First of all, I wanted to take the time to say thank you to those who have already "favorited" or "followed" this story and have given positive reviews. I also wanted to say thank you to the many of you who decided to follow me as an author instead and those of you who messaged me stating that you're glad I decided to continue the story and that I started it right away. All of this meant a lot. I just hope this story lives up to the original and I actually believe it will. I have big plans for this story. Will this "Noticing Adam" have the angst and dynamics of the first one? I think it will. ;) Again, thank you!
Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 2
Everyone in camp could feel the tension as Adam and Teela stared at one another. Both seemed very determined to get their way, which was most troublesome. Adora didn't like the situation one bit. She had already been a little hesitant about Teela coming along, but she had given in and not expressed any misgivings because she knew Teela's presence would help her brother in the transition to living on Etheria. He would have his childhood friend and current girlfriend with him. But now that situation was already changing! Teela was already volunteering to leave him and play Horde Trooper. How was that going to help her brother at all? If she had known that Teela would want to make such a bold move, she would have fought with her and Adam to keep her on Eternia. Again, how would this help Adam? He would simply worry about her and he might end up making mistakes because of that.
She looked at her brother and she could tell that he was almost desperate to change her mind. She decided she would help him out. "I don't think that's a good idea, Teela," she replied, interrupting their showdown.
Teela turned startled eyes to her and then narrowed them. "Why not?" she snapped.
"Because you don't know Hordak or Etheria," she explained. "Our spy must be familiar with both the Horde and this planet. If you don't know the customs, locations, or the Horde in general, Hordak is going to be suspicious. He's going to know something is up, especially since he knows guardsmen from Eternia are on the planet right now. He's not stupid and your lack of knowledge could be detrimental to the operation."
"Exactly," said Adam, chiming in, and Teela looked at him, clearly frustrated.
"Then, who exactly do you suggest?" she spat as she folded her arms in front of her.
"I don't know, yet," Adam answered, "but we'll find someone suitable. Adora's right. Besides, what if Skeletor and Hordak are working together?" Adora and Teela raised their brows. "Come on, that is something to consider. If Skeletor and Hordak are working together, Skeletor will recognize you and you will be merely sacrificing yourself for nothing…and even if Skeletor isn't working with Hordak, if he saw you, he might use his knowledge as a bargaining chip to free himself and enslave you. I can't bear the thought of any of this, Teela. It's better that we find someone else, someone neither Skeletor nor Hordak will know."
Teela bit her lip for a moment in frustration and then said, "I honestly don't believe Hordak and Skeletor are working together, and I'll be careful, I promise. I'll make sure Skeletor won't have the opportunity to get a good look at me. I'll dress in civilian attire and wear my hair down. Skeletor won't recognize me, and…"
"It's too much of a risk," he insisted forcibly.
"I say it isn't," she also insisted stubbornly.
They both stared at each other again. The showdown was back on.
Adora rolled her eyes. "Oh, for goodness' sake," she thought to herself. "Well, it's not a decision that we need to make right this minute," she announced, grabbing their attention. "First, we're going to find you two some accommodations for the night. Yes, it's still daytime here, but on Eternia, it's time for bed and you're still on that schedule. I think we all should get some sleep and then start fresh in the morning. Maybe we'll all be a bit more clearheaded."
"I really hope so," Adam replied, glancing at Teela.
Teela didn't respond. She merely eyed him coolly again. Adora could tell she was going to continue to insist that her plan was a good one. Despite the captain's logic, she had to side with her brother on this one. If she knew Hordak, having Skeletor on his side at this time was more valuable to him than seeking revenge on a pupil who betrayed him. She knew that because it was actually something she and Skeletor had in common. Yes, Hordak wanted to see them punished for their betrayals, but she knew if Hordak thought he had a chance to pull them back into the fold, he'd do it, and in the case of Skeletor, she knew this would be the perfect opportunity.
She slipped her arm through her brother's and said, "We have a spare guest tent already set up near mine. Sometimes Castaspella or Glimmer will stay in camp. Teela can use that until we set up something more permanent."
"And, what about Adam?" asked Teela.
Adora smiled. "He can stay with me until we set something up for him, too. After all, he can't stay with you. We do have Father's soldiers on the planet and undoubtedly, they would tell the masses when they got back to Eternia that their captain and prince were sleeping together in more ways than one."
Both Teela and Adam blushed significantly and Adora and Madame Razz laughed at their discomfiture.
=)=)=)
Teela sat on a bed in the guest tent and looked around at the surprisingly homey décor the Rebels had managed to create in such a small space. The tent not only had a bed and desk inside, it also had pictures, a wardrobe, a full-body mirror, as well as several chairs for guests to sit on. The tent was a lot roomier than she had thought it would be.
