GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

A few days later

---

What did Viral have in mind when training troops had been discussed? Had he expected to go on missions with troops? Or did he envision more traditional training, something similar to a military's boot camp. Whatever possibilities he had entertained for himself the reality was far from his wildest imagination. Instead of being given full reign of the troops right away - which to be frank Aito hadn't anticipated - Korian had agreed to the proposal with a stern stipulation: a trial run. Viral would be given the way of a few new recruits and have to work with Leto while he trained them to ensure the Beastman's methods were allowable. It was an infuriating limitation but the only way the leader of the rebels would let his troops be seen to by Viral, a man he once deemed wholly unstable and a threat. The fact the man had allowed for any troops to be trained was progress, now it fell to Viral to show him his concerns were wholly unfounded. Not something which would be easy by any means - mostly thanks due to his "partner", Leto. Vegeta wasn't sure who might kill the man first, Viral or himself.

"Now my friends, you must be ready to dedicate both body and soul to our efforts! Ours is the path of righteousness, only true men may walk it!"

It must be a mental tic, to flex every time one uttered any words. Vegeta watched Leto take pose after pose as he delivered what no doubt to him was a meaningful speech - to Vegeta it was mindless drivel. The troops however appeared enamored by the man's fervor and were perhaps, terrifyingly, imagining emulating such a figure. And he was going to have to train with them...

"When you are a member of our alliance you must always remember one thing. No matter where you came from, your past, your old alliances, you are here and now a proud member of our rebellion. We all fight as one and for one thing: a just and fair galaxy. Space pirates, the Saiyans, anything that threatens the peace. That said never think we ourselves are above the law! We are men of peace! We only fight to protect those who are being harmed, we do not enforce laws! Keep this in mind and fight for justice, my brothers, and you will do exceedingly well! Are there any questions?"

A young alien raised her hand tentatively and jumped slightly at Leto's boisterous acknowledgement. Looking between the other trainees she swallowed uncertainly before looking down and pulling at her antennae atop her head. "W-Well sir, it's just... So what are you exactly? The way you talk about it we sound a lot like the Galactic Police. Wouldn't that make us vigilantes? Isn't that wrong?"

"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken! We're more like allies to the Police - brothers in arms! We are a force for good born from necessity! We fight enemies that the Police themselves cannot, and we fight for those whose cries go ignored. Truly ours is a mighty call, one which only the manliest of soldiers can undertake. And that is why you fine young people are here today, to embark on a journey and become some of the galaxy's finest defenders!" In all of his grandiose speech there was one point that the recruits felt a need to address, a point which left the Yulian with an exasperated look on his chiseled features. "Of course I mean women as well, when I say men..." Leto trailed before shaking his head, "Never mind that! Who you are, where you're from, your gender or your race, none of that matters as much as your drive to do right by others! Prove you are virtuous and fight alongside us for a better galaxy for all!"

"I can't decide if this is rehearsed, just for show, or if the man's really this delusional," Vegeta muttered, sighing as he shook his head. Though a trainee he was lined up beside Viral for the moment, having no need of a pep-talk from the overzealous mountain of a man. That might be the philosophy of the rebellion but in practice they were anything but. Their own leader had tried numerous times to mete out his own justice, something they were supposedly never meant to do. One could chalk that up to his nature - a Saiyan was always a Saiyan regardless of allegiances - but Vegeta looked at it more for what it was: hypocrisy. "The man can't fly right? Perhaps we travel to a canyon somewhere and dump him there for the afternoon. Should give us a day to train in peace," Vegeta joked before smirking tightly as Leto continued on, "Or perhaps we can accidentally jettison him into space. I wonder if Yulians can breathe in a vacuum."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Huh... Anger and annoyance, Cecil really did experience a full range of genuine emotion. Why? For what possible reason would a Machina ever be fashioned to harbor emotions? He had a suspicion that gnawed at his gut like a rabid dire wolf. But suspicions were unfounded, he'd have to ask some questions and see what he could dig up on Cecil. Not wanting the Machina to notice anything amiss he put on a smile and made another playful jest as he loaded the next round, aiming just off center-mass and letting it fly. Ripples but no shatter, a sign the shield had actively deflected the projectile and held firm. The density of rock and forged metal was still quite far - closer than metal and wood to be sure, but hardly a good measure of the shield's ability. And this was nothing to say of its ability against magic, something which could only be tested by a Magi. Which with luck would come courtesy of his friend and not one of the Church's people.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. Just a playful jab, nothing more! All in good fun yes?" Very curious. But again like so many other things with Cecil neither here nor there. Now was time to test the shield, and to be more precise, to fire the metal munition. It was the heaviest round they had in the shop and probably the equivalent of the heaviest physical strike Cecil's shield would take. "Brace for this one, no guarantee the shield can take this hit. I'm firing to your right as well just so you're aware. Counting down from ten." Perhaps not the best choice of words to instill confidence but he was being honest. Honesty was the best policy right? As the count hit zero Norman let the weapon do its work, hurling the weighty object at Cecil's shield. In the blink of an eye it struck and sounded as though it slammed against a brick wall, a thunderous crack echoing through the shop and causing everyone present to cringe and cover their ears. When the sound had passed Norman looked up and laughed, a wide grin plastered on his face, his fists raised in celebration.

The shield had stopped the projectile! While he and the others had missed what had happened - too busy covering their ears - Cecil would doubtless have seen the shield shatter partially and fold in on itself only to replenish and repel the metal orb. Laying several feet away and partially flattened was the metal weight, Cecil's shield having repelled it with relative ease. "Astounding! It works, it completely works! The sound was a little unexpected but I'm sure we can work that out! Your shield just stopped the equivalent of a cannonball!" the engineer exclaimed excitedly before cupping his chin, "Well admittedly a low velocity cannonball, and a small one, but a cannonball nonetheless! If you channeled even more energy to the shield however I'm certain it would withstand any blast! We couldn't have hoped for a better result!" The rest of the workers chatted excitably among themselves while Norman approached Cecil, grinning broadly as he slapped the Machina on the back, shield down. "I think we can consider today a success! Now that we know the technology works its a simple matter of mastering it. Well done Cecil, very well done!"

