Welcome to Gaia! ::

Thus far, things had not been looking too good for Sailor Vespa, and it wasn't even the good type of 'not looking good'. Had the Negaverse known what he was up to, he would have been punished severely for his actions, perhaps either committed into a psychiatric ward at the closest hospital, or perhaps they would see it necessary to terminate his employment on the spot. After all, he was quite useless in the grand scheme of things and outside of that one event, the one with Bischofite, the one that pushed him into the outright insane mindset he found himself in, he had yet to churn out any sort of profit for the Negaverse. Perhaps he was doing the right thing. Perhaps he should have been caught in the act. Maybe they wouldn't stop him. Maybe... they'd realize their mistake and pluck his starseed straight from his chest?

The thought was terrifying, but in a way, hopeful. If it was the only way to terminate his employment with the Negaverse without being seen as a traitor? Which was worse, in the grand scheme of things? Being a traitor, or being nothing more than useless garbage and thrown away? Both seemed like a horrifying conclusion to his employment... no, servitude, absolute servitude. But both had to be better than this... right?

The Super senshi of Wasps set out feelers for as strong an Order aura as possible, hoping that the next one he found would have the strength and blood lust within them to do what needed to be done. What had to be done. If they didn't do it, then he'd continue to thrash about, flying from one victim to the next, stealing energy and starseeds if only out of the very human fear of the death that might have awaited him should he continued to fail. If he wanted that, then why did he fear it? Why did he thrive to preserve his life if that could have spared him from living as this monster that the Negaverse seemed to want from him? It was all too confusing, but that didn't stop him from migrating towards the Order auras in the short distance. One was strong and that of a Senshi, likely an Eternal. The other, a Squire. Yes, two of them! Surely one of them could free him? Like a bee drawn to the sweet smell of nectar, Vespa ran towards them.

Solo patrols were something that Eternal Sailor Tsui had enjoyed once every so often, as it was within a tiger's nature to do their hunts on their own. However, the times had changed and much to her own dismay, Tsui found herself enjoying the company of others when she set out into Destiny City, and tonight was a rather special kind of paired patrol, one that she had been looking forward to for such a long time. Tonight, her patrol partner was... her partner, Sutai!

It had been too long since she's seen her girlfriend, and it was impossible for her to not express her excitement as she walked side by side with the Polaris squire. The last she had seen of her was after the disastrous convention, and both of them had been ridiculously busy with school and work. Oh, there was so much to catch up on, and Tsui wasted little time in trying to get all of it on the plate, omitting a few minor details here and there when she feared her girlfriend wouldn't be interested in the matter. "I also have a friend staying with me for the time being. But don't worry, it's nothing like you think it is. He just needs a place to stay while things... uh... cool down at his house, and he sort of knows about my relationship with you. Maddy still doesn't, but what's new? It's funny, she gets so worried when we're in the same room even though nothing's going to happen."

Oh, there was so much to discuss and Tsui was eager to hear what Sutai had been up to. Perhaps she had the courage to confess their relationship to her parents and she could help her do the same? There was nothing Tsui wanted than a nice, quiet patrol between the two of them, but the approaching Chaos aura left a bitter taste in her mouth, a reminder that there was obviously no rest for the wicked in the streets of Destiny City...

There was nothing Tsui wanted more than to continue her conversation with Sutai, and what she heard from the bouncing and sparkling squire was certainly good news to her. She had told her siblings? Sutai was far, far braver than she gave herself credit for- Tsui had two siblings and the only one that she had told was only an infant! And not only did she tell them, but they seemed open to the idea, and that was a relief for the Tiger senshi to hear at least. Of all the terrible things that were going on in their city, at least something was going their way... The mention of her little brother brought a grin to her face, not holding back her mirth at all and letting her see the missing tooth towards the back of her mouth as she snickered. "Mayur better watch out! This tiger doesn't hold back, ever!"

However, whatever else the two had to say on the matter would simply have to wait, as the approaching Chaos aura warranted her full attention. She stood at the ready the moment Sutai spoke up, glancing at her girlfriend as she peered through her sextant, and the eternal senshi took a moment to size up their approaching enemy. "Hm, feels like a corrupted senshi, about... super rank. And approaching us fast. Heh, big mistake, right, Sutai?"

It may have come off as prideful boasting, but it was meant to help spread her confidence in her partner, as well as hope to quell any fear or hesitation she may have had still. Whatever danger was approaching them, Tsui was determined to keep Sutai safe, and she took a defensive stance in front of the squire, balling her hands into fists and spotting the senshi as he jumped from the top of the building, long, blond hair trailing behind him like a cape and genuinely startling Tsui for a moment. She recognized that senshi, from when she fought alongside Chaldene! "Here he comes! Don't hold back!"

