Saturday in Angellia was market day.
At around 10:00 in the morning, through the big, busy West Gate of Angellia came an oxcart, piled high in wooden boxes. Driving it was a short woman with a gray cloak and a long red braid over her left shoulder. The oxen walked haltingly down the street, which even at this hour was beginning to get a bit crowded with pedestrians. It went on in this way for about fifteen minutes, here and there turning the corner onto another road, until it had reached a narrow lane deep in the city center. Even here, tighter though it was, hawkers and shopkeepers lined both sides, and customers milled between them. The cart pulled up next to one of these shops, whose sign read "Grocer Green co." From behind the cantaloupe display, a lanky middle-aged man with a neat black mustache flashed a big toothy grin.
The woman gave a little wave and jumped down from the oxcart. "Hi, Mr. Green." The man waved back. "Hello, Mrs. Zolli! A pleasure it is to see you, and a bit earlier than usual too!"
"You'll also be pleased to know the strawberry crop this year has been quite successful. I think you're going to run out of them a bit slower this year."
"Nonsense, Edel, utter nonsense. I run out faster when you bring me more. These strawberries are hot sellers, I'm telling you."
"The price is going up again, isn't it?"
"Right you are. Lucky you are too, since you're the one growing them." Mr. Green dipped back into the shop for a bit, and quickly returned with an envelope. "This will be your correct cut, then. I can throw in some groceries too if you like, on the house, since you've been so good to my shop." He sounded as chipper as ever.
"You're too kind."
"Edel, I insist. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
Mr. Green filled up a paper bag with all the same groceries Edel usually got. He knew it all like the back of his hand, of course. "Now let's bring this cart around the back of my shop, and I will help you unload it."
Edel hopped back onto the oxcart and began driving it around, down the alleyway and behind the shop. Mr. Green followed her.
When they got to the back, Edel popped the top of one of the boxes and removed a steel bar, about half an arm-length.
Mr. Green walked around the cart to where Edel was.
Edel jumped off, the steel bar held high above her head, swung it downwards and knocked him unconscious.
She then shifted her features. Now Edel was Mr. Green.
At around 10:30 in the morning, Edel Zolli drove her oxcart into Angellia and made her way to Grocer Green co. Her old friend was idling behind those cantaloupes again.
"Hello, Mrs. Zolli!"
"Hi, Mr. Green. It's a big'un this year, I tell you."
"Lucky you, Edel. The price went up again, and I might end up running out even faster."
"So I hear. Did you increase my cut, then?"
"Naturally." Mr. Green handed her the envelope. "And, your usual groceries? For you, they're on the house today."
"Oh, how sweet, but you shouldn't have!"
"Nonsense, my friend, nonsense. I insist."
Edel put the envelope in the bag of groceries, and the bag in the cart.
"How have things been in Plumeria, by the way, Edel?"
"Not too bad. We had a wonderful feast the other week, you know."
"A feast? What's the occasion?"
"Princess Scorpia's retirement, naturally. I'm sure Angellia's been talking all about it."
Mr. Green fiddled with his whiskers. "No, I haven't heard any such news. She must have left without saying anything."
"Nobody noticed she was gone the whole week?"
"It's a big city. All kinds of things could be happening and you wouldn't know unless you looked." Mr. Green cracked his usual big smile and winked. "Would you mind waiting just one minute, then driving the cart around the back? I need to go inside to get something." Edel nodded, and Green went back into the shop.
After a minute, she heard a great clatter from the back. "Er, Mr. Green? You alright back there?" No reply.
She ran around the back of the store. Mr. Green was sitting on a box, nursing a head wound. "Mr. Green, my goodness! Oh, I'd better send for the ambulance. How bad is it?" Mr. Green looked up at Edel and smiled. "Not that bad, my friend, I think. Say, where did your oxcart go?"
"I left it in front, I ran here when I heard the noise."
"Oh. That's funny, I thought it'd been with us."
Just one alleyway over, Double Trouble slinked off.
By Monday morning, one of two newspapers was in the hands of damn near every Angellian, and a number of people in other realms too. Both papers sat on Lonnie's desk.
One was the Angellia Herald, a well-respected and popular paper in its fourth year. "Mayor Announces New Police Force".
The other was the crudely printed Etheria Ascendant. "Scorpia's Mysterious Family Visit, Permanent Or Temporary?"
"Seems as though our secret was poorly kept." Lonnie leaned back in her seat.
Queen Glimmer pouted. "Already! That's ridiculous. You don't think somebody in the alliance let the secret out on purpose, do you?".
"No, of course not. Even if it were a mistake, it doesn't matter. I think I can handle the city without the help of any princess."
"Lonnie, take this seriously!"
"I am, Glimmer. I am being one hundred percent serious. I think Scorpia's retirement will be good for us in the long run."
