Post by Jie Shan Lan Dian on May 8, 2016 9:12:21 GMT -5
“Jie Shan,” echoed Rudieri’s voice, “Maybe you should take it easy. It’s been awhile since you’ve done this.”
“Just start the chamber up, Rudieri,” said Jie Shan with a smirk, “A Super Saiyan doesn’t take things easy.” The sound of a sigh sounded against the chamber walls, but Jie Shan paid it no mind. His body was already tensing up as he prepared to push himself into the Super Saiyan transformation. And, hopefully, he’d be able to take it to another level.
Slowly, the chamber came to live. Jie Shan felt the pressure of fifty times the planet’s gravity begin to press down on him, trying to flatten him. But he stood strong against it, though it made him weary. “How’s it feel, Jie Shan?” Asked Rudieri from the comfort of her control room. Jie Shan flexed his muscles and cracked the bones in his hands. “It feels good,” confirmed Jie Shan, “My body has been aching for a workout. Can’t say I get too many of those these days.”
“Now you know how I feel,” exclaimed Rudieri, “I bet you have even more desk work than before! I guess being a Counselor isn’t as glamorous as you thought, huh?” Jie Shan’s smirk turned to a frown. “You know, you’re right about that,” he admitted, “But hey, at least I got a good fight out of it.”
Jie Shan gathered his power. He felt the strength in him rising like a fire, an inferno of ki. A brilliant gold aura began to form around him, covering his entire body. His hair ran from silver to gold, and began to form spiked edges, as if it were fraying from the power. He could feel the strength in him rising, and soon it was as if the gravity had not changed at all. This, he thought, was the power of a Super Saiyan. “Impressive,” said Rudieri, “Your power level has risen to over two million.”
“I’m not done yet,” grunted Jie Shan, “I’m going even further!” He shouted as he reached deep into himself, smashing at the barriers that would keep him from his power. Ki flowed throughout him, seeping into his muscles like water spilling over dry ground. He could feel them growing, burst forth like the floodgates of a dam had burst. He felt body expand like mad, his muscle mass swelling. Luckily, his armor was Saiyan make, made to expand alongside the Oozaru form. If it were not, he might have lost them!
And finally he was done. Jie Shan breathed in and out heavily, his body still coursing with power. He looked down on himself. Jie Shan was huge, like some kind of bodybuilder. He felt heavy, much heavier. Well, he certainly wasn’t build for speed. “Rudier,” he said, “What’s my power level now?”
“Just about three million, Jie Shan,” said Rudier, “At least offensively. You probably move at about half that. But hey, nothing is gained without losing something.”
“I’m not sure about that,” mumbled Jie Shan.
Rudieri spoke once again, doubling her concern. “How does it feel? No pain or anything? Because I don't think changing your body back and forth rapidly-”
“Rudieri, I’m fine,” he interjected, “I like I could take on the whole world.”
“Well,” sighed Rudieri, “I wouldn't go that far, but your power level is pretty high. Though, the Overseer and his brother have left you in the dust.”
“Screw ‘em!” Exclaimed Jie Shan, his confidence rising. He flexed his muscles once again and let his aura flash with power, “I’ll catch them in no time! Just you watch!”
“Oh, I will be,” said Rudieri, a hint of exasperation in her voice, “Watching you is my job, remember? I mean, it literally is my job. Your father's orders are very clear.”
Jie Shan frowned and his eyes narrowed. His father. He nearly forgot the man, but now the man who sired him was at the forefront of his mind. The last time Jie Shan had seen him was the day of the arena match. The young halfblood was surprised that his father had not yet demanded a meeting. It was not like the man to go so long without annoying Jie Shan.
“You know,” said Jie Shan, his voice sour, “I outrank my father. I could order you to stop. Damn it, I could order you to hand over those files you're always going on about.”
The door to the chamber slid open behind him, the dry mechanical sound of it filling the room. “Yes, you could,” said an unfortunately familiar voice, “But where would that get you?”
