Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Princess and the Lioness. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own She-Ra, Mattel and a few others do.
(Crimson Wastes, Once upon a time in the wastes.)
Catra heard the skiffs roar up before the door opened.
Brennus lumbered in, flanked by Horde Soldiers.
"Oh, hey, Brennus. I didn't know that you were coming." Catra said with a smirk before Brennus started to walk over.
One of the soldiers went to confront him before a single punch from Brennus knocked him into the wall and he was out.
"You already knew we were coming. Scorpia, were you tracking me?" Brennus asked, never taking his eyes off Catra.
His soldiers spread out, making sure none of the patrons had the gall to assail the Force Captain again.
"I…. Yeah?" Scorpia said, Brennus shrugged and turned to Catra who had not moved from the bar.
"I already know that you're going to rub this in…" He said and turned to one of the soldiers behind him.
"Search the wastelands but don't exhaust yourself. You get tired, return to camp… Lord Hordak already prepared more reinforcements to search the Crimson Wastes. We don't want anyone getting fatigued." He ordered and the soldiers backed out of the bar.
"Ok, what are you going to order me to do?" He said, Catra took a sip of her milk.
"Why would you assume I'm going to boss you around?" She asked, Brennus pushed his way through the thugs and other residents of the Crimson Waste.
He towered over Catra and stopped a few feet from her.
"Your smirking, Scorpia told you I was coming. B. you LOVE to tell me what to do because you have a living breathing toy with fire powers and near unstoppable armor… So, I'm asking… What do you want me to do? You outrank me, you know this, so does Scorpia…" He said, he turned and scanned the bar.
"Go find something important… I have some new friends to make… I'll come get you later, I'm sure Hordak put me in charge of the Horde here?" Catra asked, Brennus rolled his eyes and pushed his way towards the door.
"What do you think, kit cat?" He said and felt her smirk turn to a look of pure rage.
He smirked and boarded his skiff, he already knew Catra was going to get payback for that.
He still decided it was worth it and he was eager to see her response as he revved his engine before he turned and flew off.
"BRENNUS!" He heard from Catra and laughed, he knew Catra wouldn't contact him over the communicators, it would damage her ego.
He knew her ego was a weakness. He knew his was his overconfidence in his armor… And his eagerness for a good fight alongside his lack of information on the planet and the resistance.
"She's going to kill me when I come back… She'd be a lot better if she didn't want to make a contest out of everything. I… No, I'm wrong, Catra was made this way by abandonment, I've seen that need to be vindicated before…. I was that way." Brennus muttered before he peeled off to go and join the rest of his unit.
He hummed and then he continued to rev the engine before the skiff leapt over a dune and into the desert.
"This design is a lot similar to the Sky Cycles of Voruta… How much of our technology and people escaped Skeletor's assault?" He asked before the skiff slowed as it reached the other soldiers.
He looked at the other soldiers while he matched through the sand. He turned to looked at the rest of the soldiers.
The Crimson Wastes reminded him a lot of Voruta's deserts which comprised half the planet and was where the worst criminals were sent in. He remembered his treks through the desert.
Where his old self had died… And Brennus, the conquering warrior who promised to crush Skeletor under his boots was born.
He promised to liberate Voruta, he wouldn't be king though… A king earned their throne. He had learned that after seeing so many leaders in the desert.
He had learned a lot of things in the desert, being threatened, betrayed, left to die? They taught you to be ruthless, cunning, cold and calculating to survive.
"Anything I should know at the moment?" He asked his troops while he leapt off the skiff and walked pass them. He looked at them.
His armor offered some protection from the heat, he was used to it though…. But it didn't mean he didn't need to eat or drink.
He doubted the Horde made armor that was resistant to heat.
He wondered if he could find anyone else in the desert.
"Stay here… I want to check something…" He ordered before marching away.
"If Catra is going to make her own gang? It's time I see what Etheria has to offer… And remake my own group." He muttered to himself.
Author notes
Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that chapters after this should be longer. Next chapter will be on Sunday or so… I do want to point out Brennus is going to recruit some characters from the original She Ra and He Man. Next chapter will show Brennus meeting the mutants and will show the formation of Brennus's personal squad. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!