Glimmer drew a circle in the air with her finger, and her truth spell was cast glowing upon Lonnie. "You wouldn't happen to have been the one to spill it?"
"No. That would have been incredibly stupid. Now that Scorpia isn't here, you're my direct boss, and you were already suspicious of me. If I'd been that dumb, I wouldn't have got this job, let alone kept it."
"Fair enough. I guess this means Scorpia's staying out, then?"
"If you please, Your Majesty, at least for now."
"And the police?"
"So far no incidents. The ex-Horde people may get a little antsy, but I have no doubt they'll get used to seeing police in their city with time."
Catra had told Adora that she was going to be visiting Angellia that day. She wasn't getting out of Brightmoon terribly often these days, so Adora considered it would be good for her. She seemed to be right. Catra hadn't seen Angellia in ages and had almost forgotten how much it reminded her of the old days. She was surrounded on all sides by throngs of people from every corner of the planet. Many of them looked like they were, or may have been, former Horde soldiers. Some were even wearing old uniform items as part of their outfit, though nobody really looked up to spec in the way Hordak used to insist all of his soldiers dressed. Catra herself made an effort to draw no attention, with her ears under her cap, and big sunglasses.
Leaving the flow of foot-traffic, Catra walked through a door, under a sign saying "Octavia's", and into what appeared to be a small diner. It was a little crowded, but much quieter than the street. On the wall, an old repurposed Horde computer monitor showed today's Salinean Water Polo League game. She sat down at the counter and removed her glasses. After a minute's wait, a green-skinned woman came up to her from the kitchen side. Except for a faint scar over her right eye (seeing it, Catra winced), it was hard to tell that this was the same Octavia who served in the Horde. She looked much less angry, at least, and she was dressed like a cook, not a soldier. Octavia squinted a bit at her. "Hold up—Catra?"
"You're lookin' right at her."
"Catra!" Octavia let out a big belly laugh. "Incredible! I heard you'd ran off to who-knows-where and got married. What are you doing in Angellia, old girl?"
"Consider it a vacation. It's been a long while since I was here, and I'll admit it's nicer than it used to be."
"Oh, maybe it is in some ways. I certainly like getting to run my diner, mind you, a lot better than I liked soldiering." Octavia poured a cup of coffee and handed it Catra's way.
"In some ways?" Catra wrapped her fingers around the hot cup.
"It's no secret, Catra, that people around here are getting pretty nervous about it all these days. You heard about the news, right? The police thing, and Scorpia leaving?"
"Scorpia leaving? I… yeah, I did know about that. I didn't know it was public."
"Maybe it wasn't supposed to be, but it is. If you ask me, she left because she was scared."
"I'm sure you can guess who scared her off."
Octavia looked from side to side. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Keep your voice down a bit, if you don't mind…"
She went back into the kitchen and was gone for a minute. She came back out with a sandwich and soup order for another one of the customers, a black-haired woman who was watching the water polo game. She walked back around to Catra.
"That one's undercover police. If you want to talk more, use the back door next time," Octavia whispered.
Catra nodded. She finished her coffee, said goodbye to Octavia, and stepped back out into the street.
A couple of scruffy-looking youths sat on the curb, engrossed in a copy of Etheria Ascendant, whispering between themselves. The taller of the two, a girl with long and messy brown hair, looked up, seeming to hear something. A moment later, everyone on the street could hear it: the rhythmic approach of boots. A pair of officers, clad full in the new purple and red uniform, moved straight for the two kids.
"Police! Don't move, you two. Drop the paper."
The tall girl dropped the paper.
"Stand up slowly."
She stood up, wide eyed, mouth hanging open. The shorter one, with burnt red cheeks and a squint in their eye, remained seated.
"I said, stand up slowly. Don't make it hard for yourself."
"I'm not interested." The kid leaned forward and picked the paper up again. "Can't you see I'm reading, big guy?"
"I sure can. That newspaper is contraband, and you're gonna be arrested for more than just that if you keep up the backtalk."
"Arrested! Come on then, arrest me. I dare you."
Catra felt like she knew what was going to happen. She weaved through the crowd, moving in their direction.
"The kid thinks they're tough. That's kind of cute, don't you think?" The other officer chuckled. "Yeah, it's adorable."
Catra picked up the pace, trying desperately to get to the other side of the street and prevent a fight breaking out.
The cops went for their batons.
A cry rang out of the crowd, ahead of where Catra was, closer to the scene:
"THAT'S MY KID!"
A lanky middle-aged man with a neat mustache and a head bandage ran up, hands open in front of him, and stepped between the cops and the kids.
The batons came out. One, two, and Mr. Green's skull came down to the curb for three blows.
The head bandage began to soak red.
The crowd erupted with noise. Catra just stared.