Jie Shan spun around on his heels, a chill down his spine. His hands tingled and went instinctively to the sword at his back. In a flash, the blade cleared the scabbarb, so fast that it cut the air around it and it cracked like a whip. Jie Shan’s eyes narrowed as they met with the eyes of his father. They were cold, like ice, black, unflinching pools. His father's face was blank, aside from the now raised eyebrow. “Jie Shan, watch where you swing that thing. Your sword is not a toy. You’ll put somebody's eye out,” said his father with a chuckle. Jie Shan’s hand trembled. He knew not what he wanted to so, whether to drop the blade or put it through his father’s eye. He could do it. He was a Super Saiyan. He could move so quickly, he could cut the man to ribbons and blast the rest to ash before anyone could blink. Jie Shan had seen it done before, in his childhood. A man cut to tiny bits and blasted from existence before the sound of his death could escape his lips or the first drop of his blood hit the ground.
No, he thought, he would not think of that. It belonged in the back of his head, alongside memories of exploding heads and giants with cold, red eyes. Slowly, Jie Shan sheathed the blade and stared at his father, hard. “What do you want?” He demanded.
“To see my son,” claimed Gai Lan Dian, “I’ve not had a chance to see you since the reopening of the arena.”
His father stepped closer, his footfall heavy and plodding, the gravity weighing him down. He stepped closer, so that there was little space between them, and placed a hand on Jie Shan’s shoulder. “My son is a Super Saiyan,” whispered Gai Lan Dian, “Finally. This is what I've wanted for the longest time. Our legacy is gilded. When people hear the name ‘Lan Dian’, they will see images of gold.”
He reached and grabbed Jie Shan’s hair, it still tingling with golden power. His father was wearing long, flowing robes made of offworld silk. The sleeve of it brushed against Jie Shan’s cheek. His father brought up his other hand and cupped Jie Shan’s face, and stared into his eyes. “Teal,” he mumbled, “A real Super Saiyan…”
“Is that all I am to you?” Asked Jie Shan, “A Super Saiyan? Some golden trophy to stick on your mantle?”
“Jie Shan,” sighed his father, “Stop being so dramatic. I want what's best for you. I always have. You and I, we're all each other has.”
“No,” exclaimed Jie Shan, “You’re wrong. I’ve got my squad. And my mother is out there.”
“A squad is no replacement for family. But I will admit, they do have your best interests at heart,” chuckled his father, cryptically. “But stop this talk of your mother. She's long gone. Probably halfway across the universe. It's best accept that she's gone. I would have if she'd never taken you when you were just a boy.”
“I wish she’d taken me sooner,” spat Jie Shan.
“Oh, come now,” growled his father, “I'm not that bad. Certainly better than your mother. I’ve seen your psychological profile, Jie Shan, and frankly it's a mess. You toss, turn, and even scream in your sleep. But I guess that's what happens when you thrust children into the mercenary lifestyle. The horrors of war will scar a child. At least Saiyan children are usually in an Oozaru state when they are involved in atrocities. And your hybrid mind is likely a great deal softer than that of a fullblood.”
“I’d say you did the scarring,” accused Jie Shan.
“And how would I do that?” Asked his father.
“Do you remember the training you had me do as a kid?” Demanded Jie Shan, his voice sour.
“That?” Asked his father, “That was for your own good. It may have been harsh-”
“You beat me like a damn dog!” Roared Jie Shan, his voice suddenly filled with a mad fire.
His father frowned and shook his head, exasperated. “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Jie Shan,” said Gai Lan Dian simply.
The two of them stood there a moment, frozen in time, his father still holding onto his face. The space between them was cold, despite the warmth. Finally, Jie Shan broke the silence. “I could kill you,” whispered the halfblood to his father, “I could kill you before you could do anything about it. I could blast you away so that there’d be nothing left. No bones, no ash, and certainly not a trace of your legacy.”
The two stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. His father's eyes were still cold as ice, but there was an insanity in them, a madness. It looked, realized Jie Shan, as if he were about to snap. But suddenly, his father burst into peals of deep laughter, spittle flying from his mouth and pelting Jie Shan’s face. “What's so funny?” Demanded the hybrid.
His father laughed longer, finally speaking with his voice still breathey with laughter. “Oh Jie Shan,” began his father, “It’s funny. When you said that, something in me snapped.”
