AN: I know this is a little late, but this story finally cut up to the version on AO3! Unfortunately, that does mean that the updates will only be on Sunday from now on.
This chapter is dedicated to all my commenters, especially my regulars and the guy from the last update who wanted to know where the hell Hordak has been this whole time. Well, congrats, he's been chilling this whole time is finally ready to butt in.
Enjoy!

Lord Hordak blew a gasket, but luckily Shadow Weaver took all of the blame. Even when she tried to implicate Adora and Glimmer, Hordak blamed Shadow Weaver for not vetting her charges' plans. After berating her mentor in front of the Force Captains and then throwing them all out of his sanctum, Hordak called for Adora alone to stay. So, while Shadow Weaver trashed the Moonstone Chamber in anger, as she often did, Adora got her first meeting with the Horde's mighty leader.

She instantly noticed how different he was in person versus the rumors and stories she'd heard about him over the years. His armor was falling apart, he hardly stood for more than a moment before collapsing into his throne, and his hands were covered in signs of decay. It was no wonder he tended to stick to the shadows and be heard rather than seen. He was less impressive up close, not that Adora would ever dare utter that aloud.

"Now that you've completed your initiation, you are ready for more missions, correct?" Hordak asked, sitting on his throne while Adora kneeled on the bottom step. Her knees were really going to hurt if she had to kneel in front of everyone important.

"Yes, Shadow Weaver has been preparing an assignment portfolio for me." Adora nodded.

"I'm afraid that will not be the case." Hordak said simply. Adora looked up.

"Sir?"

"I've been looking over your record, Force Captain. Your scores are perfect, no infractions to be seen, and you appear to be in prime physical condition. Your team exercises are somewhat lacking, but I've been informed that is the fault of a single member of your Cadet squad. All of this, plus a successful assassination against one of the Horde's greatest threats. I am impressed." Hordak told her.

"Thank you, Lord Hordak."

"In light of this, I have decided to assign you a special project." Hordak stood, wobbling slightly before gaining his footing, and walked over to his monitor. He pulled up a complicated screen with prototypes of strange technology. "A trackerpad was recovered from the captured Princess. It contains a wealth of knowledge that will aid me in unlocking the secrets of harnessing Etheria's ancient technology and combining it with our own. This will significantly boost the Horde's technical power, which is thus far lacking in the face of the Rebellion's." he scowled at the screen. "From now on, your mission will be to retrieve pieces of Tech from the ruins scattered across Etheria."

"Yes, Lord Hordak." Adora felt a little disappointed. That was it? All her years of training and excellence put to work not conquering the planet, but fetching machinery. She buried the feelings as best she could. "When do I begin?"

"As soon as you break the news to Shadow Weaver." Hordak sneered. Adora felt the blood leave her face. "Notify me when the task is done, and be aware that I will know if you do not do as I ask."

"You wouldn't want to look weak in front of your commander? " Shadow Weaver's voice came from directly behind her. She jumped and whirled around, only to see Imp giggle and dart away. That thing scared her, especially knowing that it had witnessed her punishment.

"Of course." Adora gathered herself.

"You are dismissed, Force Captain. I look forward to seeing your expertise at work in the field. Hopefully, not every mission will be like Thaymor."

Glimmer was waiting for her outside the sanctum. Adora internally sighed and prepared for another lecture, but she didn't get one.

"Have you seen Bow?"

"No, why?" Adora frowned. Last she'd seen him, Bow was still freaking out over the escaped bot. He was so concerned that Adora didn't even have the heart to berate him after the Rebels escaped because he pulled her away from his post.

"He's supposed to be at the Horde-management meetings, but I didn't see him today." Glimmer explained, distress clear in her voice.

"He's probably still working on the bot that escaped."

"It's just one bot. What could possibly be the big deal?"

"Bow says one of the technicians reviewed the bot's makeup and that it has some sort of experimental software installed in it that made it valuable or something. What are the odds the Princesses stole the only important bot in the whole facility?" Adora shook her head.

"I know, right? We throw dozens of those things into battle as cannon fodder every day, but the one important one gets stolen." Glimmer chuckled. "Usually when the bots fail, Bow is just excited to build more."

"He didn't seem very excited last time I talked to him. He seemed kind of…. scared."

"It's not like the Rebellion's key to destroying us all was in that piece of junk. Sure, it was a mistake to put a bot that important right where the Rebels were attacking, but still. What would he be scared of?" Glimmer knit her brow.

