Organization XIV - The Story So Far

"L-lies aren't my... specialty, haha," Kandor said with a smile, "th-though I've... b-been told I ma-... I write good s-stories! I used to be a writer wh-where I came from, on top of my magic...ian's studies. Th-... though that's neither h-here nor there, right now, so, um, thank you very mu-much and happy to help!"

Jackie smiled and waved a hand over her shoulder to the ship. "Your worries are valid, and the need is mutual and reciprocal. Coincidentally, given your enthusiasm, we I'd love to be regaled with recountings of your own journey, assuming we have the time. Our little organization is seeking artifacts and answers, and perhaps we might trade magician's secrets? I've been thinking on taking up more schools of magic, or researching methods to enhance my own spells." Jackie hopped into the cockpit, swivelling her chair around and leaning to one side, arm outstretched onto the dash itself rather than the armrest.

Gestalt boarded the ship, looking around as he stepped in. Still no sign of our boss. Maybe he left to take care of something here in Traverse Town. "You two can swap secrets if you want; I'm gonna study up on the ship's manual. Don't mind me." Before settling in his seat, he looked around, checking various compartments until he found the literature he needed. He glanced up from the manual from time to time, not in a particularly suspicious way, more out of curiosity for their frail passenger.

Dispatch was the last one to board, his mood clearly lifted from when he'd been looking around on recon. Sure, it was important to gather information, but that kind of work was just plain dull. But a fighting tournament, that was the kind of thing he could get behind; he made sure to sign up for them whenever they showed up back home, and he'd even been runner-up once. Maybe it would have been a better idea to focus on them, but he didn't know how to get back at the moment, and he couldn't just not participate. Honestly, the idea of flying a spaceship again was a little tempting, but with a competition on the horizon, he had to get practicing. So as he waited for the ship to take off, he flipped into a handstand and started doing some vertical push-ups. It would take a bit for them to get difficult, but it'd never happen if he didn't start.

Jackie spun once more in her chair as Gestalt reached over and took the manual, pointing out certain things on the console as she listened to Kandor for a moment. After a few minutes pass, she takes the device from Kandor and, reading off the inputs, hits a few switches and levers to orient the navigation systems properly. Closing the cockpit, she idly remarks "I should hope Reumos isn't offput by us leaving... He does have those dark portals, after all." Taking another moment, she hurriedly scribbles a note, folds it into a paper airplane, and throws it out the cockpit a moment before takeoff. "That should be fine."

Jackie turns to her controls and asks over her shoulder, "Kandor, you've explained a good deal of your world, and it's customs, but what's your specialty as a magician?"

"I am the leading expert of flames, fire and all things heat," Kandor says with confidence and a smile. "I--... Uh er well, at least to, uh, my un-understanding of it."

"Fire? Fire's not really all that complicated, is it?" Gestalt glanced up from his literature, a little skeptical. "What makes you an expert on the subject? Can you tell me something about it that I wouldn't know?" He was more curious than accusatory, but then, he wasn't exactly broadcasting that clearly.

Kandor stifles a chuckle behind a cough, though he's unable to totally hide his smirk. "Th-that might be e-easy f-f-for you to say, but, uhm... It's a lot more involved than that, I th-think. Heat is just one s-state of matter, r-right? Um, so what you can do is, is you, uh, t-take water, right? You have water at a certain t-t-tem...perature, yeah? If you heat it, then it's steam! If you chill it, it bec-comes ice. So what I figured out w...as that if you look at it... like... l-l-like uh, a 'p-presence'... of heat, or a-ab-ab...sence, sorry, you get uh, you get m-more... control." Kandor puts a hand over his chest and starts taking deep breaths. "Think I... winded myself. Oof. Not good..."

Jackie eyes the hand on his chest a little warily before smiling up at Kandor's face. "Oh! We'd done research on that where I'm from. It turns out heat is just the energy in something, and there's a lot of energy in a lot of places. We even had someone try to explain us the "Laws" of how such things worked, but I think I get what you're saying. So you can push energy into or pull it out of something?"

"Y-Yes!" Kandor said, his eyes fully gleaming. "That's ex-exactly it!"

