Chapter 16: Standing On My Own….
Catra and Adora crawled out of the river, coughing and sputtering as they did so, with Catra's fur dripping wet. "Ugh I fucking hate water..." she groaned, shaking off her fur and briefly poofing up, much to Adora's amusement. "You forget you saw this..." she growled as she worked to smooth her fur out, sitting in the dirt.
Adora chuckled a bit. "I've seen you poof up before Catra. We grew up together." She quipped, coughing a bit more. "What were you about to say before we fell?"
Catra's tail went stiff as she asked that, "Uh….nothing!" She replied, smoothing her fur out.
"No you were gonna say something up there." Adora reiterated.
"It was nothing!" Catra yelled, standing up before yowling and falling over. Adora ran over to check on her and saw some serious bruising on her leg.
"Looks like you twisted your leg a bit when you landed. You should stay off it for a while." Adora said softly, trying to help her stand.
Catra only swatted her hand away. "I'm fine Adora! I don't need your help! I don't need you!" She yelled, beginning to limp off. "You got lucky this time, that's all." She didn't get far before she suddenly felt Adora gripping the scruff of her neck and lifting her off the ground. She yelped and found herself unable to move, like a kitten being carried by her mother.
Adora, at this point, was more than fed of with the entire run-around. She turned Catra to face her, and in a very angry tone of voice, finally let it all out. "NO Catra, We're not doing this ANYMORE!" she yelled. "You have been avoiding me, antagonizing me, and being stubborn for far too long as this point. No more bitterness, no more fighting, no more deflecting. We are gonna sit down and TALK! Right here, Right now!" She finished, looking Catra in the eyes. Catra gave a long sigh and her ears drooped. "Catra….we've been putting this off too long. We need this."
"You're right." Catra Admitted, "We do...but did you have to scruff me?"
Adora put Catra down on a nearby log and sat next to her. "It was the easiest way to keep you from leaving, and was less painful than your tail. Sorry...about how often I used your tail in the fight." she said.
"Sorry about the fight at all Adora...I'm sorry in general for how I've been acting." Catra said quietly, looking away.
"We've both been handling this terribly Catra." Adora replied, reaching over and patting her on the leg. "I.. didn't handle things well in 2009. I shouldn't have yelled at you about the bombs." she sighed heavily. "I was not exactly improving my case there."
"You also broke my nose." Catra added.
"Well Catra you're not exactly innocent yourself. My back still has the scars from your claws." Adora commented, prompting Catra's ears to droop again. "I see them every single time I look in the mirror while I change, it makes me think about everything that happened, and how we could have done it differently."
"I didn't help matters by using the bombs in the first place. I just thought SHIELD had you captive, that I needed to get the mean SHIELD agent away from you." Catra sadly said, before noticing Adora giggling. "What's so funny."
"You called Kyle 'The mean Agent.'" Adora replied, laughing harder. "He couldn't be mean if he wanted to. The guy's as friendly as a puppy." She wiped the tear from her eyes from laughing so hard.
"Reminds me of Emily." Catra said wistfully. "Always so happy, so optimistic….aaaand I tricked her into running away." She sadly explained.
"Probably did her a favor Catra. Santos is not the best person to be raising any of us." Adora replied.
Catra looked up to the sky. "She's my mom, Adora." She admitted. Adora gave Catra a weird look. "I'm serious. Doctor Lorraine Santos is my birth mother, the same woman we both remember being the sweetest woman who protected us back in the old base." She looked to the ground. "She told me herself...then she tortured me for failure."
"She can't be telling the truth Catra." Adora tried to reason.
Catra merely shook her head. "She was telling the truth." she replied, her eyes beginning to water. "She's my mom, and she loved you more than me, ever since we left the old base she hated me!" Catra began to cry, causing Adora to pull her close and let Catra cry into her shoulder. "M-meanwhile, you've got a happy family. Your dad's Captain America, and you've got your adopted mom." She wept harder as Adora began to stroke her back. "Why?! Why did you end up so happy when I'm stuck in hell!?"
Adora shushes her friend sweetly, "Catra….this is why I want to take you away from there. I want you to be happier." She explained. "The Avengers can protect you, I can protect you, and I always will."
"You Can't..." Catra replied quietly.
"We can take the Followers." Adora reassured.
"No, you can't. Inperatio isn't just a name." Catra replied, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "She's got this mask. It...it gives her terrible magic powers." Adora's eyes widened. "She bends Shadows to her will, she has crackling red lightning that shakes your entire body to the core. She can fly...she's insanely powerful." Catra explained, holding her arms and shivering.
"Catra….did she….did she use it on you?" Adora cautiously asked. Catra could only nod silently. "Oh my god..."
"It hurts…. It hurts more than any other pain I've ever felt. Like, all of your body is stinging and burning at once. It feels like you should be dying, but you never do. And Then she hits you with it again. And again..." Catra explained, hiding her face.
Adora's face grew grim and she gritted her teeth. "I'm gonna fucking kill her..." she growled under her breath in an icy tone Catra had never heard before, causing the feline to look at her in shock.
"Adora… I've never heard you so angry." Catra said stunned.
"She hurt you Catra, she KEEPS hurting you." Adora explained. "It's bad enough she was neglectful, emotionally and verbally abusive, but straight up torture? She needs to die." she growled, pulling Catra closer to herself protectively.
"Adora, she's still my mom." Catra said nervously.
"She doesn't have the right to call herself that." Adora replied. "Not anymore." Catra's eyes practically lit up as she threw her arms around Adora and embraced her long estranged friend, hugging her tight. Adora gleefully returned the hug, patting Catra's back as she did so, causing the cat girl to begin to purr.
"You're taking this whole 'Evil Magic' thing very well." Catra deadpanned.
