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Oh, great, she had a ******** knife. Wasn't it, like, illegal for senshi to use weapons? That was why no one used them, right? Pirisite would've called up his weapon, except--it was, and remained, embarrassing. He twisted out of the way of the knife and said, "Hey, cut it out and we can talk this through. You girls like that, right? Talking about your feelings?"

Penthesilea probably sohuld have been better prepared for that blade. She'd already seen it put to use once - to expect that it wouldn't be turned on her when she attacked its wielder was absolutely foolish.

She still made a noise of surprise when the blade went into her. It was, she vaguely registered, kind of cold - and it was with a soft choked gurgle that she went down to her knees, pressing a hand against the bleeding exit wound in her stomach which did nothing for the entrance wound in her back. Hands that shook far more than they should fumbled to tear at her shoulder-cape, in the hopes of making a bandage.

Thraen scooping her up was a welcome intervention. She was well aware of how dangerous the amount of blood she was losing was.

"'Preciate the timely intervention," she said, her voice weak. She clung desperately to consciousness, stubbornly trying to keep from passing out. "How come they get swords an' we don't? Ain't a fair fight..."

Leda panted heavily with the increasing volume of smoke. Her lungs burnt and yearned for more air, yet she couldn't quite gasp enough to clear her airways of the choking haze. The added weight taxing her didn't help either... But she couldn't leave him for consumption by the blaze. Since she was the one to knock him unconscious, this was her burden to bear. I'll never be able to sleep at night if I just let him die here... No matter what he did.

Her legs moved as lead weights over great heights, the stairs nearly insurmountable due to fatigue and added weight. She coughed heavily, wracking both their shoulders, yet she kept at her pace knowing their fates if she failed. And just as she reached midway, a heavy impact to the back of her skull sent her reeling toward the remainder of stairs, only to meet nothingness just before impact. She passed out before she could utter a yelp.

General Serpentine is out, following behind Lt. Titanlavenite.

The smoke had overcome him, in the end. Once Serpentine had gotten his orders out for the officers to go secure Buddingtonite, his throat and lungs had refused to give him any more leeway. There was not even a chance for him to go after Tsui when she pulled herself off the ground. His attack was not enough to quench his desire for revenge... but he was in no condition to pursue her. He could only hope that the b***h would choke on the same, thick air he endured and die.

Ultimately, the proud man fell to his knees, to where the fresher air waited and sucked it up greedily into his burning lungs, but even that did not give him much solace. His chest ached, his head ached, his eyes watered--all symptoms of the fire and smoke that did not include the sheer fatigue that coated every limb from expending the energy he had fighting and--

And then one heavy cough sent blood splattering across the floor, the bright red reminding him of where he should focus his efforts. Buddingonite. The Senshi (Leda). His friend needed him, the officers he had called waited for him, and the Great Serpent would not fail any of them. He and his officers were getting out of here, alive if not well. Alive, to heal, to fight another day... if the time came where a call to arms could be trusted.

It took time to haul himself to his feet, but he did it. It took far more effort than it should to survey the room with bleary, unfocused eyes, but he did it. He caught sight of familiar blurs of color and, more specifically, the blond lieutenant who carried them with such ease (Titanlavenite). At least one of the officers had managed to heed his call. Whoever he was, Serpentine would see to it that he would be rewarded.

'For lending me your strength, you will share in my glory. Just keep running, lieutenant... run, and I will follow.

"Oh, come on, it's not too late," Pirisite said, and he meant to say: you're not too bad-looking, we can really work this out. The searing-hot pain of a blade sliding between his ribs interrupted him, and he stumbled back, hands up in a futile demonstration of--hey, I'm unarmed. He gasped a half-breath of shock at the handle of the kitchen knife shoved hit-deep into his ribs.

Holy s**t, he was so dizzy. "********," he said, and he dropped to his knees--the world was shifting around too much for him to keep his balance--and then sat back on his heels, hard. "<********>." He tasted blood.

Pirisite grabbed at the knife in his chest with hands that weren't quite working right; he succeeded in pulling it out, and it fell with a clatter to the ground. He fell on top of it, choking on his own blood.

Her hands tried to snatch the feline from her back, its voice full of panic and anger as it screamed down her ear to return the starseed. Although she had no intention of doing so if she had decided to comply it would have been dam difficult to do so with it sliding across the floor. Screaming in rage Ate half crawl half slid her way across the floor, her eyes set on the jade prize and turning it in to crystallized mash when she finished smashing it against the concrete floor. She didnt care for the cat that ripped at her skin, only the idea of destroying the starseed was dancing on her mind as she reached for it her heart thudding in her chest as the sheer lust she felt for breaking it in half overcame her. It was only due to this maddening haze that she didnt feel the lasso strike her instantly, didnt feel it grip tighten and lace around her leg. With a curse Ate turned to look down and saw Iris standing proudly, the lasso wrapped in her hands and around her elbow in a move that could equal one outcome and with the grace of a princess she pulled Ate screaming from the starseeds grasp.

