Chapter 4
One week later and many training sessions under her belt, Catra crept in the dark along the halls of the Fright Zone. Excitement bloomed within the darkest chamber of her heart when the guard at the door punched in the code and let her leave. Didn't try to stop her, didn't report her to Shadow Weaver, just saluted and let her out.
Huh. It felt good to be Force Captain. When she left the Fright Zone building and got a real look at the place she found it looked more like a scrapyard of metal and flying objects than anything. A few blinking lights here and there but really nothing to write home about. She was on her way to the loading bay as they were preparing to head out to Elberon, to bring it under Horde control and away from the princesses.
The sky here was always dark and dreary. When it was daylight, it seemed to be in a constant state of a dark green or blazing red.
Catra dodged around a large pipe and a few guards, leaping up to the top of a shack. Here, the pipes were like tree's and she used them to navigate through the field of bots, guards and scrap metal. The loading wasn't far anyway.
When she arrived she sat at the top of a large pipe, looking down at her team loading a few trucks with supplies. There were other teams here as well, at least three Force Captains and hundreds of soldiers. Adora was leaning against the same pipe, arms crossed, glaring at every soldier who walked by. Everyone else in the team was armed to the teeth with steel and iron. A metal suit that protects them from most projectiles and it comes with a super 'stylish' helmet. Yet Adora was not. She was still in her black top and green trousers. Black calf high boots thicker than Ryan's skull.
Catra dropped down behind the pipe and slinked into shadows, no one heard her for she made no noise. She straightened up, sleeking back her silver hair that had come free of her braid and came up behind Adora.
She wove around the pipe. "Hey, Adora," she said, all playful like, tracing a long black claw along her soft and strong jaw gently. Catra smirked at her, sulking in the shadows like Shadow Weaver. The apples hadn't fallen far from the tree, that much was true. Adora blinked, her dark blue eyes like the deepest pits of the ocean, and turned her cold gaze to Catra.
She liked that Adora played hard to get, that she was so cold and cut off. Catra took great pleasures in tearing down her brick walls one rough brick at a time.
"Good morning, Force Captain Catra," she said with the same energy as a soldier reporting for duty early in the morning. "You're looking devious on this dark morn."
Catra rests her arm on the metal above Adora's head, gazing down at her. "Oh, say it again, that sounded good."
"Which part? Force Captain or devious?"
"Can I choose both?"
"And what would you do if I said no?" Adora posed a dangerous question. In response, Catra brought her other hand up and flexed her finger, sharp claws extending to a deadly point.
"So, you ready for our first mission together?" Catra asked after relaxing her tensed muscles, drawing her claws back in. She didn't look entirely happy to be here, although Adora's facial expressions were minimal. Catra used her body language and heart rate to tell how she's feeling. Today, she felt almost defeated.
"Do you want the truth or the lie?" Adora asked, staring right into her amber eyes.
Catra thought about it for a second, considering the options. Not that there were many to begin with. "The lie," she said finally. She wanted to do something different, wanted a surprise and was curious as to what Adora would tell as a lie. She's a terrible liar.
Adora turned her face away, her eyes focused on a random box waiting to be loaded into the truck. "I'm ecstatic," she said, rather deadpan.
"So, what's the truth?" Seconds flew by and Adora still hadn't answered. "Hey, what's said between us, stays between us."
Adora turned her face to Catra but didn't look at her. "I'm…" she sighed, "not looking forward to it." Which was her way of saying she was scared without her admitting to herself she was scared. Catra could tell by how she avoided looking her in the eyes, how her heart rate just spiked and how she was so tense. "I, ugh, I am excited, what am I saying. I am looking forward to getting out of the Fright Zone and fighting alongside you and to be a part of the Horde's push for peace. It's just–" she couldn't finish the sentence, but Catra knew what she wanted to say.
"Hey," she said softly. With her index finger and her thumb, she took hold of Adora's chin and made her look her in the eyes. "Whatever happens today, I'll be with you. I know this magic stuff freaks you out, it's freaking me out. And Ryan, he would not shut up about it over dinner last night. But do you trust me to have your back as you've always had mine?" Adora nodded. "Good. Your team and your captain are here to support you. If for any reason you fall in battle and lose the power of the sword, we'll guard you, we'll bring you home safe."
"Promise, Catra?" She'd never admit it, but Catra could see the fear and pain within her eyes.
