Authors Notes: Hi all and we're back with Heroes of Power sorry for the long delays been a little busy with my new job and other things going on in my personal life. But now I'm back with what you've been waiting for so lets get right into it!
Ben 10 (c) Cartoon Network
She-ra and the Princesses of Power (c) Dreamworks animation
:Once Upon a time in the waste:
Within the wastelands of the Crimson Waste, Catra looked out upon the baron landscape as the sweltering heat of the sun burned down upon them, as vulture like birds circled the skies looking for dying prey to feast upon.
"Catra. Hey, Catra!" Called a distant voice which turned out to be a very out of breath Scorpia who'd looked like she'd been running for miles. Catra was wearing a greyish cloak as desert clothing. "Boy, you are just as fast on sand as everywhere else. Whoo! Ha. Now, what are we looking at?"
They looked out at the landscape before them as a dustball just bounced by like something out of an old western.
"I'm looking at the Crimson Waste. The place Hordak sent me to die." Catra replied in an annoyed tone. "I have no idea what you're doing, as the last thing I told you was to leave me alone."
"I know." Scorpia said in her ever persistent positive outlook. "It was so noble of you. You pushed me away in order to save me. And it just brought us closer together." She proceeded to hug Catra in her giant clawed hands but all that got was a severely angered hiss from her.
"I'm not." She groaned as she pushed Scorpia's hand off her. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore." She walked off and lashed out at the landscape around her. "You know what I see here? All my hard work ignored because of one mistake. My dreams turning to dust in front of my eyes."
While voicing her grievances she then noticed something out of the corner of her eye that caught her attention immediately as she shoved Scorpia aside for a closer look. "But mainly I'm looking at that?"
A dust cloud blew on by the two Force Captains looked to find a certain animal remains that looked an awful lot like a structure of some kind. The two proceeded to take a look, Catra not even noticing a small lizard that screeched in fright as the skull it was resting on was shattered under her foot as they entered the premises.
"Huh. Must be abandoned." Scorpia wondered. "According to Force Captain orientation, the Crimson Waste is completely deserted."
"Yeah, It better be. I'm not in the mood to deal with…" Catra pulled back the curtain entrance expecting it empty. However when they looked in they saw a whole cantina full of. "people." The thugs and ruffians in the bar all eyed the newcomers with glaring eyes.
"Or that information could be completely wrong." Scorpia voiced while Catra's eyebrow twitched in pure annoyance and anger. "Man. Maybe I should have skipped orientation, ha, ha, you know what I mean?" Scorpia joked but all Catra could do was let out a long annoyed groan with her hands to her face. This was gonna be a long day.
After finishing her groan Catra and her annoying companion entered the bar, just as one of the lizard ruffians was dragging one of the Hyena looking thugs out by his leg while begging.
"No…not the haymaker No not that again please no don't!" He begged as they exited the cantina. "NOT THE HAYMAKER!" He screamed but Catra just took no notice.
"Of course Hordak is wrong!" She complained just as one of the patrons spat into a jar like a cowboy in the old west.
"He's a shut-in who lives in his lab and doesn't know how to do anything! No wonder Shadow Weaver went behind his back. I mean why should I be surprised at this?" Catra complained then looked to one of the four armed lizard thugs sitting at the bar. "Move it." She yanked his cloak and hurled him to the floor "I'm tired."
The lizard thug got up and hissed at the cat folk in the room while Catra simply looked him in the eye and hissed like well a wild cat even bearing her fangs. This scared the lizard guy stiff and he scurried away leaving Catra to take her seat at the bar. One of the other patrons was looking at her from afar, this made Catra growl like a rabid animal even her hair was standing on ends. This made the patron look away very afraid this girl was in no mood to be ticked off any further.
"Hey, Catra, I'm not questioning you leadership here, but maybe we shouldn't pick on the heavily armed crowd?" Scorpia said leaning up to her at the bar a little intimidated by her surroundings.
"Oh, yeah? And what are the going to do? Send me to die in the Crimson Waste?" Catra gasped in a very sarcastic manner. "Oh, would you look at that, I'm already here." She said with her arms in the air. Just then however.
"Good riddance to that She-Ra girl, and that shapeshifting freak."
Catra turned and saw a certain horned goon talking to her four armed lizard partner having a drink. This was the same horned goon who ran with Huntara until she cut them loose to help the Rebellion.
This put a rather sly raised eyebrow look on Catra's face maybe this could be what she was looking for. "Are you kidding me?"
"If I ever see that boy or his sparkly friend, or that soldier guy or that guy with the fancy watch or that angry blonde one again, I swear, I'll …" The Horned girl said waving her fist in the air but then.
" *Ahem* Which way did they go?" She turned and saw an unamused Catra standing behind her. She eyed her from head to toe before she answered.
"Who are you?" She then asked.
"You said there was a sparkly girl, a boy with arrows, a soldier looking guy, a guy with a fancy watch and a blonde. Which way did they go?" Catra asked again getting right in the horned goons face.
"Buzz off, Kitty Kitty." The Horned goon said.
"What, are you too dumb to understand a simple question? Just point, genius, and I'll figure it out." Catra explained it to her but the Horned goon took it like she was calling her stupid.
"Hey, Catra?" Scopria said clearing her throat and getting her attention.
"What?!" Catra snapped just as Scorpia pulled her away before a potential fight broke out.
"Last thing I remember, Hordak sent us out here to track down First Ones tech, not Adora or Ben. So, why do we need to know which way they're going?" Scorpia asked a little confused.
"Because Adora, Tennyson and their friends are always after the same thing as we are." Catra said to her in a deep angered voice. "Of course they're in the literal middle of nowhere." Then she realised something. "Hold on when do you know Tennyson on a first name basis?"
"Oh uh no reason besides you call him Benny boy?" Scorpia covered up quickly.
"She had the nerve…" The horned girl was talking to her cohort again until Catra yanked her by the shirt collar and looked her dead in the eyes.
"So, spit it out already! Where are they going?!" Catra interrogated. However the Horned goon did not seem intimidated by her in the slightest.
She slapped her hand away and stood up with her cohort all intimidating like. "There are only two rules in the Crimson Waste. One, the strong make the rules."
But these guys obviously didn't know who they were talking to or what mood she was in. Catra just let out a shallow laugh which caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"So, here's the thing. I've done this. The whole "threatening people" bit, the intimidation." Catra said using air quotes before continuing. "I've been there. And I just don't care anymore." Her mood changed before she slammed her hand on the bar and scraped her claws along it. "Some people have a bad day. I've had a bad life. If I want something, it's taken from me."
The patron having a drink at the bar quickly pulls out a bone knife to threaten Catra but she's suddenly covered by Catra cloak as the latter kicks her to the ground and takes her knife.
"If I win a fight, I lose the war" She leaps up to the bar and addresses the two thugs who by now were very intimidated. "Threats only work on someone who has something to lose." She studies the bone knife carefully. "But me?"
The horned goon gasped very startled as Catra points the knife right at her face and with a deep seeded hatred sown all over her face. "I've already lost it all. And you can't be any good at this, because you just let yourself get distracted." She smirked.
Suddenly the horned goon heard a striking sound and when she turned she sees her cohort standing there all paralysed before she collapses to the ground to reveal she was struck with Scorpia's stinger the latter of which giggled in response. The Horned goon looked very terrified now as she turned to Catra.
"so... what'll it be?" She smirked as the whole room fell deadly quiet all eyes were on them but then the other patrons just went back to their drinks. After a minute of being intimidated the Horned goon caved.
