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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

It takes time for Inanna to calm enough to respond rationally, but when she does, it's curt.

"Uncle. Kill Stine before I do."



"Keep the staff, I want the arm." Inanna said. "Or are you afraid of what I'll do with it."



"I'm guessing Time Magic from Stine." Inanna grunted. "Hakai is the only way to kill with any permanence. Or by subsuming their soul." Turning her head back towards her mother, the woman then asked. "How are you doing Mom? What about you Miss Landinghorn?"

Sihn shakes his head.

“Can’t. Killing Angels isn’t like killin’ mortals. There are....consequences. Sides....I doubt even your Hakai could kill him. Even...Ruination won’t put them down permanently.”

He pulls out another device and carefully places it around Stine’s eyes. Then another around his hands and his feet.

“Celestial binders. Gifts....from the Grand Priest. To capture Stine, Sakin, and Lampton. Well.....just Sakin...left.”

He nods to Inanna, then eyeballs the causal Caliban.

Caliban for the most part is eyeing both the staff and the arm. He carefully hands the staff to Sihn, before eyeing Inanna.

“Angel biology is freaky and dangerous, Miss Janitor. You sure you want to try and play with it?”


Meanwhile, the older Oni woman is carefully adjusting her torn blouse for some modesty while helping keep Sheki’hinah up.

“We’ll survive. Well done, Miss Inanna.”

Sheki’hinah nods and chuckles, blood still spilling from her wounds.

“Thank you.....daughter. I’m afraid I was foolish and...didn’t expect such a brazen move by...Stine.”

[KingofPie]

For one slight moment, a pale amber light seemed to escape from the sides of the mask as his hands clench in anger.

The moment passes and Korrimaru simply....watches. After a moment he shimmers and vanishes.

Maia stirs and awakens.

Ochazuke, for the barest moment, a strange energy...pings...on your senses. A flash of something different from Koorimaru’s location as Blizzar retreats back to the ship.

It’s over very quickly, and all is well on the planet.

"My lord, it will take four days to reach this world."

"Hmph. Fine."

They lifted off, quickly ascending past the planet's atmosphere. Suddenly, however, the sky roof opened, allowing Tundra to float out into the bitter cold of outer space. The temperature, nor the lack of air bothered him in the slightest. Now, this makes number 2! he thought to himself as he lifted a single finger. A small speck of orange light formed and quickly expanded into a ball of condensed death and destruction. With a casual flick, he tossed the death ball down at the planet Vocado.

The nightmarish vision that had been cycling through Maiz's head mercifully subsided into the pitch black aether. Consciousness bubbled forth in its place, piercing the darkness like rays of sunlight behind a black storm cloud. Her eyes didn't open immediately. Partially because she was afraid of what she was going to see. The very last thing she remembered was flying toward the Palace while Sarada, Parsley, and Inanna did battle with Auroc. He outclassed all of them by a great deal.

Auroc. Tundra. It must have been a long day. She saw the planet being destroyed and she had no way of telling anyone before it was too late. Please... please let them still be alive...

She felt okay, if not stiff and sore. Whatever hit her didn't do a good enough job if the point was to kill her. Then again, it may have been just to get her out of the way. Not that anyone would think to attack her before any of the stronger defenders.

Her eyes cracked open a touch. She saw the interior of what looked like a space ship. What?! Her eyes opened fully. Had she been saved? Had Tundra already arrived and destroyed Vocado? What about Auroc? What about Sarada and Parsley, Pinach and Rutaba? No, wait. The latter two had already gotten away with the children. They were safe. But, what about her other daughters? She shot up into a sitting position. "Sarada! Parsley!"

She sensed him before she noticed him out of the corner of her eye. A human sitting beside her, brewing a...pot of green tea? She frowned angrily. "Who are you? Where am I? Where are my daughters?!"

Blizzar entered the ship, perhaps at the wrong moment. He'd assumed one of his kind would be one of the last things the Saiyan Guardian would want to see at the moment and thus his first instinct was to introduce himself properly, "Lietenant Blizzar of the GP. But right now, I'm with the M-Fighters. Parsley sent us to retrieve you. She's currently preoccupied with another mission. Busy day today, it seems."

[KingofPie]

The lamb blocks the attack, and between the ax and Sasheem’s poison, the dead Namekian suddenly seems to lock up.

After a moment, his body puffs away into a whiteish orb and floats over to Sheki’hinah, who is standing shakily. She clasps the orb in her good hand and then a sphere of energy encases it.

“Good....good job.”

Parsley's ax tasted divine blood for the first time. Between herself and Sasheem, the Namekian GoD appeared to succumb and pass away. Or something that made him turn into a white orb and pass along to Shek'hinah. What a strange occurrence. She wasn't sure if he was dead or had just been... captured in some manner by the Death Goddess. Regardless, it didn't appear that he was going to be a problem in the near future. And he would forever know that he was felled by a mortal.

...

...and Sasheem.

She sighed and turned slightly to see how the other battle was progressing. The blue man was slumped against the wall, arm missing and in a daze with some kind of device on his forehead. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed on him. He appeared to be in some kind of stasis. Whatever the case was, it seemed the battle was over.



"What a shame. I was hoping for more from two divine deities," she said as she stabbed her ax into the ground. She returned her attention to Shek'hinah and moved to help her to her feet. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She knew that Hammer was dead, as evidenced by the golden halo over his head, as well as his entry in Auroc's journal. However, she was unaware of what happen if a dead person died again. Perhaps they were erased from existence, or went to yet another plane of existence. Perhaps that death was permanent. A fitting end, if true, for a failure of a GoD. "What happened to Hammer? He was dead, yet I killed him again."

