Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"....It's a shame your transformations are such a tell." Held replied to his opponents change of approach, growing into a giantess in the space of a second, "As things are, the very act of transformation gives me some idea of what you have planned...."

The Nevadian tarried forth, advancing to meet the Toadian head on at a casual pace.

"Still, it could be a good learning experience."

He made minor adjustments as he continued forwards, shifting his body in ways almost imperceptible to the untrained eye in their subtlety, the orbs seemingly simply missing their mark by a stroke of misfortune.

"For instance, someone like Sarada and her Super Saiyan form seems to result in an improvement in abilities across the board in an even skew...Her transformation tells me nothing, outside of her power level increasing."

It was as if the orbs moved in slow motion by comparison to his swift, efficient movements.

"Your transformations lend themselves to certain specialties which basically write a script of what you may be up to on your body. It would be more prudent to avoid transforming until an opening of some sort presents itself."

The Nevadian watched with tired curiosity as he watched Praxat's ballet recital, wondering what the point of her diversion was.

"And if you were searching for an opening, I would hope you have something else planned other than a variation on a theme I saw through a moment ago..."

He retracted his middle finger, before flicking it outwards at an approaching ball. The sheer air pressure stopped several of the orbs in their tracks, sending them careening into one another, disrupting the constant barrage.

She's clearly hoping I don't get a bead on her, but is it because she fears my power at close range.....No, then she wouldn't bother to turn into such a muscle head. That body type is almost made exclusively for close range combat...

"It also doesn't help that I know you can't maintain that form for long because you told me...But let's pretend you didn't, eh?"

Praxat uses flash hop to get close in on Held and quickly reverts back to boost mode. Then unleashes a condense wave of raw electromagnetic energy at close-ranged at Held." Having a transformation that's only good for openings is pointless!" Praxat said.

" I've been searching for a better way of increasing my power than that transformation you just saw. To unlock a transformation that enhances my abilities across the board. I came to a conclusion during my time with Dash in the RoSaT. That inflating my body with Ki isn't the best way of increasing my power," Praxat said.

Skysplitter


Condense wave of raw electromagnetic energy with enough power to smash through a barrier. Smashes into Held at point-blank range with her eyes flicking blue with electricity. Condense wave of raw electromagnetic energy sends Held flying backwards. Before flying backwards Held would sense Praxat's power level fluctuating. Spiking to a point where it's unusually high for her, then suddenly dropping, and then rising again in a repeating process.

Praxat eyes stop flicking blue with electricity revert to normal, and her power level stops fluctuating. ( It happen again. What the hell is going on with my body, what I'm trying to tap into?) Praxat thought.

Praxat then gets on guard, ready to counter, dodge or block Held. ( Whatever I'm trying to tap into, it didn't feel like Max Mode, Power mode, Boost mode, or efficiency mode. It felt different than those, a lot different,) Praxat thought.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Waiting out the coming shitstorm, more like." Inanna said with a shrug.

"Works well enough for me, took a considerable amount of jiggering to keep him alive in the first place; once Sihn figured out he was here. In a manner of speaking he's my 'ward'." One of those bridges that might need burning, in the near future. "Remains to be seen whether or not it'll bite me in the ass, but... he did give me the means to briefly find myself on an even playing field with Genesis. Can't be all bad."

The ascension ritual by which a person could transcend their race was the main reason she wanted to meet this Lampton. If she could transcend what it meant to be a Saiyan - whatever that was supposed to mean - then it would even the odds for their pending confrontation with the Ulthan, of which three had transcended.

"If he manages to do the same for me, he'll have my respect." It sounded like he and Inanna had quite the working relationship. Having an angel - even one who was in hiding from the divine authorities - was a boon that many would never realize was a possibility. If she could manage to broker some kind of arrangement with these being, that was an advantage in her favor.

Heh. Making allies instead of trying to fight every potential enemy in sight, what a revelation.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

“A curiosity, for sure. Lampton has so many visitors, yes he does.”

A deep chuckle and the tall blue skinned man seems to walk out of the massive sword. He leans against it, arms crossed.

“Young Goddess comes to Lampton again, Ehh? Survived? Changed though. And she brings a dead girl and living construct to see him? Lampton is honored.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Eventually, the ship approaches and lands on Reshlan once more, the trip back much quicker.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“A curiosity, for sure. Lampton has so many visitors, yes he does.”

A deep chuckle and the tall blue skinned man seems to walk out of the massive sword. He leans against it, arms crossed.