"Hey, you know, we don't think of you as an outsider at all." She said a little scared. You are okay with us. We'll take you anywhere you wanna go, boss."
Catra's attention then turned to the snake looking patron at the bar who upon seeing her turned round and whistled innocently. However Catra wasn't interested in the patron but rather the black jacket she was wearing. This jacket had a ring symbol with a snake head on it. "Good." Catra smirked.
Meanwhile:
Deep in the centre of the Crimson Waste the sun shone down on what appeared to be a First Ones shaped building, however it wasn't a building at all. It was a space craft. One that had crashed in the waste thousands of years ago. Adora, Ben, Rook, Glimmer, Bow and Huntara all stood before this incredible sight.
"I can't believe I'm standing in front of Mara's ship." Adora gasped in disbelief.
"Rook how did you know it's a ship?" Bow asked the Revonnahgander.
"Because of its over all design and structure indicates its intended function was for airborne travel and travel through deep space." Rook voiced.
"Yeah we've seen our fair share of alien ships Bow so we know one when we see one." Ben agreed having seen his share of alien space crafts some of which he blew up.
"But how do we know it's Maras?" Glimmer asked.
"Light Hope showed me and Ben Mara's ship crashing." Adora answered recalling her time in the Crystal Castle. "Right before the stars disappeared."
"Before Etheria was stranded in a shadow dimension cut off from the rest of the universe." Ben agreed.
"Yeah I don't know who Mara is." Huntara then spoke up.
"Okay long story short Mara is, was Adora's predecessor she was the She-Ra from a thousand years ago." Ben explained.
"Ah that makes sense, explains why this ship says blondies name on it." Huntara said which immediately caught Adora's attention.
"Wait. Says my name?" She said intrigued.
"Not Adora. It says She-Ra." Huntara pointed to the ship and she headed down towards it and everyone else soon followed Bow however was stood in one place. Rook could see the awe-stricken look on his face.
"Bow are you okay?" Rook asked.
"This is incredible. A First Ones ship?!" Bow breathed in amazement even holding his head. "This thing used to travel through space!" He bounced up and down like an ecstatic four year old. "Think of all the amazing things it contains!" His eyes were all sparkly.
"You have seen my ship and it to travels through space?" Rook questioned.
"Well yeah but yours is a cool space ship while this is one that belongs to the First Ones you can't tell me your not curious about what it has in store for us!" Bow said excited he looked like Entrapta on a good day as he zoomed down the dune to join the others.
"Yes I am curious but we must still exercise caution!" Rook called out as he followed.
The group were now at the outer haul of the ship, they were looking for a way in. "Okay how do we get inside?" Ben asked.
Huntara looked around at the ships outer haul and it was then she found what she was looking for. Unfortunately however. "Gah damn it that sand storm from earlier must've blocked off the entrance."
"I've got this." Ben said as he activated the Omnitrix dialled in the alien he needed and slammed down the dial. A brief flash of light later he was now transformed into Terraspin.
"Okay guys stand back." Terraspin said and everyone took a few steps back giving him some room. The Geochelone Aerios then hovered in place as his legs and arms came together to make propellors spinning at a massive rate generating a tornado powered gust of wind. Adora, Glimmer, Rook, Huntara and Bow stayed hidden behind a boulder to keep out of the currents.
Within seconds the sand was blasted away from the entrance which to Rook looked like a cargo bay. Terraspin returned to his normal form before he slapped down on the Omnitrix symbol reverting him back to Ben.
Glimmer and the group teleported over and they entered the ship. "Ooooo I'm so excited this ship is probably full of advanced First Ones tech and…" Bow was ecstatic but much to his disappointment.
The room was completely empty. "Or it could be empty. That's an option, too."
"Th..theres nothing here?" Ben said rather surprised he was at least expecting to find some old tech scattered over the place.
Adora frantically looked around the room feeling the walls trying to find some kind of clue. "This can't be it. Where's the message coming from then?"
"Hey don't give up just yet Adora." Ben said to her. "If there's one thing I know from experience is nothing is as it seems. Everyone look around there might be a clue." So Adora, Ben, Rook,Huntara and Bow looked around the room. The young Plumber pulled out his Proto-Scanner and scanned the room.
"Has this ship always been here?" Glimmer then asked Huntara.
"The Crimson Waste got hit with the mother of all dust storms. And when it cleared, this was unearthed." Huntara explained as they looked around the room.
Rook took a close inspection of the wall and some of the sand that had damaged them. "Hmm, judging by the condition of the ship and its structural integrity it suggests it has been buried for other a thousand years."
"That goes all the way back to Mara's time." Bow realised. "When it crashed it must've been buried here as the years passed and when the dust storm hit it was unearthed completely preserved." He realised. "Then the people of the Waste must've stolen everything they could pry up and take."
"Indeed given the pulled up metal this ship was stripped of any potential cargo." Rook agreed.
"Look, if they didn't want things stolen, they should have bolted everything down better." Huntara said.
"Heh." Ben chuckled. "Good thing Argit's not here back in the old days he would've fought off the whole Crimson Waste with his bare hands for the stuff on this ship." Ben said knowing a certain alien porcupine business friend of Kevins would've been interested in this.
"Besides, no one comes here anymore." She said chuckling nervously.
"Because there's nothing left to steal?" Glimmer nervously chuckled.
"Well, that. And it's haunted." Huntara then said and just then they heard it.
"She-Ra. Etheria. Gone." A voice echoed through the air making Glimmer gasp in fright, Ben looked startled as did Rook. It was like a rerun of what happened at Alwyn. Bow gasped in fright and clung to Huntara's arm.
"Yeah thats not ominous at all." Ben said a little creeped out.
"Where is that voice coming from? And where's the door?" Adora asked.
"She's right, for such a big space ship it's a pretty small room." Ben began to see where Adora was going with this.
"Right! This ship is massive but this room is tiny. There has to be a door around here somewhere." She said looking around the room.
"I do not see a door but it is a possibility it is concealed." Rook realised. "If I understand correctly First Ones structures do conceal hidden entrances."
"Yeah if what we saw in the Beacon is anything to go by. We're missing something, but what?" Ben wondered as they looked around the room to see if there was anything they missed. Just then Adora had an idea.
"Hold on Ben!" She said getting his attention. "Clockwork has powers over time right?"
"Yeah?" Ben asked.
"And we've seen he can show holograms of past events, does that same thing apply to showing what structures looked like at a certain time as well?" Adora then asked.
"I suppose." Ben pondered and it wasn't long before he guessed what she wanted him to do. "Well there's a first time for everything." So he activated the Omnitrix and upon slamming down the dial he transformed into Clockwork.
"Huh a Chronosapien, never seen one of those before." Huntara said amazed.
"Then you're gonna like this bit." Bow said.
The cog on the top of Clockworks head started glowing green and it span around and around and around and soon the whole room was consumed in a green hologram. Much to Huntara's amazement the room was now in a more pristine condition well as far as time holograms go.
"Okay guys zee if you can find anything that might give uz a clue." Clockwork said and so everyone looked around the room. Adora looked around the room, but when she looked down to her feet she noticed something about the floor.
"Hold on, Ben take a few steps back a little." Adora told him and he backed away slightly giving her a clear look. The hologram highlighted a pattern on the floor, it was of First Ones craft but to Adora it looked very familiar to her almost like she'd seen it before. Clockwork's cog stopped turning and the room returned to normal as they studied the pattern. looking down on the floor they began to see something in the pattern.
