Earth's new loyal warrior. (Closed, Jie and Chris)

(Thread PL: 230,071. Half-Elemi base: 460,142/230,071)

Jie Shan hovered in the sky above the wastes, the hot and heavy air of the harsh environment weighing down on him, wrapping him in a blanket of uncomfortable heat. Sweat beaded at his brow, and he wiped it away in a swift motion before bringing his hand back up to cover his eyes. The two dark orbs glinted in the desert sun, following the horizon. Now this, he thought, reminded him of home. The Saiyan blood in his veins had been brewed by landscapes like this, aged like wine even. Evolution had forged at least part of his genetic material in environs like this. That didn't stop the red and blue clothes of his gi from sticking to his body from sweat; it did not stop his blade from feeling a little heavier on his back.

What had brought Jie Shan to this place, however, was no sense of nostalgia, no growing homesickness. What had brought him so far from his new mountain was simple curiosity. Jie Shan had always been a wanderer at heart, and though recent years had left him tied down, he felt an intense desire to get to know his new home. So, he'd left his home in the hands of his staff and new student and decided to make a day trip of it. And what that meant to him was picking a direction and flying in it until he hit something interesting.

And that had not exactly worked out for him. Now, Jie Shan was hovering in the warm skies and it was starting to have its effects on him. The man was more than used to the heat, having grown up and spent his childhood and formative years traipsing across harsh planets with his mother or under the crushing tutelage of his father. But damn, he needed a drink. If only he'd come across a bar...

With a sigh, Jie Shan closed his eyes. Now that he'd had his fill of the wastes, it was time to find civilization. His mind reached out, pouring over the area, looking for any signs of life. Animals mostly, he noted, but there was something else: a human? Someone with a high power level, especially for an Earthling. Well, thought Jie Shan, this could be interesting. Just what he was looking for. Nodding to himself, Jie Shan wiped the sweat from his brow once again and took off through the air, speeding towards the source of the ki. And as he sped along, he felt several other smaller ki signatures approaching his first target. Was he about to walk in on a meeting of sorts? Only one way to find out, he supposed.

In time, Jie Shan finally reached the source of the larger signature. For a moment, he hovered overhead, looking down. It seemed his mark had led him to an oasis, a beautiful blue gem in a sea of dead brown. But Jie Shan's eyes finally came to the source of the energy: a young girl. A fellow wanderer? Cocking an eyebrow, Jie Shan began to descend. And as he approached, Jie Shan raised a hand in greeting and shouted out. "Hey!" He exclaimed, "I don't suppose you know where the nearest bar is?"

He laughed at his own joke as his boots touched down onto the coarse terrain of the wastes. Jie Shan advanced towards her, long silvery hair trailing behind him. He bowed slightly, revealing the upper length of his blade as he did so.

WC: 583

In the back of his mind, Jie Shan was vaguely aware of the fact that the other, smaller sources of energy were now turning about and taking off in the other direction. Hell, he thought, he could even hear it. The mechanical sound of engines grew further and further away, leaving him and the first source of energy alone. Cocking an eyebrow in surprise as he looked into the distance, he frowned ever so slightly. Now what had that been about? He felt as if he was missing something major here. Not that him missing out on major details was uncommon anymore, but it did not make it any less strange.

Moreoever, Jie Shan turned his eyes back on his original person of interest: and it was with great alarm that he now realized the women was struggling, on the brink of exhaustion or worse. A pointed feeling of worry ran through his body, up his spine like an electric current. It seemed he had come at just the right time. If he'd been any later, what would have happened to the girl? Perish the thought, he noted in his head, all that mattered was he was here now and he had to help.

The girl pointed towards the water with desperation, a weakness in her movements. A flash of recognition went through Jie Shan's eyes and he nodded. Yes, the girl desperately needed the water. "Alright," he said, his voice having gone from relatively cheery to deadly serious, "Let's get you something to drink, girl."

Jie Shan quickly shuffled over to the girl, and took a single knee beside her. His eyes ran over her, black Saiyan eyes looking for anything of note. These were eyes that had been trained into a sharp state of examination by years spent on the battlefield. Jie Shan had learned how to examine bodies for injury on hostile alien planets and in the rough and tumble training sessions on Planet Natto; now he was making sure that a dying girl on Earth had no other external injuries before he moved her. The last thing that the young Super Saiyan needed was for the girl's guts to fall out as he was moving her from point to point.

"If it hurts," muttered Jie Shan, quietly and trying to be as gentle sounding as he could, "Speak up and we'll figure something else out."

