CHAPTER XX: GOING BACK

The Fright Zone had certainly seen better days. After Catra and Hordak's fight, multiple sectors had been reduced to nothing more than flaming debris. Hordak's weapon had proven worthless against the feline's agility, but for what concerned the Fright Zone, it had done more damage than the cat girl could have ever imagined. As soon as the former Horde commander and the scorpion princess entered the zone's borders, small, scattered group of soldiers came into view. Some of them were laying on the ground with other tending at their wounds.

Some of them were crying…

Some of them weren't moving…

Scorpia stopped the skiff in front of the nearest building, jumping off alongside Catra. The feline looked… absent…

"Catra?" Scorpia's voice caught her attention.

The scorpion princess gave her a concerned look. Catra didn't look angry, just like the many times she felt disappointed in her subordinates' doing. She didn't look indifferent… she looked… scared.

"It's nothing." Catra answered curtly.

"It's not your fault…" Scorpia tried to reassure her.

Catra sighed heavily and after a few moments… she gave the scorpion princess a weak smile.

"Yeah, it is. I thought I was above the consequences, above them," Catra nodded towards the soldiers around them, "But the truth is… the truth is that I'm not that kind of person. I thought it would mean that I was truly strong… but instead it made me just as bad as Shadow Weaver."

"You're nothing like her!" Scorpia yelled, placing her pincers on the cat girl's shoulders.

"I chose to banish Entrapta, I chose to lie to Hordak, I chose to fight him and cause this destruction… I chose to drive you away and… and I… I chose to stay when Adora…" Catra closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, a silent 'damn it' leaving her lips.

"Catra… I…" The scorpion princess began to speak but decided to stay silent as Catra's expression began to chance.

She remained in silence as the fear she saw on Catra's face slowly left place to calm, and something that gave Scorpia the impression that the cat girl had finally managed to find some kind of peace.

"But I'm going to do what I can to fix this… all of this…"

"Oh… Wildcat…" Scorpia's voice cracked, as tears started to pool in her eyes. She took a step forwards and enveloped Catra in a tight hug. "I'm going to be with you every step of the way."

"Scorpia! Personal space!" Catra tried to sound angry but couldn't refrain herself from letting a small smile appear on her face.

The two began to make their way towards the entrance to nearest sector. A few soldiers who had noticed them approaching, immediately stood up straight and saluted Catra. The feline however didn't answer with her usual condescending smile. That seemed to shock the guards.

"How's the situation?" Catra questioned one of them.

"A-ah! Sector X and W have suffered the worst damage. The survivors have been transported to the infirmaries. The ones who didn't make it…" The first soldier stopped talking, a lump forming in his throat.

The second one placed his hand on his comrade's shoulder and began to speak.

"Some of them are still under the debris, the ones with fatal wounds who were still alive when we got to them… they asked us to bring them here… outside… to see the sky. They didn't want to die looking at a metal ceiling." The guard spat the last words viciously.

A third one looked extremely concerned as his gaze quickly shifted between his comrade and Catra. He had known of guards who had been punished for far less.

"W-we know it's not permitted b-but-" He began to speak, but fell silent as Catra shook her head.

"It's okay… don't worry about it."

The three soldiers looked completely puzzled.

"Most of the sectors' communications screens are still working, right?" Catra continued.

"Y-Yes commander!" The first soldier answered swiftly.

"Spread the word that an emergency communication is about to be transmitted."

"B-but what about the sectors that need reparations? L-Lord Hordak won't allow-" The third soldier meekly protested.

"Hordak isn't a problem anymore."

That single statement made all of the guards gasp.

"W-what?" The first soldier muttered, giving voice to his other comrades' disbelief.

"There is no time to explain, just spread the news, now go!" Catra raised her voice and the three soldiers nodded before leaving.

Only the second one began to slow down and turned around.

"Commander? What's coming?"

"If we're not fast enough? Our end." Catra answered.

When all of the soldiers had disappeared, each of them running towards a different sector, ready to communicate Catra's warning, the feline and the scorpion princess reached for the nearest entrance that could lead them to Hordak's sanctum. The two navigated swiftly through the maze of corridors until they finally found themselves in front of the now crumbling throne room. The door still worked though, allowing them to enter the chamber. The throne was still intact. Good. That's all Catra needed for her plan.

"You sure about this?" Scorpia asked, but not with an insecure tone, only with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah… they need to know. Then… they'll be able to choose for themselves."

She needed to be quick…

She needed to save them…

She needed to-

"Catra!"

Suddenly, a voice called her name just before she could start to climb the stairs leading to the throne. As she turned around, she came face to face with a familiar dark skinned girl.

"Lonnie…" Catra whispered, both puzzled and relieved.

The way Catra said her name, took the girl by surprise. The feline had never used that tone with her.

"What happened here?!" Kyle asked in panic, emerging from behind Lonnie, Rohelio on his side.

They were alive, all three of them…

They were alive.

But Catra knew that the happiness she felt in that moment would have been short lived. She knew it the moment she heard Kyle's question. Her ears flattened on her head and her gaze shifted downwards.

"It's my fault."

