25. The Chip

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Harley held Catra's head to her chest as she sobbed. Harley had heard Catra's night terrors from down the hall and they'd been getting worse since the first few hours they'd gotten Catra back.

She had her claws embedded into Harley's shirt, tearing at the canvas fabric but Harley didn't fail to notice how she was careful not to nick her skin. Harley hummed and patted Catra's hair until her hiccups slowed and she released her vice-like grip on her. The girl pulled away towards the other end of the mattress to meet Catra's gaze.

An hour before, Catra had gotten into a fight with Adora and she didn't even bother putting the mattress back onto the bed frame so Harley shooed her off and did it for her. Catra promptly perched herself back on the bed and crossed her legs, tail hooked around her leg as she hung her head and slouched her shoulders, her back to Harley.

"I don't know what you and Adora were talking about earlier but whatever it was, you're clearly shaken up-- and Adora's not in much of a better mood either-- so maybe you could just talk to them--" Harley suggested but Catra hissed, shaking her head and rolling onto her side.

"Adora just wants to play the hero again and they're all Princesses, they don't want me. The second we get back to Etheria, she's gonna leave me behind again." She huffed, curling her legs back up and under her chin.

"And what are you going to do when we get that chip out and get back to Etheria, then?" Harley asked her and Catra's ears twitched.

The cat-girl sat back up, her two-toned eyes meeting Harley's and she shrugged, "I don't know. I'll probably go to The Crimson Waste, I'm pretty popular there. I might run into Double Trouble, too, they know that place better than I do."

"What about me?" Harley chuckled, sliding next to her on the mattress and nudging her elbow, "You're not gonna run away into the sunset with me?"

Catra glared up at Harley through her lashes and scoffed, "You? You've got a Rebellion to assist and a planet to get back to. You don't need me."

"Who said I don't need you?" Harley pressed her, eyes softening and face falling as she arched her body so she could properly face Catra.

She didn't respond and instead hooked her chin over her knees, tail slapping the mattress behind her and eyes darting around the room.

They sat together in silence for the next little while, shoulders bumping every time one of them breathed a little too deeply. Harley wanted to say something; to speak up, but she didn't know what to say. She truly cared about Catra but if she wasn't willing to try and mend her relationship with Adora and the Rebels, then who's to say she was willing to do the same with Harley, even despite her words?

There was a muffled explosion from outside the ship and Harley glanced upwards through the porthole., eyes locking onto a triumvirate of sleek, white ships chasing after Darla through the asteroid belt they were. She opened her mouth to speak up but a bolt of energy racked through the ship and the girls were sent sideways to the floor.

Catra shrieked as her back slammed against the steel wall. She scratched at the back of her head before she gasped, eyes glazing over as she panted. She shook herself out of her daze a few moments later and gaped down at her trembling hands. Her ear twitched and Harley moved to take a hold of her shoulder but another boom rumbled through the ship and Catra screamed again, quickly hopping to her feet,

A third quake echoed through the ship and the bed frame tumbled onto its side, mattress and blanket gliding through the air and splayed across the floor. Catra dropped to her knees across the other side of the room, whining and groaning as she ran her hands through her hair and scratched at the chip in the nape of her neck.

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