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Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 16

Adam closed his eyes as he magically appeared in the Fright Zone. He took a step forward to be ahead of Hordak and Shadow Weaver so that they wouldn't be able to see his expression. His connection with his sister was thrumming with life and she was…

Angry? Betrayed? Worried?

Probably a little of all three, he decided. He knew what he had offered wouldn't be liked. His family and friends had tried so hard to get him back and to restore his memory, only for him to willingly go back to Hordak. He could understand the emotions, and he even hated that he had hurt her—that he would continue to make her worry—but he had no other choice in his opinion. Instead of waiting for Hordak and Skeletor to plan their next attacks on the Rebels or Eternia, they could be proactive now. Just sitting around and waiting could drag this thing out for years, and as much as he liked the Etherians, he'd much rather be home with Adora at his side.

Feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder, he opened his eyes and turned a little to look at Hordak. "Did you see Adora?" the Hordesman asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I saw her as soon as they took me to the Rebel base, but I only stayed there for a little while. They moved me to Castle Brightmoon before we left for Eternia."

Hordak stepped past Adam and had his back to him. "Was Adora with you the entire time?"

He decided to be a little honest to make his words more believable. After all, Hordak knew Adora, so he probably knew that she wouldn't have wanted to leave her brother's side. "Yes, she had just stepped out of the room when you showed up." He paused for emphasis and then cried, "If only you had shown up a few seconds earlier!"

The Horde leader turned back around and stepped in front of him. "My apologies, son. I know what it would have meant to you to get her back."

It was at that moment that Adam knew keeping up this ruse was going to be hard. Here he was, talking with Hordak, of all people, about getting Adora to return to the Horde. He never thought he would have such a conversation. Ever. And, yet, here he was doing precisely that. And, he would continue to do it for Adora's sake. "You cannot imagine how badly the Rebellion and King Randor have brainwashed her," he then stated, believing that this would be something he would bring up if he really believed Hordak and his memories. "She is completely fooled, Mighty One. She recognized me right away, but she was convinced that I was the one who was brainwashed by some kind of magical spell."

Shadow Weaver floated over and asked, "But, you know that's not true, right, child?"

He nodded emphatically. "Of course." Then, he stilled before tilting his head downward. "But there is one thing I'm curious about."

"What is it, Adam?" Hordak asked solicitously. He almost sounded like…he cared.

Looking up at this development, he studied Hordak's eyes as he said, "Is it true that King Randor really is my father? I mean, yes, I know you raised me and Adora. You're the only father I've ever known…but the man seemed so insistent and we do have similar features."

Hordak groaned a little and stepped away. Adam moved to follow him and smiled as soon as he was no longer facing Shadow Weaver. He knew he was doing a good job at pretending to be under the Horde's spell. He was displaying just the right amount of curiosity in the Rebellion. If he had ignored those topics completely in fear that they might stumble across the truth, they might have gotten suspicious.

"Yes," Hordak suddenly answered turning back to face him. Once again, Hordak seemed saddened and it shocked the prince. "Yes, he's your biological father. That is something that has bothered me for Adora's entire life…and yours. I hate that tyrant with all that is in me, and now, he was returned, claiming to be your long lost father. It's almost more than I can stand."

Gulping and preparing himself for the nauseous act he was about to perform, he walked up to Hordak and hugged him. The leader stiffened a little, but Adam saw in the memories that the Horde had provided him that Adora and he hugged him all the time, and even in those memories, Hordak had been uncomfortable with it. That's what made him believe that these memories he had with Adora were real. They were Hordak's memories and Adam had simply been added. He pulled back a little to look at Hordak's face and whispered, "It doesn't matter what he really is—he has never been a father to me. I don't know that man. I am loyal to you and the Horde. That is where my allegiance will always lie."

"I plan to hold you to that, Adam," Hordak replied as he pulled away out of his grasp.

Adam let his hands fall and he wondered what his family was doing.

=)=)=)

She-Ra cried out in frustration and pain as soon as Adam disappeared with Hordak and Shadow Weaver. Her feelings were overwhelming her and she had to release them somehow, so she walked over to the wall and gave it a powerful punch.

"Adora!" King Randor exclaimed in shock after he had bent over to attend to his wife and Man-at-Arms. He had wanted to make sure that they were okay. Marlena seemed unharmed, and Duncan appeared to only have a lot of scratches and bruises. The soldier was getting up on his own, so the king took that as a good sign.

Regardless of the fact that Marlena and Duncan were okay, She-Ra took little notice. Instead, she was frustrated and at that moment she had her attention focused entirely on the king and his reaction to her. The Etherian heroine turned around and shouted, "IT'S SHE-RA!" Then, she immediately closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself. When she finally regained her self-control, she reopened her eyes and saw that everyone was motionless and watching her cautiously. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't mean to take anything out on any of you. It's just that I'm worried and so aggravated with Adam right now!"