Vespa truly had no idea what kind of trouble he was going to be getting himself into tonight. Secretly, he hoped that it would have been a lot of trouble. Big trouble. The kind that would otherwise free him from his duty in the Negaverse, even if it meant the worst case scenario. No, what he sought was not the worst case scenario for him. Nothing was worse than becoming a monster... even the thought of death was a more welcomed reprieve for the desperate Wasp senshi.

Finally, he found the source of the energy aura, spotting the duo and wasting little time with introductions. One of them was on the same power level as him and would have been the prime target, had he been going about this situation with a clear head. Had he taken time to observe the two, he would have noticed that there was something about their relationship that gave the impression that neither one would have appreciated serious harm, or the attempt of it, to come to the other. He would have noticed just how defensive the striped senshi was of the darker skinned squire and would have known better... but Vespa simply wasn't thinking. Had he been thinking, he would have recognized the monotone haired one and knew to approach with caution, but no such thought of self preservation came to mind. Only one word: attack!

The minute he was within range of both of them, he gave a shout, holding out his hands and summoning the energy wasps that he held no control over once they formed and escaped his hands. "Vesperian Soldiers Deploy*!"

"ARE YOU <********> INSANE?!" Tsui shouted to the approaching enemy, as the moment she recognized him, she couldn't help but question this senshi's sanity. She had only met him once before but he had a way of leaving an impact on her memory. First and foremost was his outward appearance and one would have to have a pretty shoddy memory to forget that ridiculous mustache he wore. Then there was his complete lack of coordination as he was easily tripped or countered. Lastly, it was that insane magic of his, and she was not happy to hear those words or see the swarm erupt from his hands, surrounding all three of them in a brutal onslaught.

The pain of those stinging wasps definitely bothered Tsui, despite their rank difference, but what bothered her more was Sutai's shouts, the realization that her girlfriend could have gone into shock from those stings. They weren't real wasps, but Tsui wasn't willing to take that chance, and neither was Sutai, apparently. Tsui watched as the squire flung her sextant about, knocking the Corrupted senshi right in the visor and sending him, and his angry wasps, stumbling backwards. It was definitely a solid hit and Tsui barely contained her excited 'hoorah', even as she made her own charge. "Right on, Sutai! Here comes the one-two punch!"

And Vespa fell right into Tsui's attack, as the Tiger senshi took advantage of the dazed state her girlfriend's attack left him in and socked him right in the back of the shoulder blades. She yelped as a few of the damned things nipped at her exposed skin, but her top priority was to get him as far away from Sutai as possible. "OW! These things are smart! Get as far away from him as possible- let the little stingers do their work."

Vespa thought he had at least startled them with his bold charge, and for a brief second, he thought he'd finally get the advantage in a fight. Figures, of all the times he wanted to lose, he'd find himself winning... and yet, the feeling that came with the squire's shout was short lived, as the moment his wasps began to swarm, something hard came to hit him, right in the visor. It rattled his head and sent him stumbling back, and the blow that came from the Eternal left the Wasp senshi breathless. This was what he wanted, and yet... he found himself regretting this decision immediately!

By this time, all of the energy wasp were out in full force and swarmed the closest person... which was unfortunately him, and once again he was given a brutal reminder of just how much he truly hated this magic of his. Despite wanting to be defeated, he couldn't stop the cries of pain as they stung him mercilessly, and he had hoped that maybe one of them would feel some mercy and put him out of his misery. "P-Please... just finish me... PLEASE!"

Despite everything, Tsui did her best to hold down her laughter at the sight of Sutai fleeing to hide behind her, though not all of it was to protect Sutai's feelings. Some of it came from not wanting to appear as if she was laughing at the other senshi's dilemma, for while he was making quite a show of himself, there was just something about openly laughing at another person's misery that felt wrong to the Tiger senshi. As if laughing at his flailing and screams of pain was just going too far, even for her. Perhaps some of Valhalla and Pasiphae were finally rubbing off on her after all...

"No, most of them have half a brain in their skulls, I think," Tsui said, wanting nothing more than to melt within Sutai's snuggling though refraining as to keep a diligent watch over the Corrupted senshi and his movements. The wasps finally seemed to be fading away, though Tsui was still reluctant to approach him. Not when Sutai could have been injured if she moved from her protective stance. Tsui finally did chuckle at her girlfriend's statement, though she made sure to cut it short before it could get out of hand. How mean would it have looked if she laughed too hard here? "He's silly, alright, but I don't think that's the case here."

