Chapter 48: The Horde Leader Part 2

Her head ringing, Seacat clung to Hordak's arm, trying to fend off the next blow with her free arm. If she let go, she was dead - he'd blow her to pieces with his cannon.

He hit her arm, and she hissed at the pain. But it also allowed her to focus. She deflected his next blow, jerking at the shock when he fired his gun in an attempt to shake her off. In response, she clenched her legs around the barrel despite the heat and bit down harder, chewing at the fabric between the armour plates and the gun mount.

He had hurt Adora. She'd kill him!

His next blow hit her shoulder, and she yelped - but didn't let go. Her claws found a spot at his elbow, and she dug in, wriggling her fingers, slicing into his sleeve, then into his flesh.

He grunted. "You pest!"

And he shamed her into the wall. But he had no leverage - she could weather those blows. Warm blood was running over her hand, now. And her fangs finally pierced his suit. His blood tasted awful. But she kept biting. And clawing.

Hordak would die!

He grabbed her flailing arm instead of trying to hit her. And started pulling. She screeched and tried to resist - but he was too strong. A little more, and he'd pull her arm out of its socket!

No choice. She let go - and used the momentum as he overbalanced to swing around and rake the claws on her feet across his face before he managed to fling her off.

He tumbled back, howling with pain, as more blood ran down his face. "You…. I'll kill you!"

Holding one hand to his ruined face, he moved the cannon to point at her.

She dodged to the side, rolled over her shoulder and charged him again, jumping right when he lined up the barrel, and twisted her body in the air.

But he didn't shoot - he pulled his arm back instead!

Her eyes widened, and she lashed out with her foot, connecting with the cannon and kicking it up right before it fired.

It missed her, blasting another hole in the ceiling.

Then the pain hit her, right when she was about to hit him. Her foot… the blast must have burned it.

Instead of clawing his face off, she smashed into his chest plate, driving the breath out of her lungs, and slid down.

Despite the pain, she moved forward, between his legs, as his cannon swung around again.

And she punched up, slicing the inside of his thighs and smashing into his groin.

Blood splattered over her, and he howled again even though her claws slid off the groin protection. She tried to cut his tendons, but the armoured boots stopped her.

Then he kicked her, in her wounded leg, and she was pushed to the side, rolling over the torn floor until she hit the remains of the window in the front.

Hordak was reeling, his bleeding legs wobbling - but he was aiming at her. Seacat rolled to the side, into the thickening cloud of smoke entering through the smashed window. The next blast missed her, tearing out more of the front wall.

She scrambled away on all fours - on her hands and knees, trying to hold her burned foot in the air. Where was Glimmer? What had happened? Adora was… No!

Snarling, she changed direction, moving towards Hordak again. She had to keep him distracted, or he would…

She left the smoke and gasped - Hordak was gone. Coughing, she whipped her head around. Adora! Her lover was still lying where she had fallen.

Seacat crawled towards her as smoke filled most of the office. "A..." She coughed again, "Adora!"

She reached her. And reached out for her face. Her throat. Adora was breathing. But… they couldn't stay in the office. Not with smoke filling it. They'd suffocate. Damn.

"Wake up, Adora!" she yelled, then coughed some more.

But Adora didn't stir. Blinking through her tears, Seacat grabbed her lover's arms and started pulling her towards the door. They had to get out. Get away. Before the smoke killed them.

Her wounded foot hit something, and she screamed. Oh. Adora's sword. For a moment, Seacat hesitated. Then she grabbed it, bit down on the grip and continued pulling Adora towards the door.

Everything hurt. And Adora was heavy. But Seacat wouldn't give up. Not now. Not ever.

She just had to reach the door. And close it. To keep the smoke out. Then she could rest. A little. Until…

There was the door. She pulled Adora through, pushing her the last yard, then pulled the door closed behind her.

And collapsed over her lover.

"Catra! Seacat! Wake up! Oh, no! Please!"

Seacat opened her eyes and blinked. Everything was… blurry. And hazy. But her foot didn't hurt any more. And breathing didn't hurt any more, either. "Wha…?" she started to say, then coughed.

"Ca-Seacat!"

And someone crushed her ribs. Someone? "Adora!"

"Oh, I was so worried!"

"Can't… breathe…" Seacat managed to say.

"Oh, no! Did I mess up the healing? Wait!"

Before Seacat could protest, Adora released her, and a beam of light hit her.

