The afternoon sun hung low as its final rays painted the frigid landscape in gold and purple. Their glow illuminated the imposing metallic entrance to Naya City, a beacon of advanced magi-tech in the desolate stretches of Grand North's north.
At the entrance's massive gate, human and elven soldiers shivered in the cold and their breath misted in the air. Even with the sun on the horizon, the temperature was so low that water could freeze solid in under an hour… They felt every second of it.
One of two guards that were beside the entrance sneezed, instinctively lifting his dark goggles and momentarily searing his eyes on the snow's reflection.
"Hey, put your glasses back on! You don't wanna turn blind do you?" the gruffer elder guard quickly warned.
"Yeah, just give me a second," the young guard responded, adjusting his goggles.
Some minutes passed and their eyes noticed a silhouette approaching. The Hawk Walker cut a path through the snow and moved towards them with its damaged motors.
Inside its warm control room, Rod, Oliver, and Alf monitored the approach while Catra, Lofo, Onin and the engineer Borok peered through the lobby's windows. The city in the distance became larger and louder, increasing their anticipation tenfold.
Catra gasped. She was captivated by the sheer spectacle of the magical force field around the immense city. It seemed to breathe… letting out a mesmerizing white and orange light that shifted frequently.
"That's so pretty!" she said with excitement.
"And very practical too," Lofo added.
His gaze traced the shield's spiraling contours.
"I heard it doesn't need that much mana to make it work."
Hearing the two's conversation, Borok let out a delighted laugh that caught their curiosity.
"Thank you! Finally someone acknowledges my work!"
"Wait… you did this?" Catra and Lofo asked.
"Not just me, but I was the person who led the research and implementation of that technology!" the old man continued with pride, "I told you, you should have seen me in my prime."
"Yeah! My grandpa worked with the government even before your mother took charge, Lofo," the man's grandson chimed in, "He helped with the creation of many technological advancements here."
Lofo's eyes dawned with recognition and he moved towards Borok, shaking his hand rapidly.
"Y-you're the one that made all those robotic toys from when I was young?"
"Sure did! Your mother commissioned me for those if I remember correctly."
"PLEASE TEACH ME! I loved all of their designs, and they actually made me wanna study engineering as a side-major!" Lofo said, practically bouncing up and down.
His movements were so endearing that Catra couldn't stop watching. Seeing him openly consumed by joy caused a tender smile to appear on her face.
"I'll be happy to show you some old tricks," the old man continued, "But you gotta understand that being an engineer is harder than it looks."
All of a sudden, his words were cut off by a metallic voice from the lobby speakers.
"If you wanted to learn engineering or how to build technological equipment, you could have asked me, Lofo," Alf stated in a sort of a digital pout.
"You? Don't make me laugh! You couldn't teach a kid how to ride a motorbike if your life depended on it, sunny!" Borok retorted.
"Is that so? You should not be talking about anything, especially when you cannot calculate the fire range from the SkyEye's external laser weapons, Borok."
The man's face flushed with fury and looked slowly to his grandson, who was sweating nervously.
"Alright, who told him?"
"I hear everything," Alf responded, "You may have been the person that created me, but I have surpassed all of your capabilities."
"Y'all hear that? Cause all I hear is bull-" the old engineer began until Onin cut him off.
"ALRIGHT GRANDPA! That's enough of that."
The young man gently wheeled his grandfather toward their sleeping quarters.
As they left, Lofo focused on Catra with excitement that hadn't left his face.
"You look cute when you geek out," she said softly.
Those words forced the elf boy to blush. He never even got a chance to reply because Alf's voice cut through the quiet again.
"We are entering the Naya City border. ID scans will be happening in a few seconds."
They both looked up at multiple layers of light that enveloped their bodies.
"It's okay," Lofo reassured her, "I read that this type of magic compares the mana expulsion from our interlink and muscles to one that's stored in the capital by satellite. Remember when you were 12 and your father took you to the data storage center?"
"Yeah. I also went there a few months ago… So, those machines took how much mana my body and interlink generates?"
