Lonnie's wrench slammed into her opponent's skull, sending her stumbling backward. Lonnie took the opportunity to unleash a relentless slew of attacks, viciously relishing the silver slash marks she left in the other girl's dark pink skin.

"I'm coming, Donna!" the pink-skinned girl's companion shouted. Her honey-blonde hair whipped around her head like a halo. For some reason, it reminded Lonnie of Adora. She even had the I'm-better-than-thou attitude; all she was missing was the hair floof.

"Oh no you don't," Lonnie muttered. "Get her, Rogelio!"

Her reptilian friend and battle partner chased after Donna's companion and snatched her up by her dark red jacket.

"Virga!" Donna cried out.

"Leave us alone," Lonnie ordered. "We want no part in your schemes and army." She'd had enough of serving in an army, of being subservient to Hordak and tolerating Shadow Weaver's manipulations and being abused by Catra. She relished her newfound freedom, though she continued to train and sharpen her skills to protect herself and her friends—and the baby.

"The Anarchists don't have an army," Virga retorted. "That's what makes us Anarchists. We have no hierarchy! We have no higher power that orders us around, no one to bow to, no princesses—"

Rogelio shoved his scaly hand over her mouth and released an angry torrent of reptile tongue that Lonnie hoped included curses. She made a mental note to ask Rogelio to teach her how to curse in his language. Although he didn't speak in any understandable words, the gist was clear: shut-the-Hordak-up.

Virga narrowed her silver-blue eyes, which glittered like stars—Lonnie found it annoying when people's eyes sparkled, like they were filled with that hero light; Adora's eyes had shone with conviction, too, before she left the others in the Fright Zone—and kicked out at Rogelio to free herself. She landed in a crouch beside Donna. Lonnie had to admit, the two of them looked like they'd make an excellent combat team, but Lonnie and Rogelio had been trained by the Fright Zone. The Anarchists were no match for them.

"Think about it," Virga insisted. She flicked a business card at Lonnie, who caught it and tore it in half.

Rogelio snatched the pieces and shredded them in his jaws. Virga scowled in repulsion, but Donna giggled. "You'd make perfect Anarchists."

Lonnie raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Virga smirked. "You're the antithesis of everything the princesses are."

Ugly. Outcast. Powerless. Lonnie got the hint.

She also didn't let it faze her. After Horde Prime's defeat, the princesses had returned to their positions of power and governed Etheria with fairness and mercy. Although most Etherians were content to get back to normal and enjoy a new era of peace without the Horde, there were a few disgruntled ones who were disturbed that some of the princesses had turned against their people, oppressed them, ruled with tyranny and an abuse of their magic. It didn't matter that they had been under Horde Prime's control; it was the principle. Princesses had used their magic to terrorize Etherians. For some, that was not so easily forgiven.

Lonnie had better things to worry about. Like whose turn it was to change the baby's diapers.

"I did it last time!" Kyle complained when Lonnie and Rogelio turned to him, the baby bawling between them.

"Grow up," Lonnie muttered as she scooped up the blue-skinned orphan, careful not to stab her chin with his horns, and headed to the nursery. She thought of it as a nursery, but in actuality, the four of them shared a one-person apartment in downtown Vanhanen—hey, now that the Horde didn't provide for them, now that the Horde no longer existed, they were dirt poor—which meant that Lonnie took the bed, Kyle got the couch, Rogelio formed a tent for himself in the middle close to the fridge and stove, and they reserved a corner of their apartment for the cradle, baby toys, and changing station.

"Don't be mean to the baby," Kyle retorted, but his voice cracked.

"Not you, little Scorpio," Lonnie assured the child as she changed his diaper, then winced at the stench. "Actually, maybe grow up a little."

By consensus, the three Horde defects had named the adorable child after the most adorable Horde soldier they knew—and it wasn't Adora. Actually, Lonnie had chosen to name the orphan after Scorpia, who was kind and beautiful and deserved better than anything Catra or the Horde could offer her. Kyle had suggested "Kyle Junior", which was the second most stupid idea Lonnie could remember coming from him—top prize of stupidity was coming up with a game he would lose—and Rogelio had protested against both of their ideas. But since no one else could speak Rogelio-tongue and Kyle's vote didn't matter, Lonnie considered it a consensus.

