belated aftermath [dion]

    The capital was too loud for Dion.

    Admittedly, he should have expected it- after an event like Hatchi, Sadala being in a buzz for at least a few days following the fact was an inevitability anyone with a somewhat intelligent head about them could figure. But it didn't change the fact that it made living there, even for the moment, utterly obnoxious. Every day he had to hear the same exact tired rumors over and over again, most of which weren't even correct in some of their bases. Where the hell did the hearsay of three Super Saiyans even come from when he was likely one of the only people to even know there were two!?

    Either way, the baffled bartender found himself in need of a place to rest in peace once again. After having such an action-packed week in tandem with his eye-opening venture with the veteran fighter Chomei, Dion thought some downtime was high on the list of priorities to get done. There was still much to be done, but he'd rather not go into what could be the biggest parts of his comeback tasks utterly burnt out.

    So, seeing as it was the place that offered him the friendliest environment to take his rest within, Dion returned to the warm reaches of Tarbel Village- once more basking in the brightness of their populace with a welcoming attitude. He didn't take long before finding a place to spend a bit of time by his lonesome within, and after grabbing some grub, Dion set out to find a place to sit in peace. 

    Thankfully, many of the vendors had chairs and tables set out for people to enjoy their various goods and services, and so, with funnel cake in hand, Dion pulled himself a plastic lawn chair to enjoy his meal on. Sighing, the serene young Saiyan took a bite of his powdery goodness, getting ready for an entire day of some needed R&R.   

    Until the familiar energy signature of Kabe popped up near his position. Shooting to his feet, Dion dropped the funnel cake, his heart rate quickening as he could feel several new power levels appear directly above the village proper- the whole Jörmungandr crew apparently coming out to secure the recapture of their quarry.

    Initially, the young man stood frozen in his tracks, unsure of how to approach the reappearance of his friend-turned-foe. At least, that was the case before an explosion a few blocks away caused the whole settlement to shake beneath its strength. 

    Dion's heart sank at the sound. Was Kabe threatening the lives of civilians to weed his target out? While he was sure Kabe was better than that, he also hadn't seen him in months following what had happened between the two, and so he wasn't willing to take any chances.

    Quickly, the properly spooked Saiyan shot through the streets of Tarbel Village, unwilling to let anyone but himself pay for the crimes he had committed, and as soon as Dion turned the corner into the street he heard the explosion come from, the young man's eyes were greeted by the man himself.

    Kabe Bonewood, in the flesh. He was glad to see him somewhat, he did do a number on him after all, and so he was happy to note that he was doing much better than where he had left him. But the elephant in the room still remained.

    Dion had debts to pay. And he refused to run from them anymore.

    So, throwing his hands up, the young man approached the notably stronger Bonewood captain, yelling in a shaky, yet desperate tone, "KABE! It's me! P-please, it's me you want anyways, leave these people out of it!"

    Once the distance between the two shortened considerably, Dion stopped, preemptively getting onto his knees and lowering his gaze as his hands came to rest behind his head. He wouldn't fight this time- he had no right or reason to. Everything that came after this was completely deserved, and he would go without any trouble if need be.
    
    Speaking in a lowered, yet sincere tone, Dion's voice trembled slightly as his whole body shuddered- the weight of what he had done pre-hiatus now resting all atop his shoulders as he spoke, "I-I know I've done you and your family wrong. S-so I won't give you any trouble this time."

    "F-for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I wasn't...I wasn't myself back then. But it doesn't excuse me from running away from the problem."

    Funnily enough, even as he spoke in earnest, Dion still did fear the repercussions of his admittedly corrupted actions. He crossed one of the most ruthless pirates in the entire galaxy, and now he was deservedly reaping what he has sown. 
    
    He only hoped he'd be able to speak after whatever type of punishment Kabe likely had in mind for him. He still had to apologize to Zhalla and Nero, after all.
    
PL: 40,000 (Mental barriers restrain Dion from his full strength of 55,600) - WC: 844 - TWC: 844

    While he hadn't expected anything less than the worst display possible, the words that left Kabe's mouth still left a harsh sting- a deserved one, yes, but one that burned nonetheless. To once again be reminded of his endangerment of a mere child on his quest to prove to everyone that he wasn't just another low-class nobody in need of hand-outs to survive through life was something he had been avoiding for the entire time he had been back for- and now he was forced to face the consequences of his actions head-on.

    Wincing at the energy blast's radiant Ki growing in intensity alongside Kabe's words, a thankful sigh escaped his breath as the peeved pirate finally allowed it to dissipate, motioning for the remaining people left spectating the situation to get on out of here so the two could air out their grievances without the watchful gaze of an oncoming crowd. Even without seeing it, Dion could feel utter rage and pain radiating from the other man's figure, only for the hostility to suddenly drop several notches as soon as Kabe assessed that Dion was not the threat he had been all those months ago.