“They were both......weakened. Trust me....either at their most powerful....things may have gone differently. Wasn’t expecting.....a sneak attack. Or Stine to....temporarily reembody Hammer. You merely......injured his primary vessel enough to cause it to collapse. Hammer...cannot have a solid body in HFIL, so he...returns to a powerless soul now.”

Sheki’hinah carefully takes hold of the orb and then makes it vanish.

"Heh!" The Majin cackled smugly. "Seems to Sasheem, ever time he tries to pull somethin' off, he gets mopped. You sure he's really all that strong?" he asked, with a cocky shrug. Sasheem glanced around at his surroundings. Otherworld. Given their mystical nature, Majin's path to the afterlife was never a sure thing. Most didn't die in the regular sense, they simply reincarnated. This may be his only glimpse at things on the other side....not that planned on dying at all....or that he would end up on this side of the afterlife anyway.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Sihn shakes his head.

“Can’t. Killing Angels isn’t like killin’ mortals. There are....consequences. Sides....I doubt even your Hakai could kill him. Even...Ruination won’t put them down permanently.”

"Rules from the Old Guard, got it." The regime change would be a tumultuous time, surely... that's why one needed a solid foundation.

He pulls out another device and carefully places it around Stine’s eyes. Then another around his hands and his feet.

“Celestial binders. Gifts....from the Grand Priest. To capture Stine, Sakin, and Lampton. Well.....just Sakin...left.”

"Part of why I returned here, Lampton. I survived his 'gift'."

He nods to Inanna, then eyeballs the causal Caliban.

Caliban for the most part is eyeing both the staff and the arm. He carefully hands the staff to Sihn, before eyeing Inanna.

“Angel biology is freaky and dangerous, Miss Janitor. You sure you want to try and play with it?”

"Unfortunately I'm in dire need." Inanna responded before turning to Sihn.

"Sihn is familiar with her, Genesis. She has Creation, Hakai, Ruination, more... if I mean to stop her, I need to keep up, or figure out sufficient counters." The woman explained. "The arm of an angel, cells inundated with creation. I need it. If for no other reason, than to siphon what energy remains and make use of my Forge."

The woman tapped her Runeforge arm.

"Gift from the Maven... an arm capable of 'divine' works."

Meanwhile, the older Oni woman is carefully adjusting her torn blouse for some modesty while helping keep Sheki’hinah up.

“We’ll survive. Well done, Miss Inanna.”

Sheki’hinah nods and chuckles, blood still spilling from her wounds.

“Thank you.....daughter. I’m afraid I was foolish and...didn’t expect such a brazen move by...Stine.”

"What I want to know is, what they stood to gain." Passing by Stine, Inanna kicked him in his wounded gut. "I suppose it doesn't matter in the end, that's two less Gods I need to worry over. Though I've certainly pissed off She Who Stalks."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“They were both......weakened. Trust me....either at their most powerful....things may have gone differently. Wasn’t expecting.....a sneak attack. Or Stine to....temporarily reembody Hammer. You merely......injured his primary vessel enough to cause it to collapse. Hammer...cannot have a solid body in HFIL, so he...returns to a powerless soul now.”

Sheki’hinah carefully takes hold of the orb and then makes it vanish.

"Tch." So, he wasn't dead, merely shunted back into a harmless little cloud and sent back to HFIL. That meant Parsley hadn't yet earned her first god-killing badge. All in due time. "Someone who's died three separate times can't possibly be that powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep getting his ass kicked." She shrugged. All in due time, I suppose. I'll figure out how to get strong enough to challenge these so-called gods.

She glanced at the blue man, this Stine. He was, according to the one named Sihn, an Angel. She had heard of both him and Sakin, but had never seen one of his kind in person. An interesting looking creature. With the exception of the blue skin and white hair, he could easily pass for a Saiyan. The swirling Hakai and Creation energies in him were disconcerting, but he was bound with divine binders provided by this Grand Priest. She assumed he was no longer a threat.

She powered down to her base form and returned her ax to its capsule in a puff of smoke.

"Unfortunately I'm in dire need." Inanna responded before turning to Sihn.

"Sihn is familiar with her, Genesis. She has Creation, Hakai, Ruination, more... if I mean to stop her, I need to keep up, or figure out sufficient counters." The woman explained. "The arm of an angel, cells inundated with creation. I need it. If for no other reason, than to siphon what energy remains and make use of my Forge."

The woman tapped her Runeforge arm.

"Gift from the Maven... an arm capable of 'divine' works."

Parsley scoffed. "I think you're discounting the rest of us. Genesis is a fight you won't be fighting alone. And, unless my memory has lapsed, she will be arriving to Earth in seven years now. Plenty of time for us to train specifically with her power set in mind."

Genesis was one person she knew Inanna had in mind to rid the universe of, for good reason. But to do it alone was ludicrous. They defeated Auroc without any trouble, though he was far more idiotic and much weaker than Genesis. The point was it was surprising by how much they outclassed him in such a short time. She had little doubt the same could and would be said about Genesis when the time came.

Meanwhile, the older Oni woman is carefully adjusting her torn blouse for some modesty while helping keep Sheki’hinah up.

“We’ll survive. Well done, Miss Inanna.”

Sheki’hinah nods and chuckles, blood still spilling from her wounds.

“Thank you.....daughter. I’m afraid I was foolish and...didn’t expect such a brazen move by...Stine.”

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Landinghorn," Parsley greeted with a respectful nod of her head. "I'm Parsley, Inanna's sister-in-law. She speaks very highly of you, as did some of the more fortunate ones in HFIL."

