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Sickness is weakness. It was a lesson no cadet could ever forget when Lonnie had fallen ill after a week of intense training. The whole team, including Catra herself, grew concerned when she rose from her bed, movements sluggish and eyes vaguely fixed on nothing.
She started making loud noises, and sometimes a glob of snot would shoot out from her nose when she did. Her movements became uncoordinated during training, and eventually it got so bad that Shadow Weaver herself approached the children as they huddled around her.
They told her something was wrong with Lonnie. They told Shadow Weaver everything . The image of Lonnie looking up at her, eyes and cheeks swollen and red, would forever be burned into Catra’s mind.
“She’s sick,” Shadow Weaver said.
The kids all stared at her blankly. She sighed.
“She has an illness. There is no room for illness in the Horde.” Gray claws grabbed Lonnie by the arm, dragging her on her feet. “Come. I will treat you myself so that you do not infect the other cadets.”
They stared as Lonnie disappeared into the hallway. She cast a final glance towards them, and Catra more than recognized the look on her face.
She was afraid.
They didn’t see her for almost two weeks. But when she came back, she didn’t say a word as Adora and Kyle tried to tackle her in a hug. That night, they heard her sob until Kyle and Rogelio climbed into her cot. Adora joined them moments later, and Catra reluctantly followed.
It was cramped on the cot made for one person, not five. So they dog piled around her, legs and arms covering each other’s faces like a pile of ragged dolls. They made no noise—the older cadets were annoyed with Lonnie’s crying already—until Lonnie whispered thank you as they drifted to sleep.
Lonnie was never nice to Catra. But in that moment she felt a moment of solidarity between them, the fear Shadow Weaver instilled on every child she touched. The cadets all understood the silent agreement they made that night when Lonnie’s tears stained her pillow.
Don’t get sick.
Catra first noticed Adora was acting strange after training.
None of the other kids want to be friends Catra, but they all liked Adora. They talk to her and hang out with her, and she doesn’t mind laughing with them. They’re all one big happy family after all.
But when the instructors released them, Adora started to slink off on her own.
“Hey Adora, where are you going?” Kyle called out.
Adora‘s head whipped around so fast Catra worried she might have cracked her neck. “Nowhere! I mean- not nowhere, I’m obviously going somewhere- uh, training!”
Lonnie narrowed her eyes. “We are training.”
“Extra training!” Adora added. She quickly turned her heel, fastening her pace towards the door. “See you guys later!”
She was out the door and vanished from the hallway before Catra could catch up.
The next day was same as usual. They all eyed Adora as she stood alongside them out the simulation room, but her gaze was set straight on the instructor, giving nothing away.
“Today you will be training to handle an ambush situation. Remember, be on guard at all times when in enemy lines. Rebels will wait as long as it takes for you to let your guard.”
The cadets gave him a curt nod, and the door was opened.
The others rushed in with practiced urgency. She sauntered in behind them, before leaping into the rafters to watch from above.
“Good idea, Catra,” Rogelio said. “You’ll be able to spot any attacks coming our way from up there.”
She scoffed, taking a moment to pick at the dirt beneath her claws. “Nah. I can chill up here while you guys do the fighting.”
Rogelio sighed, his face one of tired disappointment she had come to know well.
Adora looked up at her in her perch with familiar fondness, a certain level of amusement with Catra’s antics. It was only then Catra could notice how much paler her face was.
The group kept moving and Catra followed along from above, hanging lazily from rafter to rafter. Kyle clutched his staff nervously. “Catra, are you seeing anything?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, “are you seeing anything Kyle?”
He shook his head.
“Kyle isn’t sitting at a vantage point,” Lonnie added, rolling her eyes. “Really Catra, can you try to take this seriously?”
“I don’t think I have to,” Catra shrugged. “Hey Adora, should I take this seriously or do you got this?”
Adora just shook her head and laughed. “We can’t make her do anything, Lonnie.”
Lonnie groaned. “You know, I don’t see why you-”
As Lonnie talked, a flash of motion in the corner of her eye caught her attention.
“Look out!”
Three drones crashed into the clearing, trampling fake trees in their wake. The four cadets turned to face their adversaries, back to back.
This is usually when Adora would deliver some sort of directions as the unofficial leader of their group, but she was silent. Catra saw the heavy rise and fall of her shoulders—how could she be winded already?
