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"Assholes," said a voice beside and above her. "I'd fry them if I could."

Chrysotile had been given the assignment of patrolling with a newly-corrupted senshi, and when he'd seen the girl standing on the street corner wearing what looked like a dark fuku he figured this was who he was looking for. This corruption of the enemy thing was fairly new to him, and a brilliant idea as far as he was concerned. Deep down inside, he was as excited about this patrol as she was -- he'd been on a few solo patrols here in Destiny City, as he'd done back home in Chicago, but this was the first time he'd been entrusted with taking a new recruit out with him. This indicated to him that his superiors held him in some degree of reliability, that they thought he was competent to help train somebody. One more step on the advancement ladder. He'd be a general someday just like his father.

He smiled down at her. The girl's teal hair struck a familiar chord in him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "You must be my charge for the evening. Lieutenant Chrysotile," he said, offering his hand to her.

She was a cute little thing, that was for sure. Amphitrite, senshi of shells. The name echoed through his mind fleetingly, the odd almost-memories vanishing as she enthusiastically took his hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he replied, noting her firm grip. Cute she may have been, but the girl clearly meant business. "Let's get away from this street corner before we attract any more unwanted attention."

He led her down a nearby alley as he assessed her visually. He'd never seen a corrupted senshi up close and personal like this before, and it surprised him how much the fuku resembled a normal senshi's, except of course for all the black and the tattered bits. Her aura was pure Chaos, though, all dark swirling ocean depths. He really wanted to get a better look at the ragged-edged black mark on her forehead beneath her teal bangs, but he couldn't immediately think of a way to do it without coming across as weird.

"So, I'm sure you've been out on patrol before, right?" He couldn't see being entrusted with patrolling with somebody who'd never been out on one before; he may have had experience, but he was still only a lieutenant. "You know what we're looking for?"

Chrysotile laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." He was more than a bit embarrassed that he'd been caught. Had he been that obvious? "I promise, you can feel free to smack me if I do or say anything stupid." He liked her already, and he returned her smile. Not only was she interesting professionally, she was interesting from a personal standpoint as well. "Yeah, you're the first. There weren't too many like you back in Chicago, that I knew of at least -- we're pretty solidly in control there." He didn't mention that his exposure to the Negaverse once he'd been corrupted was somewhat brief, limited to a few patrols and meetings before he moved to Destiny City; he didn't want her to know what a rookie he still was.

He nodded, trying again not to stare at the mark on her forehead as she brushed her hair out of the way. "That's pretty much the routine, collect energy and keep your feelers out for any Order signatures. We're expected to engage them in combat if we encounter them. I've only fought one -- did a number on them too," he beamed proudly, thinking back to the battle General Painite had called them all to. "But they're not all easy targets. Personally I think patrolling in pairs like this makes the most sense. Two against one helps ensure victory for Chaos.

"As for energy gathering…" He pondered a moment. "I generally go for the distracted, like guys who have fallen asleep waiting for the bus or like that. Passed out drunks, people who won't notice me touching them to extract energy. It's easy in a large crowd too -- civilians usually don't pay any attention to us anyway, so it's like hiding in plain sight. I don't drain my targets as a rule, that'd be too obvious I feel. I just take enough to leave them feeling a bit sleepy, if they're not already out." He smiled down at her. "How do you do it? Energy gathering, I mean." Smooth move, he cringed inwardly.

Chrysotile grinned down at Amphitrite. Her playfulness -- was it actually flirting? -- was delightful, as were her compliments. As if his ego needed any more puffing up. "Chicago's a tough city, yeah, but as I said the Negaverse is pretty solidly in control there. Not many Order types to fight, and if they do show up we beat them down pretty quickly." He laughed. "Listen to me, I sound like I still live there. I've only been in Destiny City a short while, but I have to say it could do with being run a bit more like Chicago is. You're right -- those Order freaks wouldn't stand a chance."