"Promise, Adora." She let go of her chin. "Now come on, get in the damn truck, we're leaving in five." She pushed off the pipe, walking towards the truck.
"Yes, Force Captain Catra." She threw a grin over her shoulder at the Honoured Warrior, her fancy dancy sword strapped to her back, gleaming and ready to go.
They arrived outside Elberon by the dawn of the next day. They had set up a small camp just outside of the village. Shadow Weaver had told them it was a rebel base but as it turned out, it was a village, a small one, inhabited by civilians and not rebels. Regardless, Catra's task was to bring it under Horde control. Adora had expressed some concerns, but given that the order came from Hordak, there was no point in refuting it. The order must be carried out.
The Force Captains had held a meeting after breakfast, scouts had spotted princesses approaching the village. They must have caught wind of our arrival. No matter. They would take them out and Catra planned on using Adora to do it. After the meeting, Catra left to debrief her team. They stand around her now in a circle.
"Listen up, princesses have been spotted approaching so be on your guard. We will attack soon, I'm just waiting on the signal from the other captains." They nodded, and kept silent. Good. "Adora, get ready. You're our weapon against the princesses, you're all we have that can stand up to them."
"No pressure then, huh?" she shrugged, face like a wet weekend. Catra smirked. "Alright, I'll suit up in some dark magic then." Catra stole a glance at the other two captains, they gave her the go ahead. Adora, with great reluctance, grasped the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it. Although we've had many training sessions, the aftermath was always the most difficult and it never got easier. In fact, the longer she was in that puppet-like state, the worse her condition got. Catra was prepared for the worst, seen as she had predicted that Adora would remain in that state for a while. A battle was never a quick and easy venture. If only, then Hordak would have had all of Etheria by now. "For the honour of Grayskull," Adora said, eyes lowered to the ground, sounding tired and unwilling. She almost sounded sad.
She became engulfed in shadows, for but a split second, her sword sending a skyward beam of shadows to the pretty light blue sky. Birds scattered, flocking from the tree's they thought would protect them. The woman who emerged from the dark shadows was not Adora. Catra had seen it many times, yet it left a bad taste on her tongue.
After the shadows pretty much exploded, an eight foot tall woman stood where Adora once was, surrounded by a dark light. Well, maybe light was the wrong word, Aura? Anyway, she was tall and buffer than five Jack's put together. She was big and terrifying. Her face was still Adora, but the rest of her was not. Her eyes, which were once a dark blue now gleamed a bright green. Her hair, which was usually a dirty, dark blonde, was now long, flowing, bright golden locks done up in a high ponytail, the hair extending down to her heels. She was dressed in a full onyx suit, from her feet to her shoulders, silvery wings of armour wrapped around her thighs, spaulders made of the same material. The front of her chest sported a winged design surrounding a blue jewel, a sapphire by the looks of it, a stake right down the middle. The design was made of the silvery metal, Catra wanted to say it was platinum but she could be wrong.
Around her waist was a skirt left open at the front, underneath a deep crimson red. Her arms sport platinum vambraces, done in a winged design similar to the ones on her thigh. And finally, she wore a platinum tiara, a glowing green jewel in the very middle, golden wings spread behind her ears. She looked kind of like a princess, but Catra didn't know enough about the magic to really comment on that. Adora didn't even know enough of the magic.
"Follow me," Catra said to Adora and walked up a hill that overlooked the entire village.
Adora, rather mechanically, stayed close behind, coming to stand beside her. They looked down at the peaceful village, watching as the princesses entered. There's four or five of them in total. One of the princesses, adorned in a short purple dress and a sparkly cloak, turned to them, staring down Adora and Catra from atop that hill. Her long purple hair billowed in the howling winds. Adora doesn't speak when she's in this form, despite Catra's best attempts to communicate. It seemed she only listened and took orders.
She turned to Adora. "Listen, I know you have your reservations about this, but we have orders. Your goal is to kill those princesses, we'll take the villagers to the Fright Zone and all their supplies too. With Elberon under our control, we're one step closer to ruling all of Etheria." Adora turned to her, staring down into her eyes so full of wicked passion. Yet Adora's held nothing but an empty abyss, emotionless and cold. Catra was used to Adora being cold and shut off, but this was so different. Like she was a doll, so pretty and easily manipulated. Catra gave her order to this new Adora. "Go now, and destroy the rebellion."
