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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“Don’t know, not my place. Nothing good. He already has most what he wants. You’d have to ask him, though if my investigating skills are up to snuff I’d say he intends to either remake time or remake parts of reality. Seems the egomaniacal thing a genius would want.”

"So much for protecting the lives of many," Ishtar scoffed.

“Nah Ishtar, I knew a version of you before. We butted heads more than once. Odd seeing you on this side of the law. Ain’t had to throw you off Earth in quite some time.”

He spits off to the side before continuing.

“He ain’t harming Zurvan. Not the way ya think. He’s stealing from Zurvan. Well, stole from Zurvan. He already did it, as should be obvious from me being here. As to him messing with my world, again, he brought me here: if he can pluck me out of time, he can do the same to others. Ain’t going to risk my people.”

“As to Jinzi.....you ain’t figured it out yet? Jinzi is dangerous cause he can stop him. Takes someone smart as him, after all. And no one as smart as Jinzi...but Jinzi.”

Zaofan snorts.

“I figured his identity out almost right away. Never confirmed it I suppose, but makes sense. And there ain’t many Jinzi’s either. Not in my time, not in a lot of others.”

"At the least, that is better than killing Time." Ishtar said with a shrug, as the information revealed by this ... strange Zaofan, sunk in. "It is also nice to know, at least, that I am the best possible version of myself. An Ishtar who stoops so low as to play the part of Raider, is not an Ishtar at all."

It was however, far more sorisinf, that Jinzi was the Doctor.

Not of this when, clearly ... but of some when far off. Though I né the surprise settled, it certainly made sense in retrospect. The hybrid. The autonomous army ... the teleportation blocking chaff. All doable by few and fewer ... though as to why she missed this truth ?

"He stated we were lovers once. I never once considered Jinzi for such a thing ... at least not in this when; and more focused was I on protecting Zurvan ... and those idiots, as you call them, that Jinzi failed to kill."

At the end of the day though, Zaofan's mind seemed made up. He was not leaving without their Jinzi. So Ishtar sighed, and finished off her pudding; before sighing.

"Are you really set on this, then ?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Don’t know, not my place. Nothing good. He already has most what he wants. You’d have to ask him, though if my investigating skills are up to snuff I’d say he intends to either remake time or remake parts of reality. Seems the egomaniacal thing a genius would want.”

Remaking time or parts of reality. In either case, it wasn't good. Parsley couldn't fathom why this particular Jinzi would want to remake time itself, and would go these lengths to do so. She did have a hunch, though, but it was only that, a hunch. She kept it to herself, since asking this Zaofan wouldn't them any good.

"Are there more alternate versions of us at his command?" she asked. If so, then their lives were going to become very difficult very quickly.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Blinking her eyes, Meagan starts to wake up, "Jinzi, is he safe?" She asks weakly.

Dash replies, "Yeah, for now." She then looks to him, "The Princess has a point, any endgame that messes with time can't be good for no one."

“Way I see it, if I don’t do what he wants, me and mine are screwed, 100% chance. If I do help him, I’m still fodder but no reason to maliciously kill mine. So only a 90% chance they screwed in the end. Doesn’t seem much of a choice in the end.”

[Tami]

“Way I see it, if I don’t do what he wants, me and mine are screwed, 100% chance. If I do help him, I’m still fodder but no reason to maliciously kill mine. So only a 90% chance they screwed in the end. Doesn’t seem much of a choice in the end.”

"Well now, you could always just help us stop this crazy Jinzi. The more help we get, the faster we can stop him. The faster we can stop him, the better the odds that you're kin won't be harmed."

[KingofPie]

“Nah Ishtar, I knew a version of you before. We butted heads more than once. Odd seeing you on this side of the law. Ain’t had to throw you off Earth in quite some time.”

He spits off to the side before continuing.

“He ain’t harming Zurvan. Not the way ya think. He’s stealing from Zurvan. Well, stole from Zurvan. He already did it, as should be obvious from me being here. As to him messing with my world, again, he brought me here: if he can pluck me out of time, he can do the same to others. Ain’t going to risk my people.”

“As to Jinzi.....you ain’t figured it out yet? Jinzi is dangerous cause he can stop him. Takes someone smart as him, after all. And no one as smart as Jinzi...but Jinzi.”

Zaofan snorts.

“I figured his identity out almost right away. Never confirmed it I suppose, but makes sense. And there ain’t many Jinzi’s either. Not in my time, not in a lot of others.”

