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

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

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.

Totoma approached the fallen assassin. He'd missed him the first time, but now... he'd finish the job. When he got in range, he held out his hand, channeled ki into it, and a Justice Cannon burst to life in front of him. His expression was stone cold.

...but the body explodes, showering him with blood and viscera before he can release it. His expression is still stone cold, though there is a hint of annoyance there now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A fair bit away, Nevanlinna landed gingerly, watching the young half-Saiyan with interest. Seems he wanted to just finish him off altogether. Smart, but... hardly heroic. That gun, however, could be quite useful against that Robot, however. Judging from this man's condition, however, it had a number of negative effects on its wielder. Hm...

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Doing my best......What is...." Etrina focused more intently on her temporal manipulation, but something was amiss. The temporal state in which Saradas Tail was whole should have been easy to align with the present...but it was out of focus. The residual energy left by the impact from Banefires bullet was creating interference with her magic, purposely or otherwise. At this rate it was impossible to correctly realign without first somehow nullifying the residual energy....and that wasn't something she could do in the middle of a firefight.

"The residue from Banefires hit is incredibly unstable....I don't think I can properly repair the damage without more time then we have to waste. You'll have to make due with what you have until we can neutralize the threat."

While not having her tail healed right this moment was likely for the best, it was still frustrating to have most of her power locked away in the stump of a severed appendage. Etrina tried her best, so Sarada couldn't fault her for failing.

"Fine," she replied quickly. "We'll try again once this ******* is dead."

With that put on hold without a resolution for the moment, she turned her attention back to the battle at hand. The others were trying their best to immobilize him. He was much faster and stronger than the Saiyan would have figured; undoubtedly the result of having bonded himself to the gun. She didn't know what kind of connected Chris had with Banefire or the cost of such a connection, but she did know that as long as it was held in his grasp, they were going to be hard-pressed to beat him.

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.

Case in point. Somehow, Ishtar's binding spell was being resisted. He was still bound, but not enough that the Oni felt comfortable letting Sarada go through with her portion of her plan. Damn it.

That only gave more credence to her resolve to relieve him of his weapon. But how? Her idea was the best means of disarming him -- no pun intended -- but if she couldn't get in close without him breaking free, then --

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.

The single word attracted her attention.

Disintegrate. An attack that without doubt would kill whoever it struck. An attack that was heading right for her and Etrina! ****!

It was coming in too fast for her to try too many things in sequence. She only had the time to save herself or save Etrina by pushing her out of the way. One of them was going to die, from the looks of it.

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 nothingesss.

She fell to the ground, Etrina on top of her. The bullet was coming far too fast for her to have reacted that quickly, unless it was by instinct. How? Who?

A howl of pain told the tale. Someone took the bullet for her. It was destined to take her life, yet someone saw it within themselves to spare her life at the cost of their own. Sarada didn't know who. Etrina was the only one near enough to do anything about it, yet she was laying on top of her, having been spared herself. Then...

No.

There was one other person.

But, it wasn't possible.

He couldn't have been this stupid.

Not so stupid to give his own life for her.

"See ya around, Space Girl."

The words, spoken softly with a weak smile, hit her harder than the bullet from Banefire ever would. They stabbed into her heart, twisting and twisting around the wounds, tearing and gnawing at her flesh into the holes they left were rough and jagged. Her breath caught in her chest, stolen by the lone realization her mind could focus on.

Jack was dead. His body broke into pieces and drifted into nothingness like chaff in a stiff breeze.

"...no..."

A single, barely audible word of defiance. She would not allow this. Jack was not going to die because of her. His heart at already been broken because of her; if his life was taken at her expense, too, then...

How could she forgive herself? How could he expect her to move past this moment without delving even further into the well of self-hatred she had indulged in a few days ago?

Why?

Even after what she did to him, how could he give his life for hers?

“Whatever happens, I care about you, space girl. For a brief time you made me happier than I’ve been in a long time, and I’ll never regret that. I think I might have even loved you if it had lasted.

