Blood Debt

Crimson energy skyrocketed into the air, the shock wave of which pulsating out far and wide, causing property damage in the immediate area but luckily leaving the civilians unharmed. As said energy would reach its apex well above the city, the point at which it would have the opportunity to erupt in a violent, flashy display, it would suddenly be interrupted. Just as the crimson orb seemed to engorge, a sphere of pure white would careen over the skyline, smashing into the crimson orb with equal strength. The two opposing forces would erupt in a similar fashion, however rather than a masterful display of fireworks, both sides would fizzle out as both forces attempted to overwhelm the other until there was nothing left.

Despite the lack of said fireworks, panic amongst the civilians was high; what began as a mere freeze, like a deer caught in the headlights, would escalate into full on fight or flight, with at least ninety-nine percent choosing flight. Screams echoed down the streets as civilians fled in all directions, buildings evacuated in a disorderly display, all attempting to escape from the threat with the recognizable face from a year prior. Sirens began to pierce the air, a clear indication the law enforcement was on its way; however they wouldn't get the chance to confront the man they believed to be a monster.

"REALLY!?" a voice would call out from behind Lottus in an annoyed tone, "You rushed off so quickly from the tournament, I almost couldn't keep up with you!" she'd say, coming down from above in a soft manner, her attention turning towards the remaining civilians as they fled, "Don't worry, he's not gonna hurt anyone!" she'd shout, "He's actually a really nice guy, I swear!!"

Her words would of course fall on deaf ears, none willing to listen to a word of the second mysterious stranger that had arrived alongside the monster.

Zuqetta sighed, turning her attention back towards Lottus with an annoyed expression; though a raised brow would be all that Lottus could see. Zuqetta kept her identity hidden, though in an attire starkly different than what she wore at the tournament; it wouldn't do for Saiya-Starlight to be an accessory to Lottus' unlawful display.

Not just different from her Starlight disguise, the attire she wore was in contrast to anything Zuqetta usually wore. A black cloak covered most of her form, her hood over her head to hide her appearance further. What could be seen within the cloak ; a black leather jacket, form fitting and sleek. Equally black cargo pants, the legs or which were tucked into knee high black boots. With a black face mask covering her mouth, allowing only her eyes to be seen, the whole ensemble was a rather dreary display, at least to Zuqetta; she worried it was also menacing, though given her small size, that'd depend on the individual.

"Ughhh, jeez... you're like some comic villain." Zuqetta would sigh as she touched down on the ground, "Remember, we're NOT here to fight, we're here for information!" she'd remark, her attention turning towards the far ends of the streets as the sound of sirens escalated.

She'd hold out her hands, the soft white light of her magic shimmering over her body as she focused. As similar glow would appear at both ends of the street, then at any exit/entrance of the area she could find, be it an alleyway or a storefront. Zuqetta would release a long breath, channeling her magic; in a quick and precise display, massive walls would materialize, towering high and blocking every path. Arriving police would be baffled, but unable to approach beyond the new walls; above would be completely open however, a purposeful choice to allow Russ to fly in without issue.

"There, hopefully that'll keep away any distractions." she'd remark, crossing her arms as she turned her attention back to Lottus, "Don't need ya causin' MORE issues... ya know I coulda just called him, right? I do have his number, ya know?" she'd chastise, her tail twitching around her waist in its desire to smack the ground.

It was uncomfortable to keep her tail around her waist for so long, but along with her hidden power and rather dark disguise, Zuqetta had no intention of revealing her identity so brazenly. She made no effort to disguise her voice, and what she wore was mere clothing; any that knew her well enough may have seen through her disguise in an instant, but that was fine. Her intention here was to merely get the truth from Russ, and see to it that, if he was the culprit behind Savlo's death, none would interrupt what would follow between he and Lottus.

There was little reason to give Russ a call now after the display Lottus put on, this was his city, so he was sure to show quickly. Now, all the two could do, was wait...

Jackie was busying herself recovering from a fight over in West City, doing what she could on the lookout to busy her mind when she couldn't train. Even teaching some students didn't have the same impact, it felt wrong for her to lay out and simply instruct on word alone. You'd be right to think others would be understanding of such a position, but the kami hardly enjoyed idle musing. As much as she pushes herself to take breaks, now wasn't the time.

