Decision time.<br/><br/>She saw the beginnings of the color changes and made her choice.  There weren't any observers except the insect....and the maker of that weird little headset.  So it was time to make another sacrifice.  Petra hated doing so but it was necessary.  The risk of someone finding out was too great.  So she shielded her eyes with one arm and fisted her other hand.<br/><br/>The sharp series of reports, a staccato burst of tiny explosions shattered the tree trunk where the creature had been and followed it through the branches, the leaves and smaller branches blasted away from fully two thirds of the tree.  They would undoubtedly hear the sound of the tiny shockwaves from the party, but it wouldn't be as alarming as one really big one or the sound of her teleporting.  She didn't hit the bug, but not from lack of apparently trying.  Then it was gone, and she sighed, pulling the ruined shreds of her right sleeve away from the dress shirt, revealing the slick pearly arm of her combat suit beneath it.  She would be able to cut the rest of it away when she got back; it was probably still salvageable.  Short sleeves looked good on her anyways.<br/><br/>It had been the right thing to do, she was fairly sure, but it irked her that she had let the bug go.  She stalked back to the party; it would do no good looking for it as it was too smart to make the same mistake twice obviously.  On the other hand, Petra was certain someone would know what the bug had been or who it served.  Her stomach turned flip-flops; the only two people there she knew well enough to ask and who might also know were the two people she wanted least to talk to at the moment.  More sacrifices.<br/><br/>Petra walked purposefully towards where Gigi was still talking with Kate.  Composing her expression into one of casual arrogance, she approached the twain, still plucking threads from the edges of her ruined right sleeve, and ignoring the questioning gazes that would undoubtedly be following her progress.