Adora chuckled a bit. "Kitten, Last year I fourth off an alien invasion in New York lead by freaking Loki, while fighting alongside Thor, God of Thunder." She grinned widely, "I don't think ANYTHING can really surprise me anymore. This world has gotten very weird these last few years." She explained.
"What next...alien symbiote that makes you more aggressive? Time Travelling Conqueror? Planet eating titan?" Catra quipped.
"At this rate kitten, I'd believe ANYTHING." Adora replied with a laugh.
Catra purred more and laid her head on Adora's shoulder. "I missed hearing you call me Kitten. What was the other name you'd call me?" she asked.
Adora smiled brightly, "Wildcat." she replied.
"I wasn't THAT wild." Catra defended.
"Catra remember when I found you clinging to the ceiling above my bed? Or climbing the curtains in the great hall?" Adora replied with a smirk.
"Shut up Adora, don't spoil the moment..." Catra deadpanned, keeping close to Adora.
Half an Hour Later:
The two finally had dried off enough and Catra's leg began to heal up, so they stood up to set out again. "Catra, I'm going to ask you very politely, come with me, please." Adora said, holding a hand out to her friend.
"I can't Adora. Not until I find a way to get rid of Santos." Catra replied. "Although, we might have to keep together for a bit. I'm gonna be honest I have no idea where the fuck we are." Catra deadpanned with a shrug.
Adora looked back at the river, and up at the cliff the two had fallen from. "We probably washed a good bit downriver. My ride's back near the clearing we started fighting.." she admitted, rubbing her head slightly.
Catra giggled a bit. "Guess we'd better start walking. Don't worry, I won't bother you again until I have Mom's head on a platter." she replied, and the two began to wander the forest together. "So uh, Tony and Thor got you things?"
"Yeah for my birthday." Adora replied, looking at Adora with a smile, "They threw me a party."
"Lucky.." Catra commented, a bit annoyed.
"Hey, when you're with us, we'll throw you a party for your birthday too." Adora told her friend with a smile, causing a genuine smile from the cat as well. "They also celebrated Christmas with it. Oh man that was such a lovely night. And New Years! I really can't wait to celebrate those with you this year Catra."
Catra gave a happy sigh, "Adora, you're already making plans despite the fact we still haven't figured out how I'm gonna handle Santos." she said.
Adora nodded. "Because I'm gonna bring the Avengers down on her head the moment I have the chance Catra. Remember what I promised you years ago. I may have broken it once, never again." she told her friend. "I'm gonna bring in the Cavalry and we're gonna tear Followers HQ apart and set all the children free. I'm gonna protect you like I always said I would. And then we're gonna put Santos in the ground where she belongs."
"Look at you Adora." Catra said with a grin. "Sounding like a real superhero."
"Catra, I basically AM a superhero." Adora replied, flashing a thumbs up.
At that moment, Catra's ears twitched and she stopped in place, sniffing the air. Her eyes widened as she recognized the scent. "The Followers are here, they followed me?" she said in shock. "Adora you need to run now-"
"No." Adora said. "This is perfect."
Within seconds the two were confronted by a squad of followers, clicking their rifles and taking aim. "Catra? You caught her?" the squad leader said in disbelief.
Catra was about ready to speak up, and fight her way out, before Adora grabbed her shoulder and walked forward. Then, to Catra's horror, she put her hands behind her head. "Yes, she did. I surrender."
Catra rushed up behind Adora and whispers, "Adora, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"
Adora whispered right back, "Protecting you. Trust me, I have a plan..." The Soldiers approached and cuffed Adora, one tried to grab her sword but quickly gave up realizing he couldn't move it. As they congratulated Catra, Adora suddenly feigned tripping and landed on her chest. "Oh no, my leg is still weak from the fall. I am so clumsy." She said in a barely convincing tone of voice, one of the soldiers yanking her to her feet in annoyance. Fortunately for Adora, none of them noticed the faint light that had appeared on her uniform near where she landed, which emitted the faintest, barely audible beeping. Nobody except for Catra, who's ears perked up as she gave Adora a shocked look. Adora winked with a smug grin. Catra, knowing what she'd just done, winked right back.
Avengers Tower:
The Avengers had gathered, beginning to worry about Adora, as she'd been gone for a while now. "We can't keep waiting!" Steve yelled out, standing up and grabbing his shield.
"Steve's right, we have to go find her." Natasha admitted.
Clint sighed, "Guys we don't know where she WENT though." he replied.
Suddenly, tony rushed into the room. "Guys, you won't believe what that crazy, clever little brat did." he said quickly, bringing up a holographic map of the country. In the middle of the map was a red light, blinking and moving slowly. "It's my tracking device."
Steve's eyes widened. "She's leading us to the Followers HQ." he said in stunned disbelief.
Natasha was shaking slightly, "That's risky even for her."
Thor gave a boisterous laugh s he stood. "A Clever tactic from Lady Rogers! Come friends, we must ride to the aid of our young Comrade." he declared gleefully as the Avengers began to suit up. Even Banner came running in.
"You're coming too Banner?" Clint asked.
"Damn right I am. Adora's going to need all of us. Hulk Included." Bruce replied with a calm face. The Avengers quickly piled into another Quinjet and prepared for takeoff, Tony and Thor flying ahead of them.
To Be Continued…
So How many of you actually remembered the Tracking device in Adora's new Costume~? A clever move from the blond dumbass isn't it. Also Adora and Catra are on good terms again, YAY! This chapter was one I've been admittedly looking forward to writing.
No She-Ra Spoilers!
I do not own She-Ra or the MCU.
Leave some feedback if you like, please ^_^
NEXT TIME: Fall of the Followers