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

[Tami]

"I don't know the specific mechanics behind how it works, but it sends your mind or spirit through time." He said, his uncertainty showing, "The few times I've used it, I was pitted against certain figures from the past." First was Fife, then his grandfather. This time, however, he wasn't sure who it would send him to.

"I wonder if this is the room Dash mentioned. She said she wandered into a strange rom, then found herself back at the Tournament. Before she could do anything, she got slammed into a tree, just liek last time. Meagan had to heal her back again after that. Is it really that dangerous?"

[Yun Lao]

"I wonder if this is the room Dash mentioned. She said she wandered into a strange rom, then found herself back at the Tournament. Before she could do anything, she got slammed into a tree, just liek last time. Meagan had to heal her back again after that. Is it really that dangerous?"

"injuries don't generally carry over to the body." He replied, somewhat confused, "I mean, last time, I was pretty much dead at the end of it." Realizing that probably wasn't the msot reassuring of statements, he nervously chuckled, before quickly saying, "But in the end, you just end up feeling exhausted when its over."

[Tami]

"injuries don't generally carry over to the body." He replied, somewhat confused, "I mean, last time, I was pretty much dead at the end of it." Realizing that probably wasn't the msot reassuring of statements, he nervously chuckled, before quickly saying, "But in the end, you just end up feeling exhausted when its over."

"Oh, that's good. Not you being dead, that's very bad." Cyanna, looking a little embarrassed, "Just glad it wasn't real dead, fake dead is okay, well maybe not so okay. This is like a video game then, right?"

[KingofPie]

"I...generally try not to get eliminated." Held said, nodding his head in agreement.

Held said nothing, the gears in his head turning. It seemed too good to be true, after all. All the lives lost, all the property destroyed, all the tracking of Held, all of Helds currently fruitless attempts to track the truth....

All of it didn't matter? They would simply look at his good deeds---And, although he had barely reflected on it much himself, he did indeed play some small role in saving this world--and drop their pursuit against him? What about the pursuit of the truth?

Then again, Darkly, Held realized something. What had their pursuit gotten them? All it had done was pushed them towards Held. He knew of his innocence, and they lacked proof of--well, anything done by anyone. Held didn't need the police to enact justice, if anything, he simply needed them out of his way. Hamstringing his return to Nevada, limiting the scope of his activities and investigation....It was vexing, to put it mildly.

These considerations all turned in the mind of the Nevadian, more than willing to weigh Blizzars words.

"Huh. Well, I certainly can't think of a reason why one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes wouldn't get a chance to keep doing what he does, eh?" Held said, smiling slightly as he put on his most pleasant demeanor, "While we're on the subject, did they tell you about my time on Chroma? Miras was there, after all. Lovely lady."

"All on record!" Blizzar stated, with aslight chuckle. "Officer Miras has detailed accounts of the defenders of Earth in her reports," the Arcosian stated. "Some of the officers have taken to calling you lot the M-Fighters...I'm....I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure it means anything, but it has caught on in some GP circles."

So this is how it ends, huh? I have to admit, I'm relieved, but slightly disspointed. I thought things would get much, much, worse. What could have possibly made them so eager--




There we go. Blizzar was certainly a smooth operator. It was so subtle, so artful, that Held almost didn't see the catch coming. Despite himself, Held was nothing, if not impressed.

But, there was always a catch, and if there was one thing Held always knew, was that the catch was either in money, bodies, goods, or deeds.

As it was, He considered himself quite lucky, as he ruminated on the Liutenants offer quietly. Money tended to be much a more pleasant committed to acquire, at least when 'favors' were involved.

At first, he said nothing, the silence lingering for what seemed to be an eternity. Was it some sort of trap? It wouldn't have been the first time a being had been lured in by fragrant bait.

....It's possible, but....It seems too odd to be that sort of trap. Even if they wanted me dead to rights, this kind of thing wouldn't hold up in court, would it? Not to mention, like he said, I'm pretty much a hero.....Damnit, this sort of thing is Drags mileu...What would he tell me to do? Think, Held!

