A/N: As you can imagine, had quite a bit of fun with this one as we got our first two memory flashbacks in this episode ^^ Might be a little rushed towards the end but did it to the best of my ability with the last 3k words i needed within an hour.
Hoping everyone is enjoying the episode so far as the emotions continue to torture- I mean fill you with all sorts of lovey dovey feelings that will in no way end in a horrific tragedy ^^...O_O...
ENJOY!
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"What kind of game are you playing here, Catra?" Adora interrogated as she pressed her against the wall.
"Whoa, easy!" Catra threw her hands up defensively. "What makes you think I know what's going on?"
"Well, let's see. You appear to know more about this place than I do, you know I did something to trigger that alarm earlier, and this entire place lit up after you said something to that glowing dot, so you tell me." That was a general way to describe the events of the last hour.
This might've been the craziest start to any of Catra's adventures, and given all that's happened up till now, that was saying a lot.
Upon arrival, Catra was instantly taken in with this place as she explored the narrow hallways and the grand rooms. She had a set goal in mind in order to find some way to get some training to control her She-Ra powers, in the hopes of finding a way to heal Glimmer from her glitching malfunction, as well as possibly find some answers behind everything that's happened.
Unbeknownst to her at the time, she was being trailed by a dear friend known as Adora, Force Captain of the Horde, and the one who's always been by her side no matter how far apart they were. She was here with her own set of goals, under the lines of trying to find something here to bring back to the Horde to make amends for assisting in the princess's escape as well as, unintentionally, allowing Catra to reclaim her sword. She needed to find something of equal or greater value to make amends within a week, or she would have to face Lord Hordak's judgement for her failures.
After entering the great chambers of the citadel, Catra was greeted by another hologram at the center of the magnificent room. Despite her constant attempts at questioning the holographic being and trying to get some answers around here, the person within the hologram met every question with another question, incapable of processing any of Catra's inquiries for some reason. During the same time, Adora explored the room in the hopes of finding some great relic to return to the Horde.
After bantering with the strange hologram for a few minutes, she found herself being scanned by the control module the hologram derived from, right as Adora came across a small device seated within a pedestal, one that appeared to be powering the entire complex. Thinking nothing of it, she apprehended the device right as Catra's scanning had came to an end.
And that's when everything started to go bad.
No sooner had the timely events played out, the entire citadel initiated a lock down procedure, one that Catra was rather accustomed to during the first day of her new life. As opposed to simply locking the doors in on them like the previous one did, this one had the misfortune of coming prepared with terrifying mechanical spider-like creatures that descended from the darkened hallways, giving chase to the duo who tried to escape.
With some effort, the two managed to cut themselves off from the creatures after caving in one of the narrow hallways. With their path cut off and the creatures gathering on the other side, the two were forced to band together as they traveled the mysterious ruins of the First Ones, their past mistakes weighing heavily on each other's minds for what little time they tried to talk to one another in the narrow path.
Eventually, the two found themselves in a darkened room with their only entryway closed off, enclosing them in perfect darkness. From there, the rest became history as, no sooner had that happened, they came upon a strange light that somehow transported them back to the Fright Zone. At first thinking it was just another one of her conveniently timed visions haunting her again, Catra quickly became aware that this vision, if she could even call it that by now, was being shared with Adora as well, the two of them finding themselves where they now stood.
"Do you think I'd be refusing to answer you if I knew what was going on?" Catra retorted. "How do I know this isn't yours or Shadow Weaver's doing?"
"Why would I be asking you this if I knew Shadow Weaver had anything to do with it? And," Adora paused as she looked back down the hallway, "why is there another you over there?"
That was the very crux of the matter and the confusion that swarmed the two girls. Not only did the two find themselves back in the Fright Zone, but for whatever reason, there was now another Catra casually walking down the hallway, this one appearing to be about twelve years old at the time.
"I don't know?" Catra shrugged, brushing Adora off her. "Why don't we ask?" Catra's suggestion was met with no resistance on Adora's end, the blonde teenager wanting to understand as much as Catra did at that moment. With an uneasy wave, Catra greeted the younger self as she approached. "Hey, faker, I want to know-"
*zzz*
"Huh?" Both of the two girls were caught off guard at that. Instead of responding in any sort of way to Catra's call or deciding to ignore and walk around her, the mysterious Catra, instead, walked right through her, giving off an electrical sparkling sound as it zoned out for a bit, and materialized wholly a few seconds after.
Checking around the area more closely, Adora noticed as other parts of the hallway had a small distorted configuration to them every couple of seconds, glitching a bit as the Catra copy did. "Catra, I think this is-"
"Fake." Catra finished. It was clear as day as the answers stood right in front of them and surrounded them on all sides. From the glitching walls to the non-transparent hologram that walked right through her, nothing within this place was real, save for a few walls neither of the two could pass through, Catra testing the nearby wall in order to find out. "All of it's fake."
"But then... why is there another you-"
*thud*
"Ow!" The twelve-year-old Catra yelped as she felt something collide into her right knee.
"Oww..." Looking back to the assaulter, Catra showed little concern for the young four-year-old girl who was rubbing her forehead.
"Watch where you're going, you little brat!" She hissed.
"Mmmhhh..." Unsurprisingly, the little bout of anger coming from the shouting magicat was enough to already send the little girl into tears, water creeping on the edges of her eyes as she sniffled.
"Catra!" The voice of the caller already sent worry down Catra's spine as she drooped, shifting her eyes off to the side as an irritated Adora came marching down the hallways. "That's no way to treat a kid!"
"S... Sorry..." She mumble uncaringly, rolling her eyes as Adora came up to the young girl, kneeling in front of her. "But she started it!"
Ignoring the accuser, Adora gave a comforting smile to the young girl as she stroked her head softly. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked, watching the little girl sniffling in front of her as gave a small nod. "Now, why were you running down the hallways? You know there's people-" Inspecting the girl closer, she noticed a bluish mark on the top of her forehead, putting the evidence together as she gave a stern glare back to her friend. "Catra, you didn't have to hit this girl!"
"What? I didn't touch the brat! She's the one that ran into me, remember?"