----------

Lionel smiled at Adrianna as she chided him, though it was rather forced. Through clenched teeth and closed eyes, perhaps trying to hide his emotions, he uttered lowly, "I never said they don't matter. I'd never say someone's life doesn't matter. They're just useless to us. There's a stark difference between being useless and not mattering. I'll help anyone who's worth helping." And he'd kill anyone that was worth killing. A bit contradictory perhaps but he knew full well what it meant, for himself and for anyone he dealt with. Simply put he wasn't here to make friends or be nice - it wasn't generally in his nature to do so - he was here for his own reasons. He cooperated with Taliya and her people because he deemed it worthwhile, and he helped these people because he was asked. Their lives weren't meaningless, he'd defended them by risking his own, but as far as the people themselves went? He could care less. He didn't wish death upon them but he'd just as little desire to remain in their general proximity. Once they reached Mutebo he'd be just as fine if they never crossed paths again.

"And I suppose that's a fair point about Taliya, maybe I took some creative liberties with her words," the healer admitted with a laugh, "Nothing gets past you huh? You know people so well." Oh Saints be damned why was she trying to encourage these people? That woman was hopeless, she HAD been trained according to her story and she was still a dolt, trying any more was a waste of time and energy. Let her find her true calling, something that didn't involve potentially killing patients. He got it, Adrianna was trying to be supportive, but they didn't have time for niceties and for buttering people up. The world wasn't that sort of place anymore, certainly not if you were a Magi. You either made yourselves useful to the Church or hid, and Magi who were useless to the Church were killed. Magi who were useless to Taliya? She was a little more forgiving but even she had her limits, you had to pull your own weight or you were out. He wouldn't say it aloud but just because these people were being brought to Mutebo didn't guarantee their stay.

With their destination just a little further along Lionel was already planning his next "trip". On to the next thing, he could probably even hand off their little gang at the gates and leave immediately. Though he really should rest, the trip had taken way more out of him than he'd have liked and he did need some supplies before going out. Damn, that meant he'd probably have to help these people get settled. Glancing back again he met the group's collective glares and made a face at them, sighing and scratching at his head. "I've never understood diplomacy or being a "man of the people." How anyone can deal with the public is beyond me..." he grumbled, looking to Adrianna and smiling thoughtfully, "How do you do it? Deal with people and not want to smack each and every one I mean. The questions most people have about the most basic things... I never realized how dumb people are. Makes you pretty fortunate the Church actually teaches you a bit."

----------

Nymira furrowed her brow in frustration hearing Kensen's reply. Of course she knew fire magic was more than combustion. She understood the fundamentals of her own magic - her father had gotten her some of the best warriors to help show her its use - she just couldn't make her magic do this. Did they perhaps possess different kinds of fire magic? Ralthor's blessing took many forms and no two were wholly identical. Even her father had a form of fire magic that was unlike any she knew, both beautiful and terrifying in its power. And for her own part she had her smithing magic, the ability to melt and work with metals without a cumbersome forge. So was there just a possibility that her magic simply couldn't do what Kensen was demanding? Or was she truly this incompetent?

"Gage doesn't want to be what exactly?" Spoiled runts, they have to labor for a single afternoon and already they complained, wanting a new tutor. While the matter of who taught Amuné mattered little to the man it was a small matter of pride. Like hell his instruction wasn't good enough. He'd taught dozens of men and women, he'd trained a handful of those in Taliya's ranks now. Gage was reluctant to admit the fault was his own and rather blamed Amuné for lack of initiative. Anyone could fire a crossbow, that was the beauty of the weapon. Any regular person could pick up a weapon and with some basic training use it in combat. And the beautiful thing about weapons? In a world where magic reigned supreme Magis were still just people. They died like the rest of them. It was something the girl would be wise to learn instead of looking at Magi as some supernatural beings.

"Perhaps if you weren't as unapproachable as a Vox she'd take more to you," Nymira offered up dryly, the mention of a native beast to her homeland flying entirely over Gage's head. Not that it mattered, the man was simply insufferable to be around. Having a tough teacher was fine so long as they were just in doing so and taught you a lesson in the process. None of her mentors had spared any favors for who she was and she'd come out the better for it, and Amuné would too. If her mentor wasn't just a foul man to begin with. Nothing of what she had seen of Gage since their arrival redeemed him in any sense of the word.

Well this was fun. Everyone was having fun right? Not really too many positive ways Ethan could spin this. With Amuné cowering behind Kensen and Gage and Nymira looking like they might go at it... Probably a good idea to step in. Placing himself between the Dimuran and Gage he held out his hands, smiling uneasily as the two never stopped glaring at one another.

"H-Hey, shouldn't we be getting to training, Nymira? There's a lot left for us to learn!" Ethan urged with a chuckle, "And uh... Maybe there's other stuff for you to do instead, Gage? I uh... I bet Taliya's got some work for you?" Meeting the man's gaze he let out a meek sound as he was grabbed by the shirt, being pulled closer and grabbing at Gage's arm reflexively. Stupid mechanical arm, he couldn't even budge it!

"Do you think me her lap dog then boy? That I just do what she asks at the drop of a hat?" Gage growled, rolling his eyes as Ethan stammered unintelligibly. Letting go of the younger Muran he shook his head and gave Amuné a final passing glance before turning and leaving. "Your problem now Kensen, I'll take the runt back when she's done being ridiculous." He'd better things to do than chase around a fitful child.