"Hey doesn't zis look like…" Clockwork wondered but then the two realise where they had seen it before as they looked at each other. Adora's eyes widened she knew what to do.
"Hold on." She drew the Sword of Protection from her back and transformed it into her shield holding it forward. Suddenly the runestone in the sword began to glow and hum, just then the pattern on the floor began to glow as if it was reacting to the stone. The pattern was actually resembling She-Ra's shield much to everyones amazement.
They gasped and the walls of the room began glowing showing First Ones runes, then appearing on the rear wall was a mural depicting She-Ra. In the centre base of the wall a door opened and flying out of it were small bat creatures squeaking like territorial animals. Bow, Glimmer, Huntara, Clockwork and Rook tried to swat them away screaming and shouting.
The bats all flew away. "Gah! What iz it with creepy tombs and batz!" Clockwork complained just as the Omnitrix timed out and reverted back to Ben. Their gaze turned to the open door leading into a dark void.
"She-Ra. Etheria. Gone." A voice sounded.
"I..guess we're going that way." Ben realised.
"I'll give us some light." Glimmer said about to use her magic but Ben stopped her.
"Hold on Glims, save your magic let me try something." Ben said as he stepped forward into the dark door way and held his hand up. "Illuminatus." He proclaimed and suddenly an orb of glowing pink energy appeared above them illuminating the hallway.
"Whoa, thats very…pink." Huntara said a little unsure. "Not sure it's your colour pal."
"Oh ha ha I almsot forgot to laugh." Ben said sarcastically. "Its a light spell Gwen used once to help us navigate tunnels under Bellwood."
"Oh is that the one when Ghostfreak was mining that uh Herodium stuff?" Bow asked remembering that story.
"Yep." Ben nodded.
"Okay lets go." Adora said as they headed deeper into the ships unaware of the secrets that lie within the ship.
Elsewhere: Galvan Prime: Known Universe
Far away in the far corners of the universe was Galvan Prime homeworld of the Galvan smartest race in four maybe five galaxies. Within the confines of his lab Azmuth was at work on his experiments, when suddenly a bright white light appeared behind him.
"Don't you ever use the door?" Azmuth voiced.
Standing behind him was Professor Paradox who had an amused look on his face. "For a time traveller a door is a rather stone age means of greeting an old friend." Paradox voiced before pulling out a bag of gumballs. "Gumball?"
"No." Azmuth said and Paradox just ate one himself. "So what is it you want now? You don't call on me unless you want something."
"And good to see you too Azmuth." Paradox said politely. "Believe it or not I would not come here without good reason."
"And what would that be?" Azmuth asked. "Is it to do with Ben Tennyson in this Despondos?"
"It is related, as I explained there is something at work beyond whats going on on Etheria, and I have been working to try and uncover what it is, and I believe I may have found a clue." Paradox explained. "But I need you to come with me."
"Why?" Azmuth asked.
"Because it is something I think you need to see, I've looked and it seems rememisant of the work of your former student." Paradox explained.
"Albedo, his work has proven inferior and not thought all the way through his attempt at creating a bad copy of my Omnitrix is proof of that." Azmuth said with something of a scoff even saying his name.
"True but I was not talking about him, I was referring to your other student." Paradox explained. "One you had many years ago."
That made Azmuth freeze in place so much he dropped his tablet on the ground. It was almost as if he felt cold water running down his spine. After a minute he turned to face the time traveling super hero.
"Show me." He said now looking very serious indeed. So with a twist of his metal gauntlet the two disappeared in a bright light.
Distant Planet: The Forgotten Zone:
To then reappear on what appeared to be a ruined planet, with what appeared to be a very gray looking atmosphere. "Where are we?" Azmuth asked.
"On a planet within the Forgotten Zone, and what we find here may help shed some light on what is coming." Paradox said kneeling down and putting the first thinker on his shoulder as he walked with his walking stick. "Although I am also praying it isn't what I suspect it is."
The two ventured into the desolate remains of this world to try and find what it was that Professor Paradox had discovered, but Azmuth seemed rather uneasy but why? What could be on this planet that would make him feel this way. Upon turning a corner round a boulder, Azmuths face turned completely pale at what he saw.
"No…i…it cannot be." Azmuth gasped in pure horror, and it wasn't just a normal thing he could brush off he looked truly terrified.
"I'm afraid so, it would seem an old shadow of the past now threatens the present of the universe." Paradox said with great dread.
Etheria: Crimson Waste:
"Oh, boy, you really had them going. I've never seen a room of murderous toughs look so freaked out before. It was truly an honor to witness." Scorpia's chuckle echoed through the air of the cavernous areas of the desert as what looked like a giant rib cage hung over the cliffs.
Catra now sporting the jacket that former bar patron was wearing was just focused on where the horned goon and the lizard goon were leading them, as they lead the way up front.
"What, those washed-up hacks? They needed to be taught what happens when they try to threaten me." Catra said in something of an upbeat attitude.
"Well, they won't be bothering us anymore, that's for sure." Scorpia chuckled in agreement so much she whacked the four armed lizard goon in the back catapulting her into some deadly looking plants. She struggles to free herself from the vines embrace but sadly she froze in place. Thankfully however she was still aware of her surroundings. Catra was rather surprised by how that happened so quick.
"Oh, oops, sorry." Scorpia apologised before she looked to the horned goon. "Can you carry her again?"
"Scorpia, you don't have to ask." Catra said to her but when she turned to the Horned goon her attitude changed. "Carry her, idiot! Move!" She held her bone knife right to her neck to threaten her, this immediately spooked the goon and hurried over to help her compatriot.
"You know, I'm starting to thing this place gets a bad rep." Catra said as she and Scorpia walked by to see their guide pull and struggle to free her frozen comrade from the vines, until finally after one last tug she was free.
"Oh, I'm with you." Scorpia agreed then started to look around her surroundings. "It's nice and toasty. If you look for the ground ripples you can avoid the quicksand." The Horned goon carried her comrade over her shoulders as she caught up to the two Force Captains. "And my exoskeleton is loving this dry climate."
"And you can take whatever you want." Catra agreed. "The meaner you are, the more they listen to you." She then got in the horned goons face. "Give me your dart gun!" She said with a sadistic smile that seemed to terrify the goon.
"Oh! Uh... Yeah, go." The horned goon said handing her the dart gun which Catra was more than happy to take.
"See?" Catra said smugly holding the dart gun much to Scorpia laughing in amazement as she clapped her claws in applause.
"I'm going to call you Kyle." Catra said to the goon looking back at her.
"Uh... What?" She said rather confused.
"Shut up and keep walking, Kyle!" Catra ordered loudly to which the Horned goon girl just quietly obliged.
"Uh... Okay." She said simply as Catra and Scorpia shared a laugh together which was surprisingly the first thing they had ever shared together as a team.
Scorpia had to admit she'd never seen Catra like this before, back in the Fright Zone she was distant and barely acknowledged her at all but here she was a totally different person. She was, actually smiling for the first time in a long time since Adora left. Though of course she could be imagining it but she just couldn't help but share her smile.
"So, this is fun." Scorpia just threw out there.
Catra was quiet for a minute but then she gave something of a smile. "Yeah. It is." Just then she heard her fellow Force Captain gasp, and when she looked she grunted in annoyance.
Scorpia's eyes were sparkling and she had a goofy smile on her face. "Stop it right now or I take it all back." Catra said blushing in embarrassment.
"I'm not saying anything." Scorpia said holding her claws to her adorable lips.
"Ugh!" Catra groaned. "You're doing that thing with your face where it's obvious what you're thinking."