"What?" Held said, mouth agape, "That's horrible! I had heard that there was some damage done to your Headquarters, but I didn't realize it was so bad you were forced to rely on donations!"

Elsewhere on the lookout, Sasheem once again sneezed.

The Nevadian shook his head ruefully, "This is a travesty. The Galaxy Police are heroes, how can they keep the Galaxy safe, when they've been laid so low? How can the women of all the planets of the stars in the sky sleep sound, without the the bulwark against evil being constantly reinforced?"

He nodded his head in agreement with Liutenant Blizzar, "Surely, any warrior who fancies themselves to be a Hero of Justice would be more than glad to donate, with no strings attached!"

Barely, the Nevadian resisted the urge to wink at Jack, and the good officer.

Blizzar's red eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he listened intently to the Nevadian's words. It was obvious this 'wasn't his first rodeo', as the uncouth would say. It was a trait, Blizzar would almost find admirable...if it wasn't currently being used against him.

Still, the Frost Demon managed to grin. "...But, of course! Consider it a done deal..." he stated, pressing a hand on one of the drones, initiating a scan, causing one of the drone's pa els to open. Blizzar entered in a code and...

"When the planetary defense system goes live, you will be considered a friendly," he stated cheerfully, before giving a brief chuckle. "Ah forgive me...I was just laughing at that phrase you mentioned earlier. What was it? 'No strings attached'? It's just seems to be a phrase I've heard time and time again in intergalactic cinema. Often, I wonder what exactly defines these...proverbial strings..." Blizzar stated, before looking off into the distance, as if in deep thought. "Ah, such quandries are lost upon me. It sends my mind in a loop before it becomes whole again," Blizzar chuckled...with an barely traceable sneer hidden underneath.

"Forgive my tomfoolery. I'm told I have an odd sense of humor," Blizzar noted turning back to Held. "I don't want to hold your journey up any further, so if you don't mind I can just provide you with the information of the account that you'll be transferring the funds to."

[Yun Lao]

"Oh, that's good. Not you being dead, that's very bad." Cyanna, looking a little embarrassed, "Just glad it wasn't real dead, fake dead is okay, well maybe not so okay. This is like a video game then, right?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess you could say that. A really, really immersive video game." He replied with a nod, finding her analogy a good fit for the situation.

"The only question is, who are we going to fight this time?"

[Cyke]

OT: Cleric:

As Cyanna runs past, she calls out, "Charco, wait for me!"

As soon as she delivers Dash and Zaofan to Meagan and Jinzi, she heads back to find him.

"Oh," Zaofan says, peaking his head in, then back to Cyanna. "You found them faster than I thought!" Not that that sentence would reach her as she leaves them just as quickly.

"Jinzi! I've come to question!"

Refining her skills. That was something she really needed to do. It had been too long, as focused on mastering Hitozaru as she was. With that out of the way, she could focus once again on her martial arts and work on mastering her other abilities. Plus figuring out how to unlock Super Saiyan. There was no way Tasure, Parsley, Totoma or anyone else was going to reach that plateau before her.

She waved Tasure and then Totoma off as they headed off. She didn't know where they were going, but it seemed important to them, so she didn't give it too much thought.

With much to think about as far as fighting prowess was concerned, she remembered she needed to talk to Jinzi about meeting the planet's leader. With that, she hovered into the air. "I'm going to talk to Jinzi, Ishtar," she said to her Oni. "I'll see you at Dusk City later." She smirked, which should have been all the hints Ishtar needed about what was going to happen when they met up later.

With one final fond smile, she turned and searched for Zaofan's energy. She found it quickly, then took off like a rocket after it. He was fast, but she was faster, so she should have caught up to him before he and Dash arrived.

Not that it was a race or anything.

A white streak denoting Zaofan's senses strikes into his head. He senses an immense power source coming right at them, at incredible speeds. His heart pumps, the adrenaline surges through his veins. And he turns to face it, as there's no time for any more warning.