One of the drones aimed a shot at the middle of the group, and they all rolled out of the way as the ground behind them went up in a cloud of dirt.
Lonnie and Rogelio looked at each other and nodded. They went straight for the closest drone, coming in on their left, attacking from opposite sides to try and wedge their staffs into its vulnerable core. With a deft spin the drone swung at both of them, sending them into the nearest fake tree.
Kyle whimpered as they flew past him. Gripping his staff, he whacked the drone’s sturdy leg with the strength of a baby bird. Immediately the leg shoved Kyle into the dirt, firing a laser directly into his chest. His chestplate blinked for a moment before displaying a red “X”.
Rogelio groaned. “Kyle, you useless slut!”
“Don’t speak ill of the dead, Rogelio!” he yelled back.
Adora leapt on the nearest boulder, jumping at the drone from above and aiming her spear with practiced ease. It was the kind of thing that made the instructors go nuts over her. Catra could stare in awe like everyone else, but the sight grew boring fast.
If she blinked, she would have missed how Adora faltered middair, her powerful stance loosening.
The drone seemed to catch this, taking advantage of the moment by using one of its large legs to swipe her off to the side.
“Adora!”
“I’m fine, I-” She was cut off by the drone slamming its leg onto her chest, effectively flattening her to the ground.
Her arms grasped at it weakly, trying to pry it off to no avail. She let out a pained groan as the drone slammed its leg into her chest, keeping her completely pinned to the hard ground.
Alright, enough fooling around.
Before Lonnie and Rogelio could pick themselves up she burst from her spot, pouncing on the drone with practiced ease. Claws quickly unsheathed, she took a moment to balance herself with her tail before smashing the drone’s robotic eye.
It backed up from its position on top of Adora, straight into one of the other drones. Lonnie and Rogelio sprung towards them, stabbing their staffs through their cores.
She leaped on the ground next to Adora, who was still laying flat on her back. She tried to nudge her friend, but she barely moved. Adora was breathing very heavily for such a short spurt of action, and sweat formed a firm layer of wet on her forehead.
She knelt down and shook Adoras form. “Adora? You okay?”
Adora blinked, pushing herself up from the ground. “I’m fine...”
“You sure?” Behind them, Catra heard the telltale buzz of the simulator room as Lonnie and Rogelio took out the final drone.
“Yes,” she answered forcefully. “Let’s go.”
After training, Catra caught her in the locker room, hunched over the sink with her hands gripping the metal tub. She swiveled around in panic at the sound of Catra’s approach, but seemed to relax when she saw her friend.
“Yeesh Adora, you wiped out! Are you alright?”
Adora didn’t look her in the eye, but she leaned into Catra, her voice a shallow whisper. “I’ve been feeling weird. I think… I think I’m sick.”
Oh no.
“No no no no no,” she repeated, “you can’t be sick! They’re gonna… do the thing to you!”
“I know!” Adora panted. “That’s why I’m trying to work through it, but-”
They were cut off by the sound of an opening door. Barely hesitating to turn towards the figure, Adora immediately posed into a salute. Catra lazily brushed her hand to her forehead—she could see a bead of sweat drip down Adora’s cheek.
“Adora, what happened back there?” A honeyed voice cooed.
Adora straightened her back. “Nothing, Shadow Weaver.”
Shadow Weaver clicked her tongue. “Now now Adora, that wasn’t nothing. You slipped. If that was a real combat situation, a princess would not have hesitated to go for the kill.”
“I know, Shadow Weaver.”
She curled her sharp fingers around Adoras chin. From an outside perspective it almost looked sweet, how she cradled Adoras soft cheek in her palms and spoke in a sweet voice. But they knew better. Catra could see how Adora tensed up at the touch.
“You’re very warm, Adora.”
Adora shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Shadow Weaver. I feel fine.”
The room seemed to grow a shade darker, and Shadow Weaver moved in closer to Adora’s face. Her fingers lightly dug into Adoras skin, who’s lips had turned into a straight, set line. “Then why did you make such a mistake? You’re supposed to be better than this.”
Adora was completely stiff, and for a second she feared she’d see the telltale halo of red surround her body. Shadow Weaver’s long slits of white light they called eyes were narrowed.
