A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and suggestions! It's fun to see where people think the story's going! And of course I don't own all these guys...and girls...and worlds...and Trollans...
"What are your parents like, He-Man?" Randor asked. He was determined to figure out what he had done wrong in raising Adam, and fix it if he could. Perhaps he couldn't meet He-Man's parents, but he could still find out what they had done right.
He-Man finished chewing and answered slowly. "They're good people." Randor gazed at him expectantly, and no one else spoke. Marlena looked faintly amused, Teela interested, Duncan worried. "My mother is a very sweet, gentle person, but also very strong," He-Man expounded, realizing he had to provide a little more information. "My father is a natural leader. He's brave and very wise." He fell silent and deliberately put another forkful of the tender meat into his mouth.
"Well, it's easy to see that all of those traits were passed on to you," Randor commented. He-Man flushed and averted his gaze slightly, which Randor took as embarrassed humility. "I bet they must be very proud of you, aren't they?"
Again He-Man took his time eating as he considered his answer. "I suppose they are," he finally said, his voice betraying his doubt in spite of his intentions.
"That doesn't sound very confident," Teela commented, raising an eyebrow as she speared her own food with her fork. "How could they not be proud of you?"
"I'm just not sure. My father and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye," He-Man admitted. "He's never said whether he's proud of me." Duncan raised a hand and coughed, trying to signal to Adam that he needed to stop talking.
Randor frowned. "He may be wise, but he should still respect you. He must be extremely short-sighted not to tell you if he's proud of you."
He-Man had just taken a sip of water and at his father's words, it slipped down the wrong tube. Duncan pounded He-Man on the back as he hid his own face.
Marlena leaned over to Randor. "And when's the last time you told Adam you were proud of him?" she whispered. Randor's jaw went slack as he stared at his wife.
"In my parents' defense, they don't know who I am," He-Man said when he could speak again.
Duncan frowned, wondering if the emotional turmoil of the last few days was wearing on He-Man. He seemed to be letting his guard down a little too much.
"How could they not know who you are?" Randor demanded.
"Your Majesty, I think perhaps-" Duncan began, but He-Man silenced him with a wave of his hand. 'Grayskull's magic will cover it, I suppose,' Duncan thought as he settled back down. He was surprised He-Man was taking such a risk with his answers, given his adamance over keeping his secret. 'Perhaps he's changed his mind already and just hasn't told me.'
"I never told them I'm He-Man," the hero replied quietly. "That knowledge is too dangerous."
"You mean you weren't always He-Man?" Teela asked, straightening up as this new idea rolled over in her mind.
He-Man gave her a lopsided grin. "Who would name their child He-Man?" he quipped, causing the others to chuckle.
"Well how did you become-" Teela began, only to be cut off by He-Man.
"I won't tell you that," he said firmly. "Not yet." Teela's gaze sharpened at the implication that she would one day know the story.
"He-Man, did you get along with your parents?" Randor asked, steering the conversation back onto what he thought was safer ground.
The warrior was surprised by the question; both eyebrows shot up. "Of course. As much as any child, I suppose."
"Do you get to see them often?" Marlena asked, her blue eyes assessing.
Duncan cleared his throat as he saw He-Man's jaw tighten ever so slightly. "I think we had better stop this questioning. He-Man needs his privacy." Properly chastised, everyone glanced down at their plates as He-Man threw Duncan a grateful half-smile.
"So your parents don't know who you are," Randor mused, looking back. "That must be a terrible burden for you."
He-Man set his fork aside, his appetite gone. "There are times when I wish nothing more than for them to know the truth," he said quietly. "Excuse me, please." He pushed back his chair and walked out of the room.
Marlena's narrowed eyes followed him for a moment, then she looked at Randor and let out a quiet, exasperated sigh. Duncan stared at her. When she caught his gaze, she simply smiled sweetly.
