Day Four: Evening

[Burter]

Day Four
6:00 PM - Midnight

"The sun is going down, little warriors! A lot of you are VERY messed up injury wise and I can tell we'll be down to the finale in a day or two! Keep moving, keep hunting! The three fallen are:

#29 Jeice
#34 Vegeta

And now, it's time to announce the new forbidden zones! These zones will be activated in six hours! If you're in one of these spots at noon...BOOM! Hehe!

H3
G8

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"


Notes:

-Even if you can't find time to write, at least fucking move so you can get killed off and stop wasting our time, you inactive people >=O

[Burter]

Face to Face

Android 17, Cargo

Goku Jr

It had been awhile since the young bloodthirsty saiyan named Goku Jr had moved. He had been relaxing quietly, undisturbed and in hiding for the last day and a half. Since everyone around him was killing each other, it seemed logical to let them.

But then he got greedy. Why should they got all the blood? Why should they get to do all the killing? That was the best part! Why should he be hiding out when everyone else was walking around out in the open, waiting to be plucked from the game?

Still fifteen targets left. He headed for an obvious spot: the lake. That was where he found new targets. Injured targets.

Sitting ducks.

"...Paige?" the taller of the two targets asked, looking at the younger, green one. Goku kept quiet. This was going to be a bit harder then Olibu a few days ago, but still do-able, especially with the sun going down.

The saiyan lept forward, raising up his pistol at the two figures. The namekian looked over before he spoke, eyes wide. "Look out!"

The tall human-looking figure with a hole in his torso moved out of the way, avoiding being hit. GJ fired again, twice, but the backflipping of Seventeen was too quick for his shots.

Goku finally landed after his jump, raising up only a few feet away from Seventeen. He had the perfect shot.

That was when the spikey ball of the flail that Cargo held smashed onto his head from above.

#24 Goku Jr DEAD

15 Remain

Either of can get the ki pistol and basketball

[Burter]

Face to Face

Raditzu

Kami

It was like the showdown of the cripples.

Kami limped in from one side, hunched over and dragging his survival bag. He looked like the green hunchback, forcing himself to move with a dislocated spine. It was a miracle the old man could walk even at all, much less pushing himself to go with a body that just shouldn't have been able to move.

Meanwhile, Rad stumbled in from the other side, across an empty plain and towards the namekian. He was following a figure that didn't exist to do an interview that would never happen. He had been following for ages. Why? He didn't know. It seemed better then wasting away in his own waste.

The namek stopped first. Rad honestly didn't even recognize him. "Good to see you, Rad." The namek grimaced, trying to stand up straight, but failing miserably.

"Who're you?" Rad asked, squinting. "Guru? Kami? What're doin here?"

"Looks like we've both seen better days." The namekian said, honestly. "I don't know if I can even throw a punch."

The saiyan was starting to recall the situation, but he was still getting some rather unsettling images around him. It seemed like everyone he had ever met was watching. Not just watching...but glaring. As if rooting against him. "Why are they all looking at me like that?" He asked Kami. "Did I...did I do something?"

Kami looked around and saw nothing but grass. "You hit your head, Rad?"

"...Yea. Probably. More then once." He stumbled forward. "They're all laughing at me, Kami," he whined. "Laughing! At me!"

The namek moved sideways to avoid a very sloppy punch, still unsure of what Rad was seeing. He tried to throw one as well, but failed thanks to his spine. "Damn," he hissed. "Can't...fucking...move."

"Why are they laughing at me?!" Raditzu shouted, spinning around. His body practically slithered like a zombie, not even moving as it was physically meant to move. He literally growled, feeling violent rages building up inside him. "Why would they laugh at RADITZU?! I'm the best!"

Rad threw a punch again, this time connecting with Kami's head. The namekian hit the ground, thudding off. With a firm kick, he took Rad's ankle out from under him, causing the saiyan to fall forward as well, grunting.

One namekian who had lost his confidence as a warrior.

One saiyan who had fallen to his swollen pride.

One had too much pride. One had too little.

They both realized this at the same time. Raditzu realized that he wasn't the best. Kami realized that he should be the best. The elder namekian rolled up in pain, grimacing as his distorted body raised up.

Rad stood as well, hissing in pain. "Man, we are so fucked up."

