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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Oh no. No no no no! Not again!

Zaofan knew what it was like to feel paralyzed. But this is different, and though he could feel some similarities, the actual hardening seemed much more potent than at the tournament by Marron Balon. Zaofan ceases his flight, and aims up back towards the Lookout, but difficulty focusing might not get him up in time, like a swimmer panicking to tread water. While sputtering and erratically trying to regain height, he attempts one measure: The Kiss of the Dragon, taught by Marron. A last ditch attempt, he gathers the ki necessary to paralyze nerves in its victim, but focused inward by striking his own neck, Zaofan gambles that one paralyzing force could counter, or at least slow down, another, foreign paralyzing force. At least until he could float back up to the Lookout.

But it's a gamble nonetheless.

OT:

Huh, well played.

IC:

It works. Zaofan manages to halt the stunning effect, and make it back to the Lookout. But his body is in no shape to fight right now due to the Kiss.

[Tami]

Oh no. No no no no! Not again!

Zaofan knew what it was like to feel paralyzed. But this is different, and though he could feel some similarities, the actual hardening seemed much more potent than at the tournament by Marron Balon. Zaofan ceases his flight, and aims up back towards the Lookout, but difficulty focusing might not get him up in time, like a swimmer panicking to tread water. While sputtering and erratically trying to regain height, he attempts one measure: The Kiss of the Dragon, taught by Marron. A last ditch attempt, he gathers the ki necessary to paralyze nerves in its victim, but focused inward by striking his own neck, Zaofan gambles that one paralyzing force could counter, or at least slow down, another, foreign paralyzing force. At least until he could float back up to the Lookout.

But it's a gamble nonetheless.

OT:

Huh, well played.

IC:

It works. Zaofan manages to halt the stunning effect, and make it back to the Lookout. But his body is in no shape to fight right now due to the Kiss.

Making her way to Zaofan, Meagan stays close to him, checking him out. She isn't sure if she can reverse the damage, but she wasn't going to lose another teammate.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Chris dodges Zaofan and P-sta’s attack’s, all the while Meagan feels great pain at the contact between the cloak and Banefire. Touching the weapon actively hurts the cloak and it will not be capable of holding on much longer.

Meanwhile, Ishtar sees that Banefire’s presence fights off the effects of her two spells. Their hold on Chris is weak at best.

Ishtar's eyes widened slightly when she realized that her magic found its effects muted.

Banefire resisted.

An issue if there ever was, the Oni quickly recalled her recommendation to Sarada, 'It will not work, do not attempt it', before setting about to figuring a way to get around the weapon; and with Meagan and Zaofan providing a distraction such seemed feasible enough.

Until ...

Chris staggers back, his ki drain overwhelmed and cut off suddenly. Meagan’s assault also throws him back in the defensive, barely able to keep up. A panicked look on his face as suddenly Zaofan appears and throws his concoction in his face.

Coughing, blind, and staggered back as Banefire starts replenishing his ki from it’s own power, Chris holds a hand out and shouts “Disintegrate!” as he raises Banefire up and fires blindly.

At Sarada.

Banefire barked.

Disintegrate ...

Ishtar heard the shot, yet it took a moment for her to find the target ... Sarada, and as a result Etrina found herself in the selfsame path.

No.

Over as she was, by Evangeline, Nunlil, and Kai, the golden-eyed Oni was too far away to intercept. Even if she tapped into that familiar Wrath that was now beating its drum- and call to war- at the periphery of her vision; Ishtar knew she would be too slow. Perhaps ... the Oni's eye widened once more. There was a chance, there was not much time however, all she would need to do was ...

Time stills almost as the crackling black bullet arcs towards the wounded Sarada. No one is close enough, save Etrina, to stop it.

No one but Jack.

In a swirl of ki and a muttered “Joker’s Wild” Jack appears and tackles the two girls down, taking the bullet in his shoulder and howling as it vanishes upon touching him.

Looking at Sarada, he smiles weakly.

“See ya around, spacegirl.”

And then Jack Knave disappears, his body simply breaking apart and vanishing into nothingness.

There was a blur of motion as both Etrina, and Sarada were knocked away, then. Unable do anything but watch now, however, Ishtar watched as that fire from Banefire struck true; disappearing into the shoulder of ... Jack Knave.

"Oh no."