"Then how did-"
"Hey, you!" The three turned their attention down the hallway as they saw one of the patrol guards speeding up their way on foot. Seeing the masked guard, the little girl gave out a small shriek of fear as she jumped back to her feet, hugging onto the nice blonde lady for dear life. "There you are!"
"What's going on here?" Adora asked as she lifted the girl in her arms, the small child burying her face into Adora's shoulder for protection.
"This little pipsqueak drew all over the walls down the hallways outside of the children's room! She covered the entire hallway from left to right in black marker!" He explained angrily.
"So that gives you the right to hit a child?" Adora yelled back defensively, patting the little girl's back. She didn't care if she only came up to three-fourths of the guard's height. She wasn't going to sit back and let someone hit a girl like this for no reason.
"It's called discipline! And I only did it because she kicked me in the shin after trying to get her to clean it up for ten straight minutes!"
"So what? That doesn't mean you hit a kid who's a fourth of your size!" She gave another warm smile as she leaned the girl over a little so she could get a better look at her teary face. "Hey, what's your name?"
"A-Ami." The girl sniffled as she cried, trying to wipe her tears in her sleeves.
"Ami, huh? That's a pretty name." Catra never found herself wanting to hurl as badly as she did now. It was just like Adora to stick her nose into other peoples' problems, even when they didn't concern her. Patting the girl's head, she continued, "Now Ami, you know what you did was wrong, right?"
"Uh-huh..." She sniffled again.
"These guards work every day around here, and they can't be distracted by people drawing pictures on the walls. They have very important jobs here by keeping us safe."
"B-But we don't have mush construction paper around here ta draw on." She lisped.
"Oh, really?" She gave a playful look of surprise as she set the girl on her feet, taking her hand. "Then how about I help you find some more paper to play with after we both go clean that wall, okay? And after that, I'll sneak you in a cookie if you don't tell the guard!" She said purposely out loud, eliciting a small giggle out of the little girl.
"M'kay!" The chipper four year old nodded as Adora lead the two of them down the hallway, intending to assist the young girl in cleaning her mischief. The guard shook his head at the disgusting display. Signs of affection and comfort went on to make people weak, not stronger. She would've berated the older girl for giving the younger one any sign of positive attention like that after what she did if it wasn't for the fact she fixed his problems for him.
That was when he found himself getting tackled to the ground, finding an aggressive-looking magicat glaring at him with her claws stretched out.
"If you touch that girl ever again, I'll make sure you have to walk in crutches for the next month!" She threatened.
"...Really...?" There was no hint of fear in the guard's voice as he raised an eyebrow behind his mask. With little to no effort, the guard quickly flipped the kid off him grabbed hold of the back of her shirt's collar, and pinned her against the wall, pinning her neck with one arm as he pulled out his stun baton in the other.
"Agh!" Catra grumbled, trying to break free of the guard's grip. It wasn't too surprising to see the young magicat had a severe disadvantage against the full-grown adult figure, seeing how she barely came up to his chest at her height.
"Did you know I can throw you in the hole for a day and beat you for attacking and threatening a guard?" He sneered. "At your age, there aren't any regulations about how physical I can get about it either!"
"Ngh... yeah, but Adora might not like it." She smirked back, earning a look of confusion from the older male.
"Adora?"
"Yeah, you know? The blonde girl over there? The one who helped that kid?... Shadow Weaver's favorite?"
"Y-You wouldn't..." She took great joy at the sound of his fear rising out of his throat.
"All I have to do is say one little word to Adora, then she'll say something to Shadow Weaver, and then I doubt she'll have anything to say to you, if you catch my meaning..." At this, the guard dropped the magicat as he backed away from her, trembling a little.
Every guard within the Fright Zone knew of Shadow Weaver, and the girl she treasured out of all the children that grew up here by the name of Adora. Everyone feared what would happen if they ever laid a hand on the young girl, with some of those unfortunate or uninformed enough to have gone missing after enticing Shadow Weaver's wrath. There was one child they never wanted to mess with within the Fright Zone, and her name was Adora.
"So," Catra said with a smug grin, "why don't you pick yourself up like a good little soldier, make your way down the halls, and continue on with your life before I start to get bored?"
"Ghhhh..." The guard was smart enough not to smack the girl right then and there, opting to take the obvious advice with less dignity than he previously had, and shaking his head down the way.
Watching the guard continuing to sulk his way down the hallways like that filled Catra with a typical sense of pride, one she was used to whenever she had Adora as one of her friends. With her around, life was easier within the Horde. People didn't backtalk to her these days, guards were less inclined to hit her whenever her friend was around, and everyone let Catra have her way, or at least say what she wanted to, without a second thought.
With that, Catra let out a taunting hum to herself, feeling accomplished, as she turned around to walk back.
Coming face to face with a smirking Adora who had a raised brow and the little girl looking up curiously at the mean twelve year old. "W-What?"
"See?" Adora spoke down to Ami. "I told you the big mean monster is actually a softhearted kitty." She took great amusement to see Catra standing up for the young girl despite her aggressive appearance when she met Ami the first time.
"W-Who are you calling soft?!" Catra grumbled, looking away with a small blush on her face. "I-I was just making sure that bozo knew not to mess with us, that's all."
"Yeah, and I got to show Ami the big meanie she was scared of was actually a wittle kitty." Adora cooed, pinching Catra's cheeks.
"K-Knock it off!" Catra yelped, slapping her hand away in embarrassment. The little girl actually began to giggle a little at this, something Catra knew she couldn't scold her for with Adora around. And that's if she wanted to in the first place. "What are you still doing here, anyway?"
"What do you think? We're waiting for you to come help us clean the wall!" Adora informed with a casual smile on her face, much to Catar's dismay.
"What? Why do I have to help?"
"Because Ami wanted to thank you for scaring away the big bully, right Ami?" Instead of getting any word out of the girl, Catra looked down to see the excited four year old holding her hand up to her, wanting to take magicat's hand, furthering her embarrassment.
