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Serpentine was not having as easy a time as he might wish. This Senshi was certainly not the most powerful he had ever faced. No, that distinction rested with Remarque and the unnamed Tiger Senshi that had propelled him into this war. Thinking of both, if only for a brief moment, was enough to make him hiss. He blocked the blow to his face, but the one to his gut made him lean over.

When he had first begun, such a blow might have grounded him, but the snake wielder had learned much--and earned much endurance--during his short tenure. While painful, he was able to overcome it and retialite. His swung fist connected with the Senshi's face and sent his opponent flying. The business district was mostly deserted at this time of night, which made the open streets an ideal battle ground.

Serpentine was not distracted to the point where he did not feel a more powerful Chaos signature approaching. Serpentine just didn't care. Let them come and join the fray, if they wished--or go, as they pleased. Or observe his glory and take inspiration from it. He had no time to wait and make introductions, given the enemy that was already rising from his feet.

When the fellow Chaos member finally appeared, the lieutenant did not know her. He would have remembered her assassin's garb, her plain speech, the spear with the crystalline tip, all of which he viewed from the corners of his eyes as he ducked a swung fist. He rolled away to try and put some distance between himself and the enemy.

"Not necessary." Serpentine told her crisply before lunging at the Senshi. The lieutenant felt he was doing a pretty decent job at the moment, and the more time he spent interacting with his fellow Negaverse officer, the more time the enemy had to gain the upper hand. She was stronger than him, and thus likely outranked him... perhaps a Captain, like Bazzite had been?

He lunged in for another strike before a magical wave of energy sent him flying backwards into a nearby bush. While not overly prickly, it wasn't particularly soft either. And he had lost his hat!

The lieutenant extracted himself from the bush just in time to see the unnamed Negaverse officer jump into his fight. He did not mind the assistance, per say, but it irked him to see his wishes clearly defied. Serpentine did not need her help, however willing she was to offer it. The sight of blood and the ease with which it was drawn made his pride ache and his jealousy flare. He deserved such a formidable weapon... but he was not ready to allow his rubber snake to be insulted further.

The gold-clad lieutenant did not even take the time to remove the leaves and branches that clung to his uniform before throwing himself back into the fray. If the captain grounded the Senshi and initiated the tumbling, then the soccer player's kick gave them a bit more space to coordinate an attack. The rainbow-haired man glanced over to his fellow officer to do just that.

Yet, it seemed that as soon as her aid had been ofered, it was taken away. Fine by him; he relished any opportunity to remind others of his natural superiority. Her words were a bit more troubling, but only slightly so. Serpentine had not killed anyone yet in this war... but, as with any 'war,' casualities were inevitable. He initially moved to comply by wrapping his weapon somewhat between his two hands. Using the snake to strangle had proven the best technique thus far.

The glimmering, blood-stained tip of the Captain's weapon, however, gave him another idea. It would take longer to kill the Senshi with a rubber snake then it would with a spear. That was enough of a reason for him to tuck his snake into his sash and stretch out his hand to the captain, "Very well. Give me your weapon."

Again, no sooner had assistance been offered than it was snatched from his grasp. Serpentine was a patient man, but he still did not appreciate someone toying with him. The Captain seemed professional in her way, but of two minds. Apparently her initial command was no longer valid?

"Starseed?" The lieutenant repeated the word in a manner which made clear that he had absolutely no idea what it should signify. He pressed his spatted foot onto the wounded Senshi's chest to pin him to the ground. However, his eyes remained on the woman who had appeared before him. "If you wish, I will retrieve it."

The gold-clad lieutenant listened intently to her words. A starseed, in his chest. Yes, Zinkenite had reached there, before the pain... it made his back stiffen slightly in memory. The woman was implying that he could do the same--not the pain, perhaps, but the act of reaching into another's chest. He gave a curt nod, "Very well."

Serpentine pressed his hand against his the Senshi's chest, encountering nothing but silken bow and feeling the chest bone in its proper place. His eyes narrowed as he trailed his hand against the costume for a moment, but with no further results. For a brief moment, he considered that this new Captain was trying another trick, much like her offered aid and weapon. Something seemingly helpful, only to be snatched away.

Yet, he knew from experience that it could be done. If it could be done... then certainly he could do it. Resolute, the lieutenant made another attempt with renewed vigor. This time he pulled back his hand slightly and then quickly 'tapped' the Senshi's chest. He imagined that there was no flesh, no bone, nothing to get in his way. And, slowly, his fingers sunk into his victim's chest in a way that science told him was impossible. The Senshi gasped in pain and jacknifed under the lieutenant's touch.

The power that Serpentine felt in this position, with the enemy completely in his power was... intoxicating. Without breaking his gaze from the gasping being below, he asked the Captain, "How will I find it?"

The screams were horrific. While Serpentine enjoyed his position of power, he was not a complete monster. But he forced himself to listen, despite taking no pleasure in the sound. If he was to be asked to steal starseeds often--as he assumed he would be, given the Captain's persistence in teaching him this skill--then he would have to desensitize himself to the scream. Or get more proficient so he could do the deed quickly.

If the assassin-like woman was hoping for him to be violent, then she would likely be disappointed. He took full advantage of the extra restraint she was putting on the Senshi and plunged his hand deeper. His seeking fingers encountered an object deep inside... and this he quickly grasped and removed even as the Senshi drew his last, shuddering breath.

Serpentine looked to the shining object in his hand. It was so small a thing... but so very, very beautiful. His palm instinctively cupped around the precious object, even as he held it up for the Captain's inspection. "This?"

Serpentine did not need her comments or her congratulations. The dead Senshi was a rather sobering reminder of the seriousness of the war in which he had been enlisted. Yet, the lieutenant did not feel remorse. It could easily have been him lying on the ground. It was a risk inherent to his role in the Negaverse. The shining seed in his hand glimmered in the darkness, as though he held a small star.

Serpentine's hand curled around the precious object, and he drew it to his chest. He did not particularly like the captain making physical contact with him. Superior rank or no, he made this clear as he attempted to pull away from the glove wrapped around his shoulders. As for the starseed... "I retrieved it. It is mine." Simple answer to a simple question.