Organization XIV - The Story So Far

Dispatch stifled a chuckle. Lady still had spirit, that was for sure. "Calm down, we didn't go anywhere without ya," he said. "Specially wouldn't dream of going to see Lord Hermes without our full team around. 'Sides, it was only a few minutes anyway."

He left out the part where those few minutes were dreadfully boring. Just standing around with his arms crossed, leaning up against a wall, imagining the competition. Feh. That was the kind of thing that usually disappointed him. Especially in the tournament before last back in the city. Yikes, was that one ever a letdown. Two decent fighters in the whole thing, and one of 'em another Saiyan! No wonder the second tournament had been an improvement, it would've been hard not to improve from there. This one had already proven a little more promising...which made him all the more antsy.

"Now that everyone's here, we should go meet up with the man. I think I'll explode if I have to endure this pressure any longer." Gestalt said. It wasn't exactly written all over his face, but he was relieved to see her back up so soon. That spell of hers had looked exhausting.

He'd spent the intervening time trying to get a better sense for his own magic, but he really couldn't seem to do anything besides creating these corridors of darkness. He could make them bigger or smaller - and he kept them small and out-of-sight, in case anyone hadn't already seen his tricks - but his control of where they ended got sloppier as the distance from him increased. And yet, somehow he could make them between worlds without error? He hadn't really thought about it before, but that was odd. Still, that was a question for later. They had more pressing things to deal with.

Kain casually sauntered over during the conversation, not interrupting until Gestalt had finished speaking. "Explode, eh? And I'd presumed that my area of expertise. Ah well, bigger fish as they say," he said, suppressing a small chuckle. "Off we go, then."

He lead the way back through the Vestibule and towards the Gates, where the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus had gathered again, and Hermes in particular was searching for them. Spotting the group, he flitted over in the blink of an eye, before alighting on the ground. "Well, some spectacular and awe-inspiring heroes you all sure turned out to be! I took a little look-see at your... I'd call it an exhibition match but it nearly turned demolition exhibit in the end there."

Jackie smirked. "I think we made our point known, without revealing everything we have in our arsenal. Best to get to know the other team the fastest way possible, right?"

Hermes nodded once, then put his hand forth. "Well now, everyone, I will bestow upon each of you my first blessing: movement unhindered by momentum, freedom of movement. It is up to you to discover what that talent means for yourself, and experiment with how that benefits you.

"In the name of Hermes. Heroes! Accept this blessing."

Jackie confidently put her hand towards Hermes', while Kain slowly reached forward with his own.

Following their example, Gestalt held out his hand as well. He didn't know exactly how he would use this blessing, but he had a pretty good idea of how it might improve his abilities.

It made him a little happy that their patron was so impressed with them; their performance might inspire the other teams to try harder, and that would make the coming matches more difficult, but it was hard to care coming off of that sort of high.

Dispatch nodded, hiding his confusion as he stretched his hand toward the rest of the group. This wasn't how the gods he knew of gave out blessings. But he dismissed the notion quickly. He could tell plainly that this was a different sort of god he was dealing with than the kind he was used to. He still wasn't quite sure how this blessing even worked, really, but even if it didn't do anything, he was confident. If all the teams were of the same caliber as the ones he'd just fought, he could take 'em. Well, maybe if a whole team worked together then they'd have something on him, but he had backup.

And if the other teams were on a higher level...that was just exciting.

As the team reached forward as one, a glow came from Hermes, and the Vestibule area became quiet. Four tendrils of pure radiant light sprouted forth from his fingertips, each one lifting and then diving into the forehead of each gathered individual. As the lights sank in, a glow covered and emanated from the four, before dissipating slowly. Hermes himself nodded once after all was said and done, and then gestured to the Coliseum. "You've thirty minutes to finish preparations. I can only wish you the utmost and best of luck, young heroes. From here on out, you're... well, not on your own, but you need to reach out and seize the victory set in front of you."