"Too bad I'm not going to spend much time here," she thought to herself. Despite Adam and Adora's thoughts to the contrary, she knew she was the best choice to be the spy for the Rebellion. It was a no-brainer in her opinion, so she didn't understand why the twins didn't see it that way. Honestly, she believed they did see it, but their feelings were clouding their judgment. Because of that, she knew what she had to do: she simply had to make them see, and what better way than to simply do it.
She laid back on her bed and decided to wait for nightfall. Then, she would go see some of her men who were still here at the camp. She had already sent word that she wanted to talk to them. She had a plan that was a surefire way to make sure she'd be trusted by the Horde. She hoped that Adam, Adora, and the rest of the Rebellion would eventually forgive her for her future actions and come to realize that she had done the right thing. She figured when everything worked out, they would see that she had been right all along.
She folded her hands behind her head and smiled. She knew Adam wasn't comfortable leaving Eternia right now. He undoubtedly wanted to mend his battered relationship with his father more so than they already had, and he wanted to continue to make sure Eternia stayed free from the tyrants who tried to constantly take it over. There were other enemies to face besides Skeletor. He had simply been the biggest threat, after all. If everything went accordingly to plan, she would have Adam back on Eternia sooner rather than later. It was what made this trip worth it.
She peeked through the small slit at the entrance of her tent. She had it closed so no one could easily see inside. She observed the small light that filtered through. She was impatient for the sun to go down. She wanted to get started right away.
=)=)=)
"I don't like this," Adam said as he paced Adora's tent.
Adora sat on her bed and watched her brother's frantic movements. "I don't think our arrangements are that bad. You'll have your own tent soon enough. Besides, it isn't like we haven't shared sleeping arrangements recently…and we were together in the womb and all."
He faced his sister and replied, "I'm not talking about our sleeping arrangements! I'm talking about Teela!"
He sat beside his sister and cried, "If I had known she would want to be our spy, I would have never brought her to Etheria! I have half the mind to send her back, but I know her. She'd find a way to return and do it behind our backs!" He shook his head.
"I had the exact same thoughts earlier, brother." When Adam raised a brow at her, she nodded. "She is a bit of a handful, isn't she?"
Adam smiled despite himself. That was the understatement of the year. "She always has been for as far as I can remember. She used to get herself and me in trouble all the time when we were kids. Once she sets her mind to do something, it's hard to get her to change her mind, but we have to this time, sis! I don't understand why she doesn't see the dangers and the reasons why she shouldn't be the one to do this!"
She leaned against his side and whispered, "I honestly think she wants to protect you."
He furrowed his brow in confusion as she explained her statement.
"I can tell Teela is a lot like me. She's a woman of action and she is used to being successful in all that she does. I believe wholeheartedly that she thinks she can spare you a lot of pain and time away from home if she can simply get the job done and free our friends. I can't blame her for the desire, because part of me wants the same for you, but at the same time, she's so consumed with the thought that she's not seeing the flaws in her plan, even when we pointed them out to her. She thinks she can work around them!" She smirked. "She is stubborn."
He nodded and agreed softly, "No one knows that better than me, trust me." He looked up at the ceiling of the tent and said, "Our best course of action to stop her is to decide who should go in her stead right away. When we get up in the morning, we will have an alternative who we will have already spoken to. We will even need to come up with a plan to get this person on the Horde's radar as a potential member. If we have every stone turned, Teela will have no choice but to agree with our plan. Any thoughts to the contrary just so she can go would mean delaying our friends' rescue and I know she wouldn't want to do that."
Adora nodded. "It sounds like a good idea to me."
He leaned back on Adora's bed and sighed. "Of course, that doesn't mean she won't be angry at us for making this plan behind her back."
"She'll get over it, brother."
He nodded as his mind ran through the choices of who might serve as their spy.
=)=)=)
Back on Eternia, King Randor lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. He wondered what Adam and Adora were doing at that very moment. He knew they were safe, because he couldn't imagine them going after Hordak right away. They were probably exhausted after the long day that they had on Eternia. They would undoubtedly want to rest up first. While that was a comfort, he wished it was enough to allow him to get some sleep.
He heard rather than saw Marlena shift in bed to face him. "Randor, please get some sleep," she said, shattering the silence that had enveloped the room.
"I'm trying," he admitted. But as he had told her earlier, he knew it wasn't feasible. His children and their safety overwhelmed his thoughts. It was bad enough when he had discovered that they were He-Man and She-Ra and that they were facing Skeletor and Hordak separately. Now that he knew the two villains were probably working together, it was a threat that very much frightened him. He didn't want his children to lead an attack on them as they were obviously planning on doing. The probability of getting hurt or captured was always more likely that way. After all, people fight harder when someone is attacking their home or livelihood. That was true even with villains.