They reached the end of the alley and rounded the corner onto a dark, deserted street. The corrupt senshi's excitement over hearing how he fought an Order senshi was almost palpable. "Oh, it wasn't anything major, really. General Painite put out an all-hands-on-deck for a battle she was engaged in with a big collection of the enemy, and I was one of the ones who answered. Immediately encountered one and attacked. Gave them a pretty good beat-down," he nodded, conveniently omitting the Order senshi's retaliatory boot to the gut that had knocked the wind out of him. "By that time, the general called the battle over and won and ordered everyone off. I imagine it was a huge blow to the forces of Order to be so roundly defeated." He wasn't that sure they had actually won, but really, how could they not have? The Negaverse must prevail in all things.

"Make this a regular thing? Hmm." It only took him a split second to think her suggestion over. "Yeah, I think I'd like that. We'd have to clear it with our respective superiors, of course, y'know, and see how tonight goes." Bending his arm, he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. "I think it's going pretty well so far. I mean, we still have to gather our quota for the night, but that shouldn't be a problem." He gave her a smile. "Working as a team, that is. Gathering energy."

"We are definitely needed more here," Chrysotile agreed. "And I'm glad I live here now too." For a number of reasons, he thought. One of which was currently walking arm in arm with him. He found himself really liking the corrupted senshi. But he didn't want to say that out loud. Hopefully they would indeed get the opportunity to patrol together more often. At the very least, he'd have to find out where she was staying so they could maybe see each other off-duty.

"I didn't do anything more than what any other Negaverse agent would have done," he shrugged in a vain attempt at being modest (which didn't really come naturally to him)."They deserved everything I gave them. There'll be lots of other fights, I'm sure of it. We have to neutralize the Order threat to the good people of Destiny City, after all, and the best way seems to be the only way Order understands -- by getting their lights punched out." He gave a little laugh as he spoke. Punching Order's lights out was so much fun.

He looked down at her and tilted his head. "Grabbing a starseed? Uh, I've never tried it myself, but from what I understand you do have to focus at least a little since you're reaching into their body to grab it. We've been instructed that we're not supposed to do it except under the most dire of circumstances. Like you're in a fight and they're going to kill you -- not likely, because we're of course the superior force, but there's always a chance. It's like our ace in the hole." A slight smirk crossed his lips. "All's fair in love and war, you know? And this is war."

Chrysotile nodded in agreement with her statement -- then stopped dead in his tracks, pulling her to a stop next to him, all thoughts of the truth of cliches vanishing. Did she just ask him out? Or was that more an invitation to ask her out? He quickly decided it was the latter. He even more quickly decided that this opportunity that she was handing to him couldn't be passed up.

"There's no other girl in my life," he smiled, turning to face her. Damn, she was cute when she bit her lower lip. She was cute all the time, truth be told. "I'd love to take you out to dinner. You say weekends are better? How about this Saturday?" He was pretty sure he didn't have a basketball game this weekend, and even if he did he could beg off sick. Imagine that, foregoing basketball for a date. Coach wouldn't mind, and frankly he didn't care. "You'll have to let me know where you live, so I can pick you up. Unless you'd rather meet somewhere?"

Chrysotile could feel his face flush warm as Amphitrite took his hand. His heart sped up in his chest and he inwardly he whooped with excitement. "Yeah, it'd definitely be easier if you texted it to me. Ummm…" He didn't have any paper to write on or anything to write with in his uniform. That meant he'd have to…

With a shimmer, he powered down into his civilian form, his fingers still entangled with hers. It was a bit of a risk, but she was worth it. "Here," he said, reaching into his pocket for his cellphone. "You can enter your contact info directly. If you want, that is." He shrugged with a grin as he handed the phone to her. "I figure we can't go out all powered up, right? You may as well see me in civvies before then." It sounded sensible to him, what with the whole weird thing of not being able to recognize someone unless they powered up in front of you. He didn't want to turn up at her place and have her not know who he was.

"So… how does seven sound?"