Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tom and Jason were walking side by side going away from the park’s soccer field. It was the first time in a while the two of them could practice together, and they really appreciated being able to spend time with each other again. Although they had both been busy studying, they should have been able to meet up a lot sooner than they had. Unfortunately, it was something… different that had been holding the both of them back.

Tom still had to deal with the Negaverse side of things and his new role as captain and his conflicting feelings as to whether or not he deserved it. Jason on the other hand was a newly awakened knight who, while excited to be helping the White Moon, hadn’t really known what he was doing and had been trying to figure out what his new role was in… well, this ‘war’ apparently. The Negaverse was what they were fighting against, and he had seen a lieutenant kill someone in front of his eyes, but felt helps so far as to being able to make any sort of difference. Neither of the two brothers really had any fighting skills, and it was only when they had been corrupted/awakened that they had finally had to start learning how to fight others, and how to quickly get over any feelings that could have distracted them.

Arseno had killed someone himself already after all, and with the both of them combined, it had been a hard to feel happy and meet up with the other when they both had such unpleasant thoughts rattling around in their heads. And with the, so far, unpredictable weather that had been around, well, they just really hadn’t gotten the chance to meet up.

But on this Saturday, it had been nice and warm enough that they had been able to play soccer with each other like they used to! Before that they had eaten a light dinner, not wanting to get cramps during practice and so had finally been able to catch up with each other, at least without telling the other about their… other activities.

So now the two of them were done, they were making their way from the fields, with plans for Tom to drop Jason off at the AVA dorms. Tom sighed happily, now that he had really been able to hang out with his brother like they used to. “I want you to call me more often Jason. I know you’ve really been studying, but we should talk at least every couple of days. Or at least send an email or two to each other over the course of a week.” He wouldn’t pressure Jason to communicate every day, but the rate they had been communicating for a while had been about once a month! That was way too little.

Tom’s little brother agreed. “Yeah sorry. Unfortunately, as I said, the school is a lot harder than the one I went to in California and with all of the clubs that I’m in now, they expect a lot more of me.” He would not be mentioning that he really wasn’t in any clubs, which was to excuse what else he had been doing. His older brother couldn’t know anything about the White Moon and the Negaverse after all!

Things seemed to be relatively strange for Tian. Most of her days were spend in school or at the hospital, learning and trying anything she could. Her one goal in life was to be a doctor, but since her last visit to her home world, she wanted more from her powered life as well. She had finished everything she needed to do for school, dropped off all of her stuff back at her apartment and spent an hour feeding and playing with her beloved pooch.

Now, it was her alone time. Well, sort of.

One of her classmates had brought up a park that seemed to be a nice places for dogs to play. Tian knew of parks around her, but she was pretty sure her pooch would want to meet new friends. Plus, it would be nice to meet people that didn't know of her as a workaholic, soon-to-be doctor. It was kind of bothersome to be asked about strange sores and what not with those she already knew...

Tian did have an ulterior motive though - she wanted to stargaze.

She noticed the park and the few people in it. She could feel, somewhere, a chaos presence, but Tian couldn't place where. The air smelled of... ugh... cancer sticks. She wished it would go away. Tian kept her distance, watching and waiting. Eventually, someone would show up, right?

It had been an entire week since Zeta had managed to run into any trouble. She was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she was getting lucky. That was until she rounded the corner and felt the all too familiar sensation of chaos smack her in the face.

"I knew it." Zeta mumbled to herself as she stopped cold. Her heart had begun racing in fear of what that sensation always meant. Even months after becoming a senshi, Zeta still was used more as a punching bag than doing any good...however, she put logic to it that if the agent hit her, then at least the civilians would get away....maybe.

Slowly, her feet began to move and she turned the corner to find a park. It was strange. As she got closer, she felt something else....order?

Maybe if she was lucky the chaos would target the other aura and leave her alone! Yes! That would be wonderful! So she could instead keep an eye on the two civis that had decided standing in the middle of a field was a good idea!

"Um...excuse me!" Zeta called out, poking her head out from behind one of the benches set up to watch matches on the field. She gazed at the two men, head though quickly dropping so not to make eye contact. "Would either of you...um..."

Before Tom could figure out if they were being watched, they were both surprised when a voice spoke to them. Looking around, they couldn't see who had spoken until they spotted Zeta's head looking at them from behind a bench. Tom raised an eyebrow, wonder what the heck she was doing, while some of the same thoughts were running through Jason's mind. Before they could ask what she wanted though, they heard another voice and Jason yelped in surprise as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and tried to jump out of the way.

Tom's eyes widened as he got a good look at who had touched his brother. She looked like a negaverse agent, but he wasn't quite sure. Jason on the other hand really had no idea why she had touched him. He was still too knew to recognize the many different uniforms of agents, and of course, he couldn't even sense them at this time. Tom growled, angry that his brother had been touched. This woman was clearly up to no good. "Stay away from my brother!" He would have powered up right then and there, but knew he couldn't do it in front of his little brother. He wasn't sure if he could take her either if she was an agent. After all, they did have enhanced strength while powered up. Even if he was a bit stronger himself now, could he really do it?

For his part, Jason's heart was racing a bit as he could tell the situation had gone from creepy to "probably going to get beat up somehow" bad. Why did he always have the worst luck when he came to this city!?

"Oh now honestly," Hopeite chided, clucking her tongue, but releasing the young man none-the-less. "Is everything a fight with you children? Personally, I blame video games. They make you think that talking is no longer an option. That violence is the only answer -- it's not you know." She glanced at the young man who had yelled at her, lips tilting down into a hurt little frown. Turn on the dramatics, Hopeite. Maybe a little watershow? Her face fell a little more, causing her eyes to heat and well. "So because I was forced into this uniform, you think I must be the bad guy? That I'm up to no good? But I expect that's how you're brainwashed, isn't it? No negaverse officer is ever mugged in the street, untouched, unawakened." She sniffed for effect and lowered her voice. "I can still feel it, you know. The brute pain of an arm through my chest... the burn of chaos through my starseed..." Touch your sternum lightly, yes, just like that. Turn your eyes down. Now turn away and make that little broken hearted sound that has gotten your way a million times.

Flawless

"Senshi are brutish bullies," she declared finally, putting herself between the two boys and the senshi who had, rightfully, accused her of causing harm. "All you ever do is assume the worst. You fight, and you punch, and you make others bleed and for what? Justice. What kind of justice would there be in this victory, little girl? What honor? When I was only trying to hurry innocent lives along home to avoid any violence you might instigate."