"Heat is just energy?" Gestalt mumbled, his head drooping a little as he thought it over. "...Machines do tend to get hot when they've been running, and people's bodies heat up when they exert force. Light fixtures get hot, too. I guess the different kinds of energy are all related to heat like that?"

Taking a deep breath, he continued to let his thoughts rattle around for a bit before trying to put one back out there. "...If that's the case, then what exactly is fire? Why is it always wispy and light?"

"S-so, y-yeah, th-that's cor...rect!" Kandor said, really getting into the stride of things. "S-so, one o-o-of those, l-light, is r-rather intr... intrest..ing. S-so, l-light is a-actually quite s-similar to... to heat, as energy. Its just... l-light is a diff...different f-form. I think. A-and... when that l-light touches s-something, it w-warms it. Cause the, the, th-the light is en-entering the object, l-let's say grass, and th-then by a-adding energy it gives o-off excess e-energ-gy as heat. Th-think about it. I-it's warmer in the daytime f-for you, right?"

Jackie's eyebrows furrowed. Okay, that made a lot of sense, but there was one part of that specific analogy that bothered her. Making sure they were still on course, she asks over her shoulder, "But when we've uprooted plants or crops, they die. We assumed the roots drew up the proper nutrition and energy the plants would need, based on the soil. Does the sun provide all of that to the earth itself?"

"H-huh? N-no, that's... a little different. There's nutrients in soil, a-abs... yes, but, um, but, but, plants sp-specifically get energy from the sun. It's... its in the smallest part of them, a-and wh-why they turn g-green. That's a..." Kandor sweeps his hand out in front of him, nearly hitting the other passengers, "way bi-bigger topic th-than I c-can t-talk about right now. A-and um, I, I think I s-see that Coliseum up ahead."

Dispatch flipped back up onto his feet. "Already? That was fast. Didn't even break a hundred. Ah, well. Sooner we get there, the better!" He rolled his shoulder. It wasn't much of a workout, but it was a decent warm-up at least. Who could say, maybe a quick warm-up before the match could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

He turned to Kandor. "I dunno how much I follow your whole speech about fire and heat, but I think I might have a thing or two to show you about energy once we get rollin' down there. Lemme know if you see anything I could fix, alright?"

This world's very close to Traverse Town. That other place was easily several times this distance away. And yet we couldn't find it on our own; I guess that space is just that vast. It's more emptiness than anything else, so you could go in a straight line for a thousand years and not hit anything if you don't have the devil's own luck. Gestalt shrugged and put away the manual he'd barely glanced over. He looked at it again, but left it where it was. Stretching out his arms, he tried to peer out the window to look at the world ahead.

It was hard to make it out, actually; a lot of it was covered in wisps of golden mist, billowing across the land and obscuring it from view. Peering out above the cloud layer, however, was a giant building with an open courtyard. A pair of statues depicting warriors stood on either side of a grand doorway, which led into a closed area. Beyond that were an array of massive, open arenas, all connected to the main building.

Another gate stood on the opposite end of the courtyard; as they approached, a path of light became visible, leading from that door to a nearby rock. It was a little uneven, but it was the most solid-looking place to land, and it didn't seem like there was much risk of sliding off and falling below the clouds. In fact, there were worn marks atop the stone; it looked like this had been used as a landing spot previously on many occasions. If it was this popular, why didn't they just install some kind of parking lot? Or a hangar? ...Perhaps it just wasn't possible.

As they began their descent, it became clear that others were congregating close to a nearby building, small pockets of people gathered in groups standing around outside a grand pair of statues, two warriors locked in fierce combat, swords drawn. The surrounding area was furnished with twelve sets of drapes, and various imposing, regal, and intimidating figures standing before each tapestry. While most stood on their own, individually, two were closer than the rest: a man, ancient beyond time, yet full of energy, stood next to a woman of infinite wisdom and understanding, both clothed in cottons that looked like clouds. To their right stood a man that looked like the older man, holding a trident and clothed in a robe that shone and shimmered as the sea. And so did nine others stand before their own banners, each with people standing before them, though neither the lone figures nor the people gathered seemed to be directly speaking or interacting, merely observing the other party. 

"G-geez..." Kandor muttered as he stepped out of the ship. "E-everyone's got such a... such an intimidating a-aura t-to them... I... I'm kinda shaking here."