Lonnie's eyes went wide, her expression turned from a surprised one, to a devasted one and finally… to an enraged one. Kyle stepped forwards and tried to place a hand on the dark skinned girl's shoulder, however, he stopped, letting his hand hover in the air a few inches away from her as he noticed Lonnie tightening her fists. Nobody was expecting what came next. Well, Catra did, but she still chose not to react and remained still as Lonnie's fist hit her jaw… hard… sending her to the ground.

"Catra!" Scorpia cried, before raising her pincers menacingly.

"Stay out of it Scorpia!" Catra groaned as she brought a hand to her aching jaw.

Lonnie watched in disbelief as Scopia unwillingly stepped aside. Catra didn't move an inch, she didn't get up, she didn't try to fight back, she didn't… do anything. Lonnie had expected the feline to put up a fight, to deny her responsibilities, to claim she was above the consequences of her actions… but she didn't. Catra was simply waiting for what would have come next.

For a moment, Lonnie was stunned. She remained silent, staring at the cat girl in the eyes. Her hesitation, however, was short lived. Soon enough, her confusion vanished leaving space to a deep, burning anger. Lonnie scowled as she kneeled down and grabbed Catra by the hem of her uniform, roughly lifting her up as she balled her other hand into a fist.

"People are dead Catra! Dead! Do you understand that?! Or do you simply not care?!"

"Lonnie… maybe we should-" Kyle stuttered as she stepped forwards but immediately shut up as Lonnie turned halfway towards him and snarled.

"No! I'm sick of her treating everyone like dirt! We're-"

"I'm sorry."

The statement alone brought such a silence upon the small group, as if no one, expect of course for Scorpia, couldn't believe that those words had just been spoken by Catra. It made Lonnie's rageful scowl disappear, and as she looked straight into the feline's eyes, it was as if she was looking at a completely different person. But as soon as their gazes crossed, Lonnie knew… Catra was sincere.

Slowly, the soldier slowly lowered her fist…

"Sorry is not going to fix this…"

"I know, that's why I'm here." Catra muttered, her tone slightly shaking.

Lonnie and the cat girl stared at each other for a few moments before the soldier let go of the hem of her uniform and stood up. Then… Lonnie extended her hand towards Catra. The feline hesitated for an instant before reaching out and grabbing it. Lonnie raised her from the ground but didn't let go of her hand, not before she gave her a meaningful look.

Catra knew exactly what it meant.

'You better do everything you can to fix this.'

"So, what's your plan?" Lonnie asked.

"You saw the ships, didn't you?"

"Y-yes! We were in the woods and-" Kyle began to explain before being interrupted.

"In the woods?" Scorpia raised a brow in confusion.

"U-Uhm… you see…" Kyle fidgeted with his fingers, giving Catra a nervous glance.

"We left." Lonnie stated without an ounce of fear.

The statement didn't anger Catra, it was just another slap to her face, waking her up, making her realized even more what kind of person she had been in the past.

…

"They left because of you…" The voice inside Catra's head spoke again, although this time… it seemed quieter.

And it only got even more quiet as she shook her head. She was going to fix this.

"I don't blame you." The feline muttered, her voice laced with shame.

Surprise flashed in Lonnie's eyes. It only lasted a few instants before her stern expression came back, but Catra had still managed to notice it and… strangely… it made her feel better.

It made her feel proud…

Proud of herself…

When was the last time she felt like that? Was there… was there even a time when she truly felt proud of herself?

"When we saw the ships, we knew something was wrong… Catra? What's happening?" Lonnie asked.

"Just know that it's bad… for all of the Horde. If we don't get everyone out of here as soon as possible… well… you can consider all of them as already dead."

"W-what?!" Kyle stuttered in fear, followed by a surprised growl from Rogelio.

"There's no time, I gotta warn all of the Horde about Prime's arrival!" Catra explained swiftly.

Lonnie nodded curtly. She didn't understand what was happening, she didn't know who this 'Prime' was, but from what Catra had just told them, whoever or whatever was coming… wasn't going to do any good to the Horde. The three former Horde soldiers and the scorpion princess quickly followed the feline up the stairs that lead to Hordak's old throne. Step after step, the iron chair became nearer and nearer and when Catra found herself right in front of it… she didn't attempt to sit down… she remained silent… still.

"I wanted it." Catra thought. "This should have all been mine. Hordak was weak, he should have never had ruled over the Horde! I would have made the Horde the greatest force on all of Etheria! They would have all respected me! They would… they would have all feared me…"

They would have all feared me…

In front of what Catra had always thought she desired, she hesitated. She had wanted this, but now? That throne was simply who she was before.

Never again.

She quickly sat down, unlocking a small hatch on the throne's armrest. She had seen Hordak do that before, it was easy, the only problem was… was the device still working? Catra held her breath and pressed the small button hidden underneath the hatch. A few seconds passed and then…

A larger hatch opened on the ceiling above the small group and a screen descended towards them, stopping right in front of Catra. It flashed red, displaying only a few words…

Vocal recognition required.

Damn it.

And here we are with a new chapter! I hope you've liked it guys, and remember, on April the 28th the new one will come out!