Hero (english version)

Chapter 2

The scratchy sound of the robots falling into the floor makes me feel sick. It's been four hours since we started training. It's always the same dynamic: First, we all face the robot. Then, one against the other and all against the robot. Finally, everyone is your enemy. This last method repeats three more times, earning points everytime we win. Today, all the victory points are mine. Shadow Weaver gets closer to me. That's when Catra looks away.

"Congratulations, Adora," she cheered. "Once more, you make me feel proud. Soon you'll be the best Force Captain ever. You'll conquer Etheria," she claimed, looking up, with an even more imposing posture than what she usually has. "After all, that's what I raised you for".

I stand firm, giving her a military salute as an answer. My teammates imitate my reaction when they realize that our superior is going to leave the training room.

"Catra." She proclaims, stopping before reaching the door.

My friend's look changes. I can see tenderness in her eyes. I appreciate how a feeling of happiness hidden behind a fake indifference takes over her facial expression when Shadow Weaver pronounce her name.

"You'd better straighten your spine." And, once she articulates those words, she leaves the place.

I set my look on Catra, feeling how her face turns darker. "Catra, I-" I whisper, placing my hand on her shoulder.

She moves out of the way, rejecting my supportive touch without hesitation. "Time for lunch," she announces, walking towards the exit.

I follow in her footsteps, in complete silence. Catra fix her gaze on the floor. She doesn't slow down in order to walk with me. However, I don't increase my speed either. I just let her walk in front of me, feeling her... defeated. Hurt. Nevertheless, instinctively, when we enter the lockers area, the upper side of her tail tangles my right hand. Suddenly, my eyes burn, flooding with tears of pure impotence. I hurry to reach her figure, enclosing her in my arms from behind, so strong that nothing and nobody can ever separate me from her. Catra stops, paralyzed. She doesn't get rid of my unexpected hug, but she doesn't return it back to me. She just stares. Immobile.

After a few seconds, I let a sob slip past my lips. This sound is like a switch for her, as she immediately wraps her arms around me. And I stay like this, holding her. And she holds me. None of us break the silence that divide us, but after a few minutes, Catra turns around to hug me facing me. My tears, which until now had stopped, flood my blue eyes again.

"What's wrong? You won, don't you? You should be happy," she noticed.

I don't answer. I just hug her even tighter, sinking my face somewhere between her neck and her collarbone. She sighs, returning that embrace.

"I'm not sure if I really want this." I confess.

Catra pulls me away, holding my shoulders and seeking my gaze with her own. I stare at her eyes. They're so unique: the left one, it's colored by a tone between light blue and pastel green; the right one, it's yellow. A yellow so intense that it seems it shines like fire. She's beautiful.

"Of course you want it! This is what we always wanted, right? Soon we'll leave this place. What does it matter which of us is the Force Captain?" she lies. "We'll conquer Etheria. Together. That's the only thing that really matters. It'll be ours. Forever"

I take her words in, as if that were enough to believe them and make them true. Once more, I hold her tight, seeking the warm of her body. I open my lips to answer, but Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio's entrance interrupt us. We both separate, taking a step backward. Lonnie scowled, understanding what was going on between us. For their part, Kyle and Rogelio continue talking and growling about fighting movements that have yet to be perfected.