So here is where we pretty much reach the emotional climax of the story with my passion for this story rekindled, been thinking of stories for these new mutants, and I was starting to think of adapting some of the adventures from the Palladium TMNT RPG books (And maybe some other books) I've given up on trying to adapt the adventure of 'The 666' band but some of the more standard adventure type adventure, not soothing self-hating mutant bears.
So now more carefully, Glass Joe and Dana made their way to the deepest level of the cave and it did get darker but they were still able to see because there was green glowing fungus on the walls that provided enough light to see in the deepest darkest pit in the cave…
There they found it...The pool of green glowing water that had to be the Pool of Truth!
Reaching into his backpack for a bottle brought for this purpose, he handed it to Dana so she could do what she needed to do, by dipping her hand into the mystic water to fill the bottle the water would reveal 'Her True Self' when it was added to the magic potion.
After feeling the bottle Dana put the cap back on the bottle, wiped the water droplets away from the outside and then delicately handed the bottle back to Joe for safekeeping for she feared the sex slave personality might self sabotage to prevent any attempt for the slave personality from being banished.
They saw a new passage leading out of the deepest darkest pit, as they made their way toward it, Joe yawned "J'ai sommeli…What time is it?"
"I think we've been in this cave all night…" Dana said it seemed that the Mutant Animals had better internal clocks than humans.
As they entered this new tunnel once again the cave walls were made of brightly shining jewels...But right before Joe and Dana it seemed one particular sky blue crystal which was shining what seemed like sunlight on the patch of ground below caused a patch of grass to grow with tiny pink and blue blossoms…
It seemed as if this had been made just for weary travelers to rest after their quests…
Joe and Dana looked at each other, and both knew that if they were tired from spelunking all night, they might as well rest here before they climbed out of the cave…
As they lay down in the patch of grass to sleep, Joe breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers, and feeling the warmth of the light provided by the crystal he lay down feeling like it was like laying in a French meadow on a warm Spring day...A wave of nostalgia washed over him and he wriggled a little bit in the sweet smelling grass as he savored the feeling.
As Dana smiled as she lay down beside him she said "Thank you Joe...For doing all this for me…"
"Oh Dana…" Joe said tenderly as he reached out and held her hand, "...It was the least I could do."
"Do you think it will work?" Dana asked
"Let us hope so…" Joe said "...All we have to do is get the bottle of this water to this Snake-Witch and hopefully soon she'll make the potion that will return you to your true self…"
As they began to relax in the grass, Dana gazing softly at Joe's face she felt inspired to say something she had been feeling but only now had been able to put into words…
"Joe…" She said softly
"Hmmm?" Joe opened his eyes and noticed her eyes seemed a little clearer at the moment
"I think I realized something…" She said "...That when I first saw you in Forest and then again in that news report when I decided to help you...When I decided to...Choose you...I didn't know why at the time but I felt something when I saw you...Maybe it was that...Feminine intuition but I know now that I sensed that if I chose you you...You would fight to save me from becoming a slave...That you would save me...That's why I chose you...You're kind and brave...I didn't care about your boxing career I saw the hero in you…"
And and at that moment Joe smiled at that revelation...That she hadn't chosen him because he was loser...No she chose him because he was the hero who would save her from the disgusting fate she had been created for!
His heart was filled with so much tenderness he felt it might burst! As they fell asleep, he thought to himself if they woke up cuddling with each other well, you can't help what the body does subconsciously during sleep right?
Joe didn't realize it yet, but that was the moment he had truly fallen in love with Dana…
So I realized this was what was needed for Glass Joe to really fall in love with her, to know that she didn't see him as a loser, and knowing that one person sees him as a hero does much for the feelings he had been struggling with at the beginning of the story