"Are you feeling better?"

"You were crushing me," she explained. Though she did feel better - her lungs didn't hurt any more. But the smoke would quickly change that. And… "Hordak! He ran!" Seacat jumped up. "We need to catch him!"

"Wait!"

But Seacat wasn't waiting. "Come!" She took a few steps towards the stairs, then stopped and turned. Adora looked… well, she looked hurt. "Oh, no!"

As Seacat should've expected, Adora frowned, then raised her chin. "I'm fine. Let's go!" She dashed past Seacat.

"You were knocked out when I dragged you out of the office!" Seacat yelled as she went after her lover.

"And you were knocked out when I woke up."

"But you healed me!"

"I'm She-Ra; I heal fast."

"But…" Seacat jumped over the handrail and landed next to Adora on the lower stairs. "Not that fast!"

"We can't let him escape! Run!"

Was she deliberately misunderstanding her? Seacat couldn't tell. But she chased after Adora. They couldn't get split up. Not more than they already were. Damn! "Something must have happened to Glimmer! She never returned!"

Adora didn't answer - but she ran faster.

Seacat cursed and started jumping over the handrails rather than trying to keep up running. That way, she could even pass Adora, and…

She gasped as she almost jumped straight into a gaping hole where the next flight of stairs should've been but managed to keep her grip on the handrails.

"Catra!"

"I'm fine," she replied, pulling herself up. "But Hordak must have blown up the stairs."

"We aren't too high up any more," Adora said. "We can make the jump."

"And what if that's a trap?" Seacat told her. That would be like the Horde scum!

"Let's check!" Adora raised her sword and pointed it at the platform below them. A beam shot out of it and hit the concrete.

And the whole flight blew up. Seacat dived to the floor, then was almost crushed as Adora threw herself on top of her. Smoke filled the staircase when they got up.

"How did he have time to place a trap?" Adora asked.

"Probably already in place," Seacat replied. She looked at the platform, but smoke blocked her view. "We'll have to jump blindly," she said. "Or…" She eyed the walls of the staircase, covered with dents and cracks from the bomb. "Yes." She moved over the broken remains of the stairs to the wall, then drove her claws into it. "I'll climb down and you follow me once I clear the way."

"Wait!"

Seacat wasn't waiting. And she wasn't going to let Adora sacrifice herself.

She held her breath as long as she managed as she made her way through the smoke, driving her claws into the wall to keep from falling down.

Twice her foot, trying to touch the floor, only hit air before she finally reached the remains of the platform. Yes!

"I'm down!" she yelled as she went prone. "But half the platform is gone. You'll have to jump all the way to the back!"

"Coming!"

A moment later, a white blur parted the smoke, and Seact dived to the side as Adora shot across the concrete and smashed into the door at the back.

"Ow!"

"Oh for…" Seacat rushed to her lover's side.

"You told me to jump all the way! And I'm fine!"

Seacat suppressed the curses she wanted to spit and nodded. Curtly. "Let's open the door."

A slash from Adora's magic blade later, the door fell open, cut in two.

And the two stared at the main floor of the airship yard. And at the burning ship. Smoke billowed up from the hull as a few dozen Horde soldiers were trying to fight the flames with what looked like water pumps.

"Where's Glimmer? And the others?" Adora yelled over the roar of the flames and the yelling from the soldiers.

"Must be at the other end," Seacat yelled back. The end hidden in more smoke and fire. And where was Hordak? And Shadow Weaver?

As if someone had read her mind, a whole section of the wall to their left blew apart. Through the thin smoke there, Seacat could see lightning arc through the air. "Shadow Weaver!" she spat. And she would be fighting Hordak, based on that blast.

But their friends… She glanced at Adora.

Her lover looked grim. "That's Hordak."

Seacat nodded. The main objective of the entire mission.

"We have to kill him," Adora went on.

"And the traitor." Seacat nodded again.

Even though she felt like a traitor herself for abandoning her friends.

But they had to end this war. And that meant dealing with Hordak. And Shadow Weaver.

Before everything went up in flames.

Seacat moved forward to the gap in the wall. The smoke wasn't as thick there as it had seemed, and she could make out two figures inside, but they were moving rapidly. She heard more lightning crackle in the middle of it.

Another blast hit the wall next to her, and she ducked as cracks appeared in it.

"Watch out!" Adora snapped, hefting her sword. "I'm going in."

