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"Perhaps this Negaverse gig was a bad idea after all..."

Life was filled with chances, and with chance, one could either win big or lose miserably, depending on their luck. For the most part, Buddingtonite thought he had his luck figured out. He thought he had a LOT figured out. That's why he willingly joined the Negaverse in the first place. He felt that throwing his lot in with them would have increased his chances of surviving this war.

All he had to do was roam around and look for potential recruits. Seemed simple enough, right? Yet, every Senshi or Knight he came across were resilient, downright defensive when the subject was broached, and what did he get for his efforts?

One of those infernal senshi got him good. Real good. So good that he never got her name, and all he had to remember her by was the stabbing pain in his side and arm. Oh, and the blood that stained his already dark grey coat, to add a little flare to his already damaged pride. Granted, she didn't directly cause the wound, but her attack had sent him flying through a fence and the wood proved to be a worthy foe, even in his powered state. It was a bitter reminder that he wasn't immortal, and that was a feeling that Buddingtonite wouldn't have minded.

Had he not been roaming the streets bleeding.


"Now... which way's the hospital again... a fine time to be lost!"

At least there were no Senshi following him... if one wanted an easy picking, then all they had to do was follow the blood trail and the Chaos aura that he unwillingly gave off.

He turned his head at the shout of his title, and that was enough to cause the lieutenant to trip over a queasy piece of paper and go tumbling down onto the street with a shout. Part of him wanted to scramble back to his feet and flee- what if it was another Senshi coming to finish him off? Had he taken a moment to actually look at the one that approached him, he would have recognized some of the attire and known him to be of the Dark Mirror Court, but given the recent attack he survived and the most recent injury to his pride, Buddingtonite simply panicked.

"No, I've had quite enough of your kind this evening!" He spat, trying to scramble to his feet and flee as best as he could, not once looking to the approaching senshi nor taking the time to sense his aura. Hadn't whatever cosmic god that was torturing him had enough? Why did he or she feel the need to send another threat his way. "Leave me be! I'm nothing more than a lowly lieutenant with no luck at all!"

He got to his feet once more, holding his wound and trying to walk away as quickly as possible. He would have ran, but it hurt too much, and he knew it to be pointless. He took a glimpse at the approaching senshi and immediately saw wings, and that was the only indication that Buddingtonite needed. "Just my luck I attract an Eternal... can't I get a break?!"

"YES, yes! Your kind! You senshi, with your strange magic and you're 'oh-so-noble' hypocritical ways!" Buddingtonite REALLY let the poor kid have it, even as he scrambled further and further away on his hands and knees. A disgraceful place to be for a lieutenant, but he simply had enough for one night! Screw his pride! Screw his dignity! He fought was a pinwheel! What room did he have left for pride?!

He had gotten a few feet before the senshi spoke again, and this time, he slowed down his retreat for a moment and actually turned his head around to look at the one he was trying so desperately to escape. That was when he noticed that his wings were black instead of white, the see-through fabric that overlayed his dark attire, and, lastly, the kind smile on his face.

It was a Dark Mirror Senshi! Buddingtonite was so relieved that he had crawled straight into one of those thick, blue mailboxes and went collapsing down again. It took a moment for the tin box to stop shaking, and even longer for his head, but when it did, he flashed Virtus a rather heartfelt smile, hoping that Virtus would be more worried about his wounds than laughing at his embarrassment. "H-hello, Virtus... forgive me for running from you... I was momentarily frazzled. I'm Buddingtonite..."

What luck did Buddingtonite have! Of all the Senshi to run into, it was not only an ally, but one that seemed so sugary sweet and seemingly capable of healing! Yes, Buddingtonite was definitely not going to turn away Virtus' aid, and he removed his bloodied hand from his side to show the Dark Mirror Senshi his wound. It wasn't too deep, but Buddingtonite wasn't overreacting, either.

