Organization XIV - The Story So Far

Dispatch released the woman, taking a few steps back. "Ha! Lady, the only dance I know is combat! But, I'm always happy to have another sparring partner." Now if only I could hang onto the ones I already had...

Once more he scanned the stands, but saw nothing. Still, there was one figure, whose face was hidden by its cloak, that he couldn't help but think was watching him. Was that the direction the voice had come from during the match? He'd gotten so turned around since then, he had no idea. The cloaked figure's energy felt strange to him, but he couldn't place it. Really, he wasn't even sure why he tried; he hadn't been able to sense ki when he'd been separated from his team, so it wasn't like he had a frame of reference.

With a quick shake of his head, he turned his focus back to the arena - and while he was still exuberant, his enthusiasm was markedly less pronounced.

Gestalt immediately stood up, hairs standing on end. "So we did it? I've been anxious ever since I learned we couldn't watch the matches." He put his magical studies aside for now; he wanted to learn more, and fast, but he had been waiting to hear about this for a while now.



"...The fire mage." Alle mumbled, then spoke up more clearly.  "He did something to make me go berserk, and not only that, he somehow blew past us in an instant. If he used a pacifying spell of some description on Arthur, I expect will go away with strong enough stimulus, either physical or sentimental. That's what shook me awake when I lost my senses."

She put an arm around Kailee's shoulder, gripping it firmly. "It'll be alright. We'll be sure to pay them back in full when we face each other next."

Kain strode in, confident and perhaps a little cock-sure, his flames having fully died down now. "Thanks to the efforts of Jackie, Dispatch, Jill, and Theo, we managed to not only win... we are the first and only team to have won without losing our hostage." He bowed his head in false humility, lifting up a hand to his side, continuing, "Thanks to Jackie's quick thinking, of course." 

Jackie simply strode past him, still a little overwhelmed and currently not wanting to accept the full brunt of everyone's gazes and the embarrassment of being talked so highly of right this second. "Come now, save it for after we get our scores. At the very least, I learned no plan truly survives contact with the enemy, for whatever it's worth."

The parties strode outside, making their way to the central area in the Coliseum proper, where the other teams before them had stood and been judged. The Aphrodite team was huddling together as they approached, crooning and nursing wounds as they walked, consoling the others. A person shouted from the crowd and Hero raised his voice, assuring the other person. Meanwhile, Thraugg and the monk from team Dionysus strode forward, supporting Arthur. His immense size seemed deflated, and he was dragged, nearly comatose, to the gathering spot. 

No sooner than they arrived than did two figures apparate from thin air in front of them. Thraugg flinched slightly, but the monk made no moves. At the same time, from off to the side, the armored announced strode forward to the center of the four teams, beaming at the Hermes-Hephaestus teams in particular. Jackie would swore he winked as he passed by, but she was frankly too curious about the two new figures. Hades was holding a pinched hand to Arthur's temple, as a woman held a fire in her hands. To her, it looked like a tiny nest of twigs and smelled, even from this distance, of burning incense. The woman was dressed in a long, flowing white dress, somehow both ornate in detail yet plain in it's design. Somewhere between a priestess and a bride, matron and housewife. 

Hades began to pull, and a vine of black, dripping ichor slid from Arthur's temple, his eyes rolling back into his head. With a yank, the rest of the vine slid out and snapped, and Hades wrapped it around his hand, before the ichor-whip began to slowly dissolve. The woman thrust her hands forward, burying the nest into Arthur's chest, and retrieved her hands, bloodless. Arthur started, then seized, before suddenly standing upright, and looking around. His smouldering gaze fell upon Kain, and his brow arched and furrowed, but he stayed put. The two gods vanished, and armored man began to speak to the crowd.

"My good people, we have reached a consensus and have judged these final teams for the last match of the first round! First up, we have the Aphrodite-Dionysus teams. For Hostage Rescue, we can only offer three points. While their efforts were admirable in the face of overwhelming opponents, they ultimately were close, but not successful. For sportsmanlike conduct, we offer the minimum of a single point! While most of the team worked together and stayed steadfast in the face of adversity, one member of Team Dionysus struck at his own hostage, wounding her! We do not permit such conduct at these games, and the player is officially given their one and only warning! For time of rescue, we instead will judge them on how long they prevented victory! For the seven minutes it took, we will confer upon them an equal number of points! And for teamwork, we judged them worthy of seven points. Their tactics were sound, and their strategies effective, nullifying threats and working towards their goal in a very efficient manner! In total, they have earned 16 points. We encourage them to work hard in the coming rounds to make up for lost ground!"

Jackie smirked a little, feeling good that her pain meant something in the long run. 

