Catra
Catra held tightly onto Adora's hand, wondering what the hell they were supposed to do now.
"Hordak..." Adora sighed, and shook her head. "He came for us after all."
"We don't know that," said Catra, waiting for her heart to stop racing and her mind to stop reeling. She couldn't even begin to fathom how Adora had somehow plucked a guy's hand clean off.
"Catra?"
"Hmm? Yeah, sorry." She almost wished she hadn't spotted that specific, peculiar detail, because other than that she wasn't too bothered about Adora killing an abusive piece of shit. She might have even done the same, though perhaps not so completely randomly, and in broad daylight.
"Should we try to get back inside the palace?" Adora asked. "It'll be safer there."
"Yeah," said Catra. "Just wait here a second."
She scaled the front of the nearest house with ease, and clambered up the slanted rooftop, peering cautiously over the top of the building. The bots from earlier were far away by now, and there were no signs of additional troops coming from any direction, so Catra hopped back down, landing next to Adora.
"Clear?"
"Yup. But we still need to be careful. Come on." Catra took Adora's hand and they headed back outside of the alley, pausing to check up and down the market square. Once Catra was sure the coast was clear, they both hurried towards the palace while hiding in the shadows of the extravagant homes along the outskirts of the recently-bustling square.
"So we're just leaving him?" Adora whispered, tipping her head back.
Catra nodded. "They'll probably just blame the Horde." The irony that the Horde had actually helped them with their more immediate problem wasn't lost on Catra. Almost every stall had been crushed beneath the army of bots, but there were no bodies, other than the one in the back alley, that is. If they survived this mess Catra wanted to figure out what was making Adora lose her shit, then help her manage it instead of being so damn reactive. Shadow Weaver was one thing. But random civilians? That kind of damage would get them into trouble, and fast.
"Looks clear," Adora said, nodding at the stairway into the palace ahead.
They ran up the stairs single file, but no sooner were they inside than they ended up face-to-face with three horde soldiers in the middle of the entry hall. Adora instantly reached for her dagger and shifted to an offensive stance. She looked like she was about to spring an attack on the lead solder, but paused in her spring when they yanked their helmet off quickly.
"Wait!" Kyle said, his loose blonde locks setting around his face. "Adora, relax! It's us!"
Rogelio and Lonnie pulled their helmets off too, but Adora appeared uncertain. Her hand was trembling, with the blade still tucked by her wrist, and her arm pointed squarely at Kyle. Catra placed a hand over hers, and forced her to lower it.
"At ease, soldier," she purred. "They're friendlies. Or they'd better be," she glared at the three of them pointedly.
"We're on your side, but you know the drill," Lonnie said, shrugging. "They say jump, we jump. What else are we supposed to do?"
"Oh I don't know, have you tried not jumping?" Adora said, her voice tinged with ice. She bent down and tucked her dagger away again, while Rogelio grunted a few times, before his shoulders sagged.
Kyle placed a hand on Rogelio's arm, then frowned at Adora. "It's not that easy, you know."
"Really?" Adora folded her arms. "Because I left the second I knew what the Horde was really doing."
"Good for you," Lonnie said, rolling her eyes. "Not all of us have magic swords and superpowers. You know what they do to deserters, right? Ones that aren't special, like you two?"
"I've heard." Catra winced. "Last guy got thrown in the incinerator. The one before that, chained up and left to starve."
"Oh," Adora said, holding her arm, and looking down to the floor.
Rogelio grunted a dozen times, and Kyle nodded. "Exactly. Rogelio says we're doing what we can, Adora. From the inside."
"So back off," said Lonnie.
"Enough already! She gets it." Catra nudged Adora in her waist. "Right, Adora?"
"Right. Sorry," she said, raising her head and looking at the three of them. "I'm just a little stressed. What with Hordak chasing us and... " she shook her head. "Other stuff."
"We forgive you," said Kyle, placing a hand on Adora's shoulder, then stepping back.
Catra laced her fingers with Adora's, ignored the three pairs of eyebrows that shot up in response, and took a deep breath. "So, are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?"
"Hordak's after you," Lonnie said, peering down at their joined hands. "You must have really pissed him off."
