A Rather Explosive Dilemma (Gantz & Lith)

[gantzgun74]

..................

WHAT

"I'm.... I'm not sure I understand-."

... Wait...

He had to really think back since the days with these powers started to blur into each other.... But he did VAGUELY remember.... One day, he remembered watching the news, the weather channel had declared that Void City's climate center would be sunny all day that day due in large part to the incoming summer weather... Then seconds later, he heard Marina letting out a startled yelp. When he ran in to see what had happened, he had found that Pommy had eaten his way through the entire fridge.

Such was par for the course for Pommy when not properly supervised, and he could never truly hate the Charabom, but it still agitated him GREATLY when this was done. He had grabbed his keys, was preparing to head out to the grocery store...

Only to find intense rain outside his door, further increasing his agitation.

He had really written it off as the summer time's unpredictable rain and simply patiently waited for it to subside... WHEN IT DIDN'T, the Bomber just chanced getting drenched to get his groceries. Needless to say, he was in a bad-mood when he returned home fully soaked to the bone and the bad mood only expired after a good night's sleep, he had never even considered that the rain would have subsided at the same time. Because really the idea seemed ridiculous. Lucky perhaps, but to attribute YOURSELF to the weather was nutty.

"...................."

WAIT A DAMNED SECOND.

".... I thought.... I thought my-... YOUR Power, was time travel...." Bomberman's eyebrows were thoroughly raised. A kind of terror was starting to poke it's way in as the implications to the old corpses words started to take hold. "... What... Exactly do I have here? What kind of abilities am I carrying-??"

[Monolilith]

Captor takes a slow breath, slumping carefully on the table.

"you have my powers. all of them. and i have your only power. i can make bombs. you have an arsenal. and i'll be frank, bomber - this world needs me, in ways it doesn't understand. all worlds need me. i'm an anchor.

"you're that anchor right now. but i need that weight back. bad. you have the heart, but you just don't have the grace, bucko. ain't personal."

[gantzgun74]

.......................

"...... OKAY THAT'S ALL VERY NICE AND EVERYTHING, BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION." HE IS ABOUT TO LEGIT PANIC. "What exactly am I holding onto here? Telling me you're the anchor tells me literally NOTHING." He tries a few seconds, in vain, to even his breathing. "If it had been JUST time travel then fine, whatever. I could live with that for however long this random island wants me too. But just knowing I have powers I can never understand isn't exactly something I NEED to hear right now."

Captor was about to speak up, but-

"Do you even know HOW this mix-up got started? Cause I don't! Even if you told me everything by this point, would I even be capable of switching everything BACK-? Because even if I COULD, how do I know that won't accidentally activate some kind of BLACK HOLE SOMETHING OR OTHER OR EVEN CAUSE A TYPHOON OR-"

[Monolilith]

He holds up a hand. That's all he does. He holds up a hand.

But it's with force. It's compelling. Something in his expression is insistent that Bomberman stop, that he shut up and listen. It's difficult to resist. Just who is this guy, who doesn't need magic to bend people to his will?

"i have some idea of how it started, and i know a way to switch it back. several, in fact. they won't cause black holes, and frankly, if i have my powers back i can handle any typhoon. what matters right now is that you understand the significance of your powers, and you clearly do."

Without warning, his head thunks against the table. It sounds like it hurt. He gives a muffled 'ow'.

"it'd take far too long to explain where my powers come from. suffice to say that i'm a really big deal, and if you have my t - power signature for too long, the world will think you are that really big deal. cardinal atmokinetics with creative material for blood and fracture chronomancery don't just randomly show up. there's one. and right now, it's you.

"so we can't just wait around for the island to switch it back. i need those powers back, and frankly, you can handle the bombs a hell of a lot better than me or my office can.

"... and for the record, that jargon means you control weather, seasons, time, change, and you have the same type of blood that eldritch abominations do. which is actually quite useful."

[gantzgun74]

..........................

WELL...

THAT AMOUNT OF CONTROL DIDN'T SEEM EXCESSIVE.

NOPE.

NOT AT, MOTHERFUCKING, ALL.

"What would someone NEED that much power for?" Bomberman interjected quickly, "I mean... Time powers by themselves can mean a lot. Heck, STORM POWERS could mean a lot as well... And CHANGE-?" Given the amount of stuff going on and what appeared to be in the balance, White seemed even more unsure then ever, like he had come across something not because he wanted it but... "What exactly do you use these powers for... Captor was it?"

Before the man could look really annoyed Bomberman held up his own hand, likely in imitation to the hand wave Captor did earlier. "Let me explain. I've encountered beings with that kind of power before. Perhaps not to the same scale, but definitely to the same amount of... sheer what the hellery. Once, there was a guy with a gigantic space energy Rubix Cube that could imprison GALAXIES, then there was this sect of space knights that wanted to unlock a LITERAL GOD OF DESTRUCTION from it's prison." Ah yes... Sthertoth had been a COMPLETELY FUCKING TERRIFYING THING THAT EXISTED. "Please understand that whenever supernatural stuff got involved in my life.... Stuff blew up. In ways they probably SHOULDN'T blow up." Like reality blowing up for instance.

Mostly around HIM.

[Monolilith]

Captor... seems sad. As sad as a living corpse in visible pain can be, really, which might not amount to very much... but it's the first clear-cut emotion Bomberman has seen from him. He lets Bomber's question hang in the air for a minute before he replies.

"i use those powers to help people, bomberman. everyone from strangers in the woods to my own kids. i'm not saying shit won't hit the fan with me around - it... kind of always does. the mere presence of me and my family on this island means this is far from the last incident you'll see.

"... but believe it or not, i've never lost.

