The night started out like any other, by Themisto’s approximation. Halloween wasn’t really ever his favorite time of year, what with all the spooks and creepy haunted houses. He was more of an eat-candy-you-get-for-free kind of guy. Laid back, watching terrible flicks on television with a bowl of popcorn in his lap and a bowl of horribly sugary candy beside him. That sounded like the perfect night to him.

But noooooooo---

Itsuki demanded that the super senshi go out on patrol tonight. “Don’t I deserve a night off, furbag? I’ve been patrolling all week.”

“Hai, but for two hours before calling it quits, Themi-chan.” came the inevitable back-sass from the cat nestled in the folds of his fuku. Itsuki’s fluffy head poked out from this perfect perch, resting his hindquarters on the ropes and belts the senshi wore. “We can’t be the best team this side of the Mississippi if we don’t train~!”

“You don’t do jack, little man. You’re just a cat. You sit around and yell while I do all the work.”

Itsuki puffed up at the accusation of being lazy. “Ie, I’m also helping other senshi too, you know. I’m reading from the Headquarters computer, I do pushups too! I’ll be super strong before you know it.”

Themisto scoffed and rolled his eyes. What lot did he pull to end up with this particular cat as his “destined partner”? Surely there was some other cat who would be more compatible with him and his personality. Wandering the streets was growing boring and in their banter, Themisto had forgotten to keep scanning for hostiles. What he didn’t realize was that one Negaverse General was right around the corner.


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The night had been average on all counts - prey was getting scarce in this part of town, he would need to move on soon and give them time to grow less fearful, he didn’t have the resources to flush the quarry once they went to ground. Which was unfortunate - because he was doing so well in clearing out the area. But, once the prey started to dive for bolt holes - short of kicking down doors and potentially eating a faceful of buckshot - there wasn’t much he could do.

It was a personal campaign anyway - so he saw no reason to drag Negaverse resources into it unless he could really rationalize it.

What had been interesting though, had been the bright order power signature approaching, but not avoiding him at all. Most order signatures avoided generals - but this one was not. Brave perhaps? Or inattentive?

The voices coming from around the corner flagged them (more than one? strange…) as completely not aware of their surroundings.

He waited patiently until they were far enough into the area so that turning and running would be nigh impossible.

And then he stepped out from around the corner directly into the path of the Senshi and his cat. His spear rested lazily on his shoulder, but in such a way that a quick jerk of his arm would slip it forward into a ready position and possibly dice someone’s face besides.

“Good evening, gentlemen… I couldn’t help but overhear your… conversation.” He added with a slight grin. “Perhaps you’d like to try your strength, before I capture or kill you - of course.”



The collective gasp from the two Order individuals was impressive. Both Themisto and Itsuki hadn’t thought to feel out the surroundings as often as they should have, instead being engaged in bantering back and forth with each other. That was their first mistake.

Taking a few terrified steps backwards, Themisto put his hands up in a show of peace. “Look, uh… I’m not out to, ya know, ruin anybody’s night or anythin’. I’m not even up for a fight, heh.” The first and only time he’d ever met a General, he’d barely gotten away with his life through sheer luck. This time it was his stupidity and negligence that put both him and Itsuki directly in the path of danger. Benitoite threatened to corrupt him - this guy outright threatened to kill them, and Themisto knew deep in his gut that he couldn’t outrun a General, even if he tried.

“General-sama, we’re not out for any trouble… uwu…” As much as the cat wanted to rid the city of Chaotic presences like the one before him, Itsuki knew they were very clearly outclassed. From what he’d read on the Headquarters computer, both Captains and Generals of the Negaverse were capable of teleportation - making running away from them that much more difficult. “We didn’t realize you were here, so… we’re going to leave! Please enjoy your night! Yoi yoru o motte imasu~”

Itsuki hoped that would be enough to get them off the hook. Perhaps the General was feeling less inclined to kill on sight?


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“Mōshiwakearimasenga, īe,” The General said as he shifted his arm and brought the spear to the ready, his other hand grabbing the haft of the spear and quickly pushing it forward toward the Senshi in a stab toward his shoulder. If he hit the cat - or the Senshi it’d be a good shot, but he knew it would be badly telegraphed - he didn’t have the time to feint like he normally did.

And who knew his two years of being stuck on a Military Base in the middle of Japan was going to pay off! Granted, he was really rusty, and he only knew enough to manage in the lightest most formal sense of the language. But hey, if the cat was gonna rattle off - was only polite to answer in kind.

“Surrender - or die.”



Themisto swallowed thickly, blood draining from his features quickly at this General’s… abruptness. The other one was more talkative, more metaphorical. Almost… wishy-washy. This one? No, this General meant business. No extended conversations about morality and mortality, no offers of corruption. It was just surrender or die.

The super senshi wasn’t interested in either of those options, but if he had to choose…

...Death seemed like the better of the two.