“Young Goddess comes to Lampton again, Ehh? Survived? Changed though. And she brings a dead girl and living construct to see him? Lampton is honored.”

The sudden voice, and obnoxious third-person tick, of their new arrival free Parsley's attention towards the massive sword that was the centerpiece of the personal Hell, or hiding place as it were. Lampton, as he so helpfully introduce himself, stepped out of the sword and leaned against it. When she beheld his appearance, her brow furrowed.

"Lampton, I presume." She bowed out of respect. "You're the second angel I've ever laid eyes on, and the second in only ten minutes. I'm the one who should be honored."

Straightening out, she once again beheld his visage. "A curiosity indeed. I never thought such a powerful being would resign himself to hiding in Hell of all places."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“A curiosity, for sure. Lampton has so many visitors, yes he does.”

A deep chuckle and the tall blue skinned man seems to walk out of the massive sword. He leans against it, arms crossed.

“Young Goddess comes to Lampton again, Ehh? Survived? Changed though. And she brings a dead girl and living construct to see him? Lampton is honored.”

"Living construct? The necklace, or the arm?" Inanna asked, simply.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Living construct? The necklace, or the arm?" Inanna asked, simply.

“The Majin.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The sudden voice, and obnoxious third-person tick, of their new arrival free Parsley's attention towards the massive sword that was the centerpiece of the personal Hell, or hiding place as it were. Lampton, as he so helpfully introduce himself, stepped out of the sword and leaned against it. When she beheld his appearance, her brow furrowed.

"Lampton, I presume." She bowed out of respect. "You're the second angel I've ever laid eyes on, and the second in only ten minutes. I'm the one who should be honored."

Straightening out, she once again beheld his visage. "A curiosity indeed. I never thought such a powerful being would resign himself to hiding in Hell of all places."

“Hell? No, dead girl, Lampton thinks not. This is Lampton’s home. Personal, private, Lampton doesn’t get disturbed or interrupted. Lampton likes to read and sleep.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Hell? No, dead girl, Lampton thinks not. This is Lampton’s home. Personal, private, Lampton doesn’t get disturbed or interrupted. Lampton likes to read and sleep.”

"Interesting," she commented. That confirmed what Inanna had just told her. She highly doubted he would just be allowed to live in this place, Hell or not, so there was some merit to what she said. Regardless, that wasn't what she was there for. "I'm not dead anymore. My name is Parsley. A pleasure to meet you."

She took a step forward, her gaze trailing up the length of the massive blade that she could only assume served as his home. Quite the peculiar residence, if her assumption was correct. "So, Inanna tells me you've figured out a means for individuals to transcend the limits of their race. Is this something anyone can undergo?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“The Majin.”

Inanna cackled. She'd forgotten what he was, or rather where he was. "I suppose I did, killed Auroc though; so he's earned it."

Moving back to the comments from before, the woman shrugged her shoulders.

"I survived, yes. Though not for lack of trying, and I've solidified my... goal." The woman paused. "But I need power, and the training to wield it properly... and you're the strongest one I know."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Gods of destruction. Gods of creation... oh dear, it seems he'd gotten involved something far beyond his ken. It was interesting, though... it made him want to keep involving himself in this matter. Very rarely did he encounter novel situations, and yet... with this group, he'd encountered several in the span of a day.

"I had no idea the Queen Consort was a woman of such importance... heh... gods. I've killed a few self-proclaimed gods in my day, but your tone suggest the gods you speak of are a bit more than... self-proclaimed."

Voyavoda paused for a beat, then sighed. "I would very much like to help with this matter, but my life has entered its twilight and I will weaken and... die, in a manner of speaking, soon. Beyond this point, my current self would be nothing more than a burden..."

"As an aside, before I forget, Guardian Maiz... if you wish it, I can share the coordinates to Cortis II. It has... historical significance to your people, and mine. Vocado himself once strode into battle there, against the Nevadian Emperor... who later became his father-in-law," he said. "There are records there that could help your people flesh out their ancient history more completely. Assuming, of course, that Inda'ren leaves the planet intact."

The thing did not strike him as the most rational creature, so the possibility that it might tear the planet asunder weighed heavily upon his mind.

Maiz laughed. "I'd never hold a pretender in anything resembling high regard. People like this Auroc and the maniacs riddled with god complexes are hardly worth anyone's time. No, these gods are the real deal. Though, I suppose even that doesn't mean much, when the full scope of history is taken into account. Those lofty beings are evidently bear at least some of the blame for the state of the universe. The lack of a God of Destruction for so many millennia has left everything out of sorts."