"Yup! That means everything will be okay!"
These lights faded and the Hawk Walker continued its smooth approach.
Lofo and Catra ran back to the window and felt something was different. The cold was gone, replaced by a warm embrace that let people be free on the streets. They were now truly inside the protection of the magical spiral…
Sleek, car-like vehicles glided past, driven by so many different species. Above them, small, grassy islands floated in the clear sky and created a spectacular view.
People were everywhere—humans, elves, beast-people, even vampires—shopping in malls, sipping coffee at cafes, bungee jumping from the islands and even just taking pictures of the main attraction in the whole city.
The Walker moved down the main road and their gazes drifted upward to a colossal tree trunk that rose from the ground and reached the sky.
"Woah!" Catra gasped.
This was her first time entering the heart of Naya, and the experience was surreal. Nothing could have prepared her for the wonders of the seventh most beautiful city in all of Loran.
Some minutes passed and the Walker stopped in front of a small park. Everyone disembarked when Alf's voice repeated instructions through some small speakers outside of the vehicle, telling the engineers to walk towards the "Luxia Hotel" in the distance.
Catra and Lofo got off and immediately ran forward. Unlike them though, Rod and Oliver descended more slowly. Everyone took in the teeming streets for some moments before starting to head towards the hotel.
The towering buildings around were impeccably clean and their eye-catching gothic architecture was a blend of ancient and futuristic design. After all, Naya City was the living embodiment of Grand North's incredible technological advancement.
"... And that was one of the modifications I made to the existing design of the motobus," Borok said, continuing his lecture to Lofo while they moved through a sidewalk, "Now with it active, no accidents have occurred, at least last time I checked."
Catra was also mesmerized by everything: From the birds in the sky to the cutting-edge fashion of adults her age. It seemed to be perfect, until her movements ceased. She saw her father standing a few paces behind the engineers.
He was looking around, taking in how the city had subtly transformed over time. He abruptly met her eyes.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Rod's lips curved into a light smile and he waved. He had good intentions, even if her heart grew heavy.
The cheetah's face was full of disappointment. She was caught between her mother's teachings and the reality witnessed, trying to make up her mind.
As she sunk further into thought, a couple of people hurried past and jostled her elbow.
"ROD WINGER!" they exclaimed in collective excitement.
"THE GUN HERO IS HERE!" a beastwoman shrieked.
A massive wave of people tried to get close to the legendary hero. Unlike the paranoid parents in the capital and the kids who bullied Catra, most people in Grand North considered Rod a real hero. It was the only country with an operating "Hero" class individual at the end of the day, and they knew it well.
Rod smiled nervously. They asked for autographs, photos, and messages. He tried politely to calm them down, though they were overwhelming.
Catra stopped walking and her gaze fixed on that goofy smile he wore for the public.
"Could a man like him really kill people?" she asked herself.
It took till nightfall to make it to the Luxia Hotel. Entering, the engineers admired the sheer luxury of the building's interior: golden walls, chandeliers of mana light, cushioned high quality seats… it had it all.
"This is amazing, I'm getting a good night's rest today!" Onin exclaimed, moving his grandfather's wheelchair forward.
"Calm down, sunny! People are eating dinner!"
Alf confirmed their rooms in the reception desk and walked to the front of the group.
"Tomorrow you will all be picked up and taken to the airport so that you can fly back to the capital. Good work, everyone. You all deserve rest."
He began handing out room keys to every two engineers. Everything was going smoothly until Borok's turn.
"Borok and Onin, room 348," the machine stated.
"Thank you, sunny," the man grumbled and tried to grasp the keycard, yet Alf's grip was unyielding, "You wanna say something?"
The machine didn't respond, choosing to gaze at his creator with a grim expression.
"If you don't want me to deconstruct your arm and transform it into a toilet paper holder, you better let go of the goddamn card, sunny…"
Alf moved closer to the old man and slowly released his grip.
"Keep watching," was all he said.
After such a scene, Borok and his grandson walked away, leaving behind a palpable tension. There was a clear deep-seated animosity between creator and creation, something that had been growing for a long, long time.