She was taken back by his cry of mercy, and she allowed for Sutai to do the talking here. No, Tsui was good only for fighting and protecting others, not to much the strategy and the talking bit. That's what Sutai was great at, and Tsui trusted the squire to speak for the both of them than she could trust herself right now. A Corrupt senshi begging for death? She never heard of it before...

The wasps may have finally been dying down, but that didn't mean Vespa's pain was over. Their stings left their mark, leaving his uncovered skin feeling warm and the pain still radiating around the spots they had touched, and that's what kept him pinned in that spot at the moment. Part of him wanted the strength to get up and flee- after all, both of them seemed willing to let him go, but just as quickly as that thought came to his mind, the desire to stay and fight refused to let him act upon his cowardly ways. It would figure he'd find SOME way to fail this evening, and that frustration bubbled out into the open, as he snapped at the dark-skinned squire. "Not... BEE Senshi! Wasp! WASP! They're different, okay?! Bees are smaller and are vital to the ecosystem! They pollinate... Wasps are big, and disgusting, and nothing more than parasites that exist to cause pain!"

It was a stupid thing to be angry about, but maybe if he insulted them, they'd finish the job. Maybe if he sought to harm the squire, the Eternal would strike him down in retaliation? Yes, the way she stood in front of her, the way the squire clung to her... there was some kind of bond there, and maybe that was where he needed target his focus on if he was to get what he wanted this evening. With no more energy wasps around, Vespa pushed himself back to his feet, looking ready to strike them both again, though his legs wobbled and could barely hold himself up. He didn't need to be standing for long, he told himself. He just needed to attack the squire... he didn't even really need to hit her, just come close, and that would be enough! It had to be!

"If you don't stop me, I'm going to keep attacking people!" Vespa snapped, his gaze fierce behind the cracked visor. He managed a step forward, and the way he held up his hands, it was clear that he wouldn't flee so easily. "I've already hurt enough, so it's your duty to stop me. At any cost, right? Right? Because if you don't stop me tonight, I... I'll just attack someone else! And I'll keep doing it... until one of you stop me."

He wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. He came in with a plan... right? The squire wanted him to stop and go home, to his family, but he couldn't. Not like this... not when he was afraid that they'd become his next target.

Tsui caught Sutai's worried glance and it was more than justified for the Tiger senshi. She was not the oldest of the court, not even close compared to the likes of Ganymede or Valhalla, but in her tenure as a senshi and of all the strange encounters she came across, not once did she find herself in this kind of situation. The one they were dealing with not had more than just a few screws loose in the head and it had little to do with his plan to engage when he was sorely outnumbered. Though she did not leave from her protective stance, she let her girlfriend speak to the other senshi, somehow hoping that her kindness would spread to him and make the situation a lot less awkward, and she chimed in only when she thought she could help, though admittedly she wasn't sure it really would. "Yeah, there's no useless animals in the animal kingdom... there might be some really annoying ones, but even they have a purpose."

Yet, she had a feeling that there was no reasoning with this one. There was something incredibly off with him, something that Tsui was hesitant to admit that honestly frightened her. She encountered those on the other line that were murderous and violent, she's even encountered ones that were peaceful and only seemed to want to co-exist or share information between one another. Never had she come across one that seemed to be begging for someone to stop him... Now Sutai was crying, and that was enough to mask some of that confusion with anger. How dare he make Sutai cry like that? Was that his plan? To hurt her like this?! Had Sutai not continued, Tsui would have given her positive reinforcement in the shape of a few fists to the Wasp Senshi's face, but it was Sutai's heart wrenching speech and her promise to the Jovians that kept the Tiger Senshi from lashing out. He may have been crazy, but maybe Sutai saw something in his madness that she couldn't, and she had to give her a chance, even if it ended in failure.

She bobbed her head in acknowledgement when Sutai introduced them to him, and even angered and confused, Tsui let out a spat, crossing her arms and not bothering to hide the pride in her tone. "You've faced me once before and got your butt handed to you, so I know you know how strong I am. And don't underestimate Sutai, either... she has a Princess, a court and a very, very protective tiger at her beck and call if she's ever in danger."

However, after realizing how threatening him might have pushed matters back into hostility territory, she cleared her throat and scratched the back of her head, before adding, "But we're not going to kill you. Sutai's right about that. White Moon Senshi don't kill officers, or other senshi, no matter what court they're part of. If we did that, we'd be no better than your guys, and I'm pretty sure we're totally better than that. You sound like you might be better than that too... right?"

