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Patrolling had become almost dangerously close to turning into a chore, but with his recent promotion, Epidote found himself once again excited to get out into the field, to steal energy and starseeds with a vengeance. He was going to make his superiors proud and carve a name for himself in the history books of the Negaverse.

So, as he debated on his tour for the evening, what better location to scout out than the park. Cliche, maybe, but there were always people lurking around the park - joggers, hobos, thieves. He could practically take his pick of who he wanted to steal energy from.

As he entered his third park for the evening, he noticed something different, almost immediately.

He wasn't alone.

Cautious as ever, he decided that staying shrouded among the shade of the trees was his best bet. It didn't take long, blessedly, for him to scout out the power signature in the park... and when he did, his eyes narrowed immediately.

Kari.

There was no hesitation - just pure frustration and anger as he used what energy he could muster up to teleport behind the swing set, grabbing the girl in one hand and the swing in the other.

"I've been looking for you, little girl."

It didn't matter that she was probably older than him - he was mad and she needed to know.

How long had he been searching for her, how long had he been on his sister's bad side - how long was he going to kick himself over the stupid mistake he'd made with her in the past?

"You tried to hurt me, Kari. That wasn't very nice."

Lines creased on his forehead as she started to stammer. As her head turned, the pigtails swaying with the motion, the first thing he noted were the tears forming.

Wait. What?

She didn't have a right to cry. She wasn't the one who'd been forced through hell and back to try to make up for a somewhat innocent mistake. He'd been taken through the ringer - by his own sister, no less - with not only physical attacks but verbal ones to boot. She'd mentioned that there was a chance he could lose his life over mistakes like these... and Kari had the audacity to try to use tears against him??

"What are you doing?"

His voice had lowered, the curiosity evident in his tone. Having her cry this early on... well, it was almost a disappointment. She was supposed to be regretful and cry after he laid into her, not before. There was no fun in... in this.

"Quit being a baby, Kari, christ." His hand released the swing, the other glove staying firmly on her shoulder. He remembered her magic and how painful it had been - there was no chance he was going to allow her to face him, front to front, anytime soon.

Sighing, one boot shoved itself at the gravel beneath the play area, kicking away several small pebbles as his newly freed hand brushed itself through his hair.

"You know, you got me in a lot of trouble with Stella when you didn't show up to meet her."

Okay, well.

Watching a senshi have some sort of internal-turn-external meltdown in front of him hadn't been exactly on his plans for the evening. He'd figured that he could scare her back into behaving, maybe even call Stella in to have some proper apology time (with the added bonus of hey, look what he finally managed to not screw up on!) but he couldn't do any of that, not when she was being all... all.. womanly crazy on him.

She moved to pull away again and his grip tightened, shoving her back into the swing's seat. No - he wasn't going to let some hysterical woman turn around and use that loyalty bullshit on him again - not tonight.

"Because quitting is totally an option when you sign up to work for the Negaverse."

He gave her an incredulous look, though it softened as she choked back several more sobs. While Epidote lacked experience on what to do with crying women, he at least had enough humanity to feel a fraction of sympathy for the clearly confused one in front of him.

"Look. It's a good deal you've got going, right? An energy drain here and there. In exchange, you aren't killed - because you do realize that the Negaverse is going to win, either way, right?"

His voice got quiet and for a brief moment, he squeezed her shoulder.

"May as well be on the winning side of things, right?"

"You're working with the Negaverse to give us energy in lieu of other people. How is that not working for us, dude?"

His voice failed to hold back the scoff that came with the comment. She was being ridiculous - women always overthought about stuff like this. It was why Stella was always on his a** about one thing or another - think, think, think. Why bother dwelling when you could just do and be done with it?

"Maybe you're so bad at being on the other side because you were never meant to be on that side."

The Captain paused in his thought process - okay, so being blunt was clearly not working, judging by the way she was sobbing like a damn Hallmark movie. Maybe he should be more smooth, more fake and alluring like his partner in crime was?

How did Stella manage all that charming nonsense that she did? And why hadn't he paid better attention when he'd been around to hear it??

Taking a deep breath, he released his hold on her shoulder and returned his arm to his chest, where it crossed over with his other in a nonchalant pose. He knew he was risking being attacked, but the idea that had come to mind might just save his own butt from being jolted by her magic.

"You can leave, if you want. But if you do, I'm going to kill the next person I come across - just because you weren't willing to help a guy like me out. Do you want someone else's blood on your hands, Kari?"

Okay, so maybe not the most charming approach - but it definitely had enough threat behind it to make it seem realistic.

He couldn't help himself, the blonde teenager smirking at the horror that passed over her expression. "You don't know what I am, doll."

She was easy to push and the thrill of knowing he'd managed to convince her as easily as he had excited him. Maybe this was how Stella felt when she'd conned her way into manipulating people? Subtlety was not his strong suit, however, but blunt threats seemed to work equally as well... if not more.

"I can be as generous as Stella can be, but I can also be more ruthless. Do you think she wants to bother getting her hands dirty? Who do you think does all of the physical work?"

His boots were casual in his approach around the swing set, a lion staring down at its quivering prey, analyzing the scene before him. She exposed her arm, relinquishing her right to leave, just as he knew she would. These pitiful senshi were all alike - they were self-righteous, always self-sacrificing. Easy targets.

"I don't want your energy, but I'll happily accept it." Gloved hands moved out to grip her arm, pulling her off balance and closer to where he stood. "I'm not Stella and I'm not as easy to please. I want your obedience."

Slowly but surely, however, the energy was draining from the spot he held on to, turquoise eyes narrowing as he grinned. "For every time you don't show up to our meeting, I'll leave a crushed starseed for you to find in place of where you should be. Do you understand what I'm saying, Kari?"

For every time she decided to play hooky from their rendezvous, he planned on making her pay for it - one way or another.

"Shhhhh, now, now."

The energy was coming faster than it had before - perhaps it was a perk to being a Captain? Or maybe he was just getting better, the more frequently he did it? Whatever the reason, he had two large energy orbs in a short matter of time, the Super Senshi growing limp in his grip as she weakly agreed to his demands.

No... his agreement.

Stellarite would be pleased with his adjustment to things, surely. He was proud to tell both his sister and his General of his accomplishments tonight; maybe he'd even bring Kari along for the trip, ha.

Pocketing the energy, his grip loosened around her arm and he leaned down, playfully plucking one of the bows from atop her head, pinching it roughly between his fingers.

"Next week - same place, same time, doll. See you here.... unless you're ready to see how much disobeying really costs."


With that, he shimmered out of sight. Teleporting was still a new trick for him and cost him far more energy than he'd care to expel, but it made for one hell of an exit scene.