Chapter Ten: Fury
Having found somewhere with enough space to duel, Steven and Jasper both readied themselves for the fight. "Remember: you can't fight like you're used to," she reminded him. "You're a warrior now, not a healer. So fight like one!"
"Catra's army of robots might tell a different story!" he replied, swinging the Sword of Power around. "Emerald could probably vouch for my skill, too."
"'Skill?' Don't make me laugh," said Jasper. "What you have now isn't skill, it's raw power. That may be enough to get you through a few basic scraps, but against the New Horde's higher-ups? They'll wear you down, then shatter you to pieces. The only way you'll stand a chance is if you're honed from a hunk of raw ore into a fine blade. And I'm just the blacksmith to do that–now say the words!"
Steven held the Sword of Power aloft. "By the Power of Grayskull!" He could feel ancient energy flowing into him through the sword, transforming him into a mighty warrior. Now able to match Jasper in size and strength, he assumed a battle stance. "Don't think I'll go easy on you this time!"
Jasper sneered. "Me either." She launched herself at him in a burst of speed, delivering a punch before he could block. Her fist collided with his chest, and though his armor protected him, he still slid back several feet. He responded with an uppercut with the blade, though Jasper sidestepped his attack and delivered another punch straight to his jaw. This one sent him reeling a bit, but he quickly recovered.
Putting all his strength into his slashes, He-Man cut through the air with enough force to create small gusts with every swing. But it still wasn't enough to catch Jasper, who could easily anticipate his attacks. Apparently growing tired of his efforts, she caught him by the wrist, before knocking him off his feet with a kick. Steven fell to the ground, where Jasper threw another punch. Her fist stopped inches from his face.
"If I was still trying to kill you, I would have just now," she said. She walked away, not bothering to help him back up. "It's not enough to throw your weight around! You need to be precise, efficient! It doesn't take genius, it just takes anticipating an enemy's movements, and then acting accordingly."
Steven let out an irritated huff as he got back up. "You might be good at fighting, but not so much at teaching!" he groaned. "How is repeatedly kicking me to the dirt going to help me learn how to be a better fighter!?"
"This is how I learned," Jasper said, "and look how I turned out! Even as the ultimate Quartz, I wouldn't be the fighting machine I am today if I hadn't learned how to throw a punch–or to take one! I am a warrior tempered by time and pain, and if you want to master that sword, it'll take time and pain. Round two!" She charged at Steven, giving him barely enough time to react.
His first instinct was to hold the sword up like a shield, a maneuver which she easily subverted. Jasper darted behind him, grabbing hold of his shoulder and hurling him against a nearby tree. Steven grunted as his body collided with the trunk, rolling out of the way before Jasper's fist dug a hole into the bark. He swung, creating a small cut in her leg, but it healed almost instantly.
Jasper moved quickly, diverting his blade when he tried to swing it again. "Stop playing defensively!" she bellowed, grabbing hold of his collar. He tried to break free by bringing his sword down atop her head, but her helmet put a stop to that. "Find your anger; use that!" She threw him a good distance away, where he landed hard on his back. He got his bearings just in time to block an attack from above.
Lying on the ground, Steven's sword was struck by Jasper's fist, the two of them struggling against the other. "I don't have any anger!" said Steven, almost sounding angry at this fact.
"Then find some!" Jasper leapt over Steven to avoid his sword, pounding her helmet down hard against his face. His new form protected him, but it was still a devastating impact. "You can't win all your fights with hand-holding and cheery songs!" She lifted him up again, before knocking him back to the ground with another headbutt. "Now get angry!"
Steven's hand tightened around the sword's hilt. His breathing picked up as he gritted his teeth. With his powers still gone, and unable to master He-Man's powers, he had been feeling pretty useless for a while now. And he was unsure how exactly that made him feel. But now, Jasper had reminded him: he felt angry. Angry at himself, angry at Emerald and Catra, but right now, he was angry at Jasper. "You want me to get angry?" he growled. "How about I get furious?"
Steven threw his sword at Jasper, who, confused by the maneuver, easily sidestepped the weapon. She looked back too late to realize the true purpose of this tactic, as he was then upon her, delivering a punch powerful enough to shatter her visor.
Reeling from the impact, Jasper held a hand up to her jaw. "Huh…now we're getting somewhere!" she said, wearing a smile of bloodlust. She returned to the fray, throwing another punch, this one Steven blocked with his arm. He punched with his free hand, but Jasper lowered her helmet to block. With the two trapped in a lock, Steven raised his knee, kicking Jasper and knocking her back.
As the two of them traded blows, Steven felt himself being overcome by a feeling of ecstasy, the likes of which he had never felt. He was supposed to be angry–he was angry, so why did it feel so…good? Even as Jasper's fists rained down against him, he couldn't help but smile, even as he roared with fury. All of his worries and concerns, everything outside of their fight, it all simply faded into the background. This was where he belonged.
Another punch from Steven was caught by Jasper, who twisted his arm as though to break it. He repeatedly drove his free fist against her face, but she refused to let go. He was finally able to break free by slamming his arm into her elbow, wrapping his arms around her torso. He then hoisted her above his head, hurling her away.