Vespa wasn't sure what to make of this. Any of this. He had attacked them. He had openly threatened to hurt them and more innocents, more of their friends and allies, if they didn't stop him, and yet neither one seemed to be taking him seriously! Was that it? Did they not think of him as a threat? Would he have to prove himself to them, before they'd finally see the monster before them? Or perhaps they did take him seriously? When the squire started to cry, Vespa found himself completely at her mercy and it worked far greater than the Tiger senshi's threats ever could. The minute tears started to swell in her golden eyes, Vespa found himself shrinking, lowering himself to the ground and trying to appear small in hopes of escaping that gaze, and his head hung low, his own golden locks doing a great job in masking the shame that would have been clearly visible on his face. Damn her! Damn her tears, and her words. And damn him, for immediately apologizing.

"I'm... I'm sorry. Please, stop crying... I didn't mean it like that... I just..." As always, Vespa fumbled with the words, his inability to make a threat and stick with it nor hearing a girl cry and knowing to be the cause of it frustrating him to the point that he couldn't even manage complete sentences right now. He took in her words and tried so hard not to think of the other Senshi he had begged death from... her tears, how heart wrenching it was to sit through. Perhaps that's all he was good for? Making his enemies cry? It certainly felt that way. "I'm just tired of this. I'm tired of being a failure. I'm tired of fighting... knowing that I can't win, and if I did win... then... it'd be even worse. I'm just tired of it... but I can't escape it. I can't... you wouldn't understand! Neither of you understand! So if neither of you are going to kill me, then... leave me alone!"

This was all a waste of time, Vespa realized. As strong as Tsui was in their last encounter, she was all roar and no bite. And Sutai made it clear that she would not dare be the one to strike against him, no matter how much she feared him. Once again, he found a way to fail... "Please, just... go away. If you won't stop me, then leave me alone. I'll just look for someone else!"

Earlier in the night, Vespa wanted death. Or, at least he thought he wanted death. Even with him circumstances, he was certain that the desire would leave him and within seconds he would be begging for mercy. Part of him was disappointed when neither the senshi nor the squire were willing to strike him down, though there was still a part of him that wanted to let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps this whole thing was foolish... perhaps they had a point and any attempt to seek death at their hands was a futile effort (yet another lie from the Negaverse, as Vespa was finding plenty of them throughout his tenure). At some point, he had wanted death. Now, all he wanted was to be left alone...

And yet, the squire denied him again! Again! He had turned to flee but suddenly her arms wrapped around his waist, and despite his anger and crazed shouts, he found himself giving a surprised yelp and trying to wriggle his way out of her hold. Yet neither her touch nor her words could be avoided, much to his dismay. From this angle, he couldn't see their faces, but that didn't stop him from snapping fiercely, not striking at the squire that clung to him though he wasn't sure why. "What could your princess possibly do for me? Could she kill me and finally end my tenure with the Negaverse before I'm nothing more than their monster? Or..."

Another thought came to mind, one that should have filled him with hope and yet be found himself trembling in her arms. Sutai wasn't the first one to suggest what he suspected she was bringing up. Thraen, Denebola, Pasiphae... "You want me to just... switch sides? Just like that? Do you realize... how condemning that is for me? I'd be seen as worse than a failure. I'd be seen as a traitor! They won't just punish me either... could you imagine what they'd do to my family?"

He could feel her burying her face into his uniform and that was it. He couldn't handle anymore. It would have been easy to summon his wasps and harm her, and he'd get the retaliatory strike from the Tiger senshi. Yet, he couldn't... he couldn't strike against her. He already made her cry... wasn't that enough? He wasn't sure how he managed it, but he pushed forward, pulling himself out of her hold and the minute he was freed, he was running as fast as his feet could possibly take him. What they wanted him to do was worse than death... right? Right?

The Tiger senshi was surprised to see Sutai reach for Vespa, and before Vespa could even try to escape or she could stop her, Sutai was clinging to the corrupted senshi. Tsui took a step forward but forced herself to stop, not wanting Vespa to see the act and think the two of them were going to attack. No, this situation didn't call for a raging beast, but a patient but observant tiger, and Tsui tried her best to hold in her own misgivings of the situation. She trusted Sutai... she trusted her to do what Tsui feared she couldn't. And that was talk to the corrupted senshi, reason with him. Let him see the light, before it was too late for him. Because one didn't have to have immense insight to see that he needed help. And he also wanted help... he wanted help of some kind, and there had to be a way to get it to him.