Ethan managed out a farewell to the grumpy man as he left them be once more. Fixing his shirt and collecting himself he shot Nymira a look of disbelief as she called Gage an "insufferable bastard." While maybe not wrong she wasn't helping the situation any, if Gage were still here they'd be right back into it. So much for a nice, easy training day. Nymira was going back to her training now and Kensen was preoccupied with Amuné, and Ethan himself felt thoroughly spent. "Hey Amuné? How about we let Kensen train with Nymira and we do something fun?" he offered, probably to the disapproval of his instructor. He wasn't trying to get out of training but it was obvious Amuné was not going back to Gage, so someone needed to stay with her. And he was happy to do as much. "That is if Kensen's okay with it? I'll train extra hard later, I swear!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I'd suggest not killing him. You won't earn many favors doing that," Aito offered with a small smile, "Whether his men like him or not he is their commanding officer, they follow his lead. As a military-minded man yourself I'm sure you can understand what suddenly killing one's commander might do to troops. Though I suppose they might rejoice as well..." The look Vegeta gave him told him to keep his mouth shut - and for good reason, he was thinking aloud again wasn't he? Not that he needed to even convince Viral it was a poor idea, he knew the boy was mostly blowing off steam and venting frustrations. "As a Saiyan the best thing you can do is prove him wrong and injure his pride. Be a successful commander, train his troops better than he ever could, what can he do then? You have the favor of his own men and you've proven him wrong to hundreds if not thousands. If I were you I'd think that sounds like the perfect way to stick it to the man, don't you agree?"

It did sound like the best way, at least to Vegeta. Make allies while alienating no one, or next to no one. What Viral decided though was ultimately up to him and him alone, they could only offer suggestions. Even then he himself hardly felt qualified to say anything on the matter, particularly when he'd be among those being trained. "If there's any way I can help too just let me know. Whatever you need I'll do it," Vegeta offered cautiously, "Or... I'll simply train with the rest of them. Whatever you need me for." There was still work that needed to be done for Viral as well, he still wasn't in a mental space anyone would deem healthy. Then again maybe this was what he was looking for? Maybe having some responsibility and having something to reaffirm his ability would turn things around? Or maybe the pressure would cause an even bigger collapse. Aito had to have considered this before suggesting the idea right?

"Like the man or not we will have to take the idea to him, they are his troops after all. I'm sure after we explain our position he'll happily accept our proposal." Moreover Korian simply didn't have any alternatives. Aito himself had been asked but he was never a soldier, training troops was far from his expertise. His own commanding officers were busy with missions which meant he had to look outside for help and, wouldn't you know it, they just happened to have the man ideal for the job. "But that's neither here nor there, from what I understand he's off world today anyway. Which brings us back to square one: are you two going to resume sparring? Or should we do something else?" To him it was a casual question but Vegeta looked rather perturbed, like he'd just asked a highly personal matter. Giving his son a puzzled look he glanced at Viral and shrugged, smiling as he scratched at his head. "Is that a no then?"

----------

He was nothing like their shitty old man! If he had a kid there was no way he'd do to them what Yamate had done to him and Shu. And he wouldn't go around attacking worlds and enslaving people either! He'd been nothing like their father before they ever knew him and now that he did he'd be damn sure to never be anything even close. He definitely wasn't going to do anything more to cause Shu any harm, not if he could help it. So when Krom went on harping about the tests done and how Shu was hairier than usual he grew annoyed, snapping back and telling Krom to leave the matter alone. It didn't help any either when Shu spoke up and sounded thoroughly distressed by their conversation. Which naturally served only to make Takeshi even angrier with Krom. Stopping his exercise he glared at the Elite and started towards him, stopping after a few steps and glancing at his brother. Damn it, pissed as he was he couldn't start screaming, it'd only make things worse. "Shu? You and I can talk about this stuff later, okay? Just focus on meditating for now and I'll keep exercising." It was so hard to keep his voice calm, his tone terse and clearly strained as he kept the volume down. Bastard wasn't making this easy for either of them was he? Glaring at Krom once more Takeshi took a deep breath and went back to running, trying to think about anything else to calm down.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Norman let out a chuckle as he loaded the next munitions, amused by Cecil's concerns. How peculiar that a Machina was worried about a living thing, but then Cecil always displayed an unusual level of empathy didn't he? These tests were as much a trial run for the barrier as it was an opportunity to watch Cecil in action. Partaking in combat was not his forte - a sharp mind and some tools did little against Magi or trained soldiers - so this was as close to a field test as the engineer could hope for. Rather than dissuade Cecil from backing out of these tests or console him and his concerns Norman loaded the ballista, pausing only when he requested some warning for the projectiles.

"I'm more than happy to if it helps. Though you do know of course that doesn't make this a legitimate test," Norman pointed out, resting his arm on the table as he leaned against it, "Your enemy won't stop and say, "Excuse me but I'm going to strike you now!" You won't have the luxury of knowing when an attack is coming, its impractical. But then I suppose we're not testing your reaction time but the feasibility of the shield. I digress then, I'll tell you when the shots are coming, let's resume shall we?" The next step up was a small rock, or at least small comparative to a boulder. Certainly denser than the hollow wooden round he'd just unleashed. This time he waited for the barrier to be erected and made certain it wouldn't flick out before releasing the latch and firing off the stone. As with the other munitions it hit the barrier and failed to penetrate, causing ripples to scatter from the point of impact and the stone fell harmlessly to the floor. "So it seems like you're able to defend against stone as well! Though that certainly registered on the barrier, I have to wonder how well it can take a metal or cast weight. Do you feel ready?"