The last engineer left and only Rod, Oliver, Catra, and Lofo remained.
"You will have a room for yourself, Doctor Oliver," Alf stated, handing him a keycard, "All luggage has been sent to your respective room."
"Thank you," the doctor replied, "I'll be going now. I need some rest."
"Good night," Lofo and Catra said in unison.
The machine focused on the remaining three when Oliver disappeared into an elevator. He handed a card to each one.
"Lofo, you will rest with me tonight. Rod and Catra, you will share a room."
Hearing his words, Catra stepped forward.
"Wait… I want to be with Lofo."
"Miss Alex has told me that I have to inform mister Lofo about a few private matters. It is smarter to have our own room so that we can work. You two also have to patch things up. I do not know what happened, but not talking to each other will strain your relationship sooner than later."
The machine was completely oblivious to the awkward silence that descended because of his words. It would have been a hopeless scene if it weren't for Lofo jumping in and attempting to save the scenario with his charm.
"Come on Catra, how about we check our rooms out?"
"Sure…"
Once they were gone, Rod punched Alf's metallic elbow.
"What was that for?" the machine flatly asked.
"You don't just go saying stuff like that in public, dumbass. That's for us to deal with," Rod growled.
"If I had not said anything, you would not have done it. She is angry at you, Rod, and I know you always ignore problems as much as possible."
The brutal honesty of the accusation hit the Gun Hero hard. He remembered Oliver's unspoken advice to confront his demons. It was true, and he knew it.
"I'll deal with it…"
"Good. Go get some rest."
"Not just yet. What's going on with Alex? She hasn't contacted us."
"Miss Alex had to postpone her earlier flight due to a snow storm happening a little bit to the south of here," Alf explained, "All flights today have been postponed for tomorrow… It is estimated that the snow storm will dissipate in 4 hours or so. She will arrive tomorrow at noon if everything goes to plan."
Rod nodded, understanding the delay.
"Okay. Then tomorrow we'll have a meeting."
"Affirmative."
"Good… you better get some sleep too, Alf."
"Unlike you, I do not require rest. Even still, I appreciate it."
It only took a few minutes to get up the elevator and reach his room. When he did, Rod pushed open the door, stretched with a groan, and cracked his neck.
"Oh, that hit the spot," he murmured.
He lifted his head and saw Catra sitting quietly on one of the two plush beds.
The large room was adorned with abstract paintings, a soft carpet, and sliding glass doors that led to a terrace with a breathtaking view.
Though, at that moment, they didn't register inside the man's mind. He could feel his daughter's anger from where he was.
Rod took off his boots and cowboy hat in silence while the cheetah girl was engaged in a similar ritual. Her tail laid still, and her cheetah ears were folded downward—a clear sign something was wrong.
Minutes stretched until she finally broke the silence.
"Why? Why did you do it?"
The Gun Hero carefully put down his poncho and turned around to meet her gaze.
"I made a mistake."
"You did?"
"My mistake has nothing to do with doing what I did, but with you," he said, "You… I haven't taken you out to the real world much… And because of that, you've created a bubble that makes it hard to see reality for what it is. For that, I'm sorry."
"What are you saying? That killing is okay?" her voice rose in frustration, "You could have done so many things to avoid what you did. You could have pushed him back over and over again. You could have knocked him out. You could have restrained him somehow. You chose the worst option."
"Kiddo, it isn't that simple… When in a fight, a lot of things could go wrong, and a lot of them did."
"It IS that simple! When you killed him… I… It felt wrong!" she said, frantically waving her hands.
"I know. I know you feel that way, and that's okay. You have a good heart, kiddo. But sometimes things can go wrong and people have to make tough choices. If I didn't stop the giant there, he would've gotten closer to the city, to the point where even a single footstep could've destabilized the magical conduits that power the spiral. If that happened, civilians would have frozen to death in a matter of hours."
Catra's haunted eyes slowly softened and a dawning comprehension settled within. She hadn't thought of that… Her innocent mind simply didn't conceive of such consequences.