Lonnie brought Scorpio to Rogelio's tent, where the four of them spent the most time in. She tried not to think about what Kyle and Rogelio did here alone, and consoled herself with the knowledge that (1) Kyle wasn't that smooth and (2) they wouldn't try anything in the same room as a baby.

"Hey, Junior," Kyle cooed as he reached for the baby, who spat up onto his hands.

Lonnie glared at him, and he added, "Hey, Scorpia Junior."

Rogelio rolled his eyes, and Lonnie clapped to get Scorpio's attention. "Today, you get to meet the princess you're named after! You're named after the bravest, most heroic princess I know—the only princess I know, but still brave and heroic."

"Actually," Kyle piped up as he wiped his hands on Rogelio's muscle shirt to the lizard man's protests, "we know Adora."

Lonnie thought of the Horde soldier, top of her cohort, who had abandoned the people who were supposed to be her friends. And she was a princess.

"We don't," she said in a flat tone that quelled any arguing, even from Rogelio.

Kyle cleared his throat. "Um, right. So is the casserole ready?"

If Scorpio wasn't in her lap, Lonnie would have hit Kyle. "You were supposed to bake the casserole! That was the plan: me and Rogelio, we patrol Vanhanen and fend off crazy, power-obsessed, princess-hating Anarchists so Scorpio has a safe home, and you, you were supposed to do the housekeeping. Which included baking a casserole for our guests. You had one job, Kyle!"

Rogelio grunted in agreement and punched Kyle's arm. Lonnie smiled and looked at Scorpio, who stared back at her with wide eyes several shades darker than his skin.

Kyle winced as he rubbed his arm and left the tent. "I'll start baking it now, then. How long do we have until Scorpia and the others arrive?"

As soon as he spoke, someone pounded the door and popped it right off its hinges. Kyle squeaked, Rogelio yelled in reptile-tongue, and Lonnie tucked Scorpio in one arm and grabbed her trusty wrench with the other.

A tall young woman raised her pincers in surrender. "Hold there, friend!"

Lonnie tossed the wrench aside and let Scorpia carry the baby named after her. Most people would think twice before handing over a child to a large person with giant claw-like hands, but Scorpia had a heart larger than life. If anything, it was safer to let Scorpia hold the baby than for Kyle or Rogelio—Kyle had almost held Scorpio upside-down once, but Scorpia knew how to hold a baby. She supported his head and held him close to her with dark eyes full of love. Lonnie smiled. Scorpia would be an amazing older sister; she was the perfect godmother for Scorpio.

"Is that Scorpio?" exclaimed a high-pitched voice. A slim girl around the same age as Scorpia appeared from behind the taller woman. Her long dress was such a startling fuchsia it hurt Lonnie's eyes. "Oh, he's precious! Can I hold him, too?"

Scorpia looked to Lonnie, who nodded. Perfuma was the princess of plants and had a personality sweeter than the flowers she conjured. Just in case, Lonnie supported Scorpio's weight as Perfuma lifted him so she and the child were at eye level. Scorpio reached out with a small blue finger to trace her long nose. Lonnie's heart melted. It was a wonderful moment until Kyle ruined it.

"I'm sorry!" Kyle wailed. "I forgot to bake the casserole."

Scorpia tipped her head to one side, her short white hair bouncing. "What's a casserole?"

"Don't worry about it!" Entrapta declared, emerging behind the two taller princesses. It reminded Lonnie of the dolls some of the other Vanhanen children played with, little ones hiding in larger ones. "I don't like casserole anyway, and I brought mini cupcakes to celebrate! They're baby-friendly so no worries about choking hazards."

Lonnie was about to take the platter of mini cupcakes when she froze. Choking hazards were far from the most dangerous thing in the apartment. She stared at the alien-like figure she had come to associate as an enemy: the man who had ordered her training and harsh discipline, Hordak.