The one known as Asha'rah especially bore much, if not all, of the blame for her foolish actions. it was both reassuring, in a way, and disconcerting to realize that gods were just as capable of committing egregious acts as mortals were. Granted, their mistakes had a wider scope and the consequences had a farther reach.

"Whether you choose to help or not is your choice and yours alone. There's no shame in offering support from the background. I've been doing it for years." Even if he decided to help in the more direct way, there were few ways better to go out than in a blaze of glory. She left that unsaid; she had a feeling he knew it as well as she did.

She took a few moments to pour herself another cup of tea to calm her roiling nerves after more near-death experiences in a two minute span than she was comfortable with. As she sipped, he brought up the matter of Cortis II and its relation the Saiyans, Vocado in particular. "Our history is a rich one," she commented. "Intertwined with more races than I think many young people realize. If you have the coordinates, give them to me. Sarada will be interested in uncovering another facet of our past."

Eventually, the ship approaches and lands on Reshlan once more, the trip back much quicker.

Maiz spent the trip from Cortis II to this Reshlan meditating to re-center herself after spending so much time unconscious. At some point, she transmitted - or attempted to - a message to Eva on Earth. 'Lady Eva? This is Guardian Maiz. If Sarada is still on the Lookout, tell her than I'm okay and on my way to Reshlan. She doesn't need to worry about me.' With hope, the message would be received and relayed. The last thing Sarada needed was her attention split because she was worried about her.

She was about to show her fellow travelers her kids' baby pictures when it was announced they were going to arrive on Reshlan short. "Ah, maybe next time. They were really cute kids," she muttered as she shoved her photo album back in a pocket.

So, this was Reshlan. She had only heard rumors of the planet, as no one had ever been on it except for the banished Princess, whom she had never had the occasion to meet. She barely knew of her, other that some... sigh stories from Sarada. One barely had to imagine what the subject matter eventually drifted to. As she exited the ship and breathed in the air of a world distinctly - she assumed - lacking psychopathic and murderers remnants of slain gods, she took stock of what she could see.

[grampagen]

Maiz laughed. "I'd never hold a pretender in anything resembling high regard. People like this Auroc and the maniacs riddled with god complexes are hardly worth anyone's time. No, these gods are the real deal. Though, I suppose even that doesn't mean much, when the full scope of history is taken into account. Those lofty beings are evidently bear at least some of the blame for the state of the universe. The lack of a God of Destruction for so many millennia has left everything out of sorts."

The one known as Asha'rah especially bore much, if not all, of the blame for her foolish actions. it was both reassuring, in a way, and disconcerting to realize that gods were just as capable of committing egregious acts as mortals were. Granted, their mistakes had a wider scope and the consequences had a farther reach.

"Whether you choose to help or not is your choice and yours alone. There's no shame in offering support from the background. I've been doing it for years." Even if he decided to help in the more direct way, there were few ways better to go out than in a blaze of glory. She left that unsaid; she had a feeling he knew it as well as she did.

She took a few moments to pour herself another cup of tea to calm her roiling nerves after more near-death experiences in a two minute span than she was comfortable with. As she sipped, he brought up the matter of Cortis II and its relation the Saiyans, Vocado in particular. "Our history is a rich one," she commented. "Intertwined with more races than I think many young people realize. If you have the coordinates, give them to me. Sarada will be interested in uncovering another facet of our past."

It seemed what Sarada had heard that day the Creator and Destroyer had words had not gone unheeded, and as the Guardian provided Voyavoda with the details of the ever-escalating span of conflicts they'd been at the edge of for years now, Asha'rah's haunting words continued to echo in Ochazuke's thoughts.

"In her own words, intervention was never her place, yet the idea of rebellion from a natural order had been inspired by mortal curiosity."

Certainly there were a great many parties content to merely watch as the universe fester, satisfied in their own power as players searching for their own, vain piece of this star-spackled fiefdom.

"Even so, she'd continued to insist that she'd been manipulated into striking out against the Lord of All Things, and of this celestial scheme she had been unwitting....but not unwilling. As she said, she would rather kill a friend than dissuade him from his choice."

A fact that had stood prominently in his mind for years now. Even with the small portion of Creation Energy he possessed, its infinite mysteries only grew more perplexing with time. A friends stood opposed to a friend, and neither counsel nor quarter was offered; In the name of higher reason in the face of atavism, she would swiftly strike Inda'ren down again because he was in the way. Because he had something Asha'rah needed.