The red-head explained, trying to keep his tone chipper, despite the pain in his side and the disorientation he felt from slamming into the tin mailbox. "I'd greatly appreciate it, Virtus... you see, I seemed to have picked a fight with the wrong senshi... you know the type, with the white bodices and holier-than-thou attitudes..."

Granted, he was in the wrong in that situation, but he wasn't going to tell Virtus about it. No, Virtus didn't need to know the details. All Virtus needed to do was get to that healing magic he briefly mentioned, and Buddingtonite was eager to see it in action. "You're so lucky, Virtus, to be gifted with magic! All I have... is my charming good looks, and a pinwheel. And this hat, I suppose..."

When complimented on his hat, Buddingtonite accepted it as though he was given an Emmy, and he subconsciously brought a hand to straighten it up, though it didn't need any straightening. If the topic was brought up to ease him, it certainly did the trick, as he immediately relaxed his muscles and allowed for Virtus to venture closer to do his task. "Why, thank you, dear Virtus. The cosmic tailor certainly favored me when it came to picking out my uniform... though I think they favor Senshi more. I could never pull off your attire..."

Or could he? The thought of him being a senshi instead had humored him, but he was grateful to have been avoided such fate. He masqueraded as a Senshi once and could barely pull it off for a single night! The memory made him smile, and completely distracted him from Virtus's spell until he could feel the effects.

Of all the senshi magic he had endured in the short two months he had volunteered in this war, this was the first time he rather liked the affects of it. He could feel his wounds closing. It felt great, knowing now that he wasn't going to bleed out in the street or spend money on medical bills (not to mention, not having to come up with an excuse as to how he received this wound). Clueless to the cost for poor Virtus, he gave a relieved sighed and stretched, just a cat would when he found the perfect ray of sunshine. "Ahhhhh... that's the spot... right there. You are good at this, Virtus. Why on Earth did I ever run away from you?"

Oh yes, Virtus' magic certainly worked like a charm, and Buddingtonite knew that he should have been freaked out to see the wound closing up, but really? He was just happy that he was no longer destined to bleed out on the streets of Desting City. The moment the wound was closed, Buddingtonite was on his feet, stretching his muscles and admiring this feat, given that he bleeding out just moments ago.

"Ah, yes... that hit the spot, Virtus, my sweet little friend!" Buddingtonite said, twisting and stretching and not really noticing the other effects of Virtus' magic as he was simply too absorbed in his own happiness at the moment. "The clothes is still torn, but it's nothing the cosmic tailor can't patch up the next time I send his suit away."

Which made him wonder about that, but his mind snapped back to his savior. Without warning, he knelt down and scooped the younger man into a manly bearhug, to express his gratitude. "How could I ever repay you, Virtus? Name it! Anything! I have money, a candy store... a nice car you could ride around in, if that's what you like?"

"Well, then you are the sweetest thing on this planet right now!" Buddingtonite knew that he might have been going over the top and that he could have been repelling the young man away, but he had to find one way to express his gratitude and this was the only thing he could think of that Virtus would accept. However, the effects of the magic did not completely cure him and that burst of energy he just had seemed to be ebbing away into a more manageable state.

He gave the young Dark Mirror senshi another squeeze before setting him back down, and the way he planted his hands on the youth's shoulders may have been seen as a brotherly gesture, but it was also to keep himself steady. Maybe he shouldn't have hefted Virtus up like that, but he was a man of emotions and there were simply times when he couldn't control himself.

"Thank you, Virtus... I only wonder why all Senshi can't be like you," said Buddingtonite, his smile goofy but his words sincere. He rather liked this Dark Mirror Court, despite his run in with Remarque- perhaps he should have made it an effort to visit the rest of the Court. But that would have to be later. For now, he was still a little twitchy, and he wanted nothing more than to make his way back to his condo before another Senshi tried to get the jump on either one of them. "If you ever need a hand and I'm around, I'll return the favor. A gentleman ALWAYS pays his debt!"