She's pulled from her meditation early anyways, the world hardly ever rests. Very familiar, very strong energies all pooling together... Right in the middle of a city, no less. A very specific individual alone was cause for concern, she didn't bother him when he was mostly behaving himself in the wasteland. But this was dangerous, she needed to see for herself just what these three were doing together. With a sigh and stretch she kip ups from her crossed position on the ground and opens the gateways into the skies. A beam of light envelops her, taking her instantaneously across the large continent and not too far from the immediate area.

At first, she was on the outside of some walled off section of road. An obvious creation of some sort, sticking out from the actual road plan like a kid was smashing together two very different lego sets. A few of the police and pedestrians seem to recognize the beam of light coming down and Jackie standing at attention to the possible threat. They were right to stand at wait not just because the were physically barred, but because this was way out of their ability to even suggest action. She holds a hand up, suggesting they keep holding like this as she just leapt the length of the wall and perched up on top of it. Balancing on the heels of her feet as she stares down at what she see.

Lottus and Zuqetta. She was also slower to arrive than Russ, but this was his home of course. This couldn't be good if the pair were willing to hold up traffic and physically block off interlopers.

"I'm hoping this isn't some nefarious plot, you two."
She made simple a statement towards the fullblood saiyans, maintaining her distance but keeping her hearing sharp, eyes squinted. Any of them who paid any amount of attention could tell she was a little banged up from the previous night. Ki burns, faded, peppered her exposed shoulder and stomach. Though at this point it could be mistaken as a rough spar. "I would be disappointed if it was."

---

Zuqetta would cock her head, giving the slightly bit of a laugh at Lottus' remark. She hadn't even noticed him readying to strike, and was frankly unaware of the danger she'd unintentionally placed herself in by approaching him in such a way. It was lucky for her that Lottus was so battle trained, and capable of stopping himself just as quickly as he could retaliate. Though, the minor levity didn't last long as Lottus then mentioned the destruction of the planet.

She didn't think things would get that far... but if they did?

Zuqetta shook her head, disregarding even the thought; things would not get that far. The two were here for Russ, nothing more; even should a fight break out, she trusted Russ would lead Lottus away from such a populated area. She'd sigh, beginning to regret choosing Russ' hometown as the place to find him, thinking surely he'd have shown up even if they went out to some field, but there was no telling who else would if they went anywhere else. Sure enough, that faint suspicion would prove itself as not only Russ, but of all people, Jackie would arrive as well.

"Hehe, no not a scouter, it's--" Zuqetta paused, feeling Russ' energy as it neared her wall, "I'll... tell you another time." she'd remark, deciding to remain silent as Russ leapt over the wall and landed before the two.

She'd adjust her mask, pulling it a bit more over her nose, her intent to remain anonymous clear as she remained behind Lottus, looking away from her friend. She wanted to know just as badly what happened to Salvo; but unlike Lottus, there would be no further action taken should Russ have truly been her killer. Russ was her friend, she certainly wasn't about to take his life; but she knew by the pain she felt in her chest, if Russ was the killer, then a friend he would be no longer...

As such, this was between he and Lottus; Saiyans, with their honor, pride, and names on the line. Zuqetta didn't believe Russ did it, and all he needed to do was say as much. He was a jokester, sure... but in a serious situation like this? Surely he'd have known that now wasn't the time for jokes. As for Lottus, this may have only been an investigation, but it was so much more for him. Yet, despite the palpable emotions oozing from Lottus, her cousin managed to keep things together; something that was all the more valuable, especially with the unexpected guest to this meeting looming.

Jackie... Zuqetta thought to herself, That's... unfortunate.

She nearly gave an audible sigh; she wasn't even sure where the woman came from! One moment there was nothing, then the next, her energy exploded as it filled the area! Of all people, Jackie was one of the last people Zuqetta could have wanted to show, if anyone at all. She already knew how Jackie felt about Lottus, but... she wondered if this was a blessing in disguise...

Jackie's words had provoked Lottus, his anger erupting in such a way that it caused even Zuqetta to shudder from surprise. She controlled herself however, grabbing the tip of her hood and pulling it down a bit to further hide her face, still remaining silent. By the way Jackie spoke, it almost seemed like she'd seen through Zuqetta's disguise already, unlike Russ, but it was too early to say for certain. Regardless, Zuqetta intended to let things play out, intervening only if necessary.

Despite Jackie's unintended provocation, Lottus showed more self control than even Zuqetta could have expected. She hoped things would remain as such, that Lottus himself would be able to prove here and now, that he was no monster, but every bit a man just as anyone else. Big and scary, sure, but a man none the less; all she could do now, was wait for Russ' answer...