"If you are truly an officer of the law...of sorts," the voice of Blizzar began, having sensed the power levels flaring up in the distance and listening in before making his presence known. He was eating a donut, so his words were slightly spaced out. He had heard Earth law enforcement enjoy such treats. They were not wrong to do so. "Then you should bloody well know everything your attempting is illegal and breaches all laws and regulations in regards to space/time. Probably."

The Arcosian shrugged. "I must admit, I don't rightly know. That section gave me a damnable headache at the academy..." so, of course he'd cheated on the test. "Either way, you're not getting away with whatever you're planning..."

[Tami]

“Way I see it, if I don’t do what he wants, me and mine are screwed, 100% chance. If I do help him, I’m still fodder but no reason to maliciously kill mine. So only a 90% chance they screwed in the end. Doesn’t seem much of a choice in the end.”

Finally strong enough to speak, "You've been given an impossible choice." Meagan tilts her head slightly, to see him, "You have given us an impossible choice. You are the Guardian of your people, for them you must do what you have to do. Just as we must do what we have to do to protect our worlds, our universe. There is no easy answer."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"So much for protecting the lives of many," Ishtar scoffed.



"At the least, that is better than killing Time." Ishtar said with a shrug, as the information revealed by this ... strange Zaofan, sunk in. "It is also nice to know, at least, that I am the best possible version of myself. An Ishtar who stoops so low as to play the part of Raider, is not an Ishtar at all."

It was however, far more sorisinf, that Jinzi was the Doctor.

Not of this when, clearly ... but of some when far off. Though I né the surprise settled, it certainly made sense in retrospect. The hybrid. The autonomous army ... the teleportation blocking chaff. All doable by few and fewer ... though as to why she missed this truth ?

"He stated we were lovers once. I never once considered Jinzi for such a thing ... at least not in this when; and more focused was I on protecting Zurvan ... and those idiots, as you call them, that Jinzi failed to kill."

At the end of the day though, Zaofan's mind seemed made up. He was not leaving without their Jinzi. So Ishtar sighed, and finished off her pudding; before sighing.

"Are you really set on this, then ?"

“Raider? Nah, she ain’t no simple raider. What were her titles again?”

He snaps his fingers after a moment.

“Ishtar, Goddess of Ruination. Empress of the Galaxy, Queen of the Bloody Stars. A bit pompous, but my Ishtar has quite the reign of terror. Vocado, Arcosia Prime, all them there colonies, and so many more all destroyed. Got her that Hakai energy early, ain’t sense it awoke in you. Must be the difference.”

He shrugs a bit at her final question.

“Don’t want to. Ain’t been a killer in a long time. Tomb City made me a better man, and I tried to live up to that. Proud to be a lawman, and don’t want to go back to assassinating. I just want Jinzi is all.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Finally strong enough to speak, "You've been given an impossible choice." Meagan tilts her head slightly, to see him, "You have given us an impossible choice. You are the Guardian of your people, for them you must do what you have to do. Just as we must do what we have to do to protect our worlds, our universe. There is no easy answer."

He smiles a bit sadly.

“No there ain’t.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Well now, you could always just help us stop this crazy Jinzi. The more help we get, the faster we can stop him. The faster we can stop him, the better the odds that you're kin won't be harmed."

“You got a way to do that? When the chaff clears he’ll know I failed. He finds out, my people suffer. So you got a way to hunt down all the stolen time stones so he can’t effect time no more?”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"If you are truly an officer of the law...of sorts," the voice of Blizzar began, having sensed the power levels flaring up in the distance and listening in before making his presence known. He was eating a donut, so his words were slightly spaced out. He had heard Earth law enforcement enjoy such treats. They were not wrong to do so. "Then you should bloody well know everything your attempting is illegal and breaches all laws and regulations in regards to space/time. Probably."

The Arcosian shrugged. "I must admit, I don't rightly know. That section gave me a damnable headache at the academy..." so, of course he'd cheated on the test. "Either way, you're not getting away with whatever you're planning..."

“Huh, Arcosian huh? Ain’t seen your type in years. Regardless, I don’t think I’m a lawman today.”

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Okay, what the heck is going on here? Meagan's power disappears, a bunch of you gather here.. explosions... and..."

The person speaking, Totoma, stopped as he descended, his eyes locked on 'Zaofan'. "...Zaofan, why are you dressed like a cowboy?" He had been helping with cleanup in the city since yesterday, so, naturally, all this... whatever the heck was going on drew his attention. And here he finds something weird going on.

Totoma's eyes drifted to Meagan, and they narrowed. "Is this some sort of joke?"

[KingofPie]

“Raider? Nah, she ain’t no simple raider. What were her titles again?”

