Catra moved with determination through the maze of hallways that was the Grand North's central government building.
She was looking for someone special, a search that led her past the vibrant main garden, under the gothic architecture of the red-carpeted entrance, and through several of the seven main cafeterias. It was a journey that took ten long minutes, yet her footsteps ceased in front of the training sector.
The governmental building was more than a seat of political power; it was a private school training all manner of interlink users. Or as the public knew it: A beacon of hope and safety under the formidable and compassionate rule of President Alex Anderson.
At this moment however, Catra was uninterested in history or politics. She focused singularly on locating Alex's son.
She paused behind a heavy door that led directly into the exercise simulator rings where students honed their combat prowess.
Her cheetah instincts urged caution, and after seeing the magnitude of students on the other side of the entrance, she sighed with resignation and pushed through the door.
Fear wasn't what made her hesitate at all… it was the deep dislike for the cruel whispers that always followed her.
"Isn't that Catra Winger?" one student whispered.
"Why is that freak here? Did she come to gloat?" another asked with resentment.
"Like father, like daughter!" a third said.
She was used to it: The whispers, the glances, the outright accusations. Yet, even if she was, they were like hellfire to her, enough to cause Catra's chin to instinctively lower and her tail to hide between her legs.
Being the child of Rod Winger was a heavy burden for sure. To most, he was the greatest hero. To others, he was the most terrifying man on the continent.
The bullying had begun at a young age, though its intensity had escalated after primary school. The kids feared she harbored the same capacity for destruction her father had… It was a fear fueled by rumors their own parents passed down.
"She's a freak."
"She's dangerous."
"Her father is a killer."
As she walked beside some of the training arenas, she darted from side to side and avoided their stares.
Her younger self hadn't believed the rumors about her father and always defended the goofball hero she knew. Even now she didn't… Not entirely. That didn't matter to them… The bullying had sometimes driven her to lash out in fights.
"YOUR DAD IS A KILLER!" they would scream.
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE LET INSIDE THE COUNTRY!"
Her footsteps faltered and the whispers swirled around her, but it all stopped when the rhythmic sound of clashing swords from a nearby combat arena cut through the noise.
Two male students were sparring in a lethal dance, moving so fast that most other students couldn't keep up. Catra wasn't one of them, though.
Her heightened beastwoman senses could see it, and it was easy to discern that one of the students held a definitive advantage. It was him: Lofo Anderson. He was undeniably the top student in his elite sword master class. A prodigy respected as a true master of his craft.
Once the fight spiraled towards its climax, Lofo moved faster and entered the wind's pace. His body blurred into an almost invisible streak. It was his signature special attack.
He closed the distance in an instant, did a quick leg sweep, and finished it off with a decisive kick to his opponent's stomach. This sent his training partner stumbling out of the fighting area, instantly declaring him the winner.
A wave of collective adoration erupted from all the girls surrounding the arena. Lofo dissolved his wooden sword into the interlink and removed his helmet with practiced ease.
That's when the cheers intensified. He revealed his short, vibrant blue hair, a sharp jawline, and a dazzling smile. He seemed perfect. Like one of those supermodels seen all over newspapers or magazines.
After offering a polite yet slightly nervous grin to the adoring crowd, the boy walked towards his defeated opponent. He extended a hand and helped him up.
"Well done! I can tell you worked on your stance after what I told you last week. You just gotta work on your reaction time and you'll be better than everyone in no time," Lofo kindly said and patted his opponent on the shoulder.
"I really thought I had you! How are you so fast?" the young rival asked between breaths.
"With hard work and passion! Just keep going, Jamie, you're so close!"
A warmth spread through Catra while the two of them chatted. It was him: The boy who filled her thoughts and made her heart flutter. The mere sight of his frame made the entire world's painful memories and harsh whispers dissolve. She welcomed it.
"Go get some water, I gotta run before all those girls overwhelm me!" Lofo exclaimed and waved goodbye to his rival.
To his surprise, he turned around and found himself face-to-face with Catra.
It took a few moments for the realization to set in. A deep blush spread across his face and Catra's own cheeks mirrored it.
"H-hi, Catra!" Lofo finally stammered.
He quickly ran towards her.
"H-hi!" the cheetah girl whispered shyly.
Once they reunited, Lofo swept her into an immediate hug that made the other girls go silent. Unfazed by them though, the girl hugged him back fiercely.
"I missed you! I'm glad you're okay," Lofo quickly said in surprise.
Catra laughed. She gently pulled him back to meet his gaze.
"I missed you too!"
After letting go, the boy simply looked at her for some moments.
"D-do I have something on my face?" she asked in a panicked whisper.
"OH! I JUST… N-No, you don't have anything on your face! I promise!"
This awkward silence continued until Catra reached out and took his hand.
"Hey, do you maybe wanna… talk in a place a little more private?"
The elf boy's eyes scanned the surrounding students and noticed that their judging stares were the cause of Catra's acute self-consciousness. It made him squeeze her hand reassuringly and take action.