Groaning audibly to the two, Catra rolled her eyes as she resigned herself to the annoying fate of cleaning up someone else's mess with them. "Fine, but we better all be getting treats after this!" She warned, taking the little girl's hand into her right hand as the three walked down the hallway. Ami could be found walking between the two with a happy smile on her face.
"Yeah, more cookies!" The girl cheered.
"We'll see." Adora replied, smiling down at the young girl who seemed fascinated with the cat-like girl instead of fearful.
"I want a tail when I grow up!"
"Heh, trust me squirt, you have to be pretty awesome to be in my league."
"Oh, so now there's a signup somewhere if we want to turn into a soft little kitty?" She teased.
"I'll have you know people like me are one in a million! Why, Adora tried signing up to be like me once, but I had to turn her down because she wasn't awesome enough."
"Yeah, thank goodness for us she's only one in a million, or else the entire Horde would've been destroyed a long time ago."
"Hey!"
"Hahahaha~" The duo continued to banter and tease each other back and forth as they laughed along the way downed the darkened hallways. No matter what the two thought of each other, they could always count on each other to be there for them and to support them whenever the situation called for it. They didn't have to worry about their enemies or the people surrounding them as long as they were a team.
They would always be there for each other, hand in hand, for whatever future awaited them.
...
"Hahahaha! Exiting through the darkness, the original Catra and Adora found themselves back in the citadel's hallways, back to their original size and outfits, as they returned to their reality. It took them a few seconds of walking to finally remember where they were, the entire experience they came across feeling like a dream they both shared, waking up to the brand new reality they were in mere moments ago.
It took them a short while to get their bearings again, blinking to themselves as they observed their surroundings. When the two finally met eye to eye, they both had a small blush as the little girl they traveled with was nowhere to be seen, and they weren't holding anyone else's hands except for each others.
"Wha..." Catra shook her head as she freed her hand, rubbing it a bit as if to make sure it was really there. "What just happened?"
" I..." Adora examined her surroundings, noticing how they returned to the citadel after their recent experience. "I... I think that was a simulation."
"A simulation?"
"It's tapping into our memories." What kind of worldly wonders was this place capable of? "When it scanned us, it must've made copies of our memories and displayed them for us."
"Why on Etheria would it do that?" As she asked this, Catra knocked her fist against the walls surrounding them, making sure these ones were real compared to the virtual ones they recently exited form. "Is it trying to mess with our heads or make us go insane?"
"I don't know. I think we should be careful though." Adora warned, setting her hand calmly on Catra's shoulder. "Whenever one of these things memories occur, I think it places us in a trance. I wasn't even aware of what I was doing until it ended."
"Then that's all the more reason to get out of here asap, isn't it?" Catra commented as she walked on ahead. She had enough of these stupid visions and memories in her own mind, she didn't need anyone else sharing in her memories like Adora did. It was around that moment that she looked back, noticing how Adora was standing in place. "Adora?"
She was smiling a little. "Heh... It was nice." There was a pleasant look on her face, one that Catra hadn't seen in awhile. Why was she smiling now of all times? Wasn't she concerned over all the events that have taken place since coming here? What did she have to be so happy about all of a sudden?
"What's nice?"
"That little memory we had there." She answered as she walked down the hallway with her. "It reminded me of the times I got to see you like no one else did."
"What do you mean see me like no one else did?" Catra was confused by the vague tone in her voice. Catra didn't see anything different from back then, so how could Adora? "Like how?"
"Like someone with a good heart." Catra was taken back by this remark as Adora smiled to her. "You always put on a tough exterior growing up. You barely showed anyone else the same kindness like you showed me, and when you did it was nice to see."
"Yeah, well, you were the only one who was nice to me growing up." Catra muttered. "Of course I was going to be nicer to you. We were friends."
"...Huh..."
"What?" Catra watched as her friend walked up to her at that, staring into her eyes until she started pulling at her ears. "Ahh! Hey!" She yelped, pulling her hands away. "What are you doing?"
"Okay, who are you?" Adora asked, grinning. "That seemed waaay to open for someone like you to say."
"S-Shut uuup..." Catra blushed as she tried to pull away from the conversation. "I've been getting hounded by this touchy feely junk since I joined the Rebellion, alright? I'm not used to it."
"Right... the Rebellion..." Adora's face slowly hardened again as she walked. "You still haven't explained to me why you joined them in the first place, Catra. Not the truth, at least."
"What do you want me to say, Adora? That I didn't like it in the Horde anymore? That I wanted something better?" She scoffed. "It wasn't even my intention to join them when I left that day, okay? I just... kind of owed them after they saved me."
"So they save you once and you're friends for life?" Adora could already tell there were a hundred issues behind Catra's one explanation. "That's all you did it for?"
"No," Catra groaned, "I didn't even like them for the last couple months! It's just..." There was a cold sadness in Catra's eyes as she hugged herself. "I can't go back on someone when I owe them, okay? I can't make that mistake again..."
"Mistake?" Why did that sound familiar to her? There were plenty of mistakes the two made in the past growing up in the Horde. Sometimes it was a simple mistake in a lesson or training exercise, at others it was pulling off a prank that resulted in one of several fires. Judging from the familiar look in her eye, however, there was one mistake Adora remembered above all else. "Are you talking about... that?" Catra's brief silence was all the confirmation she needed.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Catra, I already told you, I forgive you!" Adora cut her off as she stood in front of her. "I never blamed you for that incident, remember? It was a complete and total accident! If anything it was as much my fault for agreeing to go with you-"
"It doesn't matter!" Catra snapped back, pushing passed her. "You got hurt because I didn't help someone I owed, all because I thought their favor was pointless." There was a chill emanating from the torn girl, weighing down upon Adora's own shoulders as she spoke to her. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, Adora. Let's just get out of here while we still can, all right?"
Adore watched in dismay as Catra trudged herself through the hallway. Why did she continue to let the incident torment her so much? Did she harbor some grudge with herself and Adora because of it? Did she... blame Adora personally because of it? To go out of the way for the sake of a past mistake, to the point of betraying her allies... How much blame and anger did she harbor? And to whom?
There was still one other issue tormenting Adora's mind. "Say, Catra-"
"I don't want to talk about it, Adora." Catra repeated as the girl followed behind her.
