Dragonball M, Chapter 3: In Blood, Bone, and Ash! The Way Forward Unlocked!

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

While the others did their scouting, Totoma instead prepared himself for the upcoming battle--mostly his usual 'hop up and stretch' routine. He wasn't a planning guy like Mr Ochazuke or Parsley, so there wasn't a whole lot he could do until the fighting began. One would note, however, that he seemed remarkable relaxed and in good spirits, considering the circumstances and what, precisely, was at stake. And he was... they'd foiled the doctor's plans repeatedly, and while past success wasn't a guarantee that they'd manage it again, the half-saiyan knew that they'd figure out some way of pulling through.

Probably by the skin of their teeth, but hey, victory's a victory, yeah?

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Eventually, Ishtar and her group enter a large open storage room, almost a docking bay of sorts, and there sitting in a circle of red energy is Marduk.

He opens his eyes and nods.

“Ishtar. The time has come.”

The other two are not visually there.

The black arm writhes slightly and he stands, observing her.

[KingofPie]

Blizzar listened intently as they freed the living captives. The more allies the better.

She couldn't argue with him there. Those foul bastards almost assuredly had it coming. She would never feel sorry for a dead Frost Demon. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Blizzar," she said with sincerity.

Blizzar nodded silently in response. General hatred between their two species aside, Blizzar couldn't help appreciate the Saiyans that he had come to consider allies. ...Much as it nearly made him vomit to admit. And judging from what he was hearing of the conversations within the lab, they were soon to be joined by yet another.

"Police, no," Hops said with a chuckle, "Time Patrol, though I guess I'm sort of like a police officer? I travel through time looking for and stopping anomalies from getting time off track. I was actually on such a mission before I was captured, though for the life of me I can't remember what it was or how long ago I even set out..." He shook his head, "anyway! I don't think I'll need to much to be back to normal if you can spare the time to help me dress this wounds," He gestured to the holes in his arms from the tubes that had poured various toxins and fluids into him, and drew his blood three times a day.

He hadn't really intended to involve himself in the conversation, but at this Blizzar began to turn his head. "Time Patrol, you say?" he inquired, observing the half-saiyan's uniform. All in all it wasn't too dissimilar from the standard battle armor of GP officers, Saiyan influences and all. But surely that must've been a coincidence. Perhaps it was some sort of temporal constant that all officers of both time and space were outfitted with similar gear. "Where are your fellow officers? Surely, we could've used their aid to help put a stop this mess."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Ocha..." Ochazuke would hear Erosa voice in his head. "...big scary robot, lot of weapons."

Erosa moved closer, still under the cover of her hunter/killer ability, while keeping to the shadows in the event that wasn't enough.

If anything, the best course of action would be to get the group through without any confrontations that might alert the doctor. Firstly, she took count of the exits from the room, excluding the one she came in from....as well as the patrol routes of the doctors mecha. Finally she gave the largest of the war machines as detailed an examination as she could from that range, looking for a weak point or attack point should it come down to a quick strike from her claws.

"Wait moment....ero....stalking."

The suits seem fairly solid, though the joints are obvious weak points. The weapons seem to have ammo of the higher grade katchin the asteroid Ian made of, so it will tear into most of them most likely if they hit. Slow rate of fire perhaps.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Yes, ma'am, I'm ready to assist in any way I can! Unfortunately, I can't tell what it was that the Doctor was trying to do. I'd only be semi-conscious every time I was removed from the pod. They'd quickly keep drugging me. For the few lucid moments, I'd have between tests and experiments I felt drained like he was trying to steal my Ki or harness the potential of my Saiyan blood."

She turned to answer the Frost Demon and Hops decided it would be a good opportunity to visit with Althena, as he approached he could see the human girl studying his armor.

It was a long shot, one that didn't out the way Sarada hoped. Hops had been rendered unconscious for his procedures and thus was unaware of the myriad of hybrids that had been created by The Doctor. Thus far, the hybrid Parsley somehow detected was the only one they were aware of. If there were any others, she was certain they'd know.

