Sidouer glanced back down at her senshi phone for the third time in the last seventeen minutes with an unamused look on her face. Phact was rarely ever late and with all the strange incidences going on around Destiny City between the influx of youma and that cloaked stranger, Cadeus, now was not the time to be out alone.

A flash of white in her peripheral had Sidouer glancing sideways. “No text, no call, nothing…” The Senshi of Static pushed herself up off the tree root and dusted off the back side of her uniform. “Where were you?” she asked in a seemingly uncaring yet ‘i hope you have a good explanation’ tone in her voice.

“I’m so sorry. I lost track of the time and…” Phact breathed hard as she slipped from the side to stand in front of her friend. It was clear she had been running, not something Phact enjoyed doing but something she needed to do. Her chest rose and fall as she gave Sidouer a soft smile before shrugging.

“I went back to where the hilltop where the meeting was. Couldn’t sleep.” Phact shrugged as she put her hand to her side. “Damn cramp. How do you run for fun?”

Completely ignoring her question Sidouer’s eyes widened to the point her brows nearly disappeared into her hairline. “You what?” the influx in her voice sounded more like a scolding parent than a concerned friend as she all but gawked at the Senshi of Doves’ easy dismissiveness of the first topic that was mentioned.

“Phact! What were you thinking going back there? You know, don’t answer that. Just tell me that you at least went with someone and that you weren’t there alone with him.” Sidouer pinched the bridge of her nose as if trying to stymie a headache from turning into a full blown migraine.

The reaction was not all...unexpected. The sound level that Sidouer reached however did make Phact wince. Since when could she break glass?

“Well, I wasn’t...alone...though based on that reaction I don’t think you want to know who I was speaking to.” Phact smiled in her polite sort of way. “I needed to think Sidouer. A lot happened last night and well…” She shrugged. “Honestly between all the new information and the group that was gathered around Cadeus, I wanted to understand some things. The gathering was just a group of people yelling and huddling together. I’m surprised anything was even understood…”

“While I understand your reasoning, you were rash in going out alone especially with everything going on.” Though she too found it odd that Cadeus was somehow able to make order out of chaos and address the spitfire of inquiries despite his weakened state.

Sidouer drew in a deep calming breath before continuing. “I know you’re an adult and you’ve been at this even longer than I have… But you have at least five other young senshi and knights that are looking up to you for direction. If they find out that you’ve gone out alone they might think it is safe enough for them to power up and solo the night thinking they’re somehow immune to this war.”

“I’m sorry,” the senshi of static combed gloved fingers through her creme colored hair. “I’m just not willing to lose anyone else to the random musings of the Negaverse.”

“While he’s not asking for us to corrupt, this could all be a facade or an elaborate trap. How do we even know that those crystals he was handing out aren’t going to be handed over to Metalia as some sort of bartering chip or something of that nature?” Those thoughts and many more had been tumbling around in her mind since the group split up at the end of the encounter; and while she wanted to believe the cloaked stranger truly wanted their help in defeating the Negaverse, Sidouer couldn’t help but remain skeptical.

“We don’t.” Phact admitted rather straightforward as Sidouer poured her worry out into the open. Phact knew the woman’s past. She knew Sidouer had lost ones she had cared about when she was still a young senshi so that had made things hard for her. Even now Phact knew she could not replace what her friend had lost. It was why she had never formally asked Sidouer to stand beside her. It was the senshi of static’s choice. Phact would always respect that.

“And while you do bring up a good point, please realize also that if I do not go, who else will? One of them? The senshi that was with you? I go because someone needs to. And you know I have enough of a brain and experience to get my white a** out of there if something started to go wrong. I would rather it be me than one of them.” Admit it or not, she was becoming protective over those around her, the super in front of her included.

“But there is an opportunity here that I think we would be foolish to miss. A passage not to the Rift but the Castle itself. Sidouer, ignoring all those around us that would use this as a chance to kill as many as possible - because let’s face it, there are mass murders on this side- realize this is also a chance to discover other hidden elements. One must know thy enemy to beat thy enemy. And when it comes to Cadeus, I wanted to know more about him. And he’s either a damn good actor or he’s telling the truth. He isn’t from this world…”

Worry overshadowed by anger fueled from her past shortcomings as a senshi left Sidouer hung up on only a little bit of what Phact said, the rest went in one ear and out the other just as quickly.

