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It wasn't often that he ventured into the city these days, but word had come into the camp that some of the Order sponsers located within the city were planning to have a supply drop ready for them and Athene had been asked to do the pick up.

Getting into Destiny City wasn't the easiest thing to do, but the lateness of the hour had helped and the fact that the pick up had been planned for a location in the city suburbs had helped even more.

The drop off had taken place in a small warehouse, with both him and the two sponsers unpowered - the better to make sure that no aura flares leaked out. As Arian he had handed over the small token that he'd been given, whilst one of the two sponsers kept watch outside, and had received in exchange a sealed wooden box. No names were exchanged during the exchange - names something that were dangerous in these times and best kept only to the trusted - and the whole thing had been over in a matter of minutes.

The two sponsers had left swiftly after the drop and with the sealed wooden box now in his possession he had moved to do the same, however with the drop point behind him Arian had taken the chance to henshin up knowing that getting out of the city and the supplies back to the camp as quickly as possible was of the essence, and knowing also that as Athene he would move much faster than Arian Laith ever could.

And then he caught the flare of a nearby aura and tensed as he recognised it for a chaotic aura and a strong one at that. It wasn't a youma aura though, wasn't one of the officers or corrupted senshi either which meant that it was coming from a Dark Mirror senshi.

The nearby aura didn't stop Athene from continuing to make his way back to the point where he had slipped into the city - after all he had supplies which he needed to get back - and whilst he made no move to try head towards the source of the aura, nor did he try and outright avoid it.

Anyway it seemed pointless to try and do so - after all given that he was close enough to pick up on the other senshi's aura, it was most likely almost certain that they had picked up on the flare of his own aura given that an eternal strength aura wasn't exactly subtle.

It hadn't taken Athene long to realise that he was being followed - well it was either that he was being followed or that coincidentally a Dark Mirror senshi was happening in the same direction he was. Athene's bet was on the former though - especially since it seemed a little too convenient for it to be a simple coincidence, even if the aura heading his way was about on par with his own - or at least his own as he currently was.

He was contemplating stopping and waiting to see who it was following him, but had miscalculated just how close the Dark Mirror senshi in question actually was, half turning as he heard footsteps behind him.... And then turned fully as he realised that he recognised this particular Dark Mirror senshi catching up to him.

"Evening Remarque" he said and although his face remained stoic, his quiet voice was not unfriendly as the taller senshi fell into step with him. Adding simply in response that he was a hard person to find "I guess you can say I'm not generally in the city these days." Well at least nothing that he'd admit to at any rate.

His pace slowed at the other's warning about the Generals and then he nodded "Thank you for the warning." Changing direction making for a nearby alleyway instead, slow enough for Remarque to follow if he wanted. After all quiet as the evening was being on the streets felt too exposed, especially given the contents in the box he was carrying.

"That makes two of us" Athene said, his quiet voice wry.

Despite logically knowing it to be at best an illusion, the cover offered by the alleyway made him feel less exposed and he took the opportunity to lean against the wall of a nearby building as he considered his options. He had in fact originally been heading East, in that direction lay the nearest point out of the city relative to his current position and although there were other routes out, even the next nearest one meant having to stay in the City - albeit the City outskirts given that he was in the suburbs and not the city centre - for longer than he was comfortable with.

There was nothing for it though if there really was four Generals back there, especially as his mission was getting supplies out and not charging into a potentially dangerous situation with all guns blazing and although there was a part of him that pointed out that staying in the company of one of the Prince's of the Dark Mirror Court wasn't necessarily any safer, there was another part of him - the part of him that remembered that the two of them had shared history and remembered that he had always thought of Remarque as okay, despite the fact that the two of them stood on opposite sides.

"And you're pushing" Athene said simply in answer to the blond senshi's question, although he didn't seem particularly upset if the matter of fact tone of his voice was anything to go on and after a moment's pause he shrugged, a simple movement of his shoulders as he continued. "But it's not like it's any real secret that I haven't lived in the city in a while. There's..." His voice tailed off and for a moment sadness flickered in eyes that no longer wore glasses and then he shrugged again leaving the sentence unfinished, his eyes once again matching the stoic expression on his face.

Although a little curious as to why the taller senshi had sought him out, Athene didn't ask directly, although it factored in his choice of words "Though I'm probably the last person that you should be speaking to given who is in control these days."

For a moment Athene's lips actually quirked slightly at Remarque's return banter to his 'pushing' comment, the corners tilting up into an almost smile and then his expression smoothed and the stoic expression was back. "Thank you for your concern, I appreciate it" and he truly did. "But you don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Okay so the fact that he had lost weight, combined with his tendency to over push himself perhaps made his comment debatable and there were those back at the camp including a certain tabby bobtail who would probably disagree with Athene's claim that he could look after himself, however the dark haired senshi knew he had made his choice when it came to the war - had made it that night that his cousin was murdered and he'd decided to cast his lot in with the rebels and he had no intention of turning back - no matter the consequences.