The damage done, there was nothing anyone could do now, but watch. Watch as the boy cried out, and a sickly- all too familiar- darkness spread out from the wound, eating away at flesh, and bone, and the Ki that sustained it. And still, before the end, Jack simply turned his attention toward Sarada, and offered a smile.

See ya around, spacegirl.

Then Jack was gone.

Ishtar knew full well, what would happen now. The emotion that was still between the two providing a vehicle for pain, and rage to settle into Sarada's heart at the loss; and as a result the Oni knew she might find herself crippled by the Saiyan's response. Little time to do much, but perhaps enough to attempt ... something.

Zaofan and Meagan’s attack’s pass harmlessly through as the afterimage of Chris fades away.

From far higher in the sky, well above the Lookout, Chris points and fires again.

“Petrify.”

A grey billet streaks down and strikes Zaofan in the back. Zaofan can start to feel his body hardening from the impact point.

Another shot rang out however, and Ishtar watched as Zaofan was struck, a grey energy spreading through the young cook's body as his limbs were stricken with a paralysis. And despite the anger the Oni felt at the fact that her allies continued to suffer harm; there came a flicker of understanding:

Chris was hardly the threat here. It was Banefire.

Each attack offered by the Assassin came from the gun. More so than even Simon Battersea had done with the weapon that now harried them so. Yet from the gaunt look of the Assassin, the weapon had far more hold of him than it ever had that fallen Champion. Which meant that severing the arm might not break this ... connection, that had been forged between them ... Though perhaps there was another way.

Asha'rah had shared that there were artifacts bound up with the energy of sentient things. Banefire, that strange horn.

It was sentient. Which meant that it could be spoken to.

It was a risk, Ishtar knew ... reaching out to such a thing. One possessed of dark energies, and darker intent ... and yet thanks to her lesson of those twin princes, Aśvinau Naonhaithya, her mind was as resolute as her body ... resistant to the mental suggestion of others, and the enslavement of her own will.

So as Chris panicked, and fled, Ishtar simply stood, then she shouted for all to hear.

"Banefire, your wielder is weak ! Look at how Chris scrambles, feel his panic, feel his fear !"

It was a long-shot, a risk, and a gamble, besides ... but if Banefire wished for something better, perhaps Ishtar could strip Chris of the weapon long enough to trap it. Or at the least get herself shot at.

"Perhaps an accord might be struck with someone stronger ..."

[MrSandman]

Time stills almost as the crackling black bullet arcs towards the wounded Sarada. No one is close enough, save Etrina, to stop it.

No one but Jack.

"Incoming!" Etrina yelled with a start. A hundred possibilities cycled through her head all once. If the blast held the same temporal interference as the damage to Sarada indicated, she couldn't slow the blast. Should she try? Intercept the blast? Maybe speed time up so they coul...

In a swirl of ki and a muttered “Joker’s Wild” Jack appears and tackles the two girls down, taking the bullet in his shoulder and howling as it vanishes upon touching him.

Looking at Sarada, he smiles weakly.

“See ya around, spacegirl.”

And then Jack Knave disappears, his body simply breaking apart and vanishing into nothingesss.

A weight knocked her down mid thought, capped with a howl of pain. ".....huh....what...."

Shifting her weight, she heard a voice utter something quiet, something meaningful. Then the weight pressing down on her dissolved into nothing.

Jack, she hadn't really had a chance to talk to Jack, similar to many in the group in fact. She had always thought there would be time later.....a rather foolish idea for a study of temporal phenomenon. Time wasn't infinite, not in a cosmological scale and most certainly not on a personal scale.

"....wait.......stop...." Etrina reached out at the space that had been just occupied by the man known as Jack. She tried to turn back time to when he was still whole...but the banefires energy....no, the laws of the universe itself wouldn't allow such a thing. Repairing damage was one thing, returning the dead back to life was entirely different. "No.....I......."

"....E....." Etrina choked out, turning her eyes skyward as the perpetrator attempted to escape. "Er....Erosa......."

She felt a mental ping from nearby, the Id stalking during the battle had responded.

".....Kill that son of a bitch..."

[Cyke]

OT:

Huh, well played.

IC:

It works. Zaofan manages to halt the stunning effect, and make it back to the Lookout. But his body is in no shape to fight right now due to the Kiss.

Making her way to Zaofan, Meagan stays close to him, checking him out. She isn't sure if she can reverse the damage, but she wasn't going to lose another teammate.

