If she were like other senshi, she could have figured out where her strongest opponents were that evening. There were auras polluting the air, making her enemies well known. However, despite the odd tingle at the bottom of her spine, Antiope had clearly never to bother learning what that sensation meant.

She bounded over rooftops, her insect-wing styled bow rattling back as she rushed forward, seeking out any sort of prey. It might have given the illusion she was truly flying, but any familiar with the Senshi would have known such a feat was not possible.

It was only once she got to the rooftop of a broken down warehouse that she saw anything that looked remotely worthy of a fight. He had a dark cloak, making him more difficult to see in the night. Perhaps it was that mystery to him that made him seem like a worthy opponent.

There was no hesitation in her movement as she pushed forward, pointing at the unknown man. “I challenge you to a fight!” she proclaimed boldly.

Nuxaz
The cloaked figure had more of his wits about him than the senshi it seemed as she boldly bounded towards him and more bravely challenged him naively. He stood atop the worn-down building with back to his challenger, skeleton scythe held tall and strong in his right hand. His head turned as the wind picked at the tales of his cloak, a dark sinister grin sliding across his lips.

“You wish to challenge me?” He asked, a hint of amusement lining his tone. His tongue ran along the points of his teeth as he turned, slowly, towards her with an arched brow and a slight shake of his head. “Oh child,” he cooed condescendingly “Do you even know who you’re dealing with?”


The unidentified man was taller than her, which typically went ignored with the Mantis Senshi. However, there was something about this odd combination of the cloak, the grin, and the looming height that made Antiope a tad more aware of her height than usual.

However, she was not the sort to back down from a challenge.

“Of course! You seem strong!” she declared as her stance slipped into a defensive Northern Mantis position. Her sleeves draped over her hands, but she quickly bunched the long sleeves about her fingers. He asked if she knew him, and she shook her head firmly.

“How can I know you? First time I am meeting you!” Despite how tense she suddenly felt, the short Asian girl forced a smile upon her lips. “Names aren’t important though… not now!”

Nuxaz
The general merely looked upon his challenger with amusement, clearly no one felt the need to teach the reckless how foolish they could be. “Do you have a death wish?” He asked, throat scratchy and voice deep. He took a step towards her, his height advantage draping his shadow across her as he advanced. Labyrinthite was a man of stature and rank, it was only fitting his height and power eclipsed hers.

Suddenly he laughed, intrigued by the backbone the senshi seemed to have. “I am strong,” he agreed, adjusting his grip on his weapon so the blade filled the distance between them. “But I like your courage little senshi. What is your name?” His bright eyes narrowed, taking in her uniform and position. It struck him as familiar.

He wasn’t sure he cared for familiar things anymore.

“I think I’m feeling generous today,” he commented, eyes still searching. “Merciful. I might let you live.” And then he swung.


Perhaps it had not been a question she should have been answering, but the Mantis senshi did not seem to waver in the slightest as she boldly stated “I do not wish for death, but I do not fear it.” She had fought a giant before and downed him, and though her opponent was taller, he had less meat to his bones than the giant.

He had asked her name despite how she had declared the lack of importance in such things, but then he also didn’t give her the chance to respond as he swung his weapon at her. She had to jerk herself out of the way faster than anticipated, almost causing a sort of whiplash in the process.

You are better than this! All of your training gets tested here. Get your act together, Anti!

Despite how she wanted to pause and roll her neck about, rub at the muscles that had been irritated by her movement, she didn’t allow herself such a luxury. She had to watch this man carefully. From her new distance, she seemed to drift clockwise, as if she was trying to calculate where to strike him. Her hands remained within their sleeves, hiding her mantis claw positioning of her fingers. Cautiously, she offered him a name.

“My senshi name is Antiope… but I go by Anti usually.”

Nuxaz
He appreciated her quick movements and her ability to avoid his blade, especially given the sheer size of his scythe. At times it was a hassle to carry and sometimes difficult to swing, especially when it'd first upgraded, but the general was strong and had taken the necessary measures to ensure he could use his weapon flawlessly.

Despite his lean frame, he was rippling with muscle underneath his uniform.

He let her keep her distance from him, mimicked her clockwise movement, drifted. His lips curled upward in satisfaction when she’d given him her name. “Antiope,” he repeated, tasting her name on his tongue. “Oh, Antiope,” he cooed. “The future has such grand plans in store for you,” he told her, tilting his head back to laugh. It came out sounding harsh, like he hadn’t used his vocal chords in too long, bitter, and utterly dark.

“But first,” he cracked his neck as he brought his chin back down. “I think I should teach you a lesson about rank and how you’d be wise to not attack your superiors.” He lifted his scythe, took a minute to run a gloved hand over the metal blade then banished it. “This will be much more enjoyable if I play on your ‘level’.”

He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles before darting forward, one hand reaching for her neck and the other for her hip.


“The future?”