"No, not that. I wanted to ask you about something else."
"What?"
"...Back there, with the guard... why exactly did you use my name to threaten him?" Catra's rage subsided a little at this.
"What do you think? Back then no one would dare to mess with you, they were all too scared of Shadow Weaver." That was an understatement of the obvious. Nobody crossed Shadow Weaver, be they loyal, guard, child, or other. To incite Shadow Weaver's wrath was like asking for a death sentence, one that made people beg to be put out of their misery in a different way than her own methods. Everything Shadow Weaver did was to instill pain in fear to those surrounding her. She was like the boogeyman to children, the demon to the fellow soldiers. Not many people could say they ever got on her bad side and lived to tell about it.
"I know, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"... Never mind." Now Catra was the one confused about what was on Adora's mind. What was she getting at? What was she about to say?
The same questions concerned Adora's mind as she thought about it. How often did Catra use her name against the people that picked on her? Did she use it against her bullies and tormentors too? There were plenty of people that picked on her through the Horde, maybe more than Adora was aware of. But how often did Catra resort to using Adora's name like a threat? How many people did she frighten buy simply uttering her name?
...How many people feared Adora because of her?
...
Coming up to the next room, the duo found themselves surrounded by a massive circular room with over a dozen hallways connecting to it, leading to the various paths and mysterious other rooms this place had to offer. Within the center of the colossal room, the two found a gigantic pillar strewn across the middle of a seemingly-bottomless pit, one that descended into light instead of darkness.
"Where do we go from here?" Adora asked looking around.
"Over the giant hole?" Catra suggested, taking the lead as she hopped atop the massive platform. "I have a feeling we should go across that way."
"What makes you think it's this way?"
Catra waited until her friend managed to pull herself up before continuing. "I don't know, it's a feeling I have, I guess?" She peered down towards the empty chasm, wondering to herself far it truly dropped. "Since I joined the Rebellion, I've had a bunch of these weird feelings in my head from time to time. I never understand them when they pop up, but they've helped when they were truly needed. Like in Salineas when I repaired the barrier's generator."
"Mmmh..." Catra should've known she struck a nerve when she mentioned Salineas. Nobody ever wanted to recall an experience where they almost killed their friend, regardless of reasons.
"... Since I answered one of yours now, can you answer mine?"
"Does it involve Salineas?" Adora asked knowing.
"...Kinda..." Unsurprisingly, Adora sighed at this.
"Huff, what do you want to know?"
"Not really about Salineas, but with that headband." She clarified. "What exactly goes through your head when you wear it? Why does it make you go crazy one moment then emotionless the next?"
"It doesn't exactly make me do either, Catra. The headband magnifies my entire body, physically, and emotionally. Any time I get so much as a chuckle, it winds up into full-blown laughter, and when I get the slightest irritation, I burst out into rage." The Force Captain stared at her hands at that, flexing them as she remembered how it held when she almost did... that... to Catra. "I never meant to hurt you that day Catra, not like that."
"I know." the magicat replied hopping off the other end of the long bridge, "you never usually try to hurt anybody." She waited and watched as she made her way off the platform safely. "Which is why I want to know how you could torture Glimmer like that?"
"That... That's the other drawback I've suffered from this. After what happened in Salineas, I had Shadow Weaver train me in using the headband so I could use it without feeling anything, so I wouldn't lose control of myself the next time we... you know..." The guilt was raining over Adora like a stormy afternoon as Catra stared at her. "Since then, I've barely felt anything when wearing the headband. I don't feel joy, sadness, I barely feel anger anymore, and... It helped me, Catra." Another shot of pain rang through her eyes. "I felt peaceful with it, Catra. I... I've been under a lot of stress since you left."
"You? Stressed?" There was a bit of skepticism in Catra's smug attitude. Throughout Catra's entire journey, not once did she consider how Adora was keeping a hold on things on her end of the deal. She always thought she was going through her life as she normally did, with a smile on her face and without a care in the world. Considering how she was the favorite between the two, she didn't think she would have to deal with anyone harassing and bullying her like they did with Catra. "Like, what? Are they cutting your bathroom breaks in half or something-?"
"I've been worrying about you, okay!" She stated, shoving Catra's cocky attitude down her throat. "I've been defending you ever since you left the Horde, more than you could imagine, Catra. I haven't allowed anyone to spread false rumors about you, I've been doing everything to lighten whatever punishment you might receive if you were ever captured. I've been doing all of that on top of the missions I've been in charge of throughout the Horde, doing everything I can to accomplish them peacefully! I've been working non-stop, for you and for the Horde, Catra. I've... I've never been so tired in my life before."
"I..." Silence. Painful, agonizing, silence, escaped from Catra's lips. How was she supposed to respond to that now? To any of that for that matter?
She's been working so hard to keep Catra safe all by herself while also dealing with the responsibilities of being a Force Captain? Why did she fret so much over both her responsibilities and keeping Catra safe? She didn't have to do both if it put so much pressure on her, she didn't expect her to. She shouldn't have bothered spending so much time punishing herself like this if it meant she would be an emotional and physical wreck.
There were only two words that came to her mind. "I'm sorry..." Adora turned away at this, even as Catra tried placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I didn't know, okay?" She found Adora's own silence to be too unnerving for her, the sense of guilt hanging over her head further and further. "...I would've come back for you if I knew you were having so much trouble."
For the first time since the start of their current adventure today, Adora found a speck of hope. "R... Really?" The small smile she gave her with a nod filled her with a sense of assurance. After being apart for so long, it felt refreshing to hear something resembling kindness from her old friend. "...Tch...Pft...Pfffffffft! Ahahahahhaaa!" All the drama and seriousness of the situation instantly came to a halt as Catra watched Adora hold her gut, bursting out with laughter.
"What? What's so funny?"
"Pfffft, hehehehe!" Adora swore she was almost tearing up at all of this. "Oh my gosh, who are you? The Catra I remember wasn't this lame!" She joked, growing another mad blush over Catra's face.