"That's what he was doing," she confirmed with a grim tone. "We've fought several of his creatures who have possessed Saiyan DNA. One of which was able to go Super Saiyan." Her eyes narrowed as she considered him.

"Police, no," Hops said with a chuckle, "Time Patrol, though I guess I'm sort of like a police officer? I travel through time looking for and stopping anomalies from getting time off track. I was actually on such a mission before I was captured, though for the life of me I can't remember what it was or how long ago I even set out..." He shook his head, "anyway! I don't think I'll need to much to be back to normal if you can spare the time to help me dress this wounds," He gestured to the holes in his arms from the tubes that had poured various toxins and fluids into him, and drew his blood three times a day.

Time Police? That was a thing?

Her head threatened to start throbbing at the thought of continuous travel through time itself, so she didn't bother asking.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Eventually, Ishtar and her group enter a large open storage room, almost a docking bay of sorts, and there sitting in a circle of red energy is Marduk.

He opens his eyes and nods.

“Ishtar. The time has come.”

The other two are not visually there.

The black arm writhes slightly and he stands, observing her.

Parsley entered the area, flanking to Ishtar's left. Her eyes cast upon Marduk for the first time. He was visibly much older than Ishtar, even if she was certain the one to her right was the elder. Silently, she allowed her senses to spread through the room: Muda: Phase I to detect any other sources of magic besides those on her side and Marduk, and Observational Focus to find anything else that may have been hidden from her sight. Such as where the other Oni and Baric were.

[Miburo]

"This whole scheme is borne upon ill humour," Ochazuke replied, one hand laid upon the black sphere as he chased after its resonance within the expanse of this deathly complex.

Though not so much as a chuckle passed through him, facing ahead into the dark corridors, a short smirk lift in the corner of his mouth.

"'Debts owed for services rendered', how mercenary," he said, "And yet, how apt indeed. The queue for the debt owed is some seven worlds' length." Moving forward, he began to pick up speed. As he did so, he took a moment to test communications as he hailed the members of the other groups.

"Even with all of Time as his ceiling, for what he's done I doubt the man has enough coined to make an honest account," he continued, "suppose you'll have to make do, won't you?"

"Choosers can't be beggars, as you earthlings tend to say." Held replied with a nod, looking at Erosa for a moment as she attempted to discern something beyond the door. "But, I guess I'd settle for victory as..umm...."

The Nevadian trailed off.

Erosa's surveillance only corroborated the gauntlet that lay before them. The 37 bestial contraptions of the previous heads of this establishment prowled around ever corner, but if the two towering mechanical men Erosa had spotted were indeed the largest share of the mechanical energy signatures in the immediate area, they at least had a target to prioritize.

Locked in on each signature, feeling every movement upon his Meditational Field, Ochazuke had to focus particularly as the will of the Dark Sphere about his neck silently screamed for vindication.

"A score of foes on the otherside there. Machines. Two in particular stand as sentries," he said as he relaid these new findings to the others. "I can confirm the Doctor is close by, we'll have to get through them first, but Erosa, it seems she's found something."

The unique nature of the Hunter/Prey conveyance made it particularly difficult to trace the Id, even when he used the acquired skill of his subtle sense. Yet as voracious and impulsive as Erosa had proven herself to be, she was, above all other things, loyal.



The slumping footsteps that traced the hallway behind them might have been frightful, but Ochazuke recognized the aura for what it was. It had become harrowingly familiar across the last day and a half. A diffuse aura, ashen and grey, like smoke from a choking fire.

Charco's presence yet lingered, but the change had begun. It was far more ingrained than the last time in the fields of Pyke's Namek. Reluctantly, he turned around to behold the boy and see for himself the extent of the encroaching damage.

"A moment longer," he had little more to say. When the dream of Koryuu-Ryu had fallen under its manifest history, that day he'd reached to pull Charco out of it. And now...there was little recourse, but for the moment. "Stand strong. Focus, like you always have, and we will see this through."

