Abosa led the trio as they swam towards an underwater city full of blue and purple fluorescent lights. "Alright, since you can send telepathic messages, I assume you can read minds, correct?" Abosa said as he adjusted his mask and looked back at Sabbra.
{Yeah, why?} Sabbra said to Abosa and Carac telepathically. Carac still smiled in excitement at the idea of telepathy, before he suddenly frowned as he thought about the implications.
"Then do me a favor and only read our minds when necessary, I'll pay you extra." Abosa said before he looked back towards the city.
[No promises...but you don't need to know that.] Sabbra thought to herself as she pulled up her black hood, which left only her red glowing irises visible. {You got it.} Sabbra told them telepathically once more.
The city was full of aquatic people that either walked on the surface or swam to get around. There were many tourists that wore different types of masks or helmets to breathe underwater. "At least we don't stand out like sore thumbs." Said Carac as he looked at the tourists around the crowd.
"Carac, I already told you the plan, so I'll tell Sabbra in my mind, in case anyone is listening in. Okay?" Abosa said as he looked over his shoulder at Carac. The shorter Namekian nodded.
[So the guy lives in a penthouse over at an expensive hotel. We will rent a place in there so we can get closer.] Abosa thought.
{Wait, wouldn't they recognize you, since you sold their boss the artifact? I say we just fly over there and take it back by force. I'm sure there won't be some random stranger stronger than me again.} Sabbra said telepathically.
[Again?] Abosa thought as he looked back at Sabbra, who looked away and avoided eye contact.
{Oh it's nothing, I can handle it! Look, I'm in a bit of a rush, and I'm tired. Soooo I want to get this over with, fast.} Sabbra said telepathically as she nervously looked back at Abosa.
[Why exactly are you in a rush? And we can rest if you want.] Abosa thought before Sabbra suddenly stopped swimming and froze up.
Among the crowd of people walking, there was a crab-like person with dark blue glowing eyes. Sabbra trembled for a moment before she flew and swam upwards towards a rooftop.
"What the hell Sabbra?!" Carac said, screaming from below as Abosa swam after her. Abosa found Sabbra with her hood pulled down and trying to gasp for air. She instead kept sucking in water and coughing.
"Hey hey hey, it's okay...calm down...you still got your mask, just put it on and take a deep breath." Abosa said as he slowly approached her. She scrambled and patted her hoodie until she found and pulled out the white mask with the black filters. She immediately jolted her vision away from the mask and released it, which left it floating in the water. Abosa grabbed the mask and approached Sabbra, who just stared at the edge of where she had just came from.
{The blue eyes! Where are they?!} Sabbra mentally said to Abosa. Her head remained in place, but her eyes took a couple of glances at him before they focused again on the edge. She took out her ki claws, which sizzled underwater.
"Hey hey hey! We aren't compromised yet! Relax! Relax...we're okay..." Abosa said with his hands up. He slowly lowered them as he spoke softer. "What is going on? You've been very jumpy. Is someone after you? Just calm down and take a deep breath. We are not compromised." Abosa said as he offered the mask to her. She looked at it and, with hesitation, grabbed it with a trembling hand. She put it on and took a couple of deep breaths.
After a few seconds of silence which allowed Sabbra to wind down, she retracted her ki claws and spoke up. "Okay...I'll come out clean, there's a Somnecro wraith after me, it's called Friktos. It can track me down due to my magical nature. He can possess dead and sleeping bodies, and I am very...very tired." Her tone shifted into a frustrated one as she held her head.
"You're joking...right? Isn't that just a fairy tale?" Abosa said, only to be met with Sabbra's frustrated yet fearful eyes. "Oh shit...why didn't you tell us? This changes everything! Why didn't you sleep during the trip? Now we got to hurry before that thing finds you!" Abosa said, which prompted Sabbra to take more deep breaths in order to not lose her composure again.
"I tried, I really did. I fell asleep, but a pair antly something OTHER than Friktos began using my body. I don't know what it is, but I THINK it's friendly." Sabbra said, which caused Abosa to begin pacing around the rooftop as he contemplated the mess he had gotten himself into. Carac swam up to the rooftop, holding an unicomm.
"Hey Abosa, I ended up hiring backup. No offense Sabbra, but you should probably not even be here like...that." Carac said as he walked over to Abosa to show him the backup. Abosa gave him a surprised expression. Sabbra tapped her foot as she impatiently waited for them.
"Wow, you managed to get him? I heard he's usually taken." Abosa said to Carac before Sabbra spoke up again.
"I'm right here you know! And I'm not leaving! I'm finishing the job myself!" Flames came out of Sabbra's air holes, bubbling in the water. The Namekians looked over to her, Carac was worried but Abosa was suspicious.
"You're a telepath, right? I take it you already know what the Dragon Balls are capable of." Abosa squinted his eyes at Sabbra.
