Future in the Stars | Catradora

13 - The Mechanic

Catra's POV

Y/n brought us up a couple flights of stairs and into their small apartment. They let us help ourselves to whatever food was in the tiny kitchen while they hunted for blankets and stuff.

"Huh, what's this?" I wondered, pulling a package out of a cupboard. The label on the front said ramen.

I opened it up and stared at the contents; it was a brick made up of a bunch of squiggly lines.

"This is... interesting," Bow said, poking the thin strips.

"Y/n, why can't you turn on the light?" a new voice asked in a different accent than y/n's. The girl flicked a switch, and a lamp above us turned on. "So, who are these new friends you told me abo—sacré bleu!"

"Uh... hi?" Adora said, waving timidly.

"Guys, meet Roe, my roommate," y/n said.

The girl was staring at me strangely.

"Why does it look like you have the cat miraculous?" she asked.

"The what?" I questioned.

"She's from Paris," y/n explained, as if a little embarrassed. "Apparently there are superheroes that live there or something."

"What's a Paris?" Glimmer asked.

"What's a Paris?!" Roe repeated disbelievingly. "What, you've never heard of France?"

"They're new around here," y/n said.

"Yeah; we're from another planet," Bow said.

"Well, that would explain your strange appearance," Roe admitted.

"Don't tell me you actually believe them," y/n whispered. "They're... cosplayers, or something."

"You know I can still hear you, right?" I asked, folding my arms. "These big ears aren't just for show."

Y/n and Roe stared at me with a funny expression, then glanced back at each other.

"Can you give us a second, s'il-vous-plaît?" Roe said, then she turned y/n around to talk to them. They were whispering, but I could still hear them. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but so was talking about people behind their backs.

"I don't think they're just 'cosplayers,'" Roe started. "Their outfits look really high quality, and that cat girl's ears and tail seem way too real... where did you find them, anyway?"

"Side of the freeway," y/n replied. "They said they were from another world, then they showed me their 'spaceship' and this strange animal named Melog—"

"What?! They showed you a spaceship and you're still questioning their origins?"

"Well, it's a little hard to believe that they're aliens! They speak English, for goodness's sake."

"That's probably because it's a universal language or something! Put your skepticism aside and embrace the unknown—if this is really happening, you might as well participate in this adventure."

They continued bickering, but I grew bored of their conversation and tuned out. Melog turned visible beside me, and curled up at my feet.

This is boring, the creature said. Those were their first words in a while. Are Earthlings always this petty?

"I hope not," I whispered, crouching down next to them and scratching them behind the ears. "And what did you just call them?"

Earthlings. The planet we're on is called Earth.

"Good to know," I said, then looked up at Adora. "I'm starting to think that coming home with y/n wasn't the best idea; so far all they've done is argue about us with Roe."

"We're only staying for one night," Adora assured me. "Once the mechanic opens, we'll be out of here for good."

——————next morning—————

"What do you mean you don't have have any?!" I demanded.

"I mean just that," the mechanic replied, crossing his arms. "I don't got those parts. In fact, I ain't ever heard of 'em."

"You're a mechanic!" I exclaimed. "I've only known the word for about a day, but from what I understand, you're supposed to repair things. What good are you if you can't help us fix our ship?"

"Listen up here, little lady," the man growled, leaning over the counter. "You don't get to tell me how to run my shop. If you got a problem with what I'm selling, you can turn around and leave."

I mimicked his pose and slammed a hand on the counter, letting my claws scratch the glass. "There's a sign at the front of the store that says the customer's always right. Now, I'm not saying I believe in that statement, but if you're the one who wrote it down, you should be following it."

"Catra, I don't think making him mad is a good idea," Glimmer laughed nervously.

The mechanic stepped back and crossed his arms, as if admitting defeat. "Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn't. Like I said before, I don't got the parts you're asking for."

"Fine," I breathed. "But you better—"

"Hey, maybe let's not go all berserk on him, okay?" Adora said, pulling me away from the man.

"Je suis désolé," Roe apologized, going up to the counter and offering the man a small, rectangular piece of paper. From what I understood, that was the currency here. "Our friends are new in town—here, take this as a condolence."

"No, keep it," the man sighed. "But get out of my shop."

Roe nodded and forced the group of us out of the building.

"I'm sorry I got angry," I mumbled to Adora, who had kept her arm around me. "I'm still working on it."

Adora smiled and kissed the top of my head. "I know you are."

"What are we gonna do now???" Bow shrieked as the door shut behind us. "If he doesn't have the parts to fix Darla, where are we gonna get them?"

"Relax, Bow," Glimmer said, grabbing his arm. "If we can't buy the parts, we'll just have to make them."

"Out of what?" he yelled, his voice cracking. "In case you haven't noticed, this planet doesn't seem to have heaps of metal lying around."

"Wait a second," y/n said. "I think I know where we need to go."