Collection II: The Acrosian [Fin, Zeni]

[Jaxine Caulie]

Shaking his head at the name of the next guy who owed Kazu money, Zeke wondered how exactly he was gonna pull it off. It was the same Acrosain he had learned his Ki-Punch from. A shame really, the guy was usually really good for that kind of stuff. Hell, he was a real oddball for an Acrosian. Wasn't out to conquer everything or kill everyone. Zeke walked into a bad part of town where a gang of troublesome Namekians calling themselves the "12 Gauge Slugs" both lived and hang out in. They were known for stealing cars and ships, robbing stores and bootlegging cigarettes and cigars, sometimes jacking a truck and selling the stuff inside off on the streets, but they weren't running around murdering people or anything like that.

They were an angry, stern looking group of guys, giving Zeke the death-glare for even walking by them. The only thing that was probly stopping Zeke from being jumped right now was likely the fact that he was around their height of seven feet and carried a sword with six feet of blade in it. Regeneration or not, nobody wanted to deal with that if they didn't have to. He came around the corner and found the place on Conri Lane. Strange, the street name sounded familiar... Funny, Kosho's Dojo was just up the street from here a couple blocks over.

It was a small house with a large garage. Zeke walked in the open door where the Acrosian stood under a car on a hoist and was using his two fingers to weld. Zeke walked closer and the man turned around. "Hey, your that one guy from the bar. Sup?" He asked. The Acrosian went by the name Slate, though some say that wasn't his real name. He stood about six feet tall, witch was quite tall for an Acrosian in their fourth form. He refused to use his lesser forms but instead used a type of power suppression to keep it down and in control. From what Zeke could sense, the Acrosian was around triple of what Zeke's base was with his weights on, and then some. That was Slate's regular level, apparently.

Zeke crossed his arms. "Hey. I don't wana be here for this, but you owe on your tab at the Crater Pit. Its been the three-month limit." he said. He didn't expect to get any trouble from him. Slate looked at Zeke with menacing blue eyes. It was just the shape of them though, Zeke couldn't really tell his expression very well from his eyes. He closed them and sighed, rubbing his black dome-like head.

"Well damnit. See, I share a tab with Ren down the road... goddamn guy needs a woman." Slate said. He turned and walked over to the work bench. Zeke noted that this Acrosian actually wore clothes, unlike most. Blue jeans and a black tank top. Happened to be exactly what Slate was wearing today. Random coincidence. The Acrosian came with a wad of Zeni. "Alright here's the problem. I've been saving for a while for a boost upgrade for my ship. It's gonna be a bit before Ren gets his retirement check to pay me back, so lets make a deal. You beat me, you get the cash."

Zeke narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I heard you boast once that your power level is over nine hundred... thousand?" he stated, clearly not feeling that the situation was fair at all. How the hell could Zeke manage to pull off beating someone like that? He may as well go try and overthrow Tsuyo in the prime of his health while he was at it.

Slate laughed at Zeke. "Heh yeah, that is true. But I promise you, I won't go over ten percent of my maximum power. If so, monies yours." he said, shoving the wad of cash in his pocket. Zeke smiled. "Fine, your on." He said, throwing himself into Overdrive. He only got to transform though as Slate dashed forward at blinding speed and appeared overhead with a summersault spin, slamming his tail down on Zeke's head. Slate then landed as Zeke stumbled and lashed out with a side kick, knocking Zeke into the street. Zeke rolled, landing on his feet and sliding back. Slate came jumping from his garage with a Ki blast at Zeke.

Zeke blocked. He knew it was a distraction. He smiled and tried something new that he had seen Master Masamune do before. Slate appeared behind Zeke and threw out a punch to the back of Zeke's head. There was a blur before Slate's hand punched clean through the mans head and...

Wait...

