Catra was laying on the floor staring a the fan rocking on the ceiling she kept imagining it breaking from the bracket and crashing on her. She didn't want it to do that but the mental picture wouldn't leave her mind and she was a bit hypnotised. Possible the level of sleep deprivation was screwing with her mind a little bit. The whole business with the trial had more than a little fucked with her brain. The idea that Shadow Weaver couldn't hurt her anymore was hard to accept. Even when she had told the woman that while she punched her out, there was part of her that never thought it was true. The part of her that cried at everything and curled under blankets because they would protect her till Adora got home was still scared. But Catra did her best to make sure that part of her was locked down tight.

The room was filled with this almost mesmeric sound of Entrapta and Scorpia's breathing mixing with the rain on the window. It had been raining off and on for a few days. The world was damp and everything was grey and fuzzy. Entrapta's purple ribbons braided into her long brown ponytails the only real colour left. Catra wished it meant something, but she couldn't make it. She wished she could feel something other than anger and tired. She was pretty sure her personality was tired with left angry.

But even with that never-ending exhaustion. Catra had emancipated herself so now she didn't have to deal with that and was officially a dropout. It was a bit of a bittersweet idea. She hadn't really been a kid, possibly ever. The lines of scar tissue that she had gained at age five was a reminder of that. But now it was painfully clear she never would be a kid. She let out a small huff of air bitting on her knuckle to keep another noise inside.

Catra faded in and out of being half asleep for a while when her phone buzzed a loud noise. She muttered curse words under her breath. All three girls stumbled around getting dressed. Entrapta actually still went to school. And had to go home that afternoon so her parents wouldn't freak out. They were hypocrites managed to be gone almost all the time with work but when they were home they expected Entrapta there. They might as well be robots themselves all the way Entrapta talked about them. It was hard to know for sure though Entrapta was confusing so Catra might be missing something. Like how she was now trying to make their coffee pot into some kind of robot pot. Catra huffed she got dressed kind of stumbling around. Traded spots in the bathroom with Scorpia who gave her a smile with finger guns as a good morning. Catra stared at her hair for a second. She had no idea what she was ever meant to do with it. So she just put it back from her eyes with a headband letting it puff out how it liked. Fatigue rolled through her for a minute making her feel a little off balance. She leaned on the sink for a minute breathing in and out.

Catra composed herself and went into the living room/kitchen. She sat at the counter Entrapta had upgraded and now the coffee pot had its own little wheels and moved along the counter. It was actually pretty cool if not super practical. But Entrapta was smiling and cooing at it. A tired smile actually broke through Catra's lips. She picked up the pot and felt slightly bad the wheels kept turning like a bug with its feet in the air. Entrapta leaned over and flicked a switch stopping the robot. Catra finally got to pour herself some and ate the cheese toast Entrapta dropped in front of her. It was actually warm so quite good.

"Do you like it?" Scopira asked sitting next to her eating her own food.
"Yeah, it's good," Catra answered.
"Are you doing alright you seem a bit off."
"I'm fine okay," Catra said.
"Sorry. I'm just worried about you."
"Yeah. Well, I can handle it."
"I'm sure you can. You're very strong."
"She is correct. It's distinctly disproportionate to your size." Entrapta said as she slurped one of her fizzy juices.
"Thanks, I guess," Catra said. She was mostly used to Entrapta's strangeness, but she still couldn't always tell if something was a compliment or not.

Scorpia gave Catra a hug as she left for her job at a grocery store. Entrapta went to school giving Catra a distracted smile as she was simultaneously typing furiously into her phone. It was a well oiled and almost familiar function between them.

Catra got to the diner. She breathed out a long sigh shutting the door to the kitchen behind her. The room smelled like bread and bacon. It was a change from their rooms which always smelled of leftover weed, dust and stale sweat. Outside permeated this gross thickness that always hung in the city. Wet dog, care exhausted, and the smell of way too many people who crammed together. Sometimes with tinges of vomit or urine. But this place cut through all of that. It was always making new things so it never felt stale, but the organized chaos of the kitchen gave it a homey feel. There wasn't a manufactured comfort like the social workers and it wasn't trying to be new. Everyone bustled around her. She still wore their long sleeve shirts over her own. She had fewer injuries to hide now as they didn't read as abuse. But it was still more professional than the tank top she was wearing and could draw attention from her ripped and worn out pants.