"Lame?!" Growling, Adora found herself suddenly getting tackled by the young magicat until they were against the ground. How dare she think of her as lame when she's trying to be serious for once! She was being emotional like she never had been in the past, and Adora decided to poke and laugh at her? Maybe she won't be feeling so giddy if Catra swiped at her a few times, even if it was playful!
The two found each other poking one another back and forth like this for nearly a minute, getting back to their feet as they played around. They couldn't remember the last time they found so much fun in their present situation, chuckling and laughing at all the fun they were having, even at the expense of their own safety. It was just like the old days when it was just the two of them, enjoying themselves despite where they were, and making the most fun whenever they could have it.
The two were so wrapped up in their playfulness they were unaware of their surroundings until Adora fell through a holographic wall, causing Catra to let out a gasp. "Adora!" She panicked, rushing straight through the wall. With this place playing tricks on their minds and creating holographic illusions that seemed all too real, there was no telling what horrors awaited on the other side...
...
"Oof!" A nine-year-old Catra let out a yelp as she fell behind some boxes. The younger magicat poked her head out from behind, wearing an army helmet, checking the coast of the loading bay, making sure everything was safe and secure for their top secret mission! There was one guard patrolling the other side of the wall and nothing else, save for the security cameras the two were completely unaware of.
Everything about this mission had to go off without a hitch, or the fatalities would be catastrophic! Using all of their training and future insight, they made the necessary preparations they were taught in all their lessons and training exercises.
Step 1: Make sure they knew their target and everything about it. Their target was in one of the many Loading Bays of the Fright Zone.
Step 2: Scope out and plan the mission accordingly, as they would only get one shot! They kept tabs on the Loading Bay for over a week by now, and that seemed like plenty of time necessary to formulate a plan.
Step 3: Make all the necessary preparations before committing to the plan! They got all their necessities, took time to draw out a blueprint of the place with any crayons they could find, and got the keys to their victory that would make the payoff all the more greater!
What was the payoff? Why, to have fun of course!
"Agent Sharp Claws calling Flower Head!" Catra whispered into her walkie-talkie. "Do you read me Flower-Head?"
From the other side of the Loading Bay stood Adora, the young child leaning against a large stack of crates as she peeked around the corner. "Flower-Head, over. Hey Catra, why do you get the cool nickname and I have to be nicknamed "Flower-Head" of all things?"
"Because it's my mission, remember?"
"Yeah, but why can't I have something else like "Sun Soldier", or "Princess Destroyer" or something?"
"Because, since I made the mission, that makes you the sidekick, and sidekicks always have to have worse names. Besides, I'm too cool to have any weird names. There's nothing fitting-"
"What about Whiskers?" Adora teased, taking cover for a brief moment as a guard passed her on the other side of the crate.
"What? No!"
"Or maybe Kitty Burglar?"
"Ok, that's just lame-"
"Or why not Mouse Chaser!"
"That was one time!" Catra groaned to herself as she heard Adora chuckling on the other side of the walkie-talkie. "Whatever. Do you have the keys?"
"Yup!" Adora replied, digging through her pockets to ensure she had the keys she was referring to. "You got the rope?"
"Right here." Catra grinned to herself as she pulled a rope from behind her cover. "Are you ready?"
"Ready when you are!"
With a nod that both of them could feel the other one giving, they went to work as Adora left the walkie-talkie where she was. The two made their separate ways over behind the various barres and crates that littered the loading docks. With all the planning and preparation the two spent up to this point, they were more than excited to see one of their first missions pulled off without a hitch! After all, what better mission could there be than the one they came up with themselves?
...Well, technically Catra came up with it, not that it mattered at this point. All the friends were concerned with was seeing this mission through, no matter how many lives they had to sacrifice! For the greater good, they needed this mission to go through, or they might never get a shot at this again, the chance of a lifetime!
What better way to spend an afternoon than stealing their very first skiff!
Making their way towards the center of the room, the two waited for the other one to appear on the other side of the loading dock, giving a look once they each saw the other in their position. Checking the coast one more time, Catra gave the young blonde girl a nod, to which Adora nodded back.
Everything was in position. Now was the time for action!
Taking a look at the guard, noticing he was at the loading docks themselves, Adora grinned as she grabbed a slingshot out of her back pocket, loading a perfectly-rounded rock in the sling as she prepared to fire. Aiming up her target right between the two prongs of the sling, Adora gave one solid grin as she fired.
*Whack!*
"Ow!" The guard could be heard yelling in pain, rubbing his head as Adora ducked in cover before he could turn around. He knew someone else had to be in the room, it was just the matter of where. "Come on out here you little brat," he growled pulling out his baton, "and I promise to make it hurt a little less!" The covered her mouth as she chuckled, pressing her back against the crate as she waited for Catra's part.
And waited!
And waited.
And... waited?
As the guard drew closer to the center of the Loading Bay, Adora knew something was wrong. She should've done her part now, so what was taking so long?
The cat in question was grumbling to herself as she shook her walkie-talkie. The guard was drawing in closer by the second towards Adora, and she knew being Shadow Weaver's favorite wouldn't protect her from a guard she attacked if she was found. The stupid walkie-talkie was buzzing on her end as she tried to get it working, shaking and pounding on the small device as she tried to clear up the static.
"Come on you stupid thing, come on...!" Catra grumbled quietly to herself. Adora's life was on the line, and everything was resting on this very moment! And despite not seeing the guard himself, Adora began to sweat a little nervously as she felt the guard getting closer by closer. She could nearly see his shadow peeking over the top of the crate, closing her eyes in fears that she was about to be found! That was when fortune came to visit as Catra finally got a clear connection on the other end, grinning victoriously as she whispered into the talkie. "Haha, you stupid guard!"
"Huh?" Adora never felt so relieved in her life as she heard the massively loud speaking voice over the walkie-talkie.
This is where the heart of their ingenious plan came together. Using the walkie-talkie Catra had, the girl continued to lure him over to where Adora previous way, taking a full right from her direction as he headed to the other side of the Loading Bay.
"Ha, that stupid guard's never going to find me!" The guard could hear coming from the walkie-talkie, grumbling as he set his baton to stun mode. "It's no wonder they placed someone like him down here, everyone else was too smart for the job."