Her finger nails tried to find purchase on the uneven floor, her gloves splitting at the seams as the corrupted senshi tried to stop herself from moving too far but it wasn't happening. The Princess had already swept the starseed up by the time Ate pushed herself up on both hands, her fuku dirtied and stained from sliding across the industrial floor rage pouring from her like a furnace. The fire was no longer a thing to be ignore and with the Princess being more powerful Ate knew her chance to gain a starseed was gone and with it the last of her patience and restraint went with it.

"AHHHHHH, YOU WHORE! YOU b***h! THIS IS NOT OVER BETWEEN US PRINCESS, I WILL RIP YOUR LIFE APART BEFORE I FINISH WITH YOU!!!" Furious anger etched across her face she summoned the power to teleport, her face scowling against the heat but glaring past it at Iris as she stood protectively with the others. She couldn't contain the hate she felt bubbling inside her and with final scream she zapped out of the warehouse the last of her energy leaving her as she traveled out of the danger zone the place Ate always wanted to be.

She would not forget this any time soon.

Ate has left the building

Cyllene was on the third floor and is now out!

Cyllene shot a glare at Auriga, "you started this. You bit me!" she shrieked at the other girl. "I'm not evil!!" Now Cyllene was screaming. Anger quickly bubbled to the surface- an issue that in the past the Senshi of Acid had never experienced. In fact, she had always been incredibly laid back, and now... Now she wanted to destroy the Senshi that accused her of being a monster.

Auriga stomped on her foot and quickly hit her in the jaw, causing Cyllene to cry out. With a sob and an animalistic noise that she was sure she had never made before in her entire life, she hit her back and disappeared. She reappeared directly behind Auriga, grabbing a fistful of her hair and hood with her left hand and her right arm with her right. Anger twisted her features as she twisted Auriga's arm forcefully behind her back.

Her breathing quickened and her grip tightened on the back of her head. "I could rip out your starseed," Cyllene sobbed as she held Auriga in place. "I could call over one of our Generals and have them gut you with their weapon, but I won't because I. Am. Not. EVIL!" She yelled as she put all of her strength into twisting Auriga's arm until a snap was heard.

Eyes going wide, Cyllene suddenly released Auriga from both hands. Her right hand clamped over her mouth and she took a few steps backwards. What did she just do? She looked at Ganymede and Valhalla, her expression one of horror. "I..." She tried to speak, but instead she used her last bit of energy to disappear from the warehouse altogether.

Maybe Chaos was taking her over after all.

The more seasoned senshi had picked up on what Auriga was not paying attention to: they needed to leave, stat. It was the kind of thing she would get better with in time, with experience, but for now, she was so caught in the myriad of thoughts and feelings rushing through her that the more logical side of her was just a whisper at the back of her mind.

Besides, as a civilian, Maggie had never been great at walking away from fights. It was basically impossible when she felt she was right (which was always). "You are TOO evil!" she snapped. "Look at what YOUR side did -- look at this warehouse! That dude was super evil and trying to start a super evil place here! He was going to hurt everyone! All of our families and friends! That's what Chaos does." Okay, so maybe Auriga wasn't 100% sure what the Rift was, but she knew enough to understand it was Bad. Capital 'B.'

Speaking of things that start with 'b' -- Cyllene disappeared? And reappeared? They could do that? Auriga let out a yelp of surprise that turned into a hiss of pain as the Senshi of Acid wrenched her arm behind her back. "S-s-stop," she grunted, trying to move her arm into a less stressed position but finding herself locked, as the corrupt senshi spit out more threats. Slowly, Cyllene bent her arm more and more. Tears sprang to Auriga's eyes.

A groan rolled out of her, moments before the snap of her bone breaking. She cried out suddenly, a harsh, frantic sound. The pain was immediate. It blossomed like she imagined a gunshot wound might, radiating out from the place where the bone had given. Wide blue eyes heavy with tears turned to Ganymede and Valhalla. Tears spilled, but she held what remained of her dignity by not dissolving into hysterical sobs.

It didn't mean her voice didn't sound hysteric as she sagged to her knees and cried, "Oh god, oh god, my arm, my arm, my arm --- ah, ah, I can't, I won't, I shouldn't, I don't, I've never..." The words were sputtering, thoughtless. Her eyes were widening, tears streaming thickly, and her arm hanging limply from her side. Auriga's whole body trembled, and she held her arm above the elbow tenderly, wincing visibly each time she moved. And then: "This hurts so bad! I-I-I need, I need, I need..."

And then the tears came in earnest.