Adora rubbed her chin with her left hand. "I don't-" It clicked inside Adora's head. "Uh oh."

"What?" Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

"There's only one person who takes mistakes seriously enough to scare someone like Bow." Adora prompted, already speed-walking down the hall. Even an emergency like this wasn't worth the citation if she was caught running. Glimmer ignored the threat and ran after her, walking backward to keep up the conversation once she caught up.

"What do you-" Glimmer's eyes strayed to the bandage on Adora's face. "Ah, crap."

"Come on." Adora walked faster while Glimmer burst into a full run and quickly left her fellow Force Captain behind. Adora noted how easily Glimmer abandoned a fellow soldier if they were ever in battle together. Princesses .

By the time Adora reached the Moonstone Chamber, Glimmer was already there, pounding on the door.

"Use a spell." Adora pointed out the obvious. Glimmer visibly swallowed.

"She'll kill me if I knock down the door."

"Shadow Weaver isn't going to kill you. You're her apprentice."

"Al-Alright. You're right. She needs me." Glimmer took a shaky breath.

"Wait!" Adora interjected right as Glimmer started to draw a rune. "Do you even know Bow is in there? We're not busting the door over nothing."

"Where else would he be? You said yourself, this is the best bet." Glimmer snapped.

"You've been by the door longer. Is there any sign of him?"

"You know these are soundproof." Adora had figured that out over years of long hours sitting outside that very door waiting for Catra's 'disciplinary sessions' to finish. She'd been in her teens when she figured out that her not hearing anything didn't mean that there wasn't something to be heard. "The only thing I've seen is the occasional flash of light from under thatdoor."

"That could be anything." Adora folded her arms.

"Why are you doubting your own plan?"

"Because I have no demerits on my record, and I'm not getting one now! I just got promoted!"

"What?" Glimmer's spell dissipated.

"Lord Hordak kept me back to tell me that I'm being assigned a series of special missions. This is my fast track to becoming his right-hand someday." Adora explained.

"But…. what does that mean?"

The door slid open, startling both girls.

"It means," Shadow Weaver snapped her fingers, and the purple haze around Bow dispersed. He collapsed onto the ground and took a deep breath. "that I may have been too harsh with the Tech-Master."

"Bow reports directly to Hordak." Glimmer couldn't look away from her friend. "You have no authority over his actions." She didn't sound very confident. Adora figured Glimmer was just as cowed by their mentor as Adora was. But this was a step too far for them both.

"He interfered with my charges. I was merely warning him not to do it again." Shadow Weaver looked at Bow as he shakily got to his feet and ran behind Glimmer and Adora.

"I take responsibility for the Princess's escape. Bow was just doing his job." Adora folded her hands behind her back to keep them from shaking. Her facial wound started to itch.

"That is no excuse-"

"Lord Hordak wouldn't take kindly to the fact that his second is disciplining management members without his knowledge or orders." Adora interrupted boldly. Shadow Weaver stopped talking and the room darkened. Adora was happy she was still outside of it.

"Growing insolent , are we? I expected this of Glimmer," the other girl looked down at the ground. "but I must say I am not pleased with this development."

"That doesn't matter. I don't answer to you anymore, Shadow Weaver."

"Well, well. A single promotion and you think you've outgrown me. Don't forget who got you where you are, Adora. You wouldn't want to become ungrateful."

"I don't plan to, but you should be more aware of the chain of command. You taught me that, after all." The air only grew tenser, but this was where Adora shone strongest. She was a protector. No one was getting punished for her mistakes if she could help it. There were too many times when she couldn't.

"I see." Shadow Weaver said after a tense moment. One of the Moonstone Chamber's lights cracked, but the shadows coating the walls began to retreat. "Go collect your new assignments, then. Your journey to the top is finally starting." The doors closed, and all three teens collectively relaxed.

"That was really tense." Bow squeaked. Glimmer enveloped him in a hug while Adora still tried to grasp what just happened.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Glimmer rushed out.

"Yeah. Like Shadow Weaver said, it was just a warning. I'm supposed to 'defer to Adora's best judgment instead of interjecting on my own from now on." Bow returned the hug gratefully. "I guess she's the boss."

"Adora's just a teammate, Bow, don't listen to Shadow Weaver." Glimmer said dismissively. Adora narrowed her eyes. She thought she was the boss too. Then again, after what just happened, this wasn't the time to pull rank.

"I'm glad you're alright." Adora said sincerely. Bow beamed.

"Aw, get in here!" he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the hug. He was surprisingly strong. "Bonding moment!"