Zaofan, just barely on the edge of the Lookout, manages to turn his body over so that he lies on his back. He is incredibly relieved to see Meagan, but his body feels weaker by the second, lungs bobbing up and down in desperate breath. His vision blurring, his arm stretches high for sky; instead, his arm collapses onto Meagan's shoulders.

His body utterly exhausted, his lungs feeling of heavy lead, inhaling thus becomes a chore. His mouth is wide open to try to swallow as much air as possible, and though he begins to stabilize, it's still far too slow for his lungs to be happy about, especially in this atmosphere. Hyperventilation wasn't going to help anyone.

"Mea...*gasp*...Mea... *gasp*...Gan... Can't... can't *gasp* breathe...I must... stay...*gasp* calm..."

As he lies on the ground, at least comforted slightly by the fact that his back can rest, he flashes back to his earlier bravado recently, even with the thought of hunting down Jagam. But now, up against an old foe, a foe that greatly outmatched him, Zaofan's heart -- though not paralyzed from this attack -- begins to feel heavy as well. For his bravado and confidence and bravery are slowly replaced by fear and hesitance of Chris the Knife.

[MrSandman]

Zaofan, just barely on the edge of the Lookout, manages to turn his body over so that he lies on his back. He is incredibly relieved to see Meagan, but his body feels weaker by the second, lungs bobbing up and down in desperate breath. His vision blurring, his arm stretches high for sky; instead, his arm collapses onto Meagan's shoulders.

His body utterly exhausted, his lungs feeling of heavy lead, inhaling thus becomes a chore. His mouth is wide open to try to swallow as much air as possible, and though he begins to stabilize, it's still far too slow for his lungs to be happy about, especially in this atmosphere. Hyperventilation wasn't going to help anyone.

"Mea...*gasp*...Mea... *gasp*...Gan... Can't... can't *gasp* breathe...I must... stay...*gasp* calm..."

Letting her gaze drop back to lookout, Etrina spots Zaofan make it to the edge of the platform in terrible shape. All thoughts of her previous command to Erosa went out of her mind, and she let out a cry and stumbled to her feet. "Zaofan! Hang on! Zaofan!!"

Stumbling more then once on her run over, Etrina skidded to a stop and dropped to her knees to inspect the solidifying stone that was creeping over Zaofans body. "...........hold for a moment....don't panic.....I'm going to try and treat this..."

Etrina began trying to focus her temporal magic again. Hopefully it was different enough from what hit Sarada and Jack.......it had to be......

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar's eyes widened slightly when she realized that her magic found its effects muted.

Banefire resisted.

An issue if there ever was, the Oni quickly recalled her recommendation to Sarada, 'It will not work, do not attempt it', before setting about to figuring a way to get around the weapon; and with Meagan and Zaofan providing a distraction such seemed feasible enough.

Until ...



Banefire barked.

Disintegrate ...

Ishtar heard the shot, yet it took a moment for her to find the target ... Sarada, and as a result Etrina found herself in the selfsame path.

No.

Over as she was, by Evangeline, Nunlil, and Kai, the golden-eyed Oni was too far away to intercept. Even if she tapped into that familiar Wrath that was now beating its drum- and call to war- at the periphery of her vision; Ishtar knew she would be too slow. Perhaps ... the Oni's eye widened once more. There was a chance, there was not much time however, all she would need to do was ...



There was a blur of motion as both Etrina, and Sarada were knocked away, then. Unable do anything but watch now, however, Ishtar watched as that fire from Banefire struck true; disappearing into the shoulder of ... Jack Knave.

"Oh no."

The damage done, there was nothing anyone could do now, but watch. Watch as the boy cried out, and a sickly- all too familiar- darkness spread out from the wound, eating away at flesh, and bone, and the Ki that sustained it. And still, before the end, Jack simply turned his attention toward Sarada, and offered a smile.

See ya around, spacegirl.

Then Jack was gone.

Ishtar knew full well, what would happen now. The emotion that was still between the two providing a vehicle for pain, and rage to settle into Sarada's heart at the loss; and as a result the Oni knew she might find herself crippled by the Saiyan's response. Little time to do much, but perhaps enough to attempt ... something.



Another shot rang out however, and Ishtar watched as Zaofan was struck, a grey energy spreading through the young cook's body as his limbs were stricken with a paralysis. And despite the anger the Oni felt at the fact that her allies continued to suffer harm; there came a flicker of understanding:

Chris was hardly the threat here. It was Banefire.

