|
|
Post by Amara on Jan 20, 2021 22:08:57 GMT -6
Thread PL: 230,000 | Items: Battle Armor, Scouter
The Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains was literally the coldest place on Earth. The ice here was so inexplicably frigid that it had solidified and gelled to an immeasurable degree, making even Amara have to exert a small amount of effort to pierce through it with any of her attacks. It was the perfect place to take the two newest recruits of the Stargoons on a test run, so to say. Not only was this area vast, expansive, and unobtrusive - but it was also far from the radar of any Heroes who may try and stop them on principle of being Stargoons. The temperature was also a challenge in of itself for Derry to overcome, as she had noted his main weakness seemed to be cold-related inflictions. Ticoga being an Arcosian would probably find this place only the slightest bit nippy, but that was fine. She could go harder on him without as much fear of serious injury. The Arcosian had already proven himself capable of handling it. Both of their Power Levels were respectably high with Derry edging out Ticoga in base by a slim margin, but that wouldn't matter if they couldn't at least match a fresh Super Saiyan like Russ. They had not yet achieved forms that could rival their enemies, and Amara knew it was possible.
The likes of Aurora and Yogu had proven that both Arcosians and Humans were capable enough in their own right to stand up on the galactic scale, so now the only issue was trying to cultivate that in both of the recruits in time for Vocado's plan. The renegade Saiyan was a ticking time bomb, and although his demeanor had been cordial enough Amara knew a madman lurked beneath that veil. In all likelihood he didn't care if the Stargoons lived or died during their distraction so long as he got his chance to throttle Carro. Fine. It was simply a concession Amara was willing to make if it meant a good chance to strike back against the goodie goods of the world. While Derry and Ticoga probably didn't exactly share her sentiment for revenge against this implacable concept of good and evil, that didn't mean they couldn't find common ground elsewhere. For one reason or another they had decided to join their ranks. Be it for power, strength in numbers, whatever it was it was needed. The days of being able to cherry pick the 'most evil' from a crowd were over and if they didn't act soon the Heroes would pull past them forever.
Discussion with Mumbo beforehand had secured Ticoga's spot on the team, at least as a Junior member. The Majin had even said he considered offering the Arcosian a job a while ago but things never worked out... until now. Derry had been inducted into the group after losing his old gang and summarily getting hit by the Goodbuster Firetruck. Perhaps not the most orthodox way of hiring someone but it seemed to work out in the end. She wasn't fully aware if he had his medallion yet or not since that seemed to come in official Stargoonhood, and Amara herself still held onto the blue one. She hadn't been quite ready to part with it yet, especially since their moment in Satan City had been interrupted by Zriacha. Now though would be a good opportunity to say her final goodbyes to Bloom and allow someone new to inherit the mantle. Sentimentality was far less important than admitting new members at the moment, as painful as it was to just give it up. Amara sighed, breath quickly fogging into tiny crystals of condensed ice as she awaited the arrival of the pair.
|
|
|
|
Post by Derrick Ottoy on Jan 20, 2021 22:43:54 GMT -6
Thread PL: 99,000 | Items: Scouter (Pink)
Derry couldn't say he's ever been to the Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains, but given their reputation for housing the coldest temperatures on the planet, it would make sense that someone like him would avoid this place at all costs. The coldest he's ever gotten was on Mt. Frappe, and even then he his fire powers were being severely hindered by the harsh weather. Derry has, however, gotten much stronger since then, but to compensate, he has now been invited by Amara to begin training in this frozen hellscape. The harsh, bitter winds chilled the gangster to his very core, but it didn't bother him because the fire within burned hotter than the wind around him.
Ever since becoming a Junior Stargoon, Derry has made it his top priority to get himself straight and move on from the Dirty Snakes. Should he even think of anything else for a split second, his mind would just wander its way back to what happened at the gizard wasteland, how he failed to save everyone. The nightmares kept on coming after him, and the voices have been ever so persistent ever since, but strangely enough, they tend to go silent whenever he's in the presence of Amara, Bamboo, Mumbo, or any of the others. Maybe it's because he's actually able to interact with another person instead of himself, or maybe it has to do with trying to make a goon impression for his new... companions? Derry wasn't exactly sure if he was comfortable with calling Amara and the others her companions since he's still relatively new to the group, but thinking about it never fails to make him feel better. He guesses that since losing both Wallace and Lucas, he needs someone to fill in that void, and he hopes that the Stargoons would make for great companions. Derry's just been so lonely since then, he just couldn't take it anymore.
