Warning: this chapter has a rape mention in the paragraph below. Skip the epigraph if you don't want to see it.

The Spell commits rape against its victims. It pours itself into every opening of their body – from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth to their pores, anus, urethra, and birth canal (for women).

❂❂❂

Four days had passed since Shads' disappearance. As Carmen prepared Li'l Miss Adora's food for that day, she bit her lip and sighed. So much for relaxing – she had hoped Shads would be back by now to take care of her baby.

Taking the fruit bowl, Carmen sat on the floor and handed it to her lady's kiddo for lunch. Adora spooned it into her mouth greedily. Carmen simply...watched.

"Where's Catra?" Carmen asked Adora. "You know where she went?"

Adora looked down. "She hit Lonnie and ran away."

"That ain't good." Shads'll be pissed.

"No," Adora said. "But I can look. She's still here."

"In the Fright Zone? How d'ya know?"

Adora looked at Carmen solemnly, taking another bite of fruit. "I just know."

Carmen tilted her head, giving no reply. Li'l Miss Adora kept eating, her hands having lost most of their chub. She was six years old and made significant progress in math. Shads would have been proud if she was ever around for her kid.

Shocked by the thought, Carmen gazed at Adora – the kiddo's gray-blue eyes reminded her of Sir Nell's, deep and sad. "You awright?" she asked, edging closer.

Adora nodded. "Mama's gone again."

Carmen nodded. "She's out on a mission, tryin' to provide for you." But she couldn't convince herself this was true. Although, of course, Shads may have started out with better motives. But was she more concerned with Adora's well-being now or her own?

"I miss her," Adora murmured.

"Me too," Carmen said. "Your mama's a strong lady, Li'l Miss Adora. Don't forget that."

"I won't. I just wish we could snuggle."

"Maybe she'll be back tomorrow or somethin'," Carmen said, her voice shaking.

Adora looked up, beaming. "You really think so?"

"I dunno. But here's hopin'." By Raiya's name, this child deserved a better mother. One who...

Carmen heard Shadow Weaver's screams in the back of her mind. Screams of agony from Hordak's torment. She took a deep breath; how was she to sort this out? Shads was hurting...but so was her kiddo.

Adora first. You can't help Shads right now.

Carmen rose. "You wanna get Catra? I'll be here, filin' papers."

Adora nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back with her soon."

✧✧✧

Adora ran down the doors and out of the main complex, ponytail bobbing behind her. The guard at the door reprimanded her with a 'Little Miss Adora,' but Mama said she could go anywhere in the Fright Zone as long as people were around to watch her.

Anywhere, of course, besides the warehouse where Catra liked to hide after doing something naughty. She always did naughty stuff. But Adora didn't care. Not till Mama yelled at Catra or did something worse.

Huffing, she arrived at the warehouse, where a guard stood at the door. Adora frowned. "Catra's in there."

"No, she isn't," the guard said. "Get lost..." Adora stuck out her bottom lip. "...Little Miss Adora," he said, more gently, "your mother asked you two to stay out. I'd know if Catra was here."

"She can sneak in."

Another worker came out. "Derrik, I found Carmen's spawn." She carried Catra by her thick mane; the felinetta refused eye contact with Adora. "You girls need to stay out," she said sternly. "I won't have the Lady Weaver yellin' at me because you couldn't obey her, understand?"

"Whatever," Catra muttered. "Just lemme go."

The woman dropped her roughly; Adora put her arm around Catra hesitantly. Her friend usually liked hugs. But Catra sniffled and pushed her away, running toward the school in the B-Compound.

"Catra, wait!" Adora cried, racing after. "Come out! I know you didn't mean to hit Lonnie! It's okay – I'll tell them. They won't be mad." A stitch rested in her side when she found the cat-girl, who had taken to hiding behind boxes full of textbooks. "But first, you gotta come out and tell her you're sorry."

Catra hid further, and Adora hesitantly walked behind the boxes. "We were all just having fun. You didn't have to do it... why'd you do it?"

A blur flashed before Adora as Catra threw her back into the hallway. Adora's face stung. Tears fell as she looked back at her friend, whose feline eyes glowed in the shadow of the boxes.

She was crying, too.

✧✧✧

Catra stayed there until her tummy began to rumble, picking at a bandaid she'd gotten from scraping a knee in class a while back. Adora's words echoed in her mind. Why'd you do it?

The echoes became her voice. Adora's mama. The voice of the woman who had told Carmen, in secret, that she feared killing Catra. Shads didn't know Carmen's kiddo had been eavesdropping from beneath her bed.