"How ironic. It seems the playing field has been inverted," Ochazuke continued. "Be that as it may, the fact remains...we live in this universe. Fractured and distant though it may be, here we remain, and from the looks of it, our time may be limited."

The last cup of tea he finally poured for himself.

"It is not solely the realm of the gods to forsake or destroy as they see fit. That responsibility cannot be shouldered by divinity alone for those with the will to carry it, but for the strength to make themselves heard."

Eventually, the ship approaches and lands on Reshlan once more, the trip back much quicker.

Maiz spent the trip from Cortis II to this Reshlan meditating to re-center herself after spending so much time unconscious. At some point, she transmitted - or attempted to - a message to Eva on Earth. 'Lady Eva? This is Guardian Maiz. If Sarada is still on the Lookout, tell her than I'm okay and on my way to Reshlan. She doesn't need to worry about me.' With hope, the message would be received and relayed. The last thing Sarada needed was her attention split because she was worried about her.

She was about to show her fellow travelers her kids' baby pictures when it was announced they were going to arrive on Reshlan short. "Ah, maybe next time. They were really cute kids," she muttered as she shoved her photo album back in a pocket.

So, this was Reshlan. She had only heard rumors of the planet, as no one had ever been on it except for the banished Princess, whom she had never had the occasion to meet. She barely knew of her, other that some... sigh stories from Sarada. One barely had to imagine what the subject matter eventually drifted to. As she exited the ship and breathed in the air of a world distinctly - she assumed - lacking psychopathic and murderers remnants of slain gods, she took stock of what she could see.

When the Nevadian vessel rest upon the planet, Ochazuke rose to his feet at a controlled pace. Reshlan remained a ruin from Auroc's forceful abdication, yet it did not escape his attention that there was a lot their new ally would need to know.

"I trust you know something of Jagam. You'll find the reputation of the Saiyans precede them, even in the hermit kingdom of the Threshlings. Their greatest champion, as I understand it, was the hybrid's successor."

The exit from the ship brought with it an air that had cleared somewhat where the ashes of the former capital had flown before.

"Of course, that much was the design of Auroc and his compatriots. Something they haven't had in some time has been the guidance of a Kami."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Interesting," she commented. That confirmed what Inanna had just told her. She highly doubted he would just be allowed to live in this place, Hell or not, so there was some merit to what she said. Regardless, that wasn't what she was there for. "I'm not dead anymore. My name is Parsley. A pleasure to meet you."

She took a step forward, her gaze trailing up the length of the massive blade that she could only assume served as his home. Quite the peculiar residence, if her assumption was correct. "So, Inanna tells me you've figured out a means for individuals to transcend the limits of their race. Is this something anyone can undergo?"

He cocks his head.

“Perhaps. To instigate the ritual is difficult. Lampton believes Inanna’s succeeded because the donated energy. Otherwise, one requires a certain level already obtained before ascending, on top of five pure hearted members of ones race.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Inanna cackled. She'd forgotten what he was, or rather where he was. "I suppose I did, killed Auroc though; so he's earned it."

Moving back to the comments from before, the woman shrugged her shoulders.

"I survived, yes. Though not for lack of trying, and I've solidified my... goal." The woman paused. "But I need power, and the training to wield it properly... and you're the strongest one I know."

Lampton smirks a bit.

“Lampton is flattered. Lampton has not had a student in many years. Perhaps you think you’ll suffice as one, and maybe that is so. Lampton wonders if Inanna understands what she asks.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Winds blow, time turns, and a new day dawns.

The first steps are always the hardest. Slowly, slowly, he exits the cave, the sun beating down on his balding head. Looking up, he stares for several seconds before reaching down and drinking the Creation at his side. Wiping his mouth off and feeling stronger, he turns and walks into a small grove of trees, humming an ancient tune no one remembers.

Hours pass and he walks, each step stronger the more he drinks, until he finally reaches his destination. Looking down at the crater, and the being at its center, the older man slowly smiles.


“Hello Genesis. Fancy seeing you here. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, my dear. Lets see if I can’t help with your current....predicament.”

The Grand Architect smiles down at the battered entity slowly healing and reforming, who stares up at him with a quirked head. The damaged piston that once held Ghost Hakai slips back into place as Genesis watches the blue skinned man float down to access her situation.