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Titanlåvenite walked slowly across the small urban square that centered the planning of one of the arts districts of the city- a plaza of paved, nice stonework and public statuary that was surrounded by public and private theaters and dance halls.

It was early, far too early even for actors and dancers reporting for morning practice. But it was after midnight by a bit. He'd finished his practice, but hadn't been tired enough to fall into oblivion. So he'd powered up and gone out. He'd run at first, then it had hit him- how much he missed Colin. It was months since graduation. Months since everything. His feet had brought him here rapidly, not expecting to see the dancer, or anyone at all- just wanting to hear the echos and feel the energy of the place. Hoping it would be like echoes of the rhythm of the other youth's feet on their dorm floor, Colin's headphones on so that the tune he was dancing to was a muffled and indistinct to Björn's ears.

He paused in the middle of the square, lifting his face to the dark stars, just listening to the wind over the buildings and square, the scattering leaves, and his own heart beat. "Jeg savner deg."

Do the senshi feel the same, alone at night and wandering the city just trying to find us or youma? So much trouble for so many, and so many cold hands and hearts. We should all be around fires in long houses, laughing and boasting at games, arms round our loved one's shoulders. Our friends near with glasses to toast.

The echoes that came back to him were fadingly Colin's, and growingly the throb of crossing bruises from the flat of Obsidian's sword. The taste of energy from that starseed and the General's smile. Titan shook his head to clear it, and looked at the sky more closely.

Something was funny- Where was the moon? He quirked, looking at it. "Eclipse do not last many night...? I thought? What a strange thing."

Titan startled, looking wide-ed across the square at the dim purples and white and hood that marked out there was a senshi over there. Ah, yes, there is an aura.

Gifted with enough braincells to think or sense, but not both at the same time. Good job. He winced at himself.

"Just looking at the strange moon. Or not moon. Where has it gone?" He didn't touch the second part, not quite following what she was asking about. The voice sounded familiar, and his attention shifted back to her from his brief introspection. There were wings, but the funny fuchsia bows were familiar. Different but familiar. He pulled the name out by virtue of its short and simple nature alone, "Lady Ida."

He followed the title with a respectful, held nod in place of an actual bow. they were enemies, by all accounts of their natures, but he could afford that respect. She'd help to the conditions of their last battle, and he appreciated that. "What are you doing out?"

In the depths of the shadows of a theater arcade, there was movement of a larger shadow indistinct but moving close, stalking.

"What copies?"
Titan quirked his head a little to the side, like this new view of the situation might somehow explain the conversation more. Or at least what he was missing out of it. He hadn't had time to power up since the Eclipse celebration itself, and he'd not watched new channels or read a paper in months- just working out, eating and sleeping enough to survive.
"I haven't heard anything about eclipsing the moon. Or...copies?"

The movement behind resolved into a person. A large person, dark as shadows, in fact no far off from Titan himself. The Lieutenant's own uniform was a study of neutrals- the chief difference was the flush of Titan's skin and the gold of his hair against the shadow's silver and white. The ShadowLieutenant brandished it's hammer, coming up swift but silent behind its original.

Grey people that look like other people? It didn't make any sense at all listening to it, and his expression showed it- brows furrowed hard and like there was a sour taste in his mouth. He jumped a little when she shouted, looking over his shoulder immediately while his mind simultaneously chided him that it could be a trick. But he had an instant of watching a hammer very, very near, and then impacting him in the face to convince him-
No, no she was telling the truth.

The hammer hurt, but thankfully it was also still foam and would just bruise his face for later. It was the massive boot to his stomach that drove all air from him and sent him to the ground, skidding on his backside a few feet towards the oncoming LadySenshi. He wanted to vomit. Looking up at his ShadeAttacker was just disorienting, and he spat out "Me?"

The shadeTitan advanced, paying no mind to the senshi, closing the distance between himself and the RealTitan with long strides, "Break."

Titan moved his hand over his stomach, as though he needed to hold internals from becoming externals, but listened to directions- Get up. Get Ready.

Whatever the weird grey himself was, it apparently wanted to get him? He couldn't say it was a joke. That kick wasn't a joke. The tiny senshi defending him wasn't a joke. She felt stronger than she had been. That was good, because when she retaliated, the shade moved more with the blows than he had during their own battle- more than just an ooph and a step back, the Shade was driven back a few steps from the blow to the stomach and then a few more to the side when she followed it up. It was only as fast as he himself was, compared to her Eternal speed.

