Elijah turned just in time to see Gamma Burn smash into a nearby tree. Then he watched the poor man crumple to the ground and cough. It was… difficult to watch. Elijah knew he should have moved immediately to try to capture Gamma Burn but he was just sitting there, wracked with coughs. It did not feel right to descend on someone like that. This was… what, the third time in the past week someone’s bumped into him and fell? That sounded right. He was honestly starting to feel a little guilty about it.

[color=#9d9751]”Hey…”[/color] Was all Elijah could manage to say.

Without much of a thought, he leaned in to just sort of… try to pick him up? There was no reason to attack Gamma Burn when he could just apprehend him like this. It felt wrong, though, for the battle to go this way. Hell, not even really a battle. As Gamma Burn stood and stumbled again, Elijah rushed to catch him before he fell. The poor thing was laughing. He must really be hurt–

[color=#ed6885][i]Fuck![/i][/color]

Pain blossomed in Elijah’s right shoulder. He could feel hot blood bubble up between the gap in his armor. Panic shot through him. It hurt. It burned. This was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to be impenetrable! His soft insides were being damaged. His whole mind reeled on red alert. If that bastard even so much as twisted the knife wrong, the way it would peel up his carapace could leave a weak spot he was not prepared to cover.

Whatever gentleness there had been behind King Stag’s gaze had disappeared. Elijah had become a cowering figure, hiding behind the silent power of his super-sona. The air was quite suddenly filled with the sickeningly sweet scent of pheromones. That fresh wound poured not only blood but a wave of insects. Beetles washed down the blade and rushed towards Gamma Burn, hungry for meat. King Stag did not pull away from the wound. He had no desire to waste the opportunity of being close to the villain. Instead, he reeled back and threw a punch.