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Antares stalked the streets in her customary hoody coverup. Her outfit was too bright and airy for what she was looking for; a fight. She needed something to burn off her excessive energy and worry from what was going on in the daylight. She was avoiding civilians since the only ones out this late were up to no good but they posed no challenge to her unless they had a weapon and then it wasn't worth tanglin with them. No the kind of fight she was itching for was a fight with a negaverser or a youma. Either would do.

Almost by chance she had picked up the brush of chaos aura, stronger than her own. It should have warned her off but instead she saw it as a way to test her limits, to learn more about the 'dark side', and to beat the s**t out of some evil little sucker. Rather than turning away from the signature she headed towards it. She came to a stop some distance away, trying to keep her element of surprise. There was no one on the rooftops with her so who ever was there had to be street level and likely in the shadowy alleyways rather than the poorly lit roadways. What she didn't realize was she was nearly opposite the exact spot her query was standing while he was stalking his prey. If she had known she might have felt a shiver of unease cross her back, but she didn't so she carefully edged closer to the rooftop edge to check the closest alley.

Pay dirt! There was a nega in the shadows who was saying something. She couldn't quite make it out, she leaned over the edge holding on with her hands... What was he saying? Antares caught only a few words but those made it simple to figure out he way saying some kind of prayer. The sheer shock value of that little tidbit had her nearly falling from the roof. Her grip wavered and she slipped further over the edge with a muffled hiss of pain when her hips dug into the brick.

Her heart was thudding in her ears by the time she righted herself. Shaking slightly from her near fall she carefully looked over the edge and realized the nega was walking further down the alley towards her. Their close proximity let her hear the tail end of what he was saying. The Lord's Prayer!?, she couldn't believe it. Her mind spinning with the mere thought of a chaos riddled nut job saying such a religious phrase left her standing in the open staring at the shadowed figure.

Antares was at a bit of a loss. Never had she encountered a chaos agent who was religious enough to say any prayers let alone mean them. Her chance at planning and decision making was taken from her when headlights lit the area.

In that split second she saw what appeared to be an unconscious figure slumped against the brick wall back where the nega had started. She could also make out the features of the nega, who was looking up at her... She flinched back unconsciously before freezing. If the p***k that had attacked her last time didn't see her lit up like a freaking christmas tree top then her moving surely would give her location away.

In truth the light that had lit up below had only splashed a glow on the rooftops. Antares' pale hair shined in the minimal light, like a beacon or a halo around her slightly darker face. Since she was wearing a black sweatshirt only had face was visible, it was too warm out to have the hood up.

Throwing caution to the proverbial wind, there was next to no breeze that night, Antares spoke up... "There is no God nor Heaven. You are doing nothing more than spouting pointless sayings in the hope of relieving your own guilt for evil you have committed." She might have hissed that last part with more malice than she had intended. The world had not been kind to her for the majority of her short life and even after she had finally found something better it too was being taken away from her. There was no such thing as a Heavenly Father who watched over his creation. If there was such people as her own father would not exist and someone like Lily would not be dieing for no reason. She leaned over the edge once more to watch the nega again. Since the lights were now gone he had fallen back to shadows and it was difficult to see what exactly he was up too.

"So says you and all the other religious fanatics who hide behind their scriptures as they beat and torture people. God is a figment and you are just spouting useless words." Antares snapped back. She had opened her mouth to say more when suddenly he was gone from the alley way. She leaned a little further over trying to see where he went, missing the soft sound of a bootheel behind her.

When his voice came from behind she spun around so fast she nearly lost her balance. The ability to teleport. She nearly snarled her contempt at him and his sneaky move. "You are no more right then the father who beats his own child because he is stronger. Or the man who forces himself on his own wife because she is there. The world is a dark and scary place and yet you want to 'make things better' by using force." This time she did spit, "that is the very definition of oppression and if that is what your God teaches you then I want none of it."

Antares had her issues and this pissant seemed to be pushing on all her buttons. Then again she might have just been lashing out because she knew the man standing in front of her could take it and would shrug the harsh words off where as Xander would be hurt by them, if only because they reflected the abuse she suffered as a child. She dared not say anything else in front of the others in the house, they wouldn't understand and in the case of Xander's parents... They might force her to leave. Logically she knew this wasn't the case but in her heart of hearts she knew that she could be told to leave or her new life could just crumble around her and there was nothing Antares could do.

Antares froze when the nega's face filled with rage. It appeared she had pushed him too far and for the first time she really realized the strength difference between them. She knew how to fight, and fight well, but right then Antares feared that any fight would be brutally short and she would not come out of it the victor. If her a** wasn't already against the roof edge she would have taken an involuntary step backwards.

As he spoke it became clear to her that his reaction was not against her words but because of them. This allowed her to regain her equilibrium and her icy demeanor. She was no longer a child who couldn't protect herself. After a year on the streets she knew just what it took and it appeared this man standing in front of her had no clue. Her laugh cut across his words like a sword, mirthlessly and dripping in ice.

"I don't want or need your help." She just looked at him with pity and a hint of disgust. "Life will always be dark and scary. There will always be someone bigger beating someone smaller. It's not within single person's power to 'stamp out' but rather it is the desire to protect the smaller people that can brighten life." She had seen it often enough while on the streets. How a little kid lit up a homeless camp with his laughter just because he was given a ball. How food freely given brought life back to the people who had given up. Even how stopping the beating of a kid by a gang, even if you became their target first, sometimes gave that kid courage to do the same for others. It wasn't how people reacted when the sun was shining and the world was right, but how hope and light was lit when life is it's darkest.