It was nice to be in this old environment. It was comforting in a sense. It was the only thing she really had left. Most of it had been a misery but the diner still had some good feelings attached. After the Diner she had work from Hordak. She shed her shirt and walked out bagel held between her teeth. Going to the deal site almost gave her ease. The nervous energy that followed her like a cloud could fade. It was all about power in these situations. Caring for anyone else didn't come into the equation. She should have set the time so so Scorpia could come, but instead, Entrapta was going to meet her there. She was shrugging off a few periods to be there with her. But she could hold her own if combat arose. The cut they got from these was enough it wouldn't be necessary to cut her out of doing more street-level shit.

But when she got there she was horrified at who was meant to be giving her instructions and product. It was Clyde or something, he had been the one Adora almost killed and cut an ear off.
"You." He muttered.
"Yeah me. Let's get this over with." Catra crossed her arms letting her hand drift down hovering by her knife.
"Okay. He waved his hand for his back up to pass something to catra.
"WOW, you are missing an ear. That can't be good. And really distracting." Entrapta said squinting her eyes at him.
"What you making fun of me?" Clyde bristled.
"Well I can see the comedy but," Entrapta said.
"Entrapa shut up!" Catra said turning to her with a pleading expression. As she opened her mouth she felt a pain on her side. She fell sideways to the wall doubling over in pain.
Then to her goddamn horror, she was pulled out and slammed back into the wall harsh. She felt a fucking annoying wave of terror shock through her. Vomit rising in her throat as her body betrayed her locking up as she fell to the pavement. Breathing way to fast shaking, the shock ran through her.
"Weak." The man muttered walking away as her eyes slightly glazed. Over.
A pale Entrapata walked over to her. She fell to her knees her hand floating over catra.
"Get the fuck away from me." Catra hissed.
"Your injured and I fear the level of strength could damage your head"
Entrapta's hand touched Catra's back. Catra hissed out loud. Shoving the girls away leaning on the wall. "Don't touch me"
She stayed still her tears on her cheeks muscles tightening involuntarily.
"Get the fuck out of here. Leave me the fuck alone" Catra shouted again waving her arm violent. Thankfully the scared girls ran away.

Catra hissed again as she stood up. She wandered as far as she could until she saw a bus. And Catra knew what she was about to do, and she was not proud of it. But there was only one person she wanted laying hands on her, especially her skin. She zipped her jacket all the way up hiding her wound before she boarded the bus. The bus ride made her feel even sicker. Stumbling off the couch she vomited up acid multiple times. She finally hit the mansion that was the stupid Glimmer girls house. Banging on the door her head was swimming. The door opens and all the world blacked out and he ears rang horribly.
She half woke up as Adora and her dude friend dragged her to somewhere soft. She fell back into blackness. Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness vaguely aware of Adora doing her job. She didn't really know what happened until she felt the sting of rubbing alcohol. She reflexive flinched and tried to close around herself. A hiss escaping her mouth the pain drummed through her till she slept.

Catra woke up later. She noted the ceiling wasn't home, then a sharp pain running through her and head swimming she remembered. Right she had run to Adora after getting hurt. She chewed her lip for a moment before sitting up holding her newly bandaged side and noting her shirt had been cut up. Her own tan skin showing on her lower half of the stomach. Though she was currently more purple than brown.

Adora passed her the customary concussion food of Saltines and sports drink. She tried not to stare at the half-awake Lily and Adora watching her with exhausted expressions.
"Why are you here?" Glimmer shouted causing Catra to look up at her.
Catra through a second but was too tired to lie.

"Why are you here?" Glimmer asked everyone turning to look at her.
"I needed this." She gestured to her new bandage, "I don't trust Scorpia or Entrapta to fix me up, but I couldn't do it myself." she didn't like explaining herself to someone who didn't know her.
"You didn't want them to see you weak," Adora said.
Catra remembered Shadow Weaver calling her that, and the bastard who did it that day. The fucking sick feeling of her skull slamming as the words followed her. "I'm not weak," Catra said her voice harsh as she looked away.
"Fine vulnerable for whatever. You didn't want to pass out in front of them." Adora said in her placating voice.
Catra was too exhausted to say much more just bobbing her head along.
"New clothes?" Lily suggested softly.
Catra looked at her ashen face, figured she should at least try to be light for the poor kid. "Yeah, I can't do crop tops,"

Being half-dragged up the stairs was rather indignant. And her mouth tasted of bile the whole tie trying to not to upchuck on the richest and cleanest looking floors she'd ever seen.
They went into a room. Fancy beds covered the room. She noted Adora's clothes falling out of the dresser and Lily's stuffed animal on the bed. It was their room, god she had her own new home for real. Catra felt odd tracking dirt and blood into the room. He changed her clothes quickly to an overlong shirt she saw. Getting rid of messy clothes. But she realised she was still covered in dirt and blood under her skin.

