CHAPTER ONE:

ENTER: CATRA WILLIAMS!

0

"Hey, wait for me!"

Catra loves running for one simple reason: when she's running, she doesn't have the energy to think. When she's still, especially in bed late at night, all these thoughts pile up too quickly for her to sort out. She wants to push her legs even harder against the wind but Adora's dramatic heaving is ruining her flow so Catra skids to a stop near the low brick ridge surrounding the old lake at Horde public park. She leans against the stone, arms crossed, as she accesses Adora; hunched over, clutching her knees, as she tries to catch her breath.

"I didn't tell you to follow me."

"…I know," Adora says between heavy breathes, "I wanted to…we're friends—"

Catra scoffs. "I'm not gonna be here long, ya know. My mom is getting me out of here." She turns her back to the annoying blonde so she can look at the baby geese as they follow behind their mother in a sloppy line.

Catra was five when she was taken from her mother, Erma, and placed into Weaver's foster home. While she doesn't know the specifics of why they took her away (even now, at 12, the details are enclosed in a private file) she knows one day her mother will come back for her. It's always been the two of them. Her mother told her that her father died in a car crash long ago—and since then things had been rough. Catra has choppy memories of the revolving door that was her mother's home but not much else.

"Huh?" Catra blinks when the blonde plops down beside her.

Adora doesn't look upset when she realizes Catra hadn't been listening. Adora just smiles. "I said, we can be friends until she gets you. And after that too."

She doesn't get Adora at all but for some reason they click. While the other kids in their home are too afraid of Weaver's wrath to join in on some of her classic pranks, Adora is always up for the challenge. She's her right hand. Best friend. They look out for each other in that cruel place they're forced to call home.

"Duh," Catra says after a moment, "friendship is forever."

Adora's smile burns her eyes.

"Too bright." Catra covers her face.

"Shut up." Adora laughs at her antics—always finding them amusing even when everyone else stares at her in disdain. "Come on, let's race again. This time I'll beat you!"

Catra is known for cheating at almost all of the games they play but running isn't one of them.

"As if!" Catra counts them off and soon they're running with sloppy form around the length of the park. When Catra wins the race, followed by three more (Adora demands the rematches with choppy breaths), they collapse on their backs under the shade of a towering tree. Catra's squinting her eyes at the light that escapes from the canopy when Adora says—

"You're good at that."

Catra snorts. "I'm good at lots of things…but, which thing are you talking about?"

"Running."

"Oh."

Adora sits up and smiles down at her with those vibrant blues. "And you look really happy when you do it."

Catra looks away and shrugs. "The wind feels nice on my fur."

"We should run together more."

"Oh, so you like losing that much."

Adora doesn't take the bait this time. "Come on. I have fifty cents, and I know you took a quarter from Kyle's swear jar. We have enough for one of those big icy's."

Catra takes the offered hand. "Fine. But I want the blue one this time."

Adora makes a face. "Gross, no, I want the red one."

"Tough, it's my quarter."

They bicker about what flavor to get on their way to the corner store. In the end they compromise and go for the green one. The store clerk grabs a knife from the back and cuts the icy down the middle per their usual routine.

1

When Catra turns thirteen everything goes to shit. To be more exact, things really take a turn when her best friend, Adora, moves out of their foster house to live with some weird (but sweet) elderly woman named Razz who talks nonstop about baking pies for this Mara chick. And sure, Catra should be happy about the prospect of someone getting out of this shit hole, making a better life for themselves, but part of her feels like Adora's leaving her behind.

"Catra…"

"It's fine Adora, you're finally getting out of here. That's great for you. Don't worry about me."

Adora frowns. "I'm your best friend. It's my job to worry."

"Well worry about yourself more…my mom won't let me stay in this place. She said she's getting better. For me."

Catra's mom had been in town this past couple of months. They keep in touch by phone, and a couple lunch meetings, but this time things were different. Her mother never stayed in town this long. It was a sign that she was taking the steps to getting better so they could build their family again. Her mother is her family, not Adora, or Lonnie, Kyle, any of them. Catra just needs to wait until her mother works everything out and then she can get out.