Sabbra's eyes widened. "Huh?! Nah, I got no clue at all what they do apart from granting a very good-looking collection!..." She said, which just made Abosa squint further, Carac joined him. Sabbra sighed. "...Guess there's no point in lying now...look, I'm not going to steal it, I just want to be on the move and do my job. So let's cut the crap and go to the paint house. Is that better? Just point at the dire diction and I'll take us all there.Together!"
"Sabbra your eyes!" Carac said as he pointed at her face.
"What, are they blue or white?! Smaller?!" Sabbra said frantically. She created a Shatter Orb and looked at herself in the reflection.
"No, they are bloodshot, you need to sleep! Besides, the backup will be here soon." Carac said as he pocketed his unicomm.
"No! Abosa! Tell me where to go!" Sabbra said as she dissipated the Shatter Orb and looked Abosa in the eyes.
"Fine, I'll point out the direction as you fly us there." Abosa said as Sabbra pulled her hood back up, ready to continue the mission. She walked behind Abosa and picked him up by his waist. Carac walked behind Sabbra and wrapped his arms around her torso. Sabbra yelped and trembled. Abosa cried out in pain as Sabbra's fingers instinctively dug into his sides.
"Sorry! Right, I forgot, hugs are still new to you." Carac said as he let go. Abosa was groaning as Sabbra loosened her grip...only to tighten even harder once Carac climbed onto Sabbra and clung to her neck.
"N-NOT THERE!" Sabbra said as her voice cracked. She lowered her head and rose her shoulders to cover her neck. Carac murmured apologies as he cautiously held onto her shoulders instead. "Sorry..." Sabbra said to Abosa, who was looking down as he weakly raised a thumbs up. Sabbra would blast off with the two Namekians.
After a few second of them traveling, Abosa pointed towards a tall building. Sabbra swam directly towards the top floor. Abosa was sent rolling through the window and Sabbra followed. "Sorry Abosa, my hands were full. Carac, check up on him while I handle this." Sabbra said as Carac got off her back and checked on his brother, who gave another weak thumbs up.
There were four fish-like mobsters wearing hats and watching television as they sat on a couch. They looked over at the three in surprise before they jumped behind the couch. They peeked over the couch as they took out harpoon guns and shot at the three. Sabbra moved in front of the Namekians and held a fist up to telekinetically stop the harpoons in the air. She flicked three of her fingers one by one to send a harpoon into each one of the fishes' foreheads. As three of them dropped, the fourth one raised his arms. "You don't look like a boss, so he is iiiiin?" Sabbra playfully said as she let out a yawn and rubbed an eye with her free hand.
"T-the basement level!" The mobster said as he pointed down with a fin-like hand. Sabbra approached him.
"Good job." Sabbra said as she lowered her hand and left the fourth harpoon floating in the water. She took the fish's hat, put it on, and gently shoved him towards an elevator's direction. The hatless fish pressed the elevator's buttons at least eighty times both when calling it and after getting in. Sabbra looked over her shoulder and at the Namekian brothers with drowsy eyes. "Try to keep up." She said to them before she punched a hole into the penthouse's floor and dropped into the level below.
She landed on a table with a board game, causing the mobster players around the table to complain to her. She jumped off the table and divekicked through the floor to enter a lower level. Abosa and Carac dropped through the first hole and landed on the board game too, causing the players to complain even more.
Sabbra dropped into a room during an arms dealing, landing on top of a lobster-like man. "See! I told you it was a set-up!" An eel person said from the other side of the room, which erupted into a firefight with harpoons between two factions. Sabbra ducked a shot harpoon which skewered and flew off with her stolen hat. The fight stopped for a moment as the elevator in the room dinged. It opened to reveal the hatless fish, who immediately read the room and began to rapidly mash the button to leave the floor as the gang war continued.
There was a starfish-like receptionist at ground level. He handed over a keycard to a new octopus guest. After several seconds, there were crashing noises in the ceiling that grew louder and louder every time. "I thiiiink I'll come back another day." The octopus person said as she looked up at the noise before she handed the keycard back and left the hotel. A hole burst through the ceiling as Sabbra landed on the ground level. She swam over to the receptionist as she panted.
"I'm tired of breaking through the floors, just give me whatever I need to reach the base mint levels..." Sabbra said as she rubbed her eyes.
"Do you have an invitation?" The receptionist asked. Sabbra shot a finger beam over her shoulder, which blew a second hole into the ceiling. The hole dropped a mountain of mobsters she had recently taken care of. The receptionist immediately handed over a keycard. As Sabbra swam towards the elevator, Abosa and Carac dropped through the first hole and rushed to join Sabbra in the elevator.
"Sabbra..." Carac said as Sabbra looked over with exhausted eyes. "...you can do this." Sabbra let out a slight smile and swiped the keycard on the elevator, which prompted it to begin lowering into the underground levels. Sabbra crouched down and closed her eyes.
"Wake up, this isn't over yet!" Abosa said as he violently shook Sabbra awake.
