Chapter 3:
I felt myself tossing and turning all night, practically watching as the sun rose in the distance, I must have laid there for hours waiting for Adora to arrive back safe, but that never happened. Huffing sadly as I roll over to my side, clutching her pillow to my chest as I attempt sleep one last time, groaning as I hear someone slam the door to my room open.
"Where is Adora" Shadow weaver asked annoyed as I sat up in bed, huffing as I rake my hand through my hair, eyes rolling at the sight of her.
"I don't know" looking down at my hands, swallowing the lump in my throat as I came to the realisation that she really hasn't returned.
Shadow weaver let out an annoyed grunt as she grabbed my by my arm, dragging me to her chambers, throwing me to the side as she looks into her water bath thing.
I roll my eyes again as I lean against the wall, watching as she waves her hands over the water, Adora now appearing in the reflection, I watch quietly as Shadow weaver grows more agitated as the time passes, gazing down at the blonde.
"For the last time… where is Adora" she demands, twisting around to face me, cludting the sides of the water bath, her hands turning white from gripping it so hard, I look away, trying to shake the worry from my face.
"For the last time, I don't know" Shrugging as I readjust my position against the wall, "you think I keep her on a leash?" I question, turning to look her in those cold dead eyes.
"I know you're lying" she states, taking a step closer as she watches my every movement, "You to are close. She would never depart without telling you" her glaring burning into me as I look down again.
"Then I guess she let us both down huh?" Closing my fist as I look away again, trying to shake the bad feeling running down my spine.
"Have it your way" my tall mentor says turning back to look into the water bath, "I already know where she is" I look up surprised, eyes shaking in worry.
"We've been tracking her" she announces, waving her hand back over the water, replaying my partners last steps.
"Uhh then why did you ask me?" Questioning her as I walk closer, now annoyed at this new found information,
"Because you are going to bring her back." She states, eyes once again piercing into mine.
"I don't think so" smirking up at her as I turn to walk away, Grunting in pain as I feel the well to known power of my mentor taking over my body, freezing me in place as she walks up behind me, hands gripping onto my shoulders, if I could move my body I'd flinch at the unwanted touch.
"Your insolence will not protect her" she whispers into my ear, gripping my shoulders harder, "you will do as I ask… she may be your partner but you are MY cadet"
"Oh yea? Of what" I spit back, trying not to let my fear get the better of me, as she wraps her hand around my throat, gripping hard at my words, closing my eyes as I struggle to breathe.
"Or YOU will suffer the consequences in her place" the older woman spits back at me, releasing me from her hold as she pushes me away roughly, "now get out" and with that I ran back to our room holding my tears until the door to our room shut behind me, when I heard the wish of the door shutting I fell to my knees letting out a strangled cry as I grip my long hair in my hands.
As much s Adora would try to protect me from Shadow weaver over the years the older woman would find her own ways to torcher and torment me, reminding me every chance she could that I would never be good enough. I gave up trying to defend myself against her years ago, deciding it was better to keep this to myself rather than worrying Adora, knowing this would only cause more problems.
The torment from shadow weaver was tolerable as the years passed, Adora and I were practically attached to the hip, it was rare that we would be apart, this had cause our mentor to back off just that tad. Shadow weaver knew that if Adora had known the amount of torment I had been receiving she would lash out in my defence, Adora was great like that, we always had each others backs.
After a few hours had past I was able to pull myself together, setting up a team to go retrieve my partner from what ever mess she had managed to get herself stuck in this time, I roll my eyes at the thought of Adora probably doing something stupid, getting herself into some stupid situation.
Huffing as I stare at myself in the mirror, splashing some water onto my cheeks as I look at my reflection.
"I'm coming for you Adora" smiling at the though of seeing her again, holding her again.
—
We had gotten word that Adora was spotted in Thaymor, sending out bots first as we forllowed closely behind, smiling as I spot her stupid hair poof in the distance, redirecting our tank towards her direction I can't help but giggle at how ridiculously cute she looked, her jacked was no longer over her shoulders leaving her in a skin white skin tight shirt, a flower gently tucked between ear and hair, she looked beautiful.