She placed her hands on Shek'hinah and closed her eyes. With the amount of blood pouring out of her wounds, she felt compelled to store it somehow and use it for later. Divine blood would have made for a tremendously powerful spell. In fact, she did exactly that, drawing several ounces of it and storing it away in a capsule. "I have a feeling I'll need that later." The rest of the blood on the Death Goddess was drawn out and shaped into the rune for a healing spell. She let it wash over Shek'hinah to heal the wounds she suffered during the battle.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Blizzar entered the ship, perhaps at the wrong moment. He'd assumed one of his kind would be one of the last things the Saiyan Guardian would want to see at the moment and thus his first instinct was to introduce himself properly, "Lietenant Blizzar of the GP. But right now, I'm with the M-Fighters. Parsley sent us to retrieve you. She's currently preoccupied with another mission. Busy day today, it seems."

While waiting for the human to respond, an Arcosian walked inside. He claimed to be not only with the Galaxy Police, but also with these M-Fighters Sarada allied herself with during her time on Earth. That was...

She blinked and blearily looked at him. He wore a GP uniform. Then again... it was alleged that the Arcosian named Blizz had a contact within the Galaxy Police. That Blizz, according to the two henchmen who arrived on Vocado a few years ago, was Tundra's son!

She leaped off the bed and slid as far away from both the human and Blizzar as she could get. "You expect me to believe you're allied with Parsley, you piece of scum?!" A pure white ball of energy formed in her hands. Her eyes, wide from the shock of waking up in this mysterious place with two obvious enemies, darted from one to the other. "You're both working with Tundra, aren't you? He had you kidnap me so he could use me as leverage against Sarada! What the hell did you do with her?!"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

While waiting for the human to respond, an Arcosian walked inside. He claimed to be not only with the Galaxy Police, but also with these M-Fighters Sarada allied herself with during her time on Earth. That was...

She blinked and blearily looked at him. He wore a GP uniform. Then again... it was alleged that the Arcosian named Blizz had a contact within the Galaxy Police. That Blizz, according to the two henchmen who arrived on Vocado a few years ago, was Tundra's son!

She leaped off the bed and slid as far away from both the human and Blizzar as she could get. "You expect me to believe you're allied with Parsley, you piece of scum?!" A pure white ball of energy formed in her hands. Her eyes, wide from the shock of waking up in this mysterious place with two obvious enemies, darted from one to the other. "You're both working with Tundra, aren't you? He had you kidnap me so he could use me as leverage against Sarada! What the hell did you do with her?!"

"Miss Maiz, please remain calm," said Voyavoda, who'd remained silent during the bulk of the conversation with that Koorimaru, and the immediate... aftermath. He was, after all, simply a guest member of the group. This, however, was more intriguing.

...and dangerous. Even though she was much weaker than any of this group, an angry, disoriented saiyan was not something he desired to deal with. Ah, but how to calm her...

"Hm, Maiz... Tasure has mentioned you before. Glowingly, might I add," he said. "I am Voyavoda, the Captain of the Riskbreakers. Or former captain, as it were, since the Riskbreakers are long since disbanded."

He surmised that Tasure might have mentioned her 'boss' to Maiz, given that the latter was one of the few people Tasure would wholeheartedly call a friend. If so, it might put her at ease... he hoped.

[KingofPie]

While waiting for the human to respond, an Arcosian walked inside. He claimed to be not only with the Galaxy Police, but also with these M-Fighters Sarada allied herself with during her time on Earth. That was...

She blinked and blearily looked at him. He wore a GP uniform. Then again... it was alleged that the Arcosian named Blizz had a contact within the Galaxy Police. That Blizz, according to the two henchmen who arrived on Vocado a few years ago, was Tundra's son!

She leaped off the bed and slid as far away from both the human and Blizzar as she could get. "You expect me to believe you're allied with Parsley, you piece of scum?!" A pure white ball of energy formed in her hands. Her eyes, wide from the shock of waking up in this mysterious place with two obvious enemies, darted from one to the other. "You're both working with Tundra, aren't you? He had you kidnap me so he could use me as leverage against Sarada! What the hell did you do with her?!"

Blizzar kept his hands behind his back as a passive display. "I assure you I have nothing to do with Tundra," he said, which was only mostly a lie. "And I have been a staunch ally of Sarada's for quite a few years," he went on, which was mostly true for the exact same reasons the previous statement was a lie.

"Miss Maiz, please remain calm," said Voyavoda, who'd remained silent during the bulk of the conversation with that Koorimaru, and the immediate... aftermath. He was, after all, simply a guest member of the group. This, however, was more intriguing.

...and dangerous. Even though she was much weaker than any of this group, an angry, disoriented saiyan was not something he desired to deal with. Ah, but how to calm her...

"Hm, Maiz... Tasure has mentioned you before. Glowingly, might I add," he said. "I am Voyavoda, the Captain of the Riskbreakers. Or former captain, as it were, since the Riskbreakers are long since disbanded."

He surmised that Tasure might have mentioned her 'boss' to Maiz, given that the latter was one of the few people Tasure would wholeheartedly call a friend. If so, it might put her at ease... he hoped.

"The Nevadian speaks the truth here," Blizzar nodded. "Our only goal here was to ensure your safety, for your family's sake if not the universe at large. After all, the amount of competent Guardians in the universe seems painfully few," the Arcosian continued, wincing a little. "Please, do believe us soon. You cannot begin to imagine the ulcers I'm receiving for daring to dole a compliment to a Saiyan."

[grampagen]

Maia stirs and awakens.

Ochazuke, for the barest moment, a strange energy...pings...on your senses. A flash of something different from Koorimaru’s location as Blizzar retreats back to the ship.

It’s over very quickly, and all is well on the planet.

Aromatic green trailed from the spout of the small ceramic pot steeping to the side, mellow vapours carrying the memory of springtime back on Earth.

