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

[KingofPie]

“Chuan is in capsule storage, Chou was never found. Koorimaru died, Zaofan you died, Charco is still here, and Ochazuke just died two weeks ago. Went out bringing down one of the Lyne’s main hives. Only two left and we’ll have beaten them. Sasheem is dead too, though before the Lyne showed up. Executed by the Galaxy Police.”

"Ah, yes speaking of the Galaxy Police..." P-Stay stated. "I understand how it may have been...difficult with these creatures and their EMPS and their energy dampening technologies, but has no effort been made to contact the Galaxy Police?! I'm sure we could've provided proper assistance to Earth..."

[Tami]

"Ah, yes speaking of the Galaxy Police..." P-Stay stated. "I understand how it may have been...difficult with these creatures and their EMPS and their energy dampening technologies, but has no effort been made to contact the Galaxy Police?! I'm sure we could've provided proper assistance to Earth..."

Noticing him for the first time, "You mean the same Galaxy Police that killed Sasheem? I have yet to be convinced that they are competent, that includes you. Though how you got dragged into this..." Meagan just shook her head.

[Miburo]

Noticing him for the first time, "You mean the same Galaxy Police that killed Sasheem? I have yet to be convinced that they are competent, that includes you. Though how you got dragged into this..." Meagan just shook her head.

"To be fair." Held interjected, somewhat reluctantly, "I can sort of see how that would end up happening....Sasheem always did get a bit, umm."

He shrugged.

"Excited, about destruction. I don't know how he ended up stuck in a toilet, but I always assumed it was the sort of thing he might have had coming to him."

I mean, on the Raid alone, he was practically vibrating with evil intent and excitement and killing as much as he could....I'm half sure that he would have found the whole thing with the Lyne delightful...If he wasn't in the same shape as everyone else seems to be, anyways. Or alive, I guess.

[Hazard]

They are in the future. If the ruined landscape is not enough to convince them, then the presence of Jinzi certainly does. The future Jack removes all doubts. Jinzi gives them a cure and an explanation.

“Well.....two billion or so. Well, 2,567,555,089 people. Resistance fighters in that group....about twenty.”

He shakes his head, sadly.

“We lost about half a billion before I figured it out. Fool that I am, it took me longer than it should have. My greatest failure.”

“I have no idea how your younger selves showed up. The fact that you are here is beyond mind blowing to me, but boy am I glad to see you. As to Evangeline........”

He shakes his head.

“Lookout and CC were hit first as high probability threat targets. Eva and Kai....both died, and Adam is the only reason I lived. He wrapped me up and sacrificed himself to protect me from the orbital bombardment CC got hit with. He didn’t make it after that. Well, not enough of him at least. So, without Kai and Eva, there are no dragonballs.....”

An explanation Slak is simply not ready to hear.

Half a billion. All the people he met during his travels. Kai. Guardian Eva.

Gone.

Some of the others ask what happened to them. Slak does not. He does think he is ready to hear it.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" He asks instead.

[KingofPie]

Noticing him for the first time, "You mean the same Galaxy Police that killed Sasheem? I have yet to be convinced that they are competent, that includes you. Though how you got dragged into this..." Meagan just shook her head.

"I understand that he was your ally, but you must understand that before I was, illegally, dragged into the future, I was in pursuit of the Majin for various murder charges, attempted genocide, rampant destruction and more! Possibly not even attempted genocide if he truly wiped all of the Fake Namekians from existance..." P-Sta shook his head.

"As for how I got dragged into this....thats a good question! Time travel isn't just a Galactic offense it's a universal one! Whoever did this to us will be immediately brought into custody!" P-Stay sanded punching a fist into an empty palm.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Well, that certainly answers my question. But unfortunately it raises several more." Shiro said as Midori looked around and decided to call out "Hey, future computer-inhabiting me! Can you hear and respond to me in here, I have questions!"

A slightly older sounding Midori responds.

‘I’m here.’

By this point, Old Shiro also makes it down to the garage.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Zaofan's dread hits the pit of his stomach. "I'm... dead...?" His posture slumps over, defeated before he even begins to fight.

"I hope more of our... past... selves... have made the trip to this future. As bad as things sound, we could use their power and skills, especially Chuan's healing abilities. And... maybe if we could find our missing friends, we'd have more bodies for a group hug..." Zaofan says, the self-pity rising further.