"I know." Adora's face turns cold and it looks like she wants to say more about the subject but she settles on, "I have to go now. Razz just texted and said the car is ready, plus, I'm worried Weaver might tie me up and lock me in the basement while she still has the chance."

Weaver has this weird obsession with Adora that no one seems to understand.

"Yeah, she's a nutcase."

Adora hugs her one last time. "I'll call you when I get there. We can hang out on the weekends—"

"Adora, you only live twenty minutes away. I'll just see you at school tomorrow."

Adora says her goodbye's to the rest of the house while Catra hangs out in their room to watch from the window. When there are no more tears to spare Adora gets in the backseat and waves goodbye until the car is a spot in the distance. Catra doesn't think too much about the lingering look Adora had on her old bedroom window.

Catra shuts the blinds when it's all said and done. She sinks to the ground and when she rubs at her itchy eyes her hand comes back wet. She tucks her chin into her knees and sits there for a long time not knowing what else to do.

2

She and Adora manage to keep in touch for the last few months of middle school and their summer leading into high school. Things change one day in July. It's one of the cooler days of the summer and they're sitting outside Razz's backyard (Adora is still weird about calling it her home too) eating some leftover apple pie when Adora brings it up.

"What?"

Adora plays with her hands. "I uhm, Razz thinks it would be better if I went to Bright Moon Academy—"

Catra snorts. "No way. That preppy rich kid school?"

"It's a normal high school, just private. The college acceptance rate is way higher than the Horde's…but I'd have to wear a dumb uniform."

"Isn't it like super expensive?"

"…don't freak out."

Catra takes a step back and prepares for the worst. "Okay."

"I'm kind of, magic?"

Catra blinks. "Magic."

"It's why Razz took me in. She knew my mother, Mara, and she said her power was passed on through me. There's a sword with a weird activation code and everything, I haven't gotten it to work but Razz sees something in me…and even if it's not true, the DNA test came back positive. I'm Mara's daughter. So technically the school has to let me in."

"You're a witch?"

Adora shakes her head. "No! This isn't Harry Potter, Catra, this is serious."

"Serious—you're talking about magic swords!"

"I know how it sounds, I was freaked out too, but there is magic all around us. Bright Moon Academy, or BMA for short, would let me learn about this part of myself that's been kept hidden. I can't give that up."

Catra nods because she knows what it's like to hold onto the last ties of family. "If that's what you want."

"I have to do this. Razz is counting on me."

They don't talk about how they'll be going to separate schools even on the last day of summer when they're riding their bikes down to the water front to catch the fireworks. But they do make the most of their summer. Catra lets Lonnie and the others follow her to Adora's house a couple times because she knows she isn't the only one who missed the golden girl. It isn't the same when there are others tagging along with them but it's worth seeing Adora smile as she catches up with everyone.

The fireworks reflecting in Adora's eyes is the last fond memory they share before high school tears them apart.

3

Catra gets into abstract art during freshmen year. Her art teacher takes notice of her potential and gives her a sketch book with some markers so she can go crazy but Catra has always been one to step outside of the box. She finds it more comforting to make bizarre designs on the edges of her desk in the back of class during English. A couple kids even ask her to do something cool on their arms and legs when they get a peek at her skill. Drawing calms her in a way running does but in more of an abundance; with running there is always a limit, her body can't run forever but with art there is only the stiffening of her hand that she easily pushes through.

Her English professor gives her detention when he finds out what she's been doing to the desks. Catra makes a habit of drawing on more stuff around the school if it means getting detention (this way she doesn't have to spend more time at that house with Weaver and her strict rules and harsh punishment). But when she gets a warning of getting suspended from school for a couple days she cools down. Instead, Catra gets some bottles of spray paint from some upperclassmen selling them for cheap and heads out into the night in a black hood.

She tags a handful of abandoned brick walls, run down trains, and water towers before she gets caught. It's the summer after freshmen year sometime after the sunset and Catra's got a mini flashlight hanging from her mouth while her free hands sketch out her pain with paint. She'd spent weeks eyeing this old wooden shack on the other side of town (a nicer neighborhood just over the bridge) when she decided it too was abandoned and in need of some love.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Her art is finished for the most part so Catra shoves the cans in the pouch around her waist and runs like hell. The footsteps behind her are no match for her natural ability and soon she's out of the woods booking it to her bike parked somewhere behind some bushes.

