Tigra stood next to the other Force Captains in the Throne Room. It really seemed to just be a large metallic room with some green energy pipes running through in the corners, powering any lights found in the room.
Catra and Scorpia flanked her sides as they were forced to watch Lord Hordak start to go off on Shadow Weaver.
"You are my current second in command and are held to a higher degree of expectation! And yet, not only did you lose Princess Glimmer, the child of the leader of Brightmoon, but I've learned that you have hidden reports talking about how this She-Ra has actually been Adora, the soldier who has turned traitor and had intimate knowledge of our operations and snuck into the Horde without being noticed for a good half hour!"
"Now you understand why I wanted her back." Shadow Weaver spoke. "With all of her power and her ability to create a strategy such as that, she would be a boon while working with the Horde."
"All you have accomplished with your mission was invite an attack from an enemy combatant with detailed knowledge of our operations. If I had known that your plan involved a traitor to bring back, I never would have agreed to such a horrible plan!"
"Yeah, bad plan." Catra muttered under her breath.
Which caused Tigra to elbow her lightly in the side.
"Wasn't it your guys'-" Scorpia started to whisper.
Another elbow.
"From this moment on, all of your plans must be told to me. If I find out a single plan of yours happens without going through me for permission, you will receive punishment worse than a warning. There will not be a second chance for you to prove your usefulness outweighs your liabilities." Hordak decreed.
"Force Captains and Generals, you may go. Know that any of you could be in Shadow Weaver's place should you mess up so badly to draw my attention like this again."
Several nodded before everyone except Weaver and Hordak started walking away.
"Man. Hordak really let Shadow Weaver have it, didn't he?" Catra smiled. "Did you see the look on her face?"
"Yeah. Well, I think so. Kinda hard with that mask and all in the way." Scorpia stumbled with her words.
"It's more of a feeling." Tigra tried to explain. "We know enough about her to know that she felt annoyed at being talked down to and angry at putting herself in this situation due to taking credit for the mission."
A robotic beep came from behind the trio, making them look behind them and see a robot following them but looked upwards, as if trying to look nonchalant.
Something about the robot seemed familiar to Tigra, as if there was something special about this robot.
Catra and Scorpia turned back around to continue walking when Tigra caught a scent.
Catra must have as well as they both seemed to sniff the air.
'Grease, metal, and… sweets?' Tigra thought, making her way to a grate.
The same one Catra made her way to.
Catra swung her claws and swiped the grate off.
A small figure with large purple hair rolled out onto the ground.
"Hii?"
"Entrapta?" Tigra asked, shocked that she was still here.
"You know her?" Catra asked.
"She was here yesterday." Tigra explained before Catra scowled with a sigh coming after.
"Entrapta, would you allow us to go through basic procedures and lock you up as a prisoner until we have this all sorted out with Lord Hordak?" Tigra asked.
"Can Emily stay with me?"
"Who's Emily?" Scorpia asked.
"Yes, Emily can accompany us while Scopria and Catra go inform that they have taken a prisoner. In the meanwhile, you and I can have a lovely conversation."
"Yaaay! Do you want to hear my theories?"
Tigra motioned for them to start going while walking over to Emily.
"How about we move to the Holding Room nearby and you can tell me about your theories? That way, no one may interrupt you."
Entrapta's hair practically moved alive and wrapped around her wrist.
"Let's go!"
"Yaaah!" Tigra cried out, practically being pulled off of her feet as Entrapta, Emily, and Tigra started down the hallway.
Surprisingly, in the right direction.
Catra and Scorpia stood there for a moment before Catra let her head fall with another sigh.
"Is this…normal?"
"Not in the least. Tigra would have usually torn her hand out of her hair. It means that this 'Entrapta' has somehow already put herself in Tigra's good reputation despite meeting yesterday." Catra told. "Which means, we likely will need to convince her to stay."
------------------
"So wait," Tigra interrupted Entrapta, who let herself be 'restrained' to a table at a diagonal angle. "You think these First Ones found a way to combine technology with magic? That's why their technology seems more advanced than most of Etheria?"
"It all makes sense based on the data I've been collecting over the years. If only I had managed to investigate a nearby ruin I detected not too long ago."
"Entrapta…why are you still here?"
