AN: Unnamed characters are hard to write, man.
"Stop!" Adora ordered, pounding through the stairwell. The figure was undeterred. "I said stop!"
"Make me, She-Ra!" he called, disappearing as he entered another floor. Adora growled and threw open the doors into another wing of the castle.
People were running in all directions, trying to get out figure's way.
"He's got a patient!" someone yelled, but no one moved to stop him.
"That man is a criminal!" Adora yelled at the bystanders. "Get him!" the figure shoved a woman aside as he ran, and Adora stopped to grab her before she could fall.
"Oh, thank you."
"No problem." She was starting to gain on him. They left behind the people and were nearing the exit. Once he got out of the building, he would be blend into the crowded Brightmoon streets and be nearly impossible to catch.
"I'm giving you one last warning!" she yelled. The figure went faster, lunging for the exit. He shoved open the door and... found himself in the therapy animal's stables. Thank goodness. He stopped in shock, looking around him and trying to find the door. There was only one exit for him now, and it needed to be unlocked manually.
"Shoot." He muttered. Adora burst through the door, cornering him. The guy was a clone, a standard one too. Some of Prime's subjects took steps to gain individuality through dying hair or wearing contacts, but many would rather keep the facelessness they were raised on. The clone in front of her clearly wanted to be able to blend with a crowd.
Over his shoulder was Catra, still unconscious but looking much better than when Adora saw her last. She wouldn't stay that way if Adora couldn't get her back.
"You're cornered. Give up now." She growled. The clone turned to face her and chuckled, reaching towards his pockets. "Hands where I can see them."
"I don't think so." He pulled a knife out and held it to Catra's neck threateningly. Adora's confidence faltered. "I know all about you, She-Ra. I know the lines you won't cross."
"If you knew me, you would know better than to touch Catra. You and your Brothers messed with the wrong cat."
"Ah, but there's the thing. We need her to bring back our Lord." The clone said. "But one wrong move from you, and I'll have to bring the sad news to my brothers that she died of her injuries."
"You wouldn't dare."
"And you're going to take that chance? Sacrifices must be made to bring back Lord Prime, but I feel like you are much less willing to make them than I."
"Prime's gone, and he won't be back. Give up, put her down, and maybe I won't destroy you, though I'll admit it is very tempting." Adora narrowed her eyes. She couldn't charge, not while he was threatening Catra, but he couldn't run and get the door open while keeping a knife to her either. Whoever made the first move would lose.
Distress welled up in Adora at her dilemma. She needed help, but none was coming. The one person who made sure Adora never went into danger alone was the one person who couldn't help her. Catra was the one in distress, yet again at the hands of Prime. It was all too familiar.
"Destroy me if you want. Dozens more will take my place." He promised. "The Brotherhood is about the many. The one has no place in it."
"I don't care. You need to surrender now." Adora reiterated. Her sword materialized in her hand and it brought the familiar tingle of magic. Yet, she sensed magic coming from another source nearby too. Someone was heading toward the standoff, and she could only hope they were on their way to help her.
"What, are you upset about what we did to your wife?" The Brother asked. "How we stuck a heated knife into her arm until her muffled screams filled your bedroom?" Adora's hands shook.
"Shut. Up."
"Knowing her pain brings you pain as well. That's what happens when someone you care about is wounded." The clone growled. "It is an awful feeling."
"Don't pretend to understand suffering. You Prime worshippers do is dole it out in the name of purity."
"All beings must suffer to become pure, but our Lord suffered when you killed him. He was purity incarnate. To bring agony to someone pure is only cruel." The knife dug slightly into Catra's neck, the point disappearing into her fear. "You feel agony knowing your beloved has. But you know only a fraction of the pain we felt, feeling Lord Prime die over the hivemind. We're only trying to bring back our brother, who you killed by ripping him apart into nothing." Adora suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Don't compare me and Catra's love with your insane devotion to a dead man."
"Prime is eternal. He will never know death, at least not permanently." He nodded to Catra. "There's a piece of him inside one of the assimilated Etherians, and we will put him back together once we find that piece."
"He was evil, and he used you. He never cared about you. You shouldn't care about him. I know how hard it can be to accept that the person who raised you is gone, even if they weren't the best caretaker. But you need to move on." Adora tried. "So this is your last warning. Put Catra down and give your up." The magical signature was definitely getting closer. She could feel the hair on her arms rising as a malevolent force stalked closer. She was starting to realize who was coming.
"We will never give up until the universe's true ruler has returned to his throne. This world will know the light of Prime once more, no matter how many Magicats or Princesses we have to go through to get there!"
"Never gonna happen." Adora narrowed her eyes. "And you know why?"
"Because I messed with the wrong cat?" the clone sneered.
"Well, yes, actually." A mass of purple and red phased through the wall behind the clone and slammed into him, throwing him and Catra across the stairwell. Adora rushed forward and caught Catra as the Brother crumbled to the ground.
Melog roared and stalked closer as he scrambled on his back, running right into Adora. He wasn't even able to look up before She-Ra's gold-toed boot knocked across his forehead, and he lost consciousness.
"Nice job, Melog." Adora gave the cat-being a pat on the head. "I owe you one."