Jackie didn't have the most solid grasp on who mysterious figure numero uno was, but it was a very educated guess judging by the comparative power they held. This'd honestly go over a bit smoother if Jackie knew this was Zuqetta, if anything. Her slight tension was born out of the fact she had to strangers here, one she knows as a foreign and destructive element and the other currently helping disturb a city to feed into whatever this was. Plot or not, taken literally, this all felt like one because a certain musclehead couldn't talk like a normal person!

"Excuse me?! How else am I supposed to take it when you threaten an entire city? For this? You're not above us!"
Her crimson eyes squint at the main attraction, the unintentional provocation and boisterous voice only served to make her approach this with more direct, strict demeanor. Dropping her slight snide and hopping down from the wall to land right up next to Russ, a little up and to the side to really glare up at him and show him that just shouting at her wasn't going to get her to budge. She didn't hold the same fury that the burning version of her did, but it was pretty brave for a human who barely came up to his chest.

"You believed Yangcong?"
This all came up to asking a question about Russ and Salvo? Involving Yangcong? Russ was there during one of the recent attacks, too. He knew he was being impersonated. Hell, she could have told him that personally being attacked and subsequently revealing who the real culprit was. Yangcong himself, which was probably a surprise to everyone involved. Her blue haired friend at least had the foresight to confirm Salvo was still alive and well last he saw her, though. She wasn't gonna bring up when or what being on Arcose meant, as for now it didn't really matter.

"Waitwaitwait! Connected to Yangcong?"
She piped up, hands on her hips as she looked up to the stronger, taller saiyans at both sides of her. The mysterious figure remained silent enough to not warrant addressing to the same magnitude. "I just came back from an attack from West City, Blue! That isn't just any imposter! That is Yangcong! He nearly killed me when I knocked that disguise off him!" A grimace and shake through her entire worn body later, her own grief and confusion was probably as palpable as those around her that were witness to his very death. If one wanted to call kami a liar, they could of course.

"He shot me with some blue flower virus. What his plan was attacking folk, I don't know. It was like seeing a vengeful spirit with no rhyme or reason, only pain. I couldn't stop him myself! That part especially ticks me off..."

---

Despite Lottus' eruption, he controlled himself; Zuqetta was more than a bit impressed, and equally relieved. Russ as well had surprised her just as much as Lottus, choosing to play the straight-man rather than give his usual quips. The mood was tense, and Russ could clearly tell; his response was succinct and too the point, but also a bit of a surprise to hear.

Alive, thank goodness... Zuqetta would think, giving a soft hum in her relief, That explains why Russ didn't answer his phone, but... of all places, why was she on Arcose?

Zuqetta's gaze narrowed as she thought of the reason; she recalled Salvo having some kind of beef with that Arcosian who'd been on Konats the day Jinx became Premier. She took a short breath, shaking her head lightly; the reason she was there hardly mattered, what did matter, was she was alive. While this should have been a moment for joy though, instead, the revelation would only arouse further suspicion from Lottus. The information affected him for reasons Zuqetta couldn't understand, the roof of an unfortunate vehicle being sacrificed in his rage.

Zuqetta's attention became glued onto Lottus, unsure of how much further he'd react; Russ wasn't the culprit, so battle was out of the question now. As Zuqetta hoped however, Lottus would display a far greater control of himself, even the car remained intact if not a bit banged up. The words that followed his howls would bring a look of concern to Zuqetta's eyes.

Manipulation...

She understood will how that felt, it was even worse when it came from someone you trusted. Zuqetta would hover up lightly, placing a hand on Lottus' back as he growled, near muttering to himself like some madman. He spoke clear enough to understand at least, once more this "Maxsuz" individual was proving to be a terribly annoying thorn. He might as well have been a second Yangcong, hell, for all she knew he WAS Yangcong in just another disguise.

Lottus began to calm down, but in the midst of the conversation, Russ' words would garner a reaction from Jackie.

It seemed things were worse than Lottus being shown a mere illusion of Salvo's death; the doppelganger was no illusion, but in fact Yangcong himself. It was impossible to say whether this was true for the Russ that Lottus saw, but from the account of both of Earths hero, there was another impersonating big blue here on Earth, and that man was none other than Yangcong himself, once again returned...

Figures he wouldn't stay dead, I'll need to tell Ticoga. Zuqetta thought, giving a light annoyed sigh before giving Lottus one last pat on the back and dropping back to the ground.

Lottus' pacing had stopped, and his attention turned to Russ; Zuqetta however, would pay no attention to what Lottus said next. Not due to any malicious reason, but due to the distraction that would suddenly give her a fright, worry over taking her, her eyes widening as her gaze landed firmly on Jackie.