"Well, you wanted to hear-"
"No, I don't mean here here. I mean, why are you still in the Fright Zone?"
"Well, I was waiting for my friends to come back. Apparently they have trouble finding me when I don't stay in one place. So, I decided to stay in one place to make it easier for them to find me by staying put here."
Tigra couldn't help the shock running through her upon hearing that.
"Entrapta…they left a while ago." Tigra informed. "They left you behind."
"What? No, no they wouldn't do that. They're my friends."
Tigra got up and walked over to a monitor and made her way through the channels to find recordings from the past 24 hours.
"Wow. You don't know how to do that well, do you?"
Tigra looked at some of her most recent skills that served little purpose recently.
[Hacking LV 1 (42/150) - The ability to go through technology without the correct procedures. The higher this is, the more that can be done with higher secured technology]
[Security LV 2 (21/300) - The ability to create firewalls and security for programs that you create. The higher this is, the more likely that your security can catch someone trying to sneak in]
[Programming LV 2 (200/300) - The ability to create programs to do various tasks. The higher this is, the more that your programs can do and the more capable your future programs can be]
"Well, I am new to using technology like this. Most times, I simply use it for information, orders, and alarms. Only recently have I been trying to get better."
"Here, let me show you." Entrapta suddenly started typing faster than Tigra could keep up with, yet she noticed a notification.
You have found a teacher willing to help!
[Teachers] are people in your world that are extremely proficient in certain categories. Depending on their proficiency, they can provide a multiplier to how quickly you level up a skill and gain experience from watching them perform said skill or half it by just being in their presence [ie, either the same room or 100 ft].
*You can become a teacher for a skill once it reaches Prestige. Every level of Prestige increases your student's learning speed by 100%. The learning amount decreases by 100% for every level of Prestige in the student's skill. This will increase REP with those under [Family] by 1 every hour.*
Entrapta - Hacking x5, Inventing x7, Security x3, Programming x9
'Lord, she is extremely proficient in programming.'
Tigra sat back and watched as Entrapta made line after line of code appear before stopping a minute later.
"There! Now we have all of the memory from the cameras from the last three days!"
Hacking gained 5000 EXP
Hacking leveled up! LV 1 → 9
"Wow." Tigra couldn't help but mutter. "You really know your way around tech, don't you?"
"Well, I guess. I've been messing with tech for about 20 years."
"Yeah, I guess that would make…hang on, 20 years?" Tigra looked at Entrapta. "You don't look over 20 itself!"
"29 coming up soon." Entrapta supplied. "Now then, you wanted the cameras for a reason, correct?"
Entrapta Age: 28
Level: 47 REP: 45 [Acquaintance]
Tigra shook her head to refocus before looking at the information and making her way through the data.
It took a couple of minutes but she eventually found the camera she was looking for.
It provided a good angle of an exit from the Fright Zone where a large skiff could be seen with several people on board.
Tigra could identify Bow and Perfuma on board, but hadn't seen the others.
"That's them." Entrapta whispered. "But…why are they waiting on the skiff? Shouldn't they have been looking for me? Surely they would have noticed that I wasn't with them?"
Tigra said nothing and watched as She-Ra suddenly appeared with Princess Glimmer. The two of them seemed upset before stepping onto the skiff.
A few moments later, the skiff takes off.
Leaving Entrapta alone in the Fright Zone.
"I figured it would be best to see proof if they knowingly left you behind or not." Tigra started. "It looks like…"
"They left me." Entrapta muttered, her hair turning slightly limp. "They were ready to leave in an instant from how they were waiting on the skiff. They left soon after Glimmer and Adora got on the skiff. They were waiting on them…not me."
[Quest Suggested!]
A New Ally
Entrapta has apparently been left behind by the Princess Alliance. It seems Entrapta may not know what to do.
Objective: Convince Entrapta to stay with the Horde
Rewards: Relationship with Entrapta increased, Entrapta will remain as a potential teacher
Failure: Entrapta leaves the Fright Zone
"You know, you could always stay here." Tigra suggested. "You seem interesting to have around and you can continue working with Horde Technology if you join the Horde's side."
"Really!?" Entrapta got right up into her face, her hair stretching her up. "I can continue making things here!? You guys have more advanced technology than the rest of Etheria, aside from the First Ones."