"GAH! Sarada...!"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

A white streak denoting Zaofan's senses strikes into his head. He senses an immense power source coming right at them, at incredible speeds. His heart pumps, the adrenaline surges through his veins. And he turns to face it, as there's no time for any more warning.

"GAH! Sarada...!"

When Zaofan landed on the Lookout, Sarada was there moments later. And it seemed that he detected her arrival moments too late, if his surprised face was any indication.

Hehe.

"Hope you don't mind me tagging along," she said to him and Dash. "I need to talk to Jinzi about meeting the ruler of this planet. It shouldn't take more than a second, I guess."

[Cyke]

When Zaofan landed at Capsule Corp, Sarada was there moments later. And it seemed that he detected her arrival moments too late, if his surprised face was any indication.

Hehe.

"Hope you don't mind me tagging along," she said to him and Dash. "I need to talk to Jinzi about meeting the ruler of this planet. It shouldn't take more than a second, I guess."

(OT: psst, we're on the Lookout. Jinzi hasn't left for Capsule Corp yet)

His hands fly up in the air, well above his head. His nerves are shot. One leg is raised, bent at the knee, foot dangling. Once the vagabond chef realizes that Sarada actually asked a question instead of demanding by force and intimidation, he gradually returns to a normal stance. "Ah. Gotcha. Well, uh, I just have a simple request for him, is all. Sure, c'mon, tag along."

[Miburo]

"All on record!" Blizzar stated, with aslight chuckle. "Officer Miras has detailed accounts of the defenders of Earth in her reports," the Arcosian stated. "Some of the officers have taken to calling you lot the M-Fighters...I'm....I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure it means anything, but it has caught on in some GP circles."

"The M-Fighters?" Held couldn't help but laugh, "I don't even know where to beg---What does the M even stand for? Mobile? Monster?"

Still, it's pretty catchy for a nonsense name....

Elsewhere on the lookout, Sasheem once again sneezed.



Blizzar's red eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he listened intently to the Nevadian's words. It was obvious this 'wasn't his first rodeo', as the uncouth would say. It was a trait, Blizzar would almost find admirable...if it wasn't currently being used against him.

Still, the Frost Demon managed to grin. "...But, of course! Consider it a done deal..." he stated, pressing a hand on one of the drones, initiating a scan, causing one of the drone's pa els to open. Blizzar entered in a code and...

"When the planetary defense system goes live, you will be considered a friendly," he stated cheerfully, before giving a brief chuckle. "Ah forgive me...I was just laughing at that phrase you mentioned earlier. What was it? 'No strings attached'? It's just seems to be a phrase I've heard time and time again in intergalactic cinema. Often, I wonder what exactly defines these...proverbial strings..." Blizzar stated, before looking off into the distance, as if in deep thought. "Ah, such quandries are lost upon me. It sends my mind in a loop before it becomes whole again," Blizzar chuckled...with an barely traceable sneer hidden underneath.

"Forgive my tomfoolery. I'm told I have an odd sense of humor," Blizzar noted turning back to Held. "I don't want to hold your journey up any further, so if you don't mind I can just provide you with the information of the account that you'll be transferring the funds to."

So, they had an understanding. Held couldn't help but wonder just how many deals this creature had made during his tenure with the Galaxy Police. Either he was an expert at entrapping poor damned souls, making him perhaps the pride of the Galaxy Police....

Or perhaps he was even more dangerous than that, a Lion masquerading as a Shepard, his disguise so seamless than even those trained to hunt the wicked could not see through his ice cold veneer.

Some part of Held wanted to renege on the deal. The danger. The Risk.

The Thrill! The Reward

Despite himself, the Nevadian could feel his blood burning, his pace quickening, his adrenaline rushing. It truly was a gamble, one that excited the Nevadian more than he had been in some time.

To back away now, without seeing what would have happened, would bother the Nevadian more than any consequent from accepting. And so, he would push even further into the jaws of the beast.

"Huh." Held tilted his head thoughtfully, "I hate to take credit for such a selfless action, after all, I'm sure anyone else would donate in my place, had they the means."