Did anybody make any sense anymore? Sure, there was outer space and that world of Antiope, which had made no sense to begin with, but had gradually become common knowledge to the simple senshi. However, that didn’t mean she had learned a thing. To the girl, it was still crazy-talk.

The large weapon had vanished from sight, which gave her a sense of respect for the man, even if she suddenly was more guarded.

Even at her most alert, it could not have prepared her for her opponent’s sudden speed. She had excellent muscle memory, but even as she swiped to block the hand heading towards her neck, she was unable to guard her hip. Though it was typically not a fatal mistake, when she felt her small form lifted up, she could only anticipate some sort of throw or flip.

Nuxaz
She managed to block the hand going for her neck but she missed her hip and he used his forward momentum to snag her by the upper arm as he caught her hip. He then proceeded to flip her, shifting his hand from her hip to her sternum to slam her down into the ground.

There was a brief pause where he leered down at her before the heel of his boot came crashing down against her chest. “Oh, little mantis,” he purred, grinning wide so the points of his canines showed. He looked ready to eat her up, and maybe he was. “You really should learn to respect your superiors.” He shifted more of his weight to the foot on her chest.

“But that’s okay, I’m happy to teach you,” he told her, tossing his head back to laugh.


She might have been flipped over and thrown to the ground, but the girl had already mentally prepared for the pain. The way she was thrown did not leave much room for recovery, but she shifted her elbows slightly to take a bit of the force off of her back, before she slipped the elbows back out against her side.

His foot moved swiftly, but as it impacted her chest, she cried out harshly “KYA!!!” out of sheer habit. However, any sort of cushion she might have felt subsided and his full weight upon her ribs couldn’t go unnoticed.

She could have struggled to get out from under him, but that might not be fruitful if she didn’t distract him first.

With one arm, she reached out with her long sleeve, bending at the elbow to form a 90 degree angle. Beneath the sleeve her hand pointed at her fierce opponent. Though it was hard to get the words out, she managed to wheeze out “Antiope Vicegrip*!” With the attack called out, she forced her arm down swiftly back to the ground.

Wait for any weakness… then get yourself out of there! You can’t attack from the ground, get back up!

Nuxaz
A snarl slipped from his mouth when she managed to lift an arm and mutter a phrase that could only mean one thing. Senshi magic. His foot shifted, sliding upward so that it nearly pressed upon her throat but the words had escaped and suddenly he lurched forward, grabbed by an invisible arm. Because he’d offset his balance when he’d attempted to thwart her, he tumbled forward dropping into a tuck and roll while his hands grasped at the invisible arms twisting around his neck.

It wasn’t painful, or really that constricting, but it had caught him off-guard and resulted in a deep set scowl. Antiope got what she wanted though, she was free and now Labyrinthite was just waiting for the magic timer to run out.

“Grave mistake little one,” he managed to snarl.


There was a sort of relief in not having a full grown man pressed firmly against her chest. It definitely was enough weight to suffocate her given enough time. However, he was off, and the girl didn’t waste any time pushing herself up to her feet once more.

The smart individual probably would have run in fear of their life, preserving what little time they had left on this Earth given the fact they had enraged a General of the Negaverse.

Antiope was not that individual.

The cloaked man had shown weakness in the fight, and the Mantis senshi knew it was now or never if she wanted to show how truly strong she was.

The animalistic sounds of her opponent did not intimidate her in the slightest. With the short amount of time she had left, she sped in as close as she could get. She struck without hesitation, mantis positioned fingers beneath her sleeves jabbing at any and every pressure point she knew of. Neck, ribs, arms, head, whatever she could literally poke at, she poked!

Come on… fall already!

Nuxaz
He was able to avoid the worst of the pressure point jabs; taking heavy hits on his exposed arm and leg which sagged slightly in effect, but avoiding hits to his neck and head. Then, without warning, his uninjured arm shot out and his fingers wrapped around her neck. The corners of his mouth twisted upward, out of the snarl, into a smirk.

His grip tightened as he cocked his head, shifting on the ball of his good foot. He stood, with all of his weight on the singular leg, and lifted her up into the air. Physically, he was stronger than her. Magically, he had an increased physical boost and that, mixed with his rank gave him all of the power he need.

“Didn’t I warn you senshi?” He growled right in her face. “Do not disrespect your superiors,” he reminded her, continuing to tighten his grip and cut off her airwaves. His nails dug into her skin while he held her there, suspended above him. His eyes were dark, hardened and he looked like he was going to do it, kill her.

Instead, he jerked his arm back and flung her behind him. He pivoted on his heel, feeling beginning to return to his other leg, summoned his scythe and extended it in her direction, blade glistening in the moonlight. “Do well to learn that lesson.”


He never fell.

There were moments when it seemed as if the man would fall, but he never did. It was such a teasing sensation to know that you were so close to making your opponent fall, yet never get the satisfaction.