She gets back to Weaver's house a little past midnight (it's no joke riding her bike up that bridge connecting the towns). By the time she drops the bike in the grass her quads are screaming and her breathing is rushed but she's never felt so alive.

4

The adrenaline of that night comes to a crash when Weaver literally pulls her by the ear and into the living room to meet some guy who's wearing the dorkiest khakis she's ever seen. "You sit down and apologize for your insolence."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Don't lie to me. I see right through your bullshit. I told you to stop fooling around with this art nonsense and here you go defacing his—"

"Ah, please, she didn't do anything wrong," the man argues with a kind voice.

"She didn't?"

"I didn't?"

The man holds out his hand. "I'm Micah, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Okay." Catra takes his hand, surprised by how warm it is. "…I'm not in trouble?"

Micah glances at her foster mother briefly. "Could we step outside and talk?"

Catra shrugs and leads him to the steps out front where Weaver can't eavesdrop. Catra plops down on the steps while Micah pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket. He dutifully stretches out the black fabric before sitting on it.

"You carry that with you?" Catra can't stop her bubbling laugh.

Micah doesn't seem to mind. "My daughter finds it funny as well."

Catra leans back. "So, you've already got a kid, what're you doing here? And what do you want with me?"

"You spray painted my daughters old club house last night. Catra right?"

"…I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? It's a shame, the art work was pretty good."

"How'd you know it was me?"

"You tagged your name." Micah adds, "but I also used a locator spell to find you with some hair you left behind."

Catra moves away from him just an inch. "A spell?"

"Let me explain, please. I work at Bright Moon Academy and my wife is the headmistress. The academy is for talented students who have magical backgrounds but it is not limited. I would like to offer you a spot at the academy."

Catra gapes. "You want me at your dumb school? Why?"

Micah's eyes suddenly spark. "I want you to join the track team!"

Catra laughs so hard she almost falls over. "What?"

"I'm the head coach for the women's team and last night, even in the dark, you were able to outrun me easily."

"Well, you're kind of old…"

"You have pure skill and I believe with the proper mechanics you can bring our team to victory at championships this indoor and outdoor season. Our summer training starts next month so you can easily catch up with the team."

Catra looks away. "Like I could ever afford to drop everything and go to BMA."

"We'd offer you a full athletic scholarship."

"…what's the catch?"

Micah's smile is honest. "You would live with my family. We have enough guests rooms to go around. BMA is farther from here so there wouldn't be a direct bus route so things would be easier if you came with us."

Catra backs away. "Why…why would you do that for me? You don't even know me."

"You have talent and I don't want to see you waste it. We've done this with a few other athletes in the past so I can assure you it can work."

"My mom is still in town," Catra says "she's getting her life together so she can come back for me. How can she do that if I'm not here?"

Micah stands up but not without giving her his card. "We won't stop you from contacting your mother, Catra. But we do want to get you out of this environment so you can use your skills properly. Give me a call when you come to a decision."

Catra watches him refold his handkerchief before he walks back to his black Range Rover parked a couple cars down from the house. Long after Micah drives away Catra sits on the step playing with the business card.

5

A few days after meeting Micah, Catra spots her mother hanging out under the bridge where she's got some bottle of spray paint ready to vent. The design she'd been working on in her head vanishes as she runs up to her clone.

"Mom? What're you doing out here?"

Erma looks frazzled when she's pulled from the hug. "Catra, hey what's up?"

"I'm hanging in there, you know me." Catra wants to spout off about her new love for art but there are a couple sketchy guys standing around them so she losses her cool. When one of them looks her way she clears her throat and turns back to her mom. "You didn't tell me you were in town."

"Sorry baby girl, I've been working hard…so we can be together. I just need some more cash."

Catra frowns. "Money doesn't matter to me. You have a place, why can't I just stay with you. I hate it there, Weaver has it out for me I swear."

"You think it's easy? I'm working my ass off trying to make sure you have everything!" Erma snaps suddenly.