Just because she didn't want to admit to being that person who gave the ball, shared the food, and even protected the kid, didn't mean that she didn't know that others had and will continue to do so long after she was gone. "It human nature and regardless what you think, destroying the very people you hate makes you that person." How many times had she mentally killed her father? How many times had she wanted to beat him just as much as he beat her, to make him cry like he made her mother, to make him beg for his own life... When she ran she would have gladly had ended his miserable life. But now... Now the best thing she could do was to live hers. She shook her head and dismissed his suggestion, " he isn't worth it."

Unsure exactly where these feelings stemmed from since they were so very different from what she felt just a few moment ago Antares lashed out verbally. "So f@ck you and the horse you rode in on." She didn't need his brand of pity, she didn't need anyone's pity, let alone nutjob's help. It never occurred to her that maybe he had just vocalized her own dark murmurings. The things that she thought in the darkest parts of her heart and mind... The parts she sometimes feared were she truly was her father's daughter.

"But who are you to decided!" She hissed her frustration. They were saying the same thing but unlike him Antares would never take a life. Who was she to decide that a person is not worthy to live? Who can not be redeemed? "You might be 'hunting' those you believe are hurting others but do you really understand their whole story? What if that guy with a child wasn't the only one? If you really are doing good then drop them off at the cops with enough to get their asses sent to prison!" She practically vibrated with anger and suppressed emotion. More than she had allowed herself to feel in a long time. Anger, sadness, and even fear churned inside her pushing her to the edge where she would either have to lash out or break down.

"No one deserves to die," her statement sputtered as a small part of her whispered, not even your father? Did your mother deserve to die? Does Lily? She is, you know... Dieing that is. "Shut up." It was muttered as she shook her head and covered her ears, as if to block out the words that her heart was whispering. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" By the third iteration of her order she was practically screaming it. She was breathing heavily, shaking like a leaf in a strong wind, and she was unaware of the lone tear falling down her cheek.

"You," it was said with a harsh croak since she was suppressing her sobs and a pointing finger, "might think you're doing right but you are no better then my father." Her eyes were cold and fidged. "You believe you are right and use your strength to prove it. Ask yourself this, 'Mr. Civil Service', what exactly is that life you just took used for?" She shook her head before he could answer, "not the overall picture. That life there," she pointed into the alley, "what happens to his life after you have ripped it from him? His soul? His essence? Just what exactly is it used for?" She had gained back some of her composure and while her voice was still sore and she still occasionally shivered even though it was warm, Antares didn't feel like she was about to break into a million pieces anymore. She did however completely miss the slip she had made.

"And what if your 'jiminy cricket' is a twisted little insect?" She said dismissively, implying that the nega wouldn't know what was right if he had it tattooed on his forehead. Antares couldn't argue that it took the strong to protect the weak but killing to do it.... Maliciously and coldly. That was not the right way to go about it. Regardless how much the dark little voice mentions her father, she knew it wasn't right. And it never would be.

"War effort? What part? It feels as if you are talking about how the nazis used slave labor to build the camps that killed millions of innocents." She had delved deeper into the history of the world wars when she had become a senshi, hoping to get a handle on the situation she had found herself in. The horrors of World War Two resonated with her the most.

When jackass pulled out the seed Antares stared at it in horror and wonder. It was fascinating but she knew just what it was, a physical representation of a human soul. Something even the devil couldn't steal and he was offering it to her.

Antares hesitated for just a moment, wondering what the trap was, before she darted in snatching at the starseed. With it in her hand she dived off the roof and raced over to the body. Even knowing what he was, what he did, Antares couldn't let him did given the chance of saving a life. She placed her hand over the dealer's heart, her breath held as she silently waited to see what would happen. Antares didn't even realize she was mentally praying, especially considering how she reacted earlier with regards to God.

Antares watched in silent awe as the starseed returned to the dealer but she felt the small spark of happiness fade when the human did not begin to breath. The girl had never taken a first aid class in her life and had no idea what to do. The problem was taken out of her hands when the nega appeared beside her and told her to move.

He didn't have to tell her twice, hell she was already backing up the moment she spotted him next to her braced for a fight. To her surprise the nega began to perform CPR on his victim. Unable to help but unable to look away she watched as the man who had taken the life was able to bring it back. When the dealer drew his first breath unaided, Antares let hers out with a sigh. Death was a part of the world but taking a life prematurely... That was a completely different thing.

She watched the rise as fall of the dealer's chest, almost expecting it to stop once more. She didn't even look up as the nega got to his feet and spat. Only when he gave her instructions did she raise her head and glared briefly before looking away. She was not a child who needed to be reminded that further help was needed. Luckily the chaos agent began walking away, likely missing her reaction, and adding a parting comment about playing god. Before he had gotten very far she called out softly, "thank you." It was offered begrudgingly but she couldn't deny that the man now breathing on the ground would have died had the nega not stepped in, regardless how much the guy thought the dealer was worthless. As soon as the nega was gone she would power down and call for an ambulance.

As she went back to her vigil, waiting to feel the chaos signature fade, Antares realized the dealer would likely have a phone on him. A quick search of his pockets revealed the device and a even with it being locked she was able to hit the regency button. As soon as it was picked up she murmured, "help", wiped the phone of prints, dropped it, and waited... Ignoring the muffled voice on the other end. It didn't take long for the sounds of sirens to penitents the night.

She left the dealer in the alleyway and relocated to the rooftops to watch as the man she 'played god with' was being taken care of. Antares still thought the nega was wrong in his thought process. Everyone deserved a second chance... Well almost everyone.