"i'll regale you later, hell we can even trade stories - for now, just..." He takes a careful breath, not that he seems to... need to breathe. "there's a lot at stake, the least of which is me never seeing my wife and daughters again. i'm literally begging you - help me.

"please."

[gantzgun74]

....... Bomberman just took a breath, looking at the sad and somewhat pitiable face staring at him now. Which was the most emotion this near-zombie had given him this entire meeting. It's heart rending to watch... Even worse to listen, as he tells the android alien of a family waiting for him somewhere... Maybe there was a risk involved... Maybe things would never be simple again due to his gaining of these powers, no matter how much it wasn't his fault that they did...

Maybe Bomberman was still concerned about these powers. Over the fact that one single man had to look after all of them... Heck... The fact that his VERY LIFE depended on them was something he wasn't sure he could fathom.

... What sort of existence must this man lead if he needed that many powers just to stay alive-?

..........

The Waitress came by, giving Bomberman his mocha, but was quick to leave so she wouldn't have to look at Captor's decidedly sick appearance.

... The man looked to his drink... Then let out a sigh... PLEASE OH PLEASE, don't let him regret this...

"... How much time do you think you have left?" The question likely caught Captor's attention. "Well? How much? I would like to take a long sip of my caffeine, but if we have to go right now then... You should tell me."

[Monolilith]

He stares at Bomber for a moment. Then, his entire demeanor swells with joy and gratitude. Sure, it's diluted by pain and exhaustion, but... watching hope return to him is really something. It really is. He's more than fierce and calculated - he's gentle enough to be a husband. A father. A friend.

The smile on his lips doesn't vanish as he lowers his head with a faint, still glitchy chuckle. "i've got a week. enjoy your mocha, bomber. let's just talk for a little while."

[gantzgun74]

.... The warm expression of gratitude somewhat alleviated the bombers nervousness about helping Captor. He couldn't feel anything sinister about the man... In fact, something inside him contented him with the sight even more. Telling him that Captor could be trusted and that helping him was the right thing to do.

Feeling pretty good, he did as he stated he would and took a long deep drink of his mocha. When he finished, he lowered his cup back down already feeling the slight energy charge. "AAAAH.... That's some good joe..." With that done, he looked to the ragged Captor, unable to stop from taking in the horrifying visage before him... Really... What more could he say?

"... So.... How'd... How'd you get like this anyway?" That likely caught the man's attention. "Well I mean not like today specifically, I mean like... You need all of these powers just to stay alive from what I can gather.... How did you get like this?"

[Monolilith]

A beat, in which Captor's brows slowly rise. Then he smile, looking down. "it's... a very long story. here's the condensed version -

"i'm an android, built by several divine beings to bring my corrupted world a second chance. i succeeded, with flying colors - and without having to die as i was programmed to. but my life force, fueled by my abilities, sustains me now. i'm a little invulnerable - i regenerate fast - but i can suffocate, get locked in a time loop, or even blow a serious fuse if i'm not careful. without my powers, i can't process necessary nutrients, and my body will slowly die."

He's quiet for a moment. "hope that's not too much, i... got a little carried away."

[gantzgun74]

...... Hmmmm.... Interesting... Very interesting...

.... "Hehe..." Bomberman lowered his cup of coffee to consider all of this... "An android huh... Built for bringing the world a second chance..." It was interesting hearing that... Considering... "You know... It's funny..." Captor raised an eyebrow at this commentary. "According to my race's history, we Bombermen all started from the same source. Apparently there was this android a long time ago that was created to work in an ancient munitions factory... But then that robot gained sentience and escaped." He took a plastic spoon in a disposable container nearby, opening it up and using it to stir his drink. "The tale goes that he was rewarded by being made half biological, yet still containing a number of the pieces that made him a robot. He was created to have an ability, the mastery of bombs of all kinds. It was used to help create powerful munitions but he found so many new uses for it. He went on to found Planet Bomber and my entire species after that."

White looked thoughtful as he considered Captor's current situation... "If I may... How did you find out that, instead of your own powers, you had the power to make explosives?"

[Monolilith]

He grins. "My office blew up."

... That's all he's gonna say? Okay.

[gantzgun74]

....... A little vague... But given the Bomberman's natural abilities that have developed as they did over the years. It probably would've made sense if his office literally exploded... "I'm... Uh... I'm sorry about that. Normally when Bombermen first gain their abilities, their given plenty of schooling before they give their abilities actual practice. I guess really it's kinda my fault you're office got blown to pieces... Hopefully you can fix the damages."

[Monolilith]

He waves a hand, still smiling. "my office is mostly made of the same stuff in my veins. I can just call up one of my kids and ask them to fix it up. it's all right, bomber, it's actually funny now."

[gantzgun74]

... ONCE AGAIN THAT EXPLAINED LITERALLY NOTHING.... But eh, at this point White was starting to get used to that, nothing this man said made any sense... And yet for some reason, he found he could respect that. Maybe in the same way one could understand a new neighbor that came from a far off country with a number of customs one wouldn't immediately understand at first glance, and yet they always made some sense in the end, even if in a round about way. "I see..." He says, taking another deep drink of his cappuccino. "I'll admit... I've never met anyone quite like you before Mr. Captor."

That likely gained a kind of curious expression from the man as Bomberman took another drink to gather his thoughts.

"All too often..." He mused. "Whenever I meet someone, aside from myself, that wants to help someone else, they always want something in return." .... "I mean, it's not like I don't understand the reason why, some people have to eat... But you? I think you're just about the first person I've met that wants to help people, not because you want a reward, not because you just can even if you still could ask for a reward... But because you WANT to help and you want to help because you ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING." ..... Was that what it seemed like? "With your powers, I'll bet your never left hungry or looking for sustenance for yourself and these... Children you mentioned."