"Grrrrrrr!"
With the coast being clear, Catra stealthily ran for the middle of the room, being careful not to make a single sound as the guard continued towards the crate. Being as quiet as possible, she began giving her rope a good swing, spinning it around in place until she could throw it high enough into the air to reach the skiff ten feet off the ground. Thankfully for her, one throw was all the rope took as it snagged onto something, testing it's weight with a solid tug before nodding to herself, right as Adora poked her own over the crate.
Seeing her friend giving her an assuring nod, she tiptoed her way over to the rope as Catra began climbing it. These were one of the many moments Catra was proud of her enhanced agility, the girl grinning to herself as she easily and deftly climbed the long rope without breaking a sweat. Adora was forced to wait below her until her head popped over the side of the skiff, her friend smiling down to the girl as Adora grabbed the rope.
During that time, the guard was completely unaware of a young girl being pulled up with the rope trailing her. When he finally managed to reach the source of the annoying taunter that insulted him, and who he believed to have attacked hmi, he was rather surprised and confused by the sight of the lone walkie-talkie that lied at the ground, not a soul seen for miles around himself. And, unfortunately for him, the moment he took a look back behind himself was the exact same time Catra managed to reel Adora back up to the skiff, disappearing with the rope as the two stayed hidden behind the railings of the floating hovercraft.
"The heck is going on around here?" The guard questioned to himself, rubbing the helmet around his head as he walked back to the center of the loading bay. From above, Catra took a quick peek over the edge as she heard him approaching from under them. Making sure the coast was clear, she nodded silently over to Adora who nodded back to her, grabbing the same slingshot she had before and aiming it towards the doorway.
*Clunk!*
"What the-?" The guard nearly jumped at the sudden clacking sound that went off. Like flies to a fire, Catra watched carefully as the guard made his way over towards the entrance hall, away from the skiff itself and eventually out of sight. With the guard running out of sight, Catra gave a sly grin to Adora as her friend smiled at her.
"...Hehehehehe!" The two chuckled celebrating their victory as they high-fived each other. There was only one word to summarize the mission overall, and that word was Success!
"We did it!" Adora cheered.
*clap*
"See? I told you it would." Catra stretched her arms out in a relaxing manner, leaning against the skiff with a victorious smile on her face. "You really outta stop doubting me, you know?"
"Haha, I noticed." She's never felt so proud of her friend or their teamwork before. not when it came to the minor stuff like chores and lessons they were forced to do. Here, they proved to themselves and to anybody who would've been watching that they're the best when they're a team, and there was no one who could tear them apart! "Ok, you ready?"
"Ready?" Catra wondered leaning back up. "For what?"
"To fly it, duh!" Adora reminded as she handed her the keys.
"O-Oh, right!" Catra chuckled nervously as she took the keys from Adora, examining them thoroughly. "I, eh... guess we should be moving on to that, huh?"
Adora watched curiously as Catra jingled around the keys for a bit, her curiosity growing with each passing second as she noticed Catra sorting through the keys unsuringly. "What's wrong? Don't you know how to fly the skiff?"
"Wha- I mean, y-yeah!" Catra assured proudly with another chuckle. "I-I mean, of course I do! You just, um..." She tried key after key as she inserted each of them into the skiff one after the other. Adora watched with a small ounce of concern for her friend, wondering if she truly knew what she was doing or not. Right as she was about to question her on it again, the two perked up at the sound of the skiff starting to hum with life, Catra's face brightening at the sight. "See? Easy!
"Cool!" Adora squealed as the two felt the skiff beginning to bob up and down gently in place. "So now what?"
"Well, you just..." Catra spoke in a slow yet calming voice, trying yo buy herself every second to figure out the controls for herself as as she did. "Um... You switch this here..." She directed to the small switch on the control module of the skiff as she flicked it, the two listening as the humming began to grow louder. "And then... unlock the break part here..." Most of what she was getting accurate was completely by chance, using the various symbols she saw around the control's displays to guide her.
She was completely unaware at just how powerful she was making the skiff in the process.
"And after that..." The magicat gulped silently to herself as she grabbed the handle bar that directed the ship. "You just... you know... give it a small push-
*FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!*
"Ahhhhhhhh!" The two girls let out a cry of terror as they were jettisoned from the skiff itself. Seconds after Catra pushed down on the lever did the skiff start blasting straight ahead. They were completely unprepared for the speeding skiff to take off as fast as it did as the two completely lost their balance, falling over the railings of the skiff from ten feet in the air, and landing painfully as their bodies were thrown to the ground.
*THUD!*
"Owwww..." Catra moaned in pain as she collected herself a little faster than Adora did. She's never been so thankful to have something as stupid looking as an army helmet over her skull, the helmet protecting most of her head as she slammed against the floor itself. It still didn't do much for the scrapes and bruises around her, but that was the least of her worries.
"Owwwwww..." She heard Adora whine, her ears twitching as fear took over her mind.
"Adora!" Catra cried out, seeing her friend was a few feet away in the opposite direction. "Are you okay?" She couldn't tell how she actually was based on the few bruises and scratches she had around her. The two of them just fell from nearly ten feet in the air and landed on solid ground. For all she knew she could be having internal bleeding or her heart could've popped at any moment from the fall!
Luckily for her, she sighed mentally in relief as she saw Adora pick herself off the ground, rubbing her elbows soothingly to combat the pain. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"
"Heh," Catra gave a small laugh as she playfully tapped her helmet, "noggin's safe."
"That's goo- Uh oh!" Adora's face went deadpanned as she looked off in the direction of the speeding skiff, Catra's gaze filling with shock as she saw what got her friend so worried.
The skiff. The very one they had practically stolen and tried to ride for their own amusement, was hurdling itself at top speeds, into the direction of another skiff that was on standby. "No no no no-!" Catra's pleas fell on deaf ears as the two watched the fireworks show that happened next.