"You know we just rescued you from Shadow Weaver, right? That isn't a good thing." Glimmer rolled her eyes.

"We're remaking a negative event into something positive. My dads taught me."

"I know, Bow. Your dads taught you everything."

"It's not their fault they had so much wisdom to share with their sons."

"Can we talk about this later?" Adora wasn't sure what a 'dad' was, but she would need to ask later. Right then, there was a chain of command to climb. "Let's go get our new missions."

" Our new missions?" Glimmer questioned.

"Yeah. I need a crew to back me up, and apparently, we've already bonded." Adora reasoned. The two seemed like capable soldiers and Adora needed to keep an eye on Glimmer. It worked too well to pass up.

"And Hordak will be okay with that?" Bow asked.

"I'm sure if I submit a formal request for two permanent mission companions, he'll accept it." she shrugged.

"That sounds fun." Glimmer deadpanned.

"We'll make it fun." Bow broke away from the hug and bounced on his heels gleefully. "I've got the perfect trick arrow for the job."

"An... arrow." Adora repeated.

"It's a pen arrow!" Bow pulled it out of his quiver and showed it off with a flourish. "Now come on! Paperwork ahoy!" and just like that, Adora cemented her fate.

As Bow presented it to Hordak instead of going through the usual bureaucratic process, the request was approved quickly. Hordak, in the middle of a project, yelled at him to go away and gave her mission perimeters with clenched teeth. Adora, Glimmer, and Bow decided to take that as enough affirmation and immediately set off on their first mission.

It went okay, if a little boring. They stole tech from this small kingdom called Dryll that Adora had never heard of. Apparently, it was a massive center of technology advancement, so much so that the government was just AI. The Horde laid eyes on the kingdom since it has several mines dedicated solely to recovering First One's tech. All the three had to do was sneak into the mines after everyone went home and load up on the tech before it was delivered to labs.

Adora was glad it went so well, Bow was glad no one got hurt because the only person they engaged with was a single robotic guard, and Glimmer was just happy to steal stuff. Adora got the impression these were her kind of missions. All in all, they were already heading back to the Fright Zone by daybreak. That's when she put her master plan into action.

"Hey, Glimmer?" Adora yelled over the wind rushing past them. Glimmer turned to face her friend while Bow slowed the skiff down a little so they could hear each other.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you try out that new spell you've been working on?"

"The disintegration one?"

"No." Adora corrected. "The teleportation one. The Fright Zone is just on the other side of the Whispering Woods, and this way, we wouldn't need to waste time driving around them."

"I don't know; the rune is pretty volatile and I haven't gotten the hang of it yet." Glimmer admitted.

"All the more need for practice."

"We have a skiff. Can't we just head home the normal way?"

"If you can perfect teleporting, that could make these missions way easier." Bow cut in.

"Exactly." Adora followed her arms with a satisfied smile.

"But I'd have to move all three of us, plus the whole skiff-"

"I'll drive the skiff home. You can teleport just you and Bow." Adora reasoned.

"Doesn't that undercut the whole point of saving time?" Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

"Saving time is just a benefit. The point is the practice. Besides, if you miss, Bow can send me your coordinates with his pad and I'll swing by and pick you up."

"She makes a good point, Glimmer. Plus I'm still pretty sure she's technically our boss." Bow shrugged.

"She's not our boss, Bow. We're all equal ranks here. You might actually be higher than us." Glimmer rolled her eyes. "But, I guess she does have a point." Bow pulled the skiff to a stop and he and Glimmer hopped out. She started drawing in the air while Bow made small talk.

"You know how to drive one of these bad boys, right?" Bow patted the side of the machine.

"It was covered in basic training." Adora assured him. She left out all the terrible things that happened last time she drove one, but that wasn't his business.

"Great! But remember, don't drive it through the Woods. That place swallows up Horde tech like brown ration bars." He warned. She nodded.

"I always preferred the gray ones."

"Eh, they're so grainy."

"Am I magic-ing or not, chop chop." Glimmer snapped her fingers, causing the rune to waver slightly.

"Okay, okay, let's magic. And 'magic' isn't a verb, by the way." Bow gave Adora an apologetic look and headed over to Glimmer, who quickly took his hand.

"Grammar Rebel." She sighed before clapping her hands and setting off the magic.

"Am not!" Bow's retort sounded even as he and Glimmer disappeared in a flash of pink light.