"Yeah..." Catra frowned, wondering if anyone actually knew the specifics of what they'd done. "You could say that. But why now?"
Kyle hummed. "Took him time to build up enough bots, I suppose."
"Entrapta..." Adora said, her expression turning darker. "Did she help him?"
"They don't tell us anything like that," Kyle said, his shoulders slumping. "We're just grunts, remember."
"Anyway, we'd better get a move on," Lonnie said, putting her helmet on. "We'll tell them this area's clear. Should buy you some time."
Catra placed a hand on Lonnie's shoulder. "Hey. I owe you one."
"Just get out of here, before he finds you," Lonnie said, walking away. She paused for a moment. "I don't know what he has planned, but it's probably something awful."
"Oh, and congratulations!" Kyle said, waving. "Took you both long enough."
"Idiots," Catra mumbled, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She watched the three of them head down to the market square, presumably following the same patrol route as the bots. She suspected they'd all be looping a wide area around the castle, meaning they'd circle back through here at some point.
When she turned to face Adora, she found her staring vacantly at a wall. "Hey. Don't flake out on me now." She nudged her shoulder. "We've got shit to do."
"I..." Adora said, her skin turning pale. "I was going to stab him." her eyes turned wide, and she released Catra's hand, then grasped her shoulders. "I think there's something seriously wrong with me."
Catra needed Adora to keep it together. She placed her palms on her cheeks and tipped her forehead to hers. "Hey... We're both kind of fucked up. But does it matter?" Catra leaned forwards and gently kissed her. "We still have each other, don't we?"
Adora smiled at the words. Her brows dipped, and her gaze softened. "Yeah. You're right."
"Aren't I always?"
"I'm not going to answer that."
Catra nestled her fingers behind Adora's neck. "That's probably a good idea." She kissed her again. "Let's head to your room. They'll be coming back through here any minute."
"My room, huh," Adora mumbled, smiling against Catra's lips. "Do you think we'd have time to..."
"Wow, really?" Catra chuckled. "You're such a horndog, Adora."
--
The two of them made it further into the palace and other than several palace guards rushing past them, they arrived at the bedroom without further incident.
"I need to wash this off," Adora said, peering down at her stained hands. Her expression was unreadable, so Catra placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
Adora blinked a few times, and shook her head, chuckling. "Not really. Are you?"
Catra smiled. "Not really."
Adora caught her lips in a quick kiss, and then headed to the bathroom. "I won't be long."
While Adora ran water into the sink, Catra strode over to her balcony, and grabbed the white marble bannister, peering around outside. The skies were overcast with thick, dark clouds, like there'd be a storm at any moment, so visibility wasn't that great. It looked like this side of the palace was pretty much surrounded, with dozens of bots and hundreds of troops around the outer walls and within the main courtyard itself. There was no sign of any tanks though, and Catra assumed it was because it'd be a pain to get them through the forest.
"Assholes," Catra mumbled to herself.
She pricked her ears forwards, and listened to the symphony of battle. She could hear the sounds of outraged or terrified screams, the blast of laser fire, and the clang of metal on metal. Catra had never been fond of war, or fighting. She wondered what her life would have been like if things had turned out differently. If she'd been raised like a normal kid, in a healthy, happy household. But then she might never have met Adora, and that's a sacrifice she'd never be willing to make.
"Hey," Adora stood by Catra's side, folded her arms atop the bannister, and peered into the distance. "Looks bad out there."
Catra hummed in agreement. "That's one word for it."
"We still have the rifle," Adora squinted, as though picking out a target. "So I'll snipe-"
"No, Adora," Catra sighed. She turned around and placed a hand on her cheek. "We have to get out of here. Come on." She walked inside, reached into Adora's wardrobe and pulled out their large satchels. But Adora didn't move. She just stood there, hands folded, leaning against the balcony doorway. "Adora." Catra frowned. "You're not seriously thinking of staying?"
"He's coming for us, Catra," Adora sighed, walking towards the bed and flopping onto the side of it. "We can't just let everyone fight on our behalf."
