[right][i]Post written with minor collaboration with Sickle-cell on Praetor[/i]

[h2][sup][i][color=f07560]Knight[/color][/i][/sup][/h2][i]Rosaline Buckner[/i]
[i]Dorchester[/i][/right]

Knight was a bit taken aback at Vector coming up to her and spoke like it had been Knight’s fault. Still, she steeled herself and replied.

[color=f07560]‘Oh, I have them.’[/color] Excuses, that is. [color=f07560]‘I did what I could in the situation presented to me. If I hadn’t held him up, Sickle-Cell would have been gone far sooner. I’ll write a report detailing my considerations of the encounter.’[/color] She said, trying to not sound defensive. She believed that, all things considered, she had done a fairly good job. All the Wards were alive, and we had gotten Sickle-Cell to retreat which showed that we didn’t fear him, he feared us.

With luck, Praetor should be hearing her debriefing before judging her.

[hr]
[right][i]The Zenith, minutes later[/i][/right]

[i]Or not.[/i]

Knight frowned deeply as Praetor spoke as if it had been a disaster. That wasn’t it. They really had done pretty well, considering what they were up against and what could have happened. But… natural insecurity within Knight made it hard for her to speak up against him. Praetor was the person in the world she had the most respect for since the loss of her father, and it was painful hearing him speak like this to her. … “Daughter of Retribution would turn this city around“, huh. [i]I’m so sorry for not being Scion-like.[/i]

She blinked a bit in surprise at the mention of being sent to the Circus, raising her head. But… that would give all the villains a chance to see her abilities, to develop counters to her. … … … As if she could speak out against him. She bit together, nodding slightly, looking down into the floor. “Don’t make fool of my heroes again”, huh. But… she hadn’t…? Ngh, it was so hard to say. Currently Knight stood in armor, but held her helmet under her left arm, her head revealed when Ifrit came in.

She turned and looked at him as he took off his helmet, her own expression still slightly frowning in pain from the conversation taking place. He was… really tall, and she could only guess how much of that was the suit he was currently wearing. He looked alright. Younger than her, although not by much. Knight noted she couldn’t use her age as an excuse with so many kids in the Protectorate. He lifted a hand and… oh, he meant well. Knight got a small smile on her otherwise pained face, nodding to him albeit not taking the hand or answering. She’d speak to him later.

[color=f07560]‘Sir, may I… explain?’[/color] She turned and asked Praetor with a withdrawn tone, but hoping for a chance to detail her reasoning and perhaps, maybe, have Praetor not be quite as angry with her. Or, if nothing else, have it explained to her what exactly she did wrong. … Had she been braver, then perhaps she would have just started talking. But as it was, she felt she’d be going over some line if she didn’t ask, first.

Praetor's eyebrows furrowed. The girl clearly wasn't going to let this drop. "You have two minutes," he replied, scowling. "Although I still suggest the time may be better spent preparing to make up for your failings."

Knight hesitated for a few seconds, eyes widened, due to the later sentence. Did her words not mean anything? … Two minutes. Knight swallowed, then refocused and started talking quickly.

[color=f07560]‘When we arrived, Sickle-Cell had already slaughtered many of the thugs, taking their blood for his own. He doesn’t seem to have a limit on how much blood he can manipulate, he had a storm of blood surrounding him, and even a little could be used to harden and kill. [i]I[/i] could probably handle that, with my armor, but I had the Wards with me. They were defenseless to his power, and he could kill them easily. I couldn’t fight him and protect them at the same time. In the light of this, I changed my objective from defeating Sickle-Cell to making him leave, which I did by talking to him. After Vector’s command to hold him there, I told the Wards to leave the scene as I took on Sickle-Cell on my own, but frankly, I can’t do much when he’s at full strength. I hit him into a building, but his blood armor protected him. He threatened to kill everyone present if I kept pursuing him, and at that point I had to let him go to avoid further losses.’[/color] She said, not knowing how long she had taken.

[color=f07560]‘Despite my command, Anomaly tried something, I’m not sure what. Now she’s in the medical bay. I feel that’s proof my instinct not to fight him was correct. [sub]Don’t be too hard on her, she was doing her best,[/sub] but we needed more firepower than a single hero and three Wards to take on the Covenant. That’s what I felt. … Shaker 5 is way too low for Sickle-Cell, Shaker 8 feels more appropriate.’[/color] She said, and then shut up. She didn’t know if she had taken more than two minutes or not. But that was her defense. She now looked very nervous, looking towards Praetor. Would he say her reasoning was wrong…? … Or just plainly that she had just wasted his time?

[i]concerned:[/i] [@Sickle-cell][@SkinnyTy]
[i]if she for some reason wanders into Praetor’s office:[/i] [@Banana]