After flying around for quite some time, Derry receives a reading on his scouter sunglasses. Upon further analysis, it appears as if a power level of 230,000 was about a mile away now. Obviously, this was Amara, so Derry prepared himself and grabs his chest tightly, holding onto the medallion inside his shirt. Funny how it feels a bit heavier than usual. At last, Derry arrives at the scene, slowly floating down to where Amara was situated, and jokingly states, "You know, personally, I would've preferred a nice little beach down in South City, but hey, if you're lookin' to train the living hell outta me, you've certainly picked the perfect spot. How's it goin', Amara? Isn't Ticoga supposed to show up here as well?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Ticoga on Jan 21, 2021 0:46:38 GMT -6
Ticoga had chosen to have Marma stay behind for this venture. Amara's invitation required a measure of manners, and Marma was not the one who received said invitation. When the Saiyan suggested that they all meet up in an oddly named mountain range, he had been curious as to the reason. Upon inspection, the mountains seemed rather similar to Arcose - perhaps that was intentional? The cold here was somewhat similar, if not a bit on the mild side. More than tolerable - especially given that Ticoga had felt the freezing chill of open space, which he would argue is FAR chillier than this place, or Arcose.
He had chosen to arrive an hour earlier, so he may explore a bit, but also consider several events. So far, things were proceeding as he had planned them. His audacious approach to a number of powerful beings seems to have paid off - he doubts any of them actually trust him, but these were necessary steps toward his goal.
Yes... Bit by bit, step by step, things were moving as expected. It would take time, certainly, but Ticoga is patient; his people are long lived, and he had acquired the patience of stone. Ticoga came across a cave burrowed into the side of a cliff face high above the frozen landscape. Upon inspection, he found nothing of particular note. Some climbing equipment, such as spikes hammered into the rock and ice had been left behind, but no signs of a being meeting an unfortunate fate.
Suddenly, Ticoga's scouter bleats in warning. The first was two hundred thirty thousand - Amara's battle power exactly. The other... ninety nine thousand. The human had improved quite well in a short period of time. But Ticoga knew the gap between himself and the human was superficial - after all, his natural battle power was well over four hundred thousand now. These forms only served to intentionally restrict himself - as camouflage. What the Saiyans, Humans, and many other races had in advantage over Ticoga was their ability to increase their power. Ticoga was limited to his natural power in his True Form.
That needed to change. Ticoga steps out of the cave, and hears a muffled echo - the human's voice. Ticoga's hearing was good enough that understanding the words even at a distance was relatively easy.
"You would be correct." calls a voice from on high. Descending from a nearby cliff face, Ticoga lands softly on the ice. He idly brushes wind whipped snow from his armor, and walks over to Amara and Derry. "Forgive my tardiness - I was rather taken with the scenery."
|
|
|
|
Post by Amara on Jan 21, 2021 12:40:14 GMT -6
The hellish screams of icy wind were broken by the arrival of Derry, Amara sensing the man long before she saw him through the thick miasma of powdered snow. He seemed to at least be holding up against the temperatures rather well naturally, and while that may change when he starts to exert energy. "Hopefully you can withstand it. Training away your weakness to the cold, or at least diminishing it, will go a long way in helping you achieve your full power. At least, that's what I believe." It was unlikely that any of their upcoming opponents would know about it, to begin with, but it was better to patch the risk out entirely rather than hoping it wasn't exploited. "And perhaps along the way we can draw some new form out of you, too. Something that could at least begin to hold a proverbial candle to something like a Super Saiyan. A fresh one like Russ is about... one and a half million? A daunting obstacle to overcome, I know, but with our upcoming job soon, it might just be 'do or die.'" Amara didn't necessarily mind the concept of death. She'd prefer it if her soul was immediately shredded instead of being confined to a glorified prison pen for decades to come... but at least she'd be at peace away from all these stupid do-gooders.
