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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The creature opens its mouth, and a thousand mournful voices echo within their minds in response.

‘Yes.’

The voice is gender neutral, but the presence of so many seemed to indicate a....large host of something within the creature.

It cocks it’s head, dark eyes watching them. One hand gestures toward itself.

‘Shadowjack, He who Watches. Goddess. Princess. Too late. Prize is my mistresses.’

Inanna stared a moment, before a genuine laugh echoed through the cavern.

"Oh, what a wonderful gift~ and something that might potentially, spare me a trip." There was a pause, in which Inanna glanced sidelong at Parsley.

"I don't care about the Amulet, only the soul inside of it. Far too much for either of you to handle, I'd wager~" the woman said, before smirking.

"No, no. I want her here. She Who Stalks. That something within your power?"

[grampagen]

The Arcosian, in its taller and more muscular second form, is pale as snow and wears a strange black metal mask. It nods and gestures, Maia’s body floating toward Ochazuke.

Voyavoda followed, touching down just after and behind Ochazuke. The guardian seemed alright, at least on the surface... but looks could be deceiving, as they say. It would be a shame if all this went off seemingly without a hitch, only for some sort of trojan horse to be placed in their midst.

His eyes shone red as he activated his Shingan and focused on Maiz, trying to see any abnormalities in her ki and body... or in general, anything that did not belong inside of her. Given the man's cautious, observant nature, he believed Ochazuke would use his own powers of observation to do the same. Between the two of them, very little, he believed, would be able to escape their notice and slip into their midst.

Ochazuke eyed the Remnant's emissary, then the Saiyan Guardian as she was moved over to him. This had been curiously simple...at least so far.

With Voyavoda providing another set of eyes and Charco behind them, he ventured a step forward, and cradled Maiz gently, then began inspecting her for signs of injury.

"So your master met his end of the deal," he said. "Can you speak to anything else from him?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Maiz is fine, nothing foreign on her or in her, be it an effect or item.

The Arcosian tilts its head, then nods.

“His form is dead. Slain mere hours ago.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Parsley raised an eyebrow. A cacophony of slain voices spoke at once, an orchestra of melancholy that scratched at her brain like an itch that couldn't be scratched no matter how hard she tried to reach it. This creature, this Shadowjack, was an legion. That much was obvious. They appeared to have an assembly of souls within its person. Perhaps they were its victims, or rather the victims of its creator that were then melded into one abominable creature.

She was curious, and she had confidence that Inanna could end things right away if need be. All she had to do was stall.

"The voices," she said to it. "Are those your victims or are you some kind of hellish creation? And what does your mistress want with the amulet?"

‘Both.’

‘Power to release her bonds.’

[Yun Lao]

Maiz is fine, nothing foreign on her or in her, be it an effect or item.

The Arcosian tilts its head, then nods.

“His form is dead. Slain mere hours ago.”

"So that's it? Everyone went through all of this trouble and he's just dead?"

He sighed, visibly annoyed, "Kind of a waste of time, yanno?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Inanna stared a moment, before a genuine laugh echoed through the cavern.

"Oh, what a wonderful gift~ and something that might potentially, spare me a trip." There was a pause, in which Inanna glanced sidelong at Parsley.

"I don't care about the Amulet, only the soul inside of it. Far too much for either of you to handle, I'd wager~" the woman said, before smirking.

"No, no. I want her here. She Who Stalks. That something within your power?"

Shadowjack looks at her.

‘You do not want her here. Her form is madness, her beauty, pain. You cannot.........’

He stops, going unnaturally still. After a moment, he nods.

‘Yes Mistress, as you will, Shadowjack obeys.’

The black mist around his body swirls, then coalesces into a vaguely humanoid head and female features. When it speaks, a rich, sultry voice sounds out.

“Who halts my servant, mortals? A godling and a failed royal? How quant.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"So that's it? Everyone went through all of this trouble and he's just dead?"

He sighed, visibly annoyed, "Kind of a waste of time, yanno?"

It turns its mask towards Charco.

“Perhaps. The body is slain, but the mind and soul...remain.”

The Arcosian taps his chest.

“Hello Charco. Been a while.”

The black mask looks at Ochazuke.

“And Ochazuke......always a pleasure to see you.”

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Maiz is fine, nothing foreign on her or in her, be it an effect or item.

The Arcosian tilts its head, then nods.

“His form is dead. Slain mere hours ago.”

"So that's it? Everyone went through all of this trouble and he's just dead?"

He sighed, visibly annoyed, "Kind of a waste of time, yanno?"

Nothing. She was entirely fine and healthy, just... unconscious. How fortuitous.

The Frost Demon's words, however, piqued his interest. Not so much the content, but the phrasing.

His form.

"Curious phrasing. His form is dead," said Voyavoda. "And what of his essence? Beings are more than just crude matter, after all."

OOC: ...lol, god, pre-empted while writing.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Nothing. She was entirely fine and healthy, just... unconscious. How fortuitous.

The Frost Demon's words, however, piqued his interest. Not so much the content, but the phrasing.

His form.

"Curious phrasing. His form is dead," said Voyavoda. "And what of his essence? Beings are more than just crude matter, after all."

It nods.

“How very true. Nevadian, yes? Held’s replacement it seems.”