"Do you mean smiling?" Scorpia asked confused.
Ignoring her ignorance Catra just sighed and walked away "Look. I'm just acknowledging…." Suddenly Scorpias claw stopped her from going any further. They soon saw why, because in front of them was a sand pit which suddenly rippled, and as Catra tossed a rock it landed in the sand and sank this told them it was quicksand. Scorpia had once again saved her from a sinking fate. They were actually not too far from where Huntara set her ambush for the Best Friend Squad.
"We make a good team, that's it." Catra then muttered.
"Right. A good team. That's us." Scorpia then said snapping back to reality, and Catra just couldn't help but stifle a laugh to which Scorpia gave a cute smile. The Horned goon girl eventually caught up and gave a smile as well. They then proceeded up a different path taking them away from the quicksand and onto the high ground. The Horned goon eventually got tired of lugging her compatriot on her shoulders and decided to drop her to the ground and drag her by her leg.
Catra and Scorpia were ahead and were gazing upon the giant decaying remains of a great beast that once wandered the wastes. Scorpia couldn't help but be amazed at these remains, sure she'd seen some of Bens alien forms but this was something else. The group continued forwards down the canyon, but upon the high cliffs it seemed like they were being watched.
"This is crazy. Are there really animals this big? Come on." Scoripa chuckled in amazement.
"Not anymore." Catra said but suddenly a shrieking sound of metal prompted her to raise her hand telling the group to stop.
"What?" Scorpia asked and at that moment some pebbles crumbed down from above, like something had moved them. Catra's keen feline hearing suddenly picked up something she growled angrily they were no longer alone and she rushed and grabbed the Horned goon girl by her shirt collar.
"What are you trying to pull?" She demanded viscously much to the Horned Goon Girls genuine surprise.
"Nothing. What are you talking about?" She said panicked.
"Catra, what's going on?" Scorpia asked now very surprised.
"I'll tell you what. Kyle here wasn't paying attention. And led us right into an ambush." Catra told her as the scene revealed that on the high cliffs and giant skeletal remains were indeed gang members many of them large looking lizard people. One of them even bore the symbol that was on Catra's jacket. They all chanted and cheered like the group below were in some kind of gladiator arena. Then emerging from the beast skull was their leader.
He was a muscular looking komodo dragon like lizard man with pinkish red scaled skin with traces of purple on his arms and white muscled chest. He wore purple pants and black boots, his fists were wrapped in bandages and wore a jacket with torn sleeves his most distinguishing feature was his yellow eyes and he smirked showing his fangs to his ambushed prey.
Meanwhile: First Ones ship:
Ben, Rook, Huntara and the Best Friend Squad had already explored a majority of the First Ones space craft. Though there was still no sign of life just empty rooms. However Bow and Ben did stumble upon the kitchen area and it seemed there was some food there and much to everyones surprise it was all perfectly preserved after so many years. Though Ben didn't take any chances and Huntara certainly didn't want to try age old food so they continued on their way. Just as they turned a corner they found before them an illuminated corridor that was all lit up. So Ben saw the need to dispel the orb of light that was guiding their way.
"So your grandma was an Anodite, your cousin is an Anodite, and you just found out you have some latent ability in magic." Huntara asked Ben as he'd just finished telling her about how he did the illumination spell before.
"Yeah pretty much, still trying to wrap my head around it." Ben explained.
"But still doesn't explain the whole pink thing, shouldn't your uh mana thing be green or something?" Huntara then asked.
Ben just shrugged. "I dunno don't ask me how this mana thing works."
"Guys." Adora got everyones attention as the group found themselves before a large looking door. Ben and Rook had a rather uneasy feeling about this, in a way it reminded them of their little tomb adventure with Kai in Los Santos, namely the uneasy feeling of a possible treasure or trap.
"I'm guessing we're going through there?" Bow asked a little nervous.
"I'd say so." Glimmer nodded and went to approach until Rook put his arm in front of her.
"My recommendation is that we proceed with caution." Rook suggested. "If memory serves the First Ones are careful with protecting their structures, and we do not want to run the chance of walking into a potential trap."
"Okay then on three we move to open the door and stand ready for anything." Adora said as she formed her sword into a shield while Rook readied his Proto Tool and Ben readied the Omnitrix.
"Alright we do this on three." Glimmer said as they stood ready. "One, two…"
"WAIT!" Bow exclaimed surprising everyone. "ON three or after three?"
Huntara just gave an annoyed groan while everyone else looked dumbfounded. "On three who said anything about after three!" Ben exclaimed.
"I'm just asking." Bow shrugged.
"Alright let's try this again." Adora sighed. "On three…. One, two, three!" The group moved to the door with Bow and Glimmer practically clinging to Adora when the door swooshed open but to their surprise. Nothing happened no traps or anything. All they saw before them was an empty room with a single control chair in the centre of the room, while the walls in front seemed to resemble that of windows.
"Whoa." Adora breathed while Ben gave an impressed whistle.
"Whoa." Bow said in surprised as Adora's shield reverted back to the sword.
"If I were to hazard a guess I would say we are on the bridge of the ship." Rook noted as they looked around the room. Huntara knelt down and examined a sparking cable near the control chair. Bow took a look at the control chair while Glimmer swatted Huntara's shoulder to stop looking at the cable. Rook was examining the room and pulled out his Plumbers badge to scan the room, while Ben looked at the surrounding environment with Adora to see if there was any clues.
Looking at the control chair Bows hand caressed the controls on the chair's left arm which suddenly activated a screen startling him to sit back in the chair.
"Bow what is wrong?" Rook asked as he rushed over to him. Bow looked at the screen and saw a very familiar message.
"This is it. This is the same message from my tracker pad!" Bow said in excitement.
"Which all but confirms this was the signals origin point." Rook realised. "When the beacon at Alwyn was deactivated the signal must have reactivated some of the ships dormant sub systems."
"But the signal was still going out." Ben caught onto what they were saying. "Like it was drawing us in."
While everyone took this in suddenly the screen deactivated and a pulse of purple light caught everyones attention. A large column of purple red light was streaming like a smoke torrent Bow yelped in fright while Ben had his hand on the Omnitrix ready for anything. Adora however saw a shape forming from the light and soon enough it transformed into. She-Ra, or rather the She-Ra from a thousand years ago her outfit was a completely different design to Adora's but still had some similarities.
"Is that…" Ben realised who this was as did Adora, just as the hologram turned to face them.
"I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone." The hologram spoke.
"Mara." Adora said excitedly as she hurried to the hologram. "I have so many questions for you. I don't even know where to start."
Suddenly the hologram glitched before it restored again. "I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone."
"Um... Hi? I'm Adora." Adora said very confused as Ben and Huntara approached. Huntara proceeded to stick her staff into the hologram as it reappeared.
"I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone." The hologram repeated again.
"Well, that's unsettling." Huntara noted a little creeped out.
"What else is new." Ben said but when he looked to Adora he was getting concerned and he could see that look on Adora's face it looks like her excitement was all but dashed. "Adora. I don't think it can hear us." Bow, Glimmer and Rook Soon joined them.
"No. No, no. This isn't it. I've done this before. There's usually a password or something." Adora said to them with her back to the hologram. looking like she was about to have a panic attack this whole trip couldn't have been for nothing.
"I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone." The hologram spoke again. Adora was becoming frustrated with all of this.
"Eternia." She spoke. "I have the sword. I am She-Ra. Administrator detected! Speak to me!" She then said loudly while Ben, Bow, Rook and Glimmer all looked at each other with concern.