The announcer continued. "For the Hephaestus-Hermes team! For Hostage Rescue, we will confer the full ten points! We would like to congratulate their efforts on being the first and only team this round to make it back with their hostage without the one they guarded being taken! In addition, we award their time of completion at ten points as well, being the fastest time thus far! For their teamwork, we award them seven points, for they made good strides, good calls, and good efforts, but were waylaid quickly by their opponents and their strategy seemed to fall apart! For sportsmanlike conduct, we offer six points, for they were sporting but did not rise above and beyond what other teams have shown here today. In total, they have been awarded thirty-three points! 

"Which leaves us with the current standings! In sixth, we have the Dionysus-Aphrodite team, with 17 points! In fifth, we have Hades-Poseidon, with 20 points! In fourth, we have Athena-Apollo, totaling 26 points! Third place, we have the Ares-Artemis teams coming in at 29 points!"

Kain's eyes quirked up as he shot a glance up into the stands towards a trio of hooded figures, and winked. He elected to ignore the bird flipped at him. Meanwhile, Jackie's eyes widened as she realized what was coming.

"In runner-up second place, at a grand total of 31 points, we have the Zeus-Hera team from the first round!"

"No way," Jackie muttered. "No way."

"And thus our current first place standings... we have Hermes-Hephaestus at 33 points! Congratulations to all contestants so far, and we wish you a well-deserved rest for tomorrow's festivities! For now, would the fourth, fifth, and sixth place teams gather around for a moment? I have been instructed to impart some information to you all."

Turning to Jackie's team, the MC strode forward quickly as the other teams made their way forward. "Hey, I just wanted to say excellent job out there, really. I've been a competitor myself for a long while and it's amazing to see work like yours out there. Great job, really. Oh, I'm Herc, by the way, nice to meet all of you. I'll come visit you all later, but I'm busy for now. Excuse me!" he finished, darting back over to the bottom 3 teams.

"Well this is a hell of a target on our backs," Theo blurted out.

"Ohhh, hell yes!" said Dispatch as quietly as he could - which, given his blood was pumping like it hadn't in a very long time, wasn't very - as he slammed a fist into an open palm. Were they seriously done for the day? Did they have to take a break? Maybe everyone else was burnt out, and sure they could rest if they wanted to, but what about the ones who wanted more? There had to be someone around who'd be willing to spar. There had to be, even if it was just to scout him out.

As Dispatch scanned the arena for his potential next opponent, the crowd began to disperse, there no longer being an event to witness. Up in the stands, the cloaked man remained in his seat. There was still that nagging feeling in his mind, telling him that he should avoid contact with the Hermes team, but he ignored it. For the first round, they'd put on quite a show, and now he could hardly help himself.
 
Once the spectators had all but vanished, he stood, and strode down the stone steps, toward the arena. He cast one arm to the side, throwing his cloak off that shoulder, revealing a bronze-tanned arm that wouldn't have at all looked out of place beside the red-haired announcer. Black fabric stretched tight across his legs, displaying their equal tone, though not their color. Charcoal-black armor covered his torso, with gray-blue shoulder-guards protruding well outwards, giving him some modicum of protection while maintaining surprising freedom of movement.
 
Dispatch knew the armor style. He'd have known it if he saw it a mile away. The hood of the cloak still obscured the man's face, but the armor, that was a distinctive giveaway. A wild grin took over Dispatch's expression, his eyes dilating. He no longer saw anything but the man in the cloak.
 
"Found you!" he shouted. Without any further warning, two small craters appeared in the ground where his feet had been moments before; the man himself had, for just a fraction of a second, vanished.
 
When he reappeared, it was with his wrist in the grip of the cloaked man. A gust of wind threw the cloak off his other arm, and pushed the hood back. The man had hair that only just graced his shoulders, with a similarly untamed appearance to Dispatch's own, though the color was pitch-black. His jaw was strong, framed by his bangs, along with a hard stare and an approving smile that all the same begged for a challenge.
 
The larger man took a step back, flinging Dispatch into a tumble across the sand, keeping that same provoking smile even as he looked sidelong at his charge. The man allowed a moment of silence for the dust to clear. Dispatch was on one knee, somehow dirtier than he'd gotten throughout the entire match – though that didn't say very much – with his usual determined smirk still firmly fixed to his face. The larger man spoke, with a voice that was deep, though perhaps not so much as one would expect from one of his size. The same voice, of course, that had yelled at Dispatch to "get a grip" when he'd been raging at the inside of the unbreakable sphere. "Hate to break it to ya, kid, but I've been watchin' all day. I'm the one who's found you."

