Star opened his mouth to speak, but Rictor didn't leave him any room to comment. It was just as well. Rictor didn't need pity or condolences. This was a topic that could set him off easily, often accidentally. When they spoke directly about it, it was actually much easier to avoid upsetting him. It was when they edged around the issue that Star was likely to misstep. (But Rictor's powers coming and going were not the primary source of stress between them.) There was one saving grace: Rictor's lifeline remained. The vibrations he could manipulate were his weapon, but the sense he had from the earth was his arm. This time, Rictor wouldn't be so unbalanced. He would be alright.

Still, they must both have been wondering... what if this was permanent again? Shatterstar had to believe Rictor would survive.

"You know how to handle that," Star said plainly. Rictor hardly needed any reminder of this, but Star wanted to affirm that he knew Rictor was capable and needed no coddling. Star felt a twinge of fear anyway, but that would remain private. The threat posed to his friend was more than doubled now. Star had barely been allowed to adjust to Rictor becoming a force of destruction once again, and now the rug had been pulled out from under them. It crossed his mind to tell Rictor to picture home, but he couldn't abandon any other members of X-Factor who might be there, and he wouldn't disrespect Rictor by trying to whisk him away from the fight. When it was time to try and leave, it'd solve the mystery of Rictor's earth-shaking powers. Was it everyone, or was it just Rictor?

"Let's go find out who else is here. This," he gestured between the two of them, "can't be a coincidence."