Catra wanted to say something. But if she did, all that anger would be turned on her tenfold. Besides, a small, horrible part of her felt relieved to see it targeted at Adora for once, as opposed to her.
She quickly buried that feeling, her cheeks heating up with shame.
“My Adora, tell me...” Shadow Weaver’s voice was still soft but she laced it with a sneer that made both of them cringe. “Why did you stumble?”
Adora couldn’t speak. Her voice seemed to catch itself, making her trip over her words in a string of stutters and silences. Her clammy hands clung her pants, unsure of where to put themselves.
Suddenly the bright red gem on Shadow Weaver’s mask flickered, making her recoil a good few feet back, as if the Black Garnet itself decided to spare them. Adora spared Catra a nervous glance, biting her lip as her eyes swarmed with worry.
“We will continue this later,” Shadow Weaver snarled, her thick black hair drooping. And just like that she swept out of the room, leaving Adora frozen in her wake.
They slumped their shoulders, letting the tension drain from their bodies.
“I tried really hard not to get sick but…” Adora trailed off, gripping her own arms like a child. When she sniffled, Catra could hear the snot in her throat.
Catra sighed, shoving her back against the locker with a slam. Why did Adora have to go and get sick?
This was going to be complicated. It would be one thing if Catra had gotten sick. Everyone expects her not to participate, to slink away from prying eyes. But Adora is the golden girl of the Horde cadets. The instructors praise her at every turn and she’s always on time. Her absence would be sorely noted by everyone involved.
Adora let out a pitiful whine that panged Catra’s heart. “If anyone sees me like this, they’ll-”
Catra grabbed Adora by the shoulders, putting her face as close to Adora’s as she dares. “They won’t see you. I promise.”
Adora just looked up at her, big blue eyes shimmering.
“We look out for each other, remember?” Catra smiled and tried to force her face to look comforting.
Adora nodded, wiping some snot on her wrist. “Yeah...”
Taking Adora by the hand, Catra lead her into the maze of lockers, setting her down on a bench hidden in a corner. “Stay here when you need to rest,” Catra said, patting the fluff of hair on Adora’s head that narrowly avoided being pulled into her ponytail.
“What if someone sees me?” Adora asked.
“Not a chance.” Catra was reveling in pride right now. “This is where I go to skip training. It’s perfectly hidden, and everyone is too lazy to check every nook and cranny for me.”
“Except Shadow Weaver,” Adora noted, and Catra crossed her arms with a huff.
“Well duh. She has magic. She could probably hear me breathing from a mile away.”
Adora laughed, leaning her head against the cool metal wall. Her face was a worrying shade of pink. After a moment of hesitation, Catra put her hand to her forehead, feeling the sticky warmth. Adora didn’t recoil from her touch at all. In fact, she seemed to lean in to it, though that could have been Catra’s mind playing tricks on her.
A chill ran down Catra’s spine and right through her tail and she carefully pulled her hand away from Adora, who slumped back into the wall.
“Yeesh Adora,” she said, running a claw through her mane. “You’re burning up. I’m gonna go get you some food, okay?”
Adora nodded heavily, her eyelids drooping to a close. Catra waited a few more minutes, just to be sure no one was around, before scampering out of the room.
The moment an older cadet sidled up next to her in the hallway, she was already planning her method of attack. He was a large, blue lizard-type, probably a distant cousin species of Rogelio, and he reeked of metal and sweat. When he spoke, his voice was deep and scratchy.
“You’re Catra? One of Shadow Weavers wards?”
Catra nodded. “Yeah.” The cadet was at least twice her size, but if she went for the eyes she could make a quick escape.
“Adora is the other one, right?”
“Yup,” she replied shortly. The hallway is long, but the doors on the left a few yards down lead to the locker rooms. She could easily lose him in there if he chooses to pursue.
“Is Adora sick?”
Instantly her claws unsheathed, and she held them a hair away from the cadets throat. “Who told you?”
“I can tell, kitty,” the cadet smirked. “That little people pleaser doesn’t usually stay out of the way like this.” With a single deft motion, the cadet grabbed her arm and swung around, flinging her a couple feet away.
As she landed on her feet, her expression tightened. “What are you gonna do? Use that against her? Make me do something so you won’t tell Shadow Weaver? It won’t work. I’ll rip your throat out first.”
