[ Adora blinks, surprised, then sets her mouth in a firm line. Overthinking is her whole thing, but she can't just stop. She needs to make sure they have a plan, before something inevitably goes wrong, the way it always seems to. Because, like always, it'll be her fault when it does. ]
You're not being serious about this. There's no way you can take on a whole squad. [ She states it matter-of-factly; not even humouring Catra's attempts at posturing to make herself feel better. The past year has given Adora a hefty dose of reality, and shown exactly what the Horde is capable of. Destruction. Torture. Killing. ] And She-Ra's strong, but even she's... even she's not invincible.
[ She's reluctant to admit it, but Catra carved proof of that into her back just yesterday. Adora hadn't lost their fight, but she might have, if not for all the other Princesses — and while nobody else knows Adora's weaknesses like Catra does, a stun baton and rope would still do the job well enough, if she got distracted. Like, say, by protecting her former best friend.
... Current best friend. The one who's just trying to look out for her, too, but Adora can't accept that, because it's not Catra's job to look after her. It's not anybody's. ]
Look... we stick together, even if the Horde shows up. But for once in your life, Catra, listen if I tell you to run. Find reinforcements, I don't care, but go. I can fight better without any distractions. [ Again: it's harsher than she intends, but she needs Catra to understand. ] Leaving was my idea. I'm not gonna let you get hurt because of it.
[ Not again. Not like all the other times Shadow Weaver hurt Catra for something they both did, something Adora let herself be goaded into taking the initiative on, only to suffer none of the consequences. If she'd found out about the stolen skiff, Catra would have been blamed for that, too, even when Adora was the one who snuck into the vehicle bay and took the keys. Adora's only punishment would have been the I'm very disappointed in you speech, with all its veiled threats, and the painful guilt of needing to be better; knowing she was responsible for whatever happened to Catra after she was sent back to the barracks with shadows licking at her heels, as if mocking her for her failures. ]
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You're not being serious about this. There's no way you can take on a whole squad. [ She states it matter-of-factly; not even humouring Catra's attempts at posturing to make herself feel better. The past year has given Adora a hefty dose of reality, and shown exactly what the Horde is capable of. Destruction. Torture. Killing. ] And She-Ra's strong, but even she's... even she's not invincible.
[ She's reluctant to admit it, but Catra carved proof of that into her back just yesterday. Adora hadn't lost their fight, but she might have, if not for all the other Princesses — and while nobody else knows Adora's weaknesses like Catra does, a stun baton and rope would still do the job well enough, if she got distracted. Like, say, by protecting her former best friend.
... Current best friend. The one who's just trying to look out for her, too, but Adora can't accept that, because it's not Catra's job to look after her. It's not anybody's. ]
Look... we stick together, even if the Horde shows up. But for once in your life, Catra, listen if I tell you to run. Find reinforcements, I don't care, but go. I can fight better without any distractions. [ Again: it's harsher than she intends, but she needs Catra to understand. ] Leaving was my idea. I'm not gonna let you get hurt because of it.
[ Not again. Not like all the other times Shadow Weaver hurt Catra for something they both did, something Adora let herself be goaded into taking the initiative on, only to suffer none of the consequences. If she'd found out about the stolen skiff, Catra would have been blamed for that, too, even when Adora was the one who snuck into the vehicle bay and took the keys. Adora's only punishment would have been the I'm very disappointed in you speech, with all its veiled threats, and the painful guilt of needing to be better; knowing she was responsible for whatever happened to Catra after she was sent back to the barracks with shadows licking at her heels, as if mocking her for her failures. ]