And with that, Jie Shan made to slip his hands beneath her arms. He moved gingerly, his hands softly moving through the air and towards the woman, lest he make matters worse. Assuming that she let him touch her and carry her, Jie Shan would make to move her towards the oasis, and when they reached the life giving edge of the pond, he would set her beside it and pool water in his hands, trying to give her water by hand.

If not, well, he'd figure something else there as she laid in the dusty surface of the wastes. It would not be his first rodeo like this.

WC: 508

The girl let him carry her to the edge of the water, thankfully. Having ignored her protests about her lack of injury, Jie Shan was now tending the girl by pouring water into her mouth. What came next surprised Jie Shan: the girl began to roll towards the water. He gave a start, and reached out to stop her before the young girl rolled into the water, but it was too late, he'd reacted too slowly. The girl dropped into the water with an unceremonious splash and his jaw went tight as he scrambled to the side to retrieve the girl from the water. Muttering under his breath, Jie Shan was near in a panic. Had he just saved a girl from death by dehydration only to send her to her doom by drowning? Jie Shan knew that the forces that be were cruel and fond of irony, but couldn't he catch a break? Heart beating, Jie Shan was about to reach into the refreshingly blue water of the oasis when the girl broke the surface of the water, all wet and surprisingly lively. Jie Shan, startled, reared backwards and fell on his backside, staring at the girl in stark surprise.

She spoke. "Indeed," muttered Jie Shan, still processing what had happened, "Odd introductions indeed. Not quite what I was expecting when I flew out here, I'll admit."

The girl told him her story, and Jie Shan squinted at her, brow furrowed. Cleopatra, he noted, or Cleo as she had insisted. What she explained next, however, really took him aback. An ex-Lanza soldier? And from the Overwatch Citadel? Two ghosts from the back of Jie Shan's mind came screeching like demons to the forefront. He, of course, had not paid the Lanza much mind since the group had paid a visit to Natto a long time ago now, to treat with Overseer Nasu. Now that had been a headache and a half, remembered Jie Shan, but what really shook him was the mention of the Overwatch Citadel. Jie Shan had been there once and only once, and it was not under pleasant circumstances. Jie Shan had been the first on the scene to try and save the city from a rampaging Komatsu who had turned into some sort of Great Ape and Super Saiyan hybrid. Jie Shan still remembered that night, he still remembered such earth-shaking power that the young Saiyan had wielded, how the young Saiyan had decimated the city. A little seed of anger sprouted in Jie Shan's stomach as he remembered the events of that night; not only what had happened with Komatsu, but the arrival of that one bastard and his posse of fighters. Jie Shan himself had done battle with some kind of Namekian and defeated it, though he spared the slug-like alien.

Still, Jie Shan suppressed his emotions and nodded to the girl, trying to offer something of a smile to her. "Nice to meet you," said Jie Shan, "Though I'm sure we both wish it were under less dire circumstances."

And Jie Shan pondered what she had said about that group that turned around. She made them leave? One could sense ki? Slowly, it dawned on Jie Shan: whoever they were, Cleopatra had not wanted them to come along. Jie Shan pursed his lips and shook his head. "Huh," mumbled the hybrid, "Well, water under the bridge now. Maybe I ought to come back here sometime and pay them a visit..."

Jie Shan shook his head. "Oh well," muttered Jie Shan, "I'm Jie Shan Lan Dian, by the way. I- You know what, my story really isn't that important. I was just taking a look around when I sensed your energy. Figured I'd swing by and say 'hello'. Guess it's a good thing that I did. Looks like you didn't have a leg to stand on, about as dry as the rest of this place."

Jie Shan chuckled lightly to himself. Pulling himself to his feet, Jie Shan ruffled his clothes, brushing the wasteland dust from his body. He offered a bow once again before taking a moment to stand in silence. A thoughtful look came over his face and he ran a single hand through silvery hair. "So," said Jie Shan, "Ex-Lanza and the Overwatch Citadel. Now that's an unfortunate story if I've ever heard one. You have my condolences. I... I know first hand just how bad things were at the Overwatch Citadel."

Jie Shan's voice grew somber and a deep frown grew on his face.

WC: 755

Jie Shan cocked an eyebrow as she said not to worry about the group who had turned about and ran with their tails between their legs. And she had all but confirmed that they were bandits. Bandits who where not very good at their jobs, by the sounds of it. And she claimed that she was more than capable of handling the group, but she would not, citing matters of heart. Jie Shan shrugged. If Cleo said so, he supposed, but still, the idea of a bandit group running wild in the wastes did not appeal very much to Jie Shan, even if they were a small time group. He stuck that in the back of his mind, for if he was ever bored one afternoon and needed something to do. Provided they did not collapse in on themselves by then. "Well," said Jie Shan, "If you insist."