They meowed, slowly reverting back to their regular size and color.
"Having an emotion-sensing animal companion has never been so handy." Not since Swift Wind retired anyway.
Adora cradled Catra close to her chest. She seemed fine, at least better than the last time Adora saw her, but Adora would feel better once her wife was back in her hospital bed.
She picked up the clone by his clothes with a sigh.
"Take him out to the far wing of the stables, and I'll be around to interrogate him in a minute." She draped the clone over Melog's back. The space cat gave her a look. "Right, horse hospitality suites." Two years and she still wasn't used to the name change.
Melog nodded and went invisible. A giant purple cat with an unconscious clone on their back would be a sight to gawk at, even in the medical wing, where people regularly came in with detached arms.
"Come on, baby, we're going to get you fixed up." Adora whispered to Catra, leaving the stables and breaking into a run toward Catra's room. "Then maybe I can hear your voice again soon. You've been quiet for too long; it's not right."
"Adora!" Glimmer appeared right in front of her, and she yelped.
"What?"
"Netossa and I have been looking everywhere for you. She went to Catra's room and found one of the security team tied up on the bed, but no Catra and no you. She, Bow, and I have been freaking out a little." Glimmer admitted. "What happened?"
"Long story to match the ridiculously long night we're having." The adrenaline of the chase was starting to wear off, and Adora was feeling her lack of sleep. "We're all freaking out. But why are you still here? I thought Bow would have sent you to Salineas by now."
"I just came from there. Everything looks fine from the outside, but I can't get in until someone lets down the Gate, and Bow is still struggling to get in touch with anyone."
"That's still not good."
"Yeah, tell me about it. He can't reach Mermista or Sea Hawk, so now he's just calling anyone in the kingdom who's number he has. You'd be shocked how many Salineans he knows and how few of them keep up with their ruler. I went out looking for you because I would have strangled someone if I had to hear 'Have you seen Queen Mermista' one more time."
"That's great, but can we move this conversation? Badly injured wife and all." Adora nodded down to Catra, half-listening to Glimmer.
"Oh, yes!" Glimmer grabbed Adora, and they reappeared in Catra's room. "Aunt Casta taught me how to work all this stuff." She gestured to the medical equipment. "I can hook her up while you sit down."
"Why would I sit down?" Adora frowned, shifting down from She-Ra. "There's still a dozen things to do before we can rest."
"Because you're exhausted, obviously." Glimmer rolled her eyes, attached a tube on Catra's wrist to a fluid bag. "You haven't slept in over 24 hours, and your wife nearly died last night. You need some time to sleep and process everything."
"I don't need sleep. I need answers."
"There will be answers when you wake up, okay? For now, stay here with Catra. When Perfuma gets here, I'll send her in to keep watch while you rest."
"I'm not sleeping."
"Adora, don't make me order you." Glimmer sighed, reattaching the heart monitor. When the sound of Catra's steady pulse filled the room, Adora couldn't help but relax. "You know I will."
"I guess I can stay here and make sure Catra's safe. But I'm not sleeping." She insisted.
"Sure." Glimmer bent down to retrieve another wire. Adora swore she heard her friend mutter something about 'give her fifteen minutes' before she stood up again. "Before I go back to making sure Bow doesn't throw his tablet, why don't you tell me what happened back there. I know Catra didn't get out of bed and bind a guard herself."
"Another clone tied the poor guy up and took his place. Then after he left us the trident, he grabbed Catra and made a break for it. I caught him, but Melog was the one who took him down." Adora abridged, sitting down on the armchair next to Catra's bed.
Glimmer finally finished hooking everything up, and Adora felt relief wash over her. It tugged at her eyelids and beckoned her to sleep now that everything was, temporarily, okay.
"That was not that long of a story, Adora." Glimmer said.
"Regardless, Melog took the clone to the horse hospitality suites-"
"Swift Wind isn't here. You can say stables."
"-So you can interrogate him."
"I'll go in a minute. I should probably relieve Bow and see if I can drag Netossa down for a nap, too." Glimmer mused.
"Just come get me before you go to Salineas." Adora reminded her.
"Alright, but get some rest first." Glimmer started to walk towards the door, intending to close it before she went back to Bow.
"I said I'm not sleeping." Adora folded her arms, contradicting her point by leaning back in her chair.
"Uh huh. I'll see you in a bit, Adora." Glimmer closed the door behind her, and Adora sighed. From her chair, she could reach Catra's bed, so she locked their hands and smiled softly. Things were still bad, no doubt, but that seemed distant now. Catra was sleeping, and when she woke up, Adora would be here. While the problems raged on outside, they were together in the darkness of the hospital room.
Soon, Glimmer would return, they would set out for Salineas, and bring the Brotherhood to justice. But until then, she could close her eyes and trust that Catra would still be there, out of harm's way, when she opened them again.
AN: Swift Wind was going to make an appearance in this chapter, but I decided to give Melog something to do (and because I refuse to believe Swift Wind could actually be helpful. I love him, but he's kinda useless). This was a nice longer chap for you guys, so I hope you liked it.
As always, leave me some love in the comments and I'll see you all next time.