So she let Sutai talk, keeping an eye on the struggling senshi and making sure he wouldn't attack her girlfriend, all the while finding herself clinging onto the hope that Sutai was offering him. Tsui may have had little hope in the concept of purification, but she had promised others that she would try and would never chase away the chance if it ever came to it. If Polaris couldn't save him, then maybe Iris, or Camelot. There had to be something! But before Tsui could add her input into the matter, Vespa not only rejected the idea, but had somehow broken free of Sutai's hold and fled from them. Tsui grabbed for Sutai before she could get too far, not wanting to hurt her girlfriend but knowing that following after the Wasp senshi would have been dangerous for the both of them in this state.

"No, just let him go... before he tries to hurt you!" Tsui said, knowing that Sutai would be near inconsolable now but preparing to face it. She didn't want to let Vespa go, not when he was like this and not with the threats he made, but she was certain that she was doing the right thing. "I'm sorry, Sutai... you did your best. We both did, but I think it's going to take a lot more convincing with that one."

Perhaps they needed to strap him down and barrage him with hugs and comforting words... because she had never encountered an enemy nor an ally that had such suicidal tendencies. "We need to find someone that can help him. Maybe we can talk to Polaris or Camelot about this? What do you think?"

There were a lot of things that Tsui didn't like about this war, and one of the biggest sins of it was when something or someone made Sutai cry. It was a terrible sound to hear, not because it was necessarily annoying or anything but because it hurt Tsui to see her girlfriend so distraught. It made the Tiger senshi mad, but the culprit was now long gone for her to be able to do anything about it, and with Sutai hanging on her shoulder, Tsui knew she had more important matters than getting revenge on the one that made her girlfriend cry. "I know you did, Sutai... you did the best you could, besides knocking him out and dragging him to Polaris."

She maneuvered around as best she could, not as graceful as the squire but managing to wrap her arms around Sutai, ignoring the height difference between them and trying her best to coax her with her presence, even if her words wouldn't be enough. She knew that none of this was Sutai's fault, nor her own, but how was she suppose to convince Sutai of that? After what the two of them just witnessed, it was hard for her not to be choked up about the poor Corrupt's state of mind, but she had to stay strong. She had to be that mighty tiger that Sutai claimed her to be!

"I'm not sure what we could have done differently there, but we did our best. There was nothing wrong with our approach, at least I don't think... but maybe Chaos's grip on him is too strong?" Tsui wasn't the type to try and rationalize these things, but she felt confident about what she said. "If he's looking for a way out of this whole thing, then... that's only further proof that the Negaverse is just as evil and horrible as we once believed. Or maybe that one's just crazy and Chaos isn't meant for everyone... but I'm sure it's the former."

She thought about it for a second, before giving her girlfriend another reassuring squeeze. "Look, if there was ever a time to look into purification, now's that time. Maybe we should go talk to Princess Polaris about this? Maybe she'll know what to do? Maybe we could find Princess Iris as well, or Camelot! He's a Templar-Knight now, so... one of them would have to know what to do in a situation like this."

Tsui flashed her girlfriend a wide smile, not wanting to tell her just how adorable she appeared when she pouted like that. She tried her best to comfort her, much preferring her happy Sutai over a sad and distraught one, and what better way to do so than to be her strong and confident white tiger? “Right, and think about how annoying it would have been for us to carry him? I mean, I know I’m strong, but we’d likely have to drag him and his hair would have gotten caught on something. Would have been annoying and I’m sure Polaris wouldn’t have approved.”

The Tiger senshi listened to Sutai’s observation, considering her words and seeing the truth behind them. From what Tsui saw in the Wasp senshi, there was not only fear in him, but desperation, to the point that he wanted the two of them to end his life. Tsui hated failure, just as much as the next person, even more, but the thought of preferring death over being labeled a failure made her curious just how strict the Negaverse was with their officers. Or maybe even just their senshi? She mulled over it, crossing her arms and tilting her head for a moment, not bothering to hide her curious expression as she added, “Yeah, something tells me he’s not there because he likes getting scared out of his mind. Still, he wasn’t too happy with the idea of leaving them, either. If anyone can calm him down, I’m sure Polaris will do a great job of that.”

Then she blushed, before giving a playful scoff, not at all worried about where she stood in regards to Sutai’s affections. Seeing Sutai beam again gave Tsui the warm fuzzies, bestowing her with the confidence she feared she may have lost in this recent encounter. “Yeah, you should see him, Sutai. Funny thing is, he’s still the same wise, humble Camelot we all know and love. If I had that kind of power, I know it’d go straight to my head… you’ll have to tie a rope to my foot and be my anchor, though. If I ever got to that point, though… I think I’d prefer to term ‘queen’ over ‘princess’. Queen Tsui, yeah… that has a better ring to it. And no dresses… how am I expected to kick butt with a frilly dress anyway? Though makes me wonder what Templar-Knight Sutai would look like…”