"Seriously," Catra grumbled, grabbing a pile of clothes and stuffing it into her bag. "Your conscience has to pick now of all times to make an appearance?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Adora snapped. She strode over to Catra, took her own satchel, and started to aggressively pack it. On one hand Catra was relieved she'd apparently decided to leave with her, on the other, very much angry with herself for saying something so insensitive. Especially when Adora was having such a rough time.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Catra sighed, and placed her hand on Adora's arm. "I didn't mean it. You're just... a better person than me, Adora. You always will be."
Adora removed Catra's hand from her arm, and clasped both her hands around it. "Don't say that."
"It's true. Sometimes I wonder why you even keep me around."
"Maybe it's because you're hot."
Catra laughed, "Knew it. It's all about my looks."
Adora suddenly swooped forwards, placed a palm against her cheek, and kissed her. "Well, you are gorgeous. But I kind of like you, too."
"Is that so," Catra purred, licking her lips.
Suddenly the air behind them shifted, and Glimmer appeared in the middle of the room. "Guys, I found you!" she exclaimed. Then she scowled. "You're making out? Seriously!?"
"We were packing, actually," Catra said, holding up her quarter-full bag.
"Sorry," Adora winced, lifting her bag too. "Wherever Catra goes, I go..."
Catra's heart sank at the words. She didn't like the idea that she was forcing Adora to go against her morals, especially not when she was already spiralling. And yet here Catra was, ready to run, putting herself first, just like always. But this time she was doing it to protect Adora, too.
"It's fine. I was going to ask you to grab your things anyway," Glimmer said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We're to evacuate all civilians. That includes you two."
"What? Since when?" Adora asked, standing upright and placing her hands on her hips. "We're trained soldiers, probably a hundred times better in a fight then any of the guards here."
Glimmer frowned. "I thought you were packing? You literally just said you're leaving, with Catra."
"I, uh-"
"You're also..." Glimmer winced, and pressed her fingertips together. "Well, not fit to fight right now. We've talked about this, Adora."
"Wait," Catra stood up, and dropped her satchel. "If they're evacuating, does that mean you're actually losing?"
"I'm afraid so. We're outnumbered three to one, and that doesn't include the bots."
"Shit," Adora said, sitting on the end of the bed. She rested her elbows on her knees, and her forehead in her hands. "Shit shit shit."
Catra hurried over and sat beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Hey. It'll be okay."
"No it won't!" Adora snapped, her cheeks damp. "He's here for us, Catra. We can't let all these people die. Please..."
"Damn it Adora," Catra groaned, hating the fact that Adora was actually talking her around. Catra wasn't a good person. She didn't care about defending this place, even if Bow and Glimmer had grown on her. She only cared that the two of them lived to see another day. Adora, though... she'd always be Adora. And maybe that was why Catra loved her so much.
Glimmer sat by the other side of Adora, and rested her palms flat on her own lap. "I figured that might be why he came," she sighed. "He's a spiteful, horrible person, right? And you took down his second in command, so..."
"If you knew that, why were you trying to make us leave?" Adora asked, turning to face her. "You really think I'd sacrifice all of Brightmoon, and for what? So we can delay him a little?" She turned to face Catra. "Because that's all it would be. A delay. He'd always find us."
Catra leaned back on her elbows and sighed, deeply. She hated to admit it, but Adora was right. "So what, we go out there and face him?"
"No, guys," Glimmer said, "That's not happening."
"It is." Adora said, her expression hardening. "We'll go out there, and we'll kill him."
Catra sat upright and frowned. "How?! I lost count of how many soldiers are out there."
Glimmer stood up. "Adora, there's nothing you can do," she walked in front of them and reached her hands out, palms upward. "Please, let me just take you both somewhere safer."
"Don't touch me," Adora said, shuffling away on the bed. "I don't want to be teleported anywhere, Glimmer. I mean it."
"Ugh, you're impossible," Glimmer scowled, folding her arms. She started to pace around. "Catra's right, though. We just don't have enough firepower."
"A bit of extra princess power would be handy right about now," said Catra, scratching behind her ear. "Where are they all, anyway?"
"Defending," Glimmer groaned. "Hordak attacked them as well. Turns out it was just a fraction of his forces, though. A distraction."
"He's done all that just to get to us?" Catra asked, shaking her head. "He's a fucking lunatic."