Before Seacat could protest, Adora had jumped through the breach and into the smoke.

Cursing under her breath, Seacat followed her lover.

She bent over as she entered the smoke cloud herself - the air should be better at the bottom. The room, as far as she could tell, was much larger than she had expected. Not as large as the actual slip, but it was close to a warehouse's size. And filled with a lot of machinery and what looked like crystals and… water tanks? Some liquid, at least. Not quite a labyrinth, but they looked sturdy enough to block quite a few shots from Hordak.

Before she realised it, she had left the smoke cloud and found herself next to Adora, staring at a floating black rock or crystal bigger than herself. Dozens of cables and lines connected it to huge fuel crystals and other devices nearby. And it was surrounded by lightning - countless sparks lit up around it.

"That… that's the Black Garnet!" Adora stated the obvious.

"It's certainly not the white diamond," Seacat replied. "But where are…?"

One of the crystals blew apart in a shower of sparks and shards, and Seacat ducked behind the closest device to avoid getting clipped by splinters. Another blast followed as she peered around its corner, revealing Hordak's position. The Horde leader was running past two broken furnaces or something, firing his arm cannon at…

...a floating, lightning-hurling Shadow Weaver.

As Seacat watched, Hordak fired at the witch, but the blast was stopped by a huge spark.

"I've reconnected to the garnet. Your toys cannot hurt me any more!" the witch gloated, striking back with two lightning bolts.

But as before, they washed over Hordak without doing much. "All that power, and you are throwing useless lightning? That is why you will fail!"

"You cannot stop me!"

But they could. Probably. Though Hordak was first. Probably.

Adora wasn't showing any doubts or hesitation - she was charging at the Horde leader, sword held high.

The scumbag noticed her before she reached him, though, and a blast from his cannon flew towards her. She swatted it away with her sword and pressed the attack. "You won't hurt anyone any more!" she yelled, swinging her blade.

Hordak dived to the side, but the sword cut into his shoulder, causing him to cry out as he tumbled to the ground. Adora whirled to strike at him again, but lightning hit Hordak - or, rather, his armour - and Adora had to retreat.

"Stop hitting him with lightning!" Seacat yelled. Couldn't Shadow Weaver see that it wasn't doing anything?

Then the floating, sparkling witch turned into her direction, and Seacat felt a cold shudder run down her spine.

There were sparks crackling behind Shadow Weaver's mask. What had the witch done? Reconnected to the garnet? Was she tapping into Etheria's magic or something?

"You!" Shadow Weaver spat out the word, showing more emotions than she'd ever displayed before, as far as Catra remembered.

"Yes, me! Don't get into Adora's way!" Seacat spat as she moved to flank the Horde leader - who was quickly retreating behind the closest piece of machinery.

Adora charged straight at him, though, cutting the machine apart with one blow. But as the pieces fell to the side, Hordak fired through the gap. Seacat gasped when Adora barely managed to deflect the blast into one of the fuel crystals.

And more lightning arced towards Hordak, only to slide off his armour and hit the broken machine next to him.

"Are you deaf? Leave him to us if you can't cast anything but lightning!" Seacat yelled, then had to dive behind a console or something as Hordak took a shot at her.

"You've failed!"

Seacat peered around the corner - and stared straight at Hordak's cannon. She threw herself back, but a moment later, the entire corner was blown up, and several pieces hit her. She rolled with the blast, over her shoulder, and… cried at the pain that caused. Panting, she tore the splinter from her upper arm and clenched her teeth.

Adora charged at the Horde leader again, but he disappeared in the smoke cloud between two crystals before she reached him.

"Incompetence! I was a fool to trust you!" the witch ranted.

More lightning filled the smoke cloud, and Seacat, holding one hand against her bleeding arm, fell back from it.

"Shadow Weaver!" Adora yelled. "Stop throwing lightning around. It doesn't hurt Hordak! But it hinders us!"

The witch laughed in return. More and more sparks were surrounding her, Seacat noticed. It looked as if she was wrapped in lightning. What had happened? Something was very, very wrong.

A fuel crystal suddenly detonated nearby, and Seacat threw herself to the ground as more splinters filled the air.

She was lucky this time and quickly got up again. "Adora!"

But her lover had already entered the smoke, looking for Hordak. And Shadow Weaver…

The witch was floating above them all, lightning gathering in her outstretched hand. Seacat glanced at the Black Garnet. It was crackling with lightning as well. Shadow Weaver definitely was connected to it.