The only thing that stopped him from breaking down all together was the memory of the Spirit of Grayskull telling him that Adam would bring peace to both Etheria and Eternia. He realized this could be the start to that. Adam might finally achieve what had been denied for so long: Adora could finally come home and stay for good. And, Adam could finally be the man he truly was. If evil no longer prevailed throughout Eternia, the truth could be known: that their prince had protected them in their time of need and now recognition for that fact could be given. He wanted that for Adam more than anything…
Of course, he had to remember that He-Man had never wanted recognition. He had once wanted to commemorate the hero's actions by giving him a holiday. He-Man had turned down "He-Man Day" and it had become "Eternia Day" instead. He-Man had stated he wanted the day to celebrate everyone on the planet, especially those who had fought at his side: Orko, Man-at-Arms, Teela, and…Adam.
Tears swelled in his eyes as he realized that was one of the only times the king had acknowledged publically something that his son had done for Eternia. And, it shamed him that the only reason he had done so without hesitation was because He-Man had suggested it. It was at that moment that he knew Adam wanted recognition as Adam and not He-Man. Now, he wasn't too sure if Adam would ever want the people to know who He-Man truly was. He might want them to continue to think that the great He-Man was a magical being that showed up when times were tough. Besides, who knew when trouble might strike again? If everyone knew who He-Man was at that point, what would stop them from attacking Adam and killing him when he was in his weaker form?
He could tell now that things had never been easy for his son and that they probably never would be. Adam would always have to worry about the future and think about the others around him, more so than Randor ever had as king ironically. That future made him infinitely sad. The Elders and Grayskull had asked a lot of his son, and Adam gave without hesitation. If only the price hadn't been so great…
Just as he felt Marlena settle at his side, probably to comfort him, he heard the palace alarms go off. "What in the name of Eternia!" he exclaimed as he shot out of bed.
The queen widened her eyes as his met hers.
Neither had expected this to happen for quite some time considering Skeletor was now gone. Or, was he? Was he back? Or was this someone else? Regardless, they both scurried to get dressed. Something was happening and without their champion nearby, they had to be prepared for the worst.
=)=)=)
Nightfall had finally arrived and Teela found herself several yards away from camp with some of her best soldiers that had been stationed on the planet when Adora had shown up on Eternia. She was grateful that she had so many men with her on this planet. She may not have had the authority to order Adam and Adora around, but she definitely had the power over these men and she was going to use that to her advantage.
"I've called you here because I have a plan to get our fellow troops and friends back, but in order to do that, I need your help," she spoke softly.
"What do you want us to do, Captain?" one of the guardsmen asked eagerly.
"I won't lie to you. It is going to be dangerous and some of you are going to have to put yourself in harm's way to get the job done, but I honestly believe it's our best course of action and that we should do it right away."
"What is your plan?" several men asked at once.
Teela turned and looked in every direction to make sure they weren't being spied on. She leaned closer to the group and whispered, "I will go to the Fright Zone and demand to speak with Hordak. I will present him with an opportunity to hurt the Rebellion. We will use their own ploy against them—we will inform them that the Rebels are getting another shipment of supplies since the first one was taken from them when they captured our friends. We will have to use supplies we already have here in camp and make a convoy. When they attack, we will allow them to seize the supplies. They will be led to think that the Rebellion is desperate since they have been denied shipments twice. This will build Hordak's confidence that I truly am an ally. Of course, if you are not careful, some of you might be captured. I do not wish for that to happen, so we must plan your escape carefully."
The soldiers nodded but one asked, "What will you tell Hordak when he asks why you are siding with the Horde?"
She grinned and replied, "I will tell him that he is the rightful ruler of Etheria and that things for my family were made unbearable by the very people he wants to defeat. I will tell him a story about the Rebels taking all the supplies my father had for their cause and that he had willingly given it up. The Rebels hadn't cared that it was all we had and that he had fallen ill and died a few weeks later as a result." She shrugged. "Revenge is always a good excuse to do irrational things and I believe Hordak will fall for it."
The men nodded in agreement and she continued, "I saw several wagons at camp that were full of supplies. We will have to use those in our ploy. Of course, we don't want to hurt the Rebellion, so I will need one of you to return to Eternia to tell the king to send more supplies to replace the ones they will lose to the Horde."
When a soldier volunteered, she sent him on his way immediately. Her men had already established a means to contact the Sorceress when any of them needed to return to Eternia. After the soldier was out of sight, they all agreed to go over what they would do when they were ambushed.
Teela just knew her plan would work. It had to!
=)=)=)
Adam lay beside his sister and stared up at the center of her tent. He was almost unbearably tired; yet, he couldn't fall asleep. He was worried and he had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right. He wished he knew what it was, but he didn't. So, he lay in bed trying to figure out why he was so unsettled.