Teela crept quietly into Adam's room and turned on the light. 'There has to be something in here to tell me where he is.' She rifled through all the papers on his desk, but nothing jumped out at her as being important. She casually flipped through the book on his nightstand, then paused at the bookmark. She smirked as she read a few paragraphs. A history book, well-written, but still a history book. No wonder it was by his bed. That would put anyone to sleep.
She moved onto the bookshelf, feeling around the outside and systematically pulling out one book at a time and flipping through each one. Finding nothing, she turned to the control panel for the room and began randomly hitting buttons. The lights dimmed with one; Chef Alan's voice came over the intercom when she pushed another.
"Adam?"
"Sorry, Chef Alan, it's just Captain Teela. I was checking Adam's room." Teela hoped her voice didn't sound as flustered as she felt.
Gathering her courage, she continued pressing buttons, and was rewarded only two later when the bookshelf suddenly slid away from the wall. Teela gasped in surprise.
'What did Adam need this for?' she wondered, staring at the opening. It seemed like a place of honor. There was obviously supposed to be something hanging there, but it was empty. That alone worried her. Adam wouldn't have had this hidden compartment without a reason. 'Then again, maybe it was here before he was born.' Yet it looked too new. She made a mental note to ask her father about it.
Teela sighed and sat on Adam's bed. "I don't know why I'm in here," she muttered. "He's probably just off fishing." But in her heart she didn't believe that. Not after hearing what her father had said. And something was bothering He-Man. In spite of the fact that He-Man tried hard to hide his emotions, she'd seen it every time he had met her eyes in the last few days. He wasn't telling them something, and it was something about Adam. She'd bet her last gold coin on it.
"I'm his bodyguard," she whispered, grabbing a pillow and hugging it. "How can I protect him if I don't even know where he is? If anything's happened to him, I'll never forgive myself." A dagger of fear tore through her at the very thought of any harm befalling Adam.
Teela sighed harshly and put the pillow back. She stood, straightened the bed coverings, and took one last glance around the room. "Adam, where are you?" she whispered furiously. Then she whirled around on her heel and left the room.
Marlena walked through the gardens, hoping the fresh early morning air would clear her head. She smiled to herself as she saw He-Man and Battle Cat crossing the courtyard across the way. Battle Cat stuck to him just as Cringer stuck to Adam. Her smile faded. They were too far away for her to catch them before they reached the training ground, which was full of soldiers right now.
Each day she grew more certain that her suspicions were correct, but He-Man avoided her and Randor as much as possible. It was nearly impossible to catch him alone to discuss what she believed. It wasn't as if she could go to his room, which was where he seemed to spend most of his time when he was alone. She might believe him to be her son, but no one else knew that. The rumors would fly across the kingdom faster than a winged horse. And although she suspected that Duncan knew everything there was to know, again she had no proof, so she was reluctant to confront He-Man in front of him.
Marlena sighed, her mind lost to the beauty of the vivid gardens around her. Worse yet, she wasn't sure she could find the words even if she did find the right time to talk to He-Man alone. What was she to say? 'So, He-Man, I think you're really Adam. Care to tell me if I'm right?' She shook her head. It shouldn't be this difficult, but it was. If she had been confronting Adam, it might have been easier. Even though she believed them to be one and the same, she could still read Adam more easily than He-Man. She would have known within two seconds if she was right.
She put her fingers to her mouth lightly as she thought. Clearly, he wanted time to think about what he needed to do. Marlena didn't know why he was suddenly "stuck" being He-Man, but she assumed it had something to do with the loss of his sword. She didn't want to add to his pressure right now, and she honestly didn't know if he would be upset or relieved that she believed he was Adam. She stared into nothing for a moment, then nodded her head decisively. For now, she would simply watch carefully, make sure she was correct, and hope for an opportunity to talk with him in private. Perhaps by the time that opportunity arose, she would know what to say, and he would be ready to talk as well.
