Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Princess and the Lioness. Enjoy the 1500-word chapter. I don't own She-Ra, Mattel and a few others do.

(Fright Zone, Signals)

Brennus rounded the corner after following the shouting.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! ALL I DO IS…" Catra said before Brennus cleared his throat, getting Catra's attention.

"Hordak wants to see you." Brennus stated, he knew he was lying, but he had heard a bit about Shadow Weaver from Scorpia.

"Why?!" Catra roared while Brennus sighed.

"Because he saw the Rebellion and wants your advice on dealing with them." He said and Catra sighed and pushed past him.

"Clever to lie." He heard and marched over to the doors, he knew either Hordak would assign a mission to Catra, Scorpia would talk to her or she would talk to Entrapta.

But he knew she would be mad at him later, that was something he would deal with when it came time to it.

"And your stupid to manipulate someone who thinks the world of you… But from what I've heard, this wouldn't be the first time." Brennus hissed, Shadow Weaver turned away, he was reminded of the thieves that thought of him as vermin.

But they were dead, and he had the cuts to prove that he had proved them wrong.

"You are an ignorant child who doesn't have the intelligence to understand me… You've never even met me." Shadow said and Brennus turned to the wall.

Then he laughed which was echoed like mechanical sirens which got a glare from Shadow as he turned back to her.

"I don't have to have met you to know you… I can see it in your eyes. You enjoy hurting people. You string people along then chop their strings off when it's amusing and your done with them. I guarantee you would have played Catra like a flute if I didn't lie to her. You're a leech that's hungry for blood but too selfish to admit you're a parasite. You've never known pain, I'm guessing." Brennus stated and Shadow threw herself at the cell.

"YOU DARE JUDGE ME!? YOU DON'T KNOW PAIN LIKE I DO!" Shadow bellowed and Brennus looked her in the eye.

"I know pain… That was my entire childhood, your pathetic puppet master… It's all I've known since I lost my planet and throne… And that childhood taught me a lot of things… Like never trust someone with a kind hand when their other has a dagger." Brennus said while he turned around and began to reminisce about the first few days in the deserts of Voruta.

(Voruta, 5 years ago)

13-year-old Brennus continued to walk through the desert as the trio of suns burned away at the young teen.

"Big brother, where are we going?" He heard and turned to Spyder who hid in the tattered cloak which covered his back and head. His front covered with a tattered and ripped brown jacket and black boots along with green pants.

Brennus sighed, the 11-year-old boy was too young to understand what Skeletor had did to their home, too young to know that he had fled like a coward when the capital city failed.

"To find a nice house to play in, Spy." He said and patted his sibling on the head as the black haired, 8 jaded eye kid, climbed from his's brother's head to the harness which kept him safe and was wrapped in cloth to provide a cushion for him.

This, along with his father's sword, the only thing he took with him and an energy pistol… Put strain on his back and slowed him… But Brennus didn't care, he had failed his father… He wouldn't fail his brother.

Brennus took the water bottle from his belt and unscrewed it.

"Drink." Brennus said while his brother looked at the bottle and then to his panting brother.

"But your thirsty!" Brennus heard from Spyder and he smiled.

"I'm ok, I'm just pretending, it's a game, little brother." Brennus lied and his brother gulped down the last of the water.

Brennus panted and fell to his knees, wiping the sweat from his brow. He hadn't drunk in 2 days, storing whatever water he could find that wouldn't poison them in a canteen.

"Big bro, look, I see some guys we could ask for directions!" Spyder yelled and jabbed a finger at a group of men rapped in similar rags as Brennus slowly forced himself to his feet.

He refused to die, at least until Spyder was safe.

"Little brother, remember what dad said, Spy." Brennus said, already guessing what would happen.

"C'mon, they could help us! Please?" Spyder begged and Brennus sighed before he nodded.

"I will talk to them, little brother… Just stay on my back like before, ok? They can't see you or their get mad, ok?" Brennus said and Spyder nodded and crawled under the cloak on Brennus's head.

Brennus walked down the hill, moving his cloak to hiding his pistol and then wrapping the bandages to hide his blade a bit.

(Present.)

Brennus traced over where the blade had stabbed into his side and turned to Shadow.

"I gave everything for my brother and I really hoped I could trust his idea… Lady, you're not a sorceress, you're a witch… And trust me… I'm never going to allow you to get under my skin like you've gotten under hers…" Brennus said and walked out of the room.

The second the door closed; he was slammed into the wall by an angry Catra.

"You lied." Catra hissed and Brennus sighed.

"You wouldn't have left if I didn't… She was going to use you… Just like she's always done." Brennus said before Catra slashed his head, his armor scraped before the marks vanished and Brennus gripped her armor.

"YOU LIED TO ME!" Catra yelled before Brennus forced her arm down to the side.

"SHE WOULD HAVE USED YOU TO BREAK OUT, CATRA! SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU!" Brennus said while Catra hissed and went to say something.

"Didn't you break her mask and beat her?" He asked and got a nod.

"And didn't she take credit for your plan to get the sword?" Brennus asked and got another nod before Brennus sighed.

"That woman isn't your mother; she might have raised you but she isn't your mother. Mothers are kind, they are patient, they are loving." Brennus said and got kicked backwards.

Brennus cracked his teeth back and climbed to his feet, mad, but unwilling to give into his anger.

"How would you know?" Catra asked, turning away, Brennus blinked.

"How would I know what?" Brennus asked before Catra leapt onto his chest and wrapped her hands around his throat.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT A MOTHER IS LIKE?! SHE RAISED ME AND SHE ALWAYS FAVORS ADORA! I DO EVERYTHING FOR HER AND I GET TREATED LIKE TRASH, HOW COULD YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WERE RAISED IN THE DESERT!?" Catra screamed and Brennus grabbed her arms.

"BECAUSE I LOST MINE TO DISEASE WHEN I WAS 10!" Brennus yelled and Catra blinked, Brennus stared her in the eye.

"I was raised by someone who did the best they could to raise a son and a brother abandoned by his family. Catra… Your strong enough to exist without her… If you can beat her in a fight, and you had a plan SHE took credit for, then why are you pining for her adoration?! You are better than her, the fact that you have her rank and she is in a cell shows that… I don't know a thing about Etheria, but I know that a mother wouldn't abuse her daughter… And the look on your face is all the proof I need to know she doesn't treat you like a daughter… So, don't try to impress her… Impress someone like Hordak who respects your talents." He said right before Catra looked away and then flipped off his chest.

"I… Need to go and talk to Entrapta about the robots for the next battle. Hordak said you're a Captain now…" Catra said and her Cheshire like grin appeared.

"You work for me." Catra said before she vanished down the hallway.

"Oh, I am never going to stop hearing that, aren't I?" Brennus asked before he sighed, at least her amusement at having a new subordinate would stop her from letting Shadow manipulate her.

"That woman is a danger to the Horde as long as she lives." He said and looked to see the Imp again.

"I have a battle to assist in then…" Brennus muttered and turned away.

Author notes

Phew, another chapter done! I tried to get Shadow Weaver right; I don't watch the show much. I do want to point out she won't be joining the resistance currently. I also want to point out Brennus's past will be revealed little by little, that was just a glimpse into it. Next chapter will be on Friday and will show the events and battle of 'Roll with it.' Until then, Lighting Wolf out!