AUTHORS: Teelana, Zoar

TITLE: Before It's Too Late

SUMMARY: Classic MotU. Randor is disappointed with his son... but what happens when he decides on more drastical measures to teach Adam responsibility?

DISCLAIMER: We don't own anything but the plot. This story was written for non-commercial purposes.

AUTHORS' NOTES: We started writing this story in May 2002. Now it's finally online, and it's also available in a German version. It's the first story we wrote together, and for both of us it's the first to be "published".

Feedback and criticism are very very welcome! So please R and R. And now have fun reading!

Before It's Too Late

"Beastman, Trapjaw! You idiots! With amateurs like you we'll never get the transporter!" yelled Skeletor.

The fight in front of the royal palace of Eternia wasn't over yet. However, for Skeletor and his minions it looked like the odds against success were high: He-Man had just thrown Trapjaw into the nearest well when Teela was frontally attacked by Beastman. The power of the Lord of wild animals' attack made her fall onto her back. But when he was about to throw himself onto her she had the presence of mind to stem her feet into his abdomen; with the help of his own momentum she catapulted him over her head. Beastman had no time to get up as He-Man was already there, grabbed him by his ankles and sent him after Trapjaw into the well.

With the help of their laser beams Duncan and the Royal Guard had already destroyed Skeletor's robot army.

Skeletor raised his staff and said, his voice full of wrath: "With fools like you it's no wonder my plans never succeed! I'll come back, He-Man!"

With these words he opened a dimensional gate and disappeared. Beastman and Trapjaw had climbed out of the well as fast as possible and now they hurriedly followed their master back to Snake Mountain.

As the fight was over, He-Man, Teela and Duncan stood together.

"Which transporter was Skeletor talking about?" He-Man asked.

"I think he was after my latest invention, a portable transporter. But it wouldn't have been of much use to him, I haven't finished it yet," explained Duncan.

"Damn, they have escaped again," Teela complained. "Well, there's one good thing about it – at least I won't be late for Adam's training. I have to go now." And with a look at He-Man: "Thank you for your help, He-Man – again."

When Teela was out of hearing range, He-Man grinned at Duncan and said: "I had better hurry, or Adam will be late for training. Your daughter is already irritated enough, he shouldn't make it even worse. See you later."

He-Man left to change back into the prince of Eternia while Man-at-Arms followed his daughter into the palace.

King Randor was standing on a balcony from where he could see the whole of the palace yard. He had followed the fight in excitement, but there hadn't been a single moment of doubt in which he feared that Skeletor might win out in the end. He was proud of his men, brave warriors all, who had defended Eternia against Skeletor countless times already. But their biggest gratitude they all owed to He-Man, who was always there in times of need and without whom they would all be much worse off.

Quietly he said to himself: "There were so many young fighters down there, some of them even younger than Adam."

Of his son, however, there wasn't a sight to be seen anywhere; probably he had gone fishing with Cringer again. Randor thought back to his own youth, and how he himself had already been in command of his own regiments as a prince of Adam's age. But Adam showed not the slightest sign of either responsibility or keenness, and that at the age of 23. By the ancients, he didn't even seem to be concerned at all...

"... If he only was just a little like He-Man."

Randor took a deep breath and made a decision: It couldn't go on like that with Prince Adam!

Continued...