"If I had pushed him, he could've tumbled and fallen down on fertile land, destroying it and making it impossible to produce food for the next 5 years. That would've most likely created a financial crisis for thousands of people and disrupted already existing food growth cycles…" Rod continued somberly.
The girl's muscles relaxed, carefully taking in all the factors she hadn't seen before.
"But surely there was another way!" she thought.
It only took a second for the Hero to notice her internal struggle. He gently walked closer and sat down on the bed, directly next to her.
"Look… It's my fault. You weren't prepared. I'm sorry you had to see me do that."
His hand settled on her shoulder.
"You still shouldn't have killed him… when you did that… when you took his life… I just couldn't stop thinking, what if that giant had a family? What if he had a daughter? What if the same thing that happened to us, happened to the giant's family?" she finished in a choked whisper, trying to hide her vulnerable expression.
Catra hated showing such grief, though the memory of her mother—her smile, her fur, her love—resurfaced and forced her to deeply sympathize with the monster's imagined family.
Rod's eyes widen. The realization that his daughter's mind could conceive of such mirroring pain twisted his gut. Yet, he didn't have time to linger.
The man calmed himself and reached out. He pulled her into a hug that she didn't return.
"I'm really sorry you had to see that. I promise that if I could've stopped him some other way, I would have. Even with my powers, there was very little I could do that didn't hurt other people. Sometimes in life, you have to do ugly things to save others…"
His words pierced Catra's heart. Lofo told her the same thing… Coming from her dad was different… All her life, she'd grown up in a world of clear good and evil, and this was the first time she truly experienced what people might call "gray."
"Is the real world really that cruel?"
After a few moments of silence, Catra slowly pushed her father away, still hiding her face's embarrassment. She'd calmed down enough to continue speaking.
"Stop hugging me… you know I hate that."
"Only if you call me daddy," the man jokingly responded, trying to lighten the heavy mood.
"You really want me to hit you, don't you?"
"I'm just kidding… Feeling better?"
Catra sighed and offered a palatable lie.
"A little…"
"That's good to hear."
Rod immediately got up from the bed, only to be stopped by his daughter once more.
"Hey… I just wanted to know… are you hiding anything from me?" she asked.
Silence.
He was hiding terrible things from her… He just couldn't tell her. The image of Elena's ghost… her plea to protect their little girl… it all tore him up from the inside… There was nothing he could do except one thing.
Rod slowly turned around, saw her anxious face, and forced a gentle smile.
"Of course not."
An awkward minute of quiet passed where Catra realized she understood a little of why her father had done what he did. Even if she didn't agree, she couldn't deny his reasoning.
The girl sighed in resignation and decided to move past it for now. Pressing him further might strain their bond even more, and she didn't want that to happen.
"Are we good?" Rod asked.
"Yeah… we're good," she responded.
With the argument over, the Hero continued to put his clothes away and Catra stretched, forcing her cheetah tail to flicker with relaxation. The scene they took part in was intense, yet both of them retreated into a forced normalcy.
"Hey dad, I'm gonna take a shower," she said.
The girl grabbed fresh clothes and headed toward the bathroom.
"Okay, just don't take too long. We need to get some good sleep today."
"Okay."
She closed the door behind her and locked it.
The shower's sound filled the room and Rod's fragile smile faded. He lied again, and the weight of his deception settled heavily.
He unconsciously lifted his arm and looked at the wedding ring on his finger. The simple band was once a symbol of love… It now represented something far more sinister.
"Please… promise me you won't tell our small one… make her believe a lie… at least that way she'll be happier…" a weak voice resonated in his mind.
"I… I promise…"
His tormented thoughts were shattered by an unexpected noise from the terrace.
Rod's head snapped up and focused on the sliding glass doors. He quickly walked and slid the door open, letting the crisp night air fill the room.
Standing on the open terrace was a figure he knew… A black-haired woman in a sleek black spandex suit, radiating magical spells that protected her from the cold.
It was Aurora Spice, the spider woman.
"Hey there, handsome. Long time no see," she purred.