Tigra held out her hand.
"Would you like to make a deal? I'll vouch for you and you continue helping me learn about tech while you continue making things?"
Entrapta thought about it before a smile graced her face.
"Deal!"
[Quest [A New Ally] completed!]
Reward: Relationship with Entrapta increased!
45 [Acquaintance] → 25 [Friendly]
The door slid open to reveal Catra and Scorpia.
"Alright, Prisoner-"
"Entrapta." Scorpia supplied.
"I know that." Catra muttered back.
"Partner." Tigra cut her off from continuing.
"Huh?"
"Entrapta here is a technological genius. While you were informing Lord Hordak, I struck up a deal with our forgotten guest. She had been left behind by the Alliance and they likely aren't coming back for her. Meanwhile, she had been telling me interesting stuff about the First Ones." Tigra explained.
"I've been attempting to integrate First Ones tech into my experiments for years, but my understanding of their code is still rudimentary. If I could just find the key to their language, there's no telling what I could build. Such a find could yield almost unlimited power."
That caught Catra's attention.
"Oh? How would one go about finding said tech?"
"First One ruins are found all over the planet. It is just laying around because no one knows how to use their technology. They give off a certain signal that I can track. In fact, I had just found the largest signal closeby. It must have a large stash considering how strong the signal is."
"Where is it?" Tigra asked.
"I've triangulated the signal somewhere in the Whispering Woods. The whole 'shifting landscape' makes it difficult to navigate, but I developed a program that can map the way to the signal accurately within two quadrants."
"How large are these quadrants?"
"About a mile."
"That's not bad." Tigra admitted. "If needed, I could cover that area within a minute or two."
Entrapta was in her face again.
"How!? The only one I know that could cover that much ground that quickly is Bolt."
"I've met him. He's an idiot, but he's fast."
"Back on topic." Catra interrupted. "How do we get our hands on that map?"
"Like any good scientist. I kept it on me."
Entrapta holds out a tablet to Tigra, who went through the screens and managed to find the program she was mentioning.
Quest Started
Rediscovering the Past
Entrapta has informed you that there is a large cache of First One tech that may hold the key for Entrapta to understand the First One's language. If so, she could determine how they work and could provide the Horde with better technology.
Objective: Retrieve First One tech
Hidden Objective: ???
Rewards: Horde may gain access to First One tech, Entrapta relationship improve, 3000 EXP, ???
Failure: Potential Death
"Alright. We go collect some First One stuff that can hopefully teach you their language. Doing so, it will allow you to experiment more to create better technology that will help us immensely." Tigra summarized.
"Sounds correct."
Tigra looked over at Catra and Scorpia talking.
"Scorpia, you'll stay behind to 'guard' Entrapta." Tigra finger quotes. "Meanwhile, Catra and I will go retrieve it."
"I could do it myself."
"Going into the Whispering Woods alone is dangerous, downright suicidal. With me there to also watch your back, you can focus on anything coming at us from the front."
A moment of silence before Catra nodded.
"Alright, let's get going. The faster we do this, the faster Entrapta can start working with us for real."
Saying that, she turned to Entrapta.
"Sorry, but Lord Hordak is easier to convince if you have proof of something you want to get from him. With this, we could easily convince him that you would be a massive boon to the Horde. Thus, allowing you access to materials with more ease." Tigra explained.
"That's fine. Just let me continue working in this room with Emily and I should be fine for now."
Tigra nodded before she and Catra took off.
Scorpia turned to Entrapta with amazement in her eyes.
"How did you get Tigra to trust you so easily?"
"I just keep to facts. I know them best and, I can conclude, that Tigra is similar in a way. She seems to do her best to make logical decisions instead of emotionally. I only have two days worth of data, but she convinced me to go to the Garage with the promise of tech after seeing me work around it. While it was a slight manipulation trick, it was not done through harmful intent. Simply a way of least resistance." Entrapta explained.
"Moreover, I would love to study Tigra. Something about her seems different from the rest of us Etherians. She moves far too quickly than someone her age should be able to, magic or not."
--------------
Tigra was in her room gathering her supplies when her eyes landed on the thing she had asked a metal worker to make in their free time months ago.
It was a bracelet with three heads attached to it made of metal.