But such an attack wasn't going to have Jasper down for long. As soon as she hit the ground, she rolled into a ball, speeding towards Steven. He blocked the attack by holding his arms in front of his chest; the two of them struggled as Jasper clashed against Steven's bracers. Jasper broke through his defenses when she uncurled and slammed her helmet into his face. While he was stunned, she caught him in a headlock.
"I'm definitely seeing improvement!" she said, holding him in place. "But it's not enough! Throwing away your sword was your first mistake–you'll need to use all the tools at your disposal to beat me!"
"You mean like this?" Steven held his hand against Jasper's shoulder. Unseen by her, the discarded Sword of Power behind her slid forward on the ground before rocketing towards its owner's hand, this time blade-first. Jasper roared in pain as it pierced through her side, letting go of Steven. "Not just raw power now, am I?"
With Jasper reeling from the attack, Steven moved to reclaim his blade. He grabbed hold of the handle to remove it, but rather than pull it out straight, he moved it like a lever, further cutting into Jasper's form. She bellowed again, shoving him back. But he already had a tight grip on the hilt–this movement was the last straw, and Jasper's arm was severed completely. She held the stump in shock, looking down at her fallen limb. But soon, her own rage bubbled up, and she hurled herself at him.
Even with only one arm, a punch from Jasper would have been more than enough to flatten any opponent. But Steven was no ordinary opponent, especially now. He deflected the blow with the blunt side of his blade, before swinging his sword back around and slicing through her midsection. Jasper fell to her knees, and Steven prepared to deal the final blow.
Jasper opened her eyes. Steven had roared as though to finish her off, but the Sword of Power was now mere inches from her Gem. Panting, Steven smiled as he loomed over her. "If I was still trying to kill you," he said, "I would have just now."
Rather than being upset at being defeated and nearly killed, Jasper was instead proud to see such bloodlust in her new pupil. A wide smile matching Steven's appeared on her face as she got back up. "Now you're starting to show some promise! With anger like that, I'll make a warrior out of you yet!" She picked her arm up off the ground, putting it back in place where it reattached itself quickly.
"That was…I've never felt that way before!" Steven said, pacing about excitedly. "The excitement, that–that rush, it's like I was on cloud nine for that whole fight! No wonder you like battling so much!"
Jasper felt her side, where the cut was beginning to repair itself as well. "Glad you can see things my way, kid," she said. "Alright, I think you've earned a break. Come and see me when you want to–"
But to her surprise, Steven was in no mood for a break. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting started!" he said, swinging his sword around. "I feel like I could take on one of the Diamonds! No, I could take on all three at once! C'mon, let's go again!"
"Now you're speaking my language!" Jasper said. The two of them retook their positions in the courtyard, preparing for another match. Unbeknownst to them, they had something of an audience: through a window on the castle's upper floor, Connie had watched their bout with growing concern. Although she couldn't hear Steven's words, his excitement and glee were visible even from afar.
As much as Connie wanted to tear herself away from the sight, she couldn't. "Steven…what is she doing to you?" she wondered aloud, watching in horror as Jasper's teachings rubbed off on him. How much longer would she allow this to go on for?
A better question would be, how long would Steven let this go on for?
Sqalish hit the ground with a thud. "You idiot!" Catra hissed. "We had that fool right where we wanted him! He could've led us right to the Heart, but you couldn't swallow your pride for one minute! Now the Princess Alliance is no doubt on to us, all because you just had to show up your old rival!"
"Sounds familiar," Sqalish growled. He tried to get up, but was kicked back down by Catra.
"Do. Not. Go. There." she said, her claws twitching. "You don't have the right to speak to me like that! I'm the one who rebuilt the Horde from the ground up–what did you do?" At the risk of being hit again, he stayed silent. "I thought so. Now let's keep moving."
Although Carnelian was amused by seeing Catra wail on Sqalish, she could recognize when Catra's temper was clouding her judgment. "Uh…moving to where?" she asked. Catra's ear twitched, but she didn't lash out…yet. "N-not that I'm questioning your leadership or anything, I was just wondering what your plan is! The plan that I'm certain you have, of course."
Catra let out a harsh sigh. "Alright, you want to know the plan? The plan is to lay low, because someone put all of Salineas on high alert! We can't look for the Heart of Etheria with all of the princesses breathing down our necks, which they no doubt will be now that we've exposed ourselves like that. All we can do now is hope that Azurite and the others are more competent than you two."
"How 'bout the Fright Zone?" suggested Carnelian, at the risk of further angering Catra. "We could go there! They'll never suspect that!"
Sqalish glared at her. "Are you dense!? The old Horde capital is exactly where they'll suspect we went!"
"Maybe, but what if we use that to our advantage?" she replied. "Like, they won't suspect us going there because it's too obvious, but we will go there specifically because it would be the obvious choice, thereby making it less obvious! How's that for strategy?"