*Ka-Boom!*
The girls covered their heads protectively as hundreds upon thousands of little metallic bits were flung all around the room, the earth-shattering sound of an explosion filling the emptiness as a gust of wind pushed against all living and non-living things. The two skiffs caught dead center in the explosion were smoking as the heap of rubble collapsed to the ground, floor rumbling a little as the two massive heaps fell at their level.
Adora and Catra felt every warning light in their brain telling them that they were in trouble. Here stood two nine-year-old girls who went out to have a fun time by stealing a skiff from the Loading Bay, the ones they weren't allowed to enter in the first place without adult supervision, and had gone out of their way to inadvertently crash one very expensive skiff into another very expensive skiff, not to mention the proof of injuries that showed that the two had, indeed, gotten hurt as a result.
All they could do was stare in disbelief at the steaming rubbles and the scattered parts across the floor, both of them asking themselves about just how much trouble the two were in, and if there was any chance the two had of getting away with the crime.
"What's going on in here?!" A voice shouted as several people entered the room.
There chances of getting away with it had plummeted almost immediately, just like the heaps of broken skiffs that lied on the other side of the Loading Bay.
Turning around, Adora watched on in fear as she saw the Horde Officer, Octavia, running into the room towards the two girls, her focus remaining solely on the burning rubble on the other side as two guards followed in behind her. "Someone get that fire put out right away!" She barked to the two guards who immediately ran to their target. No sooner had Adora turned from the passing guards back to the officer did she find her arm being squeezed tightly in Octavia's forceful grip.
"Ah!" She yelped, trying to pull herself away from the painful squeeze.
"What did you do?!" Octavia shouted angrily, bringing her face close enough to practically bite the young Adora. She already knew the two unsupervised children were the only ones who would've done something this stupid.
"I-It was an accident, honest!" Adora replied tearing up. "W-We just wanted to try flying a skiff and we-"
"Do you realize what you've just done?" Octavia shouted. Unlike most of the other Horde soldiers and guards, there was little fear she had of Shadow Weaver herself, knowing she was under Lord Hordak's protection. "Do you think skiffs grow on trees?! You just destroyed two very expensive vehicles, you know! The resources for those things are hard to come by!"
"We didn't mean to do it, honest!" Adora cried out, looking towards her friend. "Tell her Cat-" Catra was gone. Adora blinked away the tears clearing her vision a little, trying to find where her friend had ran off too. It didn't take very long as she spotted Catra already running for the doors of Loading Bay, the magicat panting exhaustively as she powered through the painful landing and the terror she had of incurring the Horde Officer's wrath. "Catra!" Adora called out, stopping Catra in her tracks as she turned around.
The girl looked between the two of them frantically, unable to decide what she should do. If she ran right now, she'd be able to hopefully escape whatever punishment or discipline she would have to go through, which, for her, was very physical from time to time. But that would mean she would have to leave Adora behind to fend for herself while she fled like a coward!
On the other hand, if she stayed with her, there was a teensy chance that she could get out of whatever physical discipline she would have to go through if she stayed by Adora's side and kept her best friend company in the midst of whatever punishment they had to dish out. That all hinged on the possibility of whether or not they actually would show leniency to her, and considering the severe crime the two committed by crashing one skiff into another, not to mention stealing the keys in the first place, there was little chance of that ever happening.
Adora saw the face of guilt spreading across Catra's person as she teared up, staring at her friend with unease. "Catra?" She wasn't really thinking about doing that to her, was she? They were friends, they were family, they were practically sisters by this point! Surely Catra treasured that as much as she did-
"Mmh... I'm sorryyyyyyy!" Catra yelled as she ran down out the door, unable to face the consequences alongside her friend.
Adora's heart sunk with regret as she watched her leave. "C... Catra?" Where was she going? She was over here, not out there! Catra would... Catra would never leave her side in this situation... right? Adora's tears started to pool up a little more as she watched her friend leave, unable to comprehend why she would leave her to fend for herself in this situation.
"Tch, I'll deal with that brat later." Octavia hissed turning her attention back to Adora. "As for you-
*chomp!*
"Oww!" Octavia let out a painful yelp as she pulled her recently bitten hand away, blowing on it and rubbing it as she tried to soothe away the pain, all while glaring at the young blonde girl who ran down the same hallway like her friend did. "Grrrrr get back here you little brat!" She roared, giving chase even as Adora disappeared from her view.
It didn't make any sense to her as she ran away. Why did Catra leave her like that? Was she planning on coming back later and facing her crimes? Or maybe she was actually going to get Shadow Weaver? Yes, that must be it! If she told Shadow Weaver what happened, perhaps the two could get a lighter punishment or no punishment at all! Shadow Weaver cared deeply fo Adora, so there was little chance she would allow her to be punished, and she might let Catra off the hook too if Adora put in a good word for her!
That was the plan, that had to be the plan. Why else would Catra try and leave Adora behind to save her own skin? She was her best friend in the world after all, and friends always had to stick together through thick and thin! It's not like she would care more about saving her own skin if Adora was the one in danger. Adora would gladly risk her life for her friend, knowing her friend would do the same for her!
...Right?!
Coming around a corner of the hallway, the young girl hastily threw herself through an open doorway, slamming the door shut behind her and backing up slowly. She didn't feel any sense of relief until she heard the angry footsteps stomping passed the door, assuring her that her would-be punisher had lost track of her.
Sighing, the young girl winced as she felt the pain around her cheek. She was still banged up pretty bad as a result of the fall, and there were plenty of scrapes around her that she as going to have to explain to Shadow Weaver later. Checking the room she entered, she was surprised to find herself in one of the many locker rooms around this section of the Fright Zone. Over in the back she noticed a lone sink against the wall, deciding to relieve her pain a little as she walked over to it.
She just needed a good splash of water in her face, that would solve her problems. Turning on the faucets, the girl collected as much cooling water as she could in the cup of her hands, rubbing the sores and cleaning off any scrapes she could find until they were no longer noticeable.
Why did you leave me, Catra? Adora asked as she continued cleaning herself.
She would need to figure things out as soon as she got out of here, and pray she was never caught later for her crimes. For now, she just focused on herself in the mirror, checking the scrapes and bruises around her face to see if anything was still noticeable.