Lips pursed into a thin line she remained for what felt like minutes though only seconds had passed. “You should have called me.” She stated rather firmly. “If you can’t trust your boyfriend to not make a joke out of your rendezvous then you should have called me.” There had been a time where she would have suggested the white dove before her should call the Senshi of Prayer but things between them seemed somewhat off; whether Acrucis realized they were there or not she didn’t even check on them before leaving with the Eternal she had been standing next to.

“I’ve had your back since the first time we ran into each other,” literally if memory served her right. ”Whether I agree with your motives or not, it doesn’t negate the fact I’d still be there to support you regardless of the dangers.”

Phact opened her mouth to respond but closed it just as quickly. Sidouer, as always, was right. For short of a time as they had known each other, the two had become fast friends. Even when they disagreed they still had each others backs. “You are right. And I won’t fight you on the fact I should have called you. Or at least let you know where I was going.”

“I’m sorry to worry you Sidouer but let me ask this…” She leaned her head to the side and cocked a brow. “Was it that clear that I was annoyed at Havasu so badly?”

Accepting the apology, the Senshi of Static seemed to visibly relax as she leaned her back against the rough back of the tree. “As someone who is more intimately familiar with your more serious side, yes.” Sidouer stated simply “I’ve known you for the better part of almost two years,” she explained. “I’d like to think I can read you better than most.”

It wasn’t to say that the white and red clad Senshi had a stick up her butt or anything; rather quite the contrary she knew how to have fun or make light of a situation when the timing called for it. But when it was time to sit down, shut up and pay attention, it was wise to do exactly that. Experience often times trumped power level in a lot of cases and it was those ones that newbies needed to turn to because they had the knowledge on how to survive.

“Have you spoken to him about it yet?” It was a seemingly simple inquiry that had a myriad of other questions attached which she hoped Phact would address on her own violation.

“You have seen many sides of me in the short time we have known each other.” Phact smiled as she moved closer to her friend, now a bit more at ease since Sidouer had forgiven her. Between this woman and Sabine, Phact knew she had surrounded herself with wonderful people. Their friendship was as important to her as their abilities. Frankly, it was more.

But at her question, Phact gave a long sigh and shook her head. ”He bolted right after the meeting. Isis needed to be tended to.” Phact admitted, running a hand through her hair. “And it isn’t the first time. He might be a Squire now but I have still been at this longer. Hell, half the time I think he sees this all as a game. Watch, he will try to make things up to me at the general meeting in some way…”

“Probably,” Sidouer offered her friend a half smile knowing that it was most likely true. “From what I can tell he means well…” The few conversations she had with Quinn were not bad to say the least. He had been the one to orchestrate her birthday party afterall.

“But I do think you two need to sit down and talk about things.” Letting the annoyance fester, especially given the current situation surrounding Destiny City, would be very unwise. Too many could be pulled into the aftermath if things were left unaddressed.

Phact gave a sigh and dropped her head forward. “I know. And it’s just a distraction to me if I have to worry about him being an idiot half the time. I know there are times when you need to act before thinking but when he powers up, I feel like his brain is just...gone!”

Now it was her turn to hold the bridge of her nose. “Which is the larger problem because we seem to get along so well on day to day things as Delilah and Quinn. But power up and I want to strangle him.” She turned to lean against the same tree, beside her friend. “I don’t know Sidouer. But after last night...my guess is that was all because of Nirvana.”

“The shirtless knight?” She asked though Phact didn’t need to reply. It was near impossible to miss the looks Havasu was giving the poor guy. Still… boys would be boys; there really was no getting around that.

Leaning sideways the Senshi of Static shoulder nudged her friend teasingly. “Well, either way, if you need help knocking some sense into him or hiding the body you know my number.” Sidouer offered though she preferred it to be the former rather than the latter.

“I would prefer not to have to kill him. Do you know his parents would have the FBI here looking into it in a matter of hours. Talk about helicopter.” Phact smiled for a moment before her breath caught.