It was strange, sleeping in a room so close to his own. He was home, but he wasn't. As he had every night, He-Man tossed for a while, finally fell asleep, and woke before dawn. He never had needed much sleep as He-Man, which was beneficial since he normally had to be on his guard when he was the hero. Maybe that was the problem, he reflected. His body was tuned for in danger, but there wasn't any.
He had taken Battle Cat's armor off of the tiger the first night, and immediately realized that the cat could get away without it. He was much larger than Cringer, and his stripes were a slightly different pattern. And while green Eternian tigers were unusual in this part of Eternia, they weren't unseen. It was unlikely that anyone would guess the truth.
'Me, on the other hand,' he sighed mentally as he looked in the mirror. Duncan had brought him a set of clothes, just a navy blue tunic and a pair of loose-fitting black pants to lounge in, but putting on normal clothes just emphasized his similarities to Adam. 'I'm Adam with a tan and a deep voice,' he thought. 'There's no way I can stay here. Not only will Queen Marlena, King Randor, and Teela figure it out, but the entire palace staff will as well. Not to mention my very presence will put them in danger.' He frowned as he thought again of Skeletor attacking the palace just to get to him. He was frankly surprised it hadn't happened already. Skeletor's spies must be sleeping on the job.
He-Man sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He needed to leave, but selfishly didn't want to. He just wanted to be near his family. Battle Cat came up to him and rubbed his head against He-Man's knee.
"This is some mess I've gotten us into, isn't it, Cat?" he said ruefully, stroking the cat's wide head.
There was a knock at his door. "Who is it?" he called cautiously, already standing to get changed.
"It's me," came Duncan's voice.
He-Man relaxed. "Come on in, Duncan."
Duncan entered and did a double-take. "Wow. I didn't know Marlena had twin boys." He shut the door quickly.
He-Man glared at him. "Very funny."
The older warrior shook his head. "It's amazing how much of a difference clothes can make," he observed. "He-Man, I just don't see how we're going to keep this a secret." He had a sneaking suspicion that Marlena was already starting to put the pieces together, in fact, but he didn't want to add to Adam's worries right now.
"What choice do I have, Duncan?" He-Man asked miserably, clenching his fist. "I can't put my family in danger."
"Hmph," Duncan grunted. "Well, for now you'd better get changed, or we'll be late for breakfast."
He-Man ate breakfast quietly, resolutely ignoring the glances thrown his way by his parents and Teela. Evidently Duncan had been right; four days without the prince was their limit. They seemed to want to push him about Adam's whereabouts, but obviously respected him too much to do so. The morning passed quietly, and after lunch, He-Man went for a ride on Battle Cat, mulling over his options.
'Duncan's right; I can't keep this a secret forever,' he thought. 'I can't endanger them either. I have to leave the palace.' That thought pained him almost as much as the loss of his identity. His eyes started to burn with unshed tears, and he blinked them back rapidly.
"It's been awfully quiet," Battle Cat grumbled.
"Too much so," He-Man agreed. "Then again, maybe you and I are just not used to peace at all."
"But you know, He-Man, I could get used to this," Battle Cat said unexpectedly. "I like not feeling like two different cats."
His mind rolling with surprise, He-Man swallowed hard. It hadn't occurred to him that Battle Cat might not be struggling as he was. Cringer always claimed to hate being Battle Cat. "I'm glad, Cat," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Real glad." 'If only I could get to that point as well.'
"I think you and I have more time to relax this way," Battle Cat went on, apparently oblivious to his partner's turmoil. "You're not always locked up in some meeting."
He-Man had to chuckle at that. "I have to admit, I haven't missed that the last few days," he agreed. 'At least there's one bright spot.'
"Father, I want to talk with you," Teela said firmly, striding into Duncan's workshop as if it were hers.
Duncan wiped his hands on a rag as he straightened up. On the other side of the wind raider, He-Man popped up. "This sounds personal. Should I leave?"
