Chapter 15: No Way To Go Back?
Birds scattered in terror as Catra flew backwards through several branches, landing as gracefully s she could, wincing. Adora rushed after her and threw another punch, which Catra ducked under and delivered a punch to her breast, causing her to buckle over. Catra took the advantage to put her in a headlock and attempt to subdue her with a sleeper-hold. Adora quickly broke the hold and threw her into a nearby tree.
Catra landed with a thud on the ground and wiped at her mouth. "Yeah...you've gotten better Adora, I admit it." she chuckled, slowly getting to her feet. Adora leapt over to deliver a haymaker and catra weaved around her punch, kneeing her in the gut. Adora let out a strained gaps, before retaliating with an uppercut to Catra's stomach. "Oof! Man, you're going all out aren't ya?" she groaned.
"I told you Catra, I'm getting you away from Santos. If you aren't gonna come peacefully then I'll force you." Adora replied, throwing Catra again. "I really, really didn't want to have to fight you Catra..."
"Yeah well it's about four years too late for that!" Catra yelled out, slowing her flight by digging her claws into the ground and stopping a moment to catch her breath. Digging in once more, she pounced at Adora and slashed her claws at her face. Adora barely managed to avoid the strike, and caught Catra's tail. "MROWR! What are you-" She barely squeaked out before Adora slammed her into the ground face first.
"Stand down Catra, please." Adora quietly said, stepping on her back to hold her in place. Catra's response was to let out a hiss and sweep Adora's legs, flooring her.
Catra took this moment to pounce on Adora and pin her down by her wrists again, just as she did when they were younger. "This all feels familiar doesn't it." She purred.
"Yeah and if you recall I got out of it last time." Adora deadpanned.
"Sorry Adora, got all your limbs pinned this time." Catra snickered, holding her legs down with her own. "There's no way for you to-" Adora interrupted her with a headbutt directly to the nose, causing her to yelp and tumble backwards off of Adora.
"And I told you before Catra, I'm never going back." She said, cracking her neck. "So you'd best be taking this seriously."
"Oh I am." The feline grinned, "I'm taking this VERY seriously." Quickly, Catra dashed off deeper into the forest, and Adora gave chase…
Avengers Tower:
Natasha and Steve were looking out the window, thinking about Adora worried. "Does she really know what she's doing Nat?" Steve asked, the concern for his daughter evident in his voice.
"I don't know Steve. She's stubborn alright. And can't have thought this through well..." Natasha replied.
Steve gave a small chuckle. "Reminds me of myself. Back in the 40's, when I lead the solo assault on HYDRA's prison." He commented, remembering how he first assembled the Howling Commandos.
"She really is your daughter Steve." Natasha said with a small smile.
Steve sighed. "She is. I just want her to become too much like me." he replied.
Natasha nodded. "I raised her before you were thawed. If there's anyone I don't want her to imitate. It's me." she explained.
Adora pursued Catra into the forests, the light beginning to dim and the trees thickening. She knew that by doing this she was going to be giving Catra and advantage, so she looked around the woods carefully and listened as well. She was on her guard for the inevitable ambush.
Sure enough, Catra leapt out of a nearby tree and thrust a stun rod at her. Adora barely avoided the first attack, and Catra pressed her attack, striking faster and faster with the rod. Adora was being forced back, not wanting to get taken down by the stun rod. Eventually, she draw her sword and began using it to parry the attacks and defend.
"You can't just stay on the defensive Adora!" Catra yelled with a grin. "You'll slip up soon enough!" She swung the stun rod for Adora's head, and Adora blocked it, before grabbing Catra's wrist and twisting it just enough to make her drop the baton, causing a yelp.
"I know I can't." Adora calmly said, resheathing her sword and landing a solid face punch. "It's why I'm removing your advantage." She stepped on and crushed the stun rod, before landing another punch on Catra making her fly backwards.
Catra caught herself on the tree and hissed. "I still have the terrain advantage Adora!" She replied, climbing into the tree. Adora kept on her guard, as Catra leapt between the trees, and occasionally leapt out to strike at Adora, who barely managed to block each attack. She leapt again and managed to scratch Adora on the cheek, but couldn't get back into the tree as Adora caught her by the leg and pulled her back, punching her into the ground.
"Stay put Catra." Adora said, drawing her sword and laying it across Catra's body.
Catra suddenly found herself unable to stand up. "What the fuck? What is this thing made of?!" She yelled out, flailing feebly under the sword.
"Asgardian metal." Adora replied with a smug grin. "And a charm that lets only the people I want to wield it, wield it." She sat down next to Catra and sighed. "That's checkmate Catra. Give up, and I'll take you somewhere safe." she pleaded with her friend, who was still flailing and making angry cat noises. "My god I forgot how adorable your cat sound are..." Adora said with a blush.
