Chapter 6: The Planetary Defense System
Adora sat down in the slightly weather worn wicker chair and swept her eyes across the landscape. Despite the fact it was one in the morning, Avis and Felsen cast enough light to bathe the scene in a silver glow. The trees swaying in the night air and the gentle slope of the western hills were all visible. It was peaceful, more so than it'd been in almost a week. And good thing.
She'd spent the better part of twelve hours trying to pivot Etheria to Defensive Posture Alpha. Troops were pulled from garrison, units were activated and transported to economic, political, and social centers. Tanks were rolled out and aerial patrols doubled. The PDS was put on stand-by, the turrets rising from concrete underground silos and visible on almost every horizon. Everyone was on high-alert, which seemed to please the Whispering Woods. Reports of animal sightings in or nearby population centers steadily decreased all day. They were doing something right. Instead of their previous lax approach, they were now ready-ready for an immediate, hostile attack from an opened portal.
A portal. From Eternia. From her homeworld.
What a day.
Melog wandered over and settled around her ankles, curling their tail around one leg and using her foot as a pillow. A moment later, a hand glided over her back and then her shoulder. Catra lowered herself into her lap, one hand tangling in Adora's hair and the other coming to rest against her Heart of Etheria tattoo. Her touch was warm but Adora still shivered at the contact.
After departing for the War Department, she hadn't seen Catra all day. They exchanged a few messages, mostly about who was picking up the kids and when. When Adora staggered in their room, dead tired and starving, about a half-an-hour ago, everyone was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake Catra up, she fixed herself a hearty meal of spray cheese and crackers and walked out to their balcony to see if she could spot any changes in the woods. She wasn't expecting any company for the rest of the night but welcomed it nevertheless.
"You know," Adora started, "There's a perfectly good chair over there."
"Yes, but there's a perfectly good lap right here." Catra wiggled around a bit as if to prove her point.
Adora chuckled as she settled one arm around Catra's back and the other under her knees. Her purr kicked in and its calming effect felt like a deep breath after a stressful day. "It's been an odd day. Wouldn't you say?"
"You can say that again. It's not everyday that you go from picking flowers with Madame Razz to watching your wife turn into a chew toy. But hey, this is what I signed up for when I married you."
"So, what you're saying is that I make life exciting? Keep things interesting? Spicy, even?"
"I have a horrible feeling that my answer will only inflate your ego. So, I'm gonna go with no," Catra said.
"Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously like a yes."
"Absolutely not."
"What if," Adora began, "I told you that my ego grew ten-sizes because of your non-answer?"
"I would be forced to divorce you."
"Then pretend I never said anything."
"Done and done," Catra said while leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. She sighed and turned her attention to the well-lit landscape stretching out in front of them. She seemed off somehow. Angry was too strong. But maybe distracted? Contemplative? Both? Neither?
What happened today? A lot. But wasn't there something they were gonna talk about? Right, Madame Razz. "I almost forgot to ask but do you wanna talk about earlier today?" Adora said, "When we were with Madame Razz and you two were talking about me, you seemed upset."
Catra blinked once, twice and then shoved her face in the crook of Adora's neck. She did this often enough but this time seemed different? "I think she was talking about the next She-Ra." Catra said it so quietly against her neck that she wasn't sure she heard correctly.
"The next She-Ra? Is that what you said?"
"Yes."
That did make a lot of sense. She'd never seen Razz speak to anyone not connected to She-Ra in some way. And she pretty much only ever talked about Mara, or Adora, or the sword. She'd also said something about being surprised that both she and Yvonne were together. And since there was only one She-Ra at a time, it would certainly be a surprise to see Adora back from the dead and alongside the new She-Ra. "I think you could be right. Good catch. And how cool is that? Now we know the name of the next She-Ra. What do you think she'll be like?"
When Catra didn't say anything, Adora gathered her hair and put it over one shoulder. She stroked one side of her face with the back of her hand, admiring the softness of her fur. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I hate thinking about the next She-Ra," Catra said.
"Well, you didn't think I'd live forever, did you?"
"I was kinda hoping."
Adora kissed her cheek and let her forehead rest against the side of Catra's face. "You're sweet. And don't worry. I've still got a whole lotta life left to live. For you. For the kids. For myself. And besides, who would so consistently and thoroughly annoy you if I wasn't around?"
"For that very reason, and that reason alone, you have to live at least another two hundred years."
"Two hundred years? You'd put up with me for another two hundred years?"
"Adora, I don't 'put up with you.' I love you. And I'd do it for another two hundred years or four or five or six."
"So six hundred years is your limit?" When Catra gave her a withering look, Adora added, "Just to clarify?"
"I'm starting to think it's actually six minutes."
Adora laughed but made no move to pull her face away from Catra's. There was so much to drink in-the way her ratty old robe tickled Adora's arm, how she smelled like freshly washed sheets and rain, how her small body fit so perfectly in her arms.
She didn't think of Catra as a particularly slight or scrawny person. The way she carried herself, the way she effortlessly controlled the diplomatic corp, and the way she commanded Adora's attention pretty much constantly made her seem larger than life. But when Catra curled up in her lap and Adora could feel her full weight pressing against her, she remembered how petite she really was. She'd never make the mistake of thinking Catra couldn't take care of herself, but a surge of protectiveness still hit. "And even when I'm dead, I'll still be around. You know?"
"Isn't that the exact opposite of what happens when you're dead?"
"You know how Mara is in the Crystal Castle?" Adora said, "How I can still see her and talk to her? And how I've been able to talk to a handful of other She-Ras?"
"Yes."
"That's how She-Ra is. She isn't just me. She's all of us-everyone who's ever been her. I'll join the ranks of my foremothers and I'll live on through her."
"So how does that work for friends and family? Do you get ghostly visitors in the Crystal Castle? Conjugal visits, perhaps?"
Adora laughed and said, "That's your concern? That you'll be forced into celibacy in the afterlife?"
"No, my concern is that we'll be separated. And that's not my ideal way to spend forever."
Adora rubbed the inside of Catra's ear and adjusted so that Catra's head was against her shoulder. Catra snuggled into her but kept her mismatched eyes on Adora's. "I'm not sure what the procedure is, but when I do, I'll find you and tell you all about it," Adora said.
"You better find me or I'll find you and kick your ghostly ass in front of all your She-Ra pals."
"And then I'll never make any friends."
Catra laughed before her expression turned serious again. "I hope you know-"
"-Moms?" A voice said from behind them. Reyna. What was she doing up at 1 A.M.?
With Catra in her lap, it was a little hard to turn around but she twisted as best she could. Just at the edge of her vision, she saw Reyna decked out in her pink princess pajamas. Her fur was matted down on her face; she'd been crying. "Reyna, are you okay?" Catra asked, "Why are you awake at this hour, sweetheart?"
Instead of answering, she walked over but disappeared out of Adora's line of sight. Pain prickled on the side of her arm and she looked over to find Reyna's nails digging into her as she climbed up. "Nails," Adora warned.
"Sorry." Her nails retracted as she heaved herself up into Catra's lap and by extension into Adora's lap.
"It's okay." Once she was settled comfortably in Catra's arms, Adora reached out and scratched one of her ears. "You alright?"