Her cheeks felt warm and wet. It was getting harder to breath, she noticed. Likely because Etrina was laying on top of her. A shove to send the mage away rectified that, but she was still having trouble catching her breath. It was hard to focus on the fight, Chris, anything.

"You... son of a bitch..."

She rose, eyes on the floor. Chris was gone, she noticed in her peripheral vision. Perhaps not entirely, as Ishtar seemed to be trying to bargain with the sentient gun. Whether that worked or not was left up to the Oni. Sarada only cared about one thing.

Jack was dead. His blood was spilled because of her. He suffered too much because of her. It was her fault he was dead. Had she simply moved out of the way, this wouldn't have happened. Jack would still be alive, and there'd maybe still be a chance their future would have come true at a later time. Now, there was no chance. It was dead. The two children they would have had would forever be lost in the abyss along with every other shattered hope and broken dream of all sapient creatures to suffer heartache.

Chris couldn't be seen, but he wasn't gone. She knew he wasn't. She was going to wait until he showed himself before giving herself over to the empty, all-consuming inferno that was raging inside of her. Her wrath was held back by the single desire to look Chris in his eyes as she tore him LIMB FROM FUCKING LIMB.

Wide, wild, but focused eyes cast upward, forward, to the side, in search of Jack's killer. He wasn't her lover anymore, but she would kill Chris as if he was. She owed Jack that much.

"Where are you, Chris?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

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.

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.

He was still there, just as Sarada knew. The others jumped at the opportunity, assaulting Chris with merciless abandon. In a flash, Chris was laying in a crater, broken and possibly dead.

She hoped he wasn't. She hoped against all hope that he was still alive so she could be the one to take his life. She... needed to be the one. Jack died because of her, so Chris would too.

Licking her lips, she walked toward the fallen assassin, katchin knife in hand. Banefire was still clenched tightly in his grip. She wasn't so blind with cold rage that she would walk into such an obvious trap. From a distance, she flung the knife as hard as she could, intent on severing the hand holding the gun so someone else could grab it.

[KingofPie]

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.

"The gun...how do we secure the gun-," P-Sta began, before...

Seeing a smile 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.

"By the Kaioshin!" P-Sta exclaimed immediately feeling nauseous at the smell of blood now on him. "Ugh....someone...hurk...anyone...secure the gun...and bleh....I wouldn't mind.....a little water..." P-Sta stated as he leaned over the lookout, removed his mask slightly and began to puke over the edge.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

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

Give me the Horn!!!!!!

Over and over again.

It was a difficult thing for Ishtar, forming coherence of the maddening, rambling screams that filled her head at calling out to the twisted, Banefire. Yet after a short time she did manage to piece together four words, Give me the Horn. ... repeated over and again with such intensity that it almost drowned the Oni's own thoughts out entirely.

Though at least, Ishtar knew of the horn it seemingly lusted for.

A thing that Asha'rah had attempted to use, only stopping short at the arrival- or rather, the appearance- of the sister she could not remember having. What it was, or really, what it could do however, remained a mystery .. and was a thing the Oni did not plan on learning by giving it up. Not that it was hers to give, in the first place.

As Ishtar struggles with this however, there comes a decided shift in tempo. Held, and Ochazuke, and Asha'rah, all striking true with terrific effect to leave Chris the Knife á bloody smear. Yet even as he is, dead, dismembered, Banefire persists.

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.

Blitzing forward, then. Ishtar waits until Sarada has severed the gun from Chris' arm, before scooping up Banefire with her metallic arm. Thanks to her defenses she should be able to hold the gun without falling away, at least until it could be properly secured.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

The blast took Sarada in the chest. Her armor absorbed some of the blow, but not enough to keep her from being blasted back. She slide to a stop, teeth clenched in pain. "Son of a bitch!" Despite the burning pain shooting from her chest outward, she kipped up to a kneeling position to assess what the hell was happening.

Unless her eyes were deceiving her, a form was holding Banefire, and it wasn't Chris. Chris was very much dead, much to her irritation. No, this was something else.

Perhaps the spirit that was trapped within the gun?