His heart beginning to pound within his chest, Gestalt felt his throat tighten. "...They'll be gunning for us now, huh? W... well..." He forced the words out, barely able to articulate himself. "...All the better, then! I'd... hate it for them to just ignore us anyway."

In all honesty, he knew he should've been more worried about this. He had very little in the way of stopping power, and magic was proving tricky to grasp, so speed and wits were all he could rely on. And it was easier to outwit an opponent who didn't focus their whole attention on him. But somehow, the thought of his opponents doing any less than their best made his skin crawl, whether the result was a win or loss. We can do this. Some of the people here are incredibly strong, but I know we can win this!


Thinking back to how they'd chosen who would compete, however, created a deep pit in his stomach. He might not even get the chance to take part, if things continued this way. Admittedly, the confined spaces they were fighting in were a major reason for why he'd been left out on this round, but something about being surrounded by tough allies and enemies alike made him want to try his hardest. And Jackie's demonstration of progress had been downright inspiring, one of the main reasons they'd rocketed to the top. If she could grow so fast, so could he! ...At least, he hoped. And that meant he'd have to get started immediately. Quietly studying magic and failing at it wasn't going to cut it.

Once the proceedings were over, he looked around for a poofy head of blonde hair - what was that competitor's name again? Orlandeau Blue? - Spotting the golden 'fro-sporting weapon-master, he dashed over - at perfectly normal, mortal speed - waving to get his attention. "Hey! I saw your team's match; that was crazy, how you were swinging all that stuff around while dodging those weird angel-grabs and the big guy's hits. Wanna grab lunch together?"

[I'll make sure to list the contestants in the Discord. If not, poke me about it.]

Kain waved towards Jackie, walking backwards while still facing his current party. "I'm going to go catch up with my friends, but I'll come back soon. I'll let you know how it goes, and anything I can find out. Finn's more likely to help us and feed us a little bit of information than most here, so rest assured I'm still helping you all. I just... it's been a minute. I'm sure you understand, Jackie." And without waiting for her response, he turned and started walking towards Finn, Isis, and Zero.

Jackie gave a wry smile, before calling out, hand to her mouth, "I know, Kain. Have fun!" Kain merely responded with a quick nod before flying off in the direction he'd been walking. Jackie turned towards the Karr-Groth folks and sheathed her spear before speaking. "Well, a target on our backs is something we can plan around to an extent, isn't it?"

Goeiz shook his head slightly. "No, not likely. They've seen a lot of what we can do, and while Jill and I have plenty of spells in our repertoire to showcase, they know the type of role we each play, especially thanks to procrastinating on that practice match earlier. I do not regret it, as it was informative for us and for you, but all the same it seems like we should do a bit of information gathering ourselves before tomorrow."

"Ah, one of the... well, from the sounds of it, two of the folks from Team Zeus aren't just friends with Kain, but they're oracles as well. Future-seers," Jackie offered. "He said he'd do his best to get us a little bit of information if he could."

"We've an oracle in our world as well, who stayed behind during our trip to this plane to make sure things stayed manageable," Goeiz commented. "A holy warrior and a gifted Seer. It's her that we rely on for many things, and knowledge is a great one to have." Goeiz's words took on a warmer quality with that last bit, as if trying to impart subtle advice. "That being said, I don't feel comfortable practicing my spells for tomorrow out in the open. I'll likely retire for the day and prepare what I must. Show up early in the morning, I'd like to cast a spell on us that should prove useful for the day's activities, regardless of participation this time." And with that, Goeiz saunters off, heading towards the exit.

Theo paused for a minute, before turning to Jill. "What do you make of this, Jill? We're in first place, due in no small part to Kain and Jackie in this regard."

Jill looked long and hard at Jackie, gazing directly into her eyes, before Jackie eventually turned away and began studying the design of the clothes and armaments that Brahaam bore. Jill finally spoke, "It feels like information is truly the thing that we need at this moment, and I would hope that our partners intend to maintain an air of honesty with their own compatriots." 

"What do you mean by that?" Jackie replied, turning back to face Jill,, whose expression and gaze had not yet changed. "I'm a little lost on the meaning."

"I mean it's very interesting that both you and Kain seemed to have everything up your sleeves so readily in response to what was happening. I was watching the thoughts of each of you for the better part of that match, and some of the things going on through your mind, through Dispatch's, through Kain's was quite revealing, it feels like. Dispatch lost sight of any pretense of teamwork nearly immediately, let alone you and Kain."

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I'll be frank: I had little going on upstairs once Kain apparated in front of me, and truth be told, I was struck by inspiration before the match. Our blessing from Hermes was what enabled that, and I'm a scientist: new stimuli, new factors and controls and constants to play with are my specialty. What happens when several of the known laws of locomotion and friction and energy and movement all become null in void, laws I and every other being and facet of the universe have to abide by? What do I get to do with that?"

