Blinking a few times, the blonde man, who'd obviously been sleeping on the sidelines for the past hour or so, then pointed his hammer towards the lake. "What about that carapace gentleman over there?" His quick jab of the hammer had Ra, Aphrodite and Whis look towards the water banks at the bottom of the hill, where they immediately spotted a humanoid man covered in a hard exoskeleton that was light-green with black spots, had black plates on his shoulder, shins and chest areas, two black wings extending from his back, and two off-shooting sections of his cranium that pointed straight upwards.
Not only was his back turned to them, showing a pointed tail retracted under his wings, but his arms were also crossed and his attention was fixed upon the distant horizon.
"He's been staring across the lake and listening to us for some time," Thor informed the other two Gods.
The goddess standing alongside Ra tilted her head at him. "Yeah. I've been wondering about that guy too. Who is he anyway?"
Whis merely smiled at his fellow deity's inquiries. "Do not worry. That young fighter down there is a delegate from one of the neighboring universes… a denizen of Universe 13 I believe."
"Ah. Well that explains why I do not recognize him," the hammer wielder exclaimed, taking a moment to analyze the foreigner before a smile formed on his face. Stroking his bristly beard, he then raised a hand in the air and waved. "Hello, friend!" When his shout reached the lakeside, he saw the carapace warrior turn to look in his direction. Thor then beckoned him over, "Why not come over here and join us? You must be pretty lonely over there!"
Blinking a couple of times, the green stranger breathed out a sigh and, turning around, slowly began to amble towards them.
Smiling at his success of coaxing the fighter over, Thor hopped down from his pedestal and landed on the grass at the base of the trunk. Walking over to where Ra and Aphrodite were standing, he met the armored insect-male halfway and extended a hand towards him. "I do not believe we've been introduced yet. I am Thor; Guardian of the Asgard System, first in line to the throne of Odin and the current God of Lightning."
Staring at the equally tall warrior and considering his hand for a second, the fighter from another universe slowly reached out and shook it, at the same time meeting the warrior's gaze.
"It's a pleasure."
Thor grinned back at the alien stranger in a respectful manner. "And who do I have the privilege of shaking hands with?"
Coming to stand next to his fellow deity, Ra chuckled and crossed his arms, at the same time gesturing to the newcomer. "This smartly dressed young man here is named Cell; the current God of War of Universe 13 and the successor of Guan Yu."
"God of War, you say?" Thor repeated in surprise. With his hand still firmly wrapped around the android's palm, the Norse warrior took a moment to consider the individual's title before an even more enthusiastic grin formed across his lips, "A most intriguing prospect. You and I must do battle some time, Master Cell. I believe a little joust to stretch the legs, strengthen our souls and empower our hearts is a terrific way to solidify a bond between two fellow warriors."
Raising an eyebrow at the gutsy and ever-confident Norse God, Aphrodite sighed and shook her head. The elven goddess even went so far as to place her hand upon her crown. "Men… always thinking with their fists…"
The armored warrior, hearing the thunder deity's proposition loud and clear, smirked confidently and nodded. "That's a very tempting offer. I'll consider it."
Feeling more invigorated than before, the armored fighter with the hammer then turned his attention towards Ra, at the same time releasing Cell's hand from his ludicrously strong grip. This was indicated by how the android ended up shaking his fingers out after their brief and spirited exchange of pleasantries.
"Visitors from other worlds? What's the occasion?"
Ra, a smile appearing on his beak, locked his gaze on Beerus's assistant, who was still standing at the top of his hill like a statue on the plain, "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." His attention was then pulled towards the heavens above. "Ah. It seems that a couple more of our friends have finally arrived."
The moment everyone's eyes turned towards the sky, they suddenly saw a flicker of light appear in the distance, followed shortly by a flaming, golden comet that shot down through the clouds and crashed in the field directly beside them. The mass of energy struck the valley with a violent, earthshaking tremor, blasting debris and dust into the air, and washing the cloud over the four individuals in the valley. As soon as the veil caused by the object's impact lifted, two new figures emerged from the mass.
The first was a humanoid woman with golden yellow skin and long brown hair. Shapely and fit in appearance, the woman wore Egyptian clothing similar in design to Ra's, complete with Shendyt and a white, folded sheet top, and golden braces and plates holding it all together. Along with a pair of multi-strapped sandals that ran up her legs, the woman also had on a golden-band crown with a red jade sitting in its center, with two eagle-like wings of red feathers growing down her arms, giving her a very majestic, angelic appearance.