Jackie pondered that for a moment. Were it so simple as to simply reach forward, or was he being cryptic and proverbial, as mythical beings were wont? Rather, were mythical beings in this world likely or liable to do anything in particular? A curious question for sure, but to digress: did it mean Hermes believed them capable, so capable it could be seen that simple? Or would it be a task to strive towards, to reach out on your last legs, using the last bit of gas in the tank, and grasp the bittersweet light at the end of the tunnel? She unfurrowed her brow before giving a mental shrug. Even if it were, she'd use the rest of her energy to put on a hell of a show. And speaking of which, movement unaffected by gravity, inertia... would that mean she could now move without regards to laws of friction, or energy conservation? A machine of pure work, unfettered by outside forces...

Could her body withstand the consequences? How would that work? Curiouser and curiouser...

Meanwhile, Kain simply smirked, his hand darting back into his pocket. He'd need to remember a few tools that he could pop out at any moment, but it should work under the ruleset. By itself, it was an innate talent he possessed from his own world, though it could easily be construed as outside interference or assistance. A Focus, then, is what he'd need. He said the words to make the Scouter appear in front of him, then the clamshell device, before pausing for a moment. Turning to Dispatch, he pointed at his own Scouter and put forth a question. "I know these mean a lot to you, so before we begin... or after the first round, whichever.... Would you like me to make you one of these? I can even customize it for you, so long as I have enough materials. I should have plenty on me now, but... it's up to you."

Dispatch's tail flicked reflexively. In the heat of the past fight, he'd honestly forgotten that Magic Man had made a Scouter, but now it was right in front of his face again.

"Eh, I think I'm alright," Dispatch said, raising a hand. "Anything those things can do, I can do too. But I gotta ask...how do you know about 'em? And for that matter, how do you know what they mean to me?"

He hadn't worn a Scouter in years. Shortly after the planet had broken apart, it had been destroyed in a fight, and he'd never replaced it. And up until just then, he wasn't even sure the magician's creation was the same device. But if he knew it, and he knew Saiyans used them, did that mean there was some connection between him and Frieza? Or worse, between him and whatever dark force had caused this distortion in the first place?

Kain shrugged. "How do I know about them? I'd seen someone with one, just once, as a passerby in Traverse Town. Wouldn't have been much more than a couple of weeks ago, told me about it and let me scan it to create a replica. This here," he said, pointing to his own, "isn't the genuine article, it was fabricated in my workshop. It's a workshop my companions and I had used to create supplies, forge weapons, and to build our strongholds. I saw the value in a device that could perform long-range scouting and provide information in a mobile sense. It's a work that I myself wouldn't have been able to come up with unless put to task.

"As for how I know it's valuable to you..." Kain scratched the back of his head, then sheepishly said, "Well, you got pretty angry when you saw it. To be blunt, I ran off back then just 'cause I didn't want to get in a fight. Especially now that I've seen what you can do, with one solid hit I'd crumple and need revived."

"Looks genuine enough to me," Dispatch observed. It had seemed to work just fine earlier, too. Still, the explanation was good enough for now. More important, though, was this stranger.

"So, what kinda 'passerby' are you talkin'? Like, shrimpy guy with an arm-cannon, or big strong guy with weird skin, or someone with a tail? And didn't I ask you this before, when--oh, wait, crap, I didn't now I think about it. Anyway, details!" As he spoke, his pace increased, quickly reaching a mile a minute before he caught himself and bit his tongue. Getting his hopes up had let him down before, and he didn't really want to give too much away to someone who felt the need to put on a scared act for that long.

"Yeah, I remember a tail, and some really cracked battle armor. Looked super lightweight and... frankly it didn't look like it'd stop a punch from me, frankly. Fists of fire or no. I was making a little money on the side using my workshop to fix up busted stuff, see about getting transport off-world, that kind of thing. Handed me that Scouter and said it busted a while back, something about a power spike and it shorted right after. Fixed up his armor, fixed and made a duplicate of his Scouter. Told me he would be off looking for work, and that was the last I saw of him." Kain paused for a moment, chewing his cheek. "I didn't ask for a name. Made it a policy not to, considering the... nature of that town." Kain looked up at Dispatch. "But yeah, dude with a tail, space-tech armor, and the original copy of this scouter I have here."

