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

[bruceleegreyhulk]

( Let's see I can sense a big fight happen at the Lookout and I sense Dash in that direction away from the Lookout Hmm, Dash might need my help,) Praxat thought.

Praxat heads towards the direction she's sensing Dash.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

When Inanna arrived and began to battle the bow-wielding Threshling, Parsley saw the end in sight. The Threshling would either die or have her freedom unlocked as the ones on Vocado had. Regardless, she wasn't worried about her. Instead, it was the invisible enemy. She could hear it hissing and saw the Threshling respond silently. Her eyes narrowed. It appeared that this creature or person needed to be dealt with first.

"Go inside and see about Eva," she said to Avoca when she landed. Eva's safety was still a priority, especially if Maiz's near capture was any indication of Auroc's intentions for the two guardians.

Her eyes narrowed, Observation Focus piercing beyond what possible to see with normal eyes to detect the invisible enemy's location. As she searched carefully, a small, black orb of ki coalesced and formed at the tip of her finger.

---

Avoca ran inside the Lookout in search of Eva. She had no idea who that was, but if Parsley was concerned enough to send someone to check on her, then she must have been important. She didn't like that it was her she chose. It made her feel that she didn't think she was strong enough to fight those other fuckers. Which was true, but that didn't mean Avoca had to like it.

"Hey! Anyone in here?!" she shouted. She spread her senses across the interior to see if there was anyone present but unable to answer.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The Ice Wall cracked, sections of it shattering from the attack. One more blow, and Dash knew the creature would be free so she had to act fast. She tried once more to summon the Water Armor, but was unable to do so.

Plan B then. Taking flight, she rose just a few feet above the cave entrance. Summoning her ki, she blasted the snow and ice above it near the top of the glacier. A rumbling sound preceded the collapse of the cave, the entrance now buried under a small mountain of snow and ice.

If this works, that creature should be entombed within until the next Global Warming cycle.

After the sound and fury dies, Dash....cannot see or sense anything.

The smoke summon is, indeed, trapped.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Can't say? Won't say?

Inanna wasn't sure, but the motion was... telling; as was the hissing that had given the Knight pause. Bothersome really. Would be so much easier if just killing everyone was the most prudent but when it came to matters such as this Inanna would certainly be a hypocrite if she took umbridge.

So where did that leave her?

Target the shadow? Seemed wisest.

"It's a hassle isn't it. Being unable to say what you want to. I wonder if that can be fixed?" Looking to pinpoint the source of the hissing, Inanna held onto her Riposte- allowing the Knight to finish drawing her bow- as she sought out whatever it was that seemed to be working from the shadows.

A faint shimmer, an eerie like feeling of something just to the left and above the Golden Knight.

The Knight pulls the bow back all the way, a strange green arrow forming as she does so. The bow is not quite aimed at Inanna, almost like the Knight is attempting to do this as slowly as possible.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

When Inanna arrived and began to battle the bow-wielding Threshling, Parsley saw the end in sight. The Threshling would either die or have her freedom unlocked as the ones on Vocado had. Regardless, she wasn't worried about her. Instead, it was the invisible enemy. She could hear it hissing and saw the Threshling respond silently. Her eyes narrowed. It appeared that this creature or person needed to be dealt with first.

"Go inside and see about Eva," she said to Avoca when she landed. Eva's safety was still a priority, especially if Maiz's near capture was any indication of Auroc's intentions for the two guardians.

Her eyes narrowed, Observation Focus piercing beyond what possible to see with normal eyes to detect the invisible enemy's location. As she searched carefully, a small, black orb of ki coalesced and formed at the tip of her finger.

---

Avoca ran inside the Lookout in search of Eva. She had no idea who that was, but if Parsley was concerned enough to send someone to check on her, then she must have been important. She didn't like that it was her she chose. It made her feel that she didn't think she was strong enough to fight those other fuckers. Which was true, but that didn't mean Avoca had to like it.

