Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[grampagen]

Pausing as she saw him also heading out, "If you are seeking the child, perhaps we could cover more ground together."

Ochazuke exchanged a wordless glance with her, then pulled his robes in tight and continued in silence.

She seemed hardly dressed for this weather, but then again It was plain by her appearance that she wasn't from around here either; pointed ears, and a faint change of the light in her wake as she moved. An offworlder, perhaps? Who knows.

It was cold. It was so fucking cold. She noticed it about five minutes earlier, but she thought she could tough it out until she got inside. Nope. It wasn't happening. Her nose was running and small goosebumps were covering the exposed bits of her body -- her arms, shoulders, the top part of her boobs, her face. It was awful.

But! According to her scouter, she had just entered the area where the power levels were located. She tapped it again to narrow it down. "Ah, let's see. One, two, three readings of 50. In that building right there." Grinning with excitement, she briskly walked toward the building and slammed the door open.

I need to play this smart, or else I'm going to get my ass kicked. Just barging in -- which she had just done -- and demanding to fight the biggest, toughest guy there was stupid. Thankfully, she hadn't done that second part yet. She needed to scope the people out, assess who was the best fighter and who would be best able to help her achieve her goals.

She stepped inside, puffing herself up to intimidate any would-be challengers who weren't worth her time, and found a seat at an empty table.

No sooner than they had left the tavern did he hear the hinges of the door creak against their hinges. It was this that broke his silence.

"Shut the door behind you," he grumbled out behind him, "These people are freezing."

[KingofPie]

He sees two women fighting some armed men with guns. One of the men seems pretty tough as he dodges a punch from one of the women.

Sasheem leaned forward, his arm resting on the seat of the toilet as he watched the battle before him. He had no stake in this, but it was more interesting than anything he had seen in many years.

Stake?

...Stake.

Steak....

Sasheem grew hungry. He had missed a lot of meals in his years asleep. So many meals he had to catch up on. New dishes, new delights. Maybe whoever lost the fight, would end up his next meal. Or whoever he hated more.

Back in the day, he would've stepped up and took all of them out himself, but...that was long ago. He skills had grown dull. He'd watch this fight. Acess it's fighters. To sharpen the killer instinct he once held onto proudly long ago.

groooowl

Sasheem patted his stomach. Concentrating was hard when he hadn't had anything to eat in so long.* But he watched the fight anyway in the hopes that something of interest would occur.

Midori barely brought her right arm up in time to block the butt of the gun from striking her on top of the head. She knew it wouldn't do any serious damage, but it'd still hurt something fierce and she'd rather not deal with the pain right now. As she blocked it with her right arm, she decided to snap a kick toward his knee to knock him offbalance.

Meanwhile, Shiro scowled as she fought down the disruption in her equilibrium from the grenade explosion and turned to look toward the armored hover. Her eyes widened in shock as its weapons began powering up, preparing to blast her since the man she believed to be their leader would be in danger if they targeted Midori. Of course, the possibility of them targeting Midori anyways regardless of their partner's location. Scowl deepening, Shiro narrowed her eyes, trying her best to lock on to the weapons as she raised her right hand, pointing her index finger at them.

"Shiro finga bimu!" Shiro said, firing several small yet powerful white energy beams from her index finger at the weapons to disable them before they could fire.

"Ugoooooo! Uwooooo!" Sasheem responded in alarm as the energy beams shot forth from one of the women fighting the armed warriors. Maybe whoever she hit with them would die. That'd at least be amusing enpugh to distract him from his hunger.


*roughly a minute and a half

[Siriel]

The young woman gracefully made her way down the streets, observing her surroundings with idle curiosity. She'd never visited a city of this size under these circumstances, and it was...unusual, though not particularly unpleasant. She hadn't fancied herself a tourist at any point before, so she welcomed the experienced, taking in the sight and the frankly obnoxious amount of people walking around. Did people really live in this place? It felt more like they were all going elsewhere.

Oh wait, those ones were running away, weren't they...