"No, mom—"

"Kids, you all think everything comes so easily."

"That's not it mom, I want to help you—"

Erma stands and suddenly she's face to face with Catra. They're almost the same height, they even have the same eyes but Erma's have grown dull over the years and Catra's seem not too far behind. "Then help me so we can be together."

Catra swallows the trepidation and nods. "Anything you need, mom."

Erma's grin is fanged and ragged. "That's my girl."

Erma snaps her finger and one of the sketchy guys comes over and hands her a small clear pouch with multicolored pills inside. Erma hands them to Catra.

"…what am I supposed to do with these?"

"Sell them."

"What? But I've never—"

One of the men say "it'll be easy, preppy rich kids eat those things up. And you can easily sell it for a higher price and they'd never know the difference."

Catra leaves on her bike with the contents in her pockets weighing her down.

6

Catra leaves Waver's foster care a few days after she sends Micah the okay text. It's less theatrical than Adora's dismissal all those years ago. Kyle is the only one who cries (even though she made his life hell with all the pranks) and Lonnie surprisingly gives her a hug with wishes of good luck.

"What happens now?" Catra asks when she's done packing her last suitcase in the trunk of the Range.

Micah shrugs. "I could go for some waffles."

Catra snickers. "Not what I meant and you know it…does your wife know you're doing this?"

Micah looks affronted as he drives off. "You think I'd surprise her with something like this?"

"You surprised me with that handkerchief."

"Angella knows, so does Glimmer, my daughter, and they're ready to meet you. The court will let you stay with us and pop in randomly to monitor you so they can see we're fit to keep you with us."

They don't talk much on the drive there with the radio playing popular songs of the summer. Catra sleeps for most of the ride but as they pull up to a house—mansion her eyes almost fall out. She sits up and gawks at everything from the gardeners clipping the bushes lining the long driveway, to the cars parked out around the narrow path leading up to the front of the house, and everything else.

"You live here? On a coache's salary?"

Micah laughs. "That's just my side job, I'm actually a doctor at Bright Moon Hospital. I'm basically retired but I hate sitting still. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."

Despite how large the house is, Catra is quick to learn it's drastically quiet. She expected maids and butlers bussing around but there is nothing except a beautiful lanky woman (someone out of a model magazine) with long purple hair and a girl Catra's age who looks more like Micah aside from the hair color.

"Love." Micah greets the woman with a kiss.

"Darling…" the woman looks at her, "you must be Catra. It's nice to put a name to the face. I'm Angella."

Catra waves nervously. "Hey."

"And this is Glimmer, you two are in the same grade and will be going to BMA in September. It's only her second year there but she'll be sure to show you around. Glimmer, how about you show Catra to her room?"

Glimmer gestures for Catra to follow. They don't talk until they're up the stairs and a good distance away so their voices don't carry.

"This place is huge how do you live here?"

"You get used to it." Glimmer says. "But yeah, I guess it can be a bit—"

"Quiet."

"Yeah. But uhm, this is your room. Mine is right across the hall if you need anything."

Catra drops her pouch on the bed. A pack of pills slip out from the loose zipper and Catra tries to scoop them in before Glimmer sees but it's too late.

"I have trouble sleeping. Those help."

Glimmer crosses her arms. "Vandalizing property with spray paint, stashing what are likely illegal pills in your bag—"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do. I know your type, people from the Horde are nothing but trouble." Glimmer walks out. "Dinner's at five."

7

Catra doesn't see much of Glimmer for a few weeks after their bad first impressions (except for at dinner) but she isn't really fond of her either so she doesn't mind. Catra sleeps in until the afternoon, hanging out in the yard, getting familiar with the house, and arranging her room the way she pleases. She has trouble sleeping the first couple of weeks, not used to having her own room, so it messes with her sleeping pattern. Her routine continues like this until Micah wakes her up at 8am on Monday.

"Dude." Catra hisses when he pulls the blinds to let light in.

"No dude, as of today I am your coach. Today marks the first day of July aka preseason! From now on you will wake up at 8am, weekends excluded, to head out to the track for your workout. Three days of the week you will also incorporate your lifting and head to the weight room. Get dressed so we can go."