She didn't know and she didn't care. That piece of **** killed Jack, and she was going to make sure it regretted that. First, to test its abilities, she fired several ki blasts at the form to see whether it was intangible or not. Immediately after, she ran to the right to avoid retaliation.

One question that was running through her head was why the thing was screaming about a horn? Unless he wanted one of Ishtar's horns, there wasn't one there that they...

Wait! Asha'rah pulled out a horn of some kind. Could that be the one it was talking about?

[Cyke]

The blast took Sarada in the chest. Her armor absorbed some of the blow, but not enough to keep her from being blasted back. She slide to a stop, teeth clenched in pain. "Son of a bitch!" Despite the burning pain shooting from her chest outward, she kipped up to a kneeling position to assess what the hell was happening.

Unless her eyes were deceiving her, a form was holding Banefire, and it wasn't Chris. Chris was very much dead, much to her irritation. No, this was something else.

Perhaps the spirit that was trapped within the gun?

She didn't know and she didn't care. That piece of **** killed Jack, and she was going to make sure it regretted that. First, to test its abilities, she fired several ki blasts at the form to see whether it was intangible or not. Immediately after, she ran to the right to avoid retaliation.

One question that was running through her head was why the thing was screaming about a horn? Unless he wanted one of Ishtar's horns, there wasn't one there that they...

Wait! Asha'rah pulled out a horn of some kind. Could that be the one it was talking about?

Though still dispirited, the death of Chris is enough to reignite some of his drive again. Sluggishly using the Zanzoken, Zaofan materialises behind the being holding Banefire, himself holding the Dragon's Breath in his own fist.

"Banefire, meet DRAGONFIRE!" With a mighty, fiery punch, Zaofan swings towards the center of the entity's back.

[Tami]

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

Still with Zaofan and Etrina, Meagan watched as the entity cried out for a Horn. When Asha'rah held it up, she knew instinctively that this horn came from Iris' Temple. Looking at the Banefire entity, it was easy to put the pieces together with what Asah'rah had already told her earlier.

"That gun, the Banefire Gun is possessed by an entity as is the Horn. Demons or something. We need to reseal the spirit in the gun back into the gun or destroy it." She spoke her thoughts out-loud as she tried to figure this out.

Though still dispirited, the death of Chris is enough to reignite some of his drive again. Sluggishly using the Zanzoken, Zaofan materialises behind the being holding Banefire, himself holding the Dragon's Breath in his own fist.

"Banefire, meet DRAGONFIRE!" With a mighty, fiery punch, Zaofan swings towards the center of the entity's back.

Only to be snapped out of her thought when she realized that Zaofan had jumped back into the fight, even though he was not in any condition to do so. Her own body was still in recovery from the Kaio-ken, her Ki reserves were still being replenished.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

"..."

Okay, what the **** was even going on here. Chris had exploded, then... this thing had popped up and shot the GP officer and Sarada. It didn't seem to realize he was there yet, so...

Actually, **** it. Totoma thrust his hand forward, sending his charged Justice Cannon careening at the... whatever it was, digging a large trench through the surface of the lookout. He didn't know whether it'd work, but it was worth a try.

[KingofPie]

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

P-Sta's eyes widen as he activates Katchin mode as fast as he can, but with nothing to deter the blast this time, he goes flying off the tower, consciousness fading as he descends towards the ground.

[Tami]

P-Sta's eyes widen as he activates Katchin mode as fast as he can, but with nothing to deter the blast this time, he goes flying off the tower, consciousness fading as he descends towards the ground.

Seeing the Police Officer fail off the lookout, no sign of him trying to save himself, Meagan jumps off the side and flies over to him. Catching him in mid-descent, she flies the both of them back up to the Lookout Plaza. Landing, she lays him out and leaves him be until he wakes up, his injuries don't appear to be life threatening.

[rhyvurg]

The ship lurches as its breaks atmosphere going far faster than any safety regulation on it recommends. Warning lights scream at Jinzi as he dashes the ship across the sky at speeds that were breathtaking. He slaps a button and the rear hatch ramp drops open.