Although caught off-guard by his presence, Teela shook her head. "No, you might as well stay." She put her hands on her hips. "I want to know where Adam is. You both know something; I overheard you talking the other day. As his bodyguard and his friend, I want to know what's going on."
Duncan and He-Man exchanged glances. There was a long pause as Teela waited impatiently for an answer. Finally she sighed in exasperation. "You said you didn't think Adam was ever coming back," she reminded them. Her voice choked slightly and she cleared it, annoyed at herself and them. "What did you mean?"
Duncan raised a hand slightly, indicating the choice was up to He-Man.
"We have no idea how long Adam will be gone," He-Man said finally, his voice low.
"But Father said he wasn't coming back. Why?" Teela pressed, worry lining her face now.
"Teela, he's safe, but..." He-Man looked to Duncan, who shrugged helplessly. They had really backed themselves into a corner with this one. "Look, Duncan was right. He might not come back."
"Why not? Where is he?" Teela demanded.
He-Man shifted his weight and looked as guilty as Teela had ever seen him. "I can't tell you that right now," he said heavily. His eyes searched hers, seeming to beg for patience, understanding, forgiveness, though she didn't understand why. "Someday, Teela. I promise. But not now."
Teela clenched her hands tightly. "That's not good enough."
"It will have to be," He-Man said firmly.
Teela stared at him then whirled around and stalked away a few steps. She stopped short, and counted to ten. 'I will not leave here without answers.' Very slowly she turned back around and found both men staring at her. Oddly enough, her father looked slightly apprehensive; He-Man almost hopeful. She cocked an eyebrow, gradually realizing that they had not been themselves since Adam had left.
"What about the hidden compartment behind the bookshelf in Adam's room?" she asked, keeping her voice calm.
He-Man didn't move a muscle, but Duncan's brow furrowed. "What about it?"
"What did he keep in there?"
"Don't you think that's his business?" her father reprimanded gently.
"Not when he's missing," Teela argued promptly.
"He's not missing," He-Man pointed out, his gaze assessing. "I know where he is."
"As far as I'm concerned, he is missing," Teela said stubbornly, crossing her arms.
"Is that why you searched his room?" He-Man challenged. His voice was full of something Teela couldn't quite define. It was as if he were both happy and angry at her for going into Adam's room.
"Maybe I already knew about the compartment," she answered evasively.
"Don't lie, Teela," He-Man warned softly, his eyes locked onto hers.
Teela glared at him. "Okay, yes, I searched his room! Happy now?" she huffed.
"You shouldn't be invading the prince's private rooms like that," Duncan chided her. "You know better than that, Teela."
"I only did it because I'm worried about him!" Teela snapped at her father.
"Your father knows that, Teela," He-Man said soothingly. He had a satisfied look on his face, as if she had said or done something right, though Teela couldn't imagine what it had been. "Look, Adam has some decisions to make about some things. He just needs some time, Teela. Can you give him that without tearing apart the palace?" His mouth twitched as if he were trying not to smile.
Feeling as if she had been overreacting, Teela nodded somewhat humbly. But as she left the lab, she realized that she still didn't know what was supposed to be in that secret compartment—and she still didn't know how much her father knew.
He-Man caught Teela staring at him towards the end of breakfast the eighth day. "Is something wrong, Teela?" he asked innocently.
Teela shook her head quickly, her cheeks flaming . "No, He-Man, nothing at all." She was still a little miffed at him, but the conflict of emotions within her was far more than that. 'I don't understand how he looks so out of place, yet like he's always been here. He's not replaced Adam, but it feels almost like Adam's still here.' A tear trickled down her cheek, and she wiped it away, hoping no one had noticed. Duncan averted his eyes before she could see him watching her.
"Well I think there's something wrong," Randor muttered, catching them all off-guard. "It's wrong that Adam's not here. He left a week ago. There's something not right in all this." He-Man and Duncan exchanged glances, a fact not lost on Marlena or Teela.
"I think it would help if you two came clean about what you know," Marlena said firmly. The two men stared at her in shock.