For a long while, Sqalish just stared at her. "...Your understanding of reverse psychology is murky at best," he said. "What do you suggest we do, Empress?"
After considering it for a bit, Catra decided. "Okay. Your reasoning behind it is flawed, but you might be onto something in going to the Fright Zone." Carnelian smiled proudly. "But! The place is bound to be crawling with Hordak's loyalists, so we have to lay low. Luckily for you both, I know the place like the back of my hand. And maybe…maybe Entrapta left some of her research behind. We might be able to find more out about the Heart."
"Excellent. Then let's get moving," said Sqalish. "The sooner we can get as far away from Kenek as possible, the better."
"How true," Catra muttered, leading the three of them towards the Fright Zone.
"Entrapta? Entrapta!?" Emerald strolled through the halls of the Supermassive, calling the scientist's name. "Where could she have run off to? You there, Amethyst! When was the last time you saw Entrapta?"
The Amethyst was surprised by her commander's sudden appearance. "W-who, me? Oh, I, uh…I think she was with you?"
Emerald groaned. "Useless, utterly useless! With Catra off on her Etheria adventure and Entrapta getting distracted at every turn, I have to run this whole circus myself! And with the way things are going, Ophidia isn't going to be conquered any time soon." She headed for the command bridge, with the Amethyst close on her heels.
"Uh, if I may, My Emerald…" she said hesitantly, "why are taking this place over again? I feel like it doesn't offer up much advantage, strategy-wise."
Emerald rolled her eyes. "And that is why you're just a lowly Quartz. Ophidia and its people have stood unconquered for millennia! Homeworld couldn't take them, Horde Prime couldn't take them…but we will. We'll claim their bountiful resources, and further the expansion of the New Horde all across the universe. Empress Catra has assured me that Hordak's followers will be more than happy to join us once they see the extent of our power."
"It's just that, um, that Catra doesn't seem all that trustworthy, does she?" said the Amethyst. "I get that she knows how to take charge, but…so do you, right? I dunno. It just feels like she's distracting you with this place while she goes off and takes care of the important stuff back on Etheria."
"I'd watch your tone if I were you," Emerald said. "Catra and I may…disagree from time to time, but she is still a respectable fellow conqueror. And with the conquest of Ophidia, I will have accomplished what even the Diamonds–even Horde Prime–failed to do!"
Amethyst wrung her hands nervously. "Right, it just feels to me like maybe she's taking advantage of your need to feel superior," she suggested. "Like how you want to prove yourself better than Horde Prime–"
"I am better than Horde Prime!" Emerald shouted, pounding her fist into the table. "I know that because I killed him! The graveyard of his ships currently orbiting Krytis is testament to that!" Breathing heavily, she managed to calm herself after her outburst. "Ahem…apologies. But you would do well not to question me again!"
Frightened by her shouting, Amethyst had recoiled in fear. "Uh-huh, yeah, absolutely, My Emerald. I-is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes, actually, there is. Go and fetch Entrapta. I have much to discuss with her regarding…well, you know."
"Right away, My Emerald!" Amethyst ran out the door, her footsteps receding into the distance. But as soon as she was out of sight, she hid, her frightened expression turning mischievous. A thin membrane blinked across 'her' eyes as they turned red. Their body shifted into murky blackness, and Double Trouble resumed the form of Entrapta.
Emerald was none the wiser, thinking that the purple-haired gadgeteer entering the room was the genuine article. "There you are! I've been calling your name all morning! What exactly were you up to that was so important that you couldn't be bothered to show up?"
"Sorry about that, just working on some modifications for Emily!" she said, sitting down at the table eagerly. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I was initially planning to review our current strategies, but instead I have to ask…Entrapta, you've been friends with Catra for some time, yes? Might I ask, what exactly do you think of her?"
"Oh, Catra's my friend!" Entrapta said cheerfully. "She can be a bit tricky sometimes, though. I used to be part of the Princess Alliance, but she convinced me it'd be better to join the Horde. She's pretty good at convincing people to go along with her."
This was intriguing to Emerald. "Hmm…I see. So you would say that manipulating people is a regular occurrence for her?"
Entrapta nodded. "Definitely! Friend or foe, she's not comfortable unless she has everyone around her on a string. Just one of her little quirks, you know? I've learned to live with it. Why? She isn't back yet, is she?"
"No, not yet," Emerald said, thoughtfully staring out the window at the space beyond. "And there's no telling when she'll be back. Perhaps never? The Heart of Etheria must be difficult to find, surely…"
Entrapta stared at her blankly, hiding the fact that she knew exactly what she had done: the seed of doubt had been planted. Emerald was beginning to distrust Catra, and discontent was soon to follow. "So, what now, boss?"
"'Boss,' hmm?" Emerald said, enjoying how that sounded. "Perhaps we will discuss our strategy after all. Who knows? If taking Ophidius proves not to be worth the effort and resources, we may have to take our conquest…elsewhere…"
"Sure thing!" said Entrapta, 'her' eyes momentarily flashing red. "Whatever you say! Without Catra, you're the one in charge, after all!"