Zeke appeared behind the Acrosian with the same strike. A knuckle crunching, skull splitting, full bodied punch connected with the acrosian and sent him flying into a telephone pole that splintered. The wires came down but remained intact. Zeke didn't wana be around if he took the grid out, they'd come at him in a mob. The Acrosain jumped up, turning around with one of the wood pieces in his mouth like a toothpick. "Alright, that's cool. Zanoken, was it?" he asked.

Zeke nodded. "The prerequisite to the real technique I'm working on." he said with a sinister grin, his bright white eyes locking onto Slate. even in broad daylight it could creep you the hell out. Another move that the Black Sun had advanced in was Zanoken. slate was in for a treat.

Slate rolled his eyes. "Yeah ok, try me then!" he said, taking the toothpick from his mouth and flicking it at Zeke. Zeke smiled until the toothpick hit him... and he exploded. A poof of black smoke and he was gone. Slate went wide eyed. He looked around and nobody else quite knew what was up. "Uuuuh... what the hell-" He was cut off by another bone-crushing blow to the back of the head, this time with Ki behind it. Zeke's voice trailed off the end of the word "punch!", implying that he had used the Blazing Punch on Slate. The Acrosian was sent flying into a water tower, tearing off the top half and spilling some of it. He swam out and jumped down.

"I'll have you know... I actually love water. Hate ice though. and damn snow... uuugh." he said, walking towards Zeke. He didn't seem too irritated about being punched in the back of the head twice. Zeke had just gotten ready when the man charged him again and slammed a fist into Zeke's guarding arms. Then again and again. Zeke was being pushed back now but he noticed the strikes were all hitting the same place. So, he threw himself to the side and brought his own fist up into the Acrosians ribs. A solid *thunk*, but he withstood it and elbowed Zeke in the face before turning around and smashing him back with his tail.

Damn that tail... Zeke would need proper training on how to deal with an opponent with the extra limb. Next thing Zeke knew, he was getting up off the ground and Slate was walking closer. Zeke stood up slowly and began to chuckle. Then he laughed. "Barely felt that one." he said. Slate stopped and tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked. Of course he felt it, Slate figured. He walked forward closer until he stepped on something. He looked down at a metal plate. "Hey, what's this? Piece of the plating off a ship or a car?" he wondered.

He knelt down and grabbed it to pick it up... but it didn't give with the little power he was trying to use. He became confused, picking it up. It was as heavy to him as a normal person trying to pick up a patio stone. Much, much heavier than it looked. Zeke grinned and from his side he tossed another plate on the ground. Slate clued in. "Oh no you don't!" he roared, powering up to around fifteen percent of his power and throwing the plate at Zeke. Zeke dodged it and charged in. He jumped at Slate and came down with a punch aimed at his head. Slate slid out of the way causing Zeke's fist to slam into the ground and make a crater. Behind them, the plate had smashed through Slate's living-room wall. He noticed.

"Goddamnit! Now look what you made me do!" he roared. Zeke straightened up and laughed at him. "Well see, if you had only paid up, this would never have happened." he explained. Slate charged Zeke and released another fury of blows, but Zeke was doing well to hold him off. Slate threw one punch that Zeke ended up dodging before he was hit in the chest and sent back again. Slate let out a roar and cranked his power up to twenty percent power. The ground shook from it and Zeke's smile faded. He didn't back down though, Slate was going down. He charged him and hit the Acrosian at full power and Slate didn't expect it to do much... but he actually felt the blow still. At 180,000 PL Slate was still on even grounds with this guy!? By now he should be dominating the man. His base was low, so how...

Slate stumbled back from the strike and went into the defensive. This man clearly had a strange and more powerful maximum to his power than the average Saiyan. Slate usually just doubled a person's usual power to get their maximum, but with this guy it was almost like his went beyond that! was he hiding more power as well? Slate broke away from Zeke and fired off an energy blast that surprised the Saiyan. He was hit by the explosion and stumbled back when Slate came up behind and wrapped his tail around the black clad man's neck. He hauled him off his feet and slammed him into the roadway before throwing him across it and into an abandoned parking garage. There was alot of dust for a moment before Zeke came charging back out and fired off duel Ki blasts in return. He wasn't even all that good with Ki blasts or waves, he preferred his magic. But if this guy wanted to play catch with energy blasts, then it was fine with Zeke.