If he was going to die tonight, Themisto would at least die fighting. He couldn’t possibly aim behind the General - the spear-wielding man could easily teleport out of the way. Running towards the General was asking to be stabbed directly in the face. Itsuki was in prime stabbing position while hanging in the folds of his fuku, just around his chest and stomach. There was really only one conceivable option - aiming behind himself, then turning around and running while the ghosts (hopefully) the did work for him.

It was the only shot Themisto could think of. He could feel Itsuki’s tiny form shivering up against his body. The cat knew this was a do-or-die moment.

“Multorum Animos!”
Themisto calls out the name and three semi-transparent and semi-horrifying lost souls appear about ten feet behind the target and shoots forward in a cone-like shape very quickly. The souls look the same as the first attack (skeletal, ethereal, like floating skulls - take your pick!), issuing low, guttural moaning/wailing sounds. If it connects, the target feels great bouts of heartache, sadness and fear. They themselves feel lost or forgotten just like the souls Themisto conjures up. The attack is meant to be a distraction more than anything else.

• Multi-target cone (if there is only one target, this attack simply has a greater chance to connect due to its greater area of effect)
• This attack can hit Themisto/allies/other people if the soul is dodged.
• The attack lasts 20 seconds.
• Themisto can use this attack twice per battle.
• The attack can travel through solid matter, but since it dissipates after 10 feet, the solid matter has to be pretty thin for this to mean much of anything.


Aiming at a point just a few feet behind himself, Themisto waited with twitchy muscles for the first guttural moans of the ghosts before turning around and running for his life. That spear meant range, and while Themisto thought this plan was decent for how little time he had, there was still a very real possibility of injury at best, death at worst. Itsuki braced for the run by digging his claws into Themisto’s fuku to keep from falling out. The Super Senshi squeezed his eyes shut and ran because his life literally depended on it.

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There were many things that Leucite could handle. Violence and gore no longer bothered him, it made most horror movies trivially terrifying in his opinion. But Leucite was a religious man - and if there was one thing that could make his blood run cold - it was the thought of possession, or the unquiet dead. The dead should stay dead - to go and be judged for their deeds and be sent to Heaven or Hell as those deeds permit. Frankly - he knew he was facing either purgatory or the sentence of the wrathful - but he’d deal with that when he got there.

The sight of the three ghosts - bones wrapped in burial shrouds, ethereal and cold - caused him to come to a skidding stop as he’d gone after the senshi.

“Oh ******** this!” He roared, in a terrified rage. Slashing at the ghosts with his spear and back off - trying to keep distance between himself and their ghostly hands.

“Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.” He said as he slashed at the ghosts as they came closer and closer. Finally - they brushed against him, and he shuddered - the feeling of fear gripping his soul, a heart wrenching sadness. The feeling of being forgotten and lost took hold of him, and he grabbed his Rosary, fingers digging into the rough crystal.

“Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from the side of Christ, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me; O good Jesus, hear me; within your wounds, hide me; let me never be separated from you; from the evil one, protect me; at the hour of my death, call me; and bid me to come to you; that with your saints, I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.”




“Themi-chan! Ike! Ike! Ike!” cried the feline, clinging for his life.

Themisto thought his heart couldn’t beat any faster, that the fear holding his heart in its icy grip was a flashback to the power plant incident. Death was staring him right in the face, and death carried a spear. His feet thudded coldly against the ground as he ran, seeking to weave in and out of alleys and around buildings to give him enough distance to power down. If he didn’t, and if Itsuki couldn’t concentrate enough to hide the senshi’s signature, this whole plan would be for naught. They had to use the diversion for self-preservation.

Finally, some luck. Themisto had ran as far and as fast as his legs could carry him, his lungs ablaze and desperate for air. Careening to a stop, he pressed his sweaty back against the brick wall of a small coffee shop and grasped at his chest, breath heaving in the night air. Thank the gods above for humidity and the cool autumn air. Themisto was convinced that if the General didn’t get to him, choking to death certainly would.

Itsuki pawed at the boy, brushing his face. “Themi-chan! Power down! We have to hide! Onegai, Themi-chan!”

Themisto thought he might faint, his vision blurring. His legs felt like lead and his blood was on fire. Sweat drenched his body, but in holding the cat, the boy was able to concentrate just enough to dismiss the fuku that would lead the General right to them. The fuku was a beacon, whether Itsuki could suppress his power or not. Themisto stood no chance against a General like that, one that knew what he was doing, a zealous and powerful warrior. Themisto simply paled in comparison.

Breath still heaving and his mind swimming from adrenaline and fear, he pulled his cellphone from his pants pocket with shaky, sweaty hands. He had to call his sister to pick him up. He couldn’t walk in this condition.

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When the ghosts had dissipated, leaving Leucite alone in the alley, he let out a low, annoyed growl, and reached out with his mind, he thought - maybe - he could feel the power signature a fair distance away - but it winked out before he could get a solid read on it, and he wasn’t in the mind to waste his time.

He had sent the boy and the cat running. A shame he couldn’t have captured them or killed them outright - but he had given up surprise when he’d spoken. But as it was - he knew their look now - and he would not forget them.

Tossing the spear back on his shoulder he grunted, and teleported away for home - he wasn’t in the mood to deal with this tonight.