The Page of Pluto was tired, but it was not enough to take him out of the game. He had been training endlessly, ever since the Carnival tragedy. His goals were clear, and he had the support he needed. His dear friend Zia had promised to help him in his endeavors and he trusted her judgement and the knowledge she brought to him. And now he had this ally in Sailor Aster.
He was not the best team player out there, but he would do his best. They had the same goals, those of revenge, and he wanted to see those that had caused so much trouble, killed so many people, suffer for their crimes. He was a Knight, and as far as he knew that meant he was akin to a keeper of the peace. A police officer of space, or whatever it was. It was his duty to bring those that hurt others to swift and fitting justice.
Chaos killed. And so it was just that they be killed in return.
He was waiting for Aster near the entrance of his Carnival, wanting her to join him on his first real patrol. Tonight his efforts changed: he was going out there looking for a fight, looking for the trouble he had tried to avoid before. He hoped she was up to it, as he would not stop until he found someone, no matter how long he was out tonight.
This would be a long term goal: he would struggle and fight and push himself forward for as long as it was needed. And no one would stop him, regardless of what team they belonged to, or how strong they were.
Silent Spy
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 2:03 pm
Super Sailor Aster arrived to the entrance of the carnival with a long leap a few meters before Luxor. She gave a light wave as she made her way closer to her newfound ally. "Sorry if I'm a bit late."
"Any updates on the investigation?" she asked, crossing her arms. Her search for answers had been largely coming up dry - she was able to rule out one of her old suspects, Ricky. As it turned out, he was just another ally in the war who had been kidnapped by coincidence that very same night. It was a bit of a relief - he was a close friend, not someone she wanted to fight against. But it was equally a disappointment, another rock turned over without answers. Things started to feel fruitless. "I haven't dug up anything good yet. But I've been trying."
"I haven't found out much," he said. He had been failing in the investigating part of it, because he let himself get too wrapped up in wanting to fight every ounce of Chaos he came across. He was lucky he had not gotten himself killed yet, trying to attack people that were well out of his power level.
"But I feel like the two of us together might get more answers," he said, watching her.
He was glad to have allies with him, and he would need them in his efforts. He could not do this alone, and though he had been trying he could easily see that he would never get anywhere on his own. It would be months, or years, before he made any progress.
And he couldn't wait that long to get justice for those that had been killed.
"Let's go," he said stiffly, trying not to feel awkward in his very limited outfit. He was generally not shy, but wearing a towel to go and fight crime with sometimes weighed heavily on him.
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:37 pm
As the two started their patrol searching for any signs of Chaos, Aster kept mostly to herself. Not only was there a lot on her mind - as she was sure there was a ton on Luxor's as well - but she knew Luxor just as an ally, and wasn't sure where on the relationship spectrum between personal acquaintance and professional acquaintance they landed. After giving it a few minutes of thought, she decided she could be personal with anyone, and jumped right into asking questions.
"So do you wear underwear under that tiny towel of yours or are you sorta like, free-balling under there?" she asked, starting with the least personal question possible.
But almost as soon as she asked, she felt a familiar tingle of a nearby Chaos power signature - a strong one. "Crap, someone's nearby."
Luxor watched her and tried to decide if her question was serious or not. He could understand it was a cause for concern, if they were patrolling and got into a fight, and she ended up seeing more of him than she wanted to, but he also knew it was a constant source of mocking from most people. He was wearing tight, black undershorts, but he spent so long debating telling her that, he missed his chance to actually do so.
As soon as she noticed the power signature, it seemed to notice them. It teleported to them, appearing in their path. She had her spear in hand, and was leaning on it casually, as if she had been standing there for a while, waiting for them.
"Isn't this cute? A little Senshi and her dog Knight out on a date." Painite grinned at them, and Luxor moved to stand a little protectively in front of Aster though she was stronger than him. Painite saw them as two of her least favorite things conveniently gathered in one spot. She imagined being able to pull their starseeds at the same time, as they lay dying side by side.
Luxor could tell that she was strong, and he recognized her from the fight at the Carnival, which was more than enough for him to hate her.
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:29 pm
Super Sailor Aster crossed her arms. She was scared of whoever this character was - her power signature was strong and clearly Chaos, a Negaverse agent surely - but she didn't want her fear to show. She swallowed hard and mustered a confident voice.