But she wasn't handling it very well. As Seacat watched, the witch threw the ball of lightning at a corner of the room, blasting the smoke there. Two machines were revealed a moment before they exploded, but neither Hordak nor Adora was there.

A blast slid off the bubble of lightning that surrounded Shadow Weaver, exploding against the wall. Another followed as the witch turned. "You cannot hurt me!"

But neither could she hurt the Horde leader. Not when his armour protected him against lightning. So, why were those two still fighting each other? Seacat bandaged her arm before she lost more blood and ducked behind a broken crystal.

It made no sense. Shadow Weaver was obviously affected by the garnet and not thinking clearly any more. But Hordak… why wasn't he running? He had run from his office, hadn't he? This was… He must have a plan. A plan for which he needed something in this room, or he would've left already.

That meant the garnet. And something else. Something that the Horde leader thought offered him better chances than simply running and rallying his troops.

She slowly rose and peered around. The smoke made it harder to see much, but she was close to the centre of the room, where the garnet rested in its cradle made of lines and…

Seacat followed the lines. Most led to fuel crystals arranged around the runestone. Most. But one led to a particular… thingie… in the back. Where Shadow Weaver was floating. Six red crystals, arranged in a circle, set in a metal plate and topped with a metal grid.

If only Entrapta were here!

More blasts tore through the room, one blowing up a machine and another shattering wreckage. But the machines near the red circle were all undamaged. Hordak was shooting at Shadow Weaver in the air but didn't fire at the ground there?

Whatever the thing was, it must be the key to his plans! Now how to wreck it and his plans?

She caught a glimpse of Adora jumping in the smoke, swinging her sword, and gasped. She wanted to help her lover. Adora couldn't keep this up forever. Not with Shadow Weaver throwing lighting around like that and Hordak blasting away.

So, Hordak or his machine?

Seacat clenched her teeth. Hordak needed to die. But Adora was on that. She had to trust her. And this whole Black Garnet thing made her fur rise - and not from the electricity.

She glanced around, ducking her head when another blast tore through the smoke and hit the closest machine - but came not even close to the garnet, or the other corner. That did it.

She got up, ignored the pain in her arm and dashed towards the biggest machine between her and the garnet. That would block a blast or three.

No blast hit her - though she heard two strike the walls or ceiling - until she reached the machine. And then it was only a short dash to the Black Garnet itself. Relatively short. She bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and ran as fast as she could across the open space.

She reached the huge runestone, sliding to a stop at its base, and smiled - she'd made it. Now she just had to check that thick powerline…

"Get away from there!"

And dodge Shadow Weaver. Damn.

Before Seacat could say anything, the witch went on. "Go kill Hordak! Don't hide here, you coward!"

She hissed under her breath. Coward? She had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out at the witch. Who, she noticed, was now covered with sparks racing up and down her body. And her eyes… all Seacat could see behind the mask was a shining, glaring light.

"Get away!" the witch shrieked. "I know what you're planning!"

Then she raised her arm towards Seacat.

Seacat jumped up and threw herself behind the closest machine a moment before lightning struck the base of the garnet.

"IT'S MINE!"

Another lighting ball flew at her, but Seacat was already running. The ball slammed into the machine next to her. She kept running. More lighting rained down on her, shattering fuel crystals and devices. She turned, circling the garnet. If the witch was so bent on killing her… She slid under the large powerline, jumped up and…

...screamed with pain when every part of her body felt as if it was on fire, and she couldn't move at all.

When she could move again, she was on the ground, bleeding. And still screaming. Everything hurt.

She tried to get up, but her legs didn't work - she fell down again. Spitting blood - she'd bitten her lips and tongue - she dug her claws into the pedestal of the Black Garnet and pulled herself up on shaking legs. Shadow Weaver. The witch had tried to kill her again.

Seacat managed to turn her head and saw the witch floating towards her, hands extended, holding glowing balls of lightning. And Seacat was too weak to run. Adora…

No. Adora was fighting Hordak. Seacat drew a shuddering breath, which hurt even more, and looked around. No cover nearby. Only a few power lines stuck to the garnet. Which wouldn't stop the lightning.

She blinked. Oh. Then she hissed and unsheathed her claws, turning to the largest powerline. She slid her claws beneath and through the ropes tying the line to the stone. They snapped at once, and the line started to slide off. As did other, smaller ones.