I'm gonna die, Catra thought, shaking. She'll find me and kill me. Adora didn't know Shads hated Catra. How could she tell her? How could she make her friend choose between her and her mama?

"Catra?" a timid voice called. "It's dinnertime, and you're missing it."

Catra turned away. She'll tattle. She'll tell my mama, and then Mama will tell Shads, and Shads'll kill me. She hugged her knees as Adora joined her. "It's the gray kind tonight," her friend replied, smiling with missing teeth. "I know it's your favorite."

Catra edged further away from Adora. When would she leave? When would Adora abandon her, like her own mama – even Carmen liked 'Little Miss Adora' more than her own kiddo. Right?

Adora scooted close and bumped up against Catra's shoulder; Catra flinched and pushed her away. "What are you doing?"

Adora sighed. "Well, if you're missing dinner...then I am, too."

Catra's throat closed. "Just go!" she yelled. "Eat with your new best friend, Lonnie!"

Adora gaped. "Is that why you hit her?"

"I know you like her better than me," Catra sobbed. "You're supposed to be my friend."

Adora tilted her head. Then she smiled, and Catra grew warm. Adora's grin had a way of cheering up anyone, even grumpy old Shads. "I am your friend, Catra. I'm always gonna be your friend."

Catra looked at her, wiping her tears away. Then she grabbed her in a hug. Adora loved her. She really did. "You should say sorry to Lonnie," the human girl suggested. "Then we could all be friends."

Fear spiked within Catra. She'll go...she'll...leave. She pushed Adora down roughly, landing on her in the hallway. "No." She stomped on Adora's stomach but decided to return, even if Mama got upset.

"C'mon, Catra!" Adora called after her as she raced down the hall.

Catra stuck her tongue out as she ran back to her mama's room. "I'll never say sorry to anyone, ever!"

✧✧✧

A week later, Carmen sighed, sitting on the floor with Catra. "Adora, would'ja give us a moment?" she asked the child. Adora reluctantly backed into the hallway, and Catra, perhaps knowing better, stayed.

Carmen lowered her voice. "Catra, the infirmary says you gave Octavia's eye a permanent scratchin'."

"Yeah."

"You gonna apologize?"

Catra sniffed. "Will that stop Shads from killing me?"

A spike of pain raced through Carmen. "Who told you that?"

"I...I heard you guys," her kiddo said. "You're gonna tell her, aren't you?"

Carmen bit her lip. "Shads is blowin' smoke. She won't kill you."

"She's... she's hit me before."

Carmen gritted her teeth. "When?"

"When I made her mad."

"Gotcha. What'd you do?"

"I scratched Adora once. Not yesterday. A few months ago."

"And she smacked you?"

"Yeah. On the cheek."

Carmen gasped. What the hell is wrong with Shads these days? "C'mere. It ain't your fault, Catra."

Her kit sniffled. "You aren't mad about Octavia?"

Carmen shrugged. "She's a tough cookie. Surprised you could land a hit on her – Shads'll have to see you're a right fierce warrior."

Catra sat in her lap, and Carmen held her child. She loved her baby girl so much. A thought briefly passed through her mind. This wouldn't've happened without Jibril.

How strange that something good could come out of that horrible evil. Catra sniffled. "Mama...do you love me?"

Carmen rocked her back and forth. "Yes, sugarcake. I love you more'n you'll ever be able to get."

Catra spread her arms. "You love me this much?"

"Hm..." Carmen said. "Not wide enough." Catra stretched out her arms more. "Wider."

"I'll break my arms!"

"You won't break your arms if you stretch 'em too wide, silly," Carmen said, ruffling her kiddo's hair. "Now, let's grab Adora and get somethin' to eat. You as famished as I am?"

"Yeah." Catra hugged her. "Do you love me more than Adora?"

"I love both'f you the same, Catra. Shads is just..." Carmen swallowed. "She's not doin' well. I don't even know where she is."

"Good riddance," her kid muttered.

"Don't say that 'bout Adora's mama," Carmen said. "She's just goin' through stuff we don't get."

But she knew her explanation would be empty to one who'd suffered by Shads' hand.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- I debated having this chapter in at all because it doesn't advance the main plot in any way. However, I think it's good for Carmen's arc, and shows some more of Shadow Weaver's villain fall.

- Despite the original context of this flashback in the show, I'm not a fan of people trying to use it to say Catra always loved Adora. To me, this is a troubled kid on the brink of toxicity, and I wanted to show that. Sorry to Catradora shippers.

Tell me what you think...

- How might Shadow Weaver's neglect impact Catra and Adora in the future?