As the tea swelled and decocted, Ochazuke examined the Black Sphere of Elder Nail the moment the altered presents manifested itself over the hill where Koorimaru's soul lingered in his kinsman.

How many other vessels remained for this, the Remnants of Koorimaru? Assuredly, he would find them, but what troubled him was the lacking disclosure of what his faction had been preparing for outside of the Destroyer's Gate.

For now he had this signature impression, a mere fragment of the whole captured in the memory of the artifact, yet no less real than the manifestation of the coward sequestered within the eyes behind the black mask.

Suppose I'll go and ask them myself.

Auroc. Tundra. It must have been a long day. She saw the planet being destroyed and she had no way of telling anyone before it was too late. Please... please let them still be alive...

She felt okay, if not stiff and sore. Whatever hit her didn't do a good enough job if the point was to kill her. Then again, it may have been just to get her out of the way. Not that anyone would think to attack her before any of the stronger defenders.

Her eyes cracked open a touch. She saw the interior of what looked like a space ship. What?! Her eyes opened fully. Had she been saved? Had Tundra already arrived and destroyed Vocado? What about Auroc? What about Sarada and Parsley, Pinach and Rutaba? No, wait. The latter two had already gotten away with the children. They were safe. But, what about her other daughters? She shot up into a sitting position. "Sarada! Parsley!"

She sensed him before she noticed him out of the corner of her eye. A human sitting beside her, brewing a...pot of green tea? She frowned angrily. "Who are you? Where am I? Where are my daughters?!"

These vengeful thoughts, however, were derailed the moment the apprehended Guardian awoke. Maiz was recovered safely, but given her circumstances, she'd lashed out with a certain, particular candor that was - for better or worse - quite familiar to him.

"Ease down." Slowly, Ochazuke poured the hot, pale green into a small cup. "You are in a Nevadian vessel, and we secured your release from your captor here on Cortis II."

Straight and direct. He'd at least answer her in kind.

While waiting for the human to respond, an Arcosian walked inside. He claimed to be not only with the Galaxy Police, but also with these M-Fighters Sarada allied herself with during her time on Earth. That was...

She blinked and blearily looked at him. He wore a GP uniform. Then again... it was alleged that the Arcosian named Blizz had a contact within the Galaxy Police. That Blizz, according to the two henchmen who arrived on Vocado a few years ago, was Tundra's son!

She leaped off the bed and slid as far away from both the human and Blizzar as she could get. "You expect me to believe you're allied with Parsley, you piece of scum?!" A pure white ball of energy formed in her hands. Her eyes, wide from the shock of waking up in this mysterious place with two obvious enemies, darted from one to the other. "You're both working with Tundra, aren't you? He had you kidnap me so he could use me as leverage against Sarada! What the hell did you do with her?!"

Unfortunately, it seemed Blizzar's presence had stirred something within her.

Saiyans and Arcosians. Some things would be stubborn to change...but this was a far more volatile reaction compared to a simmering hatred whenever they stood within eyeshot of one another. What did Koorimaru do to acquire her on Vocado...?

"Officer, please." Ochazuke raised his hand, gesturing for him to give her a little space as white ki began to flood the cabin.

"I assure you, Blizzar was among those of us who secured your release from one of his own," Ochazuke said. "I don't know who Tundra is, but supposing we were allies, would you be awake right now?"

Gradually, and deliberately, he lift his hand and produced a small Capsule, and with a small snap, opened its contents.

Parsley's photograph. Sliding his fingers over the thin, creased laminate, he approached Maiz and offered it to her.

"Your daughters? They're safe. We searched the universe for Auroc, and with Parsley's help we killed him."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat looks at Held as her right arm slowly heals." Dash never stopped me from pushing myself to use more than 40% of my elastic energy. When she sparred together, she always wanted me to go all out. She never critic me because we were friends," Praxat said.

" I don't have things figured out about how to pursue my goal. You're the mentor I need Held, one that won't give me any special treatment," Praxat said.

( Dammit, what I was thinking blurting out I have a healing factor to Held like it's something to brag about. It isn't something to brag about. My healing factor is limited to my eyes and limbs. Plus, it's slow,) Praxat thought.

( A shattered limb would take me 2 days to heal, however I didn't shatter my right arm though, I only bruised it. So it won't take that long to heal,) Praxat thought

( Still, it's most likely going to take my right arm hours to heal,) Praxat thought.

Praxat then slowly moves her right arm and opens and closes her right hand, and then stops. ( Shit, that hurts. From what I know about bruises. They're a rupture of underlying blood vessels caused by trauma) Praxat thought.

" Held, only using 50 and 60% of my elastic energy in just advantageous situations is not what I'm looking for. I want to be able to use 50 % and 60% of my elastic, or possibly more, without damaging my body. My goal isn't just swordsmanship. It's also to master my own physiology," Praxat said.

OOC: For Miburo.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Miss Maiz, please remain calm," said Voyavoda, who'd remained silent during the bulk of the conversation with that Koorimaru, and the immediate... aftermath. He was, after all, simply a guest member of the group. This, however, was more intriguing.

...and dangerous. Even though she was much weaker than any of this group, an angry, disoriented saiyan was not something he desired to deal with. Ah, but how to calm her...

"Hm, Maiz... Tasure has mentioned you before. Glowingly, might I add," he said. "I am Voyavoda, the Captain of the Riskbreakers. Or former captain, as it were, since the Riskbreakers are long since disbanded."

He surmised that Tasure might have mentioned her 'boss' to Maiz, given that the latter was one of the few people Tasure would wholeheartedly call a friend. If so, it might put her at ease... he hoped.

Blizzar kept his hands behind his back as a passive display. "I assure you I have nothing to do with Tundra," he said, which was only mostly a lie. "And I have been a staunch ally of Sarada's for quite a few years," he went on, which was mostly true for the exact same reasons the previous statement was a lie.