He looked thoughtful at Remarque's offer for them to go somewhere private, for a moment weighing up factors - much as the alleyway provided some cover from prying eyes, Athene knew that he had to make a move and soon, since the longer he lingered was the more dangerous it became. It would have been dangerous if he'd still been a base rate senshi, but as it was an eternal senshi's aura was just too strong, too noticeable which meant that at some point it was going to end up drawing someone else's attention. He was just lucky that...

His internal musing trailed off in sudden surprise as Remarque told him that he trusted him.

"You trust me?" Athene knew he probably sounded like a parrot, but he couldn't stop himself from blurting out the started words in a manner that was more akin to the teenager he had once been. However he had always been open to Remarque where his main loyalties lay - and they had never rested with the Dark Mirror.

It was that comment funnily enough that had him making his mind up and after a small pause he nodded, "I'll come" he said simply. "If you don't mind me taking the box along" after all there were people back at the camp relying on the contents within. "And I'll swap what information I can - there's things I can't talk about and stuff..." he shrugged another simple movement of his shoulders as he added. "Well I was never the biggest Order fish" before finishing with a simple. "Besides the not able to talk about things prob'ly goes both ways." After all Athene knew he wasn't the only one with loyalties.

As Remarque had said, the mentioned mirror was quite literally around the corner and it hadn't taken long for the two of them to find it.

There was something a little disconcerting seeing the once solid surface of the mirror suddenly ripple like a pond that had just had a stone dropped into, but Remarque's grip had firmed on his wrist, the taller senshi tugging him towards the mirror surface before Athene could think too much on it.

For a moment he felt a sensation of coolness, almost like diving through water but without any of the wetness... And then they were through and in a place that was startling different to the alleyway that they had been in prior, although come to think about it the number of mirrors kind of made sense, given that Remarque had called their changed surroundings Mirrorspace.

The chance at a seat was welcome, despite its unusual delivey and Athene took the opportunity to get off his feet in the first time in what had felt like a very long day, a glance of concern flickering in his eyes at Remarque's open admittance of tiredness.

It was his turn to sigh at Remarque's question about what Order would do in the case that the Negaverse took Earth. Something that although he did not voice the thought out loud was very possible.

"I'm not one of the high level people" he said, because he had never lied to Remarque, he had kept silent on what he could not answer yes, but he had never lied and he wasn't about to start now. "But I know there's been conversations."

Even mainly buried as he was using his strength to help the Guard, to protect the Camp, Athene had heard things.

Another sigh "But the only other place outside of Earth is Space." And Space really wasn't an option.

Well for a transcended maybe it was a possibility, but for the rest of them?

For the rest of them, Athene wasn't sure if it was even possible, given the difficulties with Space travel these days, although he was rather going by his own experience on this.

"As far as I know no," Athene admitted in answer to Remarque's question, because in all their interactions he had never lied to the Dark Mirror Senshi. Oh there'd been things that he hadn't talked about, just as he was pretty sure that there were things that Remarque hadn't talked about - after all they both had their loyalties and their loyalties were rooted in opposite sides. However Athene had never lied, nor was he planning to start now. "Or at least if a way has been found then it's not been in conversations that I've been privy too."

He sighed and continued "Space is out of reach for most of us," his voice quiet as he admitted. "I know that it is out of reach for me and even if it wasn't Athene isn't a place where people could live - not with no water."

For a moment he hesitated before offering "But I could ask one of the transcended - if anyone would know then I think they would."

"True" Athene agreed and for a moment there was a flicker of bitterness in his quiet voice. "But it's not hard to be seen as a relevant target these days" he tugged almost absently on the end of the braid wound with beads that had formed a constant of sorts across his senshi 'career' "Even being seen as being too friendly to someone with an Order aura is enough to pretty much sign your death warrant these days."

A quiet sigh.

"I'll talk to the Transcended and I'll find a way to get what I find out to you." His quiet voice was solemn as he looked up at the taller senshi. "I can't promise that I will be the one to personally get the information to you because even the city outskirts are risky" the four Generals that Remarque mentioned was proof enough of that. "Unless you happen to have a handy mirror that's not in town."

He continued, not really expecting Remarque to have one even though it would make it easier to pass back any answer "But I'll try and if it's not me, I'll make sure that whoever comes is someone I trust."

Athene nodded "Back up plans are useful to have" especially in these days when taking risks were pretty much an everyday occurrence for those who were not the Negaverse or willing to tamely follow under what their rule had turned the city into.

For a moment there was a distant look in his eyes, his mind on old memories as he said quietly "They don't have to be fancy."

Then he nodded again at Remarque's suggestion that they part ways "We should" he agreed. Because short as this encounter was the Dark Mirror Prince was right - they couldn't afford to tarry too long or be seen in each other's company... And he needed to get the supplies back to camp.

He hesitated for a moment, two and then the the solemn note slipped back into his voice as he continued "And for what it's worth you have my word that I won't tell anyone about your back up so long as keeping quiet won't put those under my protection in danger."

Because although a back up didn't need to be fancy a back up was only a back up as long as it worked.

Then his lips quirked in a slight almost smile as he said "I'll be okay" adding "Be safe Remarque."

It was goodbye - at least for now.