    Looking up into the face of the Devourer himself, Dion's eyes widened in surprise. No, it wasn't exactly forgiveness, nor was it senseless anger that he read in his expression either. It appeared the time spent apart weighed on the both of them for different reasons, and it had whittled whatever anger Kabe had for the young man away. To the point where, when given a chance for recompense, he actively denied it. 

    Part of the guilt-ridden Saiyan felt relieved. But an even greater part of him wished for Kabe to beat him into the dirt, to make him pay for all that he's done, to ensure that he wouldn't be walking away from all his wrongdoings scot-free- but it looked as though Kabe had different ideas of how he was to make up for his mistakes.

    Quickly getting up, his expression shifted from one of resigned shame to renewed worry upon hearing there was yet another problem Dion himself was to be responsible for solving. And there was only one thing that came to mind that Kabe could be alluding to.

    "...I-it's Kay-Bee, isn't it?"

    The Saiyan's darkened, his entire body shaking at the thought of him passing on his sickness to someone so young and undeserving of it. If this disease twisted his mind into something beyond even his control, how would it affect an even more impressionable young mind?

    Looking up into the skies above, a sense of urgency now planted itself in every action the young man took, Dion, glanced from the sky to Kabe repeatedly as he spoke in a panicked voice, saying, "L-listen, we can worry about details when we're on the ship and ready to go. You and I both know there's so, so much more I want to say, more that I want- no, need to atone for, but.."

    Gulping, Dion steadied himself long enough to stare back at Kabe with a renewed determination on his face- the personable paragon he once was before the corruption took hold seemingly appearing for a few select seconds as he said, "...If Kay-Bee's struggling with what I had to go through all those months ago, we have little time to waste. I can't let anyone else suffer because of my mistakes. Especially not a child."

    Returning to more classic form, Dion's posture suddenly shrunk again, the more anxiety-ridden young man that he had always been returning in full force as he looked around curiously, before asking in a tentative tone, "S-so, where's the Jörmungandr, then? I-I assume you don't want to waste any more time than you have, r-right?"

PL: 40,000 (Mental barriers restrain Dion from his full strength of 55,600) - WC: 649 - TWC: 1493


    Mouth held slightly agape, Dion was cut away from the chance to ask a follow up question as the shadow of the aforementioned Bonewood ship cast it's encompassing shadow over nearly the entirety of Tarbel Village proper, sending the rest of the remaining residents that for some reason still stayed spectating in the immediate area into a worried frenzy of rush and bustle, cries of panic and disorder now echoing clearly throughout the village streets and alleyways. 

    And for good reason too- Kabe was clearly still nearly on the verge of an emotionally fueled psychotic break, and if Dion didn't do something quick, the integrity and continued solidarity of this entire landmark location was at risk of being done away with in one fell swoop. While the Saiyan wasn't one hundred percent sure Kabe could carry through with such a threat, Dion wasn't willing to put lives on the line chancing such a fate, and so the bartender raised his hands in continued assurance of passivity as he rushed to close the rest of the distance that remained between the two.

    "NO-! Please, Kabe, they are none of your concern!" followed the desperate plea as the young man stopped just in front of the angered pirate lord. He wouldn't allow anyone else to be hurt on his behalf- especially those of whom that didn't even know who the hell these two random Saiyans were. 

    "L-Like I said, no amount of eldritch corruption will make what I did all those months ago at all acceptable. I lost control, and dove into the depths of a power that I had no right messing with in the first place, and in light of that, the people I cared about the most paid for it. Hell, I keep paying for it every day I spend still living and breathing. But..."

    Gulping, Dion stared directly into Kabe's hateful gaze, a pleading look flooding his features as he continued, stating simply, "... I refuse to keep running from the only people who ever gave a shit about me in my whole life. I came back because the shame of leaving those that I love and cherish to the messes I left in my wake is a shame I can't bare to live with, and that includes you and your son."

    The sudden crash landing of the pod a few yards of them jarred Dion even more than he already felt- the young man jumping a bit before he was able to return to his senses, finishing by saying as his gaze returned to focus on Kabe proper, "I know that sorry can't even begin to make up for all the wrong I've done, but, no matter what, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure your son gets home safely. It's the least I owe you and your family."

    With that, Dion turned back to face the shuttle once more. Taking a deep breath, the Saiyan approached the unmarked ship with a sense of duty in every step, opening up the pod and laying himself down flat in side of it before he realized-
    
    "... U-uh, are we, returning to the ship in this thing, together?"
    
PL: 40,000 - WC: 535 - TWC: 2028