Start Point 3:

The explosion that rips through Capital City rocks the surrounding place. First Bank, near the outskirts of the city, has just been robbed! At least two dozens armed men came in, blew the vault, and emptied the place out in record time before starting to get into their getaway vehicles. Those that start here were either in the bank when it happened, or near by on the streets as they saw what happened. Law enforcement has yet to arrive at the scene, and the robbers do seem hostile as they have wounded several civilians.

The sudden noise and cries of panic were like nails on chalkboard, and she had to resist the urge to flinch away. Judging from the people's reaction, this wasn't some sort of expected occurrence. It seemed like the kind of thing that she normally wouldn't pay attention to, but given the circumstances...

"What do you think?" She turned to her fellow tourist in curiosity, reflexively deferring to his judgment on the matter. "I think I can sense some people fighting there, the locals might be handling it."

[Tami]

Ochazuke exchanged a wordless glance with her, then pulled his robes in tight and continued in silence.

She seemed hardly dressed for this weather, but then again It was plain by her appearance that she wasn't from around here either; pointed ears, and a faint change of the light in her wake as she moved. An offworlder, perhaps? Who knows.



No sooner than they had left the tavern did he hear the hinges of the door creak against their hinges. It was this that broke his silence.

"Shut the door behind you," he grumbled out behind him, "These people are freezing."

Since they were headed in the same direction anyway, Meagan simply, quietly walked alongside him but not so close as to irritate him. Humans can be so very sensitive about that sort of thing, as she had learned during her two years here.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

No sooner than they had left the tavern did he hear the hinges of the door creak against their hinges. It was this that broke his silence.

"Shut the door behind you," he grumbled out behind him, "These people are freezing."

"Huh?" Sarada heard some guy grumble something to her. Something about closing the door. Did they not automatically close whenever they were opened? She turned her head to find that, lo and behold, the door was still open. "What the hell kind of ass-backwards dump did I land on?" she griped as she walked over to and closed the door with a flick of her wrist.

"Hey!" she called out to the man behind the tavern. "What kind of food do you have around here? I'm starving." As if feeling the need to punctuate her point, her stomach roared with anticipation.

[grampagen]

Since they were headed in the same direction anyway, Meagan simply, quietly walked alongside him but not so close as to irritate him. Humans can be so very sensitive about that sort of thing, as she had learned during her two years here.

He had not offered his name, nor did he demand one from her. Two strangers stumbling - perhaps foolishly - into the wintry air. That was enough.

"Huh?" Sarada heard some guy grumble something to her. Something about closing the door. Did they not automatically close whenever they were opened? She turned her head to find that, lo and behold, the door was still open. "What the hell kind of ass-backwards dump did I land on?" she griped as she walked over to and closed the door with a flick of her wrist.

"Hey!" she called out to the man behind the tavern. "What kind of food do you have around here? I'm starving." As if feeling the need to punctuate her point, her stomach roared with anticipation.

"You'll find plenty of that indoors," he replied tersely, "they're good people who will take care of you. They say around the frozen lake, that's where danger is, no place for the lost or starving."

[Noldere]

Start Point 3:

The explosion that rips through Capital City rocks the surrounding place. First Bank, near the outskirts of the city, has just been robbed! At least two dozens armed men came in, blew the vault, and emptied the place out in record time before starting to get into their getaway vehicles. Those that start here were either in the bank when it happened, or near by on the streets as they saw what happened. Law enforcement has yet to arrive at the scene, and the robbers do seem hostile as they have wounded several civilians.

"That... can't possibly be good," Kai spoke as the literally explosive disruption drew his immediate attention. Far too loud to be dismissed as some mere celebratory gesture- not that, according to what information he possessed, there were any celebrations to be had on this day- the large boom clearly was a sign of something wrong. As he cautiously yet rapidly made his way towards the apparent source of the noise, he hoped that the cause was merely an accident rather than part of the progression of some sinister plot.

The sounds of gunfire immediately after what was likely an explosion almost immediately dashed those hopes.