"I had a nightmare. It was about a boar, like the one that almost hurt Finn. It came and hurt you both and I couldn't get Uncle Bow or Aunt Glimmer," Reyna said with a sniffle, "And when I tried to walk, I went really slow."
She exchanged a look with Catra, who wiped away Reyna's tears and kissed the top of her head. Dammit, maybe she'd been talking about the boar a little too much and with more detail than necessary. Even the things she thought were relatively tame were probably too much for a six-year-old. Especially a six-year-old who absolutely idolized their almost injured older sibling.
"I'm really sorry you had a scary nightmare. But it was just a nightmare. It's not real," Catra said before taking one of Reyna's hands, "See? We're both okay. In fact, we were just enjoying the night air. No boar here."
"And besides, no boar can get the best of your Mom," Adora said while summoning the Sword of Protection. She held it far from them both and slashed it through the air a few times, hopefully demonstrating her capabilities as a swordswoman. But Catra shot her an amused look so it probably seemed more silly than serious.
"Whoa," Reyna said, eyes wide as she watched the sword. So maybe that wasn't as stupid as she thought. "You can beat anyone? Anyone on Etheria? Anyone in the whole universe?"
"Oh, yes. I can defeat boars. Robots. Evil, deranged space overlords. You name it and I can beat it," Adora said while puffing her chest out. She let the sword disappear before flexing both arms. Catra rolled her eyes while Reyna reached out towards her. Adora enveloped her tiny hand in her fist. "And no one can get between me and my family. So rest assured, Little Lion, I'll always protect you and Finny. Against boars. Against bad guys." Adora leaned in close and whispered, "Against Mom's meatloaf."
"What was that last one?" Catra asked with narrowed eyes.
"Alien meatloaf, of course." Adora winked at Reyna, causing her to giggle.
"How interesting," Catra said, flicking one ear, "But Mommy's right, Reyns. There's no one in the universe more protected than we are." Catra drew Reyna in closer to her and combed some black curls off her face. "Mommy's the greatest warrior around. We're lucky to have her."
"You're lucky? I'm the lucky one." Adora kissed Reyna on the cheek and then Catra. She patted both of them on their backs and said, "Especially when all my girls are with me and they're happy and healthy."
"Moms? Reyna?" Finn said.
She couldn't turn with both Reyna and Catra piled on top of her but Adora still tried to crane her neck around. "It's the Finnster! Come to join the cuddle puddle?" While this chair was going above and beyond, and whoever made it deserved a generous raise, another person on it would probably be pushing it.
"Pull up a chair and tell us what's on your mind," Catra said, like she'd read Adora's mind about the safety of their wicker chair.
Finn did so and sat right next to them, in arm's reach of Adora but too far for either Reyna or Catra to touch. Would a hand on the shoulder be comforting? Or did they just want to be left alone? Not knowing what to do, Adora put out a hand and prepared to be ignored or rejected. But Finn just took it and they held hands without comment. Poor Finny. Not that anyone deserved to see that boar but there was something particularly vile about their gentle, introverted, sweet kid seeing that.
"How are you, Finn? How was school?" Catra asked. She stroked Reyna's hair but her eyes were fixed on Finn.
"Are you okay after the boar?" Reyna added. Six-years-old and already attuned to the emotions of others. Adora gave her a slight nod to let her know she'd done well.
"I don't really know," Finn said with a sigh. "I wasn't sleeping because I kept thinking about it and then I heard you guys out here. I apologized to Sarah and she said she forgives me, but I'm not sure that's true. I don't know. It's just so messed up."
"The boar or…?" Adora said.
"All of it. The boar, the fact I put Sarah in danger, the fact I put you in danger. I can't believe I did that. That's the worst part, I think, knowing I did that. I mean it was so stupid. Why did I drag Sarah out into the woods?"
"It sounds like you're feeling guilty," Catra said, "And I can honestly say that it's a horrible feeling to experience. And it's not easy to get over. But are you going to think things through in the future?"
"I'm gonna try."
"And are you going to think about how your actions affect others?"
"Definitely."
"So you've learned from this experience and are working on being better in the future?" Catra said.
"Ya, I guess," Finn said. Adora gave their hand a squeeze. Hopefully they'd understand she was trying to support them.
"Guilt, like so many other emotions, is here to teach us. And sometimes that lesson hurts. But you've done all you can and are moving forward. When you're ready, I think you can let that guilt go."
"But what if Sarah doesn't forgive me?"
"Well, that would suck," Catra admitted, "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. But you can't change the past. You've apologized and meant it. You'll learn from this and be better. And now it's out of your hands and up to her to forgive you. And when it's up to someone else, the fact of the matter is that they may not do what you want them to. And like it or not, you have to accept that. That being said, people might surprise you, Sarah included. Give her time and see what she says."
Finn looked at Catra for a few seconds before turning to stare out into the night. Adora would give anything to know what Finn was thinking. If she could, she'd think of the perfect thing to say and fix everything.
"I wasn't able to tell you earlier because I haven't seen you all day but we've sorta figured out what's bothering the forest and why the boar acted the way it did," Adora said, "Are you ready for this? It's pretty weird."
"I honestly didn't think you were gonna tell me."
"What? Why? I said I'd let you know what we found out."
Finn shrugged. "I don't know why I thought that."
"Well, here we go. Buckle up and get ready," Adora said while looking over at Reyna and Catra. Reyna's ears pointed at her and she kneaded Catra's chest. Okay, she seemed excited. But Catra gave her a look bordering on frustration. So maybe don't tell the kids? "Or actually we should talk about this in the morning?" Was that what Catra wanted?
"Awww, noooo," Reyna said.
"Ya, you were just about to tell us," Finn said, "You can't leave us hanging."
Oh, no. She'd backed herself into a corner now. "Uhhh…" She looked at Catra for help.
"They'll be up all night if you don't tell them," Catra said. Adora couldn't explain how but she knew Catra felt agitated. Over what? Well, Reyna did have a nightmare about a boar tonight so yes, it probably wasn't the greatest idea to bring it back up. But she was here now.
"Okay, ummmm, so. Mom and I went into the forest to investigate and guess who we found?"
"Another boar?" Finn guessed.
"No, thank the Spirits, we ran into Madame Razz. Or maybe I should say she ran into us. She never finds me by accident so we knew she was leading us somewhere important."
"Let me guess, she brought you to the Crystal Castle?" Finn said
"Wow! How'd you know?"
"I mean when you think about it that's basically the only logical answer. Who other than Mara and the other She-Ras would know what's wrong with the woods?"
"With those kinds of reasoning skills, we should get you a job in the War Department ASAP."
"Mmmm, no thanks," Finn said.
"We have a theatre troupe."
"...Maybe."
"And then what happened?" Reyna asked impatiently.
"So Razz leads us to the Crystal Castle and I go in. Mara was there, of course. And she told me something that'll blow your socks clean off. It's been hours and my socks are still nowhere to be found." She gestured at her bare feet to emphasize this key point. Reyna and Finn both chuckled. Reyna gripped both of her feet like she expected her socks to actually come off. "There's some people trying to open a portal to Etheria which has the planet all bent out of shape. That's why there's been a lot more soldiers, tanks, and airplanes, the works, around today. And why I've been so busy."
"Which people?"
"That is the exciting part," Adora said, "They're First Ones but they call themselves Eternians. They're from a planet called Eternia and, well, I'm from there as well."