"I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone."
Adora looked with a blank expression as the hologram began its look again. She started to laugh rather maniacally. This had gotten Ben very worried now he'd seen Bow do this laugh before.
"Uh I don't think thats a good laugh." Ben muttered to the group.
"Uh Adora." Glimmer said very worried.
"Of course it's on a loop. Of course it is!" Adora turned to her friends with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "Because why would a hologram ever give me a straight answer? Solve a puzzle. Train. Let go. I do everything they tell me, waiting for answers, And all I'm left with is... is…" She turned to the hologram which was just looking ahead. "Why was I taken from my family? Why was I forced to become a soldier? Why did I come here if this was nothing but another dead end?!" She walked through the hologram and was about to strike the desk but then suddenly.
"ADORA!" Ben had his hand on her fist and turned her to face him. "Calm down this isn't getting us anywhere."
"Ben don't you see all of this all we did getting here it…it was for nothing!" Adora yelled on the verge of tears. "Theres nothing here to tell me where I came from or who I really am I…I..I just." She started breathing heavily and rapidly she was having a panic attack.
"Adora Adora, I need you to calm down take a deep breath." Ben told her. "Just do as I do okay."
She nodded and took a deep breath in as did he. "Now exhale." Ben told her and she breathed out again. "Okay again breath in." They both took a deep breath in. "And out." Adora breathed out again and they repeated this over and over again and she finally started to calm down.
Bow, Glimmer and Huntara were amazed while Rook remained impressed with his partner he too recognised Adora's current mental state and knew she needed help and was glad Ben provided it.
"Adora look at me." Ben said and she looked at him with tears streaming down her face. "I know how this must feel for you right now, but you and I both know nothing we do is ever a dead end. If there's one thing I've learned back when I was ten is that there's always an answer somewhere we just need to know where to look." He said to her and this seemed to be getting through to her. "We just need to calm down and look at what we have and hopefully maybe there's more to this place then just the message and a glitching hologram."
Bens words had worked and Adora took a minute to calm down and proceeded to wipe the tears away from her eyes. "O…okay. Thanks Ben." She smiled to which he gave a warm comforting smile in return. She then turned her attention to the front of the ship.
"This looks like a control console." Adora approached it and looked closely at it. "It must have some kind of power system that we could use to jump start it I…" Suddenly when she touched the console another hologram appeared. It was in what looked like a slot of some kind and to Adora's surprise it took the shape of her sword handle.
Ben and the others gathered round the controls and saw the hologram, and wondered what it could mean. "Wait that kinda looks like…" Glimmer suddenly realised what it was.
"Indeed, I think the answer has been with us all along." Rook realised and it wasn't long before Adora and Ben realised it to. So she drew the sword from her back.
"Well let's find out." She proceeded to insert the sword into the slot like a key and the runestone inside lit up brighter than before. The group looked and saw the entire room was reacting to the sword's presence. The hologram of She-Ra had disappeared and just then a light shone on the control chair drawing everyones attention to it. What they saw was another hologram, of a woman she looked beaten and weak cringing in pain as she was typing in commands. The background noise indicated something was happening like some kind of attack.
The woman looked up almost like she was looking at Adora and the rest of the group, and looking at her face it was clear this could only be one person. "Mara?" Adora realised.
"This must be her without the sword." Ben noted but Rook was noting something else, the way she looked how injured she was but more than that she looked terrified.
"I don't have much time. I barely made it out.." Mara's hologram glitched as she was sending the message as if it was directed to Adora. "If you are seeing this, it means you wield the Sword. You are the new She-Ra." Adora approached the hologram while everyone else listened intently Rook quickly activated the recording device in his badge. "It means I failed. I was supposed to be the last. And I am so, so sorry."
The way she spoke told the group she was genuinely scared and confused. They all wondered was this recorded on the day she lost control of her powers, or was she terrified of something else entirely.
Elsewhere: Crimson Wastes:
Back in the desolate valley Catra, Scorpia and the Horned goat woman (Kyle) were surrounded by what looked like a large gang of people of the wastes and their leader who the Horned goon girl seemed very terrified of.
"Oh no. It's Tung Lashor!" She breathed while holding her paralysed colleague. Though despite the danger Catra could only laugh.
"I'm sorry what?" She asked still laughing.
"Look, Tung Lashor leads the number two gang in the Crimson Waste." The horned goon girl explained as Tung Lashor looked down on them. "He's bee itching to push Huntara out of years and become number one. With her gone, they'd run this place."
"And it looks like today is our lucky, lucky day." Tung Lashor exclaimed as he jumped down from the skull on the cliff and landed before them in a badass fashion. It was all turning into a showdown like scene from an old western. The horned girl backed away very slowly and very much intimidated but Catra on the other hand just stood her ground.
"I never thought you'd be dumb enough to step foot out here without Huntara." Tung Lashor smirked. "But here you are. And now I'm gonna leave your bones as a warning to all who cross Tung Lashor, strongest in the Crimson Waste." He pulled out a brown whip with a bone as a handle and cracked it very intimidating causing the Horned goon to jump and nearly drop her four armed lizard friend.
"It sounds even stupider the second time. Seriously, Tung Lashor? Pfft. Which one of you came up with that?" Catra just laughed while everyone was very intimidated by this lizard mans stature Catra wasn't the slightest bit intimidated.
"Right? It's like, what, did you lose a bet?" Scorpia chuckled in agreement the lizard people training arrows on the group from up top seemed stunned by what the outsider had just said. But one couldn't help but laugh out loud, so hard he fell off the rib bone he was on.
"I..I'm sorry I just can't help but imagine someone with a face like yours wake up every morning and say. You know what would be a really kick ass name TUNG LASHOR!" Catra snickered while said Tung Lashor looked very indignant at what this outsider was saying as an insult while those around him couldn't help but try and stifle their laughter.
"Thats all I hear in my head I..I just can't take it I mean what was your second choice…. Scaly Fangs!" That was it all the gang members burst out laughing even Scorpia and the Horned goon girl couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"You done, outsider?" Tung Lashor groaned angrily it was taking a great deal of restraint not to tear these outsiders apart for all their insults.
"Are you kidding? I'm just getting started." Catra laughed as she stepped forwards. "First, all that "leaving your bones" talk, it's just too much." She face palmed herself. "I'm I'm sure around here you're considered very scary." She said in fake fear and sarcasm.
Tung Lashor just snarled at this as Catra continued her rant. "Second, they're not with Huntara anymore, they're with me." She gestured to the two goons before herself, then she eyed the lizard mans weapon with some great interest. "And third... I like that whip. I think I'll be taking it."
Tung Lashor just laughed was this outsider seriously for real? "Is that so? Big talk for such a little…."
"Hey, do you even know how to use a whip?" Scorpia asked Catra interrupted him.
"Can't be hard if this guy figured it out." Catra said while Tung Lashor looked indigent at Scorpia interrupting him.
"Uh... I said…" Tung Lashor tried to continue but. "I think it's all in the wrist. Ya know, like wa-pow! Crack! Whip!" Scorpia interrupted and tried to do some whip like motions but clearly she hadn't seen Indiana Jones.
"No, I'm not going to say 'whip' when I use the whip. No one does that." Catra shook her head.
"Ohh, maybe you can say a catchphrase then." Scorpia then suggested while she thought of said catchphrase. "Like, uh... Like, whip. I mean it's – I mean, I'm just spit-balling here. I like, I don't know, like…"
By this time Tung Lashor had lost his patience with these outsiders. "ENOUGH! I'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face, outsider!" He removed his jacket revealing his bare muscular chest before he addressed his gang.