[grampagen]

Maiz is fine, nothing foreign on her or in her, be it an effect or item.

The Arcosian tilts its head, then nods.

“His form is dead. Slain mere hours ago.”

With Maiz in tow supported in his arms, Ochazuke's eyes widened for a moment as Koorimaru's compatriot spoke of his apparent demise.

"...and how do you know this," he asked, "that's quite an oversight for a character like him, desperate for help."

Unless there truly was nothing he could do in his power about it.

In some regard, it was a road their departed comrade had been down before.

"So that's it? Everyone went through all of this trouble and he's just dead?"

He sighed, visibly annoyed, "Kind of a waste of time, yanno?"

A smirk etched up the corner of Ochazuke's mouth. Whatever the Ogatan Successor was, sharp instincts and a nose for trouble certainly hadn't left the boy.

"Which brings to mind another question," he continued to their parlayed host.

"What are you running from?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Shadowjack looks at her.

‘You do not want her here. Her form is madness, her beauty, pain. You cannot.........’

He stops, going unnaturally still. After a moment, he nods.

‘Yes Mistress, as you will, Shadowjack obeys.’

The black mist around his body swirls, then coalesces into a vaguely humanoid head and female features. When it speaks, a rich, sultry voice sounds out.

“Who halts my servant, mortals? A godling and a failed royal? How quant.”

"Says the Bound Destroyer, forced to scavenge for power like a starveling whelp. Though... one supposes that explains the name. She Who Stalks; not She Who Walks Freely." Inanna tittered.

"Now... I do believe I asked for your presence proper, not to use Shadowjackwad like some kind of cosmic telephone. Pity. Though again, something I should have expected from a Demon. One did piss itself in the presence of a fool, after all. Imagine the fear from being in my presence." The lack of respect at this point was perhaps, painfully obvious.

"C'est lá vie. This shall have to suffice."

The woman produced a capsule from her pocket... though not before pressing the button to summon Caliban.

"Now, I'll be brief. Are you at all familiar with Night?"

[Yun Lao]

It turns its mask towards Charco.

“Perhaps. The body is slain, but the mind and soul...remain.”

The Arcosian taps his chest.

“Hello Charco. Been a while.”

The black mask looks at Ochazuke.

“And Ochazuke......always a pleasure to see you.”

Who?

It took a few seconds, but he eventually recalled the frost demon who had once belonged to their numbers. Something about a rivalry with Ochazuke, but that's all his memories told him.

"Well, this just makes things confusing."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Inanna stared a moment, before a genuine laugh echoed through the cavern.

"Oh, what a wonderful gift~ and something that might potentially, spare me a trip." There was a pause, in which Inanna glanced sidelong at Parsley.

"I don't care about the Amulet, only the soul inside of it. Far too much for either of you to handle, I'd wager~" the woman said, before smirking.

"No, no. I want her here. She Who Stalks. That something within your power?"

‘Both.’

‘Power to release her bonds.’

Shadowjack looks at her.

‘You do not want her here. Her form is madness, her beauty, pain. You cannot.........’

He stops, going unnaturally still. After a moment, he nods.

‘Yes Mistress, as you will, Shadowjack obeys.’

The black mist around his body swirls, then coalesces into a vaguely humanoid head and female features. When it speaks, a rich, sultry voice sounds out.

“Who halts my servant, mortals? A godling and a failed royal? How quant.”

Parsley's eyes narrowed as Inanna got her wish. The being, the fallen GoD known as She Who Stalks, only manifested herself as a vaguely human-shaped head with female features. A pity; Parsley had been hoping to see a truly realized GoD in all its glory, but being as bound as this one was, she would have to take what she could get.

"Failed royal?" she scoffed in response. "I suppose I should be flattered such a lofty being knows of me, were you not also a complete failure in a more expansive sense. You need to steal power to free yourself from your bonds, I can only assume for joining sides with Asha'rah's idiotic war that was doomed to failure from the beginning. Am I correct in my assumption? If not, please enlighten me on how an actual God of Destruction was bound against her will."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With Maiz in tow supported in his arms, Ochazuke's eyes widened for a moment as Koorimaru's compatriot spoke of his apparent demise.

"...and how do you know this," he asked, "that's quite an oversight for a character like him, desperate for help."

Unless there truly was nothing he could do in his power about it.

In some regard, it was a road their departed comrade had been down before.



A smirk etched up the corner of Ochazuke's mouth. Whatever the Ogatan Successor was, sharp instincts and a nose for trouble certainly hadn't left the boy.

"Which brings to mind another question," he continued to their parlayed host.

"What are you running from?"

“The amulet for one. It attempted to subsume me after granting such power.....I will be no one’s slave. For two, the creature who slew me. Someone powerful enough to put a bullet through the back of my head is dangerous. Especially since they found me when I was specifically hiding. For three...your less understanding allies. While I am powerful enough without the amulet to fight them, I would rather not. They are.......not as willing to talk as you, my dear friend.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Who?

It took a few seconds, but he eventually recalled the frost demon who had once belonged to their numbers. Something about a rivalry with Ochazuke, but that's all his memories told him.

"Well, this just makes things confusing."

“Body jumping. You’ve gone through your own type, you understand.”