"Well, it also means he can conquer Etheria," said Glimmer. "If Brightmoon falls, he'll be well on his way to winning this war."
"Hmm, two birds one stone," Catra mumbled.
"This.... This is all our fault." Adora hunched forwards. "If we hadn't come here, he might have chased us instead."
Catra tutted. "Yeah, and we'd be dead, and then he'd still attack Brightmoon."
Glimmer stopped pacing. She walked towards Adora, kneeled down, and placed a hand on her lap. "This isn't your fault, okay? Neither of you asked for this. And I'm so, so glad you came back, Adora. And you, Catra."
"Pfft yeah right," Catra grinned. "I'm sure everyone loves having me here."
Glimmer frowned, then placed her other hand on Catra's knee. "They do. It turns out you're a half decent person, sometimes..."
Catra smiled, and shook her head. "I'm not. I just have a girlfriend who makes me do the right thing, occasionally."
"Aww," Adora's eyes sparkled, and she took Catra's hands in hers. "So we're staying?"
"Yes. But we really, really need a plan. I'm not doing your bullshit thing where you all charge in and get yourselves nearly killed."
Glimmer stood up, and peered down at the two of them. "I really can't talk you out of this, can I?"
"Nope," said Catra, shrugging. "Wherever Adora goes, I go."
"Copycat," Adora mumbled, much to Catra's amusement.
"Fine," Glimmer said, smiling with a subtle shake of her head. "I'll go find Bow. He should have all the surveillance data by now." She teleported away a second later, leaving the two of them alone again.
Catra swallowed thickly, an anxious knot forming in her throat. "Hey, Adora."
Adora wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close. "Hmm?"
"What if this is it?" She asked, resting her head on Adora's shoulder. "What if we only got a week?"
"Don't say that."
"There's... " Catra began, feeling her heart ache. "So much stuff I haven't told you. About how I feel, and-"
"Shh," Adora said, placing a finger on her lips. "You can tell me after all this is over."
"Hah, you're always so cocksure, aren't you."
Adora kissed the top of her head. "Well yeah. Most of the time."
Catra laughed at that. She both hated and loved Adora's ridiculous levels of confidence, although these days it was generally always the latter. "Hey," she said, lifting her head. "Lay with me awhile? Just until Glimmer's back."
Adora smiled and shuffled backwards, then stretched out on the far side of the bed. Catra scooted up right next to her, until they were face to face. She curled herself up a little, and started to purr the moment Adora's arms were wrapped around her, and lips were pressed to the top of her head.
"You're being awfully soft today," Adora mumbled into her hair, while stroking it.
"I just... I have a bad feeling about all of this."
"We'll be fine. Glimmer has awesome magic, Bow is a fantastic shot, and you and me? We're badasses."
"I hope you're right, Adora," Catra sighed, shuffling even closer, until her forehead was resting against Adora's breast. "I only just got you." She wrapped her arms around Adora's waist, holding on tightly. "So don't go dying on me, okay?"
"I won't," Adora said, squeezing Catra back just as tightly. "Same goes for you."
"Hah! I'm too fast for them, you know that."
"mmHmm," Adora mumbled. "That's true."
--
"Glimmer! What's wrong!"
Catra was roused by Adora's sudden movement, and her panicked voice. She didn't even realise she'd fallen asleep, but when she sat up and turned around she found Glimmer appearing frantic, her face full of tears.
"They took him!"
"What?!" Adora exclaimed, rushing from the bed and putting her hands on Glimmer's shoulders.
"Bow!" Glimmer burst into tears. "They've got Bow!"
"Slow down Sparkles," Catra said, standing up and folding her arms. "Tell us everything."
Glimmer sat on the bed and did just that, between her sobs. Bow had been caught while sneaking around Hordak's camp, but not before sending one last video message, along with his coordinates.
"Well then," Catra said, cracking her knuckles. "I guess now the plan is to kill Hordak, and rescue your boyfriend."
"W-What if they've killed him!?" wailed Glimmer.
"Hordak would keep him alive," Adora said, rooting around the wardrobe and pulling out two more daggers with sheaths, which she hooked onto her belt, as well as their laser rifle, which she slung into a leather harness, secured around her shoulder.