Was there anything more satisfying than shocking both kids? Both of their mouths hung open and their eyebrows shot up up their respective foreheads. Reyna recovered first and practically leapt out of Catra's arms and into Adora's. One hand encircled Adora's neck and she started talking about a million miles a minute, "Does that make you an Eternian? Am I? Is Finn? Will we get to meet your Moms? Are they nice? Do you have siblings? Do you remember Eternia? Are we gonna go live there?"
"Woah, woah," Adora said, laughing. "Let me try to answer these questions before you think of any more. Alright, so does that make me an Eternian? I guess so. If that's what First Ones call themselves, then ya, I guess I'd be an Eternian."
"Not an Etherian?" Finn said. Their ears swiveled to the side and flattened. That didn't seem good. Why didn't they like this new info? She squeezed their hand and smiled to let them know she saw their reluctance.
"I think I can be both. But I've also lived my whole life here so I'd consider myself to be more of an Etherian than an Eternian. But I'll admit that it's complicated. If we meet these people, maybe that will become clearer."
"What about us? Are we Eternians?" Reyna said.
"I guess by blood you would be but do you want to be an Eternian?"
"Yes!" Reyna said. "And I wanna go see Eternia. And your Moms."
"Well, as for my parents, we don't know anything yet. All I know is that I'm from Eternia and so is my family. Sadly, we don't know if they're still alive or if I have any siblings. If they do come through the portal, hopefully I'll find out more and can report back to you."
"Family? But we're your family," Finn said, not making eye contact. Ah, so they didn't like the idea of Adora having another family or homeworld?
"Of course you are, silly," Adora said, "And nothing will ever change that. Don't you have friends that have grandparents? Does that ever detract from how much their parents love them?"
"I guess not."
"And that's true of me as well. If my parents are still around, which they might not be, I won't love you any less." Adora looked at both Reyna and Catra before adding, "Any of you." She poked Reyna in the chest, eliciting a giggle, and said, "The heart does not have a finite amount of love it can give. It's infinite and ever expanding. Like when you were both born and my heart grew about twenty sizes."
"That doesn't sound very healthy," Finn said.
"Not literally...Anyways, you see my point? Parents or not, you guys are always my number one priority. And that really doesn't cover it. Words don't do any justice for how much I love each of you so you're just gonna have to take my word for it," Adora said.
"So, you're not gonna leave us for Eternia?"
"What?" What? Why would Finn think that? She'd always been around for them. "Absolutely not. No way. You're not just my family, you're my home. Wherever you go, I'm coming with. Maybe we could go have a vacation on Eternia but there's no power in the universe that could make me leave you. Why would you think that anyways?"
Finn took one look at her and burst out crying. Shit. Oh, Spirits. Oh, no. What just happened? What did she say? She glanced over at Catra but she looked as alarmed as Adora felt. What did the parenting books say about this? Nothing. They said nothing about this particular situation. Fuck. What was she supposed to do?
In a desperate bid, Adora hopped the chair closer to Finn and awkwardly put an arm around their shoulders as best she could. Catra scooted out from Reyna, leaving her in Adora's lap, and knelt in front of Finn. "What's wrong?" Catra asked while taking both of Finn's hands in hers.
"I...almost...killed...Mom," they managed to get out. Their chin pressed against their chest, their ears were pinned back, and their body heaved with sobs.
"Oh, Finny, no you didn't," Adora said, "I don't mean to toot my own horn but the boar had no chance against me. Like zero. And see? I'm perfectly fine."
"Someone in my class-" they hiccuped, "-asked me what it's like to have a Mom-" they cried harder, turning the tips of their ears red, "-who's always in danger and could die any day."
Oh. Well, damn.
"Anyone can die any day, though. That's not just reserved for me. Unfortunately," Adora said. Finn inhaled a gulp of air and let it out in shaky breaths. Reyna, who'd burrowed in close, began to cry as well and everything went from bad to worse. She needed to salvage the situation and fast. "But here's my most important point. So both of you listen closely." She took a breath before starting, "I know it's not just me. I know I'm not the only one who's relying on me. I'm not alone on missions and I have responsibilities beyond myself. So, I do everything I can to make it back home, okay? I consult with smart people like Mom, I always tell someone where I'll be, and I train everyday for hours so I can come back to you. I do my very best to stay safe. Please believe that."
"And Mommy's very best is excellent," Catra said, "So if she's trying her hardest to stay safe, rest assured that a lot of time, effort, and energy is going into keeping her protected. And what's better than that? I personally wouldn't want anyone else in charge of her safety."
Both Reyna and Finn still had tears streaming down their faces but they seemed to be calming down. "Now I know that's maybe not what you want to hear but that's the truth. I can't promise I'll always be okay but I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to come back at the end of the day. Okay?"
Reyna nodded against her neck, ready to accept any wisdom either she or Catra doled out. She'd experienced no loss in her young life and probably didn't fully grasp what death truly meant. Its permanence and its inevitability. Hopefully it stayed that way for a long, long time.
Finn also lacked personal experience with death but they were old enough to better understand its implications. That was probably why they said nothing. Although, their tears did stop falling.
"Would going to see Dr. Ware help, do you think?" Catra asked Finn. "Both Mom and I have seen him and he's really good. Really helpful with situations like the boar."
Finn nodded but still remained silent. What could be going on in that head of theirs? Did anything she say help?
"Now, how about I read some Nelson Ridge outloud?" Catra offered. She read to Finn every single night until they were seven or eight and she'd done the same for Reyna. Adora helped most nights, providing additional voices and occasionally acting out a scene. In all honesty, she probably had the most fun out of anyone when it came to bedtime stories.
After a couple of chapters and several acted out scenes, Catra declared it was time for everyone to go to bed. Finn slipped away to their cinderblock room after a round of hugs while Reyna made no move to go anywhere.
"Ready for bed, Little Lion?"
"Can I sleep in your bed?" Reyna looked up at both her and Catra with the biggest, cutest eyes. Adora liked to think of herself as the measured, yet firm parent but there was no possible way she could say no. One look at Catra and she knew they were on the same page.
"Ya, that's fine but don't you need Reggie?"
"Oh, ya!"
As they watched Reyna head to her makeshift room to collect Reggie the Unicorn, Catra leaned in close and whispered, "You can beat anyone, huh? Because I seem to remember defeating you a few times."
"You must be thinking of someone else. I don't recall that ever happening."
"I know I've said it once but I'll say it again. You're a sore loser."
"Hmmm," Adora said, "Can't be a sore loser if you've never lost. And I haven't soooo..." Catra laughed while her tail faintly brushed up and down Adora's back.
Reyna returned, holding Reggie, and they all climbed into bed. Melog laid at the foot of the bed while Reyna settled in between them. Thanks to the moonlight streaming in, she watched Catra run a hand through Reyna's hair and then kiss the top of her head.
"Goodnight, Reyns," Catra said while pulling their daughter closer.
"Goodnight, my Little Lion," Adora echoed.
"Night, Moms," Reyna said before closing her eyes. Adora made eye contact with Catra and knew they were both thinking the same thing-how did they make someone so perfect? With that thought in mind, Adora drifted off to sleep.
...