"I can't sleep when you're so agitated, brother," Adora mumbled as she opened her eyes when he turned his head slightly to look at her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just…I have a feeling that something isn't right."
Adora sat up in bed and turned to face him as she sat cross-legged. "Of course something isn't right. Hordak has our friends and…"
"That's not what I mean," he interrupted. "I don't know how to explain it, but ever since Teela insisted on being our spy I've felt uneasy. I have the strangest feeling that…" He shook his head and shrugged. "I guess I'm just nervous because I know she's going to insist on being our spy in the morning and that's the absolute last thing I want right now."
Adora nodded as she reached out to squeeze his hand. "Well, what can I do to help you feel good enough to get some sleep now? We're going to need you well-rested and on top of your game if we're going to defeat the Horde anytime soon. You standing dead on your feet tomorrow won't be doing anyone any good. Besides, you'll need to be rested to argue with Teela at the very least."
He shrugged and laughed a little despite the situation. "You're right about that. Fighting with Teela takes a lot of energy, but I honestly don't know, sis."
She stared at him for a few seconds and then suggested, "Well, why don't we go see Teela? We can assure ourselves that she is okay and settled down for the evening? At the very least, you can find comfort that she is safe for the time being. THEN, maybe you can force yourself to get some rest."
He sighed and nodded. "Okay, Adora."
His sister went behind a screen to get dressed in her daytime attire while Adam hurriedly did the same on the other side of the tent. When they were both ready, they stepped outside and immediately saw something that shocked them to their very cores.
It seemed as though the Eternian Guard was stealing the Rebellion's supplies! They were loading up some in the wagons that had already been nearly full and a couple were sitting behind the horses, prepared to leave.
"Hey, what's going on?" Adam exclaimed as he ran to one of the wagons.
"We're getting ready to execute Captain Teela's plan. She thought it was best that we didn't wait for morning," the soldier stated.
Adam turned startled eyes to his sister who had the same expression. Quickly, without any discussion, they ran to Teela's tent. As soon as they walked in, they gasped when they found it empty and her uniform and headpiece lying neatly on her bed. They ran back outside and scanned the crowd. Teela was nowhere to be found. Adam ran back to the guard he had spoken to earlier.
"Where is Teela?" he asked in a near panic.
The soldier widened his eyes, obviously at the prince's tone. He was probably getting the idea that this plan hadn't been approved by him.
"Uh, she went to the Fright Zone. She's going to tell Hordak that the Rebellion is receiving another shipment of goods tonight. She wants Hordak to think she's an ally."
Adam squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Teela," he whispered to himself. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed it warily.
He felt two hands rest on his back and he knew instinctively that they belonged to Adora. "We'll stop her, Adam," his sister insisted. "He-Man and She-Ra will get to her before she even steps foot inside the Fright Zone."
As Adam looked at her hopefully and nodded, the soldier they were speaking to cleared his throat uncomfortably and informed them, "Captain Teela left shortly after nightfall, as soon as she told us of her plan, as a matter of fact. If she's not already there, she's really close. I think you're not going to make it in time."
Adam groaned in frustration and slapped his hands at his side. "Damn it, Teela!" he shouted.
Adora widened her eyes at her brother's actions and words. She had never heard him curse, ever. Now, she knew he was scared and she was angry at the Captain of the Guard. How could she do this to Adam? She grabbed her brother's arm and said the only thing she could say, "We have to try regardless! Standing here and waiting won't do us any good!"
Adam nodded, but before he walked away with Adora, he turned back to the soldier and said, "Continue with your plan. If we don't get to her in time, I don't want her sacrifice to be for nothing."
=)=)=)
Teela stood in front of Hordak's throne and stared up the steps. No chair or anyone else was there, yet. She wondered where the villain could be. But instead of asking, she merely waited. Two Horde Troopers and an ugly little creature with large eyes and several legs had approached her as soon as she had knocked on the Fright Zone's doors and led her here. Since they were silent and staring atop the throne, she knew Hordak would arrive soon.
Then, she heard the sounds of machinery moving. It sounded like it was coming from within the steps.
"May I present the Mighty Hordak!" the many-legged man beside her exclaimed.
She stared in awe as she watched a chair rise high above her. She gasped as she caught a glimpse of blue and purple as the chair quickly turned around. She was suddenly grateful she wasn't in her uniform and in civilian clothes. Her worries were confirmed when the chair finally faced her head on. She stared at Hordak and the man beside him worriedly: it was Skeletor. It turned out Adam was right—they were working together…and with the way Skeletor was looking at her now, she knew he recognized her!
=)=)=)
Hope you enjoyed!