"So your gift from Hermes is freedom of movement, eh?" Jill crossed her arms.

Theo put a hand up to Jill's shoulder. "Jill, this is really uncalled for. She's our teammate, and to wit, saved us. Saved me. Kain too, for what it's worth. Don't antagonize a comrade."

"Antagonizing is one thing. Holding others accountable for lies by omission is another," Jill replied coldly as she shrugged off Theo's hand. "And if I'm going to be putting myself on the line like I did, same as the two of you, I expect as much. Simple as that." Jill walked off.

Theo reached for her, but thought better of it. Giving a small, polite cough, Theo spoke up again. "Understand that Jill is not sociable in the best of circumstances. She's one more at home in the woods than in a city, and is just as introverted even within our own group. I apologize on her behalf."

Jackie sighed, and was about to speak up, but a notion struck her. It was a little silly, but Theo's overly polite, awkward mannerisms reminded her of her father, from the way that he always tried to cover for his ruder co-workers, to trying to keep things level and calm, no matter what the situation was. Jackie laughed softly. "It's fine, Theo. What are your plans? I'd like to go talk and ask around, maybe make a friend for after the tournament. Maybe I can keep in contact once my own business in other worlds is done."

Theo thought for a minute. "Brahaam and I were wanting to talk with an old friend of ours, but we might do the same. I'll come talk with you and the others later, for certain. Perhaps a spar as well? I didn't get an honest fight during the match, and I'd like to pick up where we left off with our own match."

"It's a plan, then!" Jackie nodded with a wide grin.

The short stocky man, Gestalt might notice as he approached, seemed to have similar features in a broad sense to Goeiz; to wit, one might suspect that they were the same folk or race, perhaps even blood relations in a broad sense. Orlando was huddled up with his two team-mates: Shane Delbon, a golden-armored vampire with short, well-kempt red hair and sunken green eyes with pale skin, wielding an immense mace on his back that had not seen use in the prior fight, as well as Jasper Silverdown, a lithe man dressed in studded leather armors and wielding twin rapiers, one on each hip, his head adorned in a centurion's helmet, hazel eyes poking out from underneath. 

Orlando himself looked up from a talk with his companions, offering a small spread of fingers and a flick of the wrist as a wave. "Hoy, young man. Quite a few questions you've got for me. Here's one of mine: what's your name? One more, for good measure first: what team are you on? Didn't see you in the matches."

"Ah- well, I was gonna save the other questions for later. Suppose my first one can wait, actually; you seem busy." Gestalt said, a little defeated. He'd just bounded up to them, clearly having a team discussion, and interrupted the hell out of it. And he was just now realizing he'd done this without saying a word to his allies. Maybe there was a reason he didn't have a lot of friends...

"I'm called Gestalt; with Team Hermes. Got benched for this round, so I'd be shocked if you knew me."

"So, kid, what the hell was that?" the larger man asked, crossing his arms and turning to face his old friend.

"What, the match?" asked Dispatch in reply as he stood up and brushed the dust off his arms. "Hey, we won, didn't we?"

"And a hell of a victory it was!" The words sounded nearly like laughter, with a swell of pride rising in the cloaked man's voice. "But that's not what I'm talking about. I mean when you lost your damn marbles in that...eh, giant marble."

"Yeah? You try having that much energy stuffed into you all at once."

"Ah, power-mad, huh? Pretty sure I taught you better than that. And while we're on the subject, what happened to you? Last time I saw you, you were only about half as tall and it sure as hell ain't been all that long."

"That's, ah, kind of a long story," Dispatch said, rubbing the back of his head. "Not that I don't wanna tell it, but see, thing is, the people I'm traveling with kinda don't know and honestly I'm not really sure I'm supposed to tell you but that part doesn't really bother me so much--"

"Alright, kid, alright! Geez, quit runnin' your mouth! I see that much hasn't changed, at least." The man's head turned and cocked, combining with his unfading grin to create an elder brotherly sort of expression.

"Ah, shut up, plenty's changed! Ah, unfortunately. But hey!" Dispatch hammered his fist into his palm like a gavel. "First round's over now, and it looks like everyone's done for the day, so, how 'bout a match? Only way a Saiyan can really show what he's talkin' about, right?"

"Heh. You've never beaten me before, why would that change now?"

"Because I was fourteen and like you said, half your height," said Dispatch instantly.

"...Touché. But much as I'd love to, I wanna see what you've got for myself. You're still carryin' a sword around and I didn't see you use it once in that last fight."

"And that means you...don't want to fight now?"

"You'd give it more just tryin' to get to a fight with me than you would during the real thing. So, here's the deal. You take this whole thing home, then you get your fight with me. How's that sound?"