Slate caught the energy blasts and threw them back. Zeke cursed his thoughts and dodged as the blasts struck the parking garage and obliterated the top half. That's when Zeke realized... why the hell were there so many parking garages in this damn city!? It made no sense! Slate charged at Zeke and blocked Zeke's next kick before spinning and trying to smash him with his tail. Zeke blocked it this time and grabbed ahold of it.

"Woa, wait! No-no-no, don't grab the tail! Just... let it go and I won't use it again." he pleaded. Zeke was confused. He had an issue with his tail being grabbed. Zeke grinned. "Like I'm just going to let your tail go." he said. Slate's eyes narrowed. "That... isn't a tail, dude."

Zeke's face went almost as white as his eyes as he realized what Slate meant. He pulled his hands back and let out a sound of disgust before Slate smashed him again... with his tail. Zeke collided with the road and created a nice crater. Slate floated above laughing. "Oh my god, you should have seen the look on your face!" he yelled, holding the extra limb out in front of him. "Of-course this is a tail, dumbass! I just don't like getting swung around by it is all."

Zeke's eyes narrowed. "You bastard!" he roared, vanishing into thin air again. Slate was prepared this time for a rear attack... but Zeke appeared in front this time! he grabbed the Acrosians tail and started spinning around. Slate yelled out, both pleading and cursing Zeke, calling him everything in the book in at least three different languages before Zeke threw him down into the parking garage. He seemed to have a habit of smashing people through those lately. But Slate slowed down and landed solid. He stood up with a look of rage. "I told you... not to grab... my F**KING TAIL!" he roared, boosting his power up to twenty-five percent of his overall power. That was still only half of what he would have in his second "Brute' form.

Slate's aura exploded and he almost instantly disappeared. Zeke looked around... he had moved so fast that he lost him for a moment. Then he seen him above, charging energy around his fist. "Blaze... Ing... PUNCH!" He yelled, dropping in on Zeke, who tried to cast his Aegis shield in defense. The shield spawned, but Slate tore clean through it and the Ki punch hit Zeke like a point blank blast and sent him into the structure below. It crumbled to dust around him as Slate landed on the road, patting dust off his hands and then his jeans. "There, bitch. I win." he said.

He walked back towards his house when the rubble began to move. Slate turned around to see Zeke rise up out of the rubble... and he had a great big smile on his face. "I'll be taking that money now, Slate." he informed the Acrosian. Slate tilted his head. "I must have hit you too hard, cause you're clearly delusional. You lost the fight, man."

Zeke shook his head, slowly walking over the uneven stone and steel as he made his way onto the road and up to Slate. He was beaten, bleeding and his clothes were torn up some. He held out a hand. "You promised me you wouldn't go over ten percent of your power. I can sense energy and I was always pretty good at math... "

Slate's eyes widened. He did say that too! he cursed. "Well, you dropped your weights and doubled your power! and then I don't recall you ever telling me that you were stronger than the average Saiyan either!"

Zeke shook his head. "No, I never told you. Never planned on it. Why would I tell you that or keep my weights on when I gain the tactical advantage due to your own assumptions? I didn't beat you, but you beat yourself back when you first boosted your power. So... Money. Hand now, please."

Slate was trembling. He had the power to annihilate almost anyone and everyone on this moon and on the earth with ease, but he got outsmarted by the bouncer from a shitty pub in the industrial park!? This was grade A, first class bullshit right here. He was angry... but with a sigh, he pulled the wad of Zeni from his pocket and dropped it into Zeke's hand. He turned to walk away and Zeke looked up at the man. "I have one question though."

Slate stopped. "Yeah... what?"