Each attack offered by the Assassin came from the gun. More so than even Simon Battersea had done with the weapon that now harried them so. Yet from the gaunt look of the Assassin, the weapon had far more hold of him than it ever had that fallen Champion. Which meant that severing the arm might not break this ... connection, that had been forged between them ... Though perhaps there was another way.

Asha'rah had shared that there were artifacts bound up with the energy of sentient things. Banefire, that strange horn.

It was sentient. Which meant that it could be spoken to.

It was a risk, Ishtar knew ... reaching out to such a thing. One possessed of dark energies, and darker intent ... and yet thanks to her lesson of those twin princes, Aśvinau Naonhaithya, her mind was as resolute as her body ... resistant to the mental suggestion of others, and the enslavement of her own will.

So as Chris panicked, and fled, Ishtar simply stood, then she shouted for all to hear.

"Banefire, your wielder is weak ! Look at how Chris scrambles, feel his panic, feel his fear !"

It was a long-shot, a risk, and a gamble, besides ... but if Banefire wished for something better, perhaps Ishtar could strip Chris of the weapon long enough to trap it. Or at the least get herself shot at.

"Perhaps an accord might be struck with someone stronger ..."

A cacophony of noise erupts in her head, the only words she can understand are:



Give me the Horn!!!!!!

Over and over again.

[Tami]

Zaofan, just barely on the edge of the Lookout, manages to turn his body over so that he lies on his back. He is incredibly relieved to see Meagan, but his body feels weaker by the second, lungs bobbing up and down in desperate breath. His vision blurring, his arm stretches high for sky; instead, his arm collapses onto Meagan's shoulders.

His body utterly exhausted, his lungs feeling of heavy lead, inhaling thus becomes a chore. His mouth is wide open to try to swallow as much air as possible, and though he begins to stabilize, it's still far too slow for his lungs to be happy about, especially in this atmosphere. Hyperventilation wasn't going to help anyone.

"Mea...*gasp*...Mea... *gasp*...Gan... Can't... can't *gasp* breathe...I must... stay...*gasp* calm..."

As he lies on the ground, at least comforted slightly by the fact that his back can rest, he flashes back to his earlier bravado recently, even with the thought of hunting down Jagam. But now, up against an old foe, a foe that greatly outmatched him, Zaofan's heart -- though not paralyzed from this attack -- begins to feel heavy as well. For his bravado and confidence and bravery are slowly replaced by fear and hesitance of Chris the Knife.

Her own body ached and her ki reserves were low, but for the sake of her teammate, for her friend, Meagan knew she had to try. Placing her hands on him, she used Blessing of Light as Eva taught her to. Giving it everything she had, she tried to heal him.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Letting her gaze drop back to lookout, Etrina spots Zaofan make it to the edge of the platform in terrible shape. All thoughts of her previous command to Erosa went out of her mind, and she let out a cry and stumbled to her feet. "Zaofan! Hang on! Zaofan!!"

Stumbling more then once on her run over, Etrina skidded to a stop and dropped to her knees to inspect the solidifying stone that was creeping over Zaofans body. "...........hold for a moment....don't panic.....I'm going to try and treat this..."

Etrina began trying to focus her temporal magic again. Hopefully it was different enough from what hit Sarada and Jack.......it had to be......

It will work this time, only because Zaofan stopped it in time.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Her own body ached and her ki reserves were low, but for the sake of her teammate, for her friend, Meagan knew she had to try. Placing her hands on him, she used Blessing of Light as Eva taught her to. Giving it everything she had, she tried to heal him.

With Etrina’s help, suddenly the two of you heal Zaofan. The stoning effect is gone and the Kiss is deactivated.

[Cyke]

With Etrina’s help, suddenly the two of you heal Zaofan. The stoning effect is gone and the Kiss is deactivated.

Feeling much better physically, deep down Zaofan is exhausted spiritually, morally. He gradually stands up, looks deeply into Etrina while taking several deep breaths, and silently hugs her, kissing her on the cheek and then nestling his nose by her ear.

He then turns to Meagan, putting his hand on her shoulder and nodding in thanks and acknowledgement of her efforts.

"Etrina...Meagan..." he says between deep breaths, "I owe you two big time." He smiles faintly, unable to keep up his usual facade.