Catra gets to stay in this awesome place for free so she does as she's told for once. She gets in the car dressed in a mismatching sweat suit and her old trainers.

"Sweatshirt in July," Micah nods "I like it. Athletes have to stay warm."

Catra yawns into her hand. "Is this gonna be a thing?"

"I take track seriously. You have skill but you need help with your mechanics. Do you know anything about track?"

"There's lots of running."

"Track and Field. There are throwing events and jumping too. We'll figure out where you fit best."

The workout is 6x300m sprints at 50% just to so he can see where her endurance is. Catra finishes them without a problem, her times could've been lower but she wanted to pace herself. When she's done Micah leads her into a cool down with some stretching drills. He talks about other events and lets her pick which ones she'd be into. Catra's not used to being given a choice so she says—

"Can I try all of them and just go from there?"

Micah smiles.

8

"But mom!"

"Glimmer, no means no. Honestly, did you really think I would let you go to a party on the other side of town with people you don't even know?"

"Bow would be there—"

"Don't you dare drag that sweet boy into this! You're staying home and that's final."

Catra tries to pretend like she wasn't listening when Glimmer storms out of the kitchen and collapses onto the couch. Angella storms up the steps into her office to retire for the night (she must work a lot because Catra never sees her leave that office until late the next morning). Micah is out at the hospital on call so he isn't here to act as a buffer.

"Didn't know parties were your thing."

Glimmer looks up, unamused. "Oh, you're still here?"

"Just go to the dumb party."

"But my mom—"

"Is gonna be locked in there until tomorrow. And aren't you magic? You can just poof yourself out anytime you want."

"It's not that easy…I how low endurance and can only teleport a few times."

"Can you drive?"

Glimmer rolls her eyes. "I'm only fifteen so no—"

"I have a license."

"Bull shit."

Catra plucks it out her wallet with a smirk. "As soon as I turned fifteen I took the stupid written test and then six months later I got my license. I didn't have a car but it made me feel like I could go somewhere instead of being trapped there."

Glimmer hesitates. "My parents would flip if we took a car without asking."

"We? I'm not going."

"You have to! Obviously you have more experience with this than I do. Come on!"

Catra is sick of staring at the wall every night so she agrees. They sneak out the back and walk around to the front and take one of the cars Glimmer's parents are less likely to notice is missing. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Bow dropped his location. Here." Glimmer puts in the address and Catra blindly takes her directions. They pull up to a raging house party somewhere in the woods isolated from the major roads in less than half an hour. Catra spots a dark-skinned boy wearing a white crop top and blue jeans—she's not surprised to find out this is the Bow they're meeting up with.

"Your mom actually let you come?"

"No, we sort of sneaked out."

Bow looks impressed. "Seriously?"

"Catra's evil plan, not mine. This is Catra by the way, she's—staying with us so my dad can train her to run track for BMA this year."

Catra nods at him. "Hey."

Bow gets a gleam in his eyes. "Oh! This is so exciting! Your first bonding exercise with your new sister!"

Glimmer nudges him, whispering "she's not my sister."

Catra shoves past them. "Can we go in or what?"

Bow leads the way to the door with Glimmer in tow while Catra hangs out in the back. There's an older dude at the door who's giving them a hard time. "You two look like you're twelve—"

"I'm fifteen!" Glimmer shouts.

"What's going on?"

Catra recognizes the voice instantly. "DT?"

Double Trouble, DT for short, looks over their heads to see her. A smirk pulls on their lips, "long time no see Kitten. I thought you didn't live on this side of the tracks anymore?"

Catra rolls her eyes. "Can't take the Horde out of anybody, you know that. What do we have to do to get in?"

DT laughs, "sit down and tell me what you've been up to. Come on, let them in they're friends."

Catra leaves Glimmer with Bow because she's not the kid's babysitter but mostly because she wants to catch up with DT. They lead her into the kitchen where she's shocked to see Lonnie and Kyle leaning against the sink away from the action as usual.

Lonnie jokes "who let her in?"