Teela looked as if she were about to chime in as well, and Orko hurriedly decided a timely interruption was needed. "Hey, anybody want to see a new trick?" he asked rhetorically, pulling a few yellow balls out of his hat and making them circle around. "Dizzy balls all round and shiny, now become a lamp that's tiny!" The balls became glowing white and joined together.
"A trick that didn't get me wet or covered with eggs," Duncan observed. "I like that one." Randor chuckled, and He-Man laughed outright. Marlena quirked an eyebrow as she smiled. One corner of Teela's mouth went up at the sound of He-Man's laughter, which was deep and heartfelt, like Adam's. The thought caused the mixture of anxiety and anger to return, and her stomach churned as she picked at her food.
"Duncan, if you don't need me right away, I think I'll take Battle Cat for a run," He-Man said to his mentor. "We could both use the exercise."
"I don't have to run the guards' training for another two hours," Teela said casually. "Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not," He-Man answered, unsurprised. Teela loved to exercise.
It didn't take long for Randor to get to Duncan's workshop after breakfast. Man-at-Arms almost wished he were surprised.
"King Randor," Duncan greeted him with a smile. "What brings you here, Sire?"
Randor didn't return the smile. "In a way, I'm here about He-Man."
Duncan began laying his tools out carefully. "Oh? What about him?"
"You've seemed closer to him than anyone over the years. I think he trusts you with things he won't tell the rest of us." Randor's gaze weighed heavily on Duncan as the old soldier's motions slowed.
"I suppose that's true," Duncan acknowledged. "But as we established the other night, that secrecy is important to the safety of his family."
"I know." Silence descended, broken only by the clanking of metal as Duncan finished putting out his tools in the order he expected to need them. When Duncan finished with the last one and turned, he found Randor staring at him.
"Sire?"
"You also seemed closer to Adam than anyone else has been in recent years." Randor's words were just short of accusatory.
"What are you getting at?" Duncan asked, meeting Randor's gaze steadily.
"I think Marlena's right. You know where Adam is." Randor's words were confident, telling Duncan that he was positive of the truth on this one.
"Why would you think that?" asked Duncan, not breaking eye contact.
"Because I believe either Adam told you where he was going, or He-Man told you where Adam is," Randor said. "You're too close to both of them not to know what's going on."
"And?" Duncan prompted. He wasn't about to say anything until Randor asked him a specific question. It came quickly.
"Where is my son, Duncan?" Randor gazed at him expectantly.
Man-at-Arms swallowed hard, but he wasn't surprised by the demand. Frankly, he was surprised it had taken the king this long to make it. "Sire, it's not my place to say."
"Not your place?" Randor repeated in disbelief. "Man-at-Arms, I didn't ask He-Man to break his word to Adam because really he has no loyalty to us, as he made sure to point out to me. But your loyalty is supposed to be to me. Not to my son. Isn't that the oath you swore?"
Duncan drew in a shaky breath. This was the day he had always dreaded, when his two oaths came into conflict. "Sire, I can't tell you any more than He-Man already has. Adam is safe right now, but if we reveal too much, he could be in danger."
Randor stepped closer, almost threateningly as alarm entered his eyes and he drew himself to his full height. "I certainly won't be placing him in danger. Where is he, Duncan?"
"There you are!" Marlena exclaimed, hurrying into the lab. "Randor, the nobles are waiting on you." She stopped short, observing the stand-off between the two men. "What's going on?"
"Duncan knows where Adam is."
"Of course he does," Marlena said dismissively, waving her hand. Randor turned to her, surprised at how nonchalant she sounded. "If he didn't, he wouldn't rest until he found him. Haven't you noticed Duncan's the first one Adam calls when there's trouble?"
"He should be calling on us when he's in trouble," Randor said, a mixture of consternation and irritation in his voice. "We're his parents."
"You're always in a meeting," Marlena pointed out gently. "And, by the way, you must get one of those right away. The nobles are not patient people."