His father finally released Jie Shan’s face and stepped back, his chest still heaving with effort from the gravity. “In my sleeve,” Gai Lan Dian continued, “I keep a blade. And for tiniest, insane moment I considered drawing it out and opening your throat with it. But then I thought to myself if that would even work on a Super Saiyan. And that little moment of doubt brought me right back to reality.”
His father laughed again. “To think,” he remarked, “I would be so stupid as to try and kill you. And after I spent so much time on you. No! Perish the thought! Crimes of passion do nobody any good.”
Jie Shan frowned, but said nothing. His heart and lungs shook, and a shiver ran down his spine. Whether from fear or anger, he could not say for certain.
“Jie Shan,” said his father, “You don't know how easy you have it. None of you Alliance whelps do. I grew up in the Empire. My father, rest his soul, pushed me even harder than I pushed you. But it made me a stronger man. It made me who I am today. It's a pity I never got to thank him before I ripped him limb from limb. And do you know why I did that? Do you know what drove a son to turn his own father to a fine red paste in an unmarked grave?”
Jie Shan stared at him, his eyes hard and cold as steel. “I can hazard a guess,” said the halfblood harshly.
His father ignored that. “I'll tell you why,” continued Gai, “When I went over to the Saiyan Alliance from the Empire, he tried to stop me. He spoke a great deal about tradition, about loyalty, about… legacy. But I wouldn't listen. I was an ambitious brat, and I saw great opportunity in the Alliance. I saw a future, a chance to make myself into a great man, one who everyone knew by name. So, he tried to bring me back by force. Or maybe he was trying to kill me, so that he could preserve his own honor. I don't know for sure, but we fought. And I killed him. I killed him by ripping off his own arms and beating him to death with them. I still remember the look in his eyes as I killed him. That look of defeat, horror, and betrayal. It stung a bit, but I knew that I’d done right for myself.”
Jie Shan trembled. His father never spoke of his family. Now Jie Shan knew why. Just how much blood did his father have on his hands? Slowly, Gai Lan Dian backed away and towards the door, his foot steps still heavy. All the while, he never broke his gaze, still staring at his son. “Just remember that, Jie Shan,” said Gai Lan Dian, “Remember your lineage, why you're hear. Everything I've done, I have done it for you.”
The door to the chamber slid open once again and Gai Lan Dian stepped out. The chamber door slid closed and Jie Shan was alone. Mostly alone.
“Well,” came Rudieri’s voice, “That was awkward.”
“You heard all that?” Mumbled Jie Shan, his voice low and unsteady.
“Yeah,” confirmed Rudieri, “Hey look, Jie Shan, maybe we should stop for today.”
Jie Shan shook his head. “No. I want to train. I need to catch up with the rest,” he said. Jie Shan needed something to get his mind off what had just happened. And training wa the best way to do it. Work the body to distract the mind, he thought to himself. And he had just the idea for what he could do.
Jie Shan started with the basics. Running, push ups, sit ups, the usual exercises that one might do for training. And, despite the gravity, he found it simple. He supposed that as a Super Saiyan, he was beyond those exercises now. Here he was, a planet buster, and he was doing crunches. It certainly seemed almost silly. To some people, it might seem as if he had the power of a god. But Jie Shan knew better than that. He knew just how weak he really was. There were people far stronger than him out there, and he had to be ready to face them.
Finally, Jie Shan found himself in the center of the chamber. It was time for him to end this training, and he knew just how to do it. He breathed in and out, deep breathes that went to the very core of him. Already, he was gathering his ki. It felt as if he were holding his breath. There was a pyre building in him, a raging inferno. He reared back, like a dragon, and expelled his energy. A great gout of flame flew from his mouth and lit up the room with a dazzling display. It raged and raged, so great Jie Shan thought the world around him might melt. It was intense, like hellfire.
Finally, the flames subsided. The last wisps of it left his mouth and he smirked. That had made him feel better. Just a bit.