The cadet sighed.
“Relax.” He handed Catra a bottle of liquid. “Let her drink a tablespoon of this every few hours. Give it back to me when she’s better.”
Catra handled the bottle in her claws, her ears perked. “What is it?”
“Medicine,” he replied. “Someone in my unit snuck this from one of the Force Captain’s cabinets. Keep it under wraps. Hide it somewhere safe.”
She eyed him warily. “And why should I trust you?”
“Why not?” the cadet shrugged. “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back-”
“No!” She hugged the bottle to her chest protectively.
The cadet folded his arms across his chest, looking at her with a raised brow.
“... thank you,” she muttered.
Apparently satisfied, the cadet gave her a gruff nod and walked away.
Adora visibly cringed as she swallowed, pulling her lips away from the now empty spoon.. “It tastes like poop.”
“How do you know what poop tastes like?” Catra mused, tightening the lid back on the bottle.
She just shrugged lazily in response, her eyes fluttering. With a sluggish motion she tugged at the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, pulling it farther over herself. Before Catra could detect the oncoming affection, Adora was already leaning into Catra’s shoulder, hand intertwining with her own.
“Catra…” she moaned. “Gonna sleep... ‘m tired.”
“Uhh,” Catra froze, tail twitched straight up on instinct. Adora seemed too out of it to notice. “Do you want to sleep in your cot?”
Adora shook her head. “No… I want to-” she paused to sneeze, an action that shook them both. “-I want to sleep here.”
Here as in, on me? Catra wondered what was even in that bottle.
Not that she minded being leaned on by Adora. The two of them never shied away from physical contact, if Catra’s sleeping arrangement at Adora’s feet were any indication. But this felt different, because usually the tables were turned. Being relied on like this sent shivers down her spine, a thrill in being able to fulfill her side of their promise.
Adora stirred slightly, turning her face further into Catra’s arm. Catra obliged and shifted her position so that she could lay down while Adora slept on her.
After a while, she felt a contented rumble in her throat as she melted into Adora.
She didn’t know how much time passed, and it didn’t matter much. All she needed to signal her was the dinner alarm.
Thank the stars for her excellent sense of hearing though, because before the dinner bell could startle them awake she heard a figure approach from outside the door. Her tail shot up in alarm when it’s familiarity rung in her ears.
It was familiar because she spent her whole life avoiding the person it belonged to.
“Adora, wake up!” she hissed under her breath, shaking Adoras shoulder. “Shadow Weaver is coming!”
“What…?” Adora looked up at her with bleary eyes.
“Shadow Weaver,” she insisted. “We have to hide.”
Adora had to have picked up on the urgency in her voice, if nothing else, because she immediately stirred, attempting to push herself up. Her arms trembled at the sudden motion, and Catra had to grab her by the armpits and haul her up.
A shaky Adora in her grasp, her eyes flitted around the room for the best possibly hiding spot. Preferably one that fit two. But if worse comes to worst, Adora is the one who needs to be out of sight.
Her attention struck an open locker along the opposite wall, and it was decided. She dragged Adora, who was starting to come to her senses, to the cool metal door and shoved her in. It was tight, but she managed to squeeze in next to her and pull the door closed just in time as Shadow Weaver entered the threshold.
They watched through the slits in the locker as she looked around the room.
“Adora?”
They held their breath.
“Catra?”
Adora squeezed her hand. The difference in tone when calling out Catra’s name was striking, and it only reinforced in her mind what the consequences of being discovered would be.
“Lonnie, what did Shadow Weaver do to you?”
Lonnie expression immediately tensed. She looked at Kyle, teeth gritted. “You really want to know what she did to me?”
There goes Kyle, being a dumbass as usual. They all wondered exactly what happened to Lonnie in those two weeks she was gone—and was apparently so bad that she cried until they practically smothered her with physical affection—but none of them dared approach her about it. Except for Kyle and his dumb mouth.
Adora shifted to Lonnie’s side, placing a patient hand on her shoulder. “Please Lonnie, we want to help.”
Lonnie shook her head, as if trying to shake away the memories. “It was bad. It… it was bad. I don’t know exactly what she did to me. But it was like she was getting everything out of my body.” She sighed, clutching her arms. “It was some kind of magic she used on me. I was puking for hours every day. I thought I was going to die.”
