Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Ptrvc]

“Yes. A good man trying to be better than he was.”

That's a very kind, and mildly dishonest way to put it. I'm a bad man trying to be better than he is, Jack grimaced, That little speech I gave Sarada was as much for my sake as hers, and honestly I think I might have convinced her to a greater degree then myself. I'd rather go to the tournament and not have to kill anyone...but on the other hand, I am good at ambushing people. As well as what comes after.

He sighed visibly.

So yeah...I'm going to go ahead and leave where I should go up to you and Jinzi. You deal the hand, and I'll play it.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

OOC: This gateway into the past is forever beyond your reach! Poor Squid Samurai!

OOC: How did you know about my extra secret training ?!

"Curiosity is the core of what spurs us to action," Ochazuke replied, "Why should Pantaloon be any different, but for the qualities he seeks to find."

Of that it remained to be seen, however, the quality of these gathered warriors, from the corners of the globe.

From beyond.

"Action. Reaction. Ever since the tide first lashed against the rock on the shore, so has everything been in flux. The interplay of elements is as fundamental to our being as it is an elusive mystery. What a thing to behold," he mused, "I am confident our host is not left wanting in terms of potential strength, if not quality of character."

Where that would lead them however was anyone's guess.

"Divided we fall, the old cliche. Perhaps Pantaloon was testing our reaction to a mutually beheld target."

Ishtar nodded.

The man made sense. In his gambit to split them apart, Mr. Pantaloon had ultimately banded them together. In the end it was true that time would tell the tale of whether or not his actions bore fruit; but one couldn't fault the man for trying something. He seemed eccentric enough to try anything, after all.

"Or perhaps he was enjoying himself. In the end I suppose such a thing matters not when the end result told more than the initial action did."

Despite the common language they used, Ochazuke was reminded in every slight oddity and every pronounced disconnect of the inhumanity in the companion he'd found. Leaning his head to one side, he heard Ishtar out.

Searching for clarity and the true meaning behind this world was at first a pursuit he'd had the impression he had in common with the oni. But this surface ripple betrayed the depth of their momentary connection. Just an echo of a movement, spanning at first, then still.

"So it's no new strength. You've been holding back your efforts, haven't you?"

Ishtar was silent a long moment.

She meant to feel this one out. Measured. Sure. This one spoke in a manner that hinted towards an understanding of self completely lacking in most of the others, and yet he was far and away younger than she would ever be. This one had potential, his path was most certainly set apart from her own and yet he seemed aware that they headed toward the same destination. Truth. Though such a thing was hard to know for sure. Time would tell, as ever.

When she finally answered, it was itself measured. Sure.

"Yes."

[grampagen]

Ishtar nodded.

The man made sense. In his gambit to split them apart, Mr. Pantaloon had ultimately banded them together. In the end it was true that time would tell the tale of whether or not his actions bore fruit; but one couldn't fault the man for trying something. He seemed eccentric enough to try anything, after all.

"Or perhaps he was enjoying himself. In the end I suppose such a thing matters not when the end result told more than the initial action did."

He smiled flatly, dark eyes never leaving the face of the oni.

"There is much work yet to be done," he grinned, "it is some small comfort to me that we both have found these facilities a means in common."

Ishtar was silent a long moment.

She meant to feel this one out. Measured. Sure. This one spoke in a manner that hinted towards an understanding of self completely lacking in most of the others, and yet he was far and away younger than she would ever be. This one had potential, his path was most certainly set apart from her own and yet he seemed aware that they headed toward the same destination. Truth. Though such a thing was hard to know for sure. Time would tell, as ever.

When she finally answered, it was itself measured. Sure.

"Yes."

"Ah."

Ochazuke was typically a man of few words. He'd found the sophistry part-and-parcel to people seeking to use others an intractable part of civilization and the animal part of human nature so slavishly obeyed. One's true intentions were borne from action, the duplicity of the tongue broke where the hand grasped.