He snaps his fingers after a moment.

“Ishtar, Goddess of Ruination. Empress of the Galaxy, Queen of the Bloody Stars. A bit pompous, but my Ishtar has quite the reign of terror. Vocado, Arcosia Prime, all them there colonies, and so many more all destroyed. Got her that Hakai energy early, ain’t sense it awoke in you. Must be the difference.”

He shrugs a bit at her final question.

“Don’t want to. Ain’t been a killer in a long time. Tomb City made me a better man, and I tried to live up to that. Proud to be a lawman, and don’t want to go back to assassinating. I just want Jinzi is all.”

Interesting, if not greatly disturbing. Blizzar had to wonder...if this Zaofan was oif an alternate timeline, what was the event that caused him to splinter. This Zaofan was self described grunt from the looks of it. A gun for hire. Blizzar had his doubts that he knew that much of what caused his timeline to greatly differentiate from theirs. Perhaps he can give them an answer during his interrogation...

“Huh, Arcosian huh? Ain’t seen your type in years. Regardless, I don’t think I’m a lawman today.”

"Apparently not, but whatever you are now, I hope you now we cannot allow you to leave with the inventor," Blizzar informed him. We have enough trouble on our plate as is."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Raider? Nah, she ain’t no simple raider. What were her titles again?”

He snaps his fingers after a moment.

“Ishtar, Goddess of Ruination. Empress of the Galaxy, Queen of the Bloody Stars. A bit pompous, but my Ishtar has quite the reign of terror. Vocado, Arcosia Prime, all them there colonies, and so many more all destroyed. Got her that Hakai energy early, ain’t sense it awoke in you. Must be the difference.”

He shrugs a bit at her final question.

“Don’t want to. Ain’t been a killer in a long time. Tomb City made me a better man, and I tried to live up to that. Proud to be a lawman, and don’t want to go back to assassinating. I just want Jinzi is all.”

Parsley raised a brow. Ishtar driven insane by the power lurking within her. Perhaps too soon, before she could learn the humility to temper that great destructive force. "I suppose in that universe, my sister is dead," she commented. If only for the fact that she up and destroyed their homeworld. Then again, this Ishtar sounded far to arrogant and egotistical to give a care to the pleas of two young Saiyans. If they even knew her.

Regardless, this needed to be dealt with first before she could dwell on the innumerable possibilities of this so-called multiverse.

"You need to capture Jinzi so your people will be safe. We want to protect Jinzi for various, obvious reasons. An impasse if there ever was one. Would it be possible to craft a solution that satisfies both parties?"

[Tami]

“You got a way to do that? When the chaff clears he’ll know I failed. He finds out, my people suffer. So you got a way to hunt down all the stolen time stones so he can’t effect time no more?”

"Time stones?" Dash considered this, "Well, maybe we can. Ah figger we got more'n'nough talent combined to do it."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“Raider? Nah, she ain’t no simple raider. What were her titles again?”

He snaps his fingers after a moment.

“Ishtar, Goddess of Ruination. Empress of the Galaxy, Queen of the Bloody Stars. A bit pompous, but my Ishtar has quite the reign of terror. Vocado, Arcosia Prime, all them there colonies, and so many more all destroyed. Got her that Hakai energy early, ain’t sense it awoke in you. Must be the difference.”

He shrugs a bit at her final question.

“Don’t want to. Ain’t been a killer in a long time. Tomb City made me a better man, and I tried to live up to that. Proud to be a lawman, and don’t want to go back to assassinating. I just want Jinzi is all.”

Ishtar visibly paused.

Vocado ?

No ...

Because the Hakai was unleashed too early ? No ... it had to be more than that. Had things progressed as they had to a point, now. The Oni should have learned and understood for a long time that Hakai was not to be used wantonly. How could it not ? It left nothing behind.

The Oni incinerated the pudding cup before pocketing the spoon. "You should have killed her, this other me. If such were possible. You said it yourself though, I suppose ... you are not a killer."

Ishtar glanced at Meagan, before looking back up at the mustachio'd man.

"What you are doing now though, is exactly that. Thousands. Millions. More ?"

“You got a way to do that? When the chaff clears he’ll know I failed. He finds out, my people suffer. So you got a way to hunt down all the stolen time stones so he can’t effect time no more?”

At this however there was at least a positive response.

"Several ways, provided their use left a mark on you," Ishtar replied simply. "Beyond that, we have Jinzi Pantaloon and several days yet to try should other means fail us. So do not act as if you have no other options at this juncture."