----------

Nymira stared at her dagger intently as the blade's temperature fluctuated, ebbing and flowing like the waters upon the shore of a river. She could create the heat, that wasn't the issue, it was keeping it steady. With patience already thin she glanced to Kensen to ask for a suggestion and bit her tongue seeing Amuné touching Kensen's wing. Why was the child here pestering her instructor? Shouldn't she be training with Gage? And why was Ethan still sat upon the grass neither working or even attempting to practice magic? Was she the only one actually doing anything? Growling lowly she turned towards one of the wooden striking dummies and heated her blade, slicing at its neck and burying her weapon halfway before the blade abruptly cooled and became lodged in the dummy. Pulling at it and finding it stuck she cursed lowly and let it go, reaching up and placing her hand upon its head before setting it alight.

"Hey, don't burn down the dummies!" Taliya would kill them if they ruined the training grounds! Ethan was already nervous enough about angering the woman without them setting fire to everything. The Dimuran didn't look to care much as she simply glowered at him before moving to a new dummy, leaving her dagger nested in the neck of her victim. Looking to the flames and the princess fitfully, Ethan groaned before hastily approaching it and throwing a gust of wind at the flames in hopes of snuffing them out. Only they failed to do so and instead broke apart the charred head of the dummy, sending a piece flying and setting a nearby crate on fire instead. Yelping in panic he went to the container and - having no other ideas - began to kick at the crate to try and put it out. "N-Nymira! Help!"

What was that clown fussing about now? Ah, he'd spread her flames about like a fool instead of letting them die off on their own. Rolling her eyes the Dimuran made a sweeping motion and at once her fire died off, much to the relief of a very panicked Ethan. Taking a moment then to retrieve her dagger from the first dummy she wriggled it free by popping off the head of the mannequin, kicking it aside and moving to the second. "If you're through with playing with Amuné, there's something I wished to ask you Kensen," the Dimuran pressed as she examined her dagger. The edge was dulled and chipped from forcibly freeing it, damn it all. An easy fix but even minor annoyances were a headache right now, Amuné included. "If I heat the blade any more than I have I'll melt it, but I can't figure out how to maintain a steady heat. I'm tired of, what is it... Stumbling in the shadows. How do I do it?"

----------

Lionel had meant every word of it when he'd demanded the man to apologize. Perhaps he'd been a little overzealous in expecting the entire forest to be apologized to though: they'd drop dead long before the man every finished his task. So a few trees would suffice, and even with the skeptical looks and Adrianna questioning him he stood firm in his decision. These people had been headaches the entire trip - both literally and figuratively - so this was at least a small bit of payback. After the man had properly appeased the wrath of the woods, or rather Lionel, they were on the move again. Complaints were mercifully far and few between now that Adrianna was present; the members spoke among themselves now as opposed to questioning their leader every waking moment. Things were finally looking up!

And then Adrianna decided to try and play scout. From what Lionel knew of her she had very little in the means of combat ability - which was to say none - so letting her risk getting in a fight was tantamount to letting her get herself killed. He'd have chased after her too were he not in charge of the group behind him, and he weighed their collective lives over her own. Whatever concern he might have had was quickly washed away when Adrianna returned not long after and revealed the travelers were traders from Mutebo. So they had said anyways, not to be paranoid but you should take what people on the roads said with a grain of salt nowadays. When she mentioned they should expect him and the others he didn't know whether to laugh or dopeslap her, so he went with the former and smacked his own forehead.

"Well then here's to hoping they don't decide to kill us, or turn out to be hunters!" Lionel spared Adrianna further ridicule and instead motioned for the group to keep on: they were nearly there anyways. Once they did arrive in town he'd hand them over to whoever was waiting at the gates and be done with them from there, if he was so fortunate. Or since Adrianna was here now maybe he'd just let her take them the rest of the way and be done with it entirely. Taliya would probably love that.

"Bunch of nobodies really, just a few folks trying to avoid losing their heads on a chopping block." It came out casually and with such little interest one might think Lionel was discussing the weather, not someone's life. "The woman at the back was a healer, she's accused of poisoning troops. Dumbest thing really, she near got sick eating a poison flower, she wouldn't know the first thing about killing someone. Intentionally anyways. The tree-hugger is a former guard from one of the cities, got in a fight with some of his mates and used unsanctioned magic, was going to be thrown in a cell. The older guy's some teacher in a school... I forget where, but he was using his magic to manipulate things. And the other one with the scruffy beard is some washed up Magi that's been on the run for a while apparently. Real useful bunch, don't you think?" Grinning to himself Lionel chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw all four glowering a him, giving them a wink before putting his hands up and shrugging his shoulders. "Taliya's not excluding anyone. 'Magic's not something you can put laws on, it ought to be as free as living' or something like that. Though depending on who you ask we aren't exactly living free either. Not since the Church started its little crusade."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Fantastic! And, of course, your being the instructor means that the training regiment will be entirely up to your discretion," Aito said cheerfully, seemingly in a better mood rather quickly as Viral agreed to his proposal. And why shouldn't he be? They had just, by happenstance, found a purpose for Viral. It was one both born out of not only necessity - they needed troops to be trained - but out of a need to help Viral: they now had both. There was still a long ways to go before anyone was truly happy with things but at least this arrangement finally provided a starting point. "Full disclosure as well, we will have to inform Korian of our decision," the doctor pointed out before quickly adding, "But his say on the matter is nil, he'll have his troops trained by you one way or another. He'll simply have to swallow that pride of his and accept that you're the best fit for this."

Vegeta had to agree, and not just for Viral's ability to kill the beasts. In terms of fighting prowess, of experience, of simply the knowledge of how to train someone, Viral was better than most anyone else that came to mind. He'd taught himself and Yumi at one point after all - everything they knew had stemmed from that original training. There wasn't even a question of if Viral could do it: he absolutely could. Wanting to show some kind of support but being uncertain in how to do so - everything that had come out of his mouth came out plain wrong - Vegeta offered a smile and nod before direction a question to his father instead. "Um... I do have to wonder though. Korian is... Well to put it plainly he doesn't like Viral. Not that I doubt you can't convince him to allow Viral to train the troops but how exactly do you intend to do that?" Short of forcing the man to do so at gun point Vegeta couldn't fathom a scenario where Korian willingly let this happen. While he himself was hardly clean in regards of accusing Viral of things at least he had trust in the Beastman, where with the rebel leader there was none. So what did Aito plan for?