"A Saiyan!" Dispatch exclaimed, unable to stop himself from pounding his open palm like a gavel. On one hand, it had only been a couple of days since Vegeta's downfall, not a couple of weeks. On the other, he wasn't actually sure where or when he was at this point - there could have been a time portal in that dark mess too, for all he knew. Worth a shot.

"Alright, tall or short? Tan, pale, buff, stocky, what exactly did this guy look like?" Dispatch was passively aware that he might have been asking too many in-depth questions, especially since he had no way of knowing whether his mission target was also a Saiyan - in fact, given his work history, a demon was the more likely cause of any given distortion, but he figured a ten-year-old mission had a higher priority than one less than ten days old. It wasn't like his paid mission was going anywhere in the meantime.

Kain thought for a moment. "Hm, yeah. He really stood out, he was muscled, ridiculously muscled, black hair that went down his back. Let's see... Nothing particularly outstanding otherwise, he was around your height, tan, very tanned actually. Had a jaw that could cut glass. Armor was grey, scouter was green. I colored mine blue for personal reasons, and to distinguish the two."

Dispatch's eyes went wide. "That's him!"

He didn't expand on it further, instead launching into more questions. "Did you talk? How'd his armor get busted? Did he say where he was going? Staying in Traverse Town, leaving, I sure as hell didn't see him around when I was there and I'm pretty damn sure I covered the whole place so there's no way I'd have missed him--"

Sitting near the edge of the Vestibule's roof, the very man in question, though without the Scouter, chuckled to himself. "Well I'll be damned. It really is him." He hadn't planned to stick around, but the sight of another Saiyan, and a vaguely familiar one at that, meant he just couldn't help but stick around a bit longer. He'd planned to spectate some matches, maybe scope out the other Saiyan's fighting style, but a reaction that strong could only have come from one person. Or maybe a lost puppy, but honestly, there never had been much difference with this kid. It wasn't the most Saiyan-like quality to seek acknowledgement like that, but somehow it was still endearing. And somehow the kid hadn't lost it in the last god-knew-how-long. Seriously, how did he age that fast? It almost seemed wrong to keep calling him a kid when they had to be about the same age now.

He stood up, considering jumping down to greet his old subordinate, but still found himself hesitating for some reason. A reason he couldn't quite place, even. Although, it occurred to him as he stood there on the roof that he was in plain sight. Sure, the kid was distracted talking to the guy who'd fixed his armor (small world, huh?) but he was still pretty prominently visible. Well, it'd only look suspicious to lie back down, so come what may, he figured if someone noticed, they noticed, and he'd introduce, or reintroduce, himself then. If it happened. If not, well, he had his original plan to fall back on.

"W-well... to be honest, at Traverse Town, while I'd still been separated from my group, I retreated into myself and rarely talked deeply with others about anything other than business. I made enough to live, and that was enough... since, well, events like my world getting dissolved... w-well, i-it didn't exactly inspire confidence that I'd be anything but up next." He shrugged, then furrowed his brow. "I do recall him saying he was going to be looking around for something important, 'off-world'. I think that's the best that I can do, without a na--" Kain stopped, and then face-palmed. "My sister."

He withdrew his hand and explained, "My sister is an oracle of sorts. Getting her to look into the future is a bit of an ordeal for her, so you might need to work a favor, but she could see a future where you to end up meeting together." His use of the word End seemed deliberate, as though it were a pun, but not necessarily maliciously intoned.

Unawares to both of them, yet more figures were watching from a distance, back in the gathering crowded stands of the Coliseum proper. All three were veiled from sight in some way, wanting to keep a close eye on the proceeding events but not wanting to attract unwanted eyes... not yet.

The first, a haggard, raggedly robed person, with a Raven on his shoulder, the second entity. The hooded one cackled softly. "Ah, but what a wonderful opportunity! So many strong hearts, so many of them dancing a flirtatious samba with darkness...!" The voice was slick, rotten, the owner's breath smelling foul. Naturally there was a bit of a wide berth around them. "And yet, so many more of them seem to grasp the light... are we good? Are we safe, hm, Mistress?" The figure turned to the Raven upon his shoulder, whose beady green eyes shone in response, but made no other move. 