(Learning [OT-3] Hellfire Cannon. Also unlocking Super Saiyan Third Grade! I’ll take PL for this, with a house bonus, gravity bonus, LMB and a Half-Elemi bonus. Thank you!)
“Just start the chamber up, Rudieri,” said Jie Shan with a smirk, “A Super Saiyan doesn’t take things easy.” The sound of a sigh sounded against the chamber walls, but Jie Shan paid it no mind. His body was already tensing up as he prepared to push himself into the Super Saiyan transformation. And, hopefully, he’d be able to take it to another level.
Slowly, the chamber came to live. Jie Shan felt the pressure of fifty times the planet’s gravity begin to press down on him, trying to flatten him. But he stood strong against it, though it made him weary. “How’s it feel, Jie Shan?” Asked Rudieri from the comfort of her control room. Jie Shan flexed his muscles and cracked the bones in his hands. “It feels good,” confirmed Jie Shan, “My body has been aching for a workout. Can’t say I get too many of those these days.”
“Now you know how I feel,” exclaimed Rudieri, “I bet you have even more desk work than before! I guess being a Counselor isn’t as glamorous as you thought, huh?” Jie Shan’s smirk turned to a frown. “You know, you’re right about that,” he admitted, “But hey, at least I got a good fight out of it.”
Jie Shan gathered his power. He felt the strength in him rising like a fire, an inferno of ki. A brilliant gold aura began to form around him, covering his entire body. His hair ran from silver to gold, and began to form spiked edges, as if it were fraying from the power. He could feel the strength in him rising, and soon it was as if the gravity had not changed at all. This, he thought, was the power of a Super Saiyan. “Impressive,” said Rudieri, “Your power level has risen to over two million.”
“I’m not done yet,” grunted Jie Shan, “I’m going even further!” He shouted as he reached deep into himself, smashing at the barriers that would keep him from his power. Ki flowed throughout him, seeping into his muscles like water spilling over dry ground. He could feel them growing, burst forth like the floodgates of a dam had burst. He felt body expand like mad, his muscle mass swelling. Luckily, his armor was Saiyan make, made to expand alongside the Oozaru form. If it were not, he might have lost them!
And finally he was done. Jie Shan breathed in and out heavily, his body still coursing with power. He looked down on himself. Jie Shan was huge, like some kind of bodybuilder. He felt heavy, much heavier. Well, he certainly wasn’t build for speed. “Rudier,” he said, “What’s my power level now?”
“Just about three million, Jie Shan,” said Rudier, “At least offensively. You probably move at about half that. But hey, nothing is gained without losing something.”
“I’m not sure about that,” mumbled Jie Shan.
Rudieri spoke once again, doubling her concern. “How does it feel? No pain or anything? Because I don't think changing your body back and forth rapidly-”
“Rudieri, I’m fine,” he interjected, “I like I could take on the whole world.”
“Well,” sighed Rudieri, “I wouldn't go that far, but your power level is pretty high. Though, the Overseer and his brother have left you in the dust.”
“Screw ‘em!” Exclaimed Jie Shan, his confidence rising. He flexed his muscles once again and let his aura flash with power, “I’ll catch them in no time! Just you watch!”
“Oh, I will be,” said Rudieri, a hint of exasperation in her voice, “Watching you is my job, remember? I mean, it literally is my job. Your father's orders are very clear.”
Jie Shan frowned and his eyes narrowed. His father. He nearly forgot the man, but now the man who sired him was at the forefront of his mind. The last time Jie Shan had seen him was the day of the arena match. The young halfblood was surprised that his father had not yet demanded a meeting. It was not like the man to go so long without annoying Jie Shan.
“You know,” said Jie Shan, his voice sour, “I outrank my father. I could order you to stop. Damn it, I could order you to hand over those files you're always going on about.”
The door to the chamber slid open behind him, the dry mechanical sound of it filling the room. “Yes, you could,” said an unfortunately familiar voice, “But where would that get you?”