Remembering that up ahead was a bank, Kai internally facepalmed.

Seriously? A bank robbery? Who still does that? And to go at it the hard way, too?

Somehow, Kai managed to hold his sigh in as he made his way towards the disturbance presumably going on at the other side of the building some distance in front of him.

The man side steps her punch at the last minute and instead clubs her over the head with his gun. As he does so, he gestures and the three other thieves hop in the armoured hover and start powering its guns up.

Meanwhile, Shiro’s barrier is just powerful enough, but the grenade does cause some minor damage around her and
leaves a loud ringing in her ears.

Midori barely brought her right arm up in time to block the butt of the gun from striking her on top of the head. She knew it wouldn't do any serious damage, but it'd still hurt something fierce and she'd rather not deal with the pain right now. As she blocked it with her right arm, she decided to snap a kick toward his knee to knock him offbalance.

Meanwhile, Shiro scowled as she fought down the disruption in her equilibrium from the grenade explosion and turned to look toward the armored hover. Her eyes widened in shock as its weapons began powering up, preparing to blast her since the man she believed to be their leader would be in danger if they targeted Midori. Of course, the possibility of them targeting Midori anyways regardless of their partner's location. Scowl deepening, Shiro narrowed her eyes, trying her best to lock on to the weapons as she raised her right hand, pointing her index finger at them.

"Shiro finga bimu!" Shiro said, firing several small yet powerful white energy beams from her index finger at the weapons to disable them before they could fire.

Definitely not good.

Rounding the corner of the bank, two girls(?) seemed to be in an altercation of sorts with a rather alarmingly armed group. It didn't take a genius to realize that, at the very least, the latter didn't have good intentions.

As Kai drew closer, he attempts to first remotely disable the armored hover's weapons, and then- once close enough- move the apparent thieves away from their vehicle.

[Ptrvc]

He had not offered his name, nor did he demand one from her. Two strangers stumbling - perhaps foolishly - into the wintry air. That was enough.

A third stranger walking much more easily through the wintery environment came up behind him.

"I'm glad to see I will not be alone on this little search and rescue," he said with a touch of his forelock, "Name's Jack, by the by."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"You'll find plenty of that indoors," he replied tersely, "they're good people who will take care of you."

What crawled up this guy's ass? The way he was acting, it was like a clorfor took a dump in his breakfast buffet. Heh. It was actually kind of funny. Not enough to actually bother laughing. As for the people inside, as long as they kept the food coming at a steady clip until she was good and full, there wouldn't be any problems. If not, well, the population of this dump was about to take a hit.

They say around the frozen lake, that's where DANGERis, no place for the lost or starving.

She was about to retake her seat when she heard that the man was still talking. Why, she had no idea. She was about to tell him to get lost when he spoke of danger. "Did you say danger?" Danger usually led to a fight. Fighting that was typically to the death. "Where's this frozen lake? Take me there."

[grampagen]

A third stranger walking much more easily through the wintery environment came up behind him.

"I'm glad to see I will not be alone on this little search and rescue," he said with a touch of his forelock, "Name's Jack, by the by."

"Mm."

As he continued to walk, it seemed that each step pressed into the wind. That's the weight of the cold.

The way Jack seemed to move unencumbered by the frozen pressure caught his notice.

"You seem rather familiar with this place..."

He stopped short. The harsh air, though it sharpened the thoughts of a mind seeking the clarity of isolation, made speaking them a little difficult.

What crawled up this guy's ass? The way he was acting, it was like a clorfor took a dump in his breakfast buffet. Heh. It was actually kind of funny. Not enough to actually bother laughing. As for the people inside, as long as they kept the food coming at a steady clip until she was good and full, there wouldn't be any problems. If not, well, the population of this dump was about to take a hit.

She was about to retake her seat when she heard that the man was still talking. Why, she had no idea. She was about to tell him to get lost when he spoke of danger. "Did you say danger?" Danger usually led to a fight. Fighting that was typically to the death. "Where's this frozen lake? Take me there."