Besides, I suppose it's better this is on the record, for once....I don't normally like it, but I think it'd be even harder to worm my way out if I just dropped a briefcase full of credits incase things went south....

He shrugged, feigning reluctance. "But, you have a point. Perhaps my example can serve to inspire others who walk the same path as I do."

Reaching into a nearby compartment, the Nevadian pulled out a rectangular data pad.

"I'm all ears, Liutenant." He said with a smile so slippery an eel would feel dry by comparison.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

To clear things up, let’s presume Anula has been taken to the Lookout to be fed and looked over by Slak, Kai, and Eva.

Jinzi, Wilhelm, and Karis’ cryosleep-tube are loaded up and ready to go to CC. Jinzi has told those that plan on meeting Grinthorn (Blizzar and Sarada) that they can do so once he gets back to Capital City and drops Wilhelm and Karis’s frozen self at their new residence, Capsule Corp.

He also tells Held he can get the black box data for him soon afterwards.

And finally, he nods to Zaofan.

“What’s up?”

[grampagen]

OOC: Bumping, in case this got lost

As swiftly as the great Eye of Auroc fell in their midst it had fled. The sun shone ever clearer among the shattered peak, and what once was the site of slavish providence resumed itself apart from the Threshling god's emergence.

The wind's hollow whistle through the trees and snow reached Ochazuke, who released a low sigh. Rising to his feet once more, the cold air carried clouded breath as it nipped at his lungs, chill coursing through his body.

Anula's overseer had been magnanimous to enough to share his bounty with the Earth. All of them having rejected this Threshling gift in unison, however, would not go unanswered.

That which evades understanding invites only greater efforts to unveil it.

His blood carried with it dull, raw aching from where it fell and sunk into the upturned soil.







The trepidation still near to his heart, the Threshling god would seize upon his reckoning, and so long as he had bound a vessel, he could render is presence at any time.

Slowly he made his way to the others, finding Zaofan, Ishtar, and Auroc's faithful servant, she who professed the sweeping scale and deathly weight of his love. And now, her reward for the length of her devotion and holding the spirit within her...

"He did not leave," he said. "Only for the moment diminished his full gaze."

Turning to Ishtar he continued, "that mark you bear is not the only marker of your dangerous compact. The game may be played at a different level."

Ochazuke looked over Anula. Reduced to this precocious state, the Priestess was little more than one Threshling alone. Cast off, adrift.

With an idle touch she rendered rock to a fine cloth, and his eyes widened.

"You've traveled the Earth on a path of multiple disciplines. Among all of us, you know best Zaofan," he said. Warily parting his view from Anula he asked, "why do we place our belief in others?"

[KingofPie]

So, they had an understanding. Held couldn't help but wonder just how many deals this creature had made during his tenure with the Galaxy Police. Either he was an expert at entrapping poor damned souls, making him perhaps the pride of the Galaxy Police....

Or perhaps he was even more dangerous than that, a Lion masquerading as a Shepard, his disguise so seamless than even those trained to hunt the wicked could not see through his ice cold veneer.

Some part of Held wanted to renege on the deal. The danger. The Risk.

The Thrill! The Reward

Despite himself, the Nevadian could feel his blood burning, his pace quickening, his adrenaline rushing. It truly was a gamble, one that excited the Nevadian more than he had been in some time.

To back away now, without seeing what would have happened, would bother the Nevadian more than any consequent from accepting. And so, he would push even further into the jaws of the beast.

"Huh." Held tilted his head thoughtfully, "I hate to take credit for such a selfless action, after all, I'm sure anyone else would donate in my place, had they the means."

Besides, I suppose it's better this is on the record, for once....I don't normally like it, but I think it'd be even harder to worm my way out if I just dropped a briefcase full of credits incase things went south....

He shrugged, feigning reluctance. "But, you have a point. Perhaps my example can serve to inspire others who walk the same path as I do."

Reaching into a nearby compartment, the Nevadian pulled out a rectangular data pad.