"Wanna go to the terrace?" he asked softly.
The cheetah's face lit up immediately after hearing that.
"That sounds great!"
They quickly left the arena sector behind and walked for a few minutes through quiet hallways. They then reached Lofo's private room, entered, and passed through a glass door that led onto a terrace.
This was where Lofo had first asked her to be his girlfriend, and where she had found a fragile flicker of true happiness after the soul-shattering grief of her mother's death.
The elf boy deactivated the sliding glass door behind them, turned around, and gazed at Catra's face. To him, she was the most beautiful creature in the world, and seeing her smile after the earlier sadness warmed his heart.
"I know you like this place a lot, so I made sure to maintain it the way it was when I… you know…" Lofo's voice trailed off with boyish hesitation.
"Asked me out?" Catra continued with a playful smirk.
"Y-yeah…"
Some minutes flowed. They settled comfortably at the edge of the terrace and their legs dangled close together from its edge.
They talked for what felt like an eternity, catching up on everything that had transpired during their time apart. And finally, a quiet stillness settled once more.
It took some moments for Catra to break the silence. She was troubled by her mother's anniversary, of course, yet, her mind was even more consumed by a larger worry for her dad.
"Hey Lofo, could I tell you something?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, of course! I know you're feeling down. So if you need to pour your heart out, I'm here for you."
"Thanks… well… you know…"
"It's about your mother, right?"
Catra's head snapped towards him after hearing that.
"Yeah… We just got back from celebrating her memory and… well…" she murmured as her gaze fell to the ground.
"I'm so sorry…" the boy responded.
His hand instinctively found hers.
"We've been doing this for so long… And every time we've done it, dad comes out of it with a better attitude than when we began… but today was different."
"Different?"
"I don't know what happened. After we responded to a call, dad's mood changed… he became more, I don't know… serious?"
"Because of the call?" Lofo asked while his eyes widened a little.
"That's what worries me. We answered it and it was just a package that smelled HORRIBLE."
"A smelly package, huh?"
The cheetah girl gently struck his arm and they both shared a small laugh.
"The thing is… even if it was horrible… I smelled something familiar. A scent I haven't smelled in a long time."
"That is quite curious. Do you have any ideas of what it could've been?"
"I think the content of the package changed his mind about something. He really didn't wanna come to the capital at all, but after seeing whatever was in there, it changed him."
"Want me to see what was inside the package? I could ask my mother."
The girl turned to him and her lips curled into a grateful smirk.
"Nah. I don't wanna get you in any trouble."
"Well, you could always ask him. He is your father after all. All I know is that everything will be alright, so there's no need to worry about anything. The world tends to work itself out in due time," Lofo explained with a reassuring tone.
It was a sentiment that calmed Catra, which in turn made her stretch her body and release some tension in her tail.
The last thing she desired was to reveal any flicker of weakness to her dad, so talking to him about such matters was difficult. It was different with Lofo. She held no such restraint or worry, which made him the perfect talking confidant.
"You know… every time I talk to you, I feel like everything will be okay. You're the best," she said with genuine appreciation.
The elf boy matched her grin. Her eyes' beauty made a fire ignite within him, compelling him to speak without thinking.
"And you're beautiful when you smile."
A deep blush immediately painted both their faces and forced them to stay silent… It was the status quo until their gazes connected once more. In that moment, a powerful instinct hummed between their souls. They both slowly leaned closer.
The first to close her eyes was Catra, committed to the unspoken promise. And as her lips drew closer, Lofo's eyes also closed.
They were so near that it was easy to hear how their hearts pounded in a shared rhythm… and just before their lips could finally touch, a loud sound erupted from the communication device on Catra's belt.
"Catra, I know you're with Lofo… and I hope you two aren't kissing," Rod's clear and distinctly annoyed voice echoed from the device.
Their eyes flew open and both stared at each other for a second. They then simultaneously leaned back and snapped their gazes to the city beyond the terrace.
"I'm just kidding, kiddo!" the Gun Hero's irritating chuckle continued from the device.
It was REALLY annoying. He always embarrassed her, and this was no exception. His words made Catra's expression slowly contort with even more embarrassment. She wanted to scream at him over the radio... Though, Rod's words beat her to it.
"Hey, I need you to meet me at the main hangar underneath the outer east sector of the city. A transport elevator on the first floor will take you there. It's where they're building the SkyEye. We're going on a little vacation to the north!"
As his words registered, the cheetah girl's gaze moved towards Lofo, who returned her troubled expression with a curious glance.
"Don't worry, I know where it is," the elf boy said.
"Okay dad, we're on our way," Catra finally responded while doing her best to hide the discomfort.
It was weird… A subtle cold feeling of uneasiness settled over them when leaving the sanctuary of the terrace… Like an invisible current of anxiety that whispered of unseen dangers.
Yet, the cruel irony of fate held something far worse in store for their young hearts. Something they couldn't possibly imagine.