Blue flo- she thought, shaking her head before swiftly moving towards Jackie, "Blue flower virus!?" she'd question aloud, making no attempt to disguise her voice; clear worry both in her tone and her gaze as she looked up towards Jackie, "When!? Are you okay? Are you feeling stiff anywhere??" she'd ask with a bit of panic, looking Jackie over a bit, realizing only now that she was paying attention how banged up Jackie appeared to be.

Zuqetta flinched, her hand reaching but towards the faded burns on Jackie's abdomen, but stopping short. She felt terrible for not realizing sooner, but for as bad as she felt, she felt just as angry towards the one who likely had a hand in giving her these wounds, Yangcong. Alive for five minutes, and already hurting others...

Zuqetta felt her blood pressure rising as her anger built up, but with a deep breath she would calm, and the anger would fade from her eyes and once more be replaced with concern as she looked back up towards Jackie, "Are... you okay?" she'd ask once more, her concern for Jackie for outweighing her hatred for Yangcong.

She would admit it, she thought her words towards the group would illicit some response. Just, not the very first she got. Lottus takes out a sudden, visceral anger not on any of them, but towards a vacant car. It was sudden enough to get the Earthling to back up a step, eyes widening at the display. Jackie lacked the greater context that someone was feeding Lottus some very specific lies in order to get him following Russ in the first place, something outside the usual wanton destruction he seemed to enjoy partaking in. They took her word and experience firsthand for what it was though, so there was some relief he was not suddenly off to tear out either of the Earthling's throats.

What was maybe more pressing was the surprise distress both Russ and... ZUQETTA? Yeah, her hunch that it was someone she knew proved itself once that all to familiar voice poked out of that small cloaked form. She wearily looked up at Russ and then down to Zuq when they pressed her on her affliction, much stronger a visible reaction to it than anything else she even said about Yangcong. She cradled her left arm a bit, flexing the hand and showing off some of the freshly healed cuts that would soon fade with time. Any trace of a cold, seeping virus weren't obvious.

"Whoa, hey guys... I think I'm alright. He got me in the arm, and the worst happened there. It seemed to stop at my neck while I was on fire."
As much as she appreciated the concern, she was more worried about the pressing matter of their discussion here. Her abdomen definitely wasn't even the main casualty of this virus, as much as Zuq seemed to hover around it initially. "More than literally. Setting my spirit on fire as I do when I'm unleashing my rage, burning away my very ki. I don't think it got far. A bit stiff right now but that's about it. If I'm to believe his short description of it though it could just be dormant."
Russ and Lottus both had sudden ideas to search for Yangcong and busy themselves with getting back at a name that was somewhat familiar; Maxsuz. She rolls her left shoulder to release the tense muscle in her left arm while she gave both the boys a hard look. Lottus more than Russ, of course. If anything needed to be said while the saiyan was here and actually listening, it was a warning.

"That's all good, but you're not doing this or killing any of our people in your attempts. Want to go on a hunt? You do it our way. We want him gone just like you, but we're not razing cities to do it. Is that clear?"
Jackie's good arm points with an index finger up at the much larger saiyan. She might not be currently raging, but he knew what she was about. She would not make light of her warning as a guardian of her planet. Before she could really mean mug him proper, her senses were bombarded by the sudden energy of two familiar powers raging on miles away. One was her president, a friend, misguided as he sometimes was. The other? She had to dig back deep to understand why this one even felt like she's sensed it before.

Her brow furrows.

"Yeah. Feels like he was on his way when someone stopped him. But... That doesn't seem like a friendly talk. Not one bit. He doesn't put on his power like that for a friendly chat."
That energy was from Plant. Carrying the weight of a golden super saiyan, but she was sure she's been close to that power before. "He was probably coming to make sure we were fine over here. It's not the first time he would have felt Lottus's presence next to ours, Russ." She casually commented before very abruptly stepping past the group. Starting to pick up her pace despite the other's worry of her previously.

"We should break this chat up and continue elsewhere. Blue... Chomei's being attacked by a Super Saiyan. I'm sure of it!"