We slid to a halt as she came running over, her words muffled from the hard metal surrounding me, I smile as I open the hatch, looking over to her with a goofy smile I couldn't contain.
"Adora!" I let out, worries fading as I take her in with my eyes, jumping down from the tank, eyes furrowing as I look at her face again, she was … sad?
"Catra?" She practically whispers as I walk closer, jumping on top of her, letting my excitement take over as i start to purr, peering down into her eyes, gleaming at the sight of my partner alive and unscathed.
"They let me a tank!" I screech happily, gripping her shoulders tighter as I get comfy, legs straddling her waist, "can you believe it!" Sitting back my purrs becoming louder as she leans up, hand laying on my thigh as she goes to speak.
"Catra I don't understand, why are you here?" Tilting my head in confusion, I feel like it was pretty obvious why I was here, chuckling as I shake my head at her, moving to lay my forehead against hers as my purrs die down at the familiar contact.
"Uh duh" giggling as I rub my nose against hers before leaning back slightly, leaning little room between our faces, "I came to get my partner back" gently pushing her shoulder as I pull back more, "cover for me Catra, no one will know I'm gone!" I mock as I get off her, pulling her to stand with me as I wrap an arm around her waist keeping her close, rolling my eyes at her confused face.
"Seriously did you get captured immediately after you left?" Rolling my eyes again as I chuckle, "Did you hit your head or something? You're actually weird" nudging my nose against her cheek smile on my face, running my hand through her hair, gently grazing the flower tucked against her ear, "what are you wearing?" Cupping her cheek.
"Uhh" the taller girl pulls the flower from her ear, cheeks as pink as the flower as she looks away from me, "nothing" chuckling as she pushes my shoulder playfully. There was a crash in the distance snapping her from our moment, face turning serious as she pulls me close eyes serious.
"There's no time, we have to put a stop to this"
"What why?" Cocking my head to the side confused as she grips me tighter, hand sliding to grip mine.
"Because Catra this is a civilian town, they're innocent" her eyes now pleading with me as she stepped closer, tears slowly forming. "Look around! These aren't insurgents! These are innocent people" her hand grips mine tighter as she looks around, I follow her line of sight as she continues to look around in horror, meeting mine again. I shake my head as my brow furrows, at her words.
"Sure innocent" I scoff, "they kidnapped you Adora! Why do you think I'm here!" Pulling her towards the tank, "now come on let's go home, Shadow weaver is freaking out" looking back at her confused as she didn't budge, her eyes now filled with tears as her blue eyes stared deadly into mine.
"Catra no" pulling her hand out of my grip, "I – I can't go back there" I could feel my eyes grow wide as she continues, "not until the Horde leaves this town alone! You have to help me!"
"What are you saying?" I could feel my own tears start to form.
"I'm saying this is wrong, they've been lying to us! Manipulating us!" She takes a hold of my hand pulling me closer, "all of them" a tear rolls down her cheek as she lets it out, I could see her inner battle behind her eyes.
I laugh loudly, not being able to hold it in, or maybe this was my way of copeing at the thoughts running through my mind, either way, I always knew Adora was a bit useless when it came to the Horde but this useless? Come on.
"Duh! How are you just figuring this out?" Shaking my head as I wrap an arm around her, "manipulation is kinda shadow weavers thing!" Her mind seemed to be racing at this new information, "have you forgotten that she's been messing with us since we were kids?"
"How could you possibly be okay with this?" She asks, this broke my heart, a tear now rolling down my cheek as she looked at me with sad eyes, I cup her cheek as I pull her close once again, gazing intensely into her eyes.
"Because this is what I thought you wanted Adora, it didn't matter what they did to us because we had each other… looked out for each other" leaning my head against hers as I breathed out the last of my sentence, "we could be calling the shots soon, just like we always wanted" truth be told I made her dreams mine, only falling in line for Adora, she was my partner, I just wanted to make her happy.
"Now come on dummy lets go home" nuzzling her nose as I feel her relax slightly in our embrace, pulling back I tug her once more towards the tank, I was ready to go home.