"I've already got something in mind for that, don't you worry. Just think about it: the rebels are fighting a two front war, even if there is a temporary armistice between the King and them. While the rebels do have plenty of troops they don't appear to be as well trained save a select few, and I'd bet that the Saiyans have stronger troops overall. So turning down any opportunity to have those fortunes changed is too good to pass up, grudges be damned. And that aside," Aito added with a sly grin to Viral, "For better or worse most everyone knows of your feats in battle. I know you'll argue until the sun sets that you've lost battles, but no one questions your tenacity or your ability. Even if the brass dislikes something, if the entire battalion is for something then orders are useless. In other words: we needn't even worry about Korian, only what the troops think. And I think they're more than happy to be trained by you."

----------

"Our old man gave a shit about someone other than himself? Sorry if I have a hard time believing that." The fact Yamate could give a damn about anything other than power and Saiyan superiority was almost impossible. Nothing the jerk had ever done would suggest he had the tiniest amount of remorse or sympathy for anything he'd done. Krom didn't sound like it either: the bastard was just putting blame on anyone else he could to try and make himself seem not as bad. If he really thought any of what was going on was a problem he would have left - they had. The whole discussion about a genetics program wasn't anything Takeshi would even pretend he understood. He'd been kept far away from the labs while on Kortal and no one would give him answers out of ignorance - willful or otherwise. Scoffing in annoyance he continued on with the circuit, voicing his opinion again as he neared Shu and Krom. "If Shu wants to be changed back then we can ask the doc or Sayomi, they'll know what to do. I don't care how hairy he is, I just want the little guy to feel better. And if that means losing some hair then we'll lose the hair." And if that also meant getting him out of training with some Elite jerkoff who had tried to capture and kill them too he was all for it.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Hn, maybe you should just let him sleep if he's tired!" Had the little guy not slept at all last night? Takeshi had knocked out pretty quickly himself and he'd just sort of assumed Shu had done the same. Even sharing the same bed too... Was his brother still not sleeping right? That was on him too. Damn it just how bad was he screwing things up for Shu? Loathe as he was to admit it Krom actually looked to be working with his brother and trying to help him. First time for everything he supposed. He'd more expected the Elite to be a total ass and a slave driver but there he was trying to explain things to Shu, and not in a jerk way. Takeshi stopped shy however of giving the man some semblance of praise when he turned it around and questioned why they hadn't helped Shu. "Some of that's normal, you ass. Shu's always been hairier than me," he answered curtly before frowning, "He's a little hairier now, sure, but it's not like it's that bad." Like Viral most of what was wrong with Shu was all up in his head. How the hell was Takeshi supposed to know how to fix that crap anyway? Telling them to just get over it didn't magically fix anything and trying to goof around only helped for a little while. Damn it, why was that asshole bringing that stuff up now anyways?

----------

"Just because I have Ki doesn't make me better..." It was handy sure, and being a Saiyan imbued him with power that others had to work hard to achieve. Viral wasn't wrong: He had a strength Viral couldn't ever know. But then the opposite was true as well: Viral had power that Vegeta could only dream of possessing. It was why he felt his friend could be a superb mentor. He needed the training and openly admitted as much and to hear his request all but rejected outright was disappointing. "I was wrong to say that, you aren't the problem, you never have been!" Vegeta couldn't think of how to rebuke his own words other than to try and take them back. "I know I said them but... I spoke out of frustration. I'm the problem! My inability to help - to find a solution - I didn't want to accept it could be me. I didn't want to think I could be the issue. It was easier to put the blame on you rather than accept it." He still didn't want to accept it even after acknowledging he'd been in the wrong. How many other times had he been at fault? As head of Capsule Corp and rightful heir to the company no one would have ever openly questioned him, at least no one ever had. And with his parents' deaths perhaps it had all been out of sympathy - not for his actual ability, that they had let him lead. As if allowing that would somehow fix things. Well... In a way it had, having that sense of leadership, of competence, it had given him a new lease on life.

Aito felt he definitely should have prepared this better. Mayhaps sitting down and talking things out wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all? Vegeta was too busy questioning himself now to have any semblance of discord with Viral, they should really try to get this back on track. Giving Vegeta a slight pat on the back he turned to Viral, gesturing back to his son behind him. "Ki or no ki, Vegeta doesn't know how to properly fight the creatures yet. And ki or no, you're still a better fighter, both technically and in terms of experience. In fact your expertise perhaps outweighs even that of most on Uuonoe. So when you ask why he'd possibly want you to train him I believe that is why."

"And... I have a proposal for you, Viral. These creatures aren't going away any time soon and we need more people who know how to fight them. Your energy makes you invaluable against fighting them, this much is true. But your knowledge could be even more valuable still. If you could mentor not only Vegeta but others as well we could drive back the beasts before it ever becomes a real problem. You spoke of purpose? Then how about this: Assist us in training everyone to prepare for the fights ahead. Not only your friends but the rebels as well - if you wish to. It can be mutually beneficial: you help us and we help you. I can only see good coming from an arrangement like this, but of course its your decision ultimately."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Sir? Please... Just call me Norman. 'Sir' always felt too stiff for my liking." Norman's face contorted as he recalled an unpleasant memory before shaking it off and turning to his ballista. The rubber ball would be the first projectile and suffice to say hardly a good judge of the effectiveness of Cecil's shield: Amuné could be fired upon and be unharmed from this. But rather than rush into matters they should work their way up, both to find what eventually might break through and whether or not repeated blasts would weaken it. Common sense said yes but only testing would tell. "A very astute observation! Though its not as though this weapon fires terribly quickly, nor are the projectiles we're launching at you terribly large. In all regards we may as well be throwing them for all the damage it might do." Sensing there might be a slight unease Norman poignantly repeated the final word - twice for Cecil's sake, since in all likelihood he would emerge from today totally unscathed. Probably.

