Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Meagan stepped in a little closer to get a good look the image, "How does a Guardian get these powers? Who gives it to them?"

“In the Lookout there is a room. One who seeks this mantle goes to the room and is judged by spirits of former guardians. If worthy, the power is granted to them.”

[Tami]

“In the Lookout there is a room. One who seeks this mantle goes to the room and is judged by spirits of former guardians. If worthy, the power is granted to them.”

Her eyes went wide, "Do you think that there is a room like that in Iris' Temple?"

[Lord Falcon]

"Well your gonna be a right pain in my ass....But if what yer saying is true, would be a offence to cause a ruckus, and ma momma didn't teach me to be no ruckus maker." He directed a his pointer finger the the albino sticking her head out by Ashas side. "You hear me ye little night terror......don't go considering this over. Momma also taught me to pay back yer dues....and I got'a whole lot owed."

With that, the man let out a sigh and stretched his arms. "So.....This here's Kamis place? And yer handpicked heroes eh.........Ahhh, Names Cornelius Cohb." The man spit into his right hand and offered it to Asha to shake. "Apologies fer my tude....Livin on a garbage heap for years almost made me ferget ma manners."

Asha'rah straightened her posture. This Cornelius appeared earnest enough, and if anything his acknowledgement of his continued grudge made him more trustworthy in the now. She reached out to shake his hand. Her voice held notes of her usual gentle warmth, but there was a firmness beneath it.

"Greetings, Mr Cohb. I am Asha'rah. My condolences on the weight of time you have lost, but it is also a bit of a puzzle. Erosa, the lady behind me, is a familiar born but two months ago."

Jinzi walks over.

“What’s......what’s going on here?”

"Mr. Pantaloon," Asha'rah said, nodding a welcoming greeting, "this is Cornelius Cohb. He claims to have been eaten by Erosa years ago. But Erosa came into being about two months ago, and she claims no memory of him."

[grampagen]

“That is quite accurate, Ochazuke.”

Her curt reply was to the point. A plain mortal's admission, made without remorse. Desperation.

Where he broke with Kami, however, was not in the end she pursued. The world would keep turning and she, as long as light flickered in her soul, would continue to look down on the globe as was her self-made charge in the absence of her fallen predecessor. It was a compromise that had his attentions and brought them all to the lookout.

But crafting lives in the manner she had revealed, what worth was there in living a life in this sort of world she was saving?

If someone possesses that much control of you, then you are not alive.

“Now then, my duties as Guardian.”

She gestures and before her an image of the Earth appears.

“Some prior Kami have taken their roles in different directions. Some took advisory roles to Earth’s leaders, some took an active hand in protecting people from natural disasters, and a few stepped back and merely worked as chroniclers of Earth’s history. They would observe only and never interfere.”

“I try to act as an early warning system myself, instead of embracing a single one. I monitor for possible invasion from here through this sphere, I observe global weather patterns and if something gets too nasty I try to warn people. If something goes disasterous, something slips passed my vision, I investigate it like what happened to Anvil City. Rarely, but it does happen, I have trained a few brave souls that have made their way here and sight wisdom or martial prowess.”

And in desperate times, perhaps there is not a moment to idle.

In the face of great need, to the rhythm of stolen life, a diminished immortal soul simply...runs out of time. Inhaling deeply, Ochazuke loosed a small sigh.

On the night his master struck him down, when the Tiger School fell and died, Ochazuke fanned the flames of his fading life and pulled himself out of shadow. If Kami had her eyes everywhere, then she knew, and the cup of her favour had passed from him. No pluck upon the strings of fate. No grand designs. He found only himself in that moment, succumb to bloody mortal designs, and stole away time enough to watch somebody else die. It was just them, only them.

It was a bitter comfort, knowing he lived in the consequences of his actions alone. The Guardian had her reasons and designs, and she spoke to them. But she was only the latest in the line of successions.

"...and Fife? What was his method? How did he seek to save this planet that even now he continues to strike at our world below?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Her eyes went wide, "Do you think that there is a room like that in Iris' Temple?"

"Very likely, yes."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“In the Lookout there is a room. One who seeks this mantle goes to the room and is judged by spirits of former guardians. If worthy, the power is granted to them.”

"Was one of us nudged here, to replace you?" Ishtar asked, curiously. It seemed an appropriate question given the conversation, and knowing now that the woman was in need of such a thing ... uncomfortable as she still was with the revelations so far, it did raise the question.

[The Dog]

Asha'rah straightened her posture. This Cornelius appeared earnest enough, and if anything his acknowledgement of his continued grudge made him more trustworthy in the now. She reached out to shake his hand. Her voice held notes of her usual gentle warmth, but there was a firmness beneath it.

"Greetings, Mr Cohb. I am Asha'rah. My condolences on the weight of time you have lost, but it is also a bit of a puzzle. Erosa, the lady behind me, is a familiar born but two months ago."

Jinzi walks over.

“What’s......what’s going on here?”

"Mr. Pantaloon," Asha'rah said, nodding a welcoming greeting, "this is Cornelius Cohb. He claims to have been eaten by Erosa years ago. But Erosa came into being about two months ago, and she claims no memory of him."