The namek smiled meakly. "But I'm still the baddest sunofabitch here." As if to reiterate the point, he slapped Rad. Hard.

The cheap shot caused Rad's illusions in his head to vanish. He stood a moment. Then he fell, unconscience. The namekian walked off. Or rather, limped off. It didn't matter to him. This was exactly what he needed.

Kami thought he was joining the competition out of boredom. But he realized that it wasn't that the lookout was boring...it's that he was. And that was one thing this namekian could not handle.

Old man or not, Kami was a warrior before anything else. It was time to fucking prove it.

15 Remain

[Reijin]

"So what's the plan for the evening?" Reijin inquired towards Bra.

The girl looked up at him and gave him her most irritated expression. "Don't do that," she said, calmly walking alongside him, her bad arm bound close to her chest with a set of vines while her good arm was swinging her shotgun back and forth, holding it ready in the event of an ambush.

The older Saiyan chuckled at her. "Whatever are you talking about?" His own gun was tucked within his belt, kept available for the same reason.

She yawned a bit before fighting out an answer. "That. That bullshit where you try to sound so much smarter than everyone else. It pisses me off." Her tone really didn't hold any anger, despite her words.

Reijin just smirked, continuing his stride as the two entered town. "Is there a doctor in the house?" he called out, making the girl jump.

"Fuck! Why don't you just fucking invite everyone out here to have a party and get our asses killed?" she seethed, glaring at him.

"That's actually my plan. I'm bored, so if someone's here we can kick their ass. If they aren't, then we have a party," he enlightened her.

"The fuck for?" she asked, returning her eyes to the street to find a clinic. "I don't need any party for my birthday," she added. Not that her own father cared.

Reijin pointed down an abandoned street as he found a small building to go to. "Then we shall have one for mine," he mused.

Stopping, the girl gave him a sidelong look. "Yours? When is that?" He just ignored her. "Its not today. There's no way. Quit fucking with me," she added, threatening him.

He looked up and saw the sun descending a bit quicker in the sky, and a looming fog overhead. "Yes, actually. It is today. I'll have seen twenty three years by the night's end. So let me have my fun," he warned her.

To be completely honest, he'd never really given a care about his birthday. To him, it was simply information as to the date a destroyer was created, but he intended to show Bra some form of interest for her's since the hint he'd dropped for her father had been completely missed. The girl seemed to deserve a bit more, and as a fellow warrior-in-arms, Reijin felt the need to respect that.

She didn't seem to care, however, completely not believing him. "Whatever," she dropped, figuring she'd just let the conversation die. "Oh, quit trying so hard to be the father figure just because my own father doesn't care to." Obviously she was a bit more burned from his reaction then she'd let on.

Reijin stepped in front of her, halting her and leaving her to curse as she nearly ran into him. "Look. I don't give a shit about acting like some loving father," he insisted. "The bottom line is that we both apparently share the same birthday. Or damn close to it. Its an odd coincidence. So let's enjoy it and acknowledge it while we are on this planet. It's not like anyone else is around to be forced into it." He jabbed a finger at the door they were at. "Now let's go get you correctly bandaged up." On that note, he turned, grabbing the door knob.

"Fuck you!" the girl burned him, obviously not liking his words. "And you need a bandage more than I do," she added, watching him struggle with the door knob. "Oh, get the fuck out of the way."

Reijin spun around, ready to argue, when he saw an energy beam nearly at him. His eyes widened, and he leapt out of the way as it exploded into the door, leaving a charred hole in its wake. Pushing himself quickly to his feet, he looked at her.

"Well, let's go get bandaged up," she quipped cheerfully.

----------------------

An hour later, the pair were sitting in a set of executive chairs with their feet propped up on desks, rummaging through the drawers. Bra's arm was properly bound in a sling, and Reijin's head band was returned to his pocket, cleaned and replaced with a true set of bandages. All the proper cleaning had been done, and the two were yawning out of boredom.

"So about that party?" Bra finally asked, realizing that there wasn't much else to do.

Nodding, Reijin rose to his feet. "Yeah, I saw a toy store around the corner we can use."

Before she could question him, he was out the door. She stared at his parting shadow for a few minutes, and finally mumbled to herself. "Well, fuck that. I wanted a party, not to go find toys." As if by instinct, she reached into her bag and pulled out her Reijin doll. "I bet he's looking for some action figure or something so he can play dolls with these."