"WHO'S THE STRONGEST IN THE CRIMSON WASTE!" He proclaimed like he was in a gladiator pit.
"LASHOR, LASHOR!" The gang members chanted and cheered for their leader who turned his attention to the outsiders.
"And don't you forget it!" He lashed his whip and cracked it on the ground separating Catra, Scorpia and the two goons. "Hah! Whip!" He cracked his whip and went in pursuit of the feline Force Captain.
"CATRA!" Scorpia tried to go after them but she was cut off by large arrows shot from above. Scorpia glared at the ones who shot them leaving them to watch the conflict unravel.
Tung Lashor cracked his whip again and again at Catra who using her agility was able to avoid each strike. She quickly pulled out the bone knife she took before she dodged another whip strike one that left a deadly mark on the boulder behind her. Catra quickly ran for cover only for Tung Lashor to crack his whip and it latched around her ankle pulling her to the ground causing her to drop her knife. She tries to reach for it but Tung Lashor had other ideas pulling his whip back Catra was dragged along the sanded ground for Lashor to grab her by the leg and held her up for all to seen while Catra kicked at his arm to try and free herself.
"Where's all that big talk now, Kitty?" Tung Lashor gloated bringing her close to his face.
"Catra!" Scorpia exclaimed being greatly worried for her friend and fellow Force Captain in the grip of the laughing lizard man.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Lashor laughed. Catra however didn't seem scared or intimidated in the slightest, this guy clearly didn't know who he was dealing with.
"Eheheheheheheheh." Catra laughed mockingly before she tossed some sand right into Lashor's face blinding him leaving him open to a kick in the face from Catra forcing him back as she landed crouched down and smirking.
"GAH! You cheating little…" Tung Lashor rubbed the sand out of his eyes then proceeded to lash his whip out at Catra again who flipped and jumped to avoid then strikes. She landed on a stone that slowly began to sink in the quicksand which she noticed just as Lashor charged towards her with hostile intent.
Timing her movements carefully just as Tung Lashor leaped out Catra jumped from the rock and leaped over him as the muscular lizard man landed in the quick sand himself trapping him as he struggled to break free from his sand trap.
"What? Oh no!" Tung Lashor realised in horror.
"Oh, hold on." Catra quickly offered her hand to try and help him out of the sand pit, and Tung Lashor responded by lashing his whip as Catra grabbed the end of it. Catra slowly began pulling on the whip which was pulling the Lizard thug along, but suddenly she made a powerful pull snatching the whip from Lashors hand.
"Great. Thanks for the whip." Catra smirked leaving the so called Strongest of the Wastes to fend for himself.
"Guys. Anybody! Help me, please!" Tung Lashor cried out for help but it was all in vain he was helpless, alone and now very afraid.
While Catra could only smirk with triumph as she placed her prize on her belt. "That was too easy." She laughed. "Now…"
"WHO'S THE STRONGEST IN THE CRIMSON WASTE!" She yelled to the completely stunned audience. All was quiet until.
"Catra! Catra! Catra!" Scorpia chanted and it wasn't long before The Horned goon joined in as well. "Catra! Catra! Catra!"
"Catra! Catra! Catra!" The rest of the gang members chanted her name as well, and Catra just took in every minute of it finally she was getting the respect she deserved.
"And don't you forget it." Catra smirked, she noticed the jacket that formerly belonged to Tung Lashor lying on the ground she proceeded to pick it up and then threw it over to Scorpia who caught it in her pincer claw hands.
This took Scorpia completly aback, and when she looked at the feline Force Captain she was, smiling at her. She couldn't believe it was Catra doing something nice for her, she was so washed up in everything she couldn't help but hug the jacket with a warm and cute smile.
Maras Ship:
Back at Mara's buried ship all eyes on the bridge were drawn to a message left behind by the first She-Ra herself.
"I don't know what they told you, but it wasn't all bad at first. We were the first ones to settle Etheria, to really study this planet's magic. How could it go so wrong?" Mara's message continued but it suddenly began glitching. "Light Hope use the…. Can't… Weapon…The weapon…. Weapon…."
That last part of her sentence suddenly caught Adora and Bens attention. "Wait weapon?" Ben caught on.
"What weapon?" Adora wondered. "Bow, how's it going? Have you and Rook fixed it?" She anxiously looked over to Bow and Rook at the control panel.
"I'm trying, but I think the message got damaged when the ship crashed." Bow answered.
"Plus the First Ones technology is more advanced than anything we have ever seen before it is taking time." Rook agreed.
"Well keep trying if there is a weapon maybe we can use it to fight the Hordes armadas!" Glimmer realised.
"Guys shush Mara's talking." Ben then said drawing everyones attention back to the message.
"I opened a portal to a completely empty dimension and pulled Etheria in. I hid us from the rest of the universe to keep everyone safe." Mara's message continued. "This is the one place they'll never find us." Adora, Bow, Glimmer, Ben and Rook all gathered at the message and they didn't like where this was going. "I saw what they would do. The deaths that would follow. I couldn't stop them before, but I can now. Hiding is our only option."
"It is safe to assume she is referring to the Horde armada." Rook whispered but Ben wasn't sure all the signs showed she may've been talking about the Hordes armies but something inside him told him that there could be more to the story.
Mara's hologram glitched again before continuing and she looked exhausted. "Maybe it's been a week. Maybe it's been thousands of years. I never wanted to be a hero. I won't be remembered as one."
The group couldn't help but feel sympathy for Mara, she never asked for such a responsibility and maybe she was responsible for Etheria being stranded in a shadow dimension. But from her body language and the tone in her voice she had done it for a reason. And something told Ben and Rook it wasn't just about her losing control of her powers.
"I don't like this one little bit." Ben said to himself.
Suddenly an alarm blared on the hologram getting Mara's attention. She looked to the sword still plugged into the control console behind Huntara.
"You have the Sword now. It is the Administrator Key to our planet. With it, you can activate a portal." This revelation immediately got Adora's attention as it did Ben and Rook's was the sword really the key to opening a portal out of Despondos? But what they heard next they couldn't have foreseen.
"So I'm begging you. Don't do it. Leave us here. If you open a portal, death and destruction will follow." Mara stood from her control chair. "For the good of the universe, Etheria must stay in Despondos. If not, everyone will…"
The message suddenly cut out and the whole ship lost power leaving the group completely shaken and surprised. Adora was frozen in shock by what she had learned.
"The….the sword is the key." She breathed.
"So Mara placed this planet in Despondos to save them…but from what?" Rook wondered.
"I don't know but I've got a bad feeling it's not just the Horde." Ben realised.
"But what weapon was she talking about?" Glimmer wondered. Before they could dwell on any more of the message a strange sound was coming from the dark, but it wasn't the sound of creaking metal from the ship it was…clapping.
"What's that?" Bow wondered.
"Is that…clapping?" Ben wondered but reached for the Omnitrix just in case.
"We are not alone." Rook realised.
"Who's there? Come out and face Huntara!" Huntara challenged reaching for her staff.
Suddenly out of nowhere darts struck Bow and Glimmer in the arms and neck knocking them unconscuious. Huntara quickly used her staff to block the next blow darts that were about to hit Ben and Adora. Rook quickly ducked under the incoming darts and drew his Proto Tool.
"Come out and show yourselves cowards!" Rook exclaimed.
Clicking sounds could be heard in the surrounding shadows, and emerging from them was the Horned goon girl and the four armed lizard goon who had recovered from her immobilisation.