The Nevadian went silent as Charco approached them. It had been some time since they had spoken, let alone fight along the same path together. He could recall the day where they first fought side by side against Jinzi as a training exercise, his potent energy almost overflowing from his body, a strength and vigor that stood exemplary, even among a group that included Saiyans.

BGM: "Monster"

Charco had lagged some ways behind the others, but he found it difficult to keep up with his body refusing to respond to himself anymore. Slick with sweat and gasping with exhaustion, the boy was practically hugging the wall at this point as he pitifully trudged down the halls with only a vague sense of where to go. His vision had long since left him, the only images reaching his conscious mind being blurry shapes and dim lights and smell and hearing were soon to follow in its steps. Only his sense of touch remained with clarity if only to the ensure he felt the entirety of the pain his body went through as it continued to slowly transform against his will. There was no telling how he must have looked or even he resembled a human anymore, but he had long since ceased to care.

There was no salvation for him, no deus ex machina to change his fate, nor was there any time remaining to weep or say farewell.

A rumbling from his chest was the best he could do to laugh as he languished in his misery, knowing he would be well rewarded in the knowledge of their ensured victory.

The only thing he could do as Ogatan Charco, the final act of his free will, was deliver evil unto the Doctor.

Held saw none of that today. His energy seemed to have been stripped from his body, supplanted with a dark, festering energy that seemed to poison him with every step he took, every breath he drew. It seemed almost as if he was moving by sheer will alone. Whatever strength and vigor once was there was a mere memory, all that seemed to be propping the youth up.

Charcos surface appearance was not comforting in the least, but seemed almost inconsequential to the sheer catastrophe that lurked beneath the surface.

"Holy shit." The Nevadian said, more as a reflex, as opposed to a conscious choice of words on his part. Absently, he almost wondered if this was the same Charco from so long ago.

"....What the hell is...." He chastised himself mentally, collecting his thoughts as he continued to address his ally, attempting to balance his concern and horror with tact.

"....What the hell is going on with you?" He continued, uncharacteristically blunt, "This isn't normal for you, let alone normal.."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Eventually, Ishtar and her group enter a large open storage room, almost a docking bay of sorts, and there sitting in a circle of red energy is Marduk.

He opens his eyes and nods.

“Ishtar. The time has come.”

The other two are not visually there.

The black arm writhes slightly and he stands, observing her.

The trek down the passageway -- as long and dark as it was -- gave Ishtar time to brood, and fume ... consider all those things she'd locked away just before departing as if it might serve to shield her for what was to come. Not simply another fight this. Not an impromptu scramble for survival, no. Marduk. Teshub. Baric. This was a reckoning, plain and simple.

What concerned her yet however, given her most recent revelations however ... was who this reckoning was for.

And when she finally reached the end of the hallway -- the end of the line, perhaps ? -- she might have kept on walking were it not for the voice that called out. 'Ishtar'. Her response was immediate, "Marduk." though when she raised her gaze to meet him she realized she had made a mistake. Teshub, and Baric were missing ... yet the Cannibal was not alone.

"Not three ... That arm of yours ..."

The Oni chuckled. "I think I will take that one, too."

Though as much as she wished to simply dash in and snap Marduk's neck ... she knew well what would happen, given he had the advantage of preparation and hidden allies. So instead, and with a crack of her neck, the Oni flexed her cryomantic arm and a split second later her allies along with herself were shrouded in a chilling mist. 'I have hidden our power levels, do what must be done before we begin ... and see if you can find Baric.'

And she, for her own part, did just that. Bringing to mind what she remembered of his 'scent' to locate the Nuckalevee.

[Twiliteknite06]

"It's nice to meet you, Dash! Thanks for the help!" Hops said with a smile.

