Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sarada had been about to mention their portal technology, but thankfully Jinzi interjected with the idea of an outpost. It was a fine idea, and one she was thankful came up as it allowed her to keep the portals to herself.

"Ah, an outpost is a fine idea." It would shorten the response time, as Jinzi said, which was the most important thing. "I'll need some time to measure our resources for the economic aspect of this. When I have all that ready to present to you, I'll be back with the official proposal."

“Of course, of course. I happily await your official proposal, but let this be the first step to a productive and powerful alliance, Queen Sarada.”

He holds his hand out to shake, cap dipping down to shadow his face even as his eyes seem to eerily glow.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar had watched the discourse between Ochazuke, and Zaofan with a vague interest, a thing that had faded when the musings on the belief in higher powers entered the equation. Despite the Chef's words, after all, the Oni knew better. So instead she planned her next moves. So when it was that her grim brother-in-arms finally deigned to address her fully ... she nearly missed it.



"Hm ?" A bit late ... this response of his.

Though as the adage went, 'better late than never'.

The golden-eyed Oni offered Anula a glance, before setting her eyes back on Ochazuke. "She now wanders now, a little more free than she was before, free from the direct influence of a false God."

The Oni glanced down then, at the eye upon her arm.

"Our compact was a simple one. Knowledge of him. Knowledge of his 'chosen'. Knowledge of his magic -- on offer from Anula -- in the hopes that I would learn his 'truth' ... this canon ... and come to love him." There came a chuckle, after the last word offered, before Ishtar saw fit to continue. "Yet he thought himself clever when he wiped the mind of his vessel. In the end however, all he did was reveal himself a fool; and confirm his canon is nothing but lies to cover over cowardice ... to say nothing of the fact that the terms of the compact have been broken; so now, at best, his grip is tenuous. The soul affixed to in possession of the strength to shut out his influence, besides."

The Oni held her arm up, the mark clearly visible for Ochazuke to see.

"... and a soul in possession of a spell to find the hidden, provided I have something from them ... Like his essence."

As she speaks, a faint whisper only she can hear seems to trickle through her mind.

‘Are you so sure?’

Her brand seems to pulse and..grow? Just a minute amount, but she can feel her skin as it moves as the mark expands ever so slightly.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

" she's probably walking around the Lookout." " also have you ever herd of a herb called Juppter." " it's a hybrid herb genetical engineered from a combination of certain herbs from various planets. " " it's only legal in nine star systems and is illegal pretty much everywhere else."

" it's psychoactive drug that alters brain function to give a sense of relief." "it's not the deadliest space drug out there and isn't at all harmful physically if eating. " "the stuff is however harmful if smoke since the smoke itself is harmful to breath in even for us Toadians who basically breath though our skin. " "Chronic users of the stuff have dilated bloodshot eyes and a unusually strong desire for food.

" the drug itself doesn't actually fix stress it only masks the underlying problem." " making it not a ideal permitted solution for stress. "

“I have heard of it. Why do you ask?”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Of course, of course. I happily await your official proposal, but let this be the first step to a productive and powerful alliance, Queen Sarada.”

He holds his hand out to shake, cap dipping down to shadow his face even as his eyes seem to eerily glow.

"As do I, President Grinthorn." Her smile was bright and hopeful, but inwardly, her skin was crawling at how unnerving seemingly everything this human did was. There was nothing about him that was normal.

As she shook his hand firmly again, she noticed how his eyes were glowing. She first noticed it when he addressed the Arcosian lieutenant. It was weird then, and it was weird now.

Not to say she hadn't encountered glowing before -- her own did before she transformed -- but this...

She decided to stay, if only to one) have a look at this planetary defense system the Arcosian was selling, and two) talk to Jinzi more in depth about the man sitting across from her.

There was a reason Jinzi was so tense around him, and she would know it.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"As do I, President Grinthorn." Her smile was bright and hopeful, but inwardly, her skin was crawling at how unnerving seemingly everything this human did was. There was nothing about him that was normal.