Adora looked at the ground, her voice soft. “But she did heal you, right?”
“I guess,” Lonnie said, her tone harder. “It was still awful. She wasn’t nice about it, either.”
“What else happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Lonnie slammed her locker shut, making Kyle jump into Catra’s side, who shoved him off. “But I’d rather die than do that again.”
It struck Catra just whose locker they were currently hiding in—the one that was miraculously left unlocked and empty enough for them to duck into.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Adora sucked in a breath, suddenly slapping her hands over her mouth and nose. Catras eyes widened, recognizing the noise. She mouthed one simple phrase: don’t sneeze.
Adora nodded quickly.
If Shadow Weaver finds them hiding in the closet, there will be consequences. Adora would be subject to dark magic “treatment” and Catra would definitely be punished for trying to hide her. Just thinking about it made her stomach do backflips.
Adora covered her mouth with two hands now, her eyes clenched in concentration. In her mind, Catra willed for the woman to just leave already before Adora revealed their hiding spot.
Shadow Weaver inched closer and closer to their hiding spot as she searched the room. Catra’s heart was beating so loudly in her ears she feared Shadow Weaver could hear it from so many feet away.
Abruptly, the door whooshed open. From her perspective in the locker her view fell short, but she saw Shadow Weaver turn to whoever it was.
“You three,” Shadow Weaver called out, “come here.”
One of the figures stepped into view, hand held in a salute in his floppy blonde hair. Lonnie and Rogelio were quick to stand next to Kyle, arms poised in salutes as well.
Shadow Weaver was straight to the point. “Where is Adora?”
The three cadets shared a look, and Kyle shifted uncomfortably where he stood.
“Well?” Shadow Weaver insisted, stepping closer to the group.
They all shifted their gazes away. Rogelio and Kyle heads were bowed and their eyes fixed on the floor, away from Shadow Weaver.
But Lonnie looked directly at the locker Catra and Adora were hiding in, making eye contact with her through the slits in the locker. Catra blinked.
The look only lasted a second before Lonnie turned her head back to Shadow Weaver. “I don’t know, ma’am. I heard she was in the agility course with Catra a few hours ago, but we haven’t seen her after that.”
Rogelio and Kyle nodded swiftly.
The darkness around them seemed to get thicker. Shadow Weaver inched closer to them, her tone scrupulous. “And you are not lying for any reason?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Catra did not put you up to this?”
Lonnie laughed. “Ma’am, Catra can’t make me do anything.”
Ouch. Jab received. She would be mad if Lonnie wasn’t literally saving her and Adora’s butts right now.
Shadow Weaver stared for a second longer, before retreating backward. She waved her hand and the cadets practically threw themselves out of her way as she drifted towards the door.
“If you see either of them, tell them to report to me immediately.”
The cadets nodded. As soon as the door closed, they all let out a sigh of relief. Adora released a pent-up sneeze, phlegm shooting into her hands as she thankfully covered herself when doing so.
“I think I peed my pants,” Kyle whined. Rogelio just patted his shoulder with a sigh.
Lonnie made her way towards them and opened the locker, the two girls tumbling out of it and onto the floor. She looked at them with a sly smile. “You’re welcome.”
Something bitter burned in Catra’s chest, disgusted by the idea that she seems to owe Lonnie for this.
“Thank you,” Adora replied, trying to settle herself into a sitting position. She sniffled loudly, making Lonnie flinch. “You really saved our butts.”
Adora nudged Catra’s arm. Her ears flattened. “Thanks Lonnie.”
“It’s nothing.” Lonnie crossed her arms, like she was unsure of what to do with the bout of gratefulness..
“You should get some rest,” Kyle added, peeking over Lonnie’s shoulder. “We can bring some dinner for you, i-if you want!”
Adora sighed, leaning back into Catra’s lap. Rogelio definitely noticed the way her tail twitched, because he gave Catra a look that made her want to scratch his eyes out as a warning.
Suddenly, Catra got a weird feeling in her face. Like someone else had rubbed their tail against her nose and her cheeks, leaving a strange tickling feeling until-
She let out a sneeze, barely catching the snot in her arm. Everyone stared at her, eyes wide.
“Damn it,” she hissed.