"The Nevadian speaks the truth here," Blizzar nodded. "Our only goal here was to ensure your safety, for your family's sake if not the universe at large. After all, the amount of competent Guardians in the universe seems painfully few," the Arcosian continued, wincing a little. "Please, do believe us soon. You cannot begin to imagine the ulcers I'm receiving for daring to dole a compliment to a Saiyan."

"Stop your whining, scum."

Her eyes darted from the Arcosian to the Nevadian, where her caustic gaze lingered. He used Tasure's name, as if that was some secret passcode to unlock Maiz's trust. Still, him mentioning that he was the former Captain of the Riskbreakers did conjure up an old memory. It was hazy, but she remembered Tasure mentioning that a Nevadian had earned her respect and was worthy of his place at the head of the team. Respect wasn't something a Saiyan gave out on a whim. It had to be earned, usually by proving oneself through combat.

If her memory was right, something along those lines had happened, then this Voyavoda - assuming he was that man - could be believed.

Her gaze fell from him and returned to the Arcosian. As the haze of what she was coming to realize had been a lengthy unconscious spell ebbed away, she remembered something else from years ago. The summit on Earth that she accompanied Sarada to. This man was there, representing the Galaxy Police. That didn't mean that he could be trusted. If anything, his nature as a Frost Demon meant he was adept at hiding his true nature.

These vengeful thoughts, however, were derailed the moment the apprehended Guardian awoke. Maiz was recovered safely, but given her circumstances, she'd lashed out with a certain, particular candor that was - for better or worse - quite familiar to him.

"Ease down." Slowly, Ochazuke poured the hot, pale green into a small cup. "You are in a Nevadian vessel, and we secured your release from your captor here on Cortis II."

Straight and direct. He'd at least answer her in kind.

Unfortunately, it seemed Blizzar's presence had stirred something within her.

Saiyans and Arcosians. Some things would be stubborn to change...but this was a far more volatile reaction compared to a simmering hatred whenever they stood within eyeshot of one another. What did Koorimaru do to acquire her on Vocado...?

"Officer, please." Ochazuke raised his hand, gesturing for him to give her a little space as white ki began to flood the cabin.

"I assure you, Blizzar was among those of us who secured your release from one of his own," Ochazuke said. "I don't know who Tundra is, but supposing we were allies, would you be awake right now?"

Gradually, and deliberately, he lift his hand and produced a small Capsule, and with a small snap, opened its contents.

Parsley's photograph. Sliding his fingers over the thin, creased laminate, he approached Maiz and offered it to her.

"Your daughters? They're safe. We searched the universe for Auroc, and with Parsley's help we killed him."

Finally, the human spoke. He words were carried by a bluntness that reminded her of her own. It also put her in the mind of someone Sarada and Parsley spoke highly of to her: the human named Ochazuke. If this was that man, then she knew she could take his words at face value.

He mentioned she was being kept on Cortis II. She knew the history of this world well, from her readings of King Vocado's journals. She didn't know if Tundra knew of this place. In her vision, he was being told it would take four days to reach some world. The planet's name wasn't stated; it could have been this one. To that end, her answer to his question was simple. If she was being held for Tundra to hold over Sarada's head, then her being kept alive would be a priority. On the other hand, it would have been more practical to just kill her right then and there and save himself the trouble. For someone who has supposedly been planning their demise for at least the last few years, a mistake that critical was unthinkable.

"I don't suppose so," she answered. She wanted to say more, but he pulled an old, laminated photo from a capsule. Even before he handed it to her, she knew exactly what it was. As if taking an ancient parchment from a long dead civilization, she gently took the photo from his hands and held it with care. Her girls... they were so young and innocent back then. If she recalled right, Parsley as six and Sarada was only two. Before they were conqueror and would be conqueror, Princess and Queen, they were merely children. She took so many steps to make sure they got to enjoy what little childhood their society at the time allowed them to have before taking them and stripping them of everything that made children so precious.

If he had this photo, it was by only one means: she gave it to him. There were few people Parsley allowed to have a glimpse into her more sentimental side. Even something as simple a photo was something she kept guarded. They must have known I'd be out of my mind.

She sighed and tucked the photo into her robes. "I see." Her eyes fell upon each man. The anger and mistrust that had been present mere minutes ago was gone. She bowed meekly and said, "I apologize for my mistrust and rudeness. And thank you for going out of your way to rescue me. I don't know what happened, but thank you."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Stop your whining, scum."

Her eyes darted from the Arcosian to the Nevadian, where her caustic gaze lingered. He used Tasure's name, as if that was some secret passcode to unlock Maiz's trust. Still, him mentioning that he was the former Captain of the Riskbreakers did conjure up an old memory. It was hazy, but she remembered Tasure mentioning that a Nevadian had earned her respect and was worthy of his place at the head of the team. Respect wasn't something a Saiyan gave out on a whim. It had to be earned, usually by proving oneself through combat.

If her memory was right, something along those lines had happened, then this Voyavoda - assuming he was that man - could be believed.

Her gaze fell from him and returned to the Arcosian. As the haze of what she was coming to realize had been a lengthy unconscious spell ebbed away, she remembered something else from years ago. The summit on Earth that she accompanied Sarada to. This man was there, representing the Galaxy Police. That didn't mean that he could be trusted. If anything, his nature as a Frost Demon meant he was adept at hiding his true nature.



Finally, the human spoke. He words were carried by a bluntness that reminded her of her own. It also put her in the mind of someone Sarada and Parsley spoke highly of to her: the human named Ochazuke. If this was that man, then she knew she could take his words at face value.