"I'll shower tomorrow," Catra said, she was too tired to get clean right then and dizzy
"Lay back down," Adora in her 'i'm in charge voice'
Their hands interlocked, as she did what she was told Catra brought Adora down too. Not wanting to be alone but not wanting to say that. Lily climbed on the mattress too. The warmth was nice. She fell into sleep easier than normal. Even with the banging in her head and pain on her side, this was so much better.

A light hit Catra's eyes and her eyes flashed open. Her muscles tense.

"My mom is wondering why you're not at dinner," Glimmer said

Catra stood up. She didn't like the vulnerable feeling of laying with her stomach exposed.
"What is going?" Catra said then she tripped over the bed and let out a weird noise as her side smacked into the bed.
"You came to my house bleeding. Adora helped you." Glimmer said.
"Right." Catra said, she knew that she meant right now, with Glimmer's mom and whatever else people were doing then, "Thanks,
"You need to be careful. You don't want to rip the bandage off. And stay still, you know better than to try and run around after concussions." Adora said as she walked over.
Adora started to lift up the shirt catra was wearing. But even when she was fuzzy in the brain she didn't really want this random chick to see her underwear.
"Glitter or whatever is in here," Catra said smacking Adora's hand away. Her roommate(s) had never seen her naked and they shared a bathroom.
"Oh right sorry," Adora said.
Glimmer shoved pants at Catra saying"Let Adora fix you up. I don't want you bleeding out or dying."

Glimmer closed her eyes and half turned away. Catra barred her teeth and put them on. She sat back down harshly grabbing her head again as Adora fixed the dressing. She wanted to go back to sleep, or something she felt like shit.
"Turn around," Adora said cutting into her miserable thoughts.
"Why?" Catra whined
"You have new bruises and stuff on your back. I couldn't see them before."
"Fine."

She heard the gasp drip from Glimmer's voice. Catra bit her lip, yeah she knew her back was just her whole horror of her childhood on display in scars. Adora's hands felt nice though. She finished with leaving her hand whole palm against her back. The warmth was wonderful. She turned around, shoulder brushing on Adora's. She breathed out softly. The tension was in the room, but all she wanted was for Glimmer to go away. But no luck.

"Okay!" Adora said, "what happened Catra?"
"I got in a fight with the guy you almost murdered. Apparently, someone decided he was the right person for me to work with. He got mad when Entrapta noted he doesn't have an ear anymore so he attacked me." Catra explained
Adora said, "fucking hell."
"Why did you come here?" Glimmer asked.
"I said why I trust Adora to patch me up." Catra sighed.
"But aren't their hospitals or something?"Glimmer pestered.
"Don't like em. I also don't have the money and they might call somebody like the police or some shit. It's a lot harder to say stab wounds are an accident that bruises or a black eye." Catra said
"But You threatened to stab her!" Glimmer screamed
Catra felt herself wince. Why did she have to be so fucking loud? Her head hurt, loud noises didn't make migraines go away! It also sent up all her danger flags, making her muscle itch to move.

"So?" Catra said. She got to her feet.
"I'm lost." Glimmer said dramatically
"She knew I would patch her up, I always do. Plus she needs someone who will force her to stay still. I assume your new friends don't understand your history of running into things when you get your head banged over. " Adora said her hand landing on Catra's shoulder.
Catra melted under the touch falling into Adora. Closing her eyes. She didn't think she had ever been more exhausted. Which was really impressive she'd been really tired before
"If we wait any longer Mom will come up here. I've been here for a half-hour!" Glimmer said.
"We're going to eat. Don't destroy anything." Adora said.

Catra whined as Adora stood up. She tried to shoot Adora an angry look for leaving her, but Adora actually smirked at her. Obviously wearing an overly large shirt sitting on a little girl's pink bed was not scary. As Lily left though she kissed Catra's cheek which was really sweet. She was glad Lily didn't hate her.

Catra climbed back into Adora's bed curling under the blankets.