Serve and Protect

Chapter 10

Catra stood in the hallway, bracing herself against the doorframe with her forearm. A teasing smile played across her lips at the sight of Adora's face.

"Geeze, don't look so happy to see me," Catra said.

Adora launched forward and wrapped her in a hug. "Where have you been? What happened today? Are you okay?"

"Woah, woah!" Catra squirmed out of Adora's embrace. "Relax. What's gotten into you?"

"Are you serious?" Adora couldn't seem to keep her voice down. "First, you left without saying goodbye this morning, then you showed up at headquarters with Shadow Weaver, and then nobody knew where you were! I was worried she kicked you out or something."

Catra raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"

"Because Shadow Weaver's crazy!"

At this, Catra let out a squeaky laugh. "Okay, you're not wrong there. But, no, I wasn't kicked out. I mean, obviously, because I'm still alive."

This was the source of so much of Adora's worry. As she'd explained to Angella, leaving the Horde wasn't as simple as handing in your resignation. Once you were in, you were in for life. And if you weren't in—be it by your choice or theirs—the Horde would make sure you didn't have a chance to tell anyone what you knew about their operations.

Adora gave Catra a shove and wiped away the tears that still clung to her lashes. "Well, I know that now. Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?"

By way of reply, Catra held up a small key. For a split-second, Adora thought it was her own room key, and that perhaps Catra lifted it from her pocket during their embrace. But a quick pat of her pocket showed the key still safe where it had been stowed, which meant...

"Did Shadow Weaver give you your own room?" Adora squawked. "Like, here?"

"Yup." Catra grinned. "And that's not all. Guess who got a promotion?"

"Shadow Weaver made you a Force Captain?" Adora shouted in disbelief. It was impossible to hide her shock.

"Damn right she did!" Catra tugged Adora from her room and led her down the hall to a door at the very far end. Using her key, she unlocked the door to reveal the room she had been given. Adora gaped in disbelief. The room was a touch bigger than her own — not by much, but enough so that Adora noticed. And, because it was a corner unit, the room boasted two windows, one of which Catra bounded to and threw open. She leaned against the window pane and stuck her face out into the evening air.

"Isn't this awesome?" she said, smiling back at Adora over her shoulder. She looked genuinely delighted by her unexpected good fortune, and perhaps under different circumstances, Adora would have been just as happy for her. Instead, she strode across the room and pulled Catra away from the window.

"What did they make you do?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Catra tipped her head. "What do you mean?"

"For your initiation," Adora pressed.

"Oh, nothing yet." Catra shrugged. "Shadow Weaver said they'll wait until I turn 18. Did you know I'm the youngest Force Captain ever?"

Something bloomed in Adora's chest, and she didn't like it at all. It was an ugly and petty, and it was stopping her from feeling as proud of Catra as she knew she should have.

"I don't get it," she blurted. "What happened? Why did they suddenly decide to promote you out of the blue before you're even of age?"

At this, Catra recoiled. Her bright smile twisted into a scowl, and Adora realized she'd hit a nerve.