"I'm all ears, Liutenant." He said with a smile so slippery an eel would feel dry by comparison.

Blizzar relayed the account number for Held to jot down and after doing so, added, "Keep in mind that this is not going directly into any Galaxy Police member's personal account, but rather our Reformation Fund. It was surprisingly quite complicated to set this account up in the first placem as we had to place it under the name of the chief engineer of the company we hired and-..." Blizzar trailed off as he appeared to catch himself rambling. "But of course this is of no concern to you. And I believe I've kept you long enough."

The Arcosian lieutenant rose a hand for Held to shake. "I would say it's a pleasure doing business with you, but this is less business and more...a showing of good will and generocity, wouldn't you say?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

(OT: psst, we're on the Lookout. Jinzi hasn't left for Capsule Corp yet)

His hands fly up in the air, well above his head. His nerves are shot. One leg is raised, bent at the knee, foot dangling. Once the vagabond chef realizes that Sarada actually asked a question instead of demanding by force and intimidation, he gradually returns to a normal stance. "Ah. Gotcha. Well, uh, I just have a simple request for him, is all. Sure, c'mon, tag along."

To clear things up, let’s presume Anula has been taken to the Lookout to be fed and looked over by Slak, Kai, and Eva.

Jinzi, Wilhelm, and Karis’ cryosleep-tube are loaded up and ready to go to CC. Jinzi has told those that plan on meeting Grinthorn (Blizzar and Sarada) that they can do so once he gets back to Capital City and drops Wilhelm and Karis’s frozen self at their new residence, Capsule Corp.

He also tells Held he can get the black box data for him soon afterwards.

And finally, he nods to Zaofan.

“What’s up?”

Sarada nodded and stepped up to Jinza along wtih Zaofan. After speaking with the billionaire, it was agreed that she and the Arcosian -- separately, she hoped -- would speak with President Grinthorn once Jinzi returned to Capital City and dropped Wilhelm and the Princess at Capsule Corp.

An acceptable plan, so she nodded and agreed to his terms.

That was the easy part. The hard part was figuring out how she was going to present her offer to this man. It, obviously, wasn't going to be an official proposal. She hadn't consulted with the council yet, had no logistics, and had no idea how many soldiers she would be able to spare should Earth need their help. Then there was the very small issue of her being an alien dignitary walking into his home with an mysterious offer of an alliance from a race he likely had never heard of. Having Jinzi there -- she hoped he would accompany her -- to vouch for her would go a long way to assuage the potential mistrust the President would likely feel toward her, but still.

Oh, well.

She was sure this type of thing happened all the time.

She sat down at the edge of the Lookout to think of what to say. Her first instinct was to offer to place Earth under the Saiyan Empire's protection. No, no. That sounds too much like strong-arming. She decided on 'form an alliance between Earth and the Saiyan throne-world, Vocado'. It sounded like she had this planet's best interests at heart -- which she did -- plus it left plenty of room for mutual benefit between all parties. Depending on what he said, she would then have to schedule a later date for the official visit to hammer out the details.

"Okay. I can do this," she said to herself.

[Cyke]

The trepidation still near to his heart, the Threshling god would seize upon his reckoning, and so long as he had bound a vessel, he could render is presence at any time.

Slowly he made his way to the others, finding Zaofan, Ishtar, and Auroc's faithful servant, she who professed the sweeping scale and deathly weight of his love. And now, her reward for the length of her devotion and holding the spirit within her...

"He did not leave," he said. "Only for the moment diminished his full gaze."

Turning to Ishtar he continued, "that mark you bear is not the only marker of your dangerous compact. The game may be played at a different level."

Ochazuke looked over Anula. Reduced to this precocious state, the Priestess was little more than one Threshling alone. Cast off, adrift.

With an idle touch she rendered rock to a fine cloth, and his eyes widened.

"You've traveled the Earth on a path of multiple disciplines. Among all of us, you know best Zaofan," he said. Warily parting his view from Anula he asked, "why do we place our belief in others?"

