What's this!? Another giftfic even though I already said the previous one was the last? What is happening?

Hello there everyone, it's me Dark and I'm back! You're probably wondering why I posted another chapter to this. Originally, I was going to leave it at two. But I bought Marina and the Diamonds new album Froot and one of the songs, Savages, got stuck in my head. Even as I wrote I'll Follow You and Blood Mirror, this song slipped my mind until I started listening to is a while ago. And it gave me inspiration to write one last (and I do mean my last) giftfic for WAR-Operative's Fall Of The Empire/Rise Out Of The Ashes.

This goes out to WAR and all her other followers who have read and loved FOTE/ROOTA!

Just to make sure, FOTE/ROOTA belong to WAR-Operative. This chapter, as well as the previous two, are non-canon. They have no plot development in WAR's story. This is just a giftfic.

Savages belongs to Marina and the Diamonds. Her song was used for inspiration and I do not have any affiliation with her or her record company. I do not own the song.

Enjoy!


Lion-O could hear the groans of pain coming from his fellow companions. They were sprawled out on the grassy terrain. With one lying face up in a babbling brook. Their bodies covered in fresh bruises. Black, blue and purple, like ink spilling on a napkin. It hurt just to move an inch. Just one tiny movement and it ended in moans.

Earlier, they had said bye to the Kit and Kat and went off to explore more of the land that was beyond Cat City. There was an abundance amount of trees with fruit, and a babbling brook with enough fresh water to last for who knows how long.

They hadn't expected to run into her.

Weapons ready, the Thundercats charged at her.

Tygra tried to whip at her, hoping to tie her up, but she moved out of the way and grabbed the end of the whip before it could retreat. Using her telekinesis, she pulled him towards her with an insane amount of force, and just before he reached her, she slammed him with another telekinetic blast that sent him air borne before landing on the ground. Hard.

Cheetara was next, becoming a yellow blur, staff reared back, ready to hit her. Before she could strike, her target disappeared. Cheetara stopped dead in her tracks, looking for where she went. Not only her, but the remaining cats were confused as well. One second she was there, the next she was gone.

"Heh heh heh heh."

The soft giggle surprised them. There she was, in the middle of their small formation, standing behind Lion-O and Pumyra and in front of Panthro. Wasting no time, Cheetara sprinted at her again, hoping not to miss her this time. But when she was about to hit her, she disappeared again.

This time, she was standing perfectly balanced on one of the rocks in the river. How did she move faster than Cheetara?

Growing agitated, Cheetara ran at her with all her might, with the intent on striking the girl.

Just before Cheetara reached the edge of the river, the girl disappeared again.

"I'll be taking that, thank you very much."

Her sudden voice surprised Cheetara. Her staff was gone from her hands in a second, and when she turned to face her, a foot connected to the side of her face, sending her slamming on the rocks in the river.

A shadowy figure was above her, ready to strike her down. Panthro, with his nun chucks ready, brought it down on her.

But he stopped. The end of his nun chuck was just about an inch away from her head. He was stuck frozen in mid-air. She looked up at him with a mischievous smile. Using enough force, she sent him against a tree, causing it to lean heavily against his weight, the under roots exposed.

Pumyra readied mini bow and sent several shots at her. They stopped directly in front of her, and she sent them back at an extreme speed. Pumyra managed to dodge, but before she could get back up, she felt something grab at her foot, dangling her upside down in the air. And she was tossed aside, tumbling and rolling on the ground, before coming to a stop face down.

All that was Lion-O. The two stood several yards away from each other. Automatically, synchronized, they both drew their swords. Lion-O with his Sword of Omens and her with her new sword.

"Just give up!" He called out to her.

She just smiled. "Now that wouldn't be fun. Would it?"

He ran up to her, his sword ready to strike. She quickly side stepped out of his way and kicked his sword out of his hands. Before he had time to register how to fight, he felt the blunt end of her sword hit him in the stomach. He staggered back, his hand on his stomach. He then felt a punch to his face, a kick to his thigh before finishing off with a spin kick to the head.

He was facing the sky, and if had been any other day, he would've enjoyed the clear blue sky. But hearing his fellow companions groan in pain, the sky was the least of his worries now.

He had to act fast. She had incapacitated them in barley under a minute. She had gotten powerful these last six months. Was is because of Mumm-Ra? It has to be. How else could she have acquired this kind of strength in power?