Jie Shan spun around on his heels, a chill down his spine. His hands tingled and went instinctively to the sword at his back. In a flash, the blade cleared the scabbarb, so fast that it cut the air around it and it cracked like a whip. Jie Shan’s eyes narrowed as they met with the eyes of his father. They were cold, like ice, black, unflinching pools. His father's face was blank, aside from the now raised eyebrow. “Jie Shan, watch where you swing that thing. Your sword is not a toy. You’ll put somebody's eye out,” said his father with a chuckle. Jie Shan’s hand trembled. He knew not what he wanted to so, whether to drop the blade or put it through his father’s eye. He could do it. He was a Super Saiyan. He could move so quickly, he could cut the man to ribbons and blast the rest to ash before anyone could blink. Jie Shan had seen it done before, in his childhood. A man cut to tiny bits and blasted from existence before the sound of his death could escape his lips or the first drop of his blood hit the ground.
No, he thought, he would not think of that. It belonged in the back of his head, alongside memories of exploding heads and giants with cold, red eyes. Slowly, Jie Shan sheathed the blade and stared at his father, hard. “What do you want?” He demanded.
“To see my son,” claimed Gai Lan Dian, “I’ve not had a chance to see you since the reopening of the arena.”
His father stepped closer, his footfall heavy and plodding, the gravity weighing him down. He stepped closer, so that there was little space between them, and placed a hand on Jie Shan’s shoulder. “My son is a Super Saiyan,” whispered Gai Lan Dian, “Finally. This is what I've wanted for the longest time. Our legacy is gilded. When people hear the name ‘Lan Dian’, they will see images of gold.”
He reached and grabbed Jie Shan’s hair, it still tingling with golden power. His father was wearing long, flowing robes made of offworld silk. The sleeve of it brushed against Jie Shan’s cheek. His father brought up his other hand and cupped Jie Shan’s face, and stared into his eyes. “Teal,” he mumbled, “A real Super Saiyan…”
“Is that all I am to you?” Asked Jie Shan, “A Super Saiyan? Some golden trophy to stick on your mantle?”
“Jie Shan,” sighed his father, “Stop being so dramatic. I want what's best for you. I always have. You and I, we're all each other has.”
“No,” exclaimed Jie Shan, “You’re wrong. I’ve got my squad. And my mother is out there.”
“A squad is no replacement for family. But I will admit, they do have your best interests at heart,” chuckled his father, cryptically. “But stop this talk of your mother. She's long gone. Probably halfway across the universe. It's best accept that she's gone. I would have if she'd never taken you when you were just a boy.”
“I wish she’d taken me sooner,” spat Jie Shan.
“Oh, come now,” growled his father, “I'm not that bad. Certainly better than your mother. I’ve seen your psychological profile, Jie Shan, and frankly it's a mess. You toss, turn, and even scream in your sleep. But I guess that's what happens when you thrust children into the mercenary lifestyle. The horrors of war will scar a child. At least Saiyan children are usually in an Oozaru state when they are involved in atrocities. And your hybrid mind is likely a great deal softer than that of a fullblood.”
“I’d say you did the scarring,” accused Jie Shan.
“And how would I do that?” Asked his father.
“Do you remember the training you had me do as a kid?” Demanded Jie Shan, his voice sour.
“That?” Asked his father, “That was for your own good. It may have been harsh-”
“You beat me like a damn dog!” Roared Jie Shan, his voice suddenly filled with a mad fire.
His father frowned and shook his head, exasperated. “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Jie Shan,” said Gai Lan Dian simply.
The two of them stood there a moment, frozen in time, his father still holding onto his face. The space between them was cold, despite the warmth. Finally, Jie Shan broke the silence. “I could kill you,” whispered the halfblood to his father, “I could kill you before you could do anything about it. I could blast you away so that there’d be nothing left. No bones, no ash, and certainly not a trace of your legacy.”
The two stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. His father's eyes were still cold as ice, but there was an insanity in them, a madness. It looked, realized Jie Shan, as if he were about to snap. But suddenly, his father burst into peals of deep laughter, spittle flying from his mouth and pelting Jie Shan’s face. “What's so funny?” Demanded the hybrid.
His father laughed longer, finally speaking with his voice still breathey with laughter. “Oh Jie Shan,” began his father, “It’s funny. When you said that, something in me snapped.”