After spending a day in Plumeria, a day in the Kingdom of Snows, and a day in Arachnidus, the time had come to head to Salineas for a check-in. While there was no doubt that Mermista and Sea Hawk took the threat seriously, Adora needed to ensure the base and territory commanders were responding appropriately. Originally, she intended to head there alone, as she'd done for the other Kingdoms, but an onslaught of begging from both kids caused both her and Catra to change their minds. Besides, it was the weekend. So she'd arrived to Salineas, thanks to Glimmer's powers, with her own personal court and an outrageous amount of luggage.
Then this morning, she'd planned on observing a systems check for the PDS alone but that was quickly thwarted by two curious children and a wife who only pretended not to care. Sooner or later the kids would learn about her position in the military and it was better for them to learn from her than some second-hand source. So off they all went.
"PDS? What does that even stand for?" Finn asked. They wore a pair of sunglasses, jeans, and an oversized gray hoodie. It seemed a bit hot but what did she know?
"It stands for Planetary Defense System," Adora said, "It's an incredibly complex system of interlocking short-range, mid-range, and long-range Interceptor Defensive Weapons Systems. We call them IDWs for short. Basically, as the name states, they intercept projectiles, ships, you name it both in our atmosphere and in space. They're all over the place on Etheria and Space Port."
"But why do we need them?" Finn asked, "I mean, have we ever used it?"
"We need 'em in case bad guys decide to launch an attack against us. And no, thank the Spirits, we've never used it for anything more serious than training exercises."
"Seems like a waste to me," Finn said while shifting to lie on their back.
"When you're in charge someday, kid, you can call the shots on where our tax money goes. But for now, Mom's worked hard on this and modernizing the military. And all of Etheria, actually. So don't be a jerk about it."
Finn turned their head towards Catra, no doubt to argue back, but before that happened, Adora patted their arm and said, "It's okay. You're right to question what we spend our time and money on. That's what every good citizen should do. We work for Etheria, after all. Not the other way around. Keep us honest, Finny."
Finn slid their sunglasses up their face and looked Adora in the eyes. "You really mean that? I didn't piss you off?"
"I really mean it and you didn't piss me off. You were just being honest about what you thought. No matter how good of a person you think you are, you'll make terrible decisions the moment you ignore input from others. Especially criticism. So, keep saying what you think."
"But maybe be a bit more tactful about it?" Catra suggested, "You'll go farther in life if you can be truthful and kind all at the same time."
"Spoken like a true diplomat," Adora and Finn said at the exact same time. They looked at eachother and started laughing. Catra pretended to scowl but she couldn't conceal a slight grin.
"And what about me?" Reyna said. She sat between Finn and Catra, the tip of her tail flicking around. "Will you listen to me when I have grave concerns?"
"Grave concerns? What a phrase. Where'd you hear that?" Catra asked.
"When Mommy was talking to Brick, she said she had 'grave concerns.'"
"I'll always listen to you. Grave concerns or not," Adora said, "Just like I'll always listen to Finn and Mom."
"But I'm just a kid," Reyna said with droopy ears. They'd never insinuated that her opinion didn't matter because she was a kid. Who was telling her this garbage?
"So? Kids are smart. Smarter than most adults give them credit for," Catra said, "And we happen to have two very brilliant children so why wouldn't we listen to you both?"
"Mom's right," Adora said, "I usually have to pay people for expert advice. I'm not gonna shun it when we get it free at home."
"Well, here's some free, expert advice. That hat really isn't working for you," Finn said.
Huh. Of all the criticisms, she truly wasn't expecting this one. In fact, she happened to think this beret was one of her top-tier hats when it came to her uniforms. "Really? I thought it looked kinda good…"
"Finn, what did I just say about being nice?" Catra said.
"Chill, chill. I'm just kidding," they said while sitting up and putting their hands-up in surrender. "I like the hat, okay?"
"Why, I outta-" Adora hooked a loose arm around Finn's neck and started to tossle their hair. They laughed and squirmed around in her grip.
"Don't worry, Finny! I'll come to your rescue!" Reyna said before launching at Adora.
Adora released her grip on Finn and caught Reyna just as she slammed into her chest. Ironically, her beret flew off as she wrestled her daughter to the ground. But Reyna wasn't to be outmatched. She was faster and easily wiggled out of Adora's grip only to land on her unprotected back. As she reached around to try and pull Reyna off, the radio on her shoulder crackled to life. "Lord Commander Adora, come-in. Come-in, Adora. Over."
"Sorry, kiddo," Adora said while helping Reyna clamber off her back and sit in her lap. She wrapped one arm around Reyna and looked down at her. "Duty calls." As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew it was a terrible mistake. Reyna thought anything about the bathroom or terms even remotely resembling the word 'doodie' was the height of comedy.
True to form, Reyna threw her head back, bumped into Adora's chest, and howled with laughter. And it wasn't that Adora thought toilet jokes were all that funny, though she'd been known to tell one or two in her time, but Reyna's reaction was so hilarious and infectious that she couldn't stop herself from laughing.
"Lord Commander Adora, come-in. Over." Great, she was about to delay a major military maneuver over the word 'duty.'
She held a finger to her lips and tried shushing her daughter. It only marginally worked but she had to say something. "Lord Commander Adora here. What's the status of the PDS? Over." How she managed to sound serious was a mystery.
"We're greenlit and operational. We're waiting on your orders. Over."
With practiced ease, she said her commands. "Systems check one. Are we a go? That's systems check omega night echo. Over." A mechanical whir sounded, catching Reyna's attention enough that she stopped laughing. Rising from their underground silos came one missile battery, one rapid-fire laser, and their accompanying radar system. They towered above the landscape, their metal configurations sticking out in the otherwise untamed wild.
"Between our satellites and the various on-ground radar systems, both the missile battery and rapid-fire laser can track and then intercept incoming missiles of varying speed and range," she explained over the increasingly noisy machines. "We can even disable a ship if need be."
"Wouldn't that hurt people?" Finn said.
"It could. But we try our very best not to. For example, we'd deploy Mom far before the PDS. And if I'm being honest, she'd probably be more effective. As much as I love the PDS, it's got nothing on her."
Catra looked over at her and smiled. She'd never admit to it but she liked feeling important. And she was. So it was easy to make her feel that way.
"Systems check omega night echo completed. Green status. Over," came a voice from her radio.
"Going live," Adora said into her radio, "I repeat, going live. Go ahead and drop the dummies. Over."
The turrets came to life, twitching around as if they were watching the sky for movement. And in a way, they were. The barrel for the rapid-fire laser glowed green for a moment before short spurts of energy burst from it in an arching pattern, no doubt tracking the trajectory of the deployed dummy missiles. They were far enough away that the barrage of noise wasn't deafening but she could still feel the force of it rattling around in her chest. Judging by the awe on everyone else's face, they also felt it.
The missile battery moved around in a jerky pattern, its systems trying to lock onto its target. A shower of sparks and fire ignited at the bottom and a missile streaked out. It soared into the sky, heading for a far away target. Like the laser, there was too much distance between them and the battery to really feel its concussive effects but its raw power picked at something primal and wanting. After it disappeared, the smoke plume from its engine remained and blossomed out like a cloud.
"Launch confirmed," a voice over her radio said, "Targets acquired and engaged. All targets destroyed. All targets destroyed. Over."
Reyna stood up and cheered, her hands waving around and legs jumping up and down. "That was awesome!"