Lion-O didn't have time to register his thoughts as he began to float. Not only him but the rest of the other cats as well. He flailed in the air, trying to grab at the ground, but the grass was too short, and there was nothing else to grab onto.

He felt like a marionette, dangling in the air by invisible strings.

They were arranged side by side. Once up in the air, they looked down at their enemy.

Echo.

And she was smiling.

"Wow. Is this the best you all could do? This is pretty pathetic, even for you guys. Is this what the Thundercats have been reduced to?"

She earned a feral growl from Tygra.

"Go ahead and growl all you want you fur ball. You don't scare me."

"Just wait till I get my claws on you!" Tygra shouted.

"Don't give me empty threats. Besides, I'll snap your neck even before you move. Just like that." To emphasize, she snapped her fingers and nearby, a branch from a tree snapped in half with little to no effort.

"See? None of you are in any position to be threatening me. As a matter of fact, you all should fear me."

"That would be the last thing I ever do you traitor!" Pumyra spat.

"Trust me Pumyra, you and everyone else will know the true meaning of fear once I'm done with you all."

Lion-O couldn't fathom how Echo was acting. Not once in their travels had she ever acted like this, with cruel intentions.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. "Echo, why act like this? You are better than that."

Echo let out a giggle. "Really? You, of all animals, are asking me about morals? It's kind of funny, hearing that from a lion who thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequence. News flash idiot, you are just as guilty as I am."

"That's not true! You betrayed us! You're the one who sided with Mumm-Ra!"

"Only because I had to. You gave me no choice."

"You had a choice! And you choose him!"

"Maybe. But I don't regret my decision now."

She lowered them until they were a few inches off the ground.

"You all have the nerve to call me a traitor. We all have sinned. Me. You all. Everyone. Murders and wars are forever. Humans and animals are always fighting. Whether it's against each other or not, it's survival of the fittest. It is human nature to fight and cause war. But it goes the same with you animals as well. It runs in our blood, our veins, our genes, and our DNA. We live and we die. Humans steal, kill, and lie. Kind of like animals. But we just do it with more with flawless grace. Because face it, underneath it all, we're just savages. Hidden behind shirts, armor, ties, and marriages. Humans and animals are savages. Me and you all, we're much alike in so many ways."

Her speech rendered them silent. In a way, she was true. With her being human nature, its animals who have their own natures. Or instinct.

But Lion-O refused to be compared to her. He was nothing like her.

"The second I'm done with Mumm-Ra, you're next! I guarantee it."

"Like I said, it's pointless to give me empty threats. But if you are serious, I won't hesitate to strike you all down."

As if being pushed from behind, Lion-O went straight to Echo. He stopped just a few inches away from her face.

She gave him a small smile and leaned into him.

"And just so you know, I could've killed you right here on the spot. But that wouldn't be fun. Next time, I won't hesitate to kill you. No matter where we meet, I'll kill you. Even if it's in our own little winter wonderland."

Lion-O's eyes widened. Winter wonderland? How does she know about his dream? Unless…

He didn't have time to finish his thought before she sent him and the cats onto the grassy ground with great force.

This time, they rolled in the air and landed on the ground on their feet, ready to fight.

But she was gone.

"Don't forget," her voice echoed throughout the area. "We're just savages."


Hours later, back in Cat City, with the tree moons hanging above the night sky, Pumyra tended to Lion-O's wounds in their shared hut. Cheetara used some of her cleric magic to heal them, but the bruises were still there. Echo really did a number on them.

"Don't worry," Pumyra said as she spread a salve against the bruise on Lion-O's face. "We'll make sure we kill her first."

Lion-O said nothing. He was still confused as to how she knew about his winter wonderland dream. They haven't seen each other in six months. How could she know what he was dreaming about? Even to this day, Echo still remains a mystery to him.

"Yeah." He relied. He didn't have much else to say in the matter.

Pumyra stood up. "You should get some rest. I have to get some more salve for Panthro. I'll be back in a bit."

As she left, he lied down in his makeshift cot. The only sound he heard was the crackling of the small fire in their hut.

Today has been an eventful day. Not only had they run into Echo, she single handedly defeated them. Her words still echoed in his mind. "Underneath it all, we're just savages."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed to recuperate if he was to lead a shanty town full of different species of animals. Like he was even doing a good job at. Half of the times the meetings usually end in arguments with little to no resolve. They all had different ideals. And depending on how they acted upon it, might bring chaos.

Maybe Echo was right.

They were all savages.