Zeke stuffed the money into his pocket. "Why would you go through this to settle some other guys debt? I seen you and that Ren guy in the bar, you're barely mutual friends."

Slate smiled. "Cause. He has a kid, dude. He wants to save up to put him in school. Don't want him growing up to be another low class warrior with no real future. That... and the kid likes to hang around the shop often, witch is the only real reason Ren and I even hang out."

Zeke nodded. "I see... I never would have expected..." Zeke felt bad now for taking the cash. "... i wonder why he would drink so much then." he said off hand.

Slate looked back at Zeke. "In the place where we are from... he was an Elite General. He had money, power, and was even close friends with his King. But he lost it all. Everyone did. So we found a way to come here and start over... those of us who were able to make it, that is. Once we arrived, we had nothing. This place went into development and a bunch of us flocked here. Me, Ren, Sohko, couple others."

Zeke had no idea who Sohko was... but it sounded kind of like someone else's name. Slate looked away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Most of us ended up accepting this after a while, but for others its harder. Maybe that's why he does it. But I think I know what could help him..."

Zeke raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Slate looked back with a grin. "A good fight, naturally! It's the Saiyan way! Once you get strong enough, go give him an ass kicking for me. That's once your base power doubles from right now." He walked away laughing.

Zeke was surprised. He would need to double his base just to beat this Ren guy? Didn't that make him stronger than both Slate and even Tsuyo Hattori!? Or was Slate just bluffing to scare Zeke? Zeke began to walk down the road, releasing his magic to fix the damage on Slate's house and on the road. He wasn't going to bother with the Parking Garage, it was run down anyway. He walked back past the group of Namekians and off towards the industrial park again.

Guess I'll need to become stronger, he thought with a grin...

[graderr]

1,301 Zeni gained

[Jaxine Caulie]

Shoot, I had written this with Zanoken and Zanoshade included as techs I would like to learn.

Zanzoken: A technique where the user moves so fast that they leave an after-image behind them. Zeke sometimes combines his technique with his sword techniques for a surprise attack.

Zanoshade: (Zanzoken and Matter Manipulation Required) An after image variant used by The Black Sun that couples with matter transmutation to cause the user to seemingly turn to translucent black smoke. Attacking the smoke does nothing, and the user 'reappears', really moving to where they wish to be. Some think following the flow of smoke will lead them to the user, but this is not always the case. The user can also pass through any opening that is not air tight. User can not remain in this state for more than 2 post per use, using on first and reappearing on the second. Single post cooldown to avoid chaining.

[Lord Zasham]

Zanzoken is accepted.

Have a few comments about Zanzoshade. First, a question; if you don't actually turn to smoke, how can you pass through any opening that's not air tight? Second, all Zanzoken variants, or equivalents, start and resolve on the turn they are used. To 'disappear' one turn and then 'reappear' the next would effectively skip the other player's turn. Finally zanzoken, including its variants and equivalents, cannot be used in back to back posts (i.e. cannot use zanzoken and then zanzoshade in the following post).

[Jaxine Caulie]

So what you're saying is that Zanzoshade is simply going to end up being a simple variant of Zanzoken, just with a different effect. Yet it required Zanzoken as a prerequisite? Its basically not worth the slot then, as It is simply going to be Zanzoken with a puff of smoke instead of an afterimage.

New request. Just Zanzoshade, as it is so similar to Zanzoken that I see absolutely no reason as to why I would require Zanzoken as a prerequisite other than wasting a 4,500 PL slot.

[Jaxine Caulie]

For reference, approved rewrite:

Zanzoshade- A Tier 2 version of Zanzoken allowing the user to dematerialize their body into a black smoke as they move to another location. The smoke spreads out and reforms quickly. User can pass around or through any object that air can pass through, allowing them to evade physical attacks. Energy, psychic and magic attacks still effect under normal perimeters. Lasts just the single post.

[Lord Zasham]

Techniques approved.