"Really you two again?" Ben questioned. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"
"Oh we did." The Horned goon smirked then emerging all around them was Tung Lashors gang all looking at Huntara, Adora, Rook and Ben with hostile intent.
"You two joined Tung Lashor?" Huntara questioned.
"Tung Lashor?" Ben asked. "Man thats….the lamest name I've ever heard who came up with that?"
"I know I said the same thing." Adora and Ben froze hearing that voice they knew that voice all too well. "But they haven't joined Tung Lashor." Turning towards the control chair they saw. Catra leaning next to it.
"They joined me." She smirked evilly as she looked to the heroes. "Hey Adora. Hey Benny Boy."
"Catra!" Ben quickly reached for the Omnitrix but the feline villain cracked her whip and grabbed his hand before he could reach it and then with her other hand tossed a disk at the Omnitrix trapping it in a metal clamp.
"Oh no, you're not transforming to the rescue this time Tennyson." Catra smirked then with a snap of her fingers the two goons fired their blow darts only for Huntara to step in the way and take the shots for them.
Rook quickly fired his Proto Tool at the two goons dispersing them. "Adora go!" Rook called and Adora quickly ran for the sword pulling it out of the computer and raised it in the air.
"FOR THE HONOUR OF…." Suddenly before she could finish Catra's whip lashed around the sword and pulled it from her grasp and before she could act Scorpia restrained her in her claws.
"Adora!" Ben yelled running to help.
"Ben no!" Adora cried but it was too late Scorpia's tail struck Ben in the shoulder, and since he wasn't in alien form the venom acted quicker this time and he fell to the ground unconscious.
"Sorry Ben, nothing personal." Scorpia said to him.
Catra could only scoff in triumph. "This might be the quickest I've ever won a fight." She scoffed holding the Sword of Protection in her hand. "Always so dramatic with you, isn't it, Adora? Too bad I took down Benny boy so easily I expected he'd have some lame quip up his sleeve."
Rook continued trained his Proto Tool at the approaching goons while he went to assist Huntara who did her best to fight the blow darts paralysing sting. "We are out matched but we are not going down without a fight!"
"No!" Adora called to the Revonahgander. "Rook Huntara get Bow and Glimmer out of here! Now!"
"What?!" Huntara exclaimed.
"No we are not leaving you!" Rooke yelled back. Suddenly he heard a groan on the ground and it was Ben trying to stir.
"We're not asking you partner! Get out of here warn the Rebellion! GO!" Ben yelled out.
Before Rook could respond Huntara yelled grabbing him under her arm while she picked up Bow and Glimmer and ran pushing the goons out of the way.
"Huntara let me go!" Rook exclaimed.
"As soon as we're out of here pal!" Huntara groaned as the door sealed shut behind them.
Adora tried to struggle free from her binding only to be stung by Scorpia's tail knocking her unconscious. She and Ben were now completely helpless and at their enemies mercy. Scorpia looked at Catra and smiled at her while the feline villain cracked a smile at her in response.
Elsewhere: The Known Universe:The Forgotten Zone:
On the ravaged planet in the Forgotten Zone, Azmuth and Professor Paradox were exploring what looked like the remnants of a great battle. Before them in the distance was a large looking curved spire in white and green. The First Thinker was completely paralysed in fear seeing what was before him and lying before him was a decaying body of what looked a little like Hordak but was completely white.
"I hoped this day would never come." Azmuth muttered in horror.
"You know what this is don't you?" Paradox said seeing the look on his face.
"Yes this is the work of someone I once knew." Azmuth breathed. "Someone I hoped never to see again. I always feared that another of my greatest shames would come back to haunt me one day. But now this whole sector is paying the price for it."
"Then it is as I feared, every day this shadow of the past is growing in strength, and its only a matter of time before he turns his attention to Etheria and the secrets it holds." Paradox said to him kneeling down to his level.
"But this planet is stranded in Despondos, Paradox." Azmuth scoffed before turning to him. "He could not know it was there." He saw the grim expression upon the time walkers face, he knew something he didn't. "What do you know?"
Paradox looked rather uncertain himself, for the first time in a long time. "Nothing for certain, it is what I fear that is coming and all it will take is an act of hubris and foolish desperation to bring everything crashing into place." He said with great fear in his voice he knew something was coming from both sides of the Despondos curtain as they gazed out to the stars.
Etheria: The Crimson Wastes: Mara's ship:
Cheers roared from the orange illuminated bridge of the First Ones ship compliments of all the bandits of the Crimson Waste holding drinks and their knives in the air. While sitting on the control chair with the Sword of Protection in hand was Catra.
"A toast to driving Huntara out of the Waste!" The Horned goon cheered as did everyone else. "A toast to finding all this new loot, huh?" Everyone cheered. "And a toast to Boss Catra, best leader we've ever had!"She gestured to Catra who looked very smug on the control chair.
"YEAH!" the bandits all cheered in agreement. Catra smiled at that and just then Scorpia appeared beside her.
Just then Catra rose from the chair and announced. "Scorpia! A toast to Scorpia!"
The bandits all cheered to that. "Oh, yes, Scorpia! Whoo!"
Scorpia couldn't help but blush at all the praise she was getting she even scratched the back of her head with her claw. "What? I can't. You guys, I – Thank you. Yes. Gosh." She looked to Catra and she had a genuine smile on her face, and she even laughed as she ran from the control chair and pulled Scorpia along by her claw. The Etherian Scorpi couldn't believe it for once Catra was….actually genuinely happy for the first time in forever.
They went into a hallway and the door sealed behind them. "Can you believe this? They said this was called a "party". I like it." Catra giggled. "When we go back, there's going to be a lot more parties."
"Uh, the crazy desert lady got away." Scorpia pointed out feeling a little unsure. "Not to mention the rebels and the sparkling princess."
"Let her. We've got the most important thing right here." Catra shrugged before she looked at the Sword of Protection as the runestone in the centre twinkled. "You heard that hologram. This is the key to the whole planet. When I bring this back to the Fright Zone, Hordak will see me for what I'm worth and I'll be back on top."
She spoke looking at her reflection in the sword, however Scorpia wasn't sure about the prospect of going back to the Fright Zone. She saw the happiness in Catra's eyes before she was better off here in charge of the wastes but in the Fright Zone she had nothing, could she really have her friend return to that?
"Or, you know, counterpoint, we don't go back at all." Scorpia then pointed out.
"What? Why wouldn't we go back?" Catra asked rather surprised.
"Uh... Because you hate it there?" Scorpia said.
"I don't." Catra denied though she did seem a little unsure herself.
"Hear me out, okay?" Scorpia then said explaining herself. "Within like, a day, you've defeated the gangs ruling the Crimson Waste and made yourself their leader. This is the happiest I've ever seen you. Scratch that." Scorpia pointed out while Catra held the sword close. "This is the first time I've ever seen you happy, period."
Catra could see something of Scorpia's point but she still felt unsure of herself. "For the first time you, you looked so free no burdens, no expectations no one telling you who you can or can't be. So, why would we go back? Let's stay here. Forget Hordak, forget Adora, forget Ben, forget all of them. We could rule the Crimson Waste together, just the two of us. We could, you know, be happy." Scorpia then explained.
Catra honestly wasn't sure what to say to all this, its true out here in the Wastes, people could really see her true worth. Unlike in the Horde where she had to fight for everything she ever earned just to prove to everyone especially Shadow Weaver what she was truly capable of. Maybe she did have a chance at a life out here but a part of her wasn't sure.
