A high-pitched scream brought Catra back to her senses. Double Trouble twisted out from under her, clutching their face, a black mass shifting furiously and trying to close the wound. Catra looked down at her claws, dark blood dripping from them. She looked back up.

"What the fuck was that?!" she yelled at the shifter.

They crawled onto a chair, a green eye still warily staring at her from under their hand. "It was the first thing that came to mind! Sheesh, relax, kitten! I hadn't even done anything!"

Catra was still hyperventilating too hard to `relax'. As the blood pumping through her ears got quieter, she heard multiple armed footsteps approach from the doors.

"King Micah! There was a scream - is everything all right?"

King Micah raised his hand. "Relax, everything is under control. You can go back to your patrols, or, whatever you were doing."

The two guards looked at Double Trouble, apparently recognizing them, but decided not to question the king's decision and turned back, heading out. Double Trouble watched them walk out before turning to Micah and grinning, suppressing a chuckle, their wounds almost healed up. "Darling, did you forget who I am? You were dumb enough to give me back my powers, why do you think you could-"

Micah grinned, a grin Catra didn't think he was capable of, and snapped his fingers. Double Trouble's monologue was interrupted by a grunt as a thin choker of light flashed around their throat, sending a couple sparks across their body.

"And you seem to have forgotten who I am. Or did you seriously think I was dumb enough to let you walk around unshackled?" The king laughed, their usually cheerful laugh punctuated by a grim note. Double Trouble was clawing at the ringlet around their neck, hissing with fangs bared.

Catra had crawled into a corner, and was starting to hyperventilate again. She knew that spell. She had enough burn marks to speak of what it did. She knew that laughter, too. And she knew exactly where Micah had learned them - and from whom. Memories started flooding in, unwelcome thoughts that she had been keeping at bay for so long. She sunk to the ground, wrapping her fists around her legs, lizard blood mixing with her own as her claws sunk into her palms.

"Why? Why, you, you haughty, self-centered, privileged-" Double Trouble was an amorphous black mass, their voice a deep, guttural growl as they twisted and shifted, clawing and pulling at the circlet to no effect.

"You are as clever as you are dangerous, `Double Trouble'. And I happen to have a couple uses for your clever mind and honed skills. Why, such a welcome coincidence that you tried to sneak in when you did!" The king's monologue was interrupted by a sob. Only now did he notice Catra in the corner, clutching her knees, shaking and struggling to breathe.

"Catra! Catra, is everything all right? Did they do anything to-" He rushed over, reaching out to hold her, and was greeted by a claw against his face as she jumped away. Scrambling to her legs, she dashed out, back into the halls and down a corridor after another, tears streaming down her face.

Micah turned to their new prisoner. "What did you do to her."

"Oh, great. It's always poor old me, isn't it?" Double Trouble stepped closer, their sharp teeth still bared. They had reverted back to their base form, or at least a very feral version of it, with long claws, gnarly limbs, and long shark teeth. "You live with her, you idiot, and you're still blind to what she's going through. Who do you think the old hag practiced those spells on after she left you?"

Micah's brow furrowed, trying to unravel the prisoner's words. "Light- Shadow Weaver? I mean, I knew she went to the Horde, but-"

Double Trouble raised a hand, pointing in the direction of the corridor. "The kid is still tormented by what that witch did to her. By the First Ones, I'd rather be stuck for good than to have to live through that. I bet she still yells her name at night." Double Trouble wrapped their arms around themselves, imagining what Catra must have gone through. Involuntarily, they reached for their collar again, before remembering they were not alone and grabbing for it and tugging some more, pretending they had planned to tell all that to anyone.

Micah was too distracted to notice the liar's facade slipping. He knew what Shadow Weaver had been capable of, and that Catra was still going through a lot - not only because of Finn. How had he never realized the two were related?

"Well, if we're done here, I think I have places to be." Double Trouble did a rude little courtsey. "I think you know how to find me."

Micah looked up, his brows furrowing again. "Actually . . . I had a favor to ask."