King Randor approached slowly and took her in his arms. "I know what you mean, but Adam felt like this was something he had to do!"

"Why?" she cried. "He's been through so much already, and to put himself in harm's way again is foolish!"

Randor shook his head slightly and replied, "He has his sword now. It will protect him."

"The sword only does so much," she spat resentfully.

"Regardless, Adam thinks it's enough. In fact, he thinks he can make them believe that he's still under their spell so they won't toy with his mind again. He said he could remember the implanted memories that the Horde gave him. He plans on using that to our advantage."

She-Ra grunted at the news and started to pace the floor. "If someone was going to pretend to be on the Horde's side, then it should have been Adora. That's who Hordak is really after."

Teela stepped in front of her to block her path and replied softly, "Adam never would have allowed that. Besides, if Hordak has what he wants and that's you, then Skeletor and he would turn their attentions to conquering the entire planet or Eternia. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I agree with Adam."

Everyone gaped at Teela.

"I know," she agreed with their expressions. "It's shocking and yet it's the truth. He does have an ideal cover to infiltrate the Horde. We couldn't have picked a better scenario if we tried. We were already going to send in a spy, so this isn't so much different besides the fact that it's Adam, now."

"Precisely," She-Ra growled, "it's Adam, and that makes it entirely different! He's my brother—he's my twin, and I'm the one who can feel his emotions when he's scared, hurt, or confused. None of you know what it's like, so you can't understand everything he is putting himself through."

"And you," Teela finished softly.

"That's right," she agreed, "and me. How could he do this?"

At that moment, Marlena walked in front of her daughter and said, "Change back into Adora."

"What?" She-Ra asked, slightly confused.

"I want to talk to my daughter," the queen explained. "I know it's really you, but I want you as you truly are."

Immediately, She-Ra changed herself back into Adora and went to her mother. Instantly, Marlena pulled her into her arms and swayed her slightly to calm her anxiety. As the queen ran her fingers through Adora's hair, she whispered, "God knows I'm scared just as much as you are. I have always worried about Adam, but over the years, I know we can both testify that he has always found a way to make things work out in the end. So, let's trust him for now. We can't blow his cover, so we might as well join the game plan."

Tears slipped down Adora's cheeks and she cried, "But he doesn't know Hordak the way that I do!"

King Randor walked beside them and put a hand on his daughter's back. "What has gotten you so concerned?" he asked.

Adora pulled away from her mother and turned her back on them. She folded her arms across her chest and it almost seemed like she was holding herself.

"What is it?" King Randor insisted.

She shook her head for a moment and then whispered, "I know what's going to happen."

"What?" he asked, stepping behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "What is going to happen?"

She stayed quiet for almost a minute before she admitted, "He's going to see a whole new side to Hordak. Several, in fact."

The king applied pressure to her right shoulder and pulled on her left to get her to turn around. When their eyes met, he questioned, "And?"

"Hordak…he can be so loving one minute and so cruel the next. Adam spent not even a whole day as his son. He hasn't experienced all that he's in for." She shook her head. "When I was a child, Hordak was good to me, but he was also ruthless. He will expect Adam to do things…things that I know my brother will find very difficult. He will even be expected to do some of those things when they're merely training. If he offers any resistance, they will know that the spell is broken or at least weakening. I just…I don't want Adam to see the life I once had."

Randor hugged her again and replied, "He already knows. He has those memories now."

"I'm sure Hordak only selected a few and the best at that. I just don't want this to change anything about Adam…I'm a lot sterner than him. Haven't you noticed that?"

Both parents nodded. She looked down at the floor and mumbled, "I saw from Day One that Adam had an innocence about him that was rare. I've been all over Etheria and Eternia, and on both planets, I've never met another person as good and as pure as him. Hordak…he detests that in people. He will try to change Adam. I know he will."

Duncan, then, entered the conversation. He stood beside the queen and replied, "Adam is strong. You'll be surprised at how much the lad can handle."

"I just don't want Adam to endure any of it," she whispered. "I don't want him to see what the Horde is truly like. And, I don't want him to see the softer side of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, either. That could bring us a lot of trouble, as well."

Teela walked beside Adora and said, "If Adam goes through these things, we will help him through it when he gets back. You're right that Adam is an amazing man with a heart of gold, and because of that, I know he will be able to pull through whatever Hordak throws at him. You made it through, so he can, too."

Adora nodded and as a tear slipped down her cheek, she reached out to her brother mentally. She wanted to feel him over the long distance to ensure that she could. She could tell he was okay now, and she hoped and prayed that he would remain that way. She wished wholeheartedly that she could have taken his place—she would have given anything for that. Anything at all.

And, that's when Adora suddenly realized that she could fix this!