He mentioned she was being kept on Cortis II. She knew the history of this world well, from her readings of King Vocado's journals. She didn't know if Tundra knew of this place. In her vision, he was being told it would take four days to reach some world. The planet's name wasn't stated; it could have been this one. To that end, her answer to his question was simple. If she was being held for Tundra to hold over Sarada's head, then her being kept alive would be a priority. On the other hand, it would have been more practical to just kill her right then and there and save himself the trouble. For someone who has supposedly been planning their demise for at least the last few years, a mistake that critical was unthinkable.

"I don't suppose so," she answered. She wanted to say more, but he pulled an old, laminated photo from a capsule. Even before he handed it to her, she knew exactly what it was. As if taking an ancient parchment from a long dead civilization, she gently took the photo from his hands and held it with care. Her girls... they were so young and innocent back then. If she recalled right, Parsley as six and Sarada was only two. Before they were conqueror and would be conqueror, Princess and Queen, they were merely children. She took so many steps to make sure they got to enjoy what little childhood their society at the time allowed them to have before taking them and stripping them of everything that made children so precious.

If he had this photo, it was by only one means: she gave it to him. There were few people Parsley allowed to have a glimpse into her more sentimental side. Even something as simple a photo was something she kept guarded. They must have known I'd be out of my mind.

She sighed and tucked the photo into her robes. "I see." Her eyes fell upon each man. The anger and mistrust that had been present mere minutes ago was gone. She bowed meekly and said, "I apologize for my mistrust and rudeness. And thank you for going out of your way to rescue me. I don't know what happened, but thank you."

However slightly, his words did seem to put Maiz more at ease, but it was Ochazuke's efforts--honest and direct--that really made her realize that she was among, if not friends, then allies. Good, since, as said, he did not relish the idea of having to subdue a cornered Saiyaness--especially one that seemed wily even by saiyan standards. Now...

"I'm glad you're alright, Guardian Maiz," said the old soldier. "I'm quite sure neither you, nor any of this group wish to remain here any longer than necessary, so I shall take my leave to pilot us out of here."

Voyavoda bowed and made his way to the bridge, sitting himself down in the pilot's chair. Quickly, he got to work warming up the engines, running the obligatory checks, and so on. However, his gaze drifted to the scenery outside, and something bubbled up from deep within his memory...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

The air shimmered on Cortis II, near the capital. That shimmering turned into a sphere of distorted space, sparks of electricity jumping off of its surface and tearing small troughs into the surrounding ground. Then, brightening suddenly, the sphere of distorted space distorted, cracked, and exploded, revealing but a single man.

The man stood, his red gaze focusing on the nearby capital city. Quickly, he identified numerous enemies... several dozen, maybe a hundred. All of them respectably strong, but nothing he could not handle, even should they all gang up on him.

Clenching his fist, he strode forth with power, determination, and purpose. These upstarts, having grown overconfident after having thrown off Glacier's shackles, had made a grave miscalculation in attacking Cortis II. Rumored Super Saiyan or not...

The Conqueror had come to reclaim what was rightfully his.

[grampagen]

"Stop your whining, scum."

Her eyes darted from the Arcosian to the Nevadian, where her caustic gaze lingered. He used Tasure's name, as if that was some secret passcode to unlock Maiz's trust. Still, him mentioning that he was the former Captain of the Riskbreakers did conjure up an old memory. It was hazy, but she remembered Tasure mentioning that a Nevadian had earned her respect and was worthy of his place at the head of the team. Respect wasn't something a Saiyan gave out on a whim. It had to be earned, usually by proving oneself through combat.

If her memory was right, something along those lines had happened, then this Voyavoda - assuming he was that man - could be believed.

Her gaze fell from him and returned to the Arcosian. As the haze of what she was coming to realize had been a lengthy unconscious spell ebbed away, she remembered something else from years ago. The summit on Earth that she accompanied Sarada to. This man was there, representing the Galaxy Police. That didn't mean that he could be trusted. If anything, his nature as a Frost Demon meant he was adept at hiding his true nature.



Finally, the human spoke. He words were carried by a bluntness that reminded her of her own. It also put her in the mind of someone Sarada and Parsley spoke highly of to her: the human named Ochazuke. If this was that man, then she knew she could take his words at face value.

He mentioned she was being kept on Cortis II. She knew the history of this world well, from her readings of King Vocado's journals. She didn't know if Tundra knew of this place. In her vision, he was being told it would take four days to reach some world. The planet's name wasn't stated; it could have been this one. To that end, her answer to his question was simple. If she was being held for Tundra to hold over Sarada's head, then her being kept alive would be a priority. On the other hand, it would have been more practical to just kill her right then and there and save himself the trouble. For someone who has supposedly been planning their demise for at least the last few years, a mistake that critical was unthinkable.

"I don't suppose so," she answered. She wanted to say more, but he pulled an old, laminated photo from a capsule. Even before he handed it to her, she knew exactly what it was. As if taking an ancient parchment from a long dead civilization, she gently took the photo from his hands and held it with care. Her girls... they were so young and innocent back then. If she recalled right, Parsley as six and Sarada was only two. Before they were conqueror and would be conqueror, Princess and Queen, they were merely children. She took so many steps to make sure they got to enjoy what little childhood their society at the time allowed them to have before taking them and stripping them of everything that made children so precious.

If he had this photo, it was by only one means: she gave it to him. There were few people Parsley allowed to have a glimpse into her more sentimental side. Even something as simple a photo was something she kept guarded. They must have known I'd be out of my mind.

She sighed and tucked the photo into her robes. "I see." Her eyes fell upon each man. The anger and mistrust that had been present mere minutes ago was gone. She bowed meekly and said, "I apologize for my mistrust and rudeness. And thank you for going out of your way to rescue me. I don't know what happened, but thank you."