Near him, a quiet, ephemeral voice whispered. "Light, dark, who cares? So long as Wunderkind gets brought to his knees, that's all that matters for me." A shimmer, a ripple in the air, like a heat wave, rose up from the stands near the figure, but was gone as quick as it started. "Of course the little Light Tyke chooses to skip out on this event of all of them, but, eh, that's why priority number one is someone outside the games, right? Endy? Mal?"

The Raven shot a daggers glare where the ripple had occurred, and the ripple chuckled. "Easy! Easy there. We go for the Big Man, we nab anyone else we can, and then we split! Power for us, Herc in disarray, and the Titans and I rule all of Greece! Olympus falls in five days. Trust me."

Dispatch paused his enthusiasm as he thought for a moment, not noticing the magician's strange intonation. Sister? Then it came to him. "Oh, right, the weird one from before that last fight! The one who tackled you to the ground. Yeah, she looked like she was on one of the other teams. If they're any good, I'm sure we'll meet up in the arena." He had to hold back a snicker in order to finish. "What the hell's a Kainykin, anyway?"

Kain sighed hard enough that most onlookers would swear the man's soul had left his body. His cheeks grew somewhat flushed, but Kain kept his upper lip stiff and head high. "Well, my name is Kain, and I'm her brother... Thus kin. So... So Kainykin..." Kain huffed once, before holding his hand out like an orator, which complemented the look with his robes somewhat well. "Somewhat similarly, silly sister seldom speaks sans similarly started syllables. Relatedly, relative relishes rhyming relentlessly reminiscent respected writing."

Kain paused, stammered for a moment, realizing what he'd done, then muttered, "She just really likes speaking in rhymes and alliteration is all."

Dispatch stared back at the other man, his head tilted to the side. What the hell was he going on about now? And how did they get here from the topic of his sister? This was...what was the phrase? He'd heard it a few times around the city. "Thoroughly and utterly baffling?" Yeah, that was it. He could hear it clear as day in his head.

"Alright, well, whatever about her tossing her garbage on the street. Point is, I don't think we've got much time to look now, so it can wait until we've got a match with her and the rest of her team. Hell, maybe I can get her to place her services as a bet. If there's one thing Saiyans love as much as fighting, it's...actually probably booze, but gambling's a close third."

Kain opened his mouth to retort but closed it quickly, still choosing to leave one finger pointed in the air. "A bet? Eh, she's not one for those. Part of the deal with how she sees the future, she more or less sees the outcome before it happens. I'm sure you could think of something to impress her, perhaps describing anything fantastical that you've seen in your journeys, perhaps any small, fluffy animals you know of, or..." Kain pauses. "I mean, are you into biology? Like, guts and doctor stuff? She does taxidermy, like, animal body preservation. Loves it," Kain added, looking rather green. "Her cat in particular was a horrifying sight to see..." Taking a deep breath, Kain blustered out, trying to move away from the subject, "Really, she and her boyfriend, our leader Finn O'Leary, can both see the future to varying degrees. Finn's is wider, Isis' is narrower, and both have their blind spots. That, and it's more art than science."

Finn O'Leary? Why did that name sound familiar-- "Oh goddammit!" Dispatch exclaimed. "That's the guy I was talking to yesterday! The pottymouth! Guy didn't say a thing about seeing the future, son of a--aaaaagh!"

He sighed. That didn't change his plans either, and it wasn't surprising, but it was definitely annoying. "Anyway, I know what biology is, Magic Man. One of my crew was really into it. Although she was more interested in taste than preserving it. In her words, 'C'mon you baby, they even LOOK like chickens.' Chief said they were more like falcons, though. But either way, most of the animals I've seen were the angry, kill-or-die type. A couple of 'em were fluffy, though, I guess."

Kain's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, you definitely met Finn alright. I spotted him across the way before the fight, but I'm sure he'll be just fine." Kain smiled, the first genuine smile he'd shown to anyone since meeting the group. "Yeah, definitely tell her about what you've found. She'll make no distinction between anything violent or fluffy, she'll want to adopt them all the same. Anyway, we'll have a little time between matches, but I we should wait until after the match is settled to ask any favors. Not that I think they'd throw or compromise the match, but simply to have more time and less anticipation. Let's get the others and head towards the Arena, I'm sure it's just about time for the first round to start."