Those kinds of stakes weren't liable to scare a hardened criminal off, at least she hoped so, but nevertheless outright telling someone they had a chance of dying soon if they ran with you was perhaps not the smartest idea. Yet Amara preferred to be honest and blunt to her companions over underhanded and snide. Most of their employers filled that role well enough already - Vocado included. "If you're having second thoughts, now is the time to back out. I wouldn't hold it against you..." Her eyes closed, letting the words sink in for a moment. "...But if you bail on us in the field, that's when I'll take issue. Big issue, if you catch my drift." An issue big enough to probably warrant an energy beam through the heart. Yet that shouldn't be an issue seeing as Derry understood the value of family. "That goes for you too, Ticoga." She called out, eyeing the encroaching Arcosian. She had felt his energy during her conversation with Derry but had decided to not acknowledge it till' she was finished.
"And now that you're both here..." Amara's eyes closed for a minute, a flash of golden light enveloping the Saiyan as it blossomed into a full aura of power. "Some say that training with one far above your league is one of the quickest way to progress. In this case, I want you both to go full out, no holds barred." She stood still, arms folded behind her back and awaited the pair to make a move towards her. It was clear that even at their strongest they held no clear chance of even landing a solid blow, but the Saiyan was curious as to just how far they could go. It was also a good opportunity to test their lack of synergy, seeing if they could adapt to having a new ally so quickly. Stargoons fought together, after all.
|
|
|
|
Post by Derrick Ottoy on Jan 21, 2021 15:01:59 GMT -6
As a little bit of snow fell on top of his head, Derry looks upwards at Ticoga who has finally arrived on the scene. "Well, it's certainly been a hot minute, hasn't it. Seen any fancy new recipies or whatnot? Say, where's Marma?" It was a bit strange that Marma was nowhere to be found, but the former gangster presumes that it probably has something to do with the fact that this sort of training Amara has planned out for the two was... special, to say the least. This was essentially supposed to act as the big test, to see if they could stand amongst the rest of the Stargoons like Bamboo, Mumbo, and especially Amara. That was certainly one thing Derry took particular note of when he looked at the power levels of the other goons when he met them: Amara was by far the most powerful one of the bunch, and she is certainly no slouch. Hell, his power level when he transforms is only a little bit above Amara's base.
Amara interrupts Derry's thoughts as she states that they're all out here in an attempt to at least reduce Derry's weakness to the cold so that he could at least fight decently when up against freezing temperatures. She also speaks about attempting to draw out a form within Derry that could potentially match a super saiyan, which stirs a bit of excitement within him. "Well, it would be certainly handy to be able to compete with the likes of super saiyans. Never in my life would I've ever thought about being able to tangle with one and not get my ass handed to me on a silver platter." Despite the prospect of being able to become as powerful as a super saiyan, Derry doubts that it would be good enough to go up against certain individuals like Tarch.
The saiyan then glares at both Derry and Ticoga and states that now's the time to back out, to which Derry quickly snaps, "As if. I've got a second chance here, there's no way I'm blowin' it here and now." It was at this point when Amara decides to ascend to her super saiyan form and Derry notices her power level skyrocketing. Amara's new power level was set to a whopping 3,680,000, over 30 times Derry's current strength. He takes a step back, but quickly readjusts himself as the Yellow Stargoon orders him and Ticoga to attack her as hard as they can. "Alright then, Amara, let me show you just what I- er, we got, right Ticoga?" He quickly glances back over to the arcosian right next to him before turning his attention back towards the super saiyan before him. Derry launches himself forward, and attempts to strike Amara square in the face with a right hook. If he lands this attack, then this whole sparring session wouldn't be too bad after all, but Derry presumes it wouldn't be so easy. In truth, this was in order to get a better picture of exactly what he and Ticoga were up against.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ticoga on Jan 22, 2021 20:50:50 GMT -6
Finally, the opportunity to meet and possibly even exceed the Super Saiyans was approaching. As Amara stated, his power currently was totally worthless when paired against such power.