"You liked that?" Adora said. Only now did she realize how much she wanted them to enjoy the demonstration. In fact, the way her tension melted away at Reyna's words made it pretty clear that she was less stressed about the actual success of the PDS and more concerned that it impressed her family.
"Yes! Do it again!"
Adora laughed and said, "No can do, sadly. These tests are expensive and we got the info we needed. Mainly, that the Salineas PDS is working."
"Awww," Reyna said with sagging ears.
"Hey, next time we do this, I'll take you. How does that sound?" That seemed to do the trick as her ears pricked back up and she did this funny little dance thing.
"How'd you like it, Finny?"
"I didn't know what to expect but I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. It felt very...powerful? That doesn't seem like the right word but it's all I can think of."
"I get what you're saying," Catra said, "Powerful is the only word I can conjure up as well. You could feel it in your chest. It was a humbling experience, that's for sure. And speaking of power, what did you think, Miss Princess of Power?"
"Nothing that hasn't already been said. I guess I'm just thankful we have this tech on our side. It wouldn't be fun trying to fight the PDS. To say the least."
"Ya, how did Etheria get this tech?" Finn said, "I don't ever remember you talking about it being around during the war."
"It wasn't around back then. That's the one good thing that came from Horde Prime," Adora said.
"What'd you mean?" Finn said.
"We got lots of advanced tech from his ships and robots. And the clones too, I suppose. We were able to reverse engineer a lot of that stuff...Or maybe I should say Entrapta and Hordak did the reverse engineering. And Etheria has just progressed in leaps and bounds since then. It's truly amazing."
"So do other planets have all this? Or are we the only ones that got Prime's tech?"
"We got it first but we share as much as possible," Adora said, "So a lotta planets have very similar systems. That being said, we're still considered to be on the cutting edge and I'd even venture to say that we're a leader in the galactic community. And it's not hard to see why. When it comes down to it, magic and tech is a hard combo to beat."
"While you're right, we are in a pretty good position, let's not get too cocky," Catra said, "We need the other planets just as much as they need us. We'd do well to remember that."
"Oh, one hundred percent. See? What did I tell you kids? Mom is a brilliant, brilliant woman," Adora said while Reyna crawled back into her lap. Adora wrapped her arms around her and nuzzled into her gorgeous, but unwieldy, hair. After last night, it felt good to get them out and their minds on other things besides the boar and death. She did a quick glance at her watch. "Is everyone ready to head to the BBQ? If we're late, I'll never hear the end of it."
"Ready when you are!" Finn said, jumping up.
"Me too!" Reyna added as she ran over to where their horses were tied.
She and Catra got up much slower and, once they were standing, Catra interlocked their fingers. "Thanks," she said quietly.
What did she do? Take out the trash? No, that wasn't relevant in the castle. Do the dishes? Again, not needed in their current arrangement. "You're gonna have to help me out here," Adora said, "What did I do?"
Catra squeezed her hand three times and said, "Thanks for...being you."
"My pleasure."
...
"What do you know? It's Brick shithouse himself." Adora had to stop herself from laughing. She'd never say it outloud, but Brick shithouse was a pretty descriptive name for the six foot four man. He looked a lot like his dad, but where Bow was agile and lean, Brick was broad and muscular.
"Awww, Catra, did you hear that someone somewhere was having fun and have to rectify that immediately?"
"Brick, don't be mean to Catra," Adora said.
"Me?" He said, placing a hand on his chest like Adora had insulted him to the highest degree, "Tell your wife not to be mean to me."
"Catra, don't be mean to Brick."
"Absolutely not."
"Well, I'm glad we worked that out," Adora said with a sigh. If these two were anything to go by, at least things seemed to be getting back to normal. The tense atmosphere of the last few days was difficult to maintain when it felt like they were getting the situation under control.
"I have a feeling you're gonna need this," Brick said while pressing a cold beer into her hand.
"Not when I'm on duty."
"I know for a fact that you're not on duty. And I know you like to listen to radio chatter on your off-hours because you're a complete and utter control freak but it's time to sit back, relax, and crack open a cold one," Brick said before yanking her clear plastic earpiece out.
"Hey!" She fumbled around with the earpiece until she got it back in.
"Don't 'Hey' me. You know I'm right. Now take off this ridiculous hat. Sit your ass down and enjoy yourself," Brick said, "And maybe unbutton your collar? You're making me sweat just lookin' at you."
"I hate to say this, but Brick is right," Catra said, "It's been a shitty week and there's no better way to recharge than being around good friends." She flicked her eyes over to Brick before adding, "Present company excluded, of course."
"You see, even Catra agrees with me. Spirits help us," Brick said. He wordlessly passed over a cup of cherry soda, Catra's favorite, and she wordlessly took it. What a strange friendship or aunt/nephew relationship or something. "Now relax or I'll kick your ass."
"I'd like to see you try," Adora said, unbuttoning her stiff collar. "But you're right. You're both right. I'll-"
"Are you bullying my child?" Glimmer asked as she walked up.
"Actually, your precious child is bullying Adora."
"Is she not relaxing again?" Glimmer turned her attention towards Adora. "Are you not relaxing? When I specifically requested that you relax?"
"Okay, okay, geez. I get it. I'll relax, okay? I'll work the stick out of my ass that everyone's always talking about and join the party."
"You have a stick up your ass?" Sea Hawk said from behind her. His graying mustache was somehow even twirlier than the last time she saw it. "Shouldn't you go see a doctor about that?"
How did they get here?
"What's going on?" Mermista asked as she settled in next to Sea Hawk. He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"Adora has a stick up her ass," Sea Hawk helpfully explained.
"Ooooohh, shouldn't she see a doctor about that?"
"That's what I said!"
"Alright everyone. Thank you soo much for your input. As it turns out, I don't actually have a stick up my ass. And I'll only be seeing the doctor for induced high blood pressure."
"Haven't you always had high blood pressure?" Brick said, "Or has it gotten worse in your old age?"
"What's with all the old comments lately? I feel like I'm pulling double duty as both She-Ra and Bright Moon's resident senior citizen."
"What's everyone talking about?" Entrapta asked. In one hand she held a tiny cup of what was probably soda and in one hair tendril thing she carried the world's smallest cracker and cheese combo.
"How Adora is getting old," Brick said.
"I'm not that old, dammit. I refuse to believe that late forties is old. I have lots of time."
"Actually, statistically, you don't," Entrapta said, "I was analyzing She-Ra data from the First Ones' archives and calculated that the average life-expectancy of She-Ra is fifty-one years. So you could be living out the last few years of your life right now."
Before anyone could process that fun little nugget of information, a voice behind her said, "Mommy's dying?" Reyna. Where did she come from?
Adora whirled around and began to kneel down in front of her. "Oh, no, sweetheart. I'm not-"
Reyna took off running with Catra in quick pursuit. "Reyna, come back here!" Adora watched them go, including an interception made by Finn, who spoke a few seconds to Reyna before hugging her. Hopefully that would calm her down.
"Well, everyone," Adora said as she stood back up, "This has been truly relaxing. Thank you so much."
With the exception of Entrapta, no one made eye contact with her. "Did I say something wrong?" She looked around at everyone. "I feel like I did."
"It's not usually considered polite to talk about someone's statistical chances of dying. It's a morbid topic for a BBQ, you know?" Adora said while offering Entrapta the biggest smile she could muster.