As she shook his hand firmly again, she noticed how his eyes were glowing. She first noticed it when he addressed the Arcosian lieutenant. It was weird then, and it was weird now.

Not to say she hadn't encountered glowing before -- her own did before she transformed -- but this...

She decided to stay, if only to one) have a look at this planetary defense system the Arcosian was selling, and two) talk to Jinzi more in depth about the man sitting across from her.

There was a reason Jinzi was so tense around him, and she would know it.

Something in his touch, even through gloved hands, sends a chill through her blood. His smile is shark like, predatory in a way that Sarada has never seen before. His eyes, his face, his nature makes it all too clear he knows far more about her then she does about him, and he likes it that way.

The hand shake ends and he goes back to talking ro Blizzar. Jinzi glances at her and nods, as if saying ‘you felt it too’.

[KingofPie]

He smiles widely, teeth white as his cap dips down a bit, his face hidden in shadow but his eyes still alite.

“Please do so.”

"Of course..." Blizzar noted, hoping that he would not begin to sweat. This was not a place where he wanted to show any weakness. The Arcosian snapped his fingers as two drones and eventually....his two drones flew in, displaying the Blueprints for his the Galaxy Police's planetary defence system.

"To say it succinctly, the GP would like to deploy hundreds of thousands of these drones. They form a planetary defense grid around the planet and have immense offensive capabilities and an extensive database, both of which constantly update to keep aware of the current intergalactic threats as well as defend against them," Blizzar had begun to explain.

"And on the Earth itaelf, we will deploy a series of robotic warriors. Each built with an allow meant to resist magic and siphoning capable of absorbing energy attacks. Currently our scientists are working on a way to refurbish their alloy woth a metal that goes even beyond Katchin," he continued, letting the Earth's leader take a further look at the blueprints. "Does any of this sound...satisfactory?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Something in his touch, even through gloved hands, sends a chill through her blood. His smile is shark like, predatory in a way that Sarada has never seen before. His eyes, his face, his nature makes it all too clear he knows far more about her then she does about him, and he likes it that way.

The hand shake ends and he goes back to talking ro Blizzar. Jinzi glances at her and nods, as if saying ‘you felt it too’.

What... is wrong with this guy?!

None of this felt right. From the chill that ran through her very blood when their hands shook the second time, to the way he was looking at her in a way that screamed that he knew more about her than he had any right to, Sarada was certain she had made a mistake meeting him face to face. The meeting had gone well, sure, but it left her feeling that something wrong was going to happen here and that this man was going to be at the center of it.

When he thankfully went back to talking to the Arcosian, she glanced at Jinzi. So, he felt it also.

"Excuse me, Mr. President. I need to use the restroom. Jinzi, you mind showing me the way?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Of course..." Blizzar noted, hoping that he would not begin to sweat. This was not a place where he wanted to show any weakness. The Arcosian snapped his fingers as two drones and eventually....his two drones flew in, displaying the Blueprints for his the Galaxy Police's planetary defence system.

"To say it succinctly, the GP would like to deploy hundreds of thousands of these drones. They form a planetary defense grid around the planet and have immense offensive capabilities and an extensive database, both of which constantly update to keep aware of the current intergalactic threats as well as defend against them," Blizzar had begun to explain.

"And on the Earth itaelf, we will deploy a series of robotic warriors. Each built with an allow meant to resist magic and siphoning capable of absorbing energy attacks. Currently our scientists are working on a way to refurbish their alloy woth a metal that goes even beyond Katchin," he continued, letting the Earth's leader take a further look at the blueprints. "Does any of this sound...satisfactory?"

“Intriguing. What equivalent is their firepower? GP cruiser level?”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

What... is wrong with this guy?!