"Sh-shut up Adora I'm not cute! I'm Cool!" Catra pouted.
Adora grinned and put on a teasing, smug look, "Mmm, nah. Can't really be cool when you're flailing around under a sword." she teased, with a chuckle.
"Fuck off Hairpoof." Catra growled. "Besides, you've got to move this sword to get me anywhere~" she said, grinning. "And the minute you do, I'm going to get you for this too."
Adora groaned, realizing she's right and lifted the sword, hoping to grab her arms before she did anything. She wasn't fast enough and Catra kicked her hard in the midsection, before rolling away and sprinting off into the forest again. "Argh, I really didn't think that through..." she grunted in irritation, before chasing after Catra again.
Followers HQ:
Several Followers soldiers were standing together discussing what had been happening recently. "You hear Emily ran off?" One said.
Another nodded, "Apparently she was terrified of the doc. I can't blame her. Something has been very wrong with Doctor Santos recently."
A third spoke up next, "I'm more worried about Santos' two weapons, Adora and Catra."
The first looked up. "Adora? The traitor who joined the Avengers?"
"Yeah, Catra's been trying to find a way to get her back here for the last four or five years." The third replied. "Last I heard, she's set things up for a final showdown."
"I gotta wonder what happened to those two." The second commented. "Years ago, I rermember how friendly they were. Despite everything the doc put them through, they were inseparable."
"Evidently not anymore." The first deadpanned.
"I just hope Catra doesn't kill her." the third sadly said.
"I'd be more worried about Adora killing Catra." the first corrected.
"I doubt it." The second added, "They would never be willing to do that to each other...would they?"
The three quickly went quiet upon seeing Doctor Santos walking by and giving them both a furious glare. They quickly gathered up their equipment and ran back to their posts.
Santos was irritated with their discussion, but even she had to concede they had a point. Both of the girls were far too stubborn to surrender. The chance of them fighting to the death grew more and more realistic the longer she let this farce drag on. Despite Inperatio goading her in her mind to 'Let the best one win' she couldn't bring herself to let such a tragedy occur and called together several squads of her followers.
"All of you have the orders to spreads out and find Adora and Catra. Bring them both back here. And move quickly, if either of them is dead or lost by the time you reach them I'll have all your heads!"
Adora lost track of Catra near a cliff-side in a lightly forested area. She looked over the ledge to the river below and shuddered. This was beginning to get too dangerous. Scanning the forest, she saw Catra leaping out again at her.
"That's ENOUGH!" She yelled, catching her midair and slamming her hard into the ground. "I'm done fighting you Catra! I'm not doing this anymore!" She caught her breath, looking down at her former friend, groaning on the ground.
"Ow… You have gotten pretty good Adora." Catra groaned, spitting out blood. "But I'm not done with you yet."
"But I'm done." Adora calmly said, beginning to walk away. "I'm not gonna fight you anymore. I'm done hurting you. No more."
Catra growled. "Don't you fucking walk away from me!" she yelled after her.
"Catra, PLEASE." Adora pleaded, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have." Catra growled and charged at Adora, who swung around and punched her in the nose. Catra stumbled back from the punch, right towards the cliff. "CATRA!" Adora yelled out as Catra fell over. Adora ran after her and leapt. She managed to catch Catra by the hand, laying over the ledge and holding her friend as tightly as she could. "Hang on Catra, I've got you."
Catra looked at the raging river below her, scared out of her wits. She grabbed Adora's arm with her other hand, not wanting to fall. "Ugh I hate water." She said, trying to keep calm, but the shaking of her voice betrayed her fear.
"Don't worry, hang in there." Adora said, starting to pull her back up. She successfully pulled Catra back up and gave her a hug. "I got you Catra, you're safe..."
"Adora I-" Catra began to say, until the two felt the ground beneath them shifting. Before either could react, the ground crumbled and dropped them both off the cliff, towards the river below…
To Be Continued…
That's what I call a "Cliffhanger"
Okay I'm sorry that was bad ^^;
So yeah, this chapter is pretty short. Honestly if it wasn't for the fact I have the rest of the arc planned out chapter by chapter, I would have added my plans for the next chapter into it. It'll make sense by the end of the arc, I'm using a very simple Naming pattern for this arc. Fans of Avengers cartoons would have picked up on it by now.
Only three more chapters of this arc left, and we'll be moving on to MCU Phase 2 proper.
Also this might be the most brutal one-on-one fight scene I've written so far. Catra and Adora were not holding back this time. Well….Adora was just because of not using her sword much but the point still stands.
I Do Not own She-Ra or the MCU
No Spoilers for She-Ra please.
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NEXT TIME: We Need to Talk...