He kept walking, pressing into each step, crunching frost and powder underfoot as if the labour of it would somehow bring him closer to the matter at hand.

Then he heard that kid's voice behind him.

Here comes another one.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

He kept walking, pressing into each step, crunching frost and powder underfoot as if the labour of it would somehow bring him closer to the matter at hand.

Then he heard that kid's voice behind him.

Here comes another one.

The guy kept walking. "Tch."

She was at a cross-roads. Would she wait for the cretins on the inside to prepare her very, very lengthy food order, or would she press onward into battle to begin her training right away?

You're going to have to wait a while, stomach, she thought, patting her abdomen. Her body toward and strode in the same direction as the man and the other two people who were following after him. Whatever this danger was, it must have been important if this many people were heading toward it. She hoped so, anyway.

[Ptrvc]

"Mm."

As he continued to walk, it seemed that each step pressed into the wind. That's the weight of the cold.

The way Jack seemed to move unencumbered by the frozen pressure caught his notice.

"You seem rather familiar with this place..."

"Yeah quite familiar...er...not with this place as such" Jack, "With the cold though, I am quite familar, spent my whole life on this backwater continent. Cold's like anything else, not so bad once you get use to it."

[Ptrvc]

The guy kept walking. "Tch."

She was at a cross-roads. Would she wait for the cretins on the inside to prepare her very, very lengthy food order, or would she press onward into battle to begin her training right away?

You're going to have to wait a while, stomach, she thought, patting her abdomen. Her body toward and strode in the same direction as the man and the other two people who were following after him. Whatever this danger was, it must have been important if this many people were heading toward it. She hoped so, anyway.

"Hey kid," Jack called out after her before tossing her the long coat he had been wearing a few minutes earlier. "Put this on before you freeze."

"I'm honestly quite surprised to see you so far north wearing yonder getup," he said as he turned back to continue walking. "How did you get this far North wearing something like that?"

[Miburo]

He spots Jinzi easily enough, conversing with two men, one seemingly bowing a lot and the other performing tricks for some kids.

The game begins in earnest.

Held suppressed a smile as he found the man he was looking for.

Jinzi Pantaloon, the richest man on earth. Held hadn't done the research, but he wouldn't be surprised if he was worth mentioning, even among the more advanced of the extra-terrestrial races.

Putting aside all the would be space dictators, and ravagers of worlds, of course. There was likely only so much a man can do while not being a complete cad. Which, Held wasn't entirely certain Jinzi wasn't, but the Navadian preferred to bet on the positive side of things.

He glanced at the two beings occupying the attention of the illustrious man.

One was.....

Held looked closer at the one bowing.

And bowing.

Bowing.....

Profusely bowing, even.

A fan of some sort? An admirer even?

The other one next to him, seemed less interested in the man himself, and more interested in amusing the kids around. A performer?

It made little difference. If anything, it made the approach somewhat easier. A stepping stone, so to speak.

"Is this where the meet and greet is?" Held asked the one who couldn't stop bowing, "I didn't really believe the rumors myself, but here we are, and there he is, eh?"

It would have been a bit much to just walk right up to him, I suppose...

"I have to say, Mr. Pantaloons, it's an honor to meet you, but it is sort of surprising." He said with a smile, turning his attention fully upon the man, "The tabloids gave the impression you weren't really the festive type, to put it mildly."

[grampagen]

"Yeah quite familiar...er...not with this place as such" Jack, "With the cold though, I am quite familar, spent my whole life on this backwater continent. Cold's like anything else, not so bad once you get use to it."

"For the girl Rose's sake, I should hope so," he said, the brief pause of his speech betraying the toll of the biting air with each inhalation.

If the girl was not simply a fool, then he silently hoped she would have a survivor's desperation. That might be the only chance they'd have to find her.

Stuck with a bundle of people, the child's reason for departing again brought his mind to food, much to his chagrin.

"The Cask Winterberry must be something special if she thought she could feed the village with it," he mused.