"Yeah." Catra mused. "He'd use him for ransom, probably in exchange for us, thinking about it."
"Too bad for him we were headed there anyway," Adora grinned. She tied her hair back and checked over her equipment.
Glimmer appeared uncertain. "Guys, are you sure about this? I thought you wanted to make a plan?"
"The plan is you get us to those coordinates," Catra smirked, "and we'll all kick his ass, okay?"
Glimmer lunged forwards, pulling both Catra and Adora into a tight hug. "Thank you. And I'm so, so sorry for putting you through this..."
"Don't sweat it, Sparkles," Catra said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We've been soldiers our whole lives. This is what we do best."
--
They'd planned to teleport a quarter of a mile north of Bow's coordinates, where the woods would give them a decent amount of cover. They'd then sneak around the outskirts of Hordak's camp, and single him out, capturing or killing him and avoiding any more deaths than were necessary. But of course, nothing in Catra's life had ever really gone right, and why would it start now?
That's what she thought to herself, when instead of popping out into the forest, they appeared a few feet in the air above the palace's courtyard.
"Argh!" Glimmer yelled, clutching her head as they all fell to the ground, right in the middle of the ongoing battle.
So much for a fucking plan, Catra thought. "Sparkles! Get us out of here."
But Glimmer was still clutching her head in pain, and Catra figured they must be using some sort of anti-magic tech. She scanned around the battleground, realising very quickly that the Brightmoon guards were not only outnumbered, but also outmatched. She wondered if they'd ever had actual combat training.
"This isn't good," said Adora.
Catra cursed. "No shit. Here they come."
Lightning flickered in the sky, reflecting from the helmets of almost a dozen soldiers as they headed straight for them. A loud boom rumbled all around, and it began to pour it down in thick, heavy droplets. Catra stretched out her claws, and Adora unsheathed two daggers, the two of them crouching into low, balanced fighting stances.
"Traitors!" A soldier shouted, pointing his rifle at Catra's nose. "You're coming with us."
It all happened so fast. The rain was pouring, drenching into Catra's fur and streaming from her eyebrows, making it hard to see. She blinked, once, there was another flash of lightning, and then Adora was on the guy, her dagger plunged into his neck just as thunder boomed around them.
And then, there was chaos.
"Glimmer! Stay down!" Catra yelled.
"Get them!" The soldiers shouted, and then they charged. Catra jumped and slammed her feet into the nearest soldier's chest, sending them crashing to the floor, then used her momentum to dive onto the next-closest, raking her claws deeply across their chest. Eight, Catra thought, noticing Adora finish the one she'd kicked to the floor. She leapt to another soldier's shoulders, deeply slicing her nails through the skin beneath their helm, Nine, and then leapt to another, her feet landing on his chest, drop-kicking him to the floor. She stabbed her pointed fingers into his chest, piercing his heart. Ten.
"Behind you!" Adora yelled, her eyes wide as she plucked her daggers from her current target's chest.
Lightning flashed again. Catra ducked, watching as Adora unhooked her laser rifle and fired off three shots just behind. In the meantime two soldiers had gotten behind Adora, closing in on her before she could defend. "I've got your back!" Catra sprang forwards from her crouched position and dove onto the first one, stabbing her nails into the flesh beneath their helmet, then swinging herself around his bloodied neck and viciously kicking the other one on their back. They stumbled forwards, landing right on Adora's blades.
Twelve.
They'd taken down eight or nine soldiers between them, but an even larger group took their place, and this time two of them were taking aim with beam weapons. Adora grabbed Glimmer and they both dove to the ground at the same time as Catra, narrowly avoiding the superheated lasers.
"Glimmer!" Catra yelled. "At least try to teleport yourself out."
"I can't!" she yelled. "My powers aren't working."
"Fuck!" Catra hissed. She saw the two marksmen tracking them with a steady aim while their weapons cooled. "Adora, four o' clock."
"Yup, I see," she said. "Glimmer, stay here."
A moment later they both barrelled through the front ranks, taking down two soldiers each as they went, before they dove onto the snipers, with daggers and claws aimed at their jugulars. With them out of the way, it wasn't too difficult to take out the rest of the group, and by the time they'd carved themselves a clearing Catra had lost count of how many she'd killed. She shook the blood from beneath her nails, and Adora cleaned her dagger against a dead soldier's outfit. Then they both headed back to where they'd left Glimmer.