"Oh, well, that was just an average anyway," Entrapta said, "Those are often poor predictors when it comes to an individual's experiences. And I'm sorry if I upset anyone. I didn't mean to."
"All is forgiven, Entrapta," Adora said, "Now Catra was telling me the other day about a theory you have regarding the Moon Stone. I'd like to-"
A piece of Entrapta's hair wrapped around Adora's wrist and she pulled her along while saying, "I'm so glad you asked." Adora resisted a bit as she tried to discern if Reyna was alright. She caught Catra's eye, received a thumbs-up, and allowed herself to be dragged towards Admiral Seaworthy's house. "So, it all began two thousand years ago…"
After listening to Entrapta for an hour and following her diagrams as best she could, Adora left to rejoin the group outside. When she had some time, she'd follow up with Entrapta again. Her Moon Stone theory was at the very least interesting and at best potentially helpful in the future.
She picked Catra out from the crowd and went to join her, Bow, Glimmer, and Reed. While the adults stood around chatting, Reed sat off to the side reading. "-Adora's just happy to have someone to play with. Stars above, you would not believe how much play fighting, wrestling, tag, horseback riding, whatever else you can think of is constantly happening. And I mean constantly."
"What did I miss?" She settled next to Catra and put an arm around her waist.
Catra leaned into her and took a sip from her cup before replying, "We're talking about the kids. And how you and Reyna are always scheming and getting yourselves into trouble."
"What? Me? Getting into trouble? Never."
"Adora, Reyna fell out of a tree like four or five days ago."
"Okay, she didn't fall. I caught her and that was one time." Catra raised her eyebrows. "Fine. Two times."
"I hate to burst your bubble but any number above zero when it comes to your child falling out of a tree doesn't seem great," Glimmer said.
"Are you kidding?" Adora said, "Brick has fallen out of trees like a million times."
"Exactly, which is why I'm an expert on the topic."
Reed's bookmark fluttered in the breeze and blew towards Adora. "Hey, would you mind grabbing my bookmark?"
Holy crap. It was happening. "How long have I known you, Reed?"
"Uhhh, my whole life?"
"And you think my name is Mark?"
Watching everyone figure out the joke felt incredible. Absolutely splendid. Only Bow laughed but watching Catra's and Glimmer's expressions change from confusion to resignation was enough. Catra recovered first and asked, "How long have you been waiting to use that one?"
"Oh, years and years."
"I figured as much."
Much to her delight and surprise, Reed laughed. Out of all of Bow and Glimmer's kids, Reed seemed the shyest. Despite the fact that she'd probably talked to Reed the least, Finn happened to be good friends with him. "Here you go, kiddo," Adora said, passing the bookmark to the teen.
"What are you reading?" Catra asked. "Is that the Nelson Ridge Series? Finn loves them."
A pair of hands landed on Adora's shoulders and she turned to find Perfuma, Sunny, and Brick grinning at her. "The people need you, Adora," Sunny said.
"Is everyone getting hungry?"
"We can hardly wait for some of your famous veggie burgers," Perfuma said.
"And then, I was thinking, we could practice a little swordfighting. Maybe some hand-to-hand combat," Sunny said, "My parents are dying to see how I've improved."
"Say no more. I'm always up for a fight."
Catra said something to Reed and patted him on the back before he went off to where Finn and the other teens were hanging out. Catra turned to join their conversation.
"Good luck to you Sunny," Brick said, "You're gonna need it. Under that uniform, Adora is absolutely shredded."
"Exactly how many times have you seen my wife out of her uniform?"
"Jealous, Catra?" Brick said.
"Of you? Never. I do have some standards."
"Oh, you do? Could've fooled me."
"I have an idea," Adora interjected, "Why don't we fight first so we're not punching each other with full stomachs."
"I'm down," Sunny said, grinning.
After getting heavily padded training armour from the Admiral's house, they squared off in the center of the backyard with everyone watching. Adora summoned her sword but changed it into its duller counterpart. "Unfortunately, I have an advantage right off the get-go. My sword is literally made for me so its balance is perfect. When you're sizing your opponent up, one thing I like to check for is how they're handling their weapon." She bent her knees and crouched slightly into her fighting stance before pointing the tip of her sword towards Sunny. Sunny mimicked her, just like they'd been training to do. This demonstration wasn't for Adora but she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. She'd been the one primarily training Sunny and now the young woman's skills were on display for all their friends and family.
"I see what you mean. You're holding it easily, not straining against its weight."
"Exactly. Now what are you going to do?"
Adora liked to lead with an offensive attack rather than wait in a defensive position. Sure, offensive attacks could leave you vulnerable but they could also end fights before they even started. Seemingly picking this habit up herself, Sunny lunged forward with a quick, if slightly off-balance, thrust. Adora sidestepped while also blocking the hit with the side of her sword. "You've always been fast," Adora said, "But now you're way too close to me." With the flat part of her sword, she swatted Sunny's side causing her to jump away. "Remember what I've told you about perception. The distance you keep is dependent upon your own skills and your assessment of your opponent. I'm tall, I have a long blade, and I'm a pretty good swordswoman. Keep your distance."
"Right." Sunny dropped into her fighting stance and began approaching. Not wanting to wait, she moved closer and beat her sword against Adora's. For a moment, the tip of Adora's sword fell off line and she stepped back in retreat. Sunny tried capitalizing on this and thrust forward again but Adora blocked the blow.
"Good, really good," Adora said, "You're trying to stop me from reacting in time. That's crucial."
"Go, Sunny!" Scorpia called. "But also go, Adora! I hope you both win!"
"Ya, go, Sunny!" Finn said.
What the? "Hey, whose side are you on?" Adora said while looking towards Finn. The second she took her eyes off Sunny, she felt a sword strike across her chest in a downwards cut. She must've swung from the shoulder because it hit hard. Adora wasn't sliced because Sunny's blade was dull and Adora's training armour was thick but the heavy hit made her stumble. "Very nice. Using the environment and external factors in a fight can be the deciding factor," Adora said, "And don't be afraid of using your powers. Elemental Princesses like yourself have an incredible advant-"
A flash of light and crackle of electricity sent her senses buzzing as she tumbled through the air and over the crowd's head. Before she could fully process what happened, she smacked into the ground and pain hummed through every single inch of her body. "Just...like...that," Adora coughed out. She raised a shaky thumbs-up before letting her arms fall back down. She'd need 6-10 business days to recover.
A weight smashed into her, sending another branching jolt of pain throughout, and she let out a groan she scarcely recognized as her own. "I've come to help you!" Reyna announced, standing on Adora's chest and stomach with all four feet. Her tail jutted in the air and waved around like a flag caught in the wind.
"Now...I'm...saved," Adora said, still trying to catch her breath. Reyna laid down with her head on Adora's chest while staring up at her-waiting for orders or a good job or something. Adora settled for a pat on the back and put her arms around her daughter.
"Are you okay? I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard." Sunny's face appeared above her, worry lines etched into her face and her pinchers knocking together in a frenzied rhythm.
"Adora?" Catra asked. Where did she come from? She crouched and ran a hand over Adora's cheek and then through her hair.
