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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 17:04:33 GMT -5
[/font]
The air within the jungle is stifling.
It's dark and humid, the late afternoon sunlight hardly piercing the thick tangled canopy of leaves and branches overhead. Null stands in the midst of a small clearing, perfectly still with arms at his sides. To the untrained eye it would appear as if he's defenseless, but being a mercenary who's nearly lost his life in battle many times before, Null has never been more hyper alert of his dangerous surroundings.
The flora and fauna of New Sadla could be just as dangerous as any lurking bandits, after all.
Exhaling a deep breath, Null opens his eyes and lifts a hand into the air, his palm facing the canopy above his head. Concentrating, he gathers ki in the space just inches above his palm. The ball of energy crackles to life, slowly growing larger as Null steadily pours more ki into it with each passing second. With a grunt, he hurls the heavy projectile high into the air above his head with just enough momentum that upon its descent, it would gradually pick up speed, simulating a ki blast being hurled by an opponent.
He would either sense this energy and stop it, or it would hurt.
A lot.
WC: 306 [/ul][/div] |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 17:26:49 GMT -5
[/i] Null's eyes fly open, feeling every muscle in his body seize tightly as if he's been hit with an electric shock. Standing just a few feet before him is a young Saiyan girl. Her black hair is pulled into rough pigtails that sway with every curious turn of her head, her curious gaze sweeping over him as she steps further into the clearing. "Tch! What are you—? Get outta here you little brat—"A cold feeling sweeps over him; an instinct born of many battles. There was no time for the girl to retreat. [/font]
WC: 239 [/ul][/div] |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 18:12:40 GMT -5
[/i] lives become his responsibility?[/ul][/span][/font][/div]
The force of the energy ball that slammed into his outstretched palms was brutal, to say the least. Tendrils of white hot energy lanced across his fingers and wrists as the energy pressed into him, aided by the natural lull of gravity itself.
"Aaaaugh!"
Null grunted loudly as he braced against it, gritting his teeth, arms and legs trembling as he fought to force the energy back. It had grown in size and tenacity, pressing down onto him with even greater force.
"Eeeek!" The Saiyan girl falls to the ground, eyes brimming with fear at the sight of the ki blast Null is attempting to repel.
He ignores her, reminding himself to punish her with the cruelest of intentions the moment this current debacle was resolved. Slowly but surely, the momentum of the energy slowed enough for Null to press back against it. With a final grunt of effort, Null shoves it back into the air with both hands. Not wanting to contend with the deadly trio of ki, gravity and momentum again, Null leaps into the air after it.
"I will not be bested by the likes of this punitive energy!" he cries, slamming a hard fist into it, sending it hurtling on a new trajectory towards the wilds of the jungle and away from the outskirts of the nearest village.
It explodes in a brilliant flash of light and heat, sweeping over the jungle with a force that bends the branches of even the stoutest trees in the aftermath of dispersed energy. Landing on the ground, Null's shoulders heave up and down as he breathes heavily from the exertion of his task. Remembering the cause of the near incident, Null whirls about, glaring at the girl on the ground.
"You will learn not to interfere with a great Saiyan warrior in the midst of his training, you runt." Null lifts his hand and aims it at the little girl, intending to eradicate her as punishment for her folly. "Prepare to meet your maker!" WC: 344 |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 19:00:03 GMT -5
She bears the tell-tale sign of an orphan.
Her bedraggled appearance and ragged clothing are testaments to the hardships of forsaken life in New Sadla. Null frowns, slowly lowering his hand to his side, all intent of punishing the brat gone from his mind.
He remembers the long sleepless nights on the streets, fighting raving dogs and thieves for whatever measly crumbs he could dig out of some backwards gutter of an alley. Wholly dependent on the whims of strangers who often extract a price for their generosity.
This girl's life has probably been punishment enough.
"Tch." Null frowns, turning away from her. He stares down at his clenched fist, fighting back the surging irritation that causes him to lift a hand to harm her in the first place.
To think that he would engage such an urchin in combat... it will make Null the laughing stock of his platoon.
"Count yourself lucky," he says, turning back to face her. "Any other time, I may not be so forgiving."
The girl seems grateful, stealing a timid glance in his direction as she slowly climbs back to her feet. She is wise to give Null a wide berth.
She's like a bottomless pit.
Barely taking time to chew her food as she practically inhales it all. Null leans back in his chair, watching her with arms folded. She is clearly malnourished, her ribs visible through the holes in her clothing.
He allows her to take her time while eating, though this dining establishment was full of loud, raucous patrons. Clearly not the sort of place to bring a child, but Null understands she's made of tougher stuff than one might realize at a glance. He can't help himself—can't bare to see one not unlike himself at her age suffering on her own in the treacherous jungles of Sadla.
Null will feed her, and then be on his way.
But first.
"...what's your name, kid?"
word count: 326 |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 20:05:34 GMT -5
"Cobb."
She barely stops eating long enough to respond, sparing him a glance in between bites of of half burned dino steak. Null realizes she's older than he originally thought, only small in stature — perhaps around twelve or thirteen years of age.
Cobb digs into her meal with renewed fervor then, having all but forgotten the Saiyan mercenary beside her, who but a moment ago had been looking to end her miserable life.
"Tch." Null rolls his eyes and sinks further in his chair. The brat was going to be the ruin of him, easily eating twice her own body weight in food. His purse was sparse as it is; yet still, Null knows he cannot simply abandon her to fate or chance as he's been abandoned many times before.
"Cobb, huh? You pick that for yourself?" he inquires.
She nods, slowly down long enough to take a long sip of the steaming cup of hot tea before her. "Had to, Mister. Never had any parents to name me... I don't even remember them."
Somewhere, deep within, it tugs at a portion of his soul that's been damaged for so long. It irritates him, how much he could care for some stranger. Around these parts, kindness could easily be construed as weakness. And she couldn't be weak. She needs to be strong. So, for that reason, he decides to break the bond before it's even formed.
Sparing her life should be payment enough.
He tosses a few zeni onto the table between them. More than enough to cover her meal, plus a few extra to keep her alive a few more days. Cobb's eyes widen as Null stands, and it's all he can to to steel his heart against the familiar gaze of longing and abandonment.
"...don't ever interrupt my training again, you runt."
Without another word, Null turns and heads toward the door of the establishment. But not before offering one final bit of advice.
"Train every day. Get strong. Maybe you'll be of use to the Dominion... some day."
It's as close to good-bye as he's willing to get. Null leaves the bar behind, and Cobb.
He can't afford to get distracted any longer.
word count: 368
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