"I… I don't…" She stuttered unsure. "I have to go check on the prisoners." Catra turned and left the room leaving Scorpia a little dejected and saddened. But the way she was thinking about staying in the Waste something Ben said to her in the white out came back to her.
"Adora unlike Catra has a code and she knew it was wrong what the Horde was doing she made a choice!" His voice echoed in her mind.
In another room Ben and Adora were tied and bound on one of the ship spikes by their wrists and the Omnitrix was in a silver clamp preventing Ben from using it or even try to activate it. They were under watch from a snake goon from Catra's gang.
Just then the door opened and Catra entered the room getting their attention. "Well well look what the cat dragged, in herself!" Ben glared.
"Catra! You can't do this!" Adora told a very smug looking Catra who had the sword over her shoulder.
"Well hello to you too." Catra smirked as she gestured to the snake goon to leave and she addressed the two prisoners. She saw Ben was struggling to free his wrist.
"Ugh give it up Tennyson, you won't be able to use your watch for sometime Entrapta made that clamp just for you." Catra smirked.
"Why doesn't that surprise me you never would've thought of this." Ben smirked.
Ignoring that Catra turned to Adora. "So new subject, what can't I do this time?"
"Hordak is trying to open a portal." Adora told her. "He wants to bring the rest of the Horde army through to Etheria. We can't let that happen."
"The rest of the Horde Army?" Catra questioned with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"Really?" Ben asked. "I would've thought Hordak would've told you, being his second in command and all. I guess he's not too chatty with you, guess thats something you and Shadow Weaver have in common."
Catra just scoffed at that remark but then realised it. "So thats what Hordaks having Entrapta do with all those First Ones tech errands he's having us run around for."
"Yeah, and I'll tell you something else about your boss he's off his rocker!" Ben glared at her.
"He's right Catra!" Adora begged. "Hordak is part of a gigantic evil army from another world…" She was interrupted by Catra's laugh.
"Never a dull moment with you." Catra laughed kneeling down to Adora and Bens level. "Why would I be against more Horde? That means we win and you lose."
Ben and Adora just couldn't believe Catra's ignorance to this situation. "Thats all you're thinking about winning?!"
"We'll all lose if Hordak uses his portal machine!" Adora agreed. "Light Hope and Mara both said that opening a portal will endanger everyone!"
"We're in a shadow dimension and if Hordak opens a portal now it won't bring an army through it'll tear apart reality itself!" Ben then said. "I've seen it happen before and there's no way we're going through a repeat performance!"
"You'll listen to anything weird old holograms tell you, won't you?" Catra said with her back to them while admiring the sword. "You should really try to get over that."
"Uh I'm sorry what part of portal opening apocalypse doesn't ring with you?" Ben exclaimed.
"The part where you heard it from old holograms with a glitch." Catra simply said. "Plus you and your partner showed up from another world and things were fine without your so called. "Apocalypse""
"Because we were exposed to inter-dimensional energies before! We came here through anomalies in a worm hole what Hordaks gonna do is basically trying to cut open the reality of the universe with a chainsaw!" Ben exclaimed.
Then something dawned on Catra. "Hold up, how do you know about what Hordak's doing?"
"A bird with a creepy mask told us." Ben said to her.
"Huh?" Catra asked with a raised eyebrow not understand what Ben meant.
"Shadow Weaver told us." Adora answered and that put an angered look on Catra's face as she lowered the sword. "We know all about Hordak's plan."
"Shadow Weaver told you?" Catra said turning to the two of them. "How exactly did Shadow Weaver tell you this?" She questioned but it looked like she was about to lose it.
"Well she did escape the Fright Zone didn't she?" Ben asked her but when they saw the expression across her face this told them only one thing.
"You didn't know?" Adora said, then out of nowhere Catra grabbed her by her shirt collar bringing her right up to her face.
"How?!" Catra asked more like demanded.
"Catra, Shadow Weaver is in Bright Moon." Adora told her, this made Catra let go of Adora's collar as she looked at them in a mixture of confusion, hurt and anger.
Ben suddenly realised it. "You didn't know thats where she went after she escaped did you." He breathed.
The look on Catra's face all but confirmed his suspicion. "Shadow Weaver left me for you." She said as her look of anger turned to a sadistic smile. "All of this happened because of you." She then broke out into a sadistic laugh before she looked at them. "That honestly shouldn't surprise me after all you were the trophy student while I was just the failure in her eyes. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I work nothing I ever do will be good enough for her or anyone else!"
Adora looked horrified at what her friend was saying. "Catra its not like that! She wasn't there for me I renounced her a long time ago! There are bigger things happening here than just you and me!"
"She's right Catra! Stop letting her decide what and who you are you have the power to make your own choices! If you let Hordak open that Portal we're all doomed including the Horde is that really how you want to prove Shadow Weaver wrong?!"
Catra was silent, but then she looked at them sadistically. "HEHEHEH. For once you're right Tennyson, I do have the power! Which is why I'm going to show her and all of you what its like to be cast aside! I will show you all that I come second TO NOONE!"
The two were horrified by what she said, but Ben was more horrified by the look on Catra's face. He had seen that look once before, on the night Kevin mutated when they were kids in San Francisco.
"Catra?" Adora tried but Catra just walked out the room without another word. "Catra, please, you have to listen! CATRA!" She yelled only for the door to be sealed shut leaving them completely alone.
"W…why why isn't she listening to us doesn't she realise what'll happen if Hordak opens that portal?!" Adora said to Ben.
"I don't think she cares Adora." Ben said. Leaving Adora completely shocked.
"B…but why?" Adora asked now suddenly feeling very afraid.
"Because." Ben turned to her with pure terror in his eyes. "She has nothing left to lose."
In the hallway of the ship Catra breathed heavily in hurt, anger and saddness. To know that Shadow Weaver had escaped to Bright Moon, the very reason that she was nearly condemned to death herself. All because she wanted to go to Adora, the one she always favoured the one she was always proud of the one who always treated her like she was nothing and could never achieve greatness. And her last thoughts of her before she escaped still haunted her mind as tears built up in her eyes, the thought that she might have at last earned something from her cruel mentor but in reality it was all a lie just so she could find the one who truly meant something to her. This was the last straw that truly tied Catra down to anything on Etheria, she now saw the cruel truth and now she knew what she had to do.
She was so lost in her hurt thought she didn't see Scorpia in front of her. "Hey Catra." Scorpia said making her stop and look up at her. "Whoa, there. Gotta be careful, boss." Scorpia said to her.
They were in the middle of the bandits party, but Catra didn't care about the party anymore, because now there was only one thing on her mind. It was then Scorpia saw the pained and hurt look on her friends face. "Catra? You okay?" She asked very concerned.
"We are going back." Catra finally said with tears in her eyes and looked up to Scorpia who gasped in shock.
"We are going to open a portal. And we are going to. Crush. Them. All."
To Be Continued
Authors Notes: DUN DUN DUN Uh oh this doesn't look good, I gotta admit when I was writing this my heart was pounding like mad as to be honest season 3 was the most heart pounding season of them all especially the events leading up to the portal. But now it looks like Catra is getting ready to cross the line that Ben warned her she would cross. Plus in the Known Universe it looks like Paradox and Azmuth have found some answers too and I hope you got the subtle hints. But now they know the sword is the key but not just to opening portals as they'll later discover unfortunatly that key is now in the wrong hands and Catra now has nothing left to lose what will become of our heroes now?!
Stay tuned for the next update to find out!
Until next time FOR THE HONOUR OF GRAYSKULL!