It had been a design from when Catra, Adora, and Tigra had drawn little pictures of them on the wall near their bunks. Catra had wild hair with her red mask on, Adora held a large smile with her eyebrows down in a mischievous manner, and Tigra had her hair swooped to the right over her eyes and right ear with a smile with two fangs on opposite ends.
They were each attached to the bracelet independently with a small chain.
She picked it up before hiding it in a hidden compartment she had made under the drawer. It was too small to hide anything larger than a dagger, but easily big enough for the bracelet.
She closed the drawer before turning her claws against the front of it and a small click sounded out.
She didn't want to keep a key that could open it somewhere someone could get to, so she simply bolted a lock, shaved off a little bit of the inside, and bam, she had an unopenable lock without a key.
Except for the claws she had that could open it. If it ever got broken though, she could pierce into the drawer with little issue.
She finished packing, just as her door opened.
She glanced back and suppressed the need to roll her eyes.
"What do you want, Shadow Weaver?"
When she didn't answer for a moment, she looked at her more closely and noticed that she seemed…wrong. Her stance was more hunched than usual and her breathing seemed more laborish than before.
"I heard that you and Catra were going somewhere."
"Don't bother looking into it. We got a lead on something and are going to go check it out. I figured you wouldn't want to take credit for something we do again. You know, considering it almost cost you your position with Hordak. If it didn't happen to us, I could see myself feeling a slight bit of pity for you."
Tigra swung her bag up over her shoulder and began to move when Shadow Weaver grabbed her arm.
"Just because you have a bit more leeway with Horde Commanders, don't think that you can speak to me in that way. I do not need your pity.
"I will admit that I was hard on you two, more than needed likely. I do not regret it however. It was to make you strong enough to face the world prepared. So that you could eventually do what must be done."
Tigra looked her in the eyes with a raised eyebrow.
"While it did make me strong, don't think I couldn't have done this without you. All you attempted to do was make me fear you so I would do everything you said, even though we had our little deal.
"Congratulations though. You did teach me how to do what must be done when needed. Just make sure that what is needed doesn't need to be you."
Tigra pulled her arm out of Weaver's grip.
"I don't fear you now. I will admit that you are magically strong, but nothing that I can't face."
Tigra walked off, leaving Shadow Weaver standing outside of her room as the door closed.
----------------
Tigra and Catra reached the edge of the Whispering Woods before going in on foot. The last thing they needed was for the landscape to change and throw a tree right in the path of a speed skiff. Both of them would need to be lucky to walk away without potential injuries.
They went in, the moonlight being their main source of light. After walking for a bit of time, Catra growled in annoyance, catching Tigra's attention.
"What's wrong?"
"Entrapta's map is pure static!"
Tigra took the map from Catra before she could break in anger before looking at it.
While it would be years, even by her standards, before she would ever understand technology like Entrapta, she could at least look at the tech and try to see what the problem is.
Instead of a wave showing the area around them, it only showed constant waves similar to how heat looked through a potential map.
"While I don't know how to fix it, I believe the issue is magic."
"Magic?"
"The Whispering Woods is a large amount of land that constantly shifts from the multiple attempts we have seen from trying to go through them. Since nowhere else has land that shifts as often as these woods do, it means it is not purely natural. Considering that the Woods stretch to the edge of Plumeria and all the way to the coast, I can assume there's magic involved beyond the simple answer of 'moving trees equal magic.'" Tigra explained her hypothesis.
"So, we can't use the map?" Catra asked.
"No. The magic is interfering with it in some kind of manner."
Catra groaned.
"Welp, pick a direction and let's go." Tigra suggested. "Or I could use my speed to check out the area around-"
The trees suddenly shifted to have roots sticking out of the ground around them that Tigra would have to constantly watch the ground if she didn't want to trip and fly straight into a tree.
"Or we could simply walk?" She asked.
The roots shook lightly before going back underground.
The two Magicats stared at the area that had returned to normal before looking at each other.
"Magic."
So, they took off in one direction, passing several large trees that looked the same with a few branches showing that they were different.
It felt like hours before the woods opened up slightly enough that they suddenly spotted someone else wandering through these woods.
They climbed a tree each as they saw the person get closer to what must have been a First One structure as it looked nothing like any of the other kingdoms to Tigra.
"Hey Adora." Catra muttered.