"Ah, so it turns on still! Good, good! We can rule out faulty wiring then, which means we're good to begin! Just stand still and er... Take it like a man, hm?" Much like the table on which Norman stored his ammunition the joke fell flat, only a single cough from one of the assistants breaking the awkward silence. Smiling despite himself the engineer then proceeded to load in the ball and take aim, firing for center mass where Cecil's plating should be heaviest - to shield his core and energy. With little more than a dull 'thwap' the ballista launched its munitions and the ball bounced harmlessly off the shield, not even registering it seemed as the field remained entirely undisturbed. "Well it seems that should a bird ever fly into your shield you're protected! Or if a child should lose their ball." But errant winged beasts and children's playthings were hardly the purpose of this shield. Taking then a ball formed from a fallen tree's trunk Norman carefully placed it in his weapon and aimed again, smiling as he casually fired it off the shield to the same result. "And random flying pieces of wood, we're off to a good start!"

----------

Training was never easy and training a new skill only added to the difficulty. Ethan had been there when he'd learned swordplay, when he'd learned magic - albeit incorrectly it seemed - and when he'd learned to hunt on his own. In retrospect perhaps training in how to read a map properly and use a compass would have been good. Would Kensen laugh if he asked for that? Or would he argue that it was a waste of time, and that magic was more important.

"Training sure stinks. You screw up loads, you see how well everyone else does and it makes you feel pretty crappy, you know? Makes it hard to focus on what you're doing," Ethan agreed, nodding his head knowingly, "Especially if your teacher is a jerk. My instructor in the town guard was kind of tough. Not unfair but uh... Well a lot like what Gage is probably like. But you know what? They usually know what they're talking about. And know what else? If you can stick with it you'll come out better than when you started! Which is kind of obvious... But you know what I mean!" Cedric always argued people learned best through adversity. You didn't question how to do something or try to reinvent things until you understood the basics, it's why Ethan himself never dabbled much in his own magic: he scarcely understood it. Kensen on the other hand clearly knew what he was doing, hence his willingness to follow the Dimuran no matter how tough he might be. And why Amuné should follow Gage for the same reason.

"It's probably not fair for me to say 'tough it out', but you really should keep going with it. Even if you don't have to fight it'd make hunting loads easier for you. And then you could catch something for Wyth for lunch!" Reaching over Ethan scratched beneath the moorcat's chin and chuckled as he nuzzled back, giving Amuné's head a gentle pat then. "If I can find some time I'll come say hi if you want. Maybe ask the guy to be a bit nicer? I mean he does seem kind of... Well like a jerk, but I'm sure he's not totally heartless. If we just talked with him I'm willing to bet he'd be more than happy to lighten up a little." Or they could go to Taliya and ask her, though he felt like doing that was only going to piss off Gage.

Hells this was infuriating! Between the failures of her ability to imbue her weapon and practicing under Kensen's gaze, Nymira found herself growing increasingly irritated. For mere seconds at a time she could manage but much longer and the flame began to quickly fade away. And it wasn't that she couldn't see the use of the ability either: a permanently heated blade meant easier and cleaner cuts, coupled with burns to inflict more damage. People were far less inclined to fight someone whose weapon was alight. That said she was just as content to use her magic as she had been, enchantments be damned. She was torn between the two and yet had conceded despite her reservations to learn. If this would earn her favor with Taliya - and in turn whoever led Mutebo itself, then she'd suffer through it. All of her other training had been far more rigorous besides, this just happened to be the most infuriating.

----------

Of course Taliya had sent someone after him. And of course it had to be Adrianna. Not that Lionel minded all that much - Adrianna was good for a laugh or two - but as far as being combat capable? The jury was still out on that one. If they did come under attack again that meant just one more person to watch over, though having a healer to keep him going certainly made it a little easier. Not that he'd welcome another fight - pain was painful after all - but it was of some peace of mind knowing he probably wouldn't die.

"Rest? And waste this beautiful day sitting around? I think not!" came Lionel's reply, a cheeky grin sent Adrianna's way. Resting wasn't an option no matter how much he might need it or how his wards might complain. The sooner they reached Mutebo the better and unless someone suddenly dropped dead they didn't stop for anything. Though from the way their company was hounding him about taking a breather you'd think someone was on the verge of dying. He was the one who'd just fought! Growing irritated from one of the woman's constant remarks Lionel gave her a quip about keeping her mouth shut or she'd attract all sorts of beasts to them... Only in far more rude terms. Thinking himself a knight defending some maidens honor perhaps one of the men then began to argue with him in turn, something the healer tried to tune out entirely. And he was successful in doing so right up until the man grabbed his shirt to stop him in his tracks. Letting out a sigh Lionel turned to face the man, smiling as he came so close his spit was speckling the boy's face.

