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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Time stones. Bits and pieces of condensed time.”

That must have been what he wanted from Zurvan. Somehow, he managed to steal... time... from Zurvan, and somehow condensed it into these time stones.

Sarada had no fucking clue how the Doctor managed to accomplish such a feat of sheer impossibility, but he was a Jinzi Pantaloon, and she learned long ago never to underestimate him.

"Okay," she responded, speaking slowly to give herself more time to understand. "So, that's what he wanted from Zurvan. Fine. Do you have any idea where he keeps these stones if he doesn't always have them on him, and how many there are?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“The lab? Nah, was in a holding cell most of the time. What little I saw was some sort of ancient hangar. Bunch of old ships. Only thing I ever saw him carry was his cane and the time stones when he’d use them.”

Ishtar chimes in at this point, to ask.

"He used the stones on you then, I presume ?"

[MrSandman]

“Time stones. Bits and pieces of condensed time.”

Like a cat that just heard the shake of a treat bag, Etrina ears perked up.

That must have been what he wanted from Zurvan. Somehow, he managed to steal... time... from Zurvan, and somehow condensed it into these time stones.

Sarada had no fucking clue how the Doctor managed to accomplish such a feat of sheer impossibility, but he was a Jinzi Pantaloon, and she learned long ago never to underestimate him.

"Okay," she responded, speaking slowly to give herself more time to understand. "So, that's what he wanted from Zurvan. Fine. Do you have any idea where he keeps these stones if he doesn't always have them on him, and how many there are?"

"Yes, all of those questions seconded." Etrina was front row before anyone could blink.

[KingofPie]

Ishtar quirked an eyebrow but remained silent until Blizzar finished.

He certainly was a persistent one.

Whatever it was he wished to offer up to try and win her to his side however must have been good. After all, it was [Redacted] she was talking about ... nothing short of [Redacted] would be enough to get her to even consider it.

"We will see, I suppose. Let us hope it is more than just money." The golden-eyed Oni finally responded with. As for the matter of the donuts ?

"I have never had donuts before today," Ishtar explained. "For the longest time I required only water to survive ... but I find myself far more fond of actual food, in recent months."

Potentially due to Sarada's influence ... or at the very least a side effect of her changing body, and the drain her surging power level exacted. Water simply wasn't enough anymore.

"Ah, I see," Blizzar nodded, unaware if this her previous water-only diet was self imposed fasting or simply oni physiology making it unnecessary for then to consume food. Either way, a useful tidbit of information. But now, for a more pressing matter...

“Time stones. Bits and pieces of condensed time.”

Like a cat that just heard the shake of a treat bag, Etrina ears perked up.

"Yes, all of those questions seconded." Etrina was front row before anyone could blink.

"More importantly, is it possible to return these stones to where they belong..." Blizzar stated stepping forward, giving a quizzical look at Etrina due to her excitement of such dangerous artifacts.

[Tami]

After some time, despite everything else he ate, he could still taste that soup. After a while, he was no longer convinced it had simply been chicken noodle soup. There was something strange, but not unpleasant to the taste. Then came the sudden course of power that began to surge, causing him to lean too far back in surprise and crash onto the floor.

"Oof! The hell was that?!"

Cyanna jumped out of her chair and went to him, "Charco, are you alright?"

[Tami]

“Time stones. Bits and pieces of condensed time.”

Meagan puzzled over this, "I can understand stealing energy, but time...." she thought on this, "Time as a dimension of space or as a chronoton, a sub-atomic particle, or time as an aspect of magical energy. If these Time Stones are made of condensed energy, then it should be possible to track it. If that is the case, if one is on Earth, I should be able to locate it."

"Question is, do the stones emit an energy signature?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

That must have been what he wanted from Zurvan. Somehow, he managed to steal... time... from Zurvan, and somehow condensed it into these time stones.

Sarada had no fucking clue how the Doctor managed to accomplish such a feat of sheer impossibility, but he was a Jinzi Pantaloon, and she learned long ago never to underestimate him.

"Okay," she responded, speaking slowly to give herself more time to understand. "So, that's what he wanted from Zurvan. Fine. Do you have any idea where he keeps these stones if he doesn't always have them on him, and how many there are?"

“Funny thing, he always seems to have them. Top of his cane, I only ever saw him replace it once but that’s where he uses them.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar chimes in at this point, to ask.