Suddenly, a whole group assembled around her, all asking if she was okay, if she needed water, needed help up. Too many people and too little air. She sat up, Reyna still in her arms, and groaned when her back twinged in painful spasms. "I'm okay, everyone." Pinchers came up under armpits and practically dragged both her and Reyna upwards.
"Oh no, oh Stars, I did hurt you," Sunny said from behind her.
"Nothing a little magic can't fix," Adora said while summoning her healing magic. An unfamiliar tug made her open her eyes, searching for the source. She felt the tingle of her own magic but something else whispered its presence. Something magical. Reyna. That had to be it. No one else was close enough. Strength returned to her limbs and the radiating pain dulled into a distant ache. Feeling better, she took a closer look at Reyna but she didn't seem to notice anything. She just watched Adora with keen eyes. No one else seemed to notice either.
"Ready for another round?" Brick asked, "I haven't gotten a chance to kick your ass yet and I'm feelin' a little left out."
"Language," Glimmer said, "There are kids around."
Brick laughed and said, "You're one to talk."
"That's enough fighting for today...Maybe ever," Adora said. "Let me go get cleaned up and then we can start grilling."
"Grilling adventure!" Sea Hawk said, stabbing a finger into the air. "I'll get my apron." He scurried off while everyone else dispersed more or less towards the grills.
"Go play with your friends. And then I'll make you the tastiest burger ever," Adora said while setting Reyna down.
"Ever?"
"Ever."
"I'm keepin' you to that!" Reyna said before running off to find her pals.
"Lot of fights this week," Catra said. She brushed the dirt off Adora's shoulders and arms. "And to think you almost ripped your best uniform."
"That's definitely been-" Adora stopped when she saw Perfuma and switched gears, "Hey, Perfuma. Can I talk to you a sec?"
"Of course. What's on your mind?"
"It's Reyna. I've had my suspicions for a while now but now I'm almost positive she's magical."
"Really? Oh, that's so exciting." Perfuma clapped her hands together and squealed. "When Flora and Sunny started showing their powers, we were so proud."
"This is news to me," Catra said.
"Sorry, I wanted to talk to you about it but it's been a hectic week and I kinda forgot until just now."
"No need to apologize. I get it," Catra said with a smile. She turned her attention to Perfuma, "So what happens now? Does she need to be evaluated or something?"
"Yes, I'll ask a sorcerer to take a look at her sometime this week. Oh my gosh, you guys," Perfuma said before bringing both her and Catra in for a hug, "This is so wonderful!"
"It is, it is," Adora said, "But, uhh, maybe we keep this between ourselves for now. I don't wanna make a big deal out of it until we know for sure."
"Absolutely, you're right."
"That is gonna be super hard but I'll try my best."
After Adora plucked the grass off her uniform and redid her ponytail, she went back to the party outside just in time to watch four Thunderwings flyover in a finger four formation. Their engines thundered overhead and her chest thrummed in time with the noise. She'd personally ordered an increase in air patrols yet there was something jolting about seeing it actually carried out. The Eternian issue lived in the world of portals, in some far away place. Not on Etheria and not at their BBQ.
"There goes our tax money," Catra said while her head followed the rapidly disappearing jets.
"Do you even pay taxes?" Brick asked. "Because it's hard to believe that you're a contributing member of society."
"Do I even pay tax-What? Of course I pay taxes. Unlike some of us, I can't leech off mommy and daddy and the Treasury."
"At least I have parents to leech off of."
Catra let out a genuine laugh and said, "You know what? I deserved that. I left myself wide open for that attack. But-"
"Can you two stop for like five fucking minutes?" Glimmer said, rubbing her temples. Adora couldn't blame her. It'd been a very exhausting two weeks.
"Someone has to keep Catra at bay and I'm the only one stepping up."
"How did the two most wholesome people in the world produce you?" Catra asked.
"How is Etheria's finest married to someone who will look you directly in the eyes and explain in excruciating detail what character flaws you have?"
"You think I'm Etheria's finest?" Adora said. "That's actually so sweet."
"Catra, stop being mean to the Crown Prince or I'll throw your ass in jail," Glimmer said, "Brick, stop being mean to an old lady. It's unbecoming conduct for my heir."
"It's about time someone besides me got called old," Adora muttered.
"Adora, stay out of this," Glimmer said. She clamped her mouth shut and exchanged a look with Bow.
"Hey, everyone, what was that about lunch?" Bow said, "Let's go fire up the grills and get on it." With long, sweeping gestures, he herded everyone over to the three grills. Sea Hawk and Wrong Hordak were already at theirs, the smell and sound of sizzling patties drifting over the growing crowd. Sea Hawk tossed an apron at her and she caught it before tying it around herself.
"Kiss the cook?" Catra read, "Don't mind if I do." She pulled Adora in and gave her a peck on the lips. This elicited several 'Ewwws' which no doubt belonged to their own children.
"Guys, not to interrupt, but we're gonna need a little less smooching and a little more cooking," Glimmer said.
"Well, who am I if not the people's champion?" Adora said while taking her station. She flipped a few patties and hot dogs on the grill. She'd never disappointed with her grilling skills and she wasn't about to start now. Brick handed her an ice cold beer and she couldn't have stopped a grin if she tried.
"When I'm at the grill/ I get such a thrill/ At the grill!/ Sailors be warned/ Captains be wary/ For Sea Hawk is at the grill!/ You may get chills/ But it's all part of the thrill!"
"Uuuhh, reusing thrill?" Mermista said, "I don't know about that one."
"You try coming up with words that rhyme with grill on the fly. It's harder than it looks!"
"Kill, Mill, Till, Pill, Krill, Skill," Caspian supplied.
"Putting grill and kill together doesn't inspire the sort of culinary artistry that I need right now," Sea Hawk said.
"I agree, we don't need those bad vibes around our food," Perfuma said.
Between her, Sea Hawk, and Wrong Hordak, the burgers and hot dogs were nothing short of culinary masterpieces. Thoroughly cooked? Definitely. The grill marks? Perfection. The smoky taste? Exquisite. And it seemed like everyone else thought so judging by their blissed out expressions.
After making sure everyone got a serving, Adora sat on the porch steps with Catra, Reyna, and Sunny. Her first bite confirmed their culinary talents. Between her perfect burger and the warm spring sun, it was quite a day. And desperately needed after a stressful week.
"How are you not roasting in those clothes?" Adora asked Sunny, who was wearing black jeans, a black shirt, and a black hoodie.
"It's called an aesthetic, Adora. I have a brand to keep up, you know." Sunny had always been a moody teenager but Adora had grown accustomed to a calmer Sunny who worked as her aide in the War Department. Was she fighting with her parents again? She'd mentioned it often enough that Adora wondered. It wasn't that Scorpia or Perfuma were bad parents, not by a long shot, but they were a bit overprotective. Which was completely understandable. It happened to be a parenting pitfall that both she and Catra fell into often enough.
"I beg your pardon," Adora said, "I meant no disrespect. Just seems hot."
"Any hotter than that uniform?"
"Well, you've got me there. But tell me-"
A shout interrupted her and she looked just in time to watch the neighbor drag a child of about ten by his arm and down some porch steps. He led the kid about twenty feet from the porch, left him alone, and went back in the house. The poor kid sobbed so hard that she could see his shaking body from a couple hundred feet away.