Blizzar hadn't really intended to involve himself in the conversation, but at this Blizzar began to turn his head. "Time Patrol, you say?" he inquired, observing the half-saiyan's uniform. All in all it wasn't too dissimilar from the standard battle armor of GP officers, Saiyan influences and all. But surely that must've been a coincidence. Perhaps it was some sort of temporal constant that all officers of both time and space were outfitted with similar gear. "Where are your fellow officers? Surely, we could've used their aid to help put a stop this mess."

Hops turned to face the Frost Demon with a look of defeat, "The timeline I'm from no longer exists. I'm not sure how or why but the Doctor managed to destroy it, effectively leaving me stuck here, with no way or hope of ever returning to my reality. When the Doctor destroyed my time, he also severed my connection to the Timeline I'd joined the Patrol in. Time is tangled, and a mess. I've been to so many alternate realities but haven't been able to return to the one where my fellow Time Patrol officers are, unless..." He paused for a moment, "No, that wouldn't really make sense..." he muttered under his breath. He then turned his attention back to Queen Sarada,

It was a long shot, one that didn't out the way Sarada hoped. Hops had been rendered unconscious for his procedures and thus was unaware of the myriad of hybrids that had been created by The Doctor. Thus far, the hybrid Parsley somehow detected was the only one they were aware of. If there were any others, she was certain they'd know.

"That's what he was doing," she confirmed with a grim tone. "We've fought several of his creatures who have possessed Saiyan DNA. One of which was able to go Super Saiyan." Her eyes narrowed as she considered him.



Time Police? That was a thing?

Her head threatened to start throbbing at the thought of continuous travel through time itself, so she didn't bother asking.

"I'm sorry you all suffered because of me, or at least because of the experiments performed on me. I've only ever gone Super Saiyan once and was never able to rediscover my trigger...so for one of those abominations to do it," he clenched his fist tightly. Enough had happened while he'd been trapped, and he was ready to take his revenge. "No more, the Doctor will pay for his crimes!"

[Tami]

"It's nice to meet you, Dash! Thanks for the help!" Hops said with a smile.



Hops turned to face the Frost Demon with a look of defeat, "The timeline I'm from no longer exists. I'm not sure how or why but the Doctor managed to destroy it, effectively leaving me stuck here, with no way or hope of ever returning to my reality. When the Doctor destroyed my time, he also severed my connection to the Timeline I'd joined the Patrol in. Time is tangled, and a mess. I've been to so many alternate realities but haven't been able to return to the one where my fellow Time Patrol officers are, unless..." He paused for a moment, "No, that wouldn't really make sense..." he muttered under his breath. He then turned his attention back to Queen Sarada,



"I'm sorry you all suffered because of me, or at least because of the experiments performed on me. I've only ever gone Super Saiyan once and was never able to rediscover my trigger...so for one of those abominations to do it," he clenched his fist tightly. Enough had happened while he'd been trapped, and he was ready to take his revenge. "No more, the Doctor will pay for his crimes!"

"Ah wouldn't be so quick to give up hope. Maybe when we finish our business here an return to Earth, you might find your answer there." What Dash had in mind, for now, she chose to keep to herself.

"Ah wonder how the others are doin?" She spoke rhetorically.

[MrSandman]

The suits seem fairly solid, though the joints are obvious weak points. The weapons seem to have ammo of the higher grade katchin the asteroid Ian made of, so it will tear into most of them most likely if they hit. Slow rate of fire perhaps.

“Ocha....bullets made of hard hard metal, don’t get hit ero. Going to attack leg joint, moment it vulnerable...come in and smash with hard attacks.”

Erosa readied herself, tending up like a spring while her claws charged with energy. She waited....until the doggo mechs were in just the right positions.......and then.....

With a burst of speed, The Id darted our like a bolt of lightning. She sliced past the mechs right leg, slashing her claw through the joint holding it up. With any luck it would fall in the exact way she wanted....with most of its guns pointed away from where the others would enter.

[KingofPie]

Eventually, Ishtar and her group enter a large open storage room, almost a docking bay of sorts, and there sitting in a circle of red energy is Marduk.