"Who are you?" she asked. She took a cautious step forward. "If you're with the Negaverse, we have questions for you."
"Do you know anything about the attacks on the carnival?" she asked, cutting to the chase.
"If I'm with the Negaverse," she laughed at that, watching them. "Of course I'm with the Negaverse, what do you think? You do feel that lovely little aura of mine, don't you?"
Luxor bristled but stayed quiet, watching her and finding his feeling of dread and anger blossoming. He recognized her too well, and something in his gut told him that he had every reason to hate not just all the negaverse, but her specifically.
She would not mind it, that much was clear. She seemed all too comfortable in her role, and he imagined she did not often play the good guy.
"Answer her question," he said sternly, causing her to give him an amused glance. She looked back at Aster, bowing her head in exaggerated politeness.
"Of course I know about the attacks on the Carnival. I can tell you everything about them, considering it was my operation." She grinned. "Why, did you two lose friends there, or something tragic like that? Out here for some good old fashioned revenge?"
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:06 am
Well, that made the investigation easier.
"You did it?" Aster spat back, blood boiling. The investigation may have been speeding to a close, but her anger level had just increased exponentially. Her rage had fused with her fear, creating a mixture of high voltage adrenaline surging through her. "I did lose my friends. They weren't even at the carnival, they were sitting in their car in the parking lot, minding their own business."
"What kind of monster are you?" she took a step forward. "I don't believe in violence but, oh, I want you ******** dead."
Her body was shaking with nerves as she tried to stand proud and tall. She was livid - and she couldn't get a grip. She was losing control.
"I am a general of the Negaverse," she said, in answer to Aster's question of what kind of monster she was. That kind. And she loved it, thrilled in it, and lived it up for everything it was worth. Some did not agree with her views on what it meant to be a Negaverse soldier, but she wasn't in it for them. She was in it for Chaos, for the existence of their kind, and for the strength of the Negaverse itself.
Plus it was fun.
Luxor had a similar reaction to it all as Aster, feeling his anger boiling. He had a terrible temper, and it was difficult to control in the face of things that infuriated him. Seeing her there, gloating over her ability to murder innocents, lacking any shred of remorse, made him want to break her ability to smile with his fists.
He moved first. He said nothing to Aster as he lunged for Painite. He knew he was weaker, that he was newer, but he didn't care. He wasn't thinking about it. He leaped at her, arm drawn back, his body shaking with rage as he yelled in fury and swung as hard as he could. He was met with a sharp spear in his side, which stopped him cold.
Painite smiled at him, then looked at the Senshi.
"You should be careful with your friends," she said wistfully. "Looks like they're just begging to be killed by me."
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:26 am
"LUXOR!" Super Sailor Aster shouted, trying to stop him. But it was too late. She screamed, hands to her mouth as she watched the spear meet his side. It fueled her anger as she turned to the short-haired general.
"You're such a ******** evil b***h," she spat. She stretched out an arm she shouted - "Sunflower Turret Field!" - and three tiny sunflowers appeared on the ground before her, their heads targeted at and locked-on to Painite as they began to shoot a strong flurry of sunflower seeds at the general.
Attack #1B: Sunflower Turret Field (Super) How it Works- Sailor Aster summons five sunflowers which launch projectile sunflower seeds at her target at a fast rate that can damage her enemies. Range- 40 feet Duration- 15 seconds Casting Action- Super Sailor Aster throws her arm out in front of her, open handed. The sunflower turret field emerges in a small arc, three feet away. Damage Summary- Light attack. It feels a bit like being “knocked on” with a fist (not punched!) in fast rapid succession for 15 seconds. After a while, you may feel tender in that area. In already tender or soft areas (such as eyes, the neck, groin, etc.) it may hurt more. Avoidable through- Deflection. The sunflower turret will follow and target you, but it cannot target you if you hide behind something or shield yourself. Frequency of usage- Once every five of her own battle posts.
Luxor fell away from the General, gripping his side and crawling to escape as the blood ran from between his fingers. It was thick and warm, and he did not like the look of it. It just told him he was weak, and he was never going to be able to help anyone.
She was the one responsible for everything, and so far, he was only proving himself capable of being her next victim. The very idea forced him to his feet, fury seething through him. He could not be defeated so easily. His path to vengeance was not going to end here.
He was not going to let it.