"Im not going home Catra, I can't not after seeing everything I've seen" her eyes now filled with tears again as she uttered those words, eyes pleading with me to understand, I stood there shocked at the realisation. I could feel the anger and panic that I haven't felt in years start to take over.
"Come with me. You don't have to go back there" tugging me towards her, eyes trying to beg me silently to keep calm. She could always read me so well.
I can't help the words that come out, I couldn't help but pull away, my emotions getting the better of me as her words echo in my head, she wasn't coming home, home to me… I thought I was home.
"Are you kidding me" I grunt out, stepping back as I tug my hand away aggressively, "you've known these people for less than a day and you're choosing them over me?" My anger seeping out as my panic sets in quietly in my head, "throw everything we've been working for our entire lives?" Tears we're slowly streaming from my eyes. Stepping back once more as she goes to pulling me in.
"What happened to you? You promised"
"I don't know" a whisper slipping from her lips as I watch her close her eyes, taking in a big breath as she looks back at me, trying to calm her self as she can see me start to unravel.
"I have to do something… I-I'm sorry Catra" she pulls me in trapping me in her arms as she hold me tight, head falling between my neck and shoulder, unwillingly I relax into her arm, head falling into place as I breath in her scent, sweet vanilla calming be with each second that passed. My claws gripping to her back, I can't help but dig them in as I try and contain my emotions, holding her tighter as a silent sorry before pulling back.
"No I'm sorry Adora" closing my eyes as I use my taser to shock her, watching as she falls to the ground with a hard thump, eyes wide as she groans in pain. Wincing as she sits up in obvious pain.
"Oh man that was a lot stronger than I thought… are you okay?"
"Why are you doing this?" The blonde asked, her face filled with exhaustion and sadness as she gazed up at me.
"Because you left me! You promised you'd come back" I yell, sadness filling my voice as my eyes well with tears once more, "and if I don't bring you back I'm scared of what shadow weaver will do to me Adora! So please… enough with your little identity crisis" kneeling down beside her, cupping her cheek gently, "lets go home already, come home to me Adora" begging as I get closer, nose rubbing hers, "or do I need to zap you again?" Chuckling as she smiles sadly at me. before she could answer a pink sparkly light hit my side, causing me to tumble back from Adora, once I got my footing I grown, claws out ready to attack as I spun around, only to be hit with a net, pushing me back once more as I stubble, trying to search for my favourite blonde in my panicked state.
Once I hit the ground I turn my head, eyes locked on Adora, aiming my taser at the sparkly girl beside her, my eyes growing wide as the two disappeared, leaving a trail of glitter.
"ADORA" yelling as i tense my body, breaking out of the netting, pouncing onto the darker man that had trapped me in the net in the first place, landing a few punches in before he can throw me off.
Screaming as my nails dug into the dirt, slowing me to a stop as I take in my surroundings, trees and grass ignited in flames as the horde had raided the town, eyes falling back onto the taller man who was now clutching his side, I smirk to myself as I catch a glimpse of the deep scratches I left there from my claws. Letting him run off as I catch my breath, horde tanks town beside me as we corner him. But before we could attack a bright glow appeared from seemingly nowhere, walking to stand in front of the darker man, I squint my eyes as I focus on the glowing woman, eyes growing wide as I take in a now 8 foot tall adora in a ridiculously bright get up, her hair flowing behind her as she brought her sword up and into the ground. This caused the ground below us to shake, moving up and out of its usual place, destroying more of our robots and tanks in the process.
I watch in awe as the now glowing version of Adora starts to slice and destroy out machines, when satisfied moving to fight the horde soldiers, shaking my head I sneak closer towards her, trying to get a better angle of my partner, catching her eyes as my men yell out in fear.
"RETREAT!" All the soldiers slowly disappearing around me as I'm stuck in place, all my emotions running through me as Adora transforms back to her usual self, her eyes locked with mine.
Smoke surrounds me as she takes a step closer, my fight or flight kicks in as she calls out for me, her words filled with hope that I'd stay, practically pleading with me to not do what she knew I'd do… Run. But that's what I do best… she knows that.