"Then tell me, Ishtar, what truth do you hope to discover about this world without the full effort of your being?"

Withdrawn from the chatter of men, he'd found himself in the company of a true native of hell.

"Is it to bear witness? Are you, too, enjoying yourself?"

[Miburo]

"The base has three main hangers there, with the barracks across the airstrip there. The other buildings are mess hall, armory, recreation room, comm tower, etc....."

He gestures to the entire thing.


"Looks like an old, abandoned World Government base updated with more modern tech. If I had to guess, the place was scrapped and Willa found it some years ago and had her tech wipe it from the records. Probably gets a sick sense of satisfaction in having an old WG base being the place where she stages her attacks."

"If Held's radar is still true, it will be located in the central barracks location. Probably a vault or something of Willa's."

Held gave no reply at first, his eyes fixated on the picture before him.

"Well, I suppose it could worse." He said finally, pursing his lips, exhaling air through them, "Atleast we won't be looking for a needle in a haystack then."

Still, I can't think it's going to be that easy.....Still, I'd much rather risk this, then try and fight Battlesea in a straight contest....I guess Grasp was right, slacking off during training was going to bite me in the ass one day...

"That said, I can't imagine anyone would leave something that important off their person without one hell of a defense."

And to make matters worse, it's been sometime since I've done this kind of work....And even that wasn't exactly a speciality of mine....Still, enough of these, and you never forget....Although I'd probably feel more comfortable if it was a ship.

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering what had seemed like another lifetime. Vessels ambushing each other in the depths of space, jockeying for position, attempting to cripple one another to lay claim to whatever might lay inside.

On occasion, the ship itself would be the prize.

The similarities between that life, and this, brought feelings of nostalgia in the heart of the Nevadian. It also brought a small pang of sadness, remembering what he had left behind in Nevada. Friends, family, fortune.....Colleagues who were barely tolerated, who now seemed reasonable in retrospect....

Still, it was not time for such thoughts. He forced them from his mind, reflecting on the task at hand.

"I guess we should also think about what we're going to do when Willa finds out it was us, Jinzi."

He turned, looking at his first comrades, Chou, Chaun and Zaofan.

"Unless I'm giving her too much credit, if she even catches a peak of one of us, she'll probably have a good idea to come trying to look for you again..It's too much of a coincidence."

I suppose stranger things have happened, however. The four of us being on the same boat, being chosen by Kami...But even that might have been due to her influence....

He sighed, remembering Willas previous attempt to kidnap the energetic inventor.

"And she was more than willing to take you as a replacement for the Radar last time."

[Lord Falcon]

The new voice attracted Sarada's attention. It was another android... robot... person thing. One that looked oddly familiar.



"Oh, it's you. The giant thing from yesterday." She certainly looked a lot smaller, which was very much a good thing.

What she said made sense. They were all different, and came from different walks of life, so they were naturally going to have different outlooks and perspectives. Outlooks and perspectives that they deeply believed in. To argue those beliefs as if one was correct and all the others were wrong was stupid.

At least, that was what Sarada got out of it. Differences made their bonds stronger and all that bullshit.

"So, uh, yeah. I guess that makes sense. The best way to work out that friction is to punch each other in the face until we stop disagreeing," she suggested seriously. "Just get it out of our system now so it won't be a problem later."

"Some may indeed be amenable to resolving differences through a contest of arms. If you desire such with me, I would likely be willing. There is something to be said for blowing off steam." Asha'rah said, inclining her head slightly.

"That said, other cultures, other individuals will have their own methods. Negotiation, games, adjudication, mediation. In the heat of the moment, I would ask that you utilize that Saiyan mental discipline to keep an open mind."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

He smiled flatly, dark eyes never leaving the face of the oni.

"There is much work yet to be done," he grinned, "it is some small comfort to me that we both have found these facilities a means in common."

Ishtar flashed a small smile, before nodding. "There is as much worth in self-reflection as there is testing your mettle against others. I would not waste the opportunities given by our benefactor in time we have available to us."