"I do not run, Lady Amara. I either see it through, or do not start to begin with." Ticoga replies letting his hands hang at his sides. He begins to take off his battle jacket and scouter - he knew where this was heading. He sets them wedged between ice and stone, and turns back as Amara's power erupts, giving her the same gold glow as before.
Before Ticoga can get himself ready, the human chose to move in, keying Ticoga in to join in the head on assault. Foolish - he didn't even bother to power himself up beforehand, and chose to strike before either of them was actually prepared. But Ticoga was getting used to transforming quickly, cutting down on the time it takes to make battle preparation more smooth.
His Ki explodes outwards as Derrick launches forth, and within moments, Ticoga's body glows bright. His height increases, and his horns retreat into his skull - but only once his transformation was complete, does his brightly shining form become visible.
This was the first time he'd assumed his true form in a long time. But now, he was ready. Ticoga vanishes to the left, reappearing above Amara and coming down, clasping his hands together, and attempts to drive his clasped hands into the nape of Amara's neck!
|
|
|
|
Post by Amara on Jan 22, 2021 22:10:58 GMT -6
Amara leaned back with an unimpressed look glazed on her face, giving Derry an appraising look before attempting to deliver a sharp, low-power kick straight to the man's chest. She was holding back enough that it wouldn't cause any real damage, but if it landed the gangster would be sent flying back through the ice and snow straight on his ass. "I know that most battles start slow and burn up to max, but when I said no holds barred I fuckin' meant it." And the Saiyan wouldn't be so kind again if he came at her with anything less than full power. Ticoga in the meantime had taken on his true form, a visage quite similar to many other Arcosians she'd seen before. His power was still nothing when measured next to hers, but by any normal standards it was quite impressive. Probably even stronger than Derry despite the difference in their base forms - though in Ticoga's case, and as far as she knew, this was less of a transformation and more of a lifting of self-imposed restrictions. It's why Arcosians could freely take on such great power while Saiyans needed explicit training and outside stimuli to come even close with their Oozaru form.
Even with a zanzoken, Ticoga's movements were bleedingly obvious to the Super Saiyan as he attempted to capitalize on her distraction with Derry. Allowing herself to 'fly' just above the ground, Amara spun around as to make her back face the ground, eyes staring up at Ticoga as his attack soared through open air. With her arms crossed and a steely look of dismissal, she put a bit more effort into a three-kick combo. The first aimed to send Ticoga high in the air, the second was followed with a zanzoken that would spiral the Arcosian back towards the Earth below, and the third would finalize her assault by slamming down unto his back to push him further into the ice. Insofar Amara hadn't even attempted to use her hands or arms for blocking OR attacking, and while it might be seen as an insult of sorts Amara hoped it would prove that their current strategy was proving totally ineffective. Assuming her attacks on Ticoga had landed, she'd leap off him a fair distance away and stand still once more with nary a scratch on her body. "Do it again."
|
|
|
|
Post by Derrick Ottoy on Jan 22, 2021 22:39:24 GMT -6
As anticipated, Amara was very quick to react to Derry's sudden attack and was even able to respond with a swift quick aimed directly at his chest. The kick hits its target, and the former gangster is launched back several feet into a nearby snow bank. Buried in snow, the gangster now has a grasp on just how strong Amara is in this form, and how much she's actually holding back. He coughs to himself and pulls himself out of the snow just in time to see Ticoga fighting Amara. The saiyan chastises the gangster for not using his full power in their engagement, to which Derry responds, "Yeah, I just wanted to get a feelin' for ya, ya know? If ya really want me at full strength, I'll deliver!" Derry shouts as he immediately ascends to his Painful Singe form, his eyes being filled with pink flames and his hair flowing as if it was made of fire. His power level skyrockets to a massive 297,000, although it was still lower compared to Ticoga's power in his true form and child's play to Amara.
