Bad End of the World

Killing Me Softly

Catra

Catra didn't sleep, not much at least. She woke up with a sore head, and her leg was throbbing more than usual. It took her a few moments to work out why. Then she growled to herself, remembering all too clearly how she'd walked into that prison and been caught completely off-guard when she'd noticed Adora's steel-blue eyes, staring right at her. She'd never jumped away from something so quickly in her life, not that she'd had any time to feel embarrassed about it after landing on her injured leg.

"Great," she said, before blowing out a long puff of air. She slowly, carefully stood to her feet, and growled at the pain that immediately shot up from her calf, to her hip. She was due for a checkup today, and all going well, the last two pins would be removed.

"Ah, you're finally awake," Shadow Weaver said. She was looming in the doorway of Catra's private quarters, uninvited as always.

"Don't you ever knock?" Catra asked, frowning. "What do you want?"

"I just thought I'd ask how your little chat went. You must be glad that Adora's back, surely?"

"Hah!" Catra laughed, and shook her head. "You seriously think I'd tell you anything?"

Catra stared the other woman down, wondering how much she knew. Sure, Shadow Weaver was aware that an out-of-control She Ra was the reason Catra got so messed up. But did she know that Catra had caused all of it in the first place? Did she have any idea how much Catra hated Adora now, and if she did, could that be the reason she allowed Adora to stay here in the first place, just to torment her?

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were scared of her," Shadow Weaver said, and Catra barely managed to keep her expression neutral. "I can't say I blame you. She did practically break you in half."

"That was She Ra," Catra said, shrugging, and hoping that the bluff would work. "And a corrupted version, too. Why would I be scared?"

"I saw how terrified you were when you jumped away from her cell," Shadow Weaver said, chuckling quietly. "But you needn't worry. She will remain in that cage until she learns to be obedient again...."

Catra almost grimaced at the words, remembering all too clearly how Shadow Weaver had made Adora obedient in the first place. One particular memory flashed through her mind, of when she was ten years old and had just had a run-in with Shadow Weaver.

--

"This is all my fault," Adora said, reaching for the mop that Catra was holding tightly. "Please, let me finish it off. And I'll do it the rest of the week, too!"

"I'm fine!" Catra snapped, scowling and mopping the floor more vigorously.

"Okay, then I'll clean the toilets!"

"Already done," Catra said, scrunching her nose up. Shadow Weaver's most recent punishment meant she was stuck with toilet-cleaning duty for a whole week. Usually that wouldn't be so bad, but when you had a nose as sensitive as hers was, it was brutal. "And I told you, I'm fine. So just... get out of my face."

Adora's lower lip wobbled, and Catra hated how awful it made her feel. Once again, Shadow Weaver had gotten into Adora's head, and made her feel like this whole situation was somehow her fault. But it wasn't. Catra had been the one to be disrespectful, yet Shadow Weaver had found a way to make Adora feel like she was to blame, and worse, that it was her job to keep Catra in check.

Adora looked down to the floor, and grabbed her own arm. "O-okay, I'll... maybe see you later? If you're not still mad at me?"

"Ugh, I'm not mad. Not at you, anyway," Catra said, placing the mop against the wall, and opening her arms.