The water stream caught her directly in the eyes without warning. Throwing herself back and dropping her bag and doll, she cried out in anger. It was a moment before she was back on her feet. "What the hell-" she began, stopping as she threw her arms out to catch a large object that was hurled through the door at her. "-is this?" she finished, looking down.

In her hands was a very, very large Super Soaker. In the doorway was Reijin, holding another large watergun and grinning from ear to ear. Behind him was a bucket full of water balloons. "There's more outside every few feet," he announced, pointing at the bucket. "But this one is for you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" His words were loud as he slammed his foot down on a broom handle, launching the water grenades at the screaming Princess.

The adult child immediately vanished out the door as the girl threw her arms in front of her, threatening a thousand forms of torture in her mind. Finally, she settled on kicking his ass. In a Super Soaker war.

"Oh its fucking on!" she growled, rushing after him, soaked from head to toe.

[Kami]

The green hunchback made he way across the ground. His brief encounter with the super sayjin Raditzu had triggered a sudden realization in the mind of the old Namek. He was down here because he was bored with himself, he'd been a fighter for so long it was neigh impossible to return to the job of Guardian of Earth without giving up his old habits.

He felt like he should be hiding out in a huge tower somewhere, going off to ring a bell, but unfortuntely all that lay before him was empty ground, rocks, forest and the occasional hill and rare cliff. The sea air cruised into the mainland, wrapping itself around the trees and rocks. Kami's hunched and broken form dragged itself across the landscape through sheer willpower. He realized he would have loved nothing more than to stand tall, looking the powerful sayjin Raditzu square in the eyes as they both powered up to obscene levels and duked it out right in the middle of the island. The sky would crack, lightning would scream from the clouds and the whole island would rock and tremble beneath their might. A giant crater would be the only remnant of their battle, maybe even a new lake in the middle of the island.

But no, one of the greatest warriors he had ever met was so delusional from his wounds he could barely recognize the old Namekian. He hadn't faired much better, his best attack being a slap across the face. It looked like it might've cleared up the long haired sayjin's thoughts for a moment, but in the end it was useless. They were both broken relics. He wasn't going to give up that easily though, there was a new fire burning deep within his old broken body.

He was still a warrior at heart, a very powerful warrior with immense talents. Nothing could take that away from him, nothing short of he himself forgetting who he really is due to the changing times. Maybe some other time, when he was in better shape, he'd get to go toe to toe with Rad, who was quite the impressive combatant. Not this time though, this time his wits were going to be his only saving grace. And when those failed, he'd have nothing left but the blood pumping in his veins, the warrior instinct inside, and every ounce or raw power he could muster from his decrepid form.

[Orion]

The fog still hadn't cleared yet; in fact, where they were now, it had thickened considerably. Masses of vegetation appeared as grey blobs on the horizon, slowly gaining clarity as Koola grew closer. Once he passed it, the greedy fog enveloped it once again. The changeling prince had trouble seeing anything with certainty beyond several metres. Hopefully his affixed scouter wasn't bogged down with the visual hindrance.

The father-son group pursued their endless journey, with Cold still taking the authoritative lead. His inconsiderate walking pace was quickly leaving the Icer offspring behind. Koola tried to increase his speed, but after consuming the last of his bread over twelve hours ago, his strength was waning. After wrestling with his sluggish movement, he angrily slammed the barrel of his shotgun crutch into the ground.

"Oi!" Koola yelled. "Slow down! Come back here!"

Apparently, King Cold didn't hear him. His one armed shadow within the fog vaporised into nothing in a matter of seconds.

"Hey!" the prince repeated his objection. "I'm still back here!"

The emperor did not emerge.

"What is this, some sick joke of yours?! Have you decided that you don't need me anymore? Am I slowing you down? Correct me if I'm wrong!"

Still, nothing. The violet skinned royal clenched his crutch firmly, applying further pressure the more he resisted the rage welling inside him.

Suddenly, the shotgun fired, taking Koola completely by surprise. His weakened body violently slammed against the ground, leaving a spherical crater where the ki shotgun's barrel once rested. Thankfully he didn't take off any toes; walking was hard enough.

