Unbroken: Rise of the Horde

Chapter Eleven

Mira didn't matter.

Shadow Weaver didn't matter.

Catra didn't matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Nothing but the portal. It didn't matter that he'd just exiled his Second-in-Command to the place she'd die. It didn't matter that foolish Captain Scorpia went with her. It didn't matter that his troops were just sitting around unsure of what to do next. The lesser Captains could take charge for once.

This was what went through Hordak's mind for the next few days. They were so close to finishing his portal for good. Then this would all be over. Everything he'd worked for would not be in vain. His endless nightmare on this planet would cease to exist.

When my big brother opens a portal, he thought, Etheria will finally bow down to their rightful leaders. And he will see that I am worthy to stand besides him once more.

"Woah," Entrapta's gaze peeled away from her portion of the portal frame after many hours of silent work. She eyed a lever a little ways off. Her curiosity took over. "What's that?" Her hair raised her from the ground and carried her over to it.

Hordak's head shot up with alarm. That was the vacuum field projector! She was an Etherian! He reached out and called, "Wait!"

But it was too late. A strand of lilac-colored hair pulled the trigger. Her eyes turned up to the machine powering on above her.

Hordak scrambled to his feet and tried to drag himself over, but the machine had already begun to fill the space between with the violet light. Entrapta stared around her with a smile on her face as she checked out the technology, oblivious to how much danger she was in.

"Facina...," she started to say, but couldn't finish. Her wide eyes turned to shock when she realized she couldn't breathe. She fell to the ground and began wheezing and coughing.

Hordak's head exploded with curses at his top speed being 0.00 miles per hour. After what could have only been years of agony for Entrapta, he finally reached the switch and yanked it the other way.

The purple retracted back into their emitters. Hordak hurried over and carefully knelt down to her height. "Are you alright?" he demanded.  His heart slammed against his ribcage.

Entrapta gulped in a few more breaths. One part of her hair reached into a pocket and pulled out her silver recorder. She pressed the button and spoke into it, completely ignoring Hordak's question. "Fright Zone log, day 137? Day 138? Eh. I just discovered I cannot breathe inside the likes of a vacuum! This proves that Etherians are only apt to our own atmosphere!"

Obviously, Hordak huffed. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins. "Are you alright?" he repeated, a little softer this time.

"Never better!" She turned and flashed him a smile, though Hordak could tell the experience truly rattled her. She twisted her finger through one of her pigtails.

Hordak frowned, raising himself to his feet. "Good, since... the last thing we need is another set back," he said quickly.  For a moment neither spoke.  Hordak cleared his throat.  "We should probably get back to work."

"Oh. Of course," Entrapta agreed. She climbed back over to the machine.

After a couple more minutes of awkward silence, Entrapta lifted the mask off of her face. "Thank you for turning it off."

Hordak turned away with a sneer. "Etherians are so problematic," he complained.

He found himself regretting that statement.  He turned back to her.  "Just... please don't hurt yourself again.   I... I find having a lab partner can be quite useful."