The girl said it was a please, but his eye twitched ever so slightly. His name, he thought, was Jie Shan. Not just 'Jie'. Why did everyone always forget the first part of his name?! He brushed it off, saying nothing. Instead, he'd let it be something of a nickname. Somethings were not worth the effort of correct, he mused. And this matter was among such things. The more pressing matter, however, was quite disconcerting. She'd been hiding out the past few months on account of the Citadel? And she even thought recognized his ki?

Jie Shan frowned softly and placed his hands behind his head, letting out a small sigh with his eyes wide.If the girl could sense ki, it was a distinct possibility she had sensed his. Damn likely, even. Jie Shan had been one of the first people on the scene at the Citadel, and he's arrived as a Super Saiyan. Anybody who could sense ki was going to notice, even if his power had been dwarfed by Komatsu's at the time. This, he thought, was not what he had expected. How strange how things like this shake out. Never did Jie Shan think he would encounter one of the survivors from the Citadel. But, as usual, it seemed that his fate was taking the winding road. But Jie Shan said nothing, instead letting the girl continue to speak, insisting it must have been a dream, a false phantom of some kind of fake memory.

The girl went on to explain the situation with the Lanza and the Citadel. She even referenced Saki, calling him a little crazy. She was not wrong, Jie Shan thought with a smirk. The hybrid had met the man once and only once, and that had been enough. The Lanza had seemed an odd duck, and not one that Jie Shan had particularly cared for. Still, he thought, sad that the man's city had fallen. Still, Jie Shan nodded solemnly as she explained her time with her family. And how she had lost them after saving someone during the ravaging of the city. "They sound like they were good people," he muttered quietly, "A shame about that. The world needs good people."

Jie Shan sounded tired when he said that, the heavy words ringing true. The way Jie Shan saw it, the world tended towards darkness, and it needed good people to push back. But he listened to her regale him still. It was heavy stuff. Damn it, thought Jie Shan, he'd not wanted to come out here for this. He was looking for a bar, not a heart to heart, not a sob story. But he felt bad for the girl. Jie Shan really, truly did. The halfblood was no stranger to grief, after all.

As she finally finished, Jie Shan closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. "I was there," he began, "I was one of the first people there to try and save the Citadel, if not the first. That night... That night was chaos, pure and simple. And it only got worse as the night dragged on. I can barely make sense of it myself."

He dropped his hands and opened his eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss. I really am," said Jie Shan, "I can't imagine the pain."

Jie Shan caught his tongue. He could have said something else. He could have explained Komatsu, the arrival of that bastard. But he did not. Instead, Jie Shan said one more thing, shaking his head softly. "Sometimes," he said, barely a whisper, "It's not vengeance. It's justice."

WC: 747

What Jie Shan wanted to say was that bad was indeed a common occurrence in the world. In fact, Jie Shan would err on saying that universe was inherently predisposed to being 'bad', that mortals, and aye even the immortal, oft had a natural inclination towards the darker side. Sure, the dark came in varying shades, but it did not change the fact that it was, in his mind, the predominant coloring of the universe. A shame, really. But Jie Shan listened to the girl and her mother's quote, and he thought it was a very fine statement and all, but the Saiyan-Elemi halfling simply nodded aand said, "Sounds like your mother had some wisdom. It's sad she's departed."

Jie Shan watched and listened as the girl continued to fill her water and continue to speak. He nodded at her questions; yes, Jie Shan had been there. For better or for worse, he had been there and been apart of the fighting there. Jie Shan could not help but feel slightly responsible for the fighting. Komatsu was, or at least he had been at the time, one of Jie Shan's compatriots. Even if the hybrid was at no real fault, Jie Shan could not help but feel the wispy shadow of guilt over him, hanging like mist. If only, thought Jie Shan, he'd made contact with the Alliance on Earth faster, he could have provided counsel or weighed in, or done anything at all to make sure that would not have happened!

Yes," said Jie Shan, "I was there. Indeed, you felt my ki. And probably many others. It was a night that many of the great powers on this planet, and beyond, arrived to fight. What turned into a rampage turned into a full blown battle, as you well know."