“Anywho,” Sidouer leaned her head back against the tree and looked up at the cloud full sky. “Relationships aside, have you decided what our next move is? Did this Caedus give you any sort of insight when you two spoke?”

Had she heard right? Our next move?

Head turning to gaze at Sidouer, Phact was looking for any sign of joking or humor. She found none. That touched her in a way she could not begin to put into words so all she said was “Thank You.” Before taking a long breath and looking back to the sky.

“We do what we can to help.” She said not breaking her gaze. “I won't force anyone into anything they don't want to but after speaking with him...he is not from here. He hates Beryl and Metallia. And frankly, can you blame someone for just wanting to go home?” The last words made her drop her head. “They depend on their crystals for so much. This idea of energy does not seem strange to him as it does to us.”

“I guess my biggest issue is that the line between us and them will be blurred where the only delineation between us is our uniform color and our signatures. You said it yourself, there are murderers among us as well.” Food for thought as some might say. “Word of caution Phact. Be careful how far down the rabbit hole you go or you might find it hard to get out or could even be swallowed by snakes lying in wait at the bottom.” No Chinese proverb just a simple fact. It is a dangerous game they’ve all been conscripted into playing.

“Though I do admit being able to give a few of those agents a taste of their own energy draining medicine does feel somewhat appropriate.” Needless to say there was no forgetting the masquerade at the Umbrae Hotel that happened on New Years last year. It was a nightmare seeing far too many guests had collapsed from exhaustion from being drained by those masks the ‘employees’ provided.

Holding her gloved hand out she eyed the crystal that the cloaked stranger had passed out towards the end of the meeting. “I can’t say I’m up for self sacrificing my own energy for the sake of someone I don’t know. Last thing any of us need is to be caught unable to defend ourselves,” Sidouer duly noted. “So what do you think we should do with these then, go after the baddies and give them a taste of their own medicine or go all Ferngully or Epic on the trees and steal from them instead?”

“Oh come now Sidouer, I would look horrible as a blonde in a blue and white dress.” Phact cocked a brow, adding a bit of her own humor to the idea of being Alice going down the rabbit hole. Of course she got the point. There was a line, be it a very thin one, that kept them from going to the dark side. “But there is a difference between taking energy and killing someone, and taking energy and just putting them to sleep for awhile. Naps never killed someone.”

Her hands folded over her chest and she leaned her head back against the tree. ”I agree with you there that draining ourselves is foolish. That is like handing the agents a basket of senshi on a platter and saying ‘here! easy targets.’ Not to mention should we all enter the castle, it would be pointless if we were all drained.”

Shifting her eyes, she looked at the crystal Sidouer was holding out and shrugged. “I don’t think the fairies would be too happy with us draining the trees. Especially since it is winter. Dormant and all that.” Phact pointed up with one hand to the every lack of leaves on the tree they leaned against. “Last thing we need is to kill all the trees in Destiny City. Talk about bad press.”

“So, I’m going to have to admit...it might be best to use them against the dark side. Though I am tempted to use them against people I find rather annoying in school.” Phact admitted more because Sidouer would know who she meant. “Just a little here and there to shut their mouths…”

“People or person?” Sidouer smiled knowingly. The girl that had been assigned to model for her raven haired friend often had a bit of a stick up her a** about a few things; which, in all honesty, is why she found it humorous when Delilah stuck her with a needle.

Phact’s smile twisted into a smirk as she pushed off a tree. “Both. You try dealing with all the people in my studio.” Phact grinned, spinning around to look at Sidouer now. “So, why don’t we go find some baddies?”

“Sounds like a plan though you’ll want to consider setting up a meeting with your little flock, least any of them get one of those wild hair ideas about going out alone.” She eyed her friend with a raised brow and a lopsided smile.

“It seems to be ever growing. Realize I’m going to start including you in all this.” Phact said with a smile. “You have been with me for far too long to let you go.” And with that, she threw an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “That is unless you have other plans?”

Sidouer shook her head then stood up and stretched her arms above her head leisurely. “Nope, you’re stuck with me.” she simply stated after clapping her friend on the shoulder.

Not much else was said after that as the two senshi took off in search of a chaos signature to hopefully drain.