Seacat ignored them and grabbed the big line, then swung it around as hard as she could manage, towards the floating witch. Shadow Weaver launched the lightning at her, but hit the line first - and the lightning raced along the line. Away from Seacat. Into the crystal circle.

A moment later, it blew up. Seacat dropped to the floor as splinters cut through the air. She heard someone - Shadow Weaver - cry out and grinned despite the pain. Then she started to get up. She still had to…

"You! This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Seacat raised her head. The witch was floating above her. Screeching Covered in sparks, shining so brightly, Seacat had to squint to be able to see anything.

So this was it. Nowhere to run. No way to hide. No powerline left.

She hissed at the witch as Shadow Weaver raised her arms, sparks forming an arc between her hands.

"DIE!"

Seacat closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. She would…

Screaming. Seacat opened her eyes. Shadow Weaver was screaming. Flailing. Sparks flew from her to the closest crystals and machinery. But she was glowing. Brighter and brighter. And the arc between her hands… was now between her hands and the top of the Black Garnet. And shining bright enough to hurt. So much power…

Oh. Seacat started to run. To limp away. Towards the big machine. She didn't know what exactly was happening, but it wouldn't be good. Shadow Weaver had tied herself to the runestone, and without the lines, the crystals and machines weren't absorbing power any more.

And Shadow Weaver couldn't handle it. If she had ever been able to.

Seacat stumbled behind the machine as Shadow Weaver's screams grew hoarse and the blinding light grew even stronger.

Then everything went white. Seacat bent down, covered her head with her arms, and squeezed her eyes shut.

A crack, louder than a bomb, followed. Her ears were ringing. Hurting. She rolled on her back and squinted. The crystals nearby had shattered. The machine she was next to was smoking. As were others she could see. And Shadow Weaver…

She didn't see the witch. Not in the air. Not on the ground. No.

There was something. Something that looked…

Seacat coughed, blood drops splattering the ground, and forced herself to get on her knees, then started to crawl towards the… towards the…

It was the witch's mask. Cracked, but clearly hers. And blackened on the inside. Covered with burned… Seacat felt like retching. The stench of burned flesh filled her nose. She shook her head, then looked around. There was something burning on the ground, near the runestone. Blackening robes covering…

Ah.

Her lips twisted into a smile. "Failed to kill me again, huh?" She coughed and spat out a bit more blood - her tongue hurt - before looking around. The smoke was worse, now. And where was Adora? She couldn't hear any blasts any more, but her ears were ringing anyway.

"A...Adora?" she croaked more than she yelled.

"Adora!"

Her throat hurt, and she coughed again.

"ADORA!"

Steps. Something. Someone. Someone was walking towards her, out of the thick smoke cloud hiding half the room.

Seacat started to smile. Then she recognised the figure.

Hordak.

He was hurt and bleeding - his left arm was hanging at his side, swinging back and forth with each step. He was hunched over, blood running down his battered armour from several cuts. But he still had his cannon mounted on his bracer. And he was walking. Towards Seacat.

She couldn't run. Her legs were still not working properly. But she wouldn't die like this. She started to force herself up. Both hands on the ground, she pulled her shaking knees underneath her. Panting, she tried to lift one leg, put one foot on the floor, but failed. No. She hissed - not on her knees. Not like this.

And there was Hordak. Five yards away. Staring at her.

No, she realised. Staring at the runestone. At the Black Garnet.

He wheezed, and she saw his bloodied head slowly turn. Towards the remains of the red crystals. "No…" he whispered, so low, she almost missed it with her ringing ears and the sounds of fire and breaking machinery. And screams in the distance.

"No," he said again. Then he sobbed, shaking his head. "No."

Seacat stared at him. What was wrong with him?

"No." Hordak kept shaking his head, his whole body shuddering.

Then he slowly sank to his knees, both arms hanging at his sides, the muzzle of the cannon striking the floor with a metallic sound.

And he started to laugh.

He craned his neck, lifting his face towards the ceiling.

Laughing like a madman.

Seacat blinked. He was bleeding - he was kneeling in a growing pool of his blood. And he was laughing.

He must have gone mad, she realised.

And he kept laughing, his chest shaking, until a cough interrupted him.

"All for nothing," he mumbled. "All for nothing."

A few chuckles followed.

Then a sob. And another.

"Brother…" he whispered, tears and blood running down his face as he cried.