As it turned out, there wasn't anything noticeable... save for an older looking Adora that stared back at her reflection.
...
"Ah!" Adora screamed as she backed away from the mirror. Her surroundings had changed drastically as she found herself back in the bizarre citadel, all her memories and experiences rushing back to her as she examined her surroundings.
It looked like a perfect representation of the locker room she was in, save for the style and decor of her surroundings, as well as the actual lack of lockers to begin with. There were only a few lined up against the wall in an orderly fashion, with some strange electronic locks to actually open the lockers. Where was she at this point? Where did Catra go? And... were her eyes glowing in the mirror? All five of them?
...Wait...
...
"Huff... Huff..." Catra panted as she finished running. She couldn't remember the last time she ran so fast or so far. She was glad that...
Hold on. Where was she again? Her surroundings had changed so vastly that she hardly recognized the Fright Zone, the mere thought of it's name instantly returning her memories and experiences like Adora's had earlier. "I'm back here again?" She asked herself. She remembered back to the skiff she saw herself stealing a minute ago, staring at her own hands in disbelief and confusion.
"Did I... really leave Adora like that?" She was her friend, her best friend. She couldn't remember why she left her behind like that, and she couldn't figure out how she could do such a thing in the first place. Were these really her memories, or was this place messing with her memories or something? "...No..." She muttered to herself, recollecting everything. "I remember now..."
The memory that returned to her was a horrid one, one that made her sick to even think about it. She left her friend behind in the dust, like she had several days ago, and again several months prior to that! She left her behind for her own benefit, hoping to make things better for herself in the process, even if it meant Adora had to stay and deal with the consequences. just like she had in present day.
She was practically recreating the past all over again.
She couldn't understand herself looking back on it. Why would she leave Adora like that behind? She was her friend for crying out loud! How could she let her fear get the best of her like that? It wasn't even the memory Catra dreaded the most, being the one thing she was thankful for at this point. If she had to relieve that memory around here, she didn't know what she would do.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Her ears twitched frantically as she heard Adora's cries of terror down the hallway behind her. "Adora!"
...
"Huff... Huff..." Adora continued to stare at the mirror in fear, unable to comprehend what she had seen after she fell backwards.
"Adora!" Catra called out, rushing into the room and over to her side.
"T-Th-The-The mirror..." Adora trembled as she pointed to the glass above the sink. "T-Those things, they... I saw them staring back at me..."
"You mean those spider things?" Catra asked turning towards the mirror itself.
"One of them...One of them poked their head right out of the mirror, and almost attacked me." She explained, wobbling back to her feet. She had never been so frightened before of something unexpectedly popping out at her. "B-But it just stared at me for a few seconds, then it went back inside."
"It left?" Catra examined the mirror closely, seeing her own reflection staring back at her. There wasn't a scratch or any sign that the mirror had been moved to begin, not any that Catra could see at least. She attempted to test Adora's story as she tapped against the glass itself, finding it as solid as any other mirror or window. "You're saying it came out from here?" She asked for clarification as she looked back, gesturing to the mirror.
"Catra, I'm telling you, it was staring right at me!" The face of fear coming from the girl gave her little room to doubt, though did give Catra many questions to ponder all the same. "I saw its glowing red eyes, its gaping jaw, I was sure it was going to attack me!"
"Then why didn't it?" That was the part she couldn't understand. "These things were chasing us up to this point, so why did it suddenly back o-"
*swish*
"Mhhhh!" Without warning, Catra and Adora found themselves taken by surprise as several large green sticky strands shot out from the mirror itself, wrapping around Catra's head before she had a chance to continue, covering around her mouth, her neck, and around the top of her forehead as a violent force began to pull the girl towards the mirror.
"Catra!" Adora yelled worriedly as she ran to her friend.
"Mmhhhmmhhh!" Catra shouted into her muffled mouth, trying to pull away at the sticky substance with her own two hands as Adora tried to help. No sooner had Catra threw her arms around her mouth in an attempt to pry off the green bindings did she find another layer of the green webbing thrown around her, this time covering around her torso as it pinned her arms against her face without any slack or capacity to pull them apart.
Adora panicked as the same substance coated her own hands, hastily pulling at the dreaded webbing that was drawing the two closer towards the mirror. As she did, Adora's eyes widened in horror as she saw the same creature staring back at her from behind Catra, the mechanical spider-like creature giving off a terrifying roar as Catra drew closer.
"Ahhh!" Adora's cry of fear was followed by her freedom as the sticky webbing finally pulled free of her hands, sending her back towards the ground with a harsh thud. Clearing what little daze she had from the fall, she attempted to rush back to her feet to grab onto her friend again, only to find her own bindings weren't as free as she had thought .The sticky web had coated around Adora's hands, pinning the girl to the ground as she struggled for her and, more importantly, Catra's life. "Catra!"
Any tears and show of concern on the girl's face was brought to an abrupt end as Catra was pulled off her feet, being dragged through the mirror as she flailed around her legs for dear life. "Mhmhmhhhh!" Catra tried to call out. Planting her foot against the ground, Adora gave one final pull of the mighty webbing, mustering all her strength as she finally freed herself of the web's clutches.
Too little, too late.
"Catraaaaaa!" Adora cried out again as she ran for the mirror. It didn't make a spot of difference unfortunately. By the time Adora had reached the mirror, Catra was completely gone. The distraught Force Captain pounded against the mirror, hoping that whatever force compelled Catra to be taken was listening to her, begging to anyone that could hear her to open up the mirror again and give her best friend back.
Reality was a much crueler mistress, sadly enough. No amount of tears, crying, or screaming could force the mirror's window to open again. All she could do was watch helplessly as Catra was dragged away through the darkness...
...
...
...
A/N: As said, had to rush the bottom portion a bit, but thankfully it's done! We're about halfway through the episode, and the closer I draw towards the end, i notice something here and there about the episode that seems rather... suspicious to me... I'll leave those thoughts to myself though. I also hope I can make the payoff as grand as possible as we reach our grand revelation between the two girls as well as whatever future awaits them...
So! Hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed and hope to see you soon!