"DUDE WE HAVEN'T EVEN REACHED THE FLOOR! I can handle it... I'm...just...resting my eyes..." Sabbra said as she closed her eyes again.
As the place quieted down and anticipation rose, Abosa and Carac looked to the side and noticed the hatless fish from earlier. "Yo, I'm not here, I don't even exist." The hatless fish said as he raised his hands. The Namekians looked at each other, shrugged, and decided to ignore him.
After what felt like an eternity to the brothers but a few seconds to Sabbra, a ding could be heard. Sabbra snapped her eyes open as she stood in front of the elevator door. Sabbra took a deep breath. "Okay, stick to the right corner and the shards won't hit you." Sabbra said as she created two Shatter Orbs. The Namekians huddled together on the right corner of the elevator shaft and out of sight for when the door opened. As the door to the elevator opened, Sabbra immediately underarm threw the Shatter Orbs inside and then took cover in the left corner of the elevator. Two explosions and multiple screams were heard as some pink ki shards flew into the elevator, sticking to the wall that faced the door.
Sabbra, Abosa, and Carac walked out of the elevator and into an embellished office with many armed shrimp soldiers having been laid to waste by the Shatter Orbs. A man stood in front of a desk who didn't seem affected by the Shatter Orb's shards. He wore a black advanced suit of armor, which seemed unscathed by the Shatter Orbs' shrapnel. He mockingly dusted the armor off.
"What the hell guys?! I made it clear that I wouldn't sell the Dragon Ball back! You didn't need to hire some psycho to massacre my guys!" A voice was heard from behind the armored warrior, who stepped out of the way to reveal a shark-like man in a suit.
"Hey dude, should have just sold us the ball back!" Carac said as Sabbra stared at the armored man in the eyes, which were hidden behind a visor.
"Katchin Guardian, right? They got you doing bodyguard work too? You think I'll rise in the ranks after I kill you?" Sabbra said, rubbing her eyes.
The armored man stood in front of the shark mob boss again. "This makes the targets come to me, and I just got three new fresh ones right in front of me. Besides, it's more profitable when the man behind me is signing the checks...hold on, I think I recognize you." He said as he looked into a screen display on his gauntlet. "Hmmm, yeah, this is you. I'm sorry 'Sabbra', but you have a single failed mission, and a very recent one at that. That automatically disqualifies you from the top fifty. What a shame, you were seemingly doing pretty well for a newcomer." He said as he very audibly held back laughter.
"Hey Katchin, I pay you for every kill, not by the hour! So quit it with the chit-chat and just kill them already!" The mob boss said. The Katchin Guardian shrugged and began walking towards Sabbra. Even underwater, his suit made heavy thumps with every step.
"Let's go!" Abosa said as he grabbed and dragged Carac back into the elevator.
The Katchin Guardian went for a running punch at Sabbra, but she ducked to avoid it. She went for a leg sweep at his shins, but a loud clang was heard as his legs barely budged. While Sabbra held her leg in pain, he threw a punch down at her face and connected, breaking her air mask.
She ripped out the broken mask as she hovered away. [I'll just break through this quickly...] Sabbra thought as she rubbed her face. "KRAIO-KREN!" Sabbra said and nothing happened. [Oh hell! I needed the mask for that!] Sabbra thought as the Katchin Guardian's breastplate formed a cannon and fired a yellow ki blast at her. She held it back with both hands and hopped over it, only to be met with a lariat right afterwards. Now upside down from the arm swing, Sabbra hovered up to land on the ceiling. She coughed and rubbed her neck in pain.
As she stood upside down on the ceiling, she aimed and fired two finger guns at the Guardian as he turned around and flew towards her. The finger beams didn't seem to damage his black armor at all as he threw a punch at Sabbra. Sabbra jumped back down to the floor to avoid the punch. He then dropped down to follow her, but Sabbra had landed on her arms and sprung herself back up, going for a double kick to his chin. A loud crack could be heard as the kick connected. The Katchin Guardian went limp and sank back to the floor. Sabbra swam down to the surface and looked at the corpse. She tried to pant, but ended up swallowing water instead and coughed. [Huh? That's it? That armor didn't help much...let's finish this.] Sabbra thought as she shifted her focus towards the boss.
She began to walk towards the shark boss, who took out his unicomm. "Bring everyone! Special forces! The soldiers! Hell, even the dealers! Bring everyo-AGH!" The boss said before Sabbra destroyed the unicomm with a finger gun. She reached his desk and made a 'hand it over' gesture with one hand as she kept the other ready to fire again. "Katchin?" The boss said as he peeked beside Sabbra.
"Watch out!/SABBRA BEHIND YOU!" Abosa and Carac said in tandem from the elevator.
The exhausted Sabbra turned around and there he was again. The Katchin Guardian hovered right behind her, with a crooked neck and a dark blue glow emanating from its visor. It brought down a hammer fist on Sabbra's head, which made her vision go black.