"Ha," Dispatch allowed himself a chuckle. "Your sister sounds like a real head-case. Can't say as I know too many people who'd want to adopt something that'd wanna tear their face off. Course there is the one guy who'd put it in a giant tube to study it, something something DNA chimaera, think he's used the term deintegration before. I dunno, it all flies over my head. But yeah, are we actually in the first match, or...we...haven't checked, have we? ...And we haven't actually talked about our strategy either. Pfft. This might get messy."

"Trust me, we're all kind of living in her world, as it were," said Kain, just before Jackie slid up next to them.

"Hey, I know this might be important, but let's head up to the arena," she said, smile plastered over her face. "Wouldn't want to miss out and get disqualified, would we?"

"Ah, we were just mentioning the same thing. We also neglected to elect a strategy, so hopefully Theo and the others have put a little more thought into it than we have. I'm also still wondering how to apply the gift we received, considering my own capabilities..."

Jackie's grinned widened, if such a thing were possible. "I've come up with a couple ideas myself, but I'll save you the explanation. Actions and words, after all! Now come on, or I'll toss you two down the stairway back to town!"

The group filed in through to the Arena, which had since been transformed. 20-foot-high walls were erected around it's perimeter, and once they made their way into the upper parts of the extensive stands, they could just make out the inside. Hermes himself was hovering over the arena, and what appeared to be his point of view was magically plastered along the outside walls of the maze. On two opposite ends, small add-on buildings were attached to the entrance and exit of the maze, and seemed to have people moving about in them, likely the representative teams. 

After the last few people had come into the Arena, the gates closed and a cheer rippled through the crowd. The tall, armored red-haired man from early strode towards the center of the Arena, and with a raised hand, quieted the uproarious gathering. "People of Olympus, travelers from afar, let me waste no more time: the Games are about to commence! Each team is to find a captured ally, guarded by the other team, and must return their ally safely! Each side is given a key to ensure the hostages' release, and until that hostage is free, no direct harm may come to them! Teams are encouraged to strategize and make plans, fortify their defenses, and make the rescue. 

"Our current teams are the following! Representing His Honor, my father, Zeus: Finn, Isis, and Zero! Representing Her Honor, my mother, Hera: Enos, Shin, Evelyn, and Guen! Against them, representing Her Honor, Athena: Rayles, Syren, Hurien! Representing His Honor, Apollo: Gavin, Robin, Pell, Rham! Both sides have selected four candidates to rescue yet another volunteer from their teams! In the interest of fair sport, we will not yet disclose who is participating yet!

"Finally! We will be judging not just success, but also on the grounds of sportsmanlike conduct, on a safe escort, on how timely the rescue was, and teamwork! We will be beginning in three short minutes! Folks, hang onto your seats!" 

The group was shortly approached by the Karr-Groth adventurers, who took up seats in the row just in front of the others. "Sounds rather intense," Jill commented drily. "Enough rules to ensure a proper event, yet flexible enough to allow a decent semblance of strategy. Quite interesting..."

Theo leaned back to look at the others. "Have you come to a decision about who you each think would be best suited for each role?"

As Theo looked back, something shot down from above and hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The short figure dusted off their clothes, looking around in puzzlement for a second. "Oh... sorry about that."

After a second, the air cleared; it was just Gestalt, looking a little bewildered. "I missed a lot of that, uh, are we talking about who's playing hostage? Because we kind of... never really came to a conclusion about it." He continued to bounce absentmindedly from one foot to the other. "We were gonna try each other out for a while before deciding on roles. So, what does everyone think? Goeiz and Dispatch both primarily use their bodies for fighting, so they won't be handicapped as much if the opposition confiscates their weapons. For that matter, Jackie, did I see you make a spear out of lightning earlier? You could probably signal your location pretty easily with magic if you wanted, too. And then there's the matter of who goes after the hostage, and who stays behind..."

The swordsman glanced around at the other teams. Holding the line wasn't exactly his specialty.

Dispatch whistled at Jesse's entrance. It was a spectacle, that was for sure. "Somethin' tells me we should be putting you out front," he said. "Especially if you can just do that on command. Be a waste to keep you tied up with a move like that under your belt."