"Wait."

"WAIT."

"Mr. Pantaloon, you said there are two more main hives. If Future -- *your* -- Ochazuke took out one of the hives, then the rest of us should be sufficient enough to take out the other two and end this nightmare! Do you know where they're at?

“Charco is scouting one such location and so is our Held. They should both be back by tomorrow.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"......Zaofan you idiot!" Etrina, suddenly livid, wipes the last drop of vomit from her mouth and kicks the nearest rack of guns hilariously ineffectually. "....it doesn't matter what timeline it is, dying is inexcusable.....you....you idiot. Its no wonder the me here ended up.......such a waste...."

Etrina paused. "...........So I've been living alone on the North continent.....Whatever deplorable things shes done....given 15 years of research in isolation, I doubt she would have done nothing this entire time. I initially scratched myself from the list of possible temporal manipulators....perhaps I need to reevaluate that."

“Our Etrina could have been how you were brought here, though I can’t know that for sure.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Jinzi, if there is time, can I talk to to in private?"

“Of course.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

In a way, that was worse.

Yet for the time being Ishtar did her best to shutter such feelings of concern. After all it was obvious this was more than simply the future, it was an alternate future. The Asha'rah here, was not the Asha'rah she knew.

Yet ...



This revelation was by and far more difficult to stomach than that of Asha'rah's disappearance.

After all, despite Sarada not offering the same- for fear of having to walking such back- Ishtar did love her, in as much the way she had her departed Sekhmet, as she did as a friend. And in this timeline it seemed that Ishtar ... had been willing to die for the young Saiyan. That they had both fallen was ...





Ishtar blinked.

Among other things, the feelings that passed between both herself, and Sarada were ... telling. A feeling of bitter disappointment at knowing the truth that Jagam had killed them in a battle shared by two others. A flicker of pain, and ... Oh ... as Sarada looked at the two Jack, no doubt to see their reaction to the information, and perhaps hear his response to her being with Ishtar. A hope that they had not suffered when they fell; given the shared pain offered by the bond they shared ... When Sarada looked at the Oni then, and offered a shrug, Ishtar nodded slowly.

"Yes, I suppose that is a silver lining."

Though there was a nagging question in the back of her mind.

"Jinzi. Do you know if this version of myself possessed my future? Or the energy of Sij ?"

It was a strange thing. Yet Ishtar felt she needed to know if this version of herself was destined to wield Hakai, and ascend to the mantle.



When it was made known that only two hives remained however, Ishtar nodded.

"Then that is what I will do. Destroy the remaining hives."

“Not as far as I know. She never talked about it to me at least.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Ah, yes speaking of the Galaxy Police..." P-Stay stated. "I understand how it may have been...difficult with these creatures and their EMPS and their energy dampening technologies, but has no effort been made to contact the Galaxy Police?! I'm sure we could've provided proper assistance to Earth..."

“Tried. Their comms can’t reach us and their ships that have tried to breach atmosphere have crashed.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

They are in the future. If the ruined landscape is not enough to convince them, then the presence of Jinzi certainly does. The future Jack removes all doubts. Jinzi gives them a cure and an explanation.





An explanation Slak is simply not ready to hear.

Half a billion. All the people he met during his travels. Kai. Guardian Eva.

Gone.

Some of the others ask what happened to them. Slak does not. He does think he is ready to hear it.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" He asks instead.

“Once Charco and Held get back, maybe we’ll know for sure where the other Hives are. For now, can you reach out and try to find your counterpart? He’a been missing for years.”

[Cyke]

Noticing him for the first time, "You mean the same Galaxy Police that killed Sasheem? I have yet to be convinced that they are competent, that includes you. Though how you got dragged into this..." Meagan just shook her head.

"I understand that he was your ally, but you must understand that before I was, illegally, dragged into the future, I was in pursuit of the Majin for various murder charges, attempted genocide, rampant destruction and more! Possibly not even attempted genocide if he truly wiped all of the Fake Namekians from existance..." P-Sta shook his head.

"As for how I got dragged into this....thats a good question! Time travel isn't just a Galactic offense it's a universal one! Whoever did this to us will be immediately brought into custody!" P-Stay sanded punching a fist into an empty palm.

All this death and destruction -- and now Sasheem and attempted genocide...

Sasheem, an entity that he's fought side-by-side with, an entity that's saved him before ... committing genocide... that was unforgivable.