He looks around to assess the situation, unaware of what had happened with Chris after he was shot in the back. Still, even if Chris were to appear right above them, if Meagan and Etrina leap into battle, Zaofan knows that, well, he wouldn't exactly charge to the front lines. That, although he'd follow them into the fight, he'd be several seconds behind them, out of this newfound fear and lack of confidence. He could charge back, but it would take awhile for his heart to get into it. Thus, though he is certainly in better shape now, he is badly demoralized.

Rather, Zaofan gets behind them, back-to-back-to-back, holding Etrina's hand but trying desperately to get his mind ready if there's another attack, still breathing deeply. His arms and legs are physically fine but still feel heavy nonetheless. Still, he mutters to himself, "Oh, Jack..."

[KingofPie]

A cacophony of noise erupts in her head, the only words she can understand are:



Give me the Horn!!!!!!

Over and over again.

At Jack's apparent disintegration, P-States sooner cursed himself for his lack of concern about their current opponent. He didn't really know Jack, nor did he know much about Chris, but anyone or any weapon thay could so easily take a life in an instant needed to be stopped.

So the officer flew high in the air, as high as he could as he entered his Katchin mode while the others fought. Making sure the lookout still visible during his ascent, he prepared his Meteor Clothesline technique, shooting a li blast from his feet to boost himself towards Chris like a Katchin torpedo. But that might not be enough.

He launched ahis Knockback Wave, several homing ki blasts, and guided them to blast down upon his back, each blast increasing his velocity as he neared the lookout and raised and arm to clothesline the assassin into the lookout floor.

[Lord Falcon]

A cacophony of noise erupts in her head, the only words she can understand are:



Give me the Horn!!!!!!

Over and over again.

Asha'rah's voice carried through the Lookout, its gentle flow mixed with an undercurrent of wrath. The one who possessed the banefire revealed their desire, what they strived for. One demon after another, creatures reduced to living weapons. She brandished the horn, holding it in the palm of her hand.

"You want it? Come and get it."

Putting it away into her robes again, she finished coalescing her little lovelies. Thousands of tiny creatures glowed like fireflies around her, hovering around her with an incessant buzz generated from the rapid flapping of their tiny wings. She gestured with a hand, and a detachment swarmed forward. Too many to strike down individually, too diffuse to wipe out with a typical larger blast, those that closed the distance sank tiny stingers into Chris's flesh, injecting their payloads of ki into him. Once inside, the payload mixed with Chris's own ki, then detonated from the inside out.

addf7a61bfa728dd49171ea6409695de.jpg

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

At Jack's apparent disintegration, P-States sooner cursed himself for his lack of concern about their current opponent. He didn't really know Jack, nor did he know much about Chris, but anyone or any weapon thay could so easily take a life in an instant needed to be stopped.

So the officer flew high in the air, as high as he could as he entered his Katchin mode while the others fought. Making sure the lookout still visible during his ascent, he prepared his Meteor Clothesline technique, shooting a li blast from his feet to boost himself towards Chris like a Katchin torpedo. But that might not be enough.

He launched ahis Knockback Wave, several homing ki blasts, and guided them to blast down upon his back, each blast increasing his velocity as he neared the lookout and raised and arm to clothesline the assassin into the lookout floor.

Thanks to Held and Ochazuke, who pinpoint and reveal the vanished Chris mid air, P-sta is able to see him to attack. Still choking on no air, Chris does not dodge as P-sta crashes into him and clothesline’s him straight into the Lookout floor.

A large crater forms as bones break and snap, Chris’s body breaking under the massive blow. P-sta sees that Chris is either unconscious now or dead, but Banefire is still in hand.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah's voice carried through the Lookout, its gentle flow mixed with an undercurrent of wrath. The one who possessed the banefire revealed their desire, what they strived for. One demon after another, creatures reduced to living weapons. She brandished the horn, holding it in the palm of her hand.

"You want it? Come and get it."

Putting it away into her robes again, she finished coalescing her little lovelies. Thousands of tiny creatures glowed like fireflies around her, hovering around her with an incessant buzz generated from the rapid flapping of their tiny wings. She gestured with a hand, and a detachment swarmed forward. Too many to strike down individually, too diffuse to wipe out with a typical larger blast, those that closed the distance sank tiny stingers into Chris's flesh, injecting their payloads of ki into him. Once inside, the payload mixed with Chris's own ki, then detonated from the inside out.

addf7a61bfa728dd49171ea6409695de.jpg

Seeing as he’s unconscious on the floor, his body blows up in spectacular fashion and sprays P-sta with blood.

Banefire is still in the only portion of Chris left, his hand, still gripped tight.