"Are you done? Feel better? Got that out of your system?" Unsurprisingly a patronizing attitude did little to diffuse the situation. "Listen, if I leave you here you die, got that? So suck it up and keep moving, the traveling won't kill her but hunters just might. If you're so concerned with her safety then shut up and keep moving, alright? Unless you're just trying to posture to get into her pants?" That seemed to have struck a nerve. Lionel smiled and leaned aside when the man threw a punch, grabbing his arm and wrenching it as he swept the legs out from under him. Holding him on the ground he rolled his eyes as the man struggled, twisting his arm slightly to make him stop. "I've got a real simple job for you okay: Listen to what I say. Can you do that for me?" The man muttered a reluctant yes and thus was released, though Lionel was far from done with him. After helping the man to his feet he turned the man and pointed towards the trees before giving an order. "See those trees? I want you to walk over to every single one and apologize for wasting the oxygen they've worked oh so hard to make for us." Asked if he was joking the boy gave a deadpan stare and pointed again, sending the man off with no small degree of loathing, a stream of curse words spewing from his mouth. "A hug might help too! Trees like hugs!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Like we were supposed to know they were assholes. Takeshi bit back his retort and focused on what was in front of him: the empty training room. Not much to keep his mind occupied and mouth shut but he was putting all his effort into it - more than the actual training itself. For a guy who was telling him to keep quiet Krom couldn't do that to save his life, the jerk always seemed to have something he just had to get out. Seeing Krom then making a move towards Shu left the older boy certain the Elite was going to do something to try and get at him. Instead the little Saiyan got a simple nudge of the foot and with a start Shu woke up... From a nap. The little guy was napping?! Here he was running around with an obscene amount of weight while his younger brother was off in Lala Land. He nearly opened his mouth to bark at Shu but again thought better of it - mostly because he was stammering incoherently. Somewhere along the line he'd tripped up on his own feet and was pinwheeling his arms frantically to little avail, tumbling forward and doing a somersault before coming to a rest on his back. Jackass, Krom should leave Shu alone! And Shu should be meditating! Come to think of it did Shu even know how? Takeshi assumed Aito had taught him but he certainly wasn't doing it right just now. Rolling his eyes and getting back to his feet he started to run again, but not before leaving Shu with a small shout of encouragement. "Fall asleep again and I'll drag you along with me!"

----------

"Viral, I didn't say we were through. And you say that as though we're sending you off on your own. We're fighting as a team, regardless of who might be better suited for the battles to come." Perhaps he'd made a slight oversight in all of this. Aito had hoped Vegeta and Viral could reach some understanding while together but he'd had to step in and speak. Having done so - in perhaps too curt a manner, Viral was now ready to leave and Vegeta looked to be struggling to keep it together. Perhaps June had a point: going into matters by the seat of his pants - censorship there, her language was a little more colorful - that didn't always yield the best results. Would it be shameful then to admit this had been to some degree planned?

"I'd brought both of you two here to speak with one another and that's what we're going to do. I have absolutely zero intention of anyone leaving this room until you can both have some semblance of a discussion. And I am not hearing otherwise." There was time for sympathy and consolation but now was not that time, these two needed this and putting it off for anything was out of the question. Both Vegeta and Viral were no doubt done with this matter but they would both have to endure a little longer until some common ground could be found. "Viral, we can't change the past as you well know, we can't undo what has been. But I do know that we can move forward and make amends, and it's up to you to decide how that's done," Aito continued, and then to Vegeta he added, "It is your responsibility as well to work on this. I'm here in whatever capacity you two need me but this is ultimately a matter for you both to resolve. Together, am I clear?"

"Crystal." What was he supposed to do though? No words were just going to suddenly rectify the situation. Nothing he'd created had worked and he'd never been a great orator - he'd had people for that. As his stomach did flips he turned to face Viral again, having to avert his gaze shamefully as he couldn't look his friend in the face. He couldn't say anything and yet Aito demanded something, but what? "Viral I was wrong, on every single account. And I want to try and make things right but... I don't know how. But I want to set things right." Viral wanted a purpose? He could find something. Aito had suggested battling the beasts but that didn't feel right, it labeled Viral as a weapon and nothing more. Why had Aito suggested that anyway? Viral had more or less said that was all he'd been made out to be and by no small measure seemed displeased about it. Had he suggested such a thing on purpose?

"Viral..." He didn't want to be forgotten. Perhaps more than simply being a tool it seemed like Viral's greatest issue was being forgotten. Understandably so, for at one point he'd been Aito's pride and - most likely though he couldn't recall it - the two of them had been quite close. "We're all going to need to shore up our strengths to fight these creatures, and... I'm woefully behind on my training. I'd uh..." Hell he was never good at speaking and that didn't change even now. Finding his face growing red both in frustration and embarrassment Vegeta averted his gaze again, taking a deep breath before meeting Viral's gaze. "I would be honored if you could train with me. I need someone to show me how to be a better fighter and I can think of no better mentor."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"What he does ain't up to me. And Shu and I can't spend time with every single person, we're only two kids." Krom wasn't wrong though, Takeshi acknowledged bitterly, they'd certainly had time to pay him a visit. When not traveling on a mission they spent the majority of their time goofing off or training, both of which could easily be set aside to spend time with someone. Would Kiton even want their company though? He'd been so long without any and it wasn't as though they were close - not that they ever had an opportunity to even get close - but Takeshi couldn't see the guy wanting them to visit. Then again being alone all the time could be really lousy and it probably didn't much matter who came by after a while. Just like how Viral had been. Hearing Krom talk about the Beastman pissed Takeshi off - as if he had any idea or right to speak like that, but he bit his tongue and pressed on with training. Oh he'd use his emotions to fuel action alright: a swift boot to Krom's ass was action wasn't it? If Shu weren't present there'd be a slew of cusses and slurs thrown the Elite's way. There was one little thing to get off his chest though. "Maybe you should shut up too old man, don't want to bother Shu, making him think we're ignoring people," smiling as he spoke, Takeshi scoffed before facing forward and continuing to run, "And worry about yourself pops, it's not like you've got lots of room to talk here. Hush and be a good little teacher."

----------

What was he supposed to say? For all of his education and his pedigree Vegeta was left feeling as hapless as a freshman student on their first day of university. Where did he go from here? Aito offering no words of wisdom meant he was on his own and, frankly speaking, he was lost. For a man who prided himself on his combat ability wouldn't lauding his endurance be seen as a good thing? Vegeta struggled for an answer until Viral made a poignant remark: he was being watched like some wild, unruly animal. When he'd been at risk for sudden transformations that perhaps had been warranted but he'd improved since then - considerably so, so why then was he scrutinized the same way? They didn't think him incompetent or incapable and yet they almost didn't seem to trust him. Did he fear vindication or that Viral might seek revenge? No, that had never occurred to him once. So why then?