"...Heh. Dunno if you noticed, but I'm the only one here who's not totally cooked. It sounds all too easy, Chief. Besides...you know you waaaaant tooooo..."

The larger man's grin all too quickly fell into a scowl. Dammit. The kid was right, he did want to. He'd been fighting the urge since the exhibition match. Was it really that transparent? But no, now wasn't the time to play that card, especially as he'd been told specifically not to go showing it off. Although...maybe, given the state of the first round, there was another way this could work out.

"Y'know what, kid? I got another idea. How would you feel about introducing me to your new squad?"

Orlando himself chuckled once before gesturing to his two compatriots. Pointing first to the man in leather armor and the two rapiers, then to the man with long red hair and sunken green eyes, he said, "These are my own teammates, Jasper, and Shane. We hail from the Wild Wastes, and thought to seek better fortune for our own planet or perhaps better conditions elsewhere. What about you? What's your stake in this, youngster?" While his words themselves were kind, his voice dripped plainly with sarcasm and condescension. 

"Orlando." The comment came sharply from Jasper, sharp and immediate. "Your words are fair, but your tone isn't. Lighten yourself." Jasper took a step forward, putting a hand over his chest and bowing slightly. "My apologies, on his behalf."

"Don't put words in my mouth."

"We do indeed hail from a place known as the Wild Wastes, where survival is a skill one learns at an age quite young lest they not live to be anything passing as old. We've few elders and thus few opportunities for some of us to practice our manners."

Orlando began making mild gargling and gagging sounds, as if he were choking. "Words... can't... fit them... in...!"

Japser sighed. "Orlando is what's known as a spellsword in our world and--"

"Oi! At least let me explain my own profession myself! I'm not a child, you prat's heir!" Orlando stood up from where he was seated, and thrust a hand forward. From seemingly nowhere, centered above his palm, tiny versions of his weapons began to appear before him, growing quickly to their full size before orbiting his frame. "I am, as he said, a spellsword. We are specialized folk whose claim to fame and fortune lies in our talent to manage multiple things at once, and our equal proficiency with, of course, weapons and spells. I keep these around me and attempt to beguile my foes... but the folks I fought both overpowered me in one case, and the other seemed used to unusual fighting patterns. Infuriating, as I... well you saw what happened to me."

"Your grasping towards self-preservation was never unwarranted, Orlando. Cherish the breaths you are still able to partake, and drink gladly the air." The man with red hair, Shane Delbon, had been eerily silent until this very moment.

"Yeah, I know, Shane, I get it."

"You might fit more words in if you took your foot out." Gestalt said without missing a beat, completely matter-of-fact in his tone. "I'm here because we need a map. If we don't get it, the stars are gonna keep vanishing. But we'll put a stop to it, if we can."

So, they come from a world where death is always breathing down their necks... and they come here and ally themselves with the God of the Dead? I dunno what to even call that kind of move. Ironic? Appropriate? ...Then again, if Hades will extend his boon beyond the matches, then that's... really sensible. It'd be insane not to go with that tantalizing of an offer, if you're likely to die young. But Hermes only seemed willing to let us keep these powers if we won. So, if we end up defeating these guys, are we robbing them of the chance to escape death and make a better life?

"Then your real strength is basically multi-tasking on the battlefield? I can get that. People only have so many limbs and eyes to work with, it's not too hard to slip a dagger into someone's back if they're busy with six other things. I bet you're pretty good at chess, huh?"

A little stunned at the taciturn fellow having spoken, he turned and looked at the probably-a-vampire Shane. Taking him at his word, he took a second to breathe in the clean air of Olympus. There was something about the atmosphere, now that he thought about it. But, well, ruminating on that instead of talking to the people he came here to talk with would be beyond rude, so he decided to think more on that another time.

A hundred thoughts raced through Dispatch's mind at once; he wasn't sure he processed even half of them, since one stuck out so much more than the rest.

"My wha, new squ, th--n-no!" he stuttered, flushing a deep red. His sword suddenly seemed much heavier than it had just a moment before. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. "Chief, c'mon, why would, I mean that's, I, you know you guys are the only squad I'd ever need!"

The chief, in return, cocked his head, his brow furrowing slightly. Slowly, his arms crossed in front of him, and when he spoke, his tone was measured. "Kid, I don't know what kinds of thoughts are flying through that head of yours, but if you're traveling with them, and especially in a group that small, then you need to have each other's backs."

"Chief, I've been looking for you this whole time! And, and the others, too! Have you seen them anywhere?"

"...No. I was out cold when the planet fell apart." The former leader's voice turned hard and bitter, and he glared at the ground. "I don't know what happened to Celry or Nispar. I was hoping you'd seen 'em."