Randor shot Duncan a look that said he wasn't finished with him yet, then obediently left the room. Marlena and Duncan stared at each other for a moment without speaking. Man-at-Arms wondered again how much she suspected.
Marlena sighed. "I do hope you two don't plan to keep us in the dark much longer," she said, her tone gentle though her eyes sent a firm message. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can put up with." Before Duncan could question her on exactly what she meant, she left. He stood still for a few minutes, shook his head, and got to work.
He-Man let Teela set the pace, knowing she couldn't possibly keep up with him if he ran at his normal speed. He grinned to himself. This part could be fun, actually. After all those years of her making fun of Adam's clumsiness and laziness...
"Race you to that tree!" Teela challenged him, as if she were reading his thoughts.
"Now Teela, that's not really fair to you," he protested, silently chuckling.
"Then give me a head start!" she threw back, already increasing her pace. Battle Cat stayed with her.
"All right," he called, slackening his own speed. He waited for her to get over halfway there, then sprinted after her. He-Man passed her in a blur and was leaning casually against the tree when she ran up, nearly stumbling the last few steps.
"Hey, take it easy," he said, catching her arm.
"I forgot how fast you really are," Teela confessed, panting and laughing. "I don't think you and I have ever raced for fun." She straightened up and looked him in the eye with a slightly accusing frown. "You usually always take off as soon as the trouble's over."
"I do have my own life to get back to, Teela," He-Man told her gently.
"Are you sure it's not because you and Adam don't like each other?" she challenged.
"What?"
"You're never around when he is. He respects you, but I think he's jealous of you too. Now he's gone, and you're suddenly staying at the palace? What am I supposed to think?" Her green eyes were triumphant; she seemed positive that she had him.
"Nothing," He-Man shot back. "Adam and I understand each other. He runs from battles, I run to them. His place is prince of Eternia, mine is defender of Grayskull and the innocent. He has a family who doesn't understand him but loves him and worries about him anyway-" He broke off and swallowed hard as the truth of that hit home. 'What am I doing to them?' Battle Cat looked from Teela to He-Man and back again, anxiously flipping his tail around.
Teela stared at He-Man, her eyes wide. He knew his face was flushed and his eyes had to be revealing the storm of emotions within him. Even his mouth was tight; he forced it to relax as best he could.
"What about your family? Aren't they worried about you?" Teela asked softly, her face betraying her concern for him.
He-Man took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "They don't know anything about me," he answered a bit gruffly, having gotten himself somewhat under control.
"What do you mean? Don't you ever see them at all?" Teela became more upset with each question.
"Teela, please," he pleaded, surprising her. "Just drop it, okay? Anything I tell you puts my family in danger." Predictably, her red-hot temper flared at that.
"You don't think I can be trusted?" she asked angrily.
"I know you can," he assured her. "But you can't tell Skeletor what you don't know. Please, Teela. Just leave it alone." He pleaded with her silently, and she seemed to sense it; for a few seconds she just stared at him, as if lost in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, dropping her face into her hands. "I'm just so worried about him. Adam may be lazy and late all the time, but disappearing like this for so long...it's even more irresponsible than he normally is. It's not really like him. He's never been gone more than two or three days before." Her tear-filled eyes turned up to him. "Can't you please tell me where he is?"
He-Man reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "I can't, not yet. He's safe, Teela. You don't need to worry about him."
"Yes I do," she snapped angrily, pulling away. "It's my job!"
"Is that all he is to you?" He-Man asked irritably, his patience wearing thin.
"Of course not!" she said vehemently, her eyes reflecting her hurt. "How could you even say such a thing?"
"I'm sorry, Teela," He-Man said, immediately contrite. "I-"
"I know I'm hard on him," she went on as if he hadn't spoken. "But he's the future king! He's got to learn to defend himself and stand up for himself. If I could bottle some of your courage and give it to him I would, but I can't! The only way I can be sure he doesn't get himself killed is to push him as hard as I can!" Her eyes filled with tears again. "He-Man, Adam can't handle himself like you can. How can you be sure he's all right?"