"Very funny." Catra stands across from them, she can't stop smiling at how familiar everything feels; stuck in Glimmer's quiet house is so different than Weaver's loud one, buzzing with energy. "Why didn't you guys tell me there was a party?"

Lonnie shrugs. "Adora left and we've never heard from her except for those times during middle school. It's been a year and nothing, thought you'd be the same."

"I'm nothing like Adora."

Kyle breaks the tension. "We're about to play Kings, you in?"

"I drove here and I don't drink."

"Boo," DT pouts, "at least dance with me."

Catra's being dragged out before she can think.

9

The party takes a turn for the worst when someone finds DT on the floor upstairs in a pool of vomit. Catra is with Glimmer, about to tell her it's time to go, when Kyle cuts the music and screams for help. Bow's the one who calls the ambulance which comes with a couple cop cars and Catra knows she's done for. They haven't been drinking but because they're under age so the cops drive her and Glimmer home. Bow gets stuck at the house with DT since he was the one to make the call but the officers stick around while they get the rest of the kids home.

"Are you happy now?"

Catra frowns. "Excuse me?"

"I saw the pills in your room, Catra. How could you? I thought DT was your friend—"

"You really don't know anything, Sparkles, so I'd shut up if I were you."

Glimmer sees the cop approaching with her mother in tow when they finally make it home. She asks quickly, "did you have anything to do with this?"

"No." Catra spits. "And fuck you for thinking I would—"

"Glimmer! Catra!" Angella pulls them in close before setting them with a look that could melt ice. "What were you thinking?"

Catra weighed down by the expectations of her mother and haunted by the quiet house confesses, "it was my fault."

"No, it was mine." Glimmer surprises her by saying "I begged Catra to drive me there even when you told me not to. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

Catra's too shocked to argue.

"Even so, you both left the house without my permission. It may be summer but I can still ground the both of you. Get up to your rooms, I'll talk with you two in the morning."

Catra bumps Glimmer's shoulder when they get into the house. "What was that about?"

"You said you didn't do it. And I did kind of force you to take me to the party."

"No one forces me to do anything," Catra frowns, "and I didn't do it. DT can be a lot but they're my friend."

Glimmer stops at the last step, staring at her with open eyes far from the judgement Catra's used to seeing. "Then why do you have pills in your bag?"

"…my mom is trying to save up money so she can get me back, she needs help."

"Catra—"

"It's just a couple pills."

"You could get arrested!" Glimmer whisper shouts. "You saw what happened to DT!"

"Those weren't mine. I haven't even sold them yet."

"Why haven't you?"

"They told me to sell them to preppy kids like you for a higher price but your family isn't terrible and Bow isn't awful either…so I thought, maybe the rest of the prep kids aren't half bad either."

Glimmer smiles. "Did you just say something nice to me, Horde scum?"

"Let me come up with the nicknames Sparks."

Glimmer's smile falls slowly. "What are you gonna do about the pills?"

"I'm not gonna sell them so I should probably give them back. My mom is still in town and I know the places she likes to hang around."

"You can't go alone."

"She's my mom. I'll be fine."

Catra's glad when Glimmer doesn't argue or make more of a fuss.

"I'm going to bed; your dad is probably gonna make me run a shit load of laps for this tomorrow."

10

The next day Catra gets up at 8am per usual.

"So," Catra trails off nervously at the cold look Micah's giving her "I'm guessing this workout is gonna suck today, right?"

Micah nods.

"Fine. Just let me get a banana or something so I don't pass out." Catra goes back into the house.

"I've got our breakfast and workout snacks packed already." Glimmer says, popping out from the kitchen. "Strawberry bars are your favorite flavor, right?"

Catra stutters "yeah, but, why are you—"

"I'm grounded and I've got nothing better to do. Why not?"

Micah looks surprised to see them both walk out together. "This won't be an easy workout Glimmer."

"I know dad."

Micah looks between the two of them. "Alright then. It's a nice day so how about you two jog over to the track for your warm up, and don't try walking because I'll be tailing you the whole time. When you get to the track Catra will lead you in the stretches and I'll explain from there."

Catra jogs just a little bit slower so she can take in the breeze not because she's trying to help Glimmer keep up.