Jackie, however, smiled. "It looks like a good day for competition."

Dispatch looked around at all the observers as he hopped out of the ship. He couldn't feel their energy, but they definitely had that look about them. The way they carried themselves, looked at everyone around them like they were gauging their entertainment value, and even the fact that he couldn't sense their energy period. No doubt about it, these guys were gods. But they were nothing like the gods he knew; for one thing, they weren't all in uniforms.

As he approaced the doors, he realized there were even twelve of them, just like the twelve universes each had one Supreme Kai and one God of Destruction. But there was no way these gods were related to those ones. They looked too...close, was the only way he could think to describe it. But then, if they weren't part of the universal hierarchy, who were they?

His audience, that's who. A quick shiver ran down Dispatch's spine as an instinctive smirk crossed his face. "Oh yeah. I live for this."

Scratching the back of his spiky little head, Gestalt looked around, visibly discomforted by the presence of these gods. He was barely the size of one of their arms, and had about half as much muscle in his whole body. Blocking out his thoughts comparing himself to actual deities who were worlds beyond him, he searched for any kind of signage. Espying what looked like a notice, he glanced it over, but found himself unable to parse out what it said. A lot of the letters looked Latin, but several weren't. Another language? Oh, no, I hope we can at least talk to people normally... He failed to notice that there were other signs in the arena with English on them. The letters were similarly stylized, so it all blended together in his head once he thought he wouldn't be able to read them.


"Kandor, do you know where we can sign up?" He asked, none of his worry reaching his voice.

Kandor patted Dispatch on the back. "I th-think you might l...like this place. I heard b-back in Traverse T-Town th-that it's, uh, a place where a lot of fighting c-compe...titions are held. The... Looks, uh, looks like the particip-p-pants are being chosen by these folks in f-front of the banners." Kandor scanned the area quickly, then frowned. "Root, child C, data point scouter," he says as if to the very air itself, before a lens attached to an ear-cup apparated before Kandor. Holding his hand out as it fell, he quickly put the scouter on and glanced at the foreign writing. "Th-this sh-should tell m...me what those signs say..."

Jackie was utterly bewildered, then curious. "Did you... was that a specialized incantation? How does such a magic work?"

Kandor jumped out of his skin, nearly, before shyly turning around, his hand on the back of his head. Clearly embarrassed, he says, "Somewhat, it's a... s-spell to remo-remove the transit time of a-an object. I just... put the energy into the sp-spell and uh, it, it comes in an i-i-instant. Haha."

[OOC: This is an actual Saiyan scouter, for reference.]

"Root... what?" Gestalt just blinked, utterly fixated on what just happened. His anxiety was blown away by the sudden demonstration of arcane power. "I don't understand. Does the chant direct the effect of the spell? And by 'removing the transit time', do you mean you drew it to yourself instantly? From- from where?"


It sounded like he was stating three terms. I don't know why, but something about it feels nostalgic to me. Why? Where could I have heard it before? I never even witnessed magic until I left my home.


As he moved in for a closer look, the young swordsman practically ignored the device in favor of Kandor himself. He himself had perhaps the tiniest inkling of insight, but not enough to discern how the spell worked, and certainly not enough to try imitating the feat. Still, his mind buzzed with possibilities, his eyes looking more alive than before.

Dispatch, on the other hand, found his attention drawn to the scouter immediately. Not only did he recognize it, he'd worn something just like that when he was a kid. The guy had even called it a scouter! And of course, the one person he didn't ask right away might know something about his team!

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too, actually," he said, doing his best to keep his tone level. "Where DID that thing come from?"

Uh oh. Kandor visibly froze, eyes darting between the three others, before relaxing for a moment and giving an embarrassed smile. "I, uh, syn-synthesized it. I-it, um... I m-met someone who... Who had one j-just l-like this, a-and wouldn't you know, i-i-it uhm, it was p-pretty easy to m-make another!" Giving an awkward chuckle, he gestured over to the figures standing before each of the banners. "B-but hey! Th-the entrants are probab...ly g-getting pick... Picked out r-right now, so, so let's just go ap-apply f-for now. I-I-I can make you o-one later, i-if you want." And with that, Kandor strolled away towards the crowd.