Shame indeed. Ironic, thought Jie Shan, that the Alliance was oft said to represent something more than the baser Saiyan impulses to destroy but it had been by the hand of the founder's son that another city had fallen, struck down by what might have been one of the most awesome and terrifying displays of power Jie Shan had ever seen. So much for ideals.

But it all did come back to ideals. "What is my idea of justice?" Asked Jie Shan, his voice grave, "Why, that depends on the crime. In the case of your Overwatch Citadel, aye, perhaps killing the perpetrator would be appropriate. And beyond that, execution, imprisonment? They're all justice, some more extreme than others. Believe me when I say that sometimes killing those who would do greater harm is the only appropriate way to mete out justice. Some people are so far gone, so evil, that they cannot be redeemed, nor is it safe to imprison them. They will hurt and hurt, draining this world until there's nothing left. It's better to put an end to it, lest by letting them go free you damn scores more."

Jie Shan nodded, his resolve high. "Justice," he said, "Is being sure to do right by the world. Justice is not always fair nor is it always pretty. And sometimes it requires you to ask more of yourself to have the strength to carry it out or the resolve, but... Well, let's just say, sometimes you need to shoulder the bad that comes with justice and know that you've done the greater good."

The greater good, thought Jie Shan. How an important a rule that was.

"Now," said Jie Shan, continuing very quickly, "Tell me, girl, what do you plan to do next? Seems to me you can't go on living like this."

WC: 606

The girl kicked her own water in defiance, sending the container of liquid barreling away at what seemed like the speed of sound. Now, thought Jie Shan, that was just a waste of good water. Funny thing for someone who had just been dying of thirst to do, but he'd done odder himself during emotionally trying times. She turned to him and spoke.

No, Jie Shan did not know what the girl was going to do. He was not clairvoyant, he did not see the future, nor did he read minds. In fact, that was the whole point in him asking: that he just did not know, and he had some measure of concern for the girl. But as she turned towards him, a smirk on her face, an idea of what she was going to say next began to flower in the fertile banks of Jie Shan's mind.

A wide smile broke out on his face as she spoke, her resolve now obvious to him. She was going to train? Trainer harder than ever before? Jie Shan liked the sound of that, the very idea appealing to the Saiyan side of his genetics and her reasoning appealing to the moral creature in his soul. "To be a guardian is a lofty goal," remarked Jie Shan, his smile still wide and bright, "A lofty one, but an entirely worthy one. Set yourself to it, and I know you can do it."

What the girl suggested next, however, took him aback. She wanted him to train her? Jie Shan cocked his head sideways and gave her an appraising look. She was just a girl, he realized. A young girl with more ideals than strength and a drive forged by grief. Jie Shan had been wanting to take on students, lately and he had the know-how and facilities to train people into fighters, but the young halfblood had a shadow of doubt in his mind. Was it right of him to thrust someone so young along the path of a warrior? It was a harsh one, one that Jie Shan had been forced to walk himself.

And, his own resolve coming forth, he knew it was damn well right. The girl had all the reason in the world to pursue strength and Jie Shan found her reasons so... right. It would be wrong for him to turn her away, especially when her reasons were so pure. A serious look grew on his face, and Jie Shan stepped closer to her, to the edge of the pond. He nodded at her, folding his arms at his chest. "I'll take you in," said Jie Shan, "I'll break you and remake you, make you just as strong as me. Because this world needs more protectors and, for some crazy reason, I think you've got the right stuff."

Jie Shan smirked and laughed. "Of course, it won't be easy. But nothing worth doing is easy, right?"

Jie Shan held his hand out and offered to help her from the water. "At least you won't have to do it alone. Teamwork can go a long way. So, if you're ready, we'll head for my place. I got a spare room near the dojo you can shack up in during training."

WC: 543

Jie Shan smiled wide once again. "I don't think we'll need water where we're going. It's a bit cooler up north, but much more... hospitable. At least in my opinion."

He slowly took off into the air, staring down at her and beckoning for her to follow him. As he rose, he turned himself about slightly and pointed himself northward towards his new earthen home. Well, he thought as he faced the horizon, this was not what he had expected at all when he had left his home today. Rudieri, he thought, would treat the girl as a puppy, like some stray Jie Shan had picked up on his outing.

But strays made the best dogs, he thought. Loyal and tough, they had the determination to keep on kicking in life. In many ways, Jie Shan oft felt like a stray himself, but hey: they made good dogs.

And as someone had just told him: only good dogs go to Heaven.

WC: 161

(Thread exit! Excellent thread, Cleo! I would like PL for this, with my half-elemi bonus!)