The Hawk Walker hummed softly as its powerful engine generated heat. Everyone was still on the mountain top beside the ice giant's body, in front of a view that showcased a canvas of blue and white.
And even if the beauty of nature called for him, Lofo continued the search for Catra inside the vehicle.
"Where could she be?" he murmured.
From the safe room to the lobby, he'd moved with purpose. Only after his eyes found no trace of her did he release a sigh of frustration. He glanced up at the immense ceiling window in release. That's where he saw it—a glimpse of the cheetah girl's brown hair. She was right under their noses… Or more like above their heads.
It took him less than three seconds and two powerful jumps outside the Walker to land silently on its roof. Catra was sitting on the edge, silhouetted against the expanse of snow and sky.
Below her was a sight she watched closely: a family of "Ice Water Birds" glowing in the sunlight.
There was a shadow of distress etched in her light brown eyes. Lofo needed to say something… Yet, the right words abandoned him. There was only one course of action.
He approached and unwound the warm scarf from his neck.
"I bet it's pretty cold sitting there," he said, leaning forward and covering her with it, "You might get stuck and never break free from the cold metal."
"Thanks," Catra murmured.
Her gaze drifted up toward the clouds. The stars were still faintly visible, though, they were slowly disappearing and making way for a new day.
"Are you alright?" Lofo asked when sitting down beside her.
"I… I don't know… I've never seen him do something like that…"
"Hasn't he taken you out to hunt before?"
"That… that's different. Every time we go out hunting, we do it to get food and support our bodies with good vitamins and stuff… this was something else… he… he didn't have to kill him."
The Elf boy's eyes drifted to the interlink on his right arm. He sighed. This conversation required a different approach.
"Okay… I'm gonna stop talking to you in boyfriend mode for a bit and talk as a warrior, alright?"
Catra met his seriousness with her full attention.
"If your father didn't do what he did, a lot of people could have gotten hurt, or even died… We both saw how the Giant was heading towards the city. Your father was the only one strong enough to actually save the day, which he did."
"But he had to take a life to do it. He could've found another way, right? That Ice Giant must've had a family… What will his kids feel when they find out their dad is dead? How will his wife feel? Unlike rabid animals, we have consciousness. I… I wonder what that Ice Giant must've felt in his last moments. You know… when my dad did that."
Each question in her escalating lament revealed the depth of her empathy. It was in her nature to do this… to care.
Lofo's gaze dropped. He knew Catra hadn't seen the ugly truth of the world, and it conflicted with what he wanted to say. Unlike him, she hadn't been exposed to the discussions about how fundamentally flawed people hurt each other, or tragedies that riddled their country. She was still deeply naive… protected by the loving lies her father used to shelter her.
"Maybe he did have a family… maybe he did have a wife… Many people in the city also have that. Thousands of people…" Lofo explained, closing his eyes for a moment, "Sometimes good people have to do bad things to protect the common good… at least that's what I gather from teachings. Your father had to make a decision in a split second, an impossible choice, and he knew that countless people could die if he chose wrong. To be honest, I admire people like him. Making choices like that isn't easy…"
He opened his eyes and found her troubled face. There was something else.
"That's not all, is it?" he asked, "What else are you worried about?"
Catra's shoulders slumped.
"You're right… It's not just that… He told me he would never kill anyone. And he did. The expression he made while doing it wasn't one of shock or a face someone does when killing for the first time. There was no emotion. I wonder… if maybe he lied when he told me he's never killed anyone before… and with what happened at the sheriff's office, I think he's hiding something from me."
Following a brief silence, Lofo saw the falling snow drifting around her face.
"Do you think your father is a killer?"
Catra's eyes widened in shock. She'd never asked herself that… never had a reason to doubt her father's inherent goodness.
"I… No. I don't know… He's always been loving to me, infuriatingly so. I never believed when the other kids called him a killer… about my dad doing those horrible things their parents accused him of. But... maybe I'm just thinking too much? I mean, he's a goofball most of the time… I'm just confused…" she rambled.
At that moment, a gentle laugh escaped Lofo's lips and he looked at the red-tinged sky.
"It's not my place to say. I don't think your father is a killer, and I know he cares about you a lot. I mean, trust me, he's been talking about taking you to see the unicorns you love so much to make up for all the times you've been mad at him and–"
"HE WHAT?!"
Her cheeks flushed completely red.
"You never told me you liked unicorns!"
"I- NO! I- I DON'T LIKE UNICORNS! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! NOW I KNOW HE'S LYING FOR REAL!" Catra exclaimed.
It worked perfectly. He'd distracted her from the moment and worries… Though, even in his triumph, a wave of concern struck him. Catra was being thrust into the harsh realities of adult life, and he knew she wouldn't survive it alone.
Lofo reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. His love for her was fierce, and he made a silent vow to be there for her, no matter what the future held.
"Just… Just talk to your father, okay? Unlike mine, he's there for you, ready to listen."
Catra looked at him and remembered Lofo's own past. They were so similar… Both had endured the weight of losing a parent, scarred for life by tragedy. And yet, they miraculously found each other in the crucible of their pain… Like two broken halves forming a whole.
"I promise," she replied and returned his hug.
And as their bodies pressed close, the cold wind of the north receded, replaced by a warmth that spread around.