Koola cocked his head from the ground, slightly hopeful that his father heard the resounding blast from the firearm. Again, he was disappointed. Lieing on his side upon the muddied earth, he dropped his skull lethargically. What was he going to do now? What little strength he had would be wasted by just returning upright and performing basic movement. Cold had abandoned him; it seemed their family ties had finally broken.

The prince closed his eyes. If he was going to die in a mud soaked puddle on an alien island, he would least die rested.

*Beee --- boop!*

A flash of blue scolded Koola's eyes, despite the fact that they were closed. His eyelids shot open. His brow furrowed when he took in his new surroundings.

A bubbling brook flowed just by his head. He sat up, noticing the lush green grass he sat in opposed to the filthy terrain he was used to. A small rock face overlooked the rushing water, capped by a majestic apple tree, ripe with its fruit. Birds glided skilfully on the wind's current, singing gleeful melodies to each other. Sunlight drenched the entire scene, donating its warmth and brilliance to an atmosphere that hardly needed it.

Is this it? Koola thought to himself. Did I die? For real? He heard a chuckle from behind him. Or is this just a sick joke from the mind of the queer?

The changeling leapt to his feet, ready to take on the source of the laughter. He stopped when he remembered his leg. Looking down, he was astonished to see that his thigh had regenerated, returning to its original composition. Not only that, but it didn't emanate even the faintest hint of pain. Something wasn't right.

Out of the river emerged a stunning woman, her long blonde hair matted and dishevelled by the water. She wore a skimpy red bikini, which Koola couldn't help but notice, even though this woman was a creature of another race. His eyes were fixated; he tried his best to remove them, but he was mesmerised.

The woman seductively approached him, staring at him lovingly through her green eyes. She reached Koola, wrapping her arms around his thick neck. Instinctively the prince placed his hands at her voluptuous hips. He was frozen solid, with desire, confusion and fear; a rare yet welcome experience.

"So... do you approve?" the woman asked slyly, moving her face closer to Koola's. It was then that he recognised her. It was Kerela.

"I..." was all the prince could say before their lips united.

---

At that precise moment, Koola was forced from his soothing fantasy. He was pushed back forcefully into the dirt. The glory of the natural valley was scorned by the familiar surroundings of Dante's Abyss. His anger peaked in him again. The changeling was about to berate the alluring woman, until he realised it wasn't a woman.

Cold spat and spluttered, wiping his tongue with his hands. "Eww! Yuk! What the hell's the matter with you?!"

"Dad? I..." Koola was bewildered. "I was just in a beautiful valley, with a river, and birds, and... wait, didn't you leave me here by myself?"

Cold looked as puzzled as Koola felt. "Uh... no. I told you I was going to check out a power level my scouter registered. I must've been away from you for ten seconds. Then I heard your gun discharge and I raced back. When I reached you, you were on the ground, out cold. I lifted you up and shook you, trying to wake you up, but..." he spat again, "you kissed me!"

"Wha--?"

The horned king was irritated, but decided to be understanding. "It's OK. We've both been under a lot of stress."

"But... but it all seemed so real." Koola sighed. "Sorry."

Cold handed his son the shotgun support and helped him to his feet. "Don't sweat it. How about this time I walk at your pace?"

"Thanks."

As the changeling family limped off, a translucent figure watched bitter sweetly.

"You'll be back soon, Mountain God. You can't lose."

"Did... you say something?" Koola asked.

Cold shook his head.

Koola looked over his shoulder. I don't know what's happening, but I will seek you out.

[Android 17]

?You know what?s funny, Paige?? Seventeen quipped as the duo looked over the carnage of the last two battles. With a groan, the machine-hybrid?s soul mate came to a pause and stomped on the ground with one of her stiletto heels. The action caused the android to pivot around and tilt his head sideways?like an intrigued feline. ?What?s the matter, honey? We just killed two competitors in the span of a few minutes, so why are you all grumpy?? The cyborg cooed, taking the woman?s slender chin into his palm and gently rubbing his index finger along her bottom lip.

?Listen,? the former whitelighter barked, wrenching away from the compassionate touch of her boyfriend. ?My name is not Paige! It?s Carg??