There was plain, familiar thought slowly playing out in the grey face- an evaluation of getting around the small girl to get at the real target, given her strength and speed. Titan had made those calculations himself when he'd faced her. There were not cars here to trade up from the foam hammer like he'd had against Troy.

It was just an empty square with some well-anchored statuary.

The Shade considered its new trajectory from the side-kick, and kept with it- back swinging a hand at the girl as it surged forward to try to side around her and get at the lieutenant.

"Let him through!" Titan shouted, "From behind!"
I can meet it hand to hand, and she will have a clear shot at all the back.

This is going to hit him hard

Titan caught his double's hands only for a moment, shifting to sidestep as the senshi shouted her attack. Whatever this one was, if it was anything like the little needles, he didn't really want a part of it. She felt stronger, and it worried him that anything related to an increase in strength had to mean that pointy things were going to through-and-through impale anyone in their way.

The ShadeTitan was focused, bearing down on him fully without care about the Eternal behind itself. It didn't note the attack, only that it's target was side stepping while struggling to keep their hands locked. Then impact, and the shade was thrown forward, grips with the real lieutenant broken. It landed on its face, a foot or two forward from where it had been.

The real Lieutenant didn't hesitate, thanks to his Lord's constant violence in training- he took the two strides and delivered a stomp like a curby to the back of the silver-haired skull. With the extra strength of Chaos powering his already ample muscles, it was well over the 500 psi many times over to cause a catastrophic structural failure in the 'skull'.

Titanlåvenite shivered after it was already done.
As well as crush my own skull...I just did that. No hesitation. Closer to a proper soldier....

But he wanted to vomit. He walked a few steps away, pointedly not paying attention to if there was a mess on his boot or not and closed his eyes to just breath. The worst thing possible would be to get sick in front of Lady Ida. Lady Ida-

He looked, his own face drained of color as the shade's had been white, over to see if she was alright, "Lady?"

Two Ida's?
Only one was on the ground and one was not. One was grey and one was not. There wasn't time to parse emotions anymore with more danger crowding in, nor enough to really parse strategy. Only instinct applied.

There wasn't much distance between all of them, but enough that as the two eternal's acted with their speed to separate and regain footing, he was only just reaching the girl and her shade as the second magic arrow flew-

There was only one choice- The Lady or the Tiger?
He could plant left foot and tackle the shade, or right and interpose between the magic. Ultimately, to Titan, it wasn't a choice at all. It didn't even really occur to him that there WAS a second option. He planted his right foot, pivoted on the stride and took the magic arrow more towards his middle than where Ida's heart was. It pushed him back right into her, but since he'd been expecting it, he kept his balance, and let himself drop to a three-point in front of her.

I don't want to eat ever again.

His diaphragm and stomach felt horrible, air not immediately coming back to him, but he managed breathlessly, "I can't catch her."

Crazy was a new label, at least. He'd been called plenty of names in his time, often unflattering, but never that one- it implied too much going up top in order to qualify.

Why did I just do that? The second option finally occured to him, crouched and willing his muscles slowly to respond. He was patient, if nothing else, feeling out the nerves until they unsiezed while he watched the two winged senshi go at it. A third option as well- She expected me to do nothing? But she helped me? Why woudl I do nothing? And she IS stronger, so it is more important that she not take the magic wound. It lets her stay fast and flexible. And I'm good at taking hits.

Its what he did all practice with his lord- learn how to get thrown about by the flat of a sword into walls, floors, crystals, and still get back up. I am meant to take more damage than anyone. If I take the hit, those I protect can win the battle.

But how to help this battle? He wasn't fast enough to catch the shadesenshi up from behind and Ida hadn't indicated any sort of strategy- she was just taking it one on one. He had no idea what to do. He wasn't meant for coming up with strategies. Try to distract the thing so that maybe one of Ida's blows landed? It was the best he could come up with. He'd need to lead the throw. Titan pushed himself up again, straight and tall. Summoning his LARP hammer to hand, he estimated and whipped it where it kinda looked like the shade was about to be in a second if she dodged Ida's next blow the same way she had been.