None of this felt right. From the chill that ran through her very blood when their hands shook the second time, to the way he was looking at her in a way that screamed that he knew more about her than he had any right to, Sarada was certain she had made a mistake meeting him face to face. The meeting had gone well, sure, but it left her feeling that something wrong was going to happen here and that this man was going to be at the center of it.

When he thankfully went back to talking to the Arcosian, she glanced at Jinzi. So, he felt it also.

"Excuse me, Mr. President. I need to use the restroom. Jinzi, you mind showing me the way?"

“Of course.”

Jinzi stands up after Grinthorn nods to her, and the two leave. Jinzi leads her towards the restrooms on the same floor, on the other side of the building.

[KingofPie]

“Intriguing. What equivalent is their firepower? GP cruiser level?”

"Cruisers heh...." Blizzar couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "They were at first, but we want to scare off threats not make them laugh. As of now, we're talking dreadnought class. Enough firepower to destroy a moon...not that that would be neccesary."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Cruisers heh...." Blizzar couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "They were at first, but we want to scare off threats not make them laugh. As of now, we're talking dreadnought class. Enough firepower to destroy a moon...not that that would be neccesary."

For the first time Grinthorn seems surprised.

“Impressive. Who controls them? Could a skilled hacker like Pantaloon get in and turn them against the Earth?”

[KingofPie]

For the first time Grinthorn seems surprised.

“Impressive. Who controls them? Could a skilled hacker like Pantaloon get in and turn them against the Earth?”

"Not at all," Blizzar shook his head. "Pantaloon is of course a gifted inventor, but these drones constantly update their processors, always getting a one up on the hackers. They are designed for one job and one job only...to dispense justice to intergalactic level threats and they will do so with precision and dignity. Furthermore, only members of the Galaxy Police are provided with the override codes, which change every three days. These codes are of course a last resort."

Blizzar took a look at one of the blueprints, pointing to it before continuing on, "As for the robotic sentries, there's a sort of mystical cortex...forgive my lack of knowledge in these matters but I am told that their A.I, so to speak is impentrable. More golem than proper robot. Of course the GP has emergency access codes of a sort for them as well."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Of course.”

Jinzi stands up after Grinthorn nods to her, and the two leave. Jinzi leads her towards the restrooms on the same floor, on the other side of the building.

As they walked, Sarada let out the sigh she had been holding in since the meeting began. "You know, you humans never cease to amaze me. I would have thought the ones I'm familiar with were the only ones that were special in some way."

She wasn't sure what kind of surveillance the building had or if Grinthorn would have been capable of listening in, but she wasn't taking any chances.

[Cyke]

"AHHHHHH!!"

The pie was good.

No. The pie was better than good. It was... without doubt, the most delicious dessert she had ever eaten. How had she ever gone this long without having ever tasted it? She wasn't sure, but Parsley was secretly so glad she had met Zaofan. He was her favorite human.

She wiped her face clean of cherry filling and crust, then tossed the pie container away. She needed to confront Zaofan, to thank him for being such a fine chef. She sensed that he was still on the Lookout, so she hurried out to the Plaza to find him.

"ZAOFAN," she called out. Her face was set in the usual Saiyan expression.

Parsley's voice trembles through the Lookout, or at least in a way that makes Zaofan's heart drop just a little. "Oh no. Now what?" he asks. He turns to head in the direction of the voice, but just as he completes his 180, he sees her standing right there, much closer and much more in the vicinity than he thought. And he is ...worried.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Parsley's voice trembles through the Lookout, or at least in a way that makes Zaofan's heart drop just a little. "Oh no. Now what?" he asks. He turns to head in the direction of the voice, but just as he completes his 180, he sees her standing right there, much closer and much more in the vicinity than he thought. And he is ...worried.

Ah, there he was. Parsley stepped to him, coming to within a foot of him. She then punched him in the arm. "Thar cherry pie you made was delicious, " she commended we with a rare genuine smile. "You'll make more, right?"