Midori looked to both Mr. Cohb and Mr. Pantaloons, pointed to Asha'rah, and said "To both of you, what she said."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah straightened her posture. This Cornelius appeared earnest enough, and if anything his acknowledgement of his continued grudge made him more trustworthy in the now. She reached out to shake his hand. Her voice held notes of her usual gentle warmth, but there was a firmness beneath it.

"Greetings, Mr Cohb. I am Asha'rah. My condolences on the weight of time you have lost, but it is also a bit of a puzzle. Erosa, the lady behind me, is a familiar born but two months ago."



"Mr. Pantaloon," Asha'rah said, nodding a welcoming greeting, "this is Cornelius Cohb. He claims to have been eaten by Erosa years ago. But Erosa came into being about two months ago, and she claims no memory of him."

"Oh. Well, that's horrifyingly terrible in all possible ways. Has she eaten anyone else?"

[The Dog]

“In the Lookout there is a room. One who seeks this mantle goes to the room and is judged by spirits of former guardians. If worthy, the power is granted to them.”

Midori and Shiro frowned in thought at that, thoughts of their creator's actions pushed to the back of their minds as Midori asked "Could anyone be judged worthy of becoming the new guardian, including a purely mechanical being like us?"

"But what happens to those whom are judged unworthy?" Shiro added.

[The Dog]

"Oh. Well, that's horrifyingly terrible in all possible ways. Has she eaten anyone else?"

Midori turned to Erosa with a worried look and asked "Have you eaten anyone else, Erosa?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Her curt reply was to the point. A plain mortal's admission, made without remorse. Desperation.

Where he broke with Kami, however, was not in the end she pursued. The world would keep turning and she, as long as light flickered in her soul, would continue to look down on the globe as was her self-made charge in the absence of her fallen predecessor. It was a compromise that had his attentions and brought them all to the lookout.

But crafting lives in the manner she had revealed, what worth was there in living a life in this sort of world she was saving?

If someone possesses that much control of you, then you are not alive.



And in desperate times, perhaps there is not a moment to idle.

In the face of great need, to the rhythm of stolen life, a diminished immortal soul simply...runs out of time. Inhaling deeply, Ochazuke loosed a small sigh.

On the night his master struck him down, when the Tiger School fell and died, Ochazuke fanned the flames of his fading life and pulled himself out of shadow. If Kami had her eyes everywhere, then she knew, and the cup of her favour had passed from him. No pluck upon the strings of fate. No grand designs. He found only himself in that moment, succumb to bloody mortal designs, and stole away time enough to watch somebody else die. It was just them, only them.

It was a bitter comfort, knowing he lived in the consequences of his actions alone. The Guardian had her reasons and designs, and she spoke to them. But she was only the latest in the line of successions.

"...and Fife? What was his method? How did he seek to save this planet that even now he continues to strike at our world below?"

"He grew bitter. He saw only humanities darkness instead of their potential. He decided that he would not protect from the shadows, but instead rule in the light. So he sought to control the world, to bring it under his rule and in his image. He started taking a more active hand in the politics and armed conflicts across the world, and finally simply became their cause."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Was one of us nudged here, to replace you?" Ishtar asked, curiously. It seemed an appropriate question given the conversation, and knowing now that the woman was in need of such a thing ... uncomfortable as she still was with the revelations so far, it did raise the question.

"In a way, yes. I did seek out a replacement. However, it seems something beyond me had plans, for a perfect candidate was brought here without my meddling."

Her eyes turn slightly and look upon Ronin Kai before cutting back to Ishtar.

"He dislikes the idea, but he has already begun to understand there could be little better choice."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Midori and Shiro frowned in thought at that, thoughts of their creator's actions pushed to the back of their minds as Midori asked "Could anyone be judged worthy of becoming the new guardian, including a purely mechanical being like us?"

"But what happens to those whom are judged unworthy?" Shiro added.

"I don't see why not. Human, non-human, male or female, any can become the Guardian. To those unworthy, one of two things., If they are evil intended, the spirits attempt to slay them. If they are simply not up to the task, then nothing happens and they must leave the room."

[grampagen]

"He grew bitter. He saw only humanities darkness instead of their potential. He decided that he would not protect from the shadows, but instead rule in the light. So he sought to control the world, to bring it under his rule and in his image. He started taking a more active hand in the politics and armed conflicts across the world, and finally simply became their cause."

"I don't see why not. Human, non-human, male or female, any can become the Guardian. To those unworthy, one of two things., If they are evil intended, the spirits attempt to slay them. If they are simply not up to the task, then nothing happens and they must leave the room."

"The past Guardians also thought Fife was worthy. So what about your insurrection," Ochazuke pressed, he chuckled "their judgment is suspect if he was rejected and felled by the very duty imposed upon him."

[Ptrvc]

"I don't see why not. Human, non-human, male or female, any can become the Guardian. To those unworthy, one of two things., If they are evil intended, the spirits attempt to slay them. If they are simply not up to the task, then nothing happens and they must leave the room."

Jack looked at Shasheem. Then towards were he presumed the room to be.

Then back at Shasheem.

"Slay evil, huh?"