"Dammit," Dispatch spat somewhere off to the side of the conversation, but his cheer returned quickly. "Well then, maybe you could, y'know, come with us, help us look for 'em!"

A somber shake of the head was the reply. "No, if we're going to keep looking - and we are - then it's better to split up and cover more ground. You and I both know who we're looking for, and we can both handle ourselves. But...we're both here now, so there's no harm in enjoying that while we've got the chance."

Dispatch nodded, his smile returning. "Got that right. And I would like to fight with you again, for the record. I dunno how long it's been for you, but for me it's been way too long. So! Lemme introduce you to the others!"

A quick survey of the area soon revealed that the others had, to his surprise, dispersed. Well, that was nothing he couldn't handle just by raising his voice.

"HEY GUYS! GOT A SECOND?!"

Hearing his comrade's shout, Gestalt's shoulders immediately drooped, a grimace drawn across his face. Is this just what I get for not saying anything first? Looking in the direction of the voice, he spotted Dispatch with a strange figure. They seemed pretty chummy, which wasn't entirely unusual considering how much the guy seemed to enjoy sport. It wouldn't be surprising if he'd made a new friend in the last 30 seconds.

Turning back to Team Hades, he took a deep breath before giving his best apology. "I'm sorry, that sounds important. If I'm not back in a few minutes, could we pick up where we left off sometime soon? Maybe share a meal?"

"It seems our fellow competitors are headed to do much the same, given that most of us are spent from the day's excursions. We would welcome you to break bread with us, if you and your compatriots have the time. For now, we are off to heal our wounds," Jasper said with a smirk, "and this one here is off to heal his ego."

"Oi--!"

Jasper merely put a hand on Orlando's shoulder before wheeling him back towards the exit vestibule. Shane, however, stayed put and merely stared into Gestalt's eyes, unmoving, unblinking. His deep-set emerald green eyes seem to pierce through some part of Gestalt, as though Shane himself was a hungry predator, searching for food in some nook. After a long time, he merely smiled, and turned. "You're a little like me, aren't you?" he murmured softly, striding quickly towards the exit.

Jackie herself had been curiously looking over towards Hercules and the other teams that he seemed to be finishing up talking to, when Dispatch yelled from across the way. She, and the others, all turned to look, and Jackie couldn't help but smile at the boundless energy he had. 

Her smile faltered, for a moment, as a thought struck her. Kain and Dispatch both had found someone here, at this tournament. Somewhere out there, there was the possibility, however slim, of meeting her father. But, if her companions had already found who they were looking for... would she be alone again? Would she have to make that trek for her father, and the Keyblade, alone? What of Gestalt? Would he rather travel with someone else? 

"Wild Child, did you go and try to recruit somebody for us? I hope you didn't forget the paperwork this time! Introduce us!"

Force it down. She could deal with it later, all of it. Now wasn't the time.

---


Kain was fuming. He'd asked Finn a question while Isis and Zero were off exploring parts of the city, and he'd gotten no response the last three times he'd asked it. Finn's traditionally stoic expression had telltale cracks he'd grown used to spotting when Finn was either distressed or didn't want to share something. One of his dimples would show through, his forehead would wrinkle slightly, his speech was more halting than normal. "Answer me, O'Leary. I'm not going to ask again. Four ravens call, who responds?"

"...Kain, I Don't Think Knowing Is Going To Help At This Rate."

"Answer me! In extinction events like the one we had, you promised me you would tell me what our outcome would be. I deserve to know! We're the leader and lieutenant, and you've never gone back on your word. So who answers, Finn?!"

"..." Finn sighed, pausing for a while. His gaze fell to the floor and off to the side. He couldn't bear to look Kain in the eyes, to confirm what the other man suspected. "Four Crows Reply In Earnest Delight."

Kain took a step back, as though the words had physically hit him. Even though he was bracing for it, he had figured that this was the case. All they could do was make the best of the situation they had for right now, then. But it didn't stop him from feeling the heat, the anger, boil over him. Even as he stood there, the heat crashing over his own body caused him to sweat, and within moments his clothes would have been drenched, if the heat didn't dry it soon after. "Dammit. Dammit god DAMMIT--!"

As the younger boy and the spear-wielder approached, Dispatch noted that not everyone was around. "Magic Man not comin'?" he wondered out loud, but shrugged. "Anyway, I didn't exactly go recruiting anyone, but when the toughest guy you know shows up out of thin air and says he wants to join, you damn well don't refuse! Guys, this is my squad captain, Tabago!"

