your services."
"This is not about money it's about my code. I don't send innocents to their death. And don't try telling me she's not innocent because of what she's done to you. This little feud between the Horde and the Rebellion is of no interest to me."
"You've killed dozens of people yourself," Hordak said. Though he wanted to keep Adora alive he was surprised and suspicious of Road Queen's reaction.
"I kill when I'm forced to or out of personal spite. I have no qualms with Adora and what's more," she said moving her hand towards her laser pistol, "I don't like being lied to."
"I didn't lie," Hordak said firmly, "I have every intention of keeping Adora alive. At least until I'm through with her."
"Are you undermining my authority?" Caries snapped at him.
"Think Inspector," Hordak said turning on the false charm. "She's the leader of the Rebellion. We can gain much valuable information from her. She's too important to kill just yet."
"You make a valid point," Caries sighed, "but my word is final here."
"I don't think you understand what the Horde stands to gain," Hordak said.
"Enough," Caries blared raising her hand. "We'll let Horde Prime himself make the decision. As for you," She said turning to Road Queen, "This is your last chance to take that miserable wreck you call a brother and leave. What happens here is not truly your concern. Of course if you're having second thoughts we can always terminate the agreement and take back your bounty."
At this a swarm of Horde Troopers appeared from every angle with their weapons trained in the young biker's direction. Normally Road Queen might have taken her chances even against such odds, but she knew her brother would be unable to defend himself in his condition.
Adora knew this too and called out quickly, "Reina, don't. You've gone through so much to get your brother back, don't throw it away now on my account."
Road Queen stared at her a minute then slowly turned and headed for the exit. A few troopers moved to block her but Hordak waved them off and they let her pass. As she stepped through the doorway Road Queen turned back one last time.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way Adora. But I did warn you I'd do whatever I had too."
Adora nodded. "I'd have done no different. Farewell Road Queen. Whatever happens to me, I forgive you."
Road Queen said nothing. She simply stepped through the door, which slowly sealed shut behind her and was gone.
Hordak breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Now that she was out of the way he could turn his full attention to getting rid of Caries and keeping Adora alive. Though he normally dreaded talking to Horde Prime, he saw this as an opportunity. With a little luck he would be able to convince him Adora was of more use to them living.
Luck it seemed was not on his side though. Either that or Caries had some unknown influence on the evil emperor as it took little time for him to side with her.
"Adora is a Horde captain turned rebel leader," Horde Prime snarled. "We must make an example of her less more officers turn traitor"
Hordak tried one last approach, "But to kill her now would make her a martyr. Would it not be wiser to break her first oh mighty one?"
"Silence!" Horde Prime shouted slamming his fist down. "With her out of the way the rebellion will no longer be of any concern. They will crumble and fall before us without Adora to lead them. It doesn't matter if she is a martyr. Martyrs are dead and cannot speak their message."
"I have your permission to proceed then my lord?" Caries smirked.
"Terminate her immediately!" Prime growled. "As for you Hordak, you had better hope Caries' report is to my liking or the consequences will be most unpleasant. Are you finished yet Caries?"
"Nearly mighty one," Caries said. "A few more details to go over then I'll have it sent to you straight away. I think you'll find it quite interesting."
"I'm sure I will," Prime snickered as the transmission ended.
Hordak's mind was racing. Now more than ever he had to think of something to get rid of Caries and save Adora. Even if it meant turning her loose. Better to have to delay his plans till she was recaptured than have them ruined by her death.
"Dragstor," he said. "Escort Adora to the dungeon until her method of execution has been decided."
"No need," Caries said. "I'll handle that now. Let's see, it has to be something horrible and painful. Something that will cause her to suffer in agony before dying, yet at the same time, something that there is no escape from. Oh wait, I know," She said as a twisted evil smile crept over her face. "Tell me Hordak, when was the last time you fed the Beast Monster?"
"Fresh air, open spaces. I can't tell you how much I've missed this," Speedy said as Road Queen drove them away from the Fright Zone at an unusually slow pace for her.
"I can imagine," she said solemnly.
"Something wrong sister?"
Road Queen sighed. "I can't believe what I just did. I've changed a lot since we were separated brother. I've done things I'm not proud of, but turning Adora in like that has got to be the lowest, most underhanded deed I've ever committed."
"You did what you had to," he said softly. "You did it to save me, and that's something I will never forget."
Road Queen nodded but said nothing for a long time. Finally she looked back over her shoulder and whispered. "I can't help feeling like I lost this time. There's got to be something we can do to help Adora."
"We'd only be putting ourselves in danger," her brother sighed. "There's nothing we can do for her. The best thing we can do now is put as much distance between the Horde and ourselves as we can. Just let it go sister, after all you can't win all the time."
"You know how much I hate to loose," Road Queen complained. After a moment's thought she added. "I suppose I have you to blame for that. Letting me win all those races when we were young."
"Yeah I guess so," Speedy chuckled.
Road Queen brought her bike to a stop and got off.
"What's wrong sis"?
"Don't call me that," she snarled. Before the man knew what had happened he found himself staring down the barrel of her laser pistol. "The name's Road Queen. Now who the hell are you?"
"What are you doing?" he gasped. "It's me. You're brother!"
"Drop the act!" Road Queen shouted. "I don't know who you are, but you are not my brother. You blew it! First, my brother wouldn't urge me to forget Adora like that. He always put others before himself. Second, he would never give up. He hates to loose more than I do!"
"Please, it is me. I know I've changed but years in a Horde slave camp will do that to someone."
"I know," Road Queen snarled. "That's why I gave you one last test. But you failed. My brother always beat me in our races. He never let me win and you know why? Because he wanted me to be motivated to try harder next time. He always pushed me to be the best I could. I don't care how many years you were in that camp. That's something the real Speedy would never have forgotten!"
The man quivered and slipped off her bike. If there was any doubt that this was an imposter, the look in his eyes confirmed it once and for all.
"Last chance, who are you and why did you pretend to be my brother?"
"I'm sorry," The man blurted out falling to his knees. "I've been a prisoner so long when Hordak offered me my freedom I had to take it. He did try to find your brother but he couldn't. The Horde doesn't keep detailed records of slaves and there was no trace of him anywhere. We don't even know if he's still alive. But Hordak knew you'd never give him what he wanted otherwise so he offered to let me go if I pretended to be your brother. I couldn't refuse."
"How stupid do you think I am?" Road Queen shouted. "How long did you think you could keep up this charade? And what did you think I would do to you when I found out?"
"I hoped to keep you in the dark long enough to get away from the Horde. Then I'd leave you and rejoin my family. I know it seems cruel but try to understand. I'd lost my home, my loved ones; I'd lost everything I ever had! I would have done anything to get it back."
Road Queen stared at him a long time. Then slowly she reached over, pulled a small bag of silver coins off her bike and tossed it at his feet.
"Take that and get out of my sight. Pray you never cross my path again. If you see me coming, hide. If I come in the front door, go out the back. Stay as far from me as you can because if I ever see you again I will kill you. Understand?"
The man nodded, scooped up the money and staggered off as fast as he could go. Road Queen meanwhile got on her bike turned it around and headed back towards the Fright Zone at top speed.
"Please be okay Adora," she whispered. "I wasn't able to save my brother, but I can still save my friend!"