Thinking about it for a moment, he realized that the announcer had a very similar sort of aura to the other gods they'd met here at the Coliseum. He gestured toward the large man and continued, "Plus, if we're gonna need a key to rescue our hostage, they probably tested the lock with Bulky McMuscles over there, just to make sure someone like me couldn't just bust it open, so that's prob'ly off the table. Still, I'm thinkin' I'll play hostage, the two other swordsmen go out in the lead, and both get one support. Big Guy should stay in the back and keep the other hostage behind him so anyone looking to rescue has to go through him, and he can have the others as backup. In that case, all we need to do is figure out who's in whose group."

For a finisher, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the god floating above the labyrinth. "Course, if we see something on Lord Hermes' display before our fight, we could always change tactics, too."

Theo nodded as Brahaam stifled a chuckle at 'Bulky McMuscles'. "Vorpal will serve us well in that regard. I'd kept it sheathed during our fight, but it can cut through most substances like the air itself. It'll make fighting around corners much easier if someone can move around that with impunity. Any form of ranged support will do to assist me, so Jill, Jackie, Kain, or Goeiz would be fine. You, Dispatch, could perform well, too, but I think in close quarters you'd be best on the offensive. I've no objections to staying behind, but... correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to be five members total. Four unhindered folks and one hostage."

Jackie quirked an eyebrow. "Did they? I suppose we'll have to see here in a moment. I'm decent in a burst, and I've been greatly helped when environments enable me, but if it came to a prolonged battle, I think I'd hold us back on the defensive. On the offensive, I think I could blast them down, and my spear's got good range. If they had a crossbow or some such, I'd be done for, though. All in all I don't think I'm participating here, not unless I'm working with Kain as a battery. I've got an idea of how to use our gift, but it's not so revolutionary at the moment as to decide this battle."

Kain pondered for a moment. "Close or far, it matters a lot less to me. My fire can be offensive or defensive, and all I need is one of my focii on hand. I can carry all of them at all times, as well. I didn't show it off, but I'm capable of defending myself in a pinch with clubs and staves. I at least know how to read someone's movements, but I think being on the defensive would suit me best. Walls of fire are notoriously hard to traverse, let alone the other traps I could conjure."

"What you said was true, youngster, I do have the capacity to cast my spells with no voice to call them, nor gestures to form them." Goeiz voice was steady, as if he was thinking and re-thinking each word, considering it before and as it was spoken. "Yet, there's a strain to that, and the best of my repertoire is a bit much for closed spaces like this. I could manage, certainly, though I pray you'll consider me strongly should the next contest be an open arena, all the better if the skies are open above. For now, I'll volunteer as hostage, as you suggest, or act as a support."

Brahaam had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and instead spoke wisdom. "You all are humble beyond belief. It stymies the mind that, with no foreplanning, you all managed to dance around each others' toes in perfect sync the way you did. Kain and Goeiz are perfect defenders, as would Theo. I myself would relish a chance to be on the offensive. I've fought alongside Theo, my current style takes advantage of having someone with me to defend as I dance with them and allow them to wreak destruction. I am a living shield, and I will fight to let them walk forward. That's Theo's gameplan: walk forward. If he does that, we win, every time. Vorpal is the Sword of Promised Victory, so I am his Shield. Jackie, you sell yourself short, and I believe more of your talents are simply latent and in need of a proper workout. If you were to join, your tenacity is such that I believe you could hold out until any of us got back, even were you alone."

Jill smirked, and was silent a moment before speaking. "Frankly, I think we're assuming a lot based on balance. Brahaam raises a good point: what if the defender was alone? I have a myriad of traps and hazards to play around with, and a spear to keep others at bay, or corral them where I want them to go. How much more effective, then, would a rescue team of three be? Even better, Goeiz can use telepathy to keep us informed, why not keep him off hostage duty? Just a bit of a pragmatic solution, though personally I'd think myself the best defender, and Theo or Gestalt the best for offense, with Brahaam. That could then even leave a third person for a scout, or a second forward team."

Kain laughed. "That's so pragmatic, it's like needing a hammer and using an anvil! Disgusting. I love it."