Chapter Text
Catra pressed her hand up against the scanner to let herself into Hordak’s sanctum. She didn’t know why she was called there, Hordak didn’t like talking to people, but she just hoped that she didn’t have to get in, yet another, fight with him. She was already too tired from not having slept while she was trying to find Scorpia. That was to no success, of course, she had just vanished, and looking back at their last encounter, Catra didn’t think it would be shocking to find out that she had just left on her own free will. Heartbreaking, sure, but not shocking.
The doors slide open, screeching loudly. It would’ve been irritating for a human’s ears, but for a magicat, for Catra, it was just painful. She rolled her eyes and stepped inside, the pain in her ears making her already shitty mood even worse. As she looked around, she noticed that Hordak wasn’t working on anything, there were no loud noises, no bright, flashing lights, nothing. It was just silent. Unsettlingly silent.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that he was sitting on his thrown, clearly turned towards her. She bowed down and didn’t look up, she has done this many times, she wouldn’t look up until she is granted the ability to.
“Lord Hordak, you wanted to talk to me?” her voice was breathy, laced with annoyance. She knew that she didn’t have to show him respect, she had power over him, she knew his weakness, and kneeling before him should be enough to satisfy him. She didn’t worry about her attitude around him anymore.
“Oh, it was not Hordak who ordered you here,” it was a voice that was awfully familiar to Catra, a voice she wished to just forget, but could never get out of her mind. She hadn’t heard it in a while and, due to her lack of sleep, she thought she might be making it up. But as she looked up her eyes widened, her fear was confirmed: it was her. “Hey, Catra…”
Of course she had to be here. And if Hordak wasn’t the one who called for her… if Adora was sitting on Hordak’s throne… in his sanctum… then that means… No, it couldn’t be. Adora couldn’t be there. Adora couldn’t be in power. Not in the Fright Zone. Why were the soldiers, who brought her here, listening to her? Where is Hordak? Catra had so many questions, but she just kept staring at Adora, completely frozen.
After a while of a silent staring contest between the two of them, Catra had finally gathered enough power to pull herself out of her trance. “What are you doing here?” it came out harsh, it was meant to. They both knew Catra didn’t want Adora here, she had made that clear in the Beacon.
Adora didn’t seem fazed by her tone, normally she’d look hurt or surprised, but not now. Ever since the portal, Catra knew there was no coming back for her, she had crossed a line and she could never go back. Maybe that’s why Adora was here. The look She-Ra gave her once the portal was closed, was enough to let Catra know that the next time they fought, She-Ra was going to kill her.
“You see, the Rebellion is a lost cause, no hero could save them. So, I’m here,” Catra’s blood was boiling. She didn’t know if Adora was trying to trick her or if she had something else in mind, but Adora coming back? On her own? No way.
Catra stood up, she was not going to keep kneeling before her former best friend. She was not going to kneel before a traitor. Catra moved towards Adora fast and aggressively, most people would be alerted by this.
For some reason, that is completely unknown to Catra, Adora was not fazed. She was calm and collected and as Catra looked in her grey-blue eyes, there was something dark and unsettling in them that made Catra wonder if those really were the same blue eyes she has looked into so many times before.
Now, looking into them, she felt like she didn’t know the girl sitting in front of her. And maybe that was true.
“What kind of trick are you playing?” Catra asked, narrowing her eyes. Adora didn’t really react. It was weird to see her like that. Completely emotionless. She was not the same person Catra had once known. She couldn’t be. Adora was a terrible actress and this was clearly not acting.
Catra was standing in front of a stranger.
That’s what terrified her the most. Not that the eyes held no emotion, but that she had seen the blue of her eyes change with joy and fear, and laughter and anger and now there was nothing left.
What happened to the eyes that would give away the blonde so easily? Where is the girl Catra had spent her childhood with?
She felt her chest tighten and she took a step back, trying not to show any emotion, but inside she was screaming. She just wanted to run out the doors and never come back in the sanctum again, she had always hated it, but seeing Adora here like this. She would never admit it, she wanted her to return, but she never wanted her to return so broken. She could barely bare seeing her like this. It was becoming too much as the air got caught in her lungs and refused to leave.
Adora stood up and walked over to Catra, she was wearing Hordak’s cape and if Catra would’ve been able to overcome her panic and focus on the bottom of it, she would’ve noticed the dried blood it was clearly stained with.
But Catra was too caught up, looking into Adora’s eyes, searching for something, anything that would give away that there is still some piece of the clumsy idiot she had once fallen in love with so many years ago.
But there was nothing.
“This is not a trick, Catra,” Adora stopped for a second and Catra had a feeling that what she was about to say next was not going to be any kind of appealing to her. “I’m the new Lord of the Horde.”
Adora. Lord of the Horde. Catra’s brain seemed to shut down as it failed to process the information she was just given. Adora was back. Taking everything Catra had, once again. She was expecting it, sure, but that theory was in her. Now, it was said out loud by Adora herself. It was very real.
“Oh, so you came back just so you can ruin everything for me again, huh?” Catra tried to play it off, but her eyes were glossy and she didn’t doubt Adora could see it. But she had every right to be upset. Adora had left her. And now she was back, taking everything Catra had worked for. Catra should be the new lord. She had worked for it. “You have to ruin everything, don’t you?”
“I don’t want to take anything from you, Catra. I came back to you,” as Adora said that, Catra could see her eyes soften for a second before going emotionless again. Catra wanted to let herself feel a little bit of hope, Adora was still in there. But she couldn’t. Adora had left her. She’ll do it again. “You can keep your position as my second in command.”
Catra was surprised, but she still didn’t understand: “Why are you here, Adora?”
“Like I said, I came back to you,” there was no sign that she was lying, but judging by the emotionless facade she has put on, Catra couldn’t believe her. If she could mask her true feeling so well, she could easily disguise a lie as the truth.
“Why are you here?” at this, Adora let out a sigh. So she was lying. In that moment, Catra was just glad she had had enough hate for Adora to be angry rather than hopeful when she first saw her a couple of minutes ago.
Now she only had to deal with a fraction of the pain she would’ve otherwise experienced.
“We are going to crush the Rebellion,” her voice was steady, it didn’t crack, it didn’t shake. It was like she forgot she has ever even ran off with them.