The larger man raised two fingers in greeting. "Nice to meet you. Officially, anyway. I'll admit, I've been keeping an eye on you all since your exhibition at the gates. Thought I spotted a familiar face, but I wasn't expecting to find this kid here."

"Hey, yeah, speaking of, what are you doing here? We just kinda met a guy who was looking for a lift to a tournament, what about you?"

"I, uh..." Tabago looked off in the direction of the stands, and mumbled something even Dispatch couldn't hear.

"Whassat?"

"I heard about the tournament where I landed, but I missed registration while I was training."

Dispatch snickered. He'd never actually seen his leader embarrassed before. Or late, either, for that matter. And after so long without having seen him, such a break from character made it hard to contain his laughter.

"Ugh," scoffed Tabago, turning his attention back to Dispatch's companions. "So, what about you two? Hope the kid's not being too much of a pain."

'You're a little like me'? What could he have possibly meant by that? Shane's words bounced around in Gestalt's head as he crossed the open area to reach the group.


When he got there, he sized up the cloaked man. While Dispatch was definitely muscular, this man had him visibly outclassed, and he had a more weathered appearance to him, too. He suppressed a slight shudder at the idea of someone even stronger than their companion; that was a level of power he wasn't ready to think about yet.

So this is one of Dispatch's teammates he was looking for. Honestly, finding one after checking just three worlds is pretty good progress, all things considered. But it sounds like it was HIM who did the finding... While it was a little subdued, he couldn't help but smile, either. "Well, if we hadn't been told about it ahead of time, we might've found this place long after the event ended. Suppose it was just luck. Though, I'm curious, what kind of training were you doing? Must've been pretty intense if it kept you busy for so long."

Jackie had to stifle a small laugh. Being so into your own hobby that you forget the entire reason you wanted to show up? These people were a race of knuckleheads and battle-maniacs, alright. Again, Jackie couldn't help but make the comparison to her and her father, and supposed she'd cut the two some slack. "Dispatch? Oh, he's been a pain in our sides, we can barely feed him enough, he snores, it's just so much! We keep around 'cause he's fun though, right, Wild Child?" Jackie threw a wink at Dispatch, hoping he'd play along, or at least, that Tabago would take the ribbing in good nature. "And no, Kain said he was off to go talk to his own group for a bit. He's definitely going to be back for dinner though, he eats just as much and just as ravenously as you do."

"I do not snore!" Dispatch protested.

"So nothing's changed, in other words," said Tabago with a smirk, nudging the younger Saiyan in the side.

"...That hurts, Chief."

"The elbow?"

"I...what the hell do you take me for?!" Dispatch crossed his arms in an exaggerated huff, but allowed himself to chuckle.

"Heh. You might look different, but you haven't changed much at all, kid," Tabago said, ruffling Dispatch's hair. The swordsman yelped and flailed his arms for a moment before extricating himself from the chief's grip, and Tabago turned back to the others, apparently satisfied for the moment. "In any case, I spotted the kid during your little exhibition out front and after seeing you in real action just now, I was hoping you'd let me in on your little group. So long as your patron and all of you allow it, of course."

...We can trust this guy. He seems friendly, and if he's really Dispatch's old squad leader, then they must have a lot of history together. And it stands to reason that he'd be in the same league, so we could really use his strength. However...

"As much as I want you on our team... it'd kinda be cheating." Gestalt shook his head. "There's no point in winning this competition if it's not fair and square, and adding a new member in the middle of everything would definitely be against the rules. Hell, even if it's not in the rules, it's still not fair."

He knew it was crucial that they gain Hermes' blessing to travel the stars efficiently, and someone like Tabago would almost ensure their victory, but his priorities had shifted. The young swordsman was going to see that they won, without compromising on anything.

"...Well, then again, I wasn't the one who clutched that round." He turned to Jackie. "What do you think?"

"My immediate reaction was also going to be deference to Lord Hermes myself, yeah," Jackie replied with a smirk. "And while I'd love to see what a second Dispatch could do, I dunno that Tabago could get in, in the first place. I suppose the pessimism in me is showing, and I hope you'll forgive me for that, Captain Tabago, but I think for as much as an asset you'd bring, we all missed the window on that one. And if we could, everyone else could. We already saw what people could do, like Siren and Ghostette and especially Kain's folks. It'd be an interesting way to upset the balance and create a spectacle, but I think they have other ideas for that."

As she finished speaking, Hercules himself strode up to the party, waited patiently for the others to finish speaking, before clearing his throat. "Apologies, I hope I'm not interrupting you fine folk?" The other teams he was speaking to were dispersing, either loitering around talking amongst themselves or filing out towards the vestibule.

"Aww, wh--" Dispatch began, but Tabago held up a hand, stopping him.