Dispatch frowned. He just...made a scouter? Just like that? And he'd said it was a "transport" spell, not synthesis. Either he was really good at reverse-engineering tech he'd never seen in his life, or he was a really terrible liar.

But...if it was true, that would mean the guy had met another Saiyan for sure. Dispatch tensed as he considered it. It was the best lead he'd gotten in years, and this magician was holding out on him. No way he was gonna just let this drop.

On the other hand, there was a much better chance of getting Kandor to spill something when the tournament was over than there was before it started. If they didn't hurry, they might miss registration, so Dispatch hurried into the crowd after his mark.

As Dispatch walked into the crowd, others parted for him, but even in the thick of the crowd, he could feel the weight of those twenty four eyes on him. Imperious and proud, each judged him, though of each of the figures, two seemed to have a glint of favor in them. The first stood adorned in a mohawked helm, eyes of silver steel cupped by a helm of gold. His nearly-bare chest bore only a red toga, but Dispatch could make out the pristine muscles beneath. One arm held a spear, perfect in make. His feet, too, were bare, but each limb bore a single bracelet, a deep red that seemed to cut into his very flesh.

The other came from a man next to him. This figure was resplendent in grey robes, sporting a wispy, billowing design. He had sunken eyes, a proud, hooked nose, and a strong chin. His visage bore an uncanny, shallow look to it, as if skin were pulled tight over the skull. His head was shaven clean, and he had two yellow eyes, and bore no other adornments or decorations.

As Dispatch caught their attention, the man in black began speaking animatedly to the one next to him, gesturing over to Dispatch himself. Before long, the man in black smiled wickedly, beckoning him over, before turning to talk to the man in red again.

Dispatch caught sight of the black-robed god's summons, and stopped in his tracks. The god had fire pouring out of his head, and wicked sharp teeth. Of course, it was still never a good idea to ignore a god, so Dispatch approached him, tail twitching all the while.

"You look like you've got some business with me," he said. "What can I do for ya?"

The man in red opened his mouth to speak, but before he could properly speak, the man in black cut him off. "Hey kiddo, how ya doin'. Name's Hades, Lord Of The Dead, nice to meetcha." He extended a hand to Dispatch, his voice low like a murmur, but it carried well.
The man in red continued as if nothing had happened. "I am Ares, God of War." Ares' voiced boomed, deep and raspy, as if he was used to yelling. "We would like to extend an offer of sponsorship to you, young Dispatch, for we have walked alongside you and your kind since it's inception."
"You Saiyan's are the piece de resistance for us, by the way, love you guys," Hades added.

A smirk crossed Dispatch's face. Flattery? Maybe. But if there was one way to get on a Saiyan's good side, it was praising their strength. He took Hades' hand and shook it firmly.

"Glad to hear it," he replied. "Now, when you say 'sponsorship,' what do you mean, exactly? You guys don't exactly need publicity, being gods and all, so I gotta imagine you'd want more outta me than just shouting your names before every fight."

"Your entry to the Games is dependent on a sponsorship from any of us Gods of Olympus," Ares explained. "And only one team per God may enter this year's games. Normally, only licensed heroes were permitted, but due to... Reasons, as I'm sure you're aware, that has changed. You and anyone with you may elect to choose any God, by making an appeal, but you must be sponsored by the end of the day to enter."
"And, heh, you know, we normally wouldn't be accepting off-worlders, but Athena starts gabbing and next thing we know we've opened the gates like Prometheus wasn't a big deal," Hades rambled on.

"Okay, so it's like a prelim," Dispatch summarized. "Makes sense to me. In that case, what do you need from me? Or, uh, need from us, I guess? I got three others with me."

"All you gotta do, Sparky, is win. That's it! That's the whole shebang, alright? You make the other teams go kaput and the winning team gets prizes, yada yada, maybe something extra, capiche?" Hades was quite invested in this part, speaking more quickly and animatedly than before.
"Of course, each God may grant a boon, or favors, in exchange for your pledge. The Games aren't all contests of brute strength, so choose wisely." Ares smiled. "And as a leader and tactician myself, I would advise speaking with your group and coming to a collective decision."
"Ah, but where's the fun in that? Saiyan's are proud and brave, courageous in the face of any odds! Come on kid, having the God of Death on your side? Better than enemies... wouldn't you agree?"