Until he took a shuddering, wheezing breath and stopped.

Seacat waited a few seconds. If this was… But he wasn't moving. Not at all. She couldn't see his chest moving, not with the broken chestplate covering him, but she couldn't hear him breathing either.

Slowly, she leaned forward, crawling towards the Horde leader on hand and knees. He didn't move. She reached him, crawling through his blood until she could touch him. Check his throat for a pulse.

And saw his back, which had been torn open from shoulder to hip, covered in blood.

He was dead. Only his armour was holding him up.

Adora had killed him.

But Seacat's smile vanished. Adora! She was… No!

She crawled towards the smoke cloud, following the blood trail Hordak had left. Halfway to the cloud, she had to sop, coughing and gasping for air - the smoke was getting worse, even when crawling.

Not that she could run, anyway. Or walk.

But she had to get to Adora. Save her friend. No matter what.

She pushed on, putting one hand before the other, breathing hot air and smoke. There was the smoke cloud - moving towards her. She couldn't see anything in it. Couldn't hear much, not with her ringing ears and the fire roaring in the main hall.

But she could see the blood on the ground and followed it. Adora would have landed the lethal blow. She had to… she couldn't…

Seacat sobbed, felt tears run down her cheeks. She didn't care. Didn't stop to wipe her eyes. She kept crawling forward, towards Adora.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the remains of a crystal. Broken. Covered in blood. But where was…

She looked around. "Adora!"

Her voice cracked, wheezed. All the smoke… "Adora!"

She took a deep breath, felt her lungs hurt. Coughed. "ADORAAAAA!"

Shuddering, she fell forward, catching herself with her hands on the floor.

"Adora…"

"..."

She blinked. "Adora?" She had heard something! She turned her head, ears twitching.

"..."

To her left. She crawled, uncaring about the crystal shards that cut into her palms and knees. After several yards, she saw a figure in the smoke. Adora!

She forced herself on, as fast as she could. "Adora!"

A weak groan was her answer.

Then she saw her friend. Her lover. Her Adora. On the ground. In front of a crumpled machine. But she was breathing. Moving, or trying to.

"Ca-catra?" She was lifting her head.

"Adora!"

She reached her, bloodied hands grabbing Adora's shoulders, checking her back for wounds.

"Catra."

"Adora. Are you hurt?" A cough wracked her just after her stupid question.

"I'm…"

"Don't talk!" Seacat tried to turn her on her back, to check her front for wounds.

"Hordak…"

"He's dead. You killed him." She heaved, wincing at the pain this caused, but Adora turned on her back.

"Oof."

She had been hit in the chest - there was a huge scorched stain. The magic armour must have protected her, but if she had internal wounds… "Where's your sword?" She could heal herself with it, couldn't she? Seacat couldn't remember.

"Thataway."

Adora's right arm rose then flopped to her side, pointing towards the right.

"I'll be right back," Seacat whispered, then crawled off.

"Catra…"

She bit her lips until they bled. Adora needed her sword. But where was it? Where was the stupid sword?

There! Stuck in a crystal! She reached it, but it was stuck. Seacat snarled and put her bleeding, hurting feet against the crystal, then pulled, yelling with pain and need.

The sword slid out, the crystal crumbled, and Seacat fell to the ground. She ignored the pain, rolled on her stomach and grabbed the sword. And started to crawl back to Adora. Who needed her magic sword.

It took her longer than she thought. "Adora?"

"Ca-Catra?"

"Your sword!" She pulled it forward, then pushed the hilt into Adora's hand. "Your sword."

"Good…"

"Now heal yourself!"

Adora laughed, ending in a cough. But she raised her sword - and, still lying on the ground, pointed it at Seacat.

"NO!"

But it was too late - the magic energy hit her. And Adora collapsed.

"ADORA!" She rushed forward. The stupid idiot was smiling. She shook her, but Adora didn't react.

She put her head on her chest, then sighed when she heard her breathing. Still alive.

"You idiot!" she spat, shaking her head and sending tears flying. "You should've healed yourself!"

Wiping her eyes, she forced herself to stop shaking. She had to get Adora out of the building. Yard. Whatever.

Groaning, she knelt, then grabbed Adora's arm and shoulder, draping it over her own shoulders. She picked up her sword with her free hand, then strained and stood. On shaking legs, but she stood. Adora was heavy as She-Ra. But Seacat would die before dropping her.