“Go go go go!”

Adam departs the ship to search the lookout.

Chris stumbles short of the Lookout’s edge, his form revealed once more. Cursing, he attempts to bend space again, but fails.

Looking up, his eyes angry now as Banefire rises up, both hands come into play as the offhand slams the gun’s hammer back.

“Fan the Trigger!”

One hand slamming the hammer back repeatedly, the other pulling the trigger, seven shots blast out in incredible speeds. One aimed at taking Totoma in the tail, one each at Midori and Shiro at their heads. Another two at Ochazuke and two at Asha’rah.

He quickly pops the gun open and uses a quick reload to replenish his ammo.

Adam spreads itself wide, catching the bullets heading for Midori and Shiro, draining the power of the attacks into itself.

The gun and severed hand jerk and then fly up. As if heat haze rolled off it, a form appeared gripping the gun where the severed hand was.

Banefire was aware and awake and free.

Somewhat.

The gun raises and point blank shoots P-sta and Sarada, blasting them back.

“Horn!!!”

Adam makes it's move, snaking between the others and rising up to envelop the possessed weapon, enclosing it without touching it. "You are a potent artifact, but I have had enough of you."

[Yun Lao]

Right before his eyes, Charco watched Jack vanish into the æther, unable to do nothing but stare in horror. While they were not the best of friends, initially butting heads over ideologies regarding Eva's role, he had grown to appreciate the gambler, even attempting to help him with Sarada. They were very similar in the end, for they risked it all in combat and now... the gambler's luck had run out at last.

"... what the ****?"

Jack had been erased from reality because Chris, no, the gun Banefire, wanted some damned horn. Charco found himself trembling, gasping for air, not from the terror of death, but pure rage. A part of his mind told him he needed to control himself for the sake of the others. He needed to leash his fury, lest someone else took notice.

"What the ****?!"

No, he was done; he was tired of it all. This blow to his psyche was enough for the entity within to pierce through the armor of his willpower.

Yield to me and we will avenge him...

... do it

BGM: "The Negative One"

Charco doubled over as if stuck in the gut, his ki aura erupting his body like a wildfire. Those who could detect ki signatures would be able to sense that something was wrong, starting with the fact that Charco's signature was gone, instead replaced by something completely different, as evident in the fact that his usual green aura had dulled into a dark gray color. Something else was in control, something powerful and terrible. His core temperature dropped, his heart pumping chilled blood through his body and patterns of scaley flesh began to consume his form. His body went into overdrive, his nails extending out into sharpened claws and his hair lengthening to reach his waist. The transformation was complete with the sharpening of his teeth and the yellowing of his eyes, pupils shifting to suit the reptilian spirit.

"I should thank you for opening up that boy's eyes to truth of the world." The possessed Charco said, pointing to Banefire, "Unfortunately, while you came seeking an artifact, you've instead found the Strongest! Hopefully you'll be a challenge waking up for, because the Strongest Eats The Weak!"

A grape-sized orb of energy materialized before his extended index, only for the entity to seize it in his grasp before flinging it at Banefire. While easily more powerful than any Tyranno Blast Charco could produce, it was clear that this ki projectile was nothing more than a means to measure the corrupted pistol.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

in West City Praxat is walking thinking to her self saying ( wow I'm come a long way haven't I. when I first came to this planet I knew not of it's culture. I was a clueless pleasantly plump Toadian. I had no idea there were so many powerful beings on this planet at the time or that this planet was this advance. )


( the old me can't possibly fathom the power level I have now. we toadians are usually weak creatures. at most my species power level is usually only as high as 10 with the average being 5 however on this planet I met my master and he open my eyes to what is possible. he thought me martial arts , how to channeling Ki and most importantly then even though I was weak I could get stronger if I just train hard enough with a good work ethic . )


( hmm I herd there's a evil Saiyan running around I hope he doesn't like frog legs. frog legs as delicacy is the one thing I will never stomach on this planet. I know there not my species but still seeing people eat frog legs disgusts me.)