His father finally released Jie Shan’s face and stepped back, his chest still heaving with effort from the gravity. “In my sleeve,” Gai Lan Dian continued, “I keep a blade. And for tiniest, insane moment I considered drawing it out and opening your throat with it. But then I thought to myself if that would even work on a Super Saiyan. And that little moment of doubt brought me right back to reality.”
His father laughed again. “To think,” he remarked, “I would be so stupid as to try and kill you. And after I spent so much time on you. No! Perish the thought! Crimes of passion do nobody any good.”
Jie Shan frowned, but said nothing. His heart and lungs shook, and a shiver ran down his spine. Whether from fear or anger, he could not say for certain.
“Jie Shan,” said his father, “You don't know how easy you have it. None of you Alliance whelps do. I grew up in the Empire. My father, rest his soul, pushed me even harder than I pushed you. But it made me a stronger man. It made me who I am today. It's a pity I never got to thank him before I ripped him limb from limb. And do you know why I did that? Do you know what drove a son to turn his own father to a fine red paste in an unmarked grave?”
Jie Shan stared at him, his eyes hard and cold as steel. “I can hazard a guess,” said the halfblood harshly.
His father ignored that. “I'll tell you why,” continued Gai, “When I went over to the Saiyan Alliance from the Empire, he tried to stop me. He spoke a great deal about tradition, about loyalty, about… legacy. But I wouldn't listen. I was an ambitious brat, and I saw great opportunity in the Alliance. I saw a future, a chance to make myself into a great man, one who everyone knew by name. So, he tried to bring me back by force. Or maybe he was trying to kill me, so that he could preserve his own honor. I don't know for sure, but we fought. And I killed him. I killed him by ripping off his own arms and beating him to death with them. I still remember the look in his eyes as I killed him. That look of defeat, horror, and betrayal. It stung a bit, but I knew that I’d done right for myself.”
Jie Shan trembled. His father never spoke of his family. Now Jie Shan knew why. Just how much blood did his father have on his hands? Slowly, Gai Lan Dian backed away and towards the door, his foot steps still heavy. All the while, he never broke his gaze, still staring at his son. “Just remember that, Jie Shan,” said Gai Lan Dian, “Remember your lineage, why you're hear. Everything I've done, I have done it for you.”
The door to the chamber slid open once again and Gai Lan Dian stepped out. The chamber door slid closed and Jie Shan was alone. Mostly alone.
“Well,” came Rudieri’s voice, “That was awkward.”
“You heard all that?” Mumbled Jie Shan, his voice low and unsteady.
“Yeah,” confirmed Rudieri, “Hey look, Jie Shan, maybe we should stop for today.”
Jie Shan shook his head. “No. I want to train. I need to catch up with the rest,” he said. Jie Shan needed something to get his mind off what had just happened. And training wa the best way to do it. Work the body to distract the mind, he thought to himself. And he had just the idea for what he could do.
Jie Shan started with the basics. Running, push ups, sit ups, the usual exercises that one might do for training. And, despite the gravity, he found it simple. He supposed that as a Super Saiyan, he was beyond those exercises now. Here he was, a planet buster, and he was doing crunches. It certainly seemed almost silly. To some people, it might seem as if he had the power of a god. But Jie Shan knew better than that. He knew just how weak he really was. There were people far stronger than him out there, and he had to be ready to face them.
Finally, Jie Shan found himself in the center of the chamber. It was time for him to end this training, and he knew just how to do it. He breathed in and out, deep breathes that went to the very core of him. Already, he was gathering his ki. It felt as if he were holding his breath. There was a pyre building in him, a raging inferno. He reared back, like a dragon, and expelled his energy. A great gout of flame flew from his mouth and lit up the room with a dazzling display. It raged and raged, so great Jie Shan thought the world around him might melt. It was intense, like hellfire.
Finally, the flames subsided. The last wisps of it left his mouth and he smirked. That had made him feel better. Just a bit.
(Learning [OT-3] Hellfire Cannon. Also unlocking Super Saiyan Third Grade! I’ll take PL for this, with a house bonus, gravity bonus, LMB and a Half-Elemi bonus. Thank you!)