While she may have disagreed with nature of their task- the Dragonballs nothing more to her than trinkets- she she had committed herself to aiding Kami, and so she make sure to be prepared.

"Ah."

Ochazuke was typically a man of few words. He'd found the sophistry part-and-parcel to people seeking to use others an intractable part of civilization and the animal part of human nature so slavishly obeyed. One's true intentions were borne from action, the duplicity of the tongue broke where the hand grasped.

"Then tell me, Ishtar, what truth do you hope to discover about this world without the full effort of your being?"

Withdrawn from the chatter of men, he'd found himself in the company of a true native of hell.

"Is it to bear witness? Are you, too, enjoying yourself?"

What had she hoped to discover ? Was she enjoying herself ?

The Oni went silent again. The questions needed answering, and she could not lie. An attempt could be made to obscure it, she supposed. Yet this one seemed to understand- or accept- the truth of her words easier. In the end the woman decided to speak plainly, they were ultimately allies after the same ends; and this place was far more hospitable than some places she'd be. In life, there were Hells far worse than those to be found in Death, after all. Worst case, the Oni would leave. There was perhaps but one who could stop her. Her word had been given in aid, after all.

"In self-denial I had hoped to find a retort to my former master's final lesson." The woman explained, to the point. "If I allowed myself a few centuries more, perhaps it could still be found ... For the moment however, I have found my timeline manipulated by the young guardian of this planet for a purpose ultimately insignificant to my own ends. Yet, by my own word, I have bound myself to this task until it is completed."

Ishtar shrugged, before locking eyes with Ochazuke.

"So no. I cannot say I am enjoying myself now ... but perhaps that will change soon."

[Miburo]

Kami, no longer smiling, taps her foot against the floor and a tremor of her power seems to briefly surround and fill the room, though only those causing problems feel the power beyond the tremor.

"Enough." she whispers into their minds, and it is not a happy whisper.

The Nevadian jolted back in his seat, clearly taken aback by the sudden display of power.

Even at the apparent dregs of her power, she seemed to still posses a strength that was beyond those assembled. It was nothing, if not a sobering thought for the Nevadian, considering the nature of the foe that they were up against. Kami herself could not defeat this foe by herself, and even then, it was a desperate struggle. If the previous Kami--even in it's diminshed state--was comparable, this would be a rough campaign for all involved.

"...I-I guess things were getting a bit out of hand..." He admitted, adjusting himself in his seat before clearing his throat.

[Tami]

Kami, no longer smiling, taps her foot against the floor and a tremor of her power seems to briefly surround and fill the room, though only those causing problems feel the power beyond the tremor.

"Enough." she whispers into their minds, and it is not a happy whisper.

"I will trust them in battle, beyond that they need to prove themselves to me. Still, you are right, I need to keep separate the personal from the mission. I will try harder." Meagan responded in thought to Kami's displeasure.

[Tami]

The Nevadian jolted back in his seat, clearly taken aback by the sudden display of power.

Even at the apparent dregs of her power, she seemed to still posses a strength that was beyond those assembled. It was nothing, if not a sobering thought for the Nevadian, considering the nature of the foe that they were up against. Kami herself could not defeat this foe by herself, and even then, it was a desperate struggle. If the previous Kami--even in it's diminshed state--was comparable, this would be a rough campaign for all involved.

"...I-I guess things were getting a bit out of hand..." He admitted, adjusting himself in his seat before clearing his throat.

Turning to him with a slight but sincere smile, "Perhaps that we are getting on each other's nerves is a sign that we are becoming closer to each other. At this rate, we might even be much like family one day."

[Noldere]

A brief pulse of panic flared from Koorimaru as he fixed his gaze squarely on Kai, “Let us refrain from doing anything too hasty now. In any case, we’ve already tried destroying the dragon balls in Cask, and it would appear they are invulnerable to damage.”

Hasty?