Everything around Zaofan seems to be falling to him. For all his ideals, for all his efforts, for all his faith in the world and in his friends -- everything is collapsing.

Not to mention that he was a man out of time, along with many of his friends.

Zaofan sits down, trying to calm himself and take deep breaths, and he finds it failing. He struggles to keep it together. His fist clenches and shakes. The anxiety coming forth like an invading army.

He wonders, did the Zaofan of this world keep up his optimism? Did he slowly morph into a man full of despair and hopelessness? Did he go down fighting, or did he give up trying to save the world?

Sitting by himself, Zaofan's head dips low, his shoulders slump over. He sits up again, only to lay his head on the wall, looking up. He can try to regain his resolve, sure. But that in itself may prove the hardest training of all.

“Charco is scouting one such location and so is our Held. They should both be back by tomorrow.”

He looks forward, and says meekly but with a conviction that seeks to come out, "Mr. Pantaloon, once it is safe enough to proceed, we must go after those hives. If we don't succeed, all these sacrifices will be for nothing."

If anyone could get the task done, it would be Charco and Held indeed. Godspeed, you two.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

In a way, that was worse.

Yet for the time being Ishtar did her best to shutter such feelings of concern. After all it was obvious this was more than simply the future, it was an alternate future. The Asha'rah here, was not the Asha'rah she knew.

Sarada felt the concern Ishtar felt when Asha'rah's fate was revealed. She left when she had a lead on the missing Guardians. It was obvious that this timeline's Asha'rah wasn't the Asha'rah they themselves had come to know, so her fate was still up in the air. Still, her absence thus far was concerning.

"I wouldn't worry about Asha'rah," she told the blue Oni. "If there's anyone who can walk through time like you and I can walk through this base, it's her. She is a Goddess after all, right?" She offered her a reassuring smile.

Yet ...

This revelation was by and far more difficult to stomach than that of Asha'rah's disappearance.

After all, despite Sarada not offering the same- for fear of having to walking such back- Ishtar did love her, in as much the way she had her departed Sekhmet, as she did as a friend. And in this timeline it seemed that Ishtar ... had been willing to die for the young Saiyan. That they had both fallen was ...

Ishtar blinked.

Among other things, the feelings that passed between both herself, and Sarada were ... telling. A feeling of bitter disappointment at knowing the truth that Jagam had killed them in a battle shared by two others. A flicker of pain, and ... Oh ... as Sarada looked at the two Jack, no doubt to see their reaction to the information, and perhaps hear his response to her being with Ishtar. A hope that they had not suffered when they fell; given the shared pain offered by the bond they shared ... When Sarada looked at the Oni then, and offered a shrug, Ishtar nodded slowly.

"Yes, I suppose that is a silver lining."

But, the smile didn't last long. The news of this this timeline's Sarada and Ishtar's deaths at the hands of Jagam hit Ishtar as hard as it hit her. At least we'll die together, was the best she could offer her, a silver lining in the center of an otherwise bleak foretelling of her future. Or, one of the possible futures. She wouldn't profess to know anything about time travel, but knowing the future would almost invariably mean that her immediate future had changed in some imperceptible way. Likely enough to ensure that they wouldn't die against Jagam, and may actually beat him without anyone dying.

A childish dream, but one she was going to cling to until that time came.

“Yeah, no, you and Ishtar killed him. That’s what Totoma said. We didn’t have a body, and you promised Jack you would come back once you had defeated Jagam, so we took Totoma’s word for it when he said Jagam and you were dead.”

Oh.

Ahahaha. So, Jagam fell at the hands of a purebred Saiyan. Her hands, to be precise. There was a poetic justice in that. This gave her even more hope that her training was going to pay off.

Should I ask him how I did it? Would that change my future so that it doesn't work when I try it?

Probably, but knowing would give her some ideas, and obviously if the means Future Sarada used were fatal, then it would behoove her to avoid those at all costs.

"Did Totoma say how I did it? Was I a Super Saiyan?"

The second question was just blurted out of the blue. She hadn't even thought that a possibility, yet if what Tasure said was true and Jagam was a Super Saiyan, then it stood to reason that she was one as well.

[Tami]

“Of course.”

Meagan waited, allowing every one to talk and all things to be explained and resolved as much s they can be. The time will come, it was something she needed to do before they found themselves in another life-or-death situation.