Serve and Protect

Chapter 36

[Content warnings: Mentions of death and sex work, on-page drug use. See the end of the chapter for more details. Also: This is a safe, sex positive space. Derogatory comments about sex workers will not be tolerated.]

Catra and Scorpia stood on the sidewalk, staring up at a three story industrial-looking building.

"This can't be right," Scorpia said, scratching her head and glancing up and down the street. "I'm pretty sure this place is a nightclub. Maybe your friend was confused?"

Razz's directions had led them into a part of the city known for its alternative clubs and bars. It certainly didn't seem like the kind of place where anyone actually lived. Then again, most people would say the same thing about a seemingly abandoned warehouse, so Catra stepped up to the door under an unlit neon sign that read The Crimson Waste, and gave it a few swift kicks. Old as she was, no one knew the streets of Etheria quite like Razz. If this was where she said they needed to go, Catra trusted her.

It took another couple of kicks before someone finally came to the door, wrenching it open with a frustrated yank.

"What the fuck?" the hulking woman who answered shouted. She was just as jacked as Scorpia, with a long white ponytail that spilled down her back. "We're not open, so quit kicking my goddamn establishment you little punk."

Before the door could be slammed in their faces, Catra stepped forward and braced a hand against it.

"We're here about Goatia," she said, parroting the phrase Razz told her.

The woman rolled her eyes and stepped aside. "It's a bit early for that, don't you think?"

Catra and Scorpia shared a confused glance and the woman grunted, annoyed.

"Whatever floats your boat, ladies." The woman turned and walked back into the darkened club, waving over her shoulder for her guests to follow. "Lock the door behind you."

They did as they were told. It took a moment for Catra's eyes to adjust to the dim lighting after being out in the bright afternoon sunshine, but once they did she was able to take in the cavernous room around her. A well worn dancefloor took up most of the space, with a long bar running across the far wall. There was nothing remarkable about the place; not the handful of booths and high top tables, nor the stage with its raised DJ booth. But what did catch Catra's attention was a heavy red velvet curtain that hung in one corner.

"Sit," the woman said, pointing at the closest booth. She didn't wait to see if her guests did as she commanded. Instead, she strode over to the curtain and pulled it back to reveal a staircase that disappeared upward.

"Trouble!" she shouted up the stairs. "Get your scrawny ass down here!"

A few moments later, Catra heard the sound of light footsteps descending from the floor above. The curtain parted with a dramatic flourish to reveal a tall figure dressed in a silky pink robe with feathers lining the sleeve cuffs and hem. A pair of golden eyes glared.

"Huntara, if you're going to wake me from my beauty sleep, at least do it with a kiss," the newcomer snapped. "What's with all the yelling?"

The woman nodded toward the booth, and the newcomer's expression morphed from irritated to delighted.

"Well, who do we have here?" they asked, sliding into the booth across from Catra and Scorpia and eyeing them mischievously. "I'm usually appointment-only, but I'd be willing to make an exception for you two."

Catra crossed her arms and sat back, putting a bit more distance between herself and the stranger. This situation just kept getting stranger, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what was going on. "Who are you?"