Ochazuke's nose curled, suppressing the heaviness of his sigh as the tensions gradually wore down.

Would that we had experienced the generations of this blood feud in miniature...

Just what had happened on Vocado? He, Zaofan and Held had been focusing on the Threshling worlds for so long, their focus had been on ending that threat, that he had heard little of what brought the Saiyans back to Earth in the first place.

If Maiz is this on edge, then Parsley'd kept her tongue unusually still...and Sarada...

Wordlessly, he then offered Maiz the cup of tea.

"As I said, Auroc was routed by our company, and the crown world he enslaved released from his yoke once he was ended."

Blizzar kept his hands behind his back as a passive display. "I assure you I have nothing to do with Tundra," he said, which was only mostly a lie. "And I have been a staunch ally of Sarada's for quite a few years," he went on, which was mostly true for the exact same reasons the previous statement was a lie.


"The Nevadian speaks the truth here," Blizzar nodded. "Our only goal here was to ensure your safety, for your family's sake if not the universe at large. After all, the amount of competent Guardians in the universe seems painfully few," the Arcosian continued, wincing a little. "Please, do believe us soon. You cannot begin to imagine the ulcers I'm receiving for daring to dole a compliment to a Saiyan."

"You know this one?" Ochazuke queried as the GP Officer fell to ease at the mention of this Tundra. "A strange coincidence, perhaps."

He'd had no reason to distrust Blizzar for his own part. Whenever he'd requested help from the GP liason to Earth in the face of the many schemes surrounding Grinthorn, he'd been there by his side. An unlikely ally, but a welcome one all the same, given to the same, strange comraderies of this disparate group, who continued to garner the attention of increasingly deadly enemies.

"It is difficult to fathom how the path of one enemy intersects with the next. Yet as the universe is besieged by threat after threat of this magnitude, it remains the matter of Guardians, nonetheless."

However slightly, his words did seem to put Maiz more at ease, but it was Ochazuke's efforts--honest and direct--that really made her realize that she was among, if not friends, then allies. Good, since, as said, he did not relish the idea of having to subdue a cornered Saiyaness--especially one that seemed wily even by saiyan standards. Now...

"I'm glad you're alright, Guardian Maiz," said the old soldier. "I'm quite sure neither you, nor any of this group wish to remain here any longer than necessary, so I shall take my leave to pilot us out of here."

Voyavoda bowed and made his way to the bridge, sitting himself down in the pilot's chair. Quickly, he got to work warming up the engines, running the obligatory checks, and so on. However, his gaze drifted to the scenery outside, and something bubbled up from deep within his memory...

"Good man, see it done."

Their return course plotted, Ochazuke turned his attention back to Maiz.

"From what I understand, we're a long way from your homeworld. Now that you're awake, I suggest you recover your strength before we meet with Parsley and the others," he said. "Until then, can you tell me what you remember? Of Koorimaru, and Vocado?"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Nevanlinna 'awoke' to find herself... somewhere? Looking around, it seemed to be a battle-scarred city, with architecture that was at once archaic and advanced.

Ah crapbaskets, I fucked up

Bajie's voice reverberated inside her head. He sounded... annoyed, sheepish.

How so?

Ah, well, I... tried to center things on my time, but I was off a bit. Plopped you in the body of our incarntion before me. Hahaha.

Neva 'bit her tongue' and said nothing. This all was a chore, but it would be best to situate herself. Examining herself, she realized... she appeared to be a Saiyan. And, curiously, while she could 'move', it was as if there were a secondary body, glued to her... incarnation's body that was moving, rather than the incarnation itself.

...like a third-person camera in one of those 'video game' things on Earth. The only reason she knew that is because Seri had developed a taste for such things and made her play them with her.

Regardless, this body seemed to be female and... what could she say? Black hair, black eyes, muscular, skin color a bit lighter than her own body. Plenty of power coursing through it. Saiyan through-and-through.

"Well, these slaving assholes really didn't put up much of a fight, did they, Mizuna?" came a voice to her right. Her body turned to face the person that had spoken... a male saiyan with, as expected, very saiyan-y features. There was a vague sense of familiarity--family or friend, perhaps?

Mizuna, Neva surmised, was this incarnation's name. Not a saiyan name she'd ever heard... probably an older style that had fallen out of favor.


"Tch, sure as hell not. Kinda disappointed; thought these Nevadians or whatever they are would be more fun, and instead all they did was run. Feels bad, man," she 'responded', her tone indeed sounding immensely disappointed... and bored. "Any word from Vocado?"

"Yeah, he's just about done liberating another group of our people halfway across the planet. No real significant resistance. This'll all be over in a few hours, and then we can throw 'em a party to celebrate their freedom. Maybe these nevadians will actually manage to counterattack by th--"

Her compatriot stopped, his gaze shifting to the horizon, and his jaw dropping open. Her own gaze shifted, but instead of her jaw dropping open, a sense of excitement welled up in her. A huge power--and not a Saiyan one--had just appeared and started making its way towards where they were. And it was speeding up.

"Finally, some fun," she said. "Right, tell everyone to stand back. This one's mine once the bastard gets here."

Her friend (?) nodded, and gave the order for the rest of the troops to not engage. Usually, a fool's errand, but since it came from Mizuna, they obeyed. As for Mizuna herself, she stood... and waited, arms crossed and smiling confidently.

After what seemed like an eternity, whoever it was strode into sight. The air around him shimmered with ki and heat, and he radiated power and authority like no other she had seen except for the Legendary Super Saiyan himself. Well, authority, at least... power-wise, he was a bit above her. Nothing she couldn't handle.