"Hey! Anyone in here?!" she shouted. She spread her senses across the interior to see if there was anyone present but unable to answer.

Something above and to the left of the Knight. Humanoid, but.....not. It seems to hold a strange rod in one hand and a knife in the other, but even Parsley cannot get a good look at it.

———

Inside, Avoca finds the place trashed with obvious signs of a fight. Ronin Kai, and the former priestess Anula are standing over the bodies of two Threshlings. Kai is healing Anula, who appears grievously wounded, but alive, while the Priestess appears to be mumbling something over their corpses.

Kai looks at her as she enters.

“Eva’s not here. Another Knight got passed us. She went towards the inner sanctum and the Room of Spirit and Time!”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

A faint shimmer, an eerie like feeling of something just to the left and above the Golden Knight.

The Knight pulls the bow back all the way, a strange green arrow forming as she does so. The bow is not quite aimed at Inanna, almost like the Knight is attempting to do this as slowly as possible.

Inanna resisted the urge to nod. So that was the way of things. Keeping the facade, the woman seemed to pout before saying simply, "What is your name? No sport in not knowing the name of one's prey..."

Mirroring the Knights 'draw' a golden arrow formed and with a smirk the golden-eyed woman loosed it... just to the left, and above the Golden Knight a dozen pinpricks of light exploding from the main arrow as it neared its ephemeral target.

"Aper's Riposte: Last Rain."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Something above and to the left of the Knight. Humanoid, but.....not. It seems to hold a strange rod in one hand and a knife in the other, but even Parsley cannot get a good look at it.

"Interesting," Parsley muttered quietly. The being wasn't quite humanoid but was humanoid enough to not warrant calling it a creature.

She tilted her head to the side at what transpired before her. The knight was seemingly moving in slow motion... as if trying to delay the inevitable. Her eyes narrowed as the pitch black ki on her finger flashed as her finger raised to bear. The humanoid was carrying a rod in one hand and a knife in the other. She took aim at the rod.

A thin black bean shot from her finger, aimed at knocking the rod out of its hand.

Inside, Avoca finds the place trashed with obvious signs of a fight. Ronin Kai, and the former priestess Anula are standing over the bodies of two Threshlings. Kai is healing Anula, who appears grievously wounded, but alive, while the Priestess appears to be mumbling something over their corpses.

Kai looks at her as she enters.

“Eva’s not here. Another Knight got passed us. She went towards the inner sanctum and the Room of Spirit and Time!”

Avoca sighed heavily and shrugged. "Look, I don't know who is what or where anything is. Just point me in the direction and tell me which door to kick down."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

On smooth symmetry, Inanna and Parsley both fire at the same time the Knight does.

The Knight’s shot passes harmlessly by Inanna even as Inanna’s strikes just above and to the left of the Knight. At the same time, Parsley’s small black attack strikes the invisible rod.

Parsley’s shatters the rod, while Inanna’s strikes and sticks into the invisible foe, then explodes. The form is blasted into pieces, and the Knight quickly stomps over and crushes what one can presume to be the head.

The Knight turns and looks at Inanna.

“Siew. Knight Captain Siew.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Kai points down the hall.

“Down there, large double doors.”

[bruceleegreyhulk]

( Let's see I can sense a big fight happen at the Lookout and I sense Dash in that direction away from the Lookout Hmm, Dash might need my help,) Praxat thought.

Praxat heads towards the direction she's sensing Dash.

As Praxat heads towards Dash's direction, she ponders to herself, as she takes out the shimmery black material from her pocket. ( hmm if I ask or interrogate a Threshling. I could find out where the resources to make this material, can be found,) Praxat thought.

( I need to get a Threshling to talk, and I might need help with that because I'm pretty sure I'm no good at interrogations. Well, I could ask a Threshling nicely, but what are the chances one is willing to cooperate with me?) Praxat thought.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

On smooth symmetry, Inanna and Parsley both fire at the same time the Knight does.