He opens his eyes and nods.

“Ishtar. The time has come.”

The other two are not visually there.

The black arm writhes slightly and he stands, observing her.

Though as much as she wished to simply dash in and snap Marduk's neck ... she knew well what would happen, given he had the advantage of preparation and hidden allies. So instead, and with a crack of her neck, the Oni flexed her cryomantic arm and a split second later her allies along with herself were shrouded in a chilling mist. 'I have hidden our power levels, do what must be done before we begin ... and see if you can find Baric.'

And she, for her own part, did just that. Bringing to mind what she remembered of his 'scent' to locate the Nuckalevee.

And there he was. He had a vague idea of this Oni from P-Sta's memories as well as the glimpses he saw of his alternate self. Old, but seemed dangerous, looked dangerous....fsr from the only danger, however.

The Majin quickly sank beneath the floor. Ishtar had already hidden his power level thankfully, so he didn't have to waste any time doing so himself. Once he was fully hidden beneath the floor, he'd sense for the other oni as well as the nuck....nacka....whatever it was.

Did it even have a ki signature?

[Twiliteknite06]

"Ah wouldn't be so quick to give up hope. Maybe when we finish our business here an return to Earth, you might find your answer there." What Dash had in mind, for now, she chose to keep to herself.

"Ah wonder how the others are doin?" She spoke rhetorically.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure what questions I'd be seeking answers to, but leaving here would do a lot to help me figure out my reasoning for being here. There's gotta be some reason I was brought here, and I'm sure helping you all take down the Doctor is only the beginning!"

[grampagen]

“Ocha....bullets made of hard hard metal, don’t get hit ero. Going to attack leg joint, moment it vulnerable...come in and smash with hard attacks.”

Erosa readied herself, tending up like a spring while her claws charged with energy. She waited....until the doggo mechs were in just the right positions.......and then.....

With a burst of speed, The Id darted our like a bolt of lightning. She sliced past the mechs right leg, slashing her claw through the joint holding it up. With any luck it would fall in the exact way she wanted....with most of its guns pointed away from where the others would enter.

With the sounds of a commotion heralded by a metallic shriek, Ochazuke knew that the hidden killer within their mechanized midst had sprung her move. Now was the precise moment to strike.

Training his sense on each of the targets where they tread upon his meditation field, Ochazuke applied Saifa Kensaku through the battlefield, Leaping out like cords of serpentine lightning, the remote energy snares lashed themselves to the Doctor's robots in a bid to disrupt their energies and seize their movements.

"Let's go."

[KingofPie]

Hops turned to face the Frost Demon with a look of defeat, "The timeline I'm from no longer exists. I'm not sure how or why but the Doctor managed to destroy it, effectively leaving me stuck here, with no way or hope of ever returning to my reality. When the Doctor destroyed my time, he also severed my connection to the Timeline I'd joined the Patrol in. Time is tangled, and a mess. I've been to so many alternate realities but haven't been able to return to the one where my fellow Time Patrol officers are, unless..." He paused for a moment, "No, that wouldn't really make sense..." he muttered under his breath. He then turned his attention back to Queen Sarada,

"No need to dwell on it now then," Blizzar nodded. Especually when the 'it' in question revolved around MORE multiple timelines. The Lieutenant was already beginning to develop a sort of respect for this Time Patrol if they could wrap their heads around all that and still do their jobs accordingly. "We need you focused on the battles ahead."

"I'm sorry you all suffered because of me, or at least because of the experiments performed on me. I've only ever gone Super Saiyan once and was never able to rediscover my trigger...so for one of those abominations to do it," he clenched his fist tightly. Enough had happened while he'd been trapped, and he was ready to take his revenge. "No more, the Doctor will pay for his crimes!"

Another Super Saiyan, then. If Blizzar met a Saiyan at this point who wasn't one, he'd truly be shocked. But considering how well off he was compared to the condition of the other experimental subjects, he supposed it was no surprise.