The second was a human woman, only her outfit was a lot more outlandish and revealing than her companion's. Tall, about the same height as a Saiyan male, she was a tan-skinned, curvaceous young female with a very stoic, aloof expression that didn't at all detract from her attractiveness. She had cool blue eyes, straight black hair framing an enchanting face and cut into an asymmetrical bob style, with the front bangs reaching her shoulders. Her outfit was also unique, consisting of a scarf, elbow pads, gloves and a leather jacket, all black with shoulder pauldrons, which she wore over a black, thin ribbed, zip-up corset top with a long coat back and no front. This meant that her stomach below her midriff and pelvis was exposed, which showed that she was wearing a black lace thong. To round out her incredibly steamy outfit, she also had black lace leggings that went all the way up to her mid thigh area, black boots, golden bands on her arms, and the top part of her dress zipped open.
This exposed her sizable cleavage, which was just as ample as Rangiku Matsumoto's, made more pronounced in her incredibly tight top.
She also had golden eagle wings sewed over the front of her uniform and on the back of her jacket, showing that she was aligned with the woman she'd traveled here with.
When the attractive pair arrived at the spot the rest of the Gods were standing, the woman with the feathers greeted them with a smile. "Long time no see everyone."
Expression brightening at the sight of the alien woman, Aphrodite took a deep breath and dashed forward. She moved so quickly that the winged newcomer swore she teleported directly in front of her. "Isis!" Her cheer was matched by her hug, which she trapped the woman in and caused her to stumble back slightly. "You're here. I'm so glad."
"I missed you too, Di," the brown haired woman also spoke, pulling away from the slender girl to smile at her. "You look breathtaking, as usual."
"So do you. You got a new haircut. That's awesome," Aphrodite chirped, levitating off of the ground to float over to her friend's side as she continued walking along with her companion.
Once the new arrivals got close enough, the leader of the entourage acknowledged their arrival in his usual laidback manner. "It's good to see you," Ra spoke, nodding to the angel when she stopped in front of him. "How's your arm?"
The yellow-skinned woman chuckled as she flexed her right, spreading her feathers with a quick stretch, "Much better, especially after almost having it blown clean off. Thanks for asking."
"Set really did a number on you during our last battle. Most of us didn't think you were going to make it," Thor spoke, gesturing towards his comrade with a gentle smile of his own. "It brings me great joy to see that you're alive and well."
Eyes twinkling at the kind words spoken by the deities, the old but still remarkably young-looking goddess bowed to them and turned her attention to the voluptuous young woman standing behind her. When their attention turned to the raven haired girl, Isis gestured in her direction. "I don't think any of you have met my new student yet. This is Cleopatra. I'm training her to become my successor."
Upon being introduced to the group, the woman in black bowed in the direction of the Gods, receiving similar gestures in kind. When her presence was made known to everyone standing in the field, she then quietly straightened up and folded her arms, causing her chest to stick out even more.
Looking at the raven haired girl from the side and seeing how her promiscuous bust was almost bursting out of her top, Aphrodite took a moment to look down at her own. Pressing her hands against it, she then frowned and scowled enviously across at the girl.
The blonde goddess immediately became downtrodden and turned around, shoulders slumping as a raincloud appeared over her head. "Damn it…"
Ra tilted his head at the raven haired trainee when her emotionless gaze panned over them in a very analytical manner, "When did you pick her up?"
"About thirty thousand years ago… give or take a couple of years."
"Ah. A young goddess?" the falcon warrior said with an understanding nod. "She must be pretty talented for you to actually see fit to choose her as an apprentice. Eighty million years of serving as a guardian of this universe and in all that time you never showed even the slightest interest in taking on a student. What changed your mind?"
"Oh… a lot of things," the winged protector giggled, resting a hand on her hip as she watched the girl in black step away for some space. When she saw the youngster then proceed to watch the butterflies dance across the meadows to her right, Isis allowed a gentle smile to form. "Mostly because I believe it's getting to the point where it's time for me to hang it all up… to call it a day."
Perking up when she heard her friend's words, Aphrodite spun around and floated over to her, "R-Really?"
The winged-guardian nodded, "Yes."
"B-But…" the blonde stammered.
"You're still young. I'm sure that you have many more years left to give before the universe sees fit to grant you a safe and noble passage into retirement," Thor said, trying to convince her otherwise.
"Maybe. But in case things go awry, it brings me comfort to know that I have somebody to carry on my work, should something happen to me," the fighter replied, sharing with the warriors a warm look before glancing over to her protégé. "She's strong, compassionate and wise. I know she will serve this universe well." Upon receiving gestures of acknowledgement from the two males, her gaze then fell upon Whis, who she noticed was now walking towards them with his signature staff in hand. Isis brightened up when he finally stopped on the edge of the circle that they'd formed. "I received your message."
"I knew you would. Of all the Gods that existed in the early days of the universe, I could always count on you to make an appearance," the teal-skinned attendant replied with a bow of greeting. "The years have been kind to you, Isis. I'm glad you're alright."
"As am I, Whis," Isis replied, nodding to the man as soon as he rose up to full height. Once their exchange was made, she then took a moment to step back and count the heads that'd decided to show.