The Knight’s shot passes harmlessly by Inanna even as Inanna’s strikes just above and to the left of the Knight. At the same time, Parsley’s small black attack strikes the invisible rod.

Parsley’s shatters the rod, while Inanna’s strikes and sticks into the invisible foe, then explodes. The form is blasted into pieces, and the Knight quickly stomps over and crushes what one can presume to be the head.

The Knight turns and looks at Inanna.

“Siew. Knight Captain Siew.”

The creature was destroyed, as was its rod. Then, in an act that wasn't that surprising considering the actions that led up to it, the Knight crushed the creature's head to end its life.

An interesting development.

"Am i to assume that you are not under Auroc's sway?" she pondered. "Or, is this an act of self-preservation in the face of overwhelming enemies? Either way, you made a good decision."

She remained powered up just in case she was wrong began walking. Her eyes fell to the floor in search of the knife and pieces of the rod.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Kai points down the hall.

“Down there, large double doors.”

Avoca nodded her thanks and sprinted past him and down the hall.

She noticed right away that this Lookout didn't feel like any holy place she had been in, which was a few during her conquest days. These Kami and guardians were supposedly gods or had the power of gods. Like she thought before, there was nothing within their job description that required any sort of divinity or any of that nonsense. All that did was paint a target on the guardian's back and on the planet's back as a whole. Maiz was nearly taken by the Auroc and then was taken by this Koorimaru person. Neither of those would have happened if she hadn't accepted the guardianship. Avoca didn't want to question Sarada's wisdom – or whatever passed for wisdom in that woman's head – but...

Whatever.

She reached the double doors the guy talked about. "This looks to be it." With no way of knowing whether there was a trap waiting for her or not, she tried to open the doors.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Geez, after Isht--...Inanna's (?) arrival, things ended so quickly. And in an unexpected way, too. Seems this threshling was either standing down or on their side now?

...

Well, victory was a victory, though Totoma was wary. He stepped up beside Inanna, the nine-toothed rake forming in his hand, and plantedthe spiked end opposite the rakehead on the floor. Of course, he stayed powered up... just in case.


Nearby, Nevanlinna landed on the lookout, looking somewhat less worse for the wear than before. She was healed enough now that her natural healing outside of Vaikuntha would eventually restore her to prime health... and she might even be able to fight a bit. Her breath was still a bit ragged, though, and she chose to prop herself up on her sword.

Her gaze settled on Siew. Judging from the weapon and what she could see of the person beneath the armor, this knight was...

"Knight Captain Siew, I presume." A rather prominent knight... one of, if not the finest archers among the Knightly orders. "Please, tell me you've decided to stand down..."

That, she suppose, would depend on whether or not Siew had been... corrupted by Auroc. But, given that Inanna had proven capable of expunging that corruption from others, her being under Auroc's sway might not be too much of an issue.

[Tami]

After the sound and fury dies, Dash....cannot see or sense anything.

The smoke summon is, indeed, trapped.

With a sigh of relief, Dash relaxes slightly and takes to the air. Orientating herself in the direction fo the lookout, she begins to take flight ...

As Praxat heads towards Dash's direction, she ponders to herself, as she takes out the shimmery black material from her pocket. ( hmm if I ask or interrogate a Threshling. I could find out where the resources to make this material, can be found,) Praxat thought.

( I need to get a Threshling to talk, and I might need help with that because I'm pretty sure I'm no good at interrogations. Well, I could ask a Threshling nicely, but what are the chances one is willing to cooperate with me?) Praxat thought.

Sensing someone approaching, she changes her direction and moves in to intercept. Seeing Praxat up ahead, Dash moves in towards her, calling out as she does, "Heya, Praxy! Whatca doin out here? Am about to head for the Lookout."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Siew nods.

“Compulsion....is strong. If you can remove it...Princess...or Lady Inanna..now would be wise.”

She grips the bow tighter.