"He used the stones on you then, I presume ?"

Alt Zaofan nods.

“Was patrolling with my deputy, Charco, when a shimmer appeared in the air around me. In an instant I was gone and in a holding cell. From what I gathered he uses the stones, one time use each, to cherry pick moments to go back to and...acquire goods.”

[Tami]

“Funny thing, he always seems to have them. Top of his cane, I only ever saw him replace it once but that’s where he uses them.”

"So he must have a stash of them if he switches them out. Do you know where his base is?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Funny thing, he always seems to have them. Top of his cane, I only ever saw him replace it once but that’s where he uses them.”

"Okay. So retrieve the times stones off the list of potential plans." If he always had them on his person, then stealing them from under him was impossible. Even if they managed to take him by surprise and corner him, he could use them to jump through time and escape.

Damn it! There had to be something they could do; something that could give them an edge. But what?

Hm.

"Hey," she said to no one in particular, "would it be possible for us to create our own time stones? If the Doctor could do it, it shouldn't be outside of our Jinzi's capabilities."

What they could do from there, well she hadn't thought that far ahead yet. They just needed some kind of way to combat him.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Alt Zaofan nods.

“Was patrolling with my deputy, Charco, when a shimmer appeared in the air around me. In an instant I was gone and in a holding cell. From what I gathered he uses the stones, one time use each, to cherry pick moments to go back to and...acquire goods.”

Ishtar considers something for a long moment before approaching.

"How long ago would you say ? Also, I presume he used one to bring you here ?" The golden-eyed Oni muttered as she approached. "If it was not too long ago there might be a taste of it left on you ... hm. I wonder ..."

Close enough to touch, now, Ishtar stopped short and gave the air around the Sheriff a sniff. If there was a lingering echo of Zurvan's time magic about; she'd hopefully sense it.

OT: Any luck, Cleric ?

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar considers something for a long moment before approaching.

"How long ago would you say ? Also, I presume he used one to bring you here ?" The golden-eyed Oni muttered as she approached. "If it was not too long ago there might be a taste of it left on you ... hm. I wonder ..."

Close enough to touch, now, Ishtar stopped short and gave the air around the Sheriff a sniff. If there was a lingering echo of Zurvan's time magic about; she'd hopefully sense it.

OT: Any luck, Cleric ?

There is a faint trace. Not enough to pull from but enough to recognize it as Zurvan’s.

“‘Bout two months or so.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"So he must have a stash of them if he switches them out. Do you know where his base is?"

He shakes his head.

“Never saw the outside. Never got directions. I saw all of three rooms my entire time there. My cell, the ship yard, and a kind of meeting room.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Okay. So retrieve the times stones off the list of potential plans." If he always had them on his person, then stealing them from under him was impossible. Even if they managed to take him by surprise and corner him, he could use them to jump through time and escape.

Damn it! There had to be something they could do; something that could give them an edge. But what?

Hm.

"Hey," she said to no one in particular, "would it be possible for us to create our own time stones? If the Doctor could do it, it shouldn't be outside of our Jinzi's capabilities."

What they could do from there, well she hadn't thought that far ahead yet. They just needed some kind of way to combat him.

Jinzi shakes his head.

“I literally don’t even have the first clue how to begin doing something like that. I would presume some sort of heavy duty magic is involved.”

Alt Zaofan holds a hand up.

“Ya don’t make’em. Least, he never seemed to. Always seemed to be he gathered them.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Jinzi shakes his head.

“I literally don’t even have the first clue how to begin doing something like that. I would presume some sort of heavy duty magic is involved.”

Alt Zaofan holds a hand up.

“Ya don’t make’em. Least, he never seemed to. Always seemed to be he gathered them.”

Well, hearing Jinzi sound almost certain that he couldn't make a time stone was just as expected as it was disappointing. However, hearing they were originally gathered - probably - meant they had something to work with.

"If that's the case," Sarada said with a nod to Alt-Zaofan, "then we can find some of our own. Assuming he hadn't already gathered them all."

To find them, they'd need some kind of location.

It was like trying to find the dragonballs. To make it easier, Jinzi created the dragonball radar. They just needed a time stone radar.

"Is it possible to create some kind of device that can detect time magic or whatever? Like the dragonball radar, but for magic."