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Moira hadn't powered up in so long, the feeling of magic on her skin felt strange and sticky. Like a sweater that had shrunk in the wash. She knew all it would take was a few days of powering back up and getting back into the groove in order to feel more like herself... but she still rolled her shoulders absently as though stretching fabric across them. Maybe she'd go to her planet, she thought distantly. She'd never been there before, she realized. And then suddenly it was all she could think about. Going to space... to a whole new world! What wonders would await her there? Would there be people? Would they like her? Was there another soldier like her up there somewhere?

She glanced down at the phone she'd summoned into her hands, as easy as breathing, and traced the home button with her finger. This was all she'd need to do, she had been told.

But wait... what if they didn't like her? Or worse... what if they out right rejected her? What if they knew she'd been gone for five years?

She hesitated, just for a second, but it was enough. She hadn't been paying attention to the feeling of chaos creeping up behind her, noticing only when it began speaking to her. Then the full force of the feeling hit her and almost doubled her over. The feeling made acid rise sickeningly in her stomach, something like heartburn creeping up her throat. It called her a friend. And then it called itself a monster.

what would you do in order to leave here alive, senshi?

Moira gripped the phone in her hands tightly, pushing her chin up and out in a shaking show of confidence that she did not truly feel.

"If you want me to beg," she squeaked, "I won't." She would just simply... blip away. Flick away to the safety of the stars. Even if there were people waiting for her and even if they didn't like her, they at least weren't trying to kill her.

But when she pushed the home button... nothing happened. Nervously, she glanced down at the phone in her hands and tried again. Nothing. Her mind raced and she knew, distantly, that her mind was moving too fast to be able to travel. She'd wonder later about how she knew that.

"I won't," she squeaked again, albeit quieter.

Moira's mind was moving a mile a minute and she was having trouble making it slow down. She's learned so much in so short a span of time.

One, this person in front of her was a Negaverse Agent. She knew that much. She had been taught that much.

Two, this person had once been like her. Had she been a senshi? Did senshi turn into Agents when they went bad? No time to wonder.

Three, this Agent had been hurt. Terribly. Neglected and damaged and left alone and everything in Moira wept for her.

"You're wrong," she answered softly, closing her own hands over her sternum protectively. "You're wrong... about... everything." Where did she even start? Her mind refused to slow down and thoughts slammed through at the speed of light. Blindly, Moira reached into the stream of consciousness and pulled out the first thing that came to her.

Scared. Lonely and utterly unsure.

"I'm... I'm not alone. At least, not unless by choice. I was given the option of coming along with the cat who awakened me but... I prefer to be on my own. And I'm not scared... or... or lost. I'm finding my way in the fashion I've chosen." She took a tentative step forward and unclenched her fist from in front of her chest and slowly reached out to the poor soul before her.

You do deserve better

"No, dear, I'm sorry but... you are the one who deserved better. I don't know what happened to you but I can infer. I'm... I'm sorry that you were left alone. I'm sorry that someone dropped you into this strange and frankly terrifying place and then abandoned you. That's not fair, and that's not how it should be." With every word that Moira said, she could feel her voice and her resolve returning. Silently, she thanked Spirit and The Goddess for her strength and pressed on.

"My soul weeps for you, my friend. It weeps for the hardship you have had to endure and the lies you have taken as truth." She took a step forward, noting the way her limbs stopped shaking as she moved. "If you were to give me the choice between harm and letting harm come to another then... I'd choose to let you harm me but... I don't think you would." Though Moira didn't know why she thought that. She had no reason to think that. For all she knew this woman had already committed many many murders... but then again, Moira supposed, that didn't mean that she was beyond redemption.

"You can call me all the names you want. You can threaten me all you want. It's okay. I know you're hurt. I would be too if I went through what you went through. No one deserves to be in pain."

Moira closed the distance between the two of them and offered the other woman a small smile as a sort of peace offering.

"I'm Moira, by the way. Maybe you could tell me your name? Maybe we can even be friends?"

The hesitation from the woman before her was encouraging. Moira's smile grew as the listened to her. There was confusion, and it was probably unpleasant, but it was necessary for growth. Even the name calling was expected. And maybe the woman was right. Maybe Moira was being stupid and maybe she should be protecting herself, but she'd rather be stupid and trusting than closed off.

"but, they would to the same for m--"

Her sentence was cut off when pain shot up through her arm. She cried out and flinched back several steps, clasping her arm where it hurt. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. Her white glove was quickly getting stained red from the wound and her vision began to blur.
Oh good.

Blood.

Moira took several deep breaths to calm herself and watched the woman retreat.

She was retreating.

Moira smiled.

Because if she had wanted Moira dead, she would have killed her.

There was still some good in her, and Moira would find it.