---

"Shhhhhh!" Zuqetta would place a finger in front of her mouth as she tried to hush Russ, "I'm in disguise for a reason, don't just blurt out my name!" she'd chastise, before giggling just a bit, "But no, I'm not here because you didn't answer hehehe. We were worried about our friend, Salvo. We wondered-- I, wondered if you were involved... if maybe you and she were-" she'd explain a bit awkwardly, pointing her two index fingers together as she spoke as if giving an example, "And if somethin' happened, somethin' like what happened with--"

She hesitated, unsure if bringing up Marrow was still a sensitive subject for her friend. She wouldn't need to worry about explaining much more beyond that however, as a small jolt would catch her attention, causing her to turn her attention towards the pastures well off in the distance.

"Vocado?" she'd question with a tilt of her head.

Russ would let slip the name of the other, a power Zuqetta hadn't even noticed until mentioned. Chomei, a familiar name... It only took a moment of thought to recall, that as the name of Earths president! The reactions of both Lottus and Jackie were much more extreme, Jackie especially so. There wasn't even a moment to ask Jackie further questions about her injury against Yangcong, but with how Jackie fared, her unique magical ability seemed to stave off the affliction far better than the average person.

Jackie had already made her move, calling to Russ to follow; Lottus doing the same, lifting into the air, ignoring the conflict happening afar.

"Hey! No "dealing" with the Arcosians the way you want!" she'd insist, rising up with him, "I'll contact Ticoga and ask about Salvo, he's really nice so if she's in jail, maybe he'll release her." she'd explain as she moved to Lottus side, "If he doesn't, then... well, we'll figure that out later!"

She hoped it was a simple as it sounded, negotiating the release of a prisoner was typical diplomatic stuff! Ticoga was rather pragmatic as well; no senseless murder or conflict... but... he was also clear about what would happen if Lottus entered empire territory. One way or another, it felt like there'd be SOME kind of unavoidable conflict, all she could really do was make sure Lottus didn't hurt anyone. On that note, she quickly tailed Lottus, doing as she'd told Jackie once before that she would do, and sticking to him like glue.

Before the groups would stray too far from one another, she'd turn about, giving a wide wave to Russ and Jackie both.

"You two! Be safe, okay?" she'd call out, "They don't seem ta be anywhere populated, so maybe they're just having a friendly spar!" she'd say with a happy tone, believing Vocado to be just as pragmatic himself.

Ever the oblivious type to this kind of thing, Zuqetta had no idea the severity of the ongoing situation; surely it had to be a spar between friends, as there was no way Vocado would cause unnecessary conflict. He had an important position in the Kingdom after all, causing conflict here would've severely hampered the progress Plant was making towards a peaceful future. Chomei as well couldn't have been the type to escalate an issue; sure, she didn't like him for personal reasons, but from how Jackie spoke of him before, he surely would've known what directly harming Plant citizens would cause.

Zuqetta was confident it was nothing more than a friendly spar! Nothing that would leave a lasting mess--

"Oh! Lottus, one sec-!" Zuqetta would exclaim, rushing back down to the street and quickly throwing her arms up.

Her hands would shimmer with a bit of magic; releasing a breath, she'd quickly lower them and in turn, the materialized walls would vanish from sight. Law enforcement that had been station on the other side would react with a bit of shock; with Lottus well into the air now however, Zuqetta figured it was safe. Her magical display wouldn't end there however, as she would then send a small pulse though the street, a thin veil of mana stretching wide to grab hold of all the broken glass.

Lifting her hands, it would be as though time reversed as glass flew into the air and returned to the windows they'd fallen from, fusing back into place as perfectly as could be. Cracks and pin holes still permeated most windows, missing pieces of glass that'd not simply been cracked or shattered, but pulverized into a dust from the impact and swept away by the wind.

"There! Good as... well, not new, but-"

Law enforcement began to move, so Zuqetta would leap into the air, giving one last snap of her fingers, materializing a piece of paper under the windshield wiper of the destroyed car, an invoice for the damage. She'd quickly rush back high into the air afterwards, catching up to Lottus.

"Sorry about that! Couldn't just leave the place a mess." she'd remark, turning back to Russ and Jackie once more to give another wave, "I'll keep Lottus out of trouble!! Please don't be too mean to Vocado, he's a nice guy, and reasonable too!" she'd shout, though whether the other two could hear her as they rushed off was anyone's guess, "I'll ask my friend Tunic ta ship some medicine to the Lookout! Just in case!"

Did Tunic even know where the Lookout was? Who could say, but it shouldn't have been too difficult for the girl to find with her resources. Jackie likely wouldn't need the cure, but better safe than sorry. With naught else to say, Zuqetta would depart with Lottus, intent to return to Plant; he would of course receive and earful about heading to Earth without her in the first place, it was sure to be a fun ride back for him.