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The night breeze was glorious, cool and refreshing against his skin. Though his capacity to feel lovely tactile sensations was stunted, Bazzite breathed deeply. His monstrous lungs ballooned with fresh air, a contrast to the dull and dusty and stagnant air of the Rift. It was times like these that he truly treasured his time topside - more so when in the presence of his dear General. The blonde had brought his youma to Destiny City to patrol in search of starseeds for Benitoite’s quota, and the extra bonding time was never unappreciated.

The blue-stone pendant swung from Bazzite’s neck, nestled in the remains of his tattered Captain’s uniform.

Clawed hands held the youma steady as he crouched atop the air conditioning unit of one of Destiny City’s banking towers. From here, the pair would have an excellent vantage point over the city and a wide area into which to cast their net. Crawling towards his General, the youma gave the blonde’s forehead and affectionate nuzzle, just as he always had.

Wings abuzz with excitement, the youma laid down for a moment, watching the blonde. ”Where to, Beni? The breeze feels nice up here. It smells nice.” Closing his eyes, the youma simply let the breeze do what it would with his fluffy, powdery blue hair. It was the only thing that survived his transformation all those years ago.

The Negaverse weren’t the only hunters on the prowl that evening. Sabine had sensed the General’s signature on the far periphery of her senses, and had been driven toward it. There was a fire in her now - a hot burning nova of barely contained wrath. The small ball of malice had been slowly growing - no, festering - beneath the surface of unseeable wounds since their encounter with Bazzite.

She had signaled warning to the other with her hand signals, and a quick silent text with her phone to theirs.

Possible Contacts - 2

The signatures of a General and a Youma we unmistakable. They were heading toward a populated area full of unsuspecting, innocent bystanders too.

Her jaw clenched so hard she was sure the grinding of her teeth was audible. He hand worried the control of her tactical light, ready to signal a fall back with it and then try to draw the General’s attention to try and stage an ambush but…

No, there wasn’t enough time - shaking her head, she left the light on her belt, signalling with her hand and a short message on her phone.

Danger Close - Gen & Youma.

Imperatrix narrowed her eyes as she quickly scanned the rapid fire messages and signals from her court member. General and a Youma...

That hadn't gone exactly smoothly last time. This was going to have to be handled carefully. Even if it turned out to be Bazzite. Especially if it turned out to be Bazzite. It could still be a trap. Even if it wasn't there was still a General.

Got it She texted back. (God it really was good to have one of the senshi phones. So much easier than burners.) What's the battle plan? What Kastra said?"

They were getting -better- at staying in a kind of formation, even slightly spread out, able to see Hand Signals and communicate without shouting. It made her feel... kind of elated. Like they'd unlocked some kind of elite abilities.

Bazzite had smelled something on the air, something... prickly and sterile. His ears flattened against his head as he crawled alongside his General, knowing the blonde could sense it as well. Wings unfolded and vibrated, loudly but briefly, once before the youma stood up. He towered over his General by a good foot-and-change. The youma didn't need his extraordinary senses to know there was heavy tension in the air.

Standing up brought the youma face-to-face with something strange - a flittering, floating, flapping thing, white like paper. Its light was repulsive and Bazzite stepped back to keep from being blinded, face distorted in a monstrous squint. He tried waving it away with his clawed hands. "Beni! What is this?!"

The youma attempted to swallow the thing whole, but it was too quick even for him. Chomping in the air, the dove fluttered just out of reach, taunting the locust beast with its agility and brightness.

The senshi... I can feel the senshi...

And indeed, there they were, just a few buildings away. Four. He sensed... four of them.

Without the influence of the pendant, they were simply four starseeds of varying strengths nestled in fleshy pods, just waiting to be plucked and devoured. Did one of them make this flapping thing!? He let loose a roar, a tinny and metallic-sounding shriek, turning towards the senshi. Bazzite found them to be foul and bothersome, but... there was a familiarity that his psyche had severed and placed just out of reach.

Sabine watched the dove fly off and intercept the two figures in the distance, they were close enough now that she could make out some of their features. The youma looked very familiar - which had her heart rate spiking a bit as she stayed low and hard against the wall, just out of sight.