"Damn it!" Painite was not a fan of Aster's attack. It was not the most dangerous thing in the world but it was enough to get her to bring up her arm and take shelter behind it as best as she could. She was laughing behind her arm, though, a taunting sound that danced in the air.
"What makes us so different? You just have to justify killing someone with a couple more thoughts than I do. At least I don't waste my time pretending I'm anything but what I was made to be. Chaos is meant to rule this planet! You can resist however hard you want to, but it's all going to end the same!"
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 8:01 pm
Aster was furious, but she needed to control herself. The General's words weren't true - but her talking of Aster justifying murder frightened her. She couldn't let herself get to that point. She couldn't sink to that level.
"No, it's not," Aster started. She wasn't a killer - she was a pacifist who believed in inherent goodness in everyone, and sometimes she had to work harder to stay true to her own convictions. "And it doesn't have to. I am different. I am not going to kill you. I want revenge, ******** man, I want it. But it's not worth making me a killer. You're playing on the wrong side of the table, but the cards are in your hands, dude. There's still hope for you, I'm sure of it. Just gotta take a seat on the other side of the table."
"You can redeem yourself," she continued. "If killing is so easy for you, then try fighting for the other side. Better you kill the bad than the good." It probably wasn't the best argument for someone who was attached to the other side, but she was grasping for branches.
"It doesn't need to be this way," she cried, eyes locking on to the wounded Luxor. Please be okay...
Painite watched her, smiling wickedly. She gripped her spear in readiness, all too happy to cut them down and break them. She knew that no one, no matter how strong their resolve, could last too long against the very basic concept of pain. And if they did, they usually died from bleeding out or losing their starseed. It worked either way for her.
"Hey, you're the one that just said you were going to kill me. It's sad that an agent of Chaos has to be the one to talk you out of it. If I hadn't said anything, you would have tried your hardest. I mean, you wouldn't have succeeded, but you'll have to know that you wanted to."
She didn't like being told there was hope for her. She didn't like the idea that knights were just failed Negaverse soldiers, or that she could have the potential of being one. The very thought that there was some tie to Order inside her, in her starseed or elsewhere, made her feel disgusted.
Luxor was on his feet, gripping his side. His skin was stained and smeared with blood, and he had no cloth or anything extra to really try and stem the bleeding with. His costume was, all around, just not very useful. He watched Painite and glowered, listening to the exchange, though everything was humming and muffled under the sound of his own heartbeat.
"Aster," he said, through gritted teeth, "forget it. She doesn't care."
"I never thought I'd say that a Knight had a point," Painite grinned, then looked at Aster. "Oh, do you want one?" She laughed at the play on words she was attempting, charging forward at the Senshi and slashing with her spear, the arc aiming across her midsection.
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:11 am
Lithia_Brandon
forgive typos, on phone at work!
Super Sailor Aster tried to dodge the attack, but the General was a bit too quick for her. The brunette Senshi stumbled and fell backwards as the spear slashed across her midsection. She tried to let out a kick in her own self-defense, but it came out as a poorly-aimed hard swing of the leg towards Painite's groin as Aster fell to the ground, landing on her back.
"Please, don't," she tearfully begged from the ground, laying flat and weak. It was hard to breathe as she placed one hand on her open wound, feeling the wet blood on her fingers.
Luxor saw Aster fall and let out a cry of protest. This was not how it was supposed to go. They were both bleeding, both about to get themselves murdered by the woman responsible for the massacre at his carnival. She could not just keep winning! She could not just keep getting the advantage over him!
He hated her.
With every fiber of his being, he hated her. He wanted her to die, and he did not care if that made him a murderer. She was a monster. She deserved it. And it would save so many people in the long run, that it had to be worth it, didn't it? The end justified the means.
Painite smiled sweetly at the senshi, kneeling down beside her and brushing her cheek gently. Her eyes were deceptively warm, their color innocent and her expression gentle. She could have been a nice person, once upon a time.
"I love it when you guys beg. But it won't help." She said, her hand tracing down her cheek, her neck, to her chest. It was always a trip, reaching inside a chest to get a starseed, and she always delighted in it. But before she could wrap her delicate features around her prize, something heavy smashed into the side of her head and she was sent sprawling sideways. Luxor had clenched his hands together and swung it like a heavy bat, as hard as he could, for the soft spot of her temple while she was distracted. He was a lot weaker than she was, but a heavy blow to the head was still distracting.