Adora relaxed a little as she got back on the skiff and turned it around. Her actual plan was to take the scenic route back to the Fright Zone, straight through Animalia. She would grab the Sword from whatever minimum security place the Rebels had stashed it and head back home victorious. This was her moment of redemption.

When she reached the edge of the palace, she stashed the skiff in a vast garden behind a large statue that was for some reason shaped like a thin woman with pincers. She then snuck through the various plants and made her way towards the windows on the castle's east side. That's where the residential areas were, according to her training. Since the moon was just rising, everyone would be at the mess hall eating their first-meal, allowing Adora to sneak into the palace through one of the quarters. Then, all she had to do was locate the weapon and she was home free.

Adora climbed gracefully through the window and was surprised to find carpet on the floor. Good. That would dampen her footsteps. She was even more shocked when she saw the size of the room. It was almost as big as her barracks, but there was only one bed with what looked like curtains drawn around it. Is that what passed as personal quarters in Animalia?

She set about searching the room for a door when she saw something sitting on the dresser. Her eyes widened.

"No way," Adora whispered thoughtlessly as she crept to the dresser. There, sitting abandoned in this random Animalian room, was the helmet she had given Catra when they were kids. Adora picked it up with shaking hands. She hadn't seen it since Catra left the Fright Zone. What was it doing here? Unless-

Adora took in the rest of the room. There was a small hole in the ground that had probably been a reflection pool but was now filled with blankets. The visible parts of the bedframe were covered in scratches. There was a big bookshelf covered in books about something called the "First Ones." A large piece of beeping equipment was set up near the bed. And most tellingly, a large golden sword with a red gem that sat propped against the wall near the door.

This was Catra's room.

For a moment, Adora was consumed with an overwhelming urge to flee. This was the room of the girl she killed. Trespassing in her space felt like an extra insult to a dead friend. Then she remembered what Catra had done, why she'd killed her, and the only remaining urge was to make a beeline for the Sword.

Unthinkingly pocketing the helmet, Adora stepped at full-volume towards the weapon. The room was empty and the carpet would protect her from being heard by people outside.

"Yes." She reached out and grabbed the Sword by the hilt, only for it to start glowing. Her head filled with loud voices, all yelling at her to save them. Adora threw an arm over her eyes and fell backward into the carpet with a cry.

With her hand off the hilt, everything went quiet and Adora took deep breaths to calm herself. What was that? She sat up and stared at the Sword, which was no longer glowing and was acting like nothing had happened. She didn't want to grab it again. Not if that's what would happen. But she needed to, especially now that someone probably heard her yelling and could be on their way.

Something shifted noisily in the bed. Alarmed, Adora looked behind her to see something move ever so slightly behind the curtains, casting a shadow from the morning's moonlight. She got to her feet and looked between the Sword and the bed, debating heavily before her curiosity won out and she crept over to the bunk. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, a plush monstrosity with a deep oak frame instead of metal and those strange curtains heading whatever was inside.

Had the Rebels given away Catra's room already? With all her stuff still here? It didn't seem likely. So then what-

"Adora," Adora froze. She knew that voice. She threw open the curtains over the bed, and there, laying peaceful on her back, was Catra. Sleeping. Alive.

She couldn't be alive. That would mean Adora had failed even more than she thought. She couldn't stomach her own guilt at the thought, and it would be even worse when everyone else eventually found out. Catra would fight the Horde again and everyone would know Adora failed. Unless she did something about it.

The knife in her belt grew heavier as Adora unhooked it. She needed to fix her mistake, move past her failure. That was why she was here in the first place.

"Adora," she whispered again, still unconscious. Adora's throat closed and her hands shook even more.

"Yes?" she said quietly back. Did Catra really know she was there?

"Why?" the accusation in the muttered word was crippling. Adora dropped the knife back into its sheath. She couldn't do this. Stabbing Catra the first time nearly killed Adora too.

Suddenly, Catra's face screwed up and the device next to her bed started beeping louder, more urgently. Adora cursed under her breath as shouting came from the hallway. She needed to go! But the Sword was still by the door! She could run for it and face the possibility of that crazy light from before, or worse, getting caught. Or she could go back the way she came and save herself from any risk of being compromised.

Booted steps came from right behind the door and Adora's feet made the decision for her, carrying her across the room and throwing her out the window before she could even register that she was running. She heard the door to Catra's room burst open, but by then, she was hidden among the hedges in the garden, well on her way back to the skiff.

She wasn't telling anyone about her little detour.

AN: It's been kind of a long week, guys. I'd really appreciate some love to help me feel more motivated. Thanks so much for reading.