"Damage of the type and level applied, perhaps," Kai said, not noticing the flare of panic, "but even were they truly invulnerable, the other two options should still be viable, no?"

Kami, no longer smiling, taps her foot against the floor and a tremor of her power seems to briefly surround and fill the room, though only those causing problems feel the power beyond the tremor.

"Enough." she whispers into their minds, and it is not a happy whisper.

Whether by intention or otherwise, the brief tremor of Kami's power seemed to cause something deep within him to stir, if only for but an instant. That instant of discomfort, however, was more than enough for Kai.

"If you don't mind," Kai spoke as he stood up, "I believe I'll sit the rest of this meeting out. Something in the air seems to be disagreeing with me quite strongly, and I need take a bit of time to deal with it. Excuse me."

Having said that, Kai left the cafeteria.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Hasty?

"Damage of the type and level applied, perhaps," Kai said, not noticing the flare of panic, "but even were they truly invulnerable, the other two options should still be viable, no?"



Whether by intention or otherwise, the brief tremor of Kami's power seemed to cause something deep within him to stir, if only for but an instant. That instant of discomfort, however, was more than enough for Kai.

"If you don't mind," Kai spoke as he stood up, "I believe I'll sit the rest of this meeting out. Something in the air seems to be disagreeing with me quite strongly, and I need take a bit of time to deal with it. Excuse me."

Having said that, Kai left the cafeteria.

Jinzi’s voice rings out.

“I beg your pardon, but I would prefer you not. We are almost done and I would rather not have to explain this more than once.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

[Noldere]

Jinzi’s voice rings out.

“I beg your pardon, but I would prefer you not. We are almost done and I would rather not have to explain this more than once.”

"I apologize, but I'm afraid I really must insist," Kai said, pausing for a moment before adding, so only Jinzi could hear, "If necessary, I'll have someone else explain the details to me. I do have a little trick to help with hearing things outside my normal range, though, so it probably won't be necessary. Please excuse me."

[Lord Falcon]

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

To watch over a place as guardian spirit, to embody its essence as a divine being, was an exacting existence. It demanded a life of patience and restraint - Kami had the power of a deity and the discretion of a serf. Seeing Kami entrust the group with such precious knowledge was humbling. Of course, Kami was still Kami, and could put down any would be traitor. But nonetheless, she was planning for the safety of her charge, to the point of planning her own death as a last resort. Asha'rah allowed her feet to touch the floor, clasped hand over fist in front of her, and bowed respectfully.

"You are worthy."

Asha'rah had meant to thank Kami, to say something of reverence. Instead, those three words poured from her lips, compelled from a dark recess of her mind she could not see. But she made no effort to correct herself. Kami had moved her.

[KamenRaida]

OT:In case this was missed

Koorimaru frowned, "If it's in the central barracks, that means we may have a long ways to claim it. I will not lie, this does not at all seem an ideal situation to work with, but be that as it may." Koorimaru sighed, "Do we have any records of the patrol routes of the men stationed in their base?"

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

He was about to make a response to Kai's retort when Jinzi and Kami spoke.

Another complication added to the pile.

For a moment, he fixed an incredulous gaze at Kami. Was she truly giving every being here the option to end her own life? And more importantly, was she truly giving every here the option to prevent him from having his wish.

He forced away the startled expression into a snarl that shrank into a tight-lipped smile.

A last resort, surely. If any were to attempt to end her now, I will not be the only one to jump to her defence. Although... His eyes darted from Ochazuke to Adam to Charco, No, now's not the time to think about such things. None of this will come to pass so long as we can retrieve the dragon balls with minimum fuss.

"Kami, while I wish you wouldn't raise so drastic an option, I can fully understand why you would feel it necessary, and I thank you for it." Koorimaru said with forced docility, "But nevertheless, we will exhaust every resort possible to ensure that we are not forced to take this option. At the very least, I promise you, I will not let you die."

Until your part in this bargain is fulfilled.