Opening her phone, she texted Kastra and 'Trix:

Try and circle around, let them close in closer to Phact and we'll collapse in on them from all sides. Kastra you take west, 'Trix you take east.

A general and a youma, against two supers and two basics? It was a little skewed in their favor, but she wasn't about to risk putting the others in danger just because she felt cocky.

She shot another quick text Phact:

Operation Safe Roost is go, we'll collapse on them in five. You know the signal if you need extraction sooner.

And then with that, she counted one minute, and made a mad dash across the roof top, hugging cover, keeping herself out of sight as best she could so she could look around behind them. She wanted 'Trix and Kastra on the flanks though - because if anyone was going to cross no man's land...

It was going to be her.

'Trix tapped back a quick 'ok', biting her lip painfully as she took in the situation on approach. They had tactics on their side though... literally.

That was more than this guy had, he had an man he'd turned into a monster who wanted to be free, and they had the wand to make that happen.

She quieted the animal part of the back of her brain that said running into danger was a bad idea, and dashed east like she was told to, jaw set, heart all but in her ears as she ducked for a spot to get cover. Sure he knew they were in the area, but again... Tactics. ******** him and his senses. Magic was on their side, ********. Magic and a brand new Slugger, or a face full of magic needles. Or both. She'd love to give him both, right now though she just crouched down behind an ambiguous structure that might have also held fans, and crinkled her nose at the smell from where pigeons roosted.

Sorry birds. It was probably nice up here occasionally but right now it was about to be a throw-down zone.

The youma had landed just a short distance away from the Court, breathing heavily with adrenaline coursing through his veins. His visage was peeled back in animal rage, eyes narrowed to slits, teeth glistening in the moonlight. Rearing back to slowly stand, shoulders rolled and wings buzzed once before Bazzite realized who he was standing before.

He recognized them.

Handle them.

I'll let you have any starseeds we take from them.

Claws and teeth clenched, brows furrowing as Bazzite attempted to access the emotion he recalled being associated with them. It was as though a thick fog had descended over his psyche, and the youma visibly struggled. The greater and predatory part of him wished to devour them all and nestle their delicious souls deep within his belly. They were beneath him, less powerful than the General and his monster.

The youma was compelled to obey his General's command to attack and devour the senshi, but...

They were his only hope, his only salvation.

Claws were at the ready, muscles taut with salivating greed and Bazzite was more than ready to strike Phact down where she stood. How dare she verbally assault his General?! A soft, delicate blue light pulsed once from the necklace buried deep in the tattered folds of his outfit, and Bazzite visibly relaxed for a moment.

"...you're the... the one....." he all but whispered, standing more in awe of the Court than in anger.

Forming the fourth point in the quadrant, Sabine knew that it wouldn't take very much for the general to break out of it - given that they were two supers and two basic senshi. But that meant they had to overwhelm him with shock and awe. That meant putting people where they were strong - and while each of them had some level of hand to hand combat - a general did not get to where they were by being gentle.

No, she had to make sure this plan went exactly the way it needed to go - otherwise they wouldn't be able to peel the youma from his master. Which really should be the first course of action.

It was Phact's screamed challenge that got Sabine's hackles up though. The voice was all she needed for the barely constructed dam to break - and the rage came roiling forth like a torrent of pain and suffering. Her teeth clenched and she knew Phact would need assistance sooner rather than later.

And it would be coming on swift wings.

Kastra - Change of plans - I need you to collapse on the youma and use your magic - try to peel him off of his master. Target Confirmed to be Benitonite and Bazzite. Engage if we are overwhelmed. Go after a three count once you get this.

She quickly sent the message - and started to work on her next one.

'Trix - Collapse on the general and start swinging away. Come in from the side, I'm going to come in from the back, try to keep him off kilter. Go after a five count once you get this.

Then the phone was dismissed and she vaulted over the wall she hid behind. Moving full tilt, she charged at the General from her position to the North, shoulder down - hoping to bull into him as hard as she could.