"Yeah, that's about what I'd expected. Although not quite what I'd hoped for. I guess I'll just have to find another time to show off." He turned and threw a casual wave over his shoulder. "For now, it seems the MC has something for contestants' ears only. Best of luck, all of you. I'll be pulling for you from the stands."

Dispatch sighed, not really focused on the conversation. Okay, yeah, the others hand a point, sure, but damn it all, it had been years since he'd gotten to fight alongside the chief! Sure, it might be bending the rules a little, and yeah he wanted to win on their terms, but...but...! Bah. The argument that they needed to win to get Lord Hermes' blessing felt too hollow to even speak, especially with how confident he'd been - how confident he still was - that he could carry the team on his back if he had to. No, the real reason he was choking on his words right now was just because he wanted to fight with Tabago again. But...what was wrong with that, really?

Feeling a faint pang in his chest as he beheld Dispatch's crestfallen face, the diminutive fighter motioned apologetically to Hercules before turning back to the Saiyans.

"Hey, let's meet up again in a little while!" Gestalt interjected, taking a few steps closer to Tabago. "You two have a lot more catching up to do, I'm sure, and I kinda asked some of the other fighters out to dinner. We can all get together for it! See you there?"

Tabago paused, already squatting down to jump away, and turned around again. The speaker was clearly the youngest one present - probably around the same age Dispatch had been when Tabago last saw him. He wasn't as scruffy (not that Saiyans could help that), and had a sword belted to his hip. But as he spoke, the boy's expression didn't change, and his intonation seemed somehow hollow. It seemed, to the chief, almost like the kid was reading off a script.

Still, Tabago nodded, pulling a smile onto his face. Something about this kid seemed worth looking into, and Dispatch would probably have a fit if he said no, anyway. "Well, if you're sure you can feed two Saiyans, I'd be happy to join you. I'll see you there!"

With that, he crouch once more and leapt away, clean up onto the roof of the vestibule, and out of sight.

...I'm gonna regret this if I don't convince someone else to pick up the check. I did not account for just how many people are gonna be eating. M-maybe I can ask everyone to cover their own bill...? I could offer to handle the tip, but even that's gonna be hard on my wallet... Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much of my money on offerings to Hermes.


Turning back to Hercules, Gestalt gave a curt bow. "Sorry to keep you waiting; you were the announcer for the event, right? What did you want to speak with us about?"

Hercules smiled and nodded. "It's a busy day, I understand, so no worries! Thanks for giving me a bit of your time, but I actually am here on... well, you could think of it as a hero's internship! On behalf of Lord Hermes, I have the following message: 

"'Each of you has done splendidly, and elevating my name as the first place conjoined team has brought a lot of joy to my heart. Your actions back your words, so while it may be presumptuous, I'll simply let you in on the fact that I am not only considering the information you requested, but will allow each of you to keep the gift after the Games. A good showing in the second round will secure you the information, the third round your gift. I will speak with you again before tomorrow's match.'" Hercules paused, before clearing his throat and looking to the side for a moment. "Lord Hermes does have the gift of gab, but it sounds like you really made an impression! I do have some questions of my own, though if you'd be willing?"

Jackie's eyes started to light up at the message they'd received. Assuming the MC hadn't come to haze the first place team or throw them off their rhythm, her team had done well enough that their patron would let them walk away with what they needed even if they didn't win. That was... certainly unexpected, but given the nature of their win, she could see that it would elevate their patron themself even more. A good eye for talent meant a more discerning, higher elevated being. Or so she figured, anyway. As for questions, "I'd love to hear whatever you have to ask for us. Shoot!"

"Well, first, could I learn a little about each of you? We don't often get off-worlders so this is kind of a new chance for me to get to meet potential new heroes or junior heroes in training! I suppose... ah, here's something a bit more specific: what has your journey been like, and how do you expect it to go from here on out, even after the Games?"

He grinned a little at the notion that Hermes was so happy with their work. Well, not like he could blame the god; everyone had done phenomenally well.

"Our journey...?" Gestalt repeated, a little dazed. "...I guess I just don't know what to expect. The world's... the worlds are a vast place. So far, all I've encountered are dangerous situations and overwhelming enemies I couldn't have survived facing alone. Even if I become more powerful than I am now, I could never make this journey on my own. But... I think that, as long as the three of us stick together, we can handle it."

Slightly emboldened, he continued. "It's definitely going to be harder from here, but I think this tournament has been good for us. I've already learned so much from the other competitors, and if there's ever another of these, I'll do my best to try and get back here to compete. Yeah, things are definitely going to get tougher, probably more than I can even imagine right now. But somehow... I'm almost looking forward to it. Like I'm stepping onto a grander stage than I've ever been on before."