"It's... Been for your own good..." Vegeta had since stopped in his tracks and now looked to the floor, his features contorted into a mask of confusion. Even his own words sounded false to him. For his own good? That was the best he could come up with? Why couldn't he just make this right? Everything else was always so simple but Viral... He'd never been able to get Viral right. Why? Why couldn't he figure out someone he'd known all his life? He was Aito's son, grandson of Trunks, great-grandson of Bulma, he had the lineage of geniuses and yet he was as thick as Takeshi when it came to Viral. How could nothing he has tried work? Looking at the Beastman confused a trembling smile found its way on his face as he let out an uneasy laugh, his mind coming to perhaps the least accurate conclusion of a lifetime.

"It's you... That's the problem, it has to be!" It was a sensible conclusion in whatever plane of thought Vegeta's addled mind had found itself in. He couldn't have failed, he'd never failed, not when his father died, not when they had reunited, he'd even managed to keep Viral under control all those years. No, the fault couldn't be him, it had to be the Beastman. "I've done everything I should have, everything that I could think of... It's not me, it's you. Something's wrong with you and... And..." Just what was he saying? Was he trying to absolve himself of his very clear neglect and wrongdoings by pining it on someone else? On the victim no less? Laughing again as he felt tears in his eyes he rubbed at them with the heels of his hands, looking up at Viral in defeat. "I did all I could, don't you get it? I... I can't do anymore, I don't know what to do anymore. I can't help you."

"I think that's enough of that! I've never really enjoyed tense moments like this," Aito interrupted with an clasp of his hands. Vegeta had tried to speak his mind but it hadn't quite been as... Succinct, as the doctor as hoped. Perhaps he could help out. "Viral? You truly believe yourself to be without purpose? You were created to protect, right? But we're no longer on Earth, so how are you to protect that?" It was a rhetorical question and Aito had no intention of letting the Beastman answer. "It's a shame there aren't so... Oh, phantasmal beasts invading our dimension that only your solar energy could easily dispatch. I speak of course in hyperbole, and of you. You do still have a purpose, you're arguably one of the greatest allies we have in this impending battle of ours. And I believe it is time you are treated as such, not as a patient that cannot be trusted on their own. Don't you agree?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

What was that jerk criticizing now? His posture? Who the hell cared if he was hunched over! Growling an insult under his breath he lifted the weights and straightened himself out as he continued to run along. If the guy was going to bust his ass over every little thing fine, better him than Shu he supposed. And it would make things all the more satisfying when he got a chance to finally fight Krom. "You mean Kiton? I didn't forget him you jackass, just been too busy," the Saiyan grunted, stumbling slightly as the weights shifted and he fought to keep balance. The load hadn't seemed too pressing when he'd begun but once in motion it was beginning to hit Takeshi just how heavy the gear was. Bringing up Viral struck a nerve and he nearly stopped in his tracks to scream at Krom, instead letting out a load, frustrated groan and pushing himself harder instead. He couldn't be mouthing off and shouting if he wanted Shu to get better, no matter how pissed he got it would only hurt his brother. The hell was he supposed to do with this heat though? Glaring at the Elite, Takeshi huffed before slamming his foot down behind him and taking off as quickly as he could manage, trying to focus on his training instead of letting his anger boil over. The jerk did help remind him though that maybe they should go and see Kiton later, the guy was definitely going to be lonely sitting all by himself. Not that he expected him and Shu to be great company but hey, it had to beat having none right?

----------

"N-No, that's not what I'm saying Viral, not at all! I'm applauding your tenacity! No one else could endure what you have!" Were he flexible enough Vegeta's foot would be planted firmly between his teeth right now. Just when he thought for a second he might be breaking ground his efforts blew up in his face. He had to keep trying though, now was the best and perhaps only chance to finally clear the air between them. What the Beastman said next made his heart catch in his throat, his arm raising only on instinct to block the swipe from Viral. It was the first time since this all began, since ever that Viral had been vocal about his inner struggles. Rather, the first time he'd said it in so many words. There was no way he was seriously proposing being with the Saiyans was a better alternative... Was he? Was mindless, hate fueled warfare really an alternative to what he had now?

"You don't mean that! You're free, free to do whatever you wish, to do what you choose! You would never have that choice with the Saiyans! No one does under them!" Not Takeshi, not Shu, not the twins or Kabocha or Yumi, and certainly not Viral. Blocking another punch Vegeta winced as claws raked against his cheek and left three gouges along it, stepping back and quickly wiping at the blood that began to spill. "They didn't give you those collars because you had choice, Viral. They gave you them to make you a mindless soldier! Is that really any better than this? Being with us?!" It was an alternative that Vegeta absolutely refused to accept. The fact that Viral even suggested they had provided so poorly for him made his stomach churn uncomfortably and his blood boil - but not out of anger. Had they failed him so badly that he truly meant that? Had he failed that badly? Negligence didn't even begin to cover his conduct and he'd tried to make amends, though in retrospect he'd done so while expending the least amount of time possible. As if Viral was just a side project, not a living being.

"Come on Viral... Take that back, what you said. You know you're better off with us than them," Vegeta argued weakly as a smile wavered upon his lips. Slowly approaching with hands extended as though asking for something he continued, "You're more than a babysitter, you're part of this group! You always have been! And I was wrong to try and send you off, I knew it then and I know it now but I could never admit it to myself. I was wrong and I realize it, your place is here with us! And as for your purpose... Your purpose is to fight with us, with all of us. Isn't that enough? To be fighting with friends for the greater good? What more do you possibly need?"