Admiral Seaworthy, seated at a nearby table, said to no one in particular, "Those are our new neighbors. Lovely people they are." With that, she continued to eat her burger. So nothing else? Adora waited but she remained silent.
The man came stomping out of the house again and carried a bag of rubber balls over his shoulder. The sound of his boots hitting the porch caused Adora to jump and a droning buzz, almost electric in nature, to take root at the base of her skull. He marched down the steps and in one swift move, he collected a ball and flung it at the kid. And it wasn't a gentle toss. When it hit, the boy staggered back a few steps and cried even harder.
"Catch the fucking ball!" The man roared as he gathered another.
Everyone at the party watched with the same frozen, deer-in-the-headlamp look. No one made a move. She looked over at Catra but she was staring at her feet, ears low and swiveled to the side. Adora stood by and watched Shadow Weaver smack Catra around how many times? A hundred? A thousand? And she'd said nothing. Done nothing. Maybe she looked like all her friends-eyes wide and mouth agape. But what good was that? She, herself, Adora had really let that happen.
She wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Sunny, call the city guard. I'll take care of this," Adora said. She set her plate down and walked to the fence line. "What do you think you're doing?" She called out to the man.
"Just teaching my son a little lesson about disrespecting his father," he said. He turned towards her, slightly swaying on his feet. Wonderful. So he was drunk on top of everything else. "And you know what? It's none of your damn business." He aimed the ball in his hand and launched it at the boy. It smacked him right in the stomach and he doubled over, clutching at his abdomen.
Still bent over, the child looked up, his face twisted in pain. As expected. But his eyes. They looked...resigned? Old. They looked old, like he knew that nothing and no one was coming to save him. Helplessness wasn't easy to see on anyone, but a ten-year-old?
"You're wrong. It is my business." She vaulted over the fence and ran over to the boy before his dad could get another shot off. She stood in front of the kid, arms out, and said, "My friends are calling the city guard now. You can either go peacefully or I'll drag you to the jailhouse myself."
"You fucking bitch," he growled. He bared his teeth and his shoulders stiffened as he stalked towards her. The idiot had no idea who he was messing with. She wouldn't even need to change into her She-Ra form to fight him. "Get the fuck off my property and get away from my son."
"Not a chance. Stay back. I'm warning you. I don't wanna hurt you." As soon as he got close enough, she put a hand out and pushed him backwards. It wasn't hard but he still stumbled, almost falling on his ass. It wasn't great having to resort to shoving but it was better than actually punching him. It would really, really suck if her kids watched her beat this guy up. If only he'd go and sit on the porch and cool off. But of course that wouldn't happen.
He lurched back towards her and cocked his arm back. As soon as started swinging, she caught his fist in one hand. Too easy. He looked at their hands and then her face, realization dawning. She'd seen his expression a thousand times on a thousand different people. Wide eyes and a slack jaw, a look that screamed both glazed acceptance and animalistic desperation. He knew he lost.
She brought her own fist back and punched him square in the face. It wasn't all that hard either but it sent him sprawling backwards. He sort of flopped around on his side, like some beached animal from Salineas or the Kingdom of Snows. One of his hands came up to cradle his face and he fixed her with a stare that was meant to be menacing but was more pathetic than anything. The boy ran around her and threw himself on top of his father like he was protecting him. Despite what she'd just seen, he still loved his dad.
Where was the city guard?
Adora didn't want to get any closer, instead squatting where she previously stood. "Stay down and wait for the guard. Don't make me hurt you again." The muscles bulged in his neck as he continued staring at her but he made no move to get up. Good.
The sound of metal screeching caught her attention and she watched two city guards meet and then talk to Sunny and Catra at the house's wrought-iron gate. They talked for a while and then they talked some more. It'd be rude to tell them to hurry it up but the temptation lingered past her attempts to push it away. She just wanted to be anywhere but here.
She should say something else to the man. Definitely she should say something to the kid, something like, 'I'm sorry you had to see me do this. And I'm sorry he's your Dad.' But she stayed quiet.
"Lord Commander Adora," one of the guards greeted. The man's eyes widened and she saw, for the second time that day, a flash of recognition. Also for the second time that day, she saw the stricken expression of someone coming to terms with losing. The repetitiveness of the day was getting rather tiresome.
She stood and turned to the approaching assembly of the two guards, Catra, and Sunny. After a quick glance at their rank insignia, Adora said, "Captain, Sergeant. Thank you both for coming. I trust that you've been briefed on the situation?"
"We have. And someone from CYA is coming as well. Actually, it looks like he just arrived," the Captain said, "We can take it from here, ma'am. Unless, of course, you want-"
"I have the utmost confidence in you, Captain. I'll let you handle things. But let me know if I can be of assistance."
"Commander, Princesses," she said with a bow. She and the Sergeant turned to address the dad while Catra knelt in front of the kid, speaking to him in low, soothing tones. Adora walked away.
Walking to the fence line felt like the realest thing she'd done in the past half hour. While someone else jumped the fence, defended the kid, and punched the man, the real Adora walked to the fence.
Wait, what was she supposed to do when she felt like this-like she existed somewhere else and she observed the actual Adora from a distance. Touch things, look at them. Remind herself that she lived in a body. Right.
The wood beneath her fingers split and stuck out, searching and in desperate need of paint or stain to keep the weather away. A stab of pain stopped her from continuing down the fence. Splinter. She hated them as a kid; she always dug way too much to get one out. These days it didn't matter, she could summon She-Ra, and it'd be as if it never happened. She tugged on her magic and she watched the splinter get pushed out. No blood.
Salineas was lovely. Truly. The guy's house backed up to the ocean, and the breeze coming off it smelt salty and carried a humid sort of heaviness that layered over her.
The weight of the world always sort of pressed down on her but it existed in an abstract form. A duty, a responsibility that everyone liked to reference and talk about but she could never quite grasp its wispy outline. And then days like today happened. When her duty came roaring to life in the shape of a child. That was when the world felt less like a carriable friend and more like a shackle. All those eyes on her.
She didn't dare turn around. She'd immediately search out Reyna and Finn, and she couldn't take that right now. Never once did she show any sort of violence in front of them. But she'd also never yelled so this week was chock-full of surprises.
It's not like she thought child abuse was cured once the Horde got dismantled. But she happened to cherish the bubble of control that she'd carved out for herself. And that bubble didn't contain Child and Young Adult Protective Services, didn't make her punch a guy in front of his kid, and didn't make her think about the everyday suffering of so many Etherian children. Most people wouldn't describe the military as being especially safe but it felt pretty safe to her.
"Hey Adora." Catra's voice right next to her made her jump. "So, that was fucked. I mean what was that guy thinking? That he'd seriously be able to take you? He didn't even get a hit in." She laughed and then went silent. "Are you okay? You look pale. Well, paler than usual."
"Our kids just saw that. They saw me...they saw me do that."
"You tried to get him to stop. What were you supposed to do? Let him punch you out and then beat his son? I think Reyna and Finn are gonna be impressed. I mean, you helped that poor kid when no one else would. You didn't just stand there and watch."
Was she thinking back to their childhood? When Adora did stand there and watch? When Adora couldn't protect her? Wouldn't protect her?
Catra's tail slid around her waist and she stepped closer until their sides pressed together. "Is everything alright? Do you wanna go home?"
"No, no," Adora said, "Let's just...let's just go back to the BBQ."