This whole situation was brand new to him. Before with the Dirty Snakes, he was working alongside other humans who were far weaker than him, so he compensated for them by doing a majority of the work by himself. Now that he was going up against such a powerful opponent and he is forced to work alongside someone who's actually stronger than him, he'll have to begin to think about his moves. Above all, he shouldn't forget that he has an ally. "I admit I'm not exactly used to this sorta thing. Back when I ran with the Snakes, I pretty much had to do everything myself. Ticoga, think you can give me some covering fire?" After making his request, Derry moves back towards Amara and attempts to engage her in close combat once again. With the speed and strength boost from Painful Singe, perhaps he could get Amara to budge just a little bit, and maybe if he and Ticoga were lucky, the arcosian could even land a shot if Derry does a good enough job distracting the Yellow Stargoon. Derry raises his arms to guard himself and attempts to strike Amara in the side using his left hand. Derry notes that Amara wasn't using her arms to block earlier, as if she's using her legs exclusively as a handicap, so Derry prepares for a potential counterattack from Amara's legs.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ticoga on Feb 1, 2021 0:35:01 GMT -6
The blows came hard and fast - moreso than Ticoga had been prepared for. Amara's first kick nearly knock the Arcosian senseless, and being driven hard into the ice below would have been enough to collapse the lungs of a lesser being. Fortunately, Ticoga's people don't need to breath, saving him the embarrassment of heaving breaths.
Bruised, Ticoga pushes himself up off the ground, and as soon as Amara leaps away to order them to attempt again, Ticoga would hurl himself over and land near Derrick. He started considering options, when the human pipes up, asking him to provide a covering fire. Ticoga glances at Derrick, and returns his gaze at Amara.
"I can certainly provide covering fire for you, but in order for you to take advantage of it, I'll have to be firing close to you." Ticoga warns the human. "I am confident with my aim, but I would recommend not taking point at every opportunity. This isn't a bout with lessers, after all. Going off on your own will only get you rammed into the ice as well."
Ticoga raises his palms, and small balls of crimson Ki form just over them.
"I can manipulate their trajectory to some degree, but be warned that you will need to keep track of both Amara, and where my shots are. Miscalculate, and you risk being hit by them yourself." Ticoga adds, pulling his arms back. "We should take this as an opportunity to learn how Amara moves - don't go in hoping to land a blow. Let's see if we can figure her out, and then worry about whether or not we can land something."
With that said, Ticoga thrusts his hands forth, over and over, firing hundreds of Ki balls at Amara. He manages to give each shots an arc, hopefully giving Derrick a chance to move alongside them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Amara on Feb 1, 2021 18:59:34 GMT -6
Of course the human who had gotten used to being by far the strongest being in the room all his life would have trouble immediately grasping the concept of teamwork with allies on a similar plane of power. This wasn't passive instruction, though, this was the crucible in which he'd either learn it quickly or fall along the way. Their most valuable tool when compared to the generic Vocado-type maniac was actual teamwork and coordination. That sort of thing was usually geared towards Heroes and their ilk, so a group of undesirables wielding it against them made it all the more potent. The loss of Dosu, Bloom, and possible even Ashi had dealt a serious blow to their ranks. And while Ticoga and Derry weren't exactly pillars of power, the Stargoons were getting desperate for fresh blood so to speak. A small burst of power caught her attention, Derry finally unleashing his full potential like she had asked for all along. It wasn't particularly impressive compared to her own, and that was worrying to a degree. The former gangster needed to somehow make a massive leap in power before he could be considered for an all-out attack like the one Vocado had in the works. Sending him as fodder to die didn't sit right well with her, even if they WERE all villains.