He stopped a few meters away from Mizuna, regarding her with red hot glowing embers. It was unnerving, but... ah, that was probably the famed 'shingan'. Mizuna waited, expecting to him either talk--that's all these Nevadians really did--or, hopefully, attack.

To her disappointment, he (initially) opted for the former after a few seconds.



"Saiyans, hear me--you have invaded Nevadian territory without formal declaration or provocation. I, as Emperor and Lord Protector of the Empire of Nevada, have taken it upon myself to drive out you invaders. Pray to whatever gods you savages believe in for mercy, for I have none to give."

...wait, did he say the emp--

And suddenly, the man was there, directly in front of her, and Mizuna was sent careening backwards by a heavy strike to her solar plexus. Focusing her ki, she righted and stopped herself after several hundred meters, her aura flaring.

Yeah, he totally said Emperor. Might be bullshitting, but, hey, if he wasn't, she could totally respect a hands-on sort of monarch.

Her aura flaring even more, she shot at this self-proclaimed emperor. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

...

Neva had almost forgotten herself, overrun by the sheer excitement for battle and bloodshed 'bleeding' over from Mizuna. Was this something all saiyans had to deal with? One would surmise that they eventually acclimated to it, but for a non-saiyan it was overwhelming.

Centering herself, Neva instead focused on 'watching' her former self's performance from her mental seat inside of the woman.

[KingofPie]

"Stop your whining, scum."

Her eyes darted from the Arcosian to the Nevadian, where her caustic gaze lingered. He used Tasure's name, as if that was some secret passcode to unlock Maiz's trust. Still, him mentioning that he was the former Captain of the Riskbreakers did conjure up an old memory. It was hazy, but she remembered Tasure mentioning that a Nevadian had earned her respect and was worthy of his place at the head of the team. Respect wasn't something a Saiyan gave out on a whim. It had to be earned, usually by proving oneself through combat.

If her memory was right, something along those lines had happened, then this Voyavoda - assuming he was that man - could be believed.

Her gaze fell from him and returned to the Arcosian. As the haze of what she was coming to realize had been a lengthy unconscious spell ebbed away, she remembered something else from years ago. The summit on Earth that she accompanied Sarada to. This man was there, representing the Galaxy Police. That didn't mean that he could be trusted. If anything, his nature as a Frost Demon meant he was adept at hiding his true nature.



Finally, the human spoke. He words were carried by a bluntness that reminded her of her own. It also put her in the mind of someone Sarada and Parsley spoke highly of to her: the human named Ochazuke. If this was that man, then she knew she could take his words at face value.

He mentioned she was being kept on Cortis II. She knew the history of this world well, from her readings of King Vocado's journals. She didn't know if Tundra knew of this place. In her vision, he was being told it would take four days to reach some world. The planet's name wasn't stated; it could have been this one. To that end, her answer to his question was simple. If she was being held for Tundra to hold over Sarada's head, then her being kept alive would be a priority. On the other hand, it would have been more practical to just kill her right then and there and save himself the trouble. For someone who has supposedly been planning their demise for at least the last few years, a mistake that critical was unthinkable.

"I don't suppose so," she answered. She wanted to say more, but he pulled an old, laminated photo from a capsule. Even before he handed it to her, she knew exactly what it was. As if taking an ancient parchment from a long dead civilization, she gently took the photo from his hands and held it with care. Her girls... they were so young and innocent back then. If she recalled right, Parsley as six and Sarada was only two. Before they were conqueror and would be conqueror, Princess and Queen, they were merely children. She took so many steps to make sure they got to enjoy what little childhood their society at the time allowed them to have before taking them and stripping them of everything that made children so precious.

If he had this photo, it was by only one means: she gave it to him. There were few people Parsley allowed to have a glimpse into her more sentimental side. Even something as simple a photo was something she kept guarded. They must have known I'd be out of my mind.

She sighed and tucked the photo into her robes. "I see." Her eyes fell upon each man. The anger and mistrust that had been present mere minutes ago was gone. She bowed meekly and said, "I apologize for my mistrust and rudeness. And thank you for going out of your way to rescue me. I don't know what happened, but thank you."

"You are quite welcome," Blizzar noted, taking a seat, his faceplate masking his amusement at a Saiyan displaying such humility.

"You know this one?" Ochazuke queried as the GP Officer fell to ease at the mention of this Tundra. "A strange coincidence, perhaps."

He'd had no reason to distrust Blizzar for his own part. Whenever he'd requested help from the GP liason to Earth in the face of the many schemes surrounding Grinthorn, he'd been there by his side. An unlikely ally, but a welcome one all the same, given to the same, strange comraderies of this disparate group, who continued to garner the attention of increasingly deadly enemies.

"It is difficult to fathom how the path of one enemy intersects with the next. Yet as the universe is besieged by threat after threat of this magnitude, it remains the matter of Guardians, nonetheless."

"Tundra is known to the GP in general," Blizzar noted. "I was tasked with monitoring his son, Blizz's operations for a time, but the most I know of Tundra himself is his ill-intentioned plans for the Saiyans," he continued, his face calm, but internally he felt a pang of regret. Guilt? No, of course not. Never. However...uncouth as they were, while he couldn't say he liked Sarada or any of the Saiyans he had grown acquainted with, he at least had a healthy dose of respect for them. How could he have known who his future allies would be when he kept the GP off of Blizz's back for so many years. How was he to know the situation would actually escalate to the level it did.

The Saiyans and Arcosians would fight, this was almost natural. But what Tundra was doing was...very costly in a myriad of ways. "Ah, Ochazuke," the lieutenant stood up. "I hope you don't mind if I pour myself a cup?" he asked, gesturing towards the tea. It would do greatly to quell the galaxy sized headache he was on the precipice of receiving.