He-Man swallowed hard, but didn't break eye contact with her. "Teela, do you trust me?" he asked. After she nodded, he went on, "Then please believe me. Adam is perfectly safe."
The conversation with Teela had put him on a rollercoaster of emotions, and He-Man felt almost drained by the time he got back to Duncan's workshop.
"You look like you've seen better days," Duncan grunted after a glance He-Man's way. "Teela wear you out?"
"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking," He-Man answered tiredly. He recited the conversation to Man-at-Arms. "She's not going to let this go."
"Did you think she would?" Duncan asked, making a few more adjustments to the machine in front of him. "She grew up with Adam. Of course she's worried." He finished tightening the bolt and met the hero's gaze. "Did you change your mind about telling them?"
He-Man shook his head, frowning. "I honestly don't know what to do, Duncan. Usually Grayskull's wisdom seems to urge me in one direction or another, but not this time. I almost wish they'd figure it out so it'd be out of my hands." He snorted. "Of course, if I stay here, I'm not really sure that Grayskull's magic will keep them from figuring it out." The door whooshed open as he finished speaking.
"Figuring out what?" Teela asked as she entered the workshop.
"Where Adam is," He-Man answered honestly, avoiding her eyes by handing a tool to Duncan.
Teela put her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. "I've already figured that out."
"Oh?" Duncan asked.
He-Man quirked an eyebrow. 'I can't wait to hear this one.'
"He-Man said Adam had some decisions to make. Adam's probably met some girl he wants to marry, and it's someone his father wouldn't approve of," Teela informed them angrily. "I'm sure he'll be back after they're married."
Stunned silence met her declaration, and she folded her arms triumphantly. "See? I'm right, aren't I?"
He-Man finally found his voice, but he didn't know whether to laugh or yell. He couldn't believe that even after their conversation earlier in the week, she still couldn't let go of this idea that Adam was off chasing some woman. Unfortunately, the words that came out were hard and angry. "You may have grown up with Adam, but you really don't know him at all, do you?" he spat at her. He wasn't sure why her assumption grated on him so badly when it was what he had led her to believe for so long, but the hurt was almost a physical ache.
"Well, then where is he?" she demanded.
"The answer's right in front of your nose," he growled at her. "Stop judging Adam and maybe you'll be able to see." Teela's eyes grew wide even as her brow furrowed.
Duncan's mouth dropped open. "Ahem, I think it's just about time for lunch."
"Right," Teela said, glancing from him to He-Man in confusion. She turned on her heel and left the workshop.
"A few more outbursts like that and your decision will be made," Duncan commented wryly as he put the tools away. "This whole situation is wearing on you, He-Man. You hardly ever go off like that."
Eternia's champion closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm himself. "I know."
He-Man found some time to himself late that evening. The shock of the situation was finally wearing off, replaced by a sense of loss. He stood out on a balcony, his hands braced on the railing.
'I've lost who I am,' he thought. 'I'm not He-Man. I'm Adam. I grew up as Adam, I live as Adam. He-Man is just a tool to fight evil. This was never supposed to happen. I was never supposed to be stuck being He-Man.'
He felt the railing give slightly. Looking down, he realized in surprise that he had gripped it too tightly in his frustration; part of it right under his fingers had crumbled. He sighed as he lifted his hands and flexed them carefully. He rarely lost control as He-Man, but it was relatively easy to maintain control when he looked at it as temporary. He only had to hold his temper in check until he was Adam again, then he could sound off to Duncan or the Sorceress, or work it off in one of Teela's training sessions.
'I don't know if I can do this. I can't let Skeletor or anyone else get Grayskull, but how can I pretend that I'm not Adam? That's who I really am. What if I do lose my temper and hurt someone? No one should have this much power permanently. It's not right.'