They had to get out. Through the smoke. In… that direction.

She started walking, putting one foot before the other, trying to breathe shallowly as she stumbled through the smoke.

And tried not to remember how Hordak had stumbled.

But she managed to leave the smoke cloud and reorient herself. There, behind this smoke, was the entrance. Exit. Whatever.

She walked on, dragging Adora along. "Stupid fool," she muttered. "Should've healed yourself."

"Never," she heard a whisper next to her ear.

"Adora!"

A faint chuckle followed, but no answer.

"Adora!" She turned her head, but her lover's eyes were closed, and she was hanging limp on her.

But she was still breathing - Seacat could feel her.

And there was the entrance - the breach in the wall. Seacat managed to climb the broken bits of the wall cluttering the area before the breach proper and then slid down the other side, with Adora in her lap.

But the yard… The airship was burning from bow to stern. And so were most of the cranes and other machines. And the pits below, where the workers had been installing the lower rows of guns, were filled with flames. No wonder smoke was everywhere.

She couldn't see any Horde soldiers fighting the fires any more. And the exit was on the other side of the hall. With flames in the way…

No matter. Adora needed her. Needed her to save her. Even if she had to walk through fire.

She clenched her teeth and walked on. Would there be just the one exit? That would be safer to keep spies out, but… would Hordak have built this without at least another exit? For emergencies?

She stopped. He wouldn't. He had been far too paranoid for that. There had to be another exit. And near his office. But she hadn't seen any sign of it.

Walk through the fire in the hope that she could survive to reach the stairs with Adora or abandon that and bet on finding the second exit before the smoke and heat killed them?

She took a look at the burning airship. She couldn't see through the flames, nor through the smoke, and the stairs on the other side would be full of smoke.

Seacat turned and started walking towards the stairs leading to Hordak's office. The second exit would be there, somewhere. She just had to find it.

She turned around a broken counterweight from a burning crane, ignored the limbs sticking out from underneath the stones, and dragged Adora on, towards the door she could see there. Just a little more…

"Come on! We're almost out… well, almost… don't give up! Come on! Don't die on me!"

Seacat froze. She knew that voice. That was…

Before she could react, a huge figure walked out of the smoke to her right. "See? There's the bow, and…"

The Horde princess froze as soon as she noticed Seacat. She was carrying two Horde soldiers under her arms, Seacat saw. A third was dangling from her stinger. All of them were unconscious. And her uniform was scorched.

They stared at each other for several seconds without doing anything. Seacat could take the princess. Probably. If the magic sword could cut through the bug armour, definitely. But she couldn't take her and protect Adora at the same time. And she probably couldn't take her quickly enough to escape.

Seacat scoffed and motioned to the door with her head. "Looking for the second exit?"

The princess blinked. "Second exit?"

Seacat suppressed a groan. Horde soldiers! "Hordak wouldn't have had an office here if he didn't have a second way to come and go."

"Oh, right!" The princess smiled for a moment. "That would explain how he kept surprising us with his inspections!" Then she frowned at her.

Seacat's opinion of the princess's brain took another dive. "Let's get out of here before we suffocate or burn."

"You set fire to the yard!" She took a step towards Seacat, raising her pincers, then had to quickly grab her unconscious charges again before they fell to the ground.

She was technically correct. But Seacat didn't think admitting that would be smart. "The fire broke out when the plants overheated."

"You were spying on us! Attacking us!"

"Shadow Weaver betrayed Hordak," Seacat retorted. "They fought each other over the runestone. Both are dead - the witch was killed by the stone."

The princess gaped at her. "Hordak is dead? Shadow Weaver is dead as well?"

"And we'll die here if we don't get out at once," Seacat told her. "So, you want to save your friends?"

The princess blinked. For a moment, Seacat wasn't sure if the Horde scum would see reason. But then the huge woman slumped. "With both dead…" She shook her head.

"Come!" Seacat snapped. "We need to find the exit!" She turned and walked towards the door.

"I thought you knew where it was!"

Seacat glanced over her shoulder. "I know where it should be. That'll be enough to find it."

"And where is it?"

"Near Hordak's office."

"That makes sense."

Of course it did!

Seacat kicked the door's remains away and entered the smaller room behind it.

The princess followed her. "So, where… Oh, no!"

She was staring at the remains of the stairs ahead of them.

Seacat clenched her teeth. This would complicate things a little.