While she, Thor, Aphrodite and Ra stood next to one another, with Whis positioning himself as center speaker a few yards away, to their right the visitor from another universe had taken a few steps away and was once again standing out in the open. Cleopatra on the other hand had decided to take a spot a few meters behind Isis, and was now using that time to play with the butterflies that had decided to converge around her.
Heck, she even held out a finger for one to land on, which it did. It was a sight that brought a smile to the raven haired human, as well as a cheerful look to the winged deity's eyes.
"It seems that we are the only ones who've shown up," Isis remarked, glancing back into the semi-circle that she and the other Gods had formed. "That's a surprise."
"So far," Ra said, arms crossed and a serious look on his face. "Give the others another day or so. I'm positive that several more will come." His attention then shifted over to the teacher of the God of Destruction, who was now looking them over with a more professional air about his person. "Are you going to tell us now why you decided to call all of us out here on such short notice?"
Lowering his head, the blue-skinned man's eyes flickered with seriousness as he raised his staff ever so slightly and tapped it into the ground. At first Thor, Aphrodite and Isis were confused as to why he did that. But after the chime of the scepter's contact echoed across the field like the ring of a mystical bell, the group then saw two silhouettes suddenly teleport into view behind the attendant, drawing their gazes over to them. The instant they appeared, the two Gods then realized that they weren't alone, and that there were two other warriors whom were visiting this temple.
As soon as their forms became tangible, the group saw a human male with spiky black hair, his face covered in multiple battle scars, wearing a red headband, black figure-hugging spandex, and black and green battle armor similar to those worn by the Saiyans, step into the light. He was soon followed by a second figure, an alien who was a couple heads shorter than him, with a white and purple carapace form, an incredibly effeminate appearance, sharp red eyes, and a long white tale waving behind him. Despite his form's diminutive size, it was sleep and imposing, and managed to convey an air of incredible power.
While the first one didn't seem like much to the group, the second one without a doubt had a couple of the Gods in the area turn a head. Furthermore, it was their appearance to the scene that had the visiting Cell look in their direction and stare at them with an intrigued gleam in his eye.
After stopping behind Whis and sharing a glance with one another, the two newcomers then turned their attention to the rest of the crowd as the teal-skinned man proceeded to speak.
"Just like our friend from Universe 13, the gentlemen you see behind me are also delegates from two of the neighboring realities. The warrior with the spiky black hair is designated Bardock; the God of Fury and representative of Universe 6. The man standing next to him with the long tail is Frieza; the God of Destruction and representative of Universe 9… a man I understand a couple of you are quite familiar with." Whis focused his attention on the central deities as the two visitors stepped closer, their arms crossed and moods set to tense. "I called these three here because of the precarious incident that had recently unfolded involving one of our own…"
Isis, well aware of what the overseer was referring to, frowned at what she expected was the discussion to come, "Set… right?"
The attendant nodded. "Due to circumstances that were beyond our control, the seal surrounding my former student's prison was broken and the God of Storms was allowed to run loose across the universe once again. She then quickly proceeded to try and destroy it. However, as I'm sure that all of you are aware, Set was promptly confronted and defeated by a warrior from the planet that she'd previously been imprisoned on, and her efforts to lay waste to the world were quickly thwarted."
Narrowing his eyes, the King of the Gods acknowledged the attendant's words with a nod. "This much we already know."
Eyes panning across his audience, Whis took a deep breath before continuing the recount. "Above all odds, the warrior was able to summon the power necessary to defeat the goddess Set and cast her off into the depths of space. At first I believed she'd been destroyed in the closing stages of the battle, but after checking in with King Yemma and taking a look through his records, no mention has been made of my former student passing through the check-in station."
The carapace visitor standing nearby threw the speaker a concerned look. "You're saying she wasn't destroyed?" Cell asked, earning a quick nod from Whis.
Thor, finding this news puzzling and quite troublesome, glared in the attendant's direction. "Can you locate her through your staff?"
Expression conveying defeat, the martial arts master shook his head. "That's the problem. I can't find a single trace of her. That tells me that she's either been incapacitated and does not wish to be found or something else is preventing me from locating her."
"That's odd. Usually you don't have any problems with finding anything through your all-seeing-eye technique," Ra commented, giving the attendant a puzzled stare. "Perhaps you're reading the airways wrong?"
Expression twisting slightly in thought, the blue-skinned guardian turned his gaze from the ground back up to his audience, whom was now currently scratching their heads over this newest mystery. "Whether or not my student survived the struggle is the least of my concerns right now. As long as she isn't stirring up trouble, then we don't need to make any efforts to pursue her. The reason I called you all here today is because of something far more serious." Glancing over his shoulder towards the other two representatives behind him, Whis then proceeded on to the topic that'd been rattling his brain for the past week. "During the battle above earth, Set threatened to suck this entire universe into the space between spaces, taking everything and everyone with it. A move like that, I know, would've not only destroyed our world, but unleashed the terror that would've gone on to wipe out countless others…"
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