Except she wasn't there anymore.
"Shit!" Catra said, scanning up and down the battlefield, before she spotted her being dragged through the north exit, towards the forest. "Stop them, idiots!" She yelled at the palace guards, as she and Adora ran by. But the few guards that remained were busy fighting for their lives.
More horde soldiers flocked together in front of them. "Stop resistin- ugh!"
"Stay out of our way!" Adora snapped, her dagger already plunged into his neck. "Or die."
To Catra's surprise, at least half of the soldiers backed off. Maybe it was the sight of Adora's face, twisted in rage, rain streaming down her blood-smeared skin, or maybe Catra herself appeared intimidating right now. Her fur was stood on end. She had blood all over her clothes and was baring her fangs, ready to take down any bastard that stood in their way. And those few that did were soon torn apart, between flashes of lightning, steel and claws.
"Almost there," Catra panted, running with Adora towards the courtyard exit, her feet slapping against the drenched concrete tiles beneath.
They got so close to reaching Glimmer, too. But in the heat of battle Catra had forgotten one very important detail. It was only when they'd torn through the remaining formation of soldiers and made their way to the exit, rapidly gaining on Glimmer, that she remembered. And by then it was far, far too late.
"ADORA!"
A wide, red beam ripped a hole through Adora's chest, and she appeared confused, just for a second, before she collapsed in a heap. The bots, Catra thought, cold terror filling her veins. With no horde soldiers in their line of sight, and no risk of collateral damage, they were free to open fire. Catra didn't even have time to regret her mistake. A beam tore through the outside of her right thigh and left calf, then another shot burned a hole through her ribs, and she almost blacked out as she fell to the floor.
--
Catra couldn't feel her legs. But her arms still worked, and Adora was right there, just a couple of paces ahead. She had to get to her. She reached out her arms and dug her nails into the wet concrete, pulling herself closer, choking on her own blood with each movement, screaming in agony as she clawed her way there inch by agonising inch. The rain was falling so heavily that Catra could barely see. But she saw enough. Adora's body was surrounded by a pool of crimson, diluted by the relentless downpour. She wasn't moving, and Catra feared the worst, but she kept on moving, dragging herself closer... closer... until she was finally face to face with Adora's fading blue eyes.
"H-hey... " Adora whispered. She was laid flat on her front, head turned to the side, and by some miracle still breathing, barely.
"Hey... Ad-ora," Catra gasped. She was shivering violently, and her head was spinning.
"You're hurt..."
"Hah. Says... you." Catra winced. "Idiot."
Adora reached a trembling hand out, and rested it on Catra's cheek, but she didn't even feel the touch. Her whole body was becoming numb, and she knew she was just about finished. Catra wished she'd told Adora everything, wished she'd opened her heart to her, and wished they'd had more time. But at least they'd had something, even if it was just one beautiful, perfect week together.
"Catra..." said Adora, shivering. "I'm s-scared..."
"Hey. We always said it'd be you and me, r-remember?" Catra spoke slowly, barely able to breathe. "Together, at the end of the world." She coughed up a thick river of blood. "Looks like we made it..."
"No." Adora whimpered. "Not so s-soon. Not like... this..."
Catra managed to raise her hand to Adora's messy, bloodied hair, and tuck a few loose strands behind her ear. But then her arm went dead and fell to the ground, with her hand resting just beneath Adora's lips. She knew that last thing she'd ever see would be Adora's beautiful blue eyes, and she was grateful for that, at least.
"Adora... listen." Catra said, each syllable feeling as though it twisted a blade inside her chest. "You... are my everything. My... wh-whole... world..." Catra felt so cold, now. And so tired.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, s-so... sorry," Adora said, her face crumpling, rain and tears running down the creases of her skin. "You're my world too. Don't leave me... please..."
"Shh," Catra managed. And it was all she could manage. Her eyes fell closed, and her whole body felt like frozen, heavy lead. This was it. Game over. Her one remaining thought was hope, hope that she'd see Adora again, someday, somehow.
"Catra..."
And then, there was nothing but darkness.