Zaofan bites his lower lip in brief contemplation, summoning all his memories of his travels and disciplines. "Churches, villages, schools, martial arts students, what have you -- one thing all these communities --all have in common: everyone hopes that there is something better out there. A shared path towards a better condition. Whether it's enlightenment, exploration, education, spirituality, even self-improvement, we place our belief in others because we seek answers we don't have to questions we can barely begin to ask ourselves. That we want to trust that someone else doesn't just know more than us, but can help us attain the knowledge to better ourselves. To do better. To *be* better. Without purpose and connection, we flounder, when really we seek hope and fulfillment in our own ways. The comfort and security in the belief that something better isn't just out there, but is attainable. We can't control everything, but we try to control as much as we can around us. It's not simply power. It is... hope."

The last part stings a little within Zaofan. Is this the reason for his own travels? His own sense of adventure and exploration? His fondness in meeting new cultures and learning new recipes and training in new disciplines? Does his lack of focus serve, paradoxically, a higher purpose for him? And yet, in all his adventures, for all the pain and violence thus far, does it match his love of life and the quality of people he's met around the world? And beyond?

He looks to Anula again, with different, more sympathetic eyes this time. "The poor girl... she had hope. And Auroc abused that."

To clear things up, let’s presume Anula has been taken to the Lookout to be fed and looked over by Slak, Kai, and Eva.

Jinzi, Wilhelm, and Karis’ cryosleep-tube are loaded up and ready to go to CC. Jinzi has told those that plan on meeting Grinthorn (Blizzar and Sarada) that they can do so once he gets back to Capital City and drops Wilhelm and Karis’s frozen self at their new residence, Capsule Corp.

He also tells Held he can get the black box data for him soon afterwards.

And finally, he nods to Zaofan.

“What’s up?”

Zaofan rubs the back of his neck, offers a friendly smile, then respectfully bows. "Mr. Pantaloon! First of all, let me just say how wonderful it is to see you again! I don't think I've had a chance to say hi since we returned!"

"Secondly, I wanted to ask your permission if Anula could stay here in the Lookout. It was the first place to come to mind, but frankly, I had forgotten what Auroc -- through her -- had done to you. I wanted to ask for your permission to see if it would be okay given what had just happened, but apparently you took care of that already."

He turns to Dash, pointing at Mr. Pantaloon. "This guy, eh? He's swell! And I know you! You're not bad yourself!"

"Thirdly, well, Sarada wanted to speak to you about the President. Geeze, imagine meeting THAT guy! But ahem, that's all I've got. For a guy without superspeed, you're... *really* efficient."

[Miburo]

Blizzar relayed the account number for Held to jot down and after doing so, added, "Keep in mind that this is not going directly into any Galaxy Police member's personal account, but rather our Reformation Fund. It was surprisingly quite complicated to set this account up in the first placem as we had to place it under the name of the chief engineer of the company we hired and-..." Blizzar trailed off as he appeared to catch himself rambling. "But of course this is of no concern to you. And I believe I've kept you long enough."

"Hmm?" Held glanced up from the datapad, having double checked the account information.

"Did you say something?" He asked, feigning ignorance, "I think I missed the last bit. Something something reclamation fund, right?"

Which, naturally was a lie. If nothing else, Held was a beacon of steel focus when his freedom--and his money--was on the line. The Nevadian had little interest in trying to go against the spirit of the deal they had struck anytime soon, but the future was always in motion, and there were always palms that needed to be greased.

And the nature of their bargain was a risk, for both of them. Held, perhaps moreso, but it would have been foolish not to tuck away every bit of leverage and knowledge, on the off chance that the Galaxy Police ended up pursuing a path the Nevadian would consider anathema.

The Arcosian lieutenant rose a hand for Held to shake. "I would say it's a pleasure doing business with you, but this is less business and more...a showing of good will and generocity, wouldn't you say?"

"Agreed." Held replied, rising in kind to shake his newfound business partners hand, "Here's to trying to save the Galaxy, eh?"