The two paused for a moment, probably trying to think up some sort of plan. Amara closed her eyes for a moment... breathed in, and then kicked an orb of Ki straight at Derry as soon as the human began to move. "Usually you won't get long pauses to hash things out. Verbal communication is good, but you need to be able to adapt and follow along with your partner on the turn of a dime." Ticoga had unleashed a volley of low-powered blasts in an attempt to cover Derry's approach. If her ball of energy hadn't thrown him off too bad he'd now be upon her. She'd no more time to bother stuffing his approach while deflecting all of Ticoga's numerous blasts without a scratch. No doubt he'd noticed her own strategy of using only her legs to attack and defend, so the human would be expecting retaliation from that end. Amara swayed to dodge Derry's initial strike, the blow whistling by her head in open air as the Saiyan suddenly dropped to the ground, attempting to almost slide under the pink prospective goon and deliver a sharp blow straight to his chest from below. Yet instead of simply focusing on Derry and Derry alone, she'd follow through her attack by sliding back to her feet, twisting the kick another orb straight at the Arcosian in the back to catch him off guard.
|
|
|
|
Post by Derrick Ottoy on Feb 2, 2021 15:41:25 GMT -6
Before the Pink Stargoon moves in to combat Amara, Ticoga mentions that he is certainly capable of assisting him from afar, but warns Derry about the dangers of taking point every time. Derry quickly glances over to the arcosian and asks, "You wanna shot at her next?" Afterwards, Ticoga also warns Derry to not get in the way of his ki blasts, and to play more defensively around Amara and see what exactly her fighting style is like, to which Derry replies, "Ahead of you on that one. I'm keepin' my guard up this time now that I truly know the sheer difference in power between us. And don't worry, I'll keep your blasts in mind."
Derry moves in to land his attack against Amara while simultaneously keeping his guard up against any potential attacks from her legs. As soon as he moves, however, Amara has already shot a ball of ki directly at the former gangster, and Derry was forced to slow down a bit and block the blast with his forearms. The blast slightly burned his skin, but he was fine otherwise. Amara also makes a comment towards him and Ticoga about communication and how they won't always get an opportunity to talk between each other. Derry glances back at Ticoga and gives him a nod before moving back in to enact his original plan of attacking Amara while guarding against her legs. Derry notices Amara begin to shift as he approaches, and before he could land his strike, she dodges to his side and begins to slide underneath him. This could only mean one thing to Derry, and he immediately shifts his forearms to intercept an attack from below him. Sure enough, Amara's foot plants itself into his arms, and while he is launched back a few feet, Derry manages to keep his footing.
In the midst of Derry's recovery, he realizes that if he isn't the target of Amara's attacks right now, then that would mean that Ticoga would be her new target. He focuses in on Ticoga and Amara as one of the ki blasts the arcosian fired was being kicked back to him by Amara. Without hesitation, Derry aims the palm of his hand to where he believes the ki blast is going to be and takes his shot, firing out a small fireball in the hope of colliding with Ticoga's reflected blast. The fireball almost perfectly collides with the ki blast, creating a decently sized puff of smoke almost right in front of Ticoga. Derry dashes towards Ticoga and raises his guard, prepared in the event that Amara decided to continue her assault against the arcosian. The smoke begins to clear, and Derry quickly glances back and asks Ticoga, "You alright?" Derry turns his attention back towards Amara, prepared for whatever comes next, whether that would be Amara rushing in towards them or Ticoga coming up with his own sort plan, whatever that would be.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ticoga on Feb 3, 2021 0:59:34 GMT -6
Ticoga watches intently even as his unleashes his volley as Amara begins to move. She favored her legs for defense, and her arms for offense - but that may likely be a ploy to try and force them to make assumptions about her capability. When his own blast came rocketing back, Ticoga prepared to bat it away, but Derrick leaps into his defense, adeptly shooting down the Ki ball and providing them with very temporary cover.
Fortunately, he seemed none the worse for wear, too.
"Yes, I'm fine." Ticoga replies, stepping up beside the human. "Come, we strike together this time - watch for my signals!"
With that said, Ticoga bursts forth through the cloud of smoke, making a bee line for Amara. As soon as he is within melee range, Ticoga attempts to engage her with a series of leg and open handed blows, each aimed at her sides and shoulders and coming in at odd angles.
Slapping his left hand against the ice, Ticoga whirls his body about, aiming his right elbow at Amara's left thigh while also swinging his left leg at her right shoulder as his tail suddenly lashes at her left shoulder. Hopefully, this would create an opening at Amara's midsection for Derrick to take advantage of!
|
|