In all her focus upon the task at hand, she left herself open, though she wouldn’t have even been able to keep up with his movement. It came fast and fierce as she felt herself suddenly lift off the ground, all force focused upon her throat. The sheer force upon her neck should have been enough to get her to struggle. Yet as she was held up, there was something oddly peaceful about the little Mantis senshi. A grim dignity and acceptance that perhaps she had found the one fighter that had bested her. Her face had grown quite pink, then red as the oxygen deprivation seemed to have more of an effect, yet there she remained, looking her pink-haired death in the eyes without fear.

And just like that she was thrown like a ragdoll to the side, like she was no longer of interest. The oxygen deprivation was enough to dull her senses that she couldn’t even land upright, rolling hard as she skidded to a stop. Her leg had easily scraped against the rough ground, leaving a smear of red on her leg.

Naturally she coughed and wheezed from her new spot.

“...why…?” she coughed up. “...why are you going easy on me?” She wasn’t suicidal and actively seeking death, but she also didn’t run from it. It was clear this man was able to break her if he wanted to.

So why hadn’t he?

Nuxaz
He stepped forward, cape sweeping against the ground as he moved slowly, deliberately, until the blade of his weapon pressed up against her cheek. It was a soft touch, not enough to draw blood but enough to be a warning. “I told you,” he replied, shaking his head as though he was a parent dealing with a misbehaving child. “The future has great plans in store for you little senshi.”

The edges of his mouth curled upward. “And who am I to deny destiny?”

He shrugged slightly, which caused the scythe to press harder and p***k skin. “And Galena would be so upset with me if I denied her her pet.” While he wasn’t particularly close to the captain, he considered her someone he could trust. The past and the future proved that, she was a good soldier. She made a lethal team with the senshi before him.

“The future is a dark one, Antiope,” he admitted, eyes bright with thought, “you’ll come to your senses and join the proper side soon. It’s written in the stars after all.”

He leaned forward, pressing his weight into his weapon. “Who am I to deny destiny?” He flashed a shark-tooth grin at her. “And I promise if you try to, I will personally make sure that you follow in the footsteps of your future self and you will regret not doing it yourself.”


A drop of crimson threaded its way down the senshi’s cheek as the weapon pressed against her skin in a threatening manner. However, any pain from the scythe’s p***k felt as if nothing happened, her body seeming to grow numb as her mind focused more on the words he said.

Galena? Pet?!

Was that all that Galena had thought of her? That Antiope, Senshi of the Mantis, was merely a pet?! Not a teacher, not a friend, merely just a title left for animals at best!

Anger was bubbling up within her chest, something that didn’t consume the little senshi very often. However, now that the rumbling sensation was there, it wouldn’t be appeased by simply being told to just accept her fate. Her fingers grasped at the ground beneath her in a seething frustration. She didn’t realize that her body was already trembling, unable to completely contain her emotions. It wasn’t from the fear for losing her head at the scythe’s blade. This man’s threats meant nothing to her.

It was rage, and that wouldn’t be appeased so readily.

“...Tell me...” her voice was straining to hold herself from outright screaming. “...Is Gal...” she paused to correct herself. “Galena... aware of this destiny? Does she know what the stars have written about me?!” The last word, she slammed her hand against the ground.

Nuxaz
He banished his weapon, opting to tower over the small senshi and yank her up by the front of her uniform once she’d thrown her little fit. “Oooh, quite the temper little mantis,” he cooed, shark-tooth grin wide and bright. “Why wouldn’t the fine captain know?” He asked, quirking a brow for effect. “If I know, why wouldn’t I share my knowledge with Galena?”

He laughed.

“Little Mantis,” he said, gaze meeting hers. “Is it really so bad to just be another pawn on the chessboard?” He adjusted his grip so he only needed to hold her by one hand and pulled his gloved hand across her cheek, smearing the blood across her face. “A piece in someone else’s game rather than the one playing it?” He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before unceremoniously dropping her.

“You’ll learn your lesson soon,” he stated, stepping back and wiping his glove against his cloak. “If not, I’ll be round to teach you again.” With that he turned his back on her, wiping the cloak behind him and teleporting away.

Antiope was lucky, most senshi’s wouldn’t have been spared by his hand.


Antiope’s body didn’t want to cooperate. The man had picked her up, and she couldn’t resist. He spoke to her as if he had known her, but knew nothing about her. He insulted her, rubbing her own blood upon her face in a show of dominance. And all the senshi could do was take it with gritted teeth.

He had saved her from a potential death by his own hand, but only to threaten her. Now, more than ever, she felt stupid. The way this cloaked figure had spoken to her was almost reminiscent of Galena’s tone. He had blatantly been toying with her, teasing her like one would tease a dog.

He dropped her when he grew bored, he vanished without a trace, leaving Antiope with her own thoughts. Had her body been functioning at full capacity, she would have charged him, demanded he explain more, beat the snot out of him.

None of these things happened.

Instead, Antiope was left as a trembling mess. She knew no fear, no sorrow, no regret.

All she could feel was rage fueled by betrayal.