?It?s all right, sweetie,? the cyborg interrupted as a faint frown spread across his pale visage. ?I understand that sometimes women can still be all moody after they?ve given birth. Oh?oh! Shit!? Seventeen decreed, placing his hands on both of his cheeks as a dreadful thought coursed its way through his mind. ?Did I miss the birth?!? The android remarked?triggering the woman to let out an annoyed sigh.

?Did you hit your head?? Paige inquired as she crouched down and collected a cardboard box from the ground. ?This stupid thing has a hole in it,? she remarked before discarding the piece of junk. A few feet away, Seventeen collected a pistol from the ground and began to twirl it around in his hands. ?Are you sure you should be playing with that?? Paige asked, arching an eyebrow at the android?s shenanigans.

?Why not?? The android boomed with an added dose of machismo. ?I?m pretty damn good at this kind of stuff,? the machine-hybrid had just managed to finish the sentence when the gun slipped from his grip and discharged into the night sky. With a nervous gulp, Seventeen glanced in both direction and began to whistle awkwardly as he waltzed over to collect the gun.

?Want to tell me again how you managed to kill Vegeta?? Paige asked sardonically?shaking her head in disbelief as she examined the lifeless corpse of the couple?s second victim.

?I cut him in half?? Seventeen asked, completely oblivious to the woman?s underlying sarcasm.

?Idiot?? Paige remarked, picking up a spherical object from the ground adjacent to the small saiya-jin?s fallen form. As the former whitelighter dribbled the dark orange ball, the android walked over to the other body and tilted his head as his internal processor fought to deduce the identity of the deceased warrior?

?You said this was Vegeta?? Seventeen asked, glancing over his shoulder as Paige liberated her flail from the smaller body with one brutal tug. As the spiked ball tore its way back out through the lad?s cranium, blood and brain matter was strewn in all directions as a fine mist.

?Did I stutter?? Paige sighed, twirling her weapon around a few times in an effort to remove some of the larger chunks of bone and flesh from the flail?s barbs.

?I think that I met this guy a few times before,? the android replied, nervously poking at the bisected corpse as he fought to recall some sort of instance. After failing to deduce any exact circumstances a few moments of contemplation, Seventeen merely shrugged his shoulders and joined his girlfriend over by the other body. ?No way anyone?s going to identify that corpse,? the raven-haired warrior giggled childishly.

?How old are you?? Paige sighed?obviously confused and annoyed all at the same time by the ridiculous behavior of her partner.

?Twenty?? Seventeen responded, pursing out his bottom lip and humming softly as he tried to figure out the rest of his thought. ?Something?? With yet another irritated moan, the red-haired woman began to rummage through the survival bags of the two victims.

?You always act this way?? The former whitelighter asked, peaking over her shoulder at the motionless machine-hybrid.

?Well,? the android started, plopping down onto his derriere as he mulled over the statement. ?Up until a few hours ago, everything was just fine, but now things are different. In fact?I am different.?

?How so?? Paige asked?her tone of voice a clear indication that she was interested in what the android had to say.

?Do you really want to know?? Seventeen asked, arching an eyebrow as he tried to act as serious as he could given the circumstances behind his mindset.

?Yes,? the woman shot back.

?Really?really want to know?? The android goaded; his expression still stoic and unwavering despite the childish nature of the retort.

?Tell me,? Paige demanded?her pupils dilating as it became increasingly obvious that she wanted to know why the bizarre cyborg had suddenly turned so grave.

??I see dead people.?

?I hate you.?

[Yamu]

Yamu clenched his prized baseball bat to his chest with his one good arm and rocked back and forth as he sat on his heels. The head of Kari had been blown to splinters, all that remained was a crude wooden spear and only the letters ?a-r-i? still etched into the surface of the weapon.

His totem was as battered and broken as he was?but they had both survived. They had stood toe to toe with a man who could strike fear with his name and panic with his presence, the warrior known as Raditzu.

And they had won.

The cost had been terrible though, Kari had not been the only casualty. Yamu lifted himself to his feet, dragging the ki machine gun behind him till he stood over Jeice?s body. ?Hey, Red?you wanted to see how you measured up?well it took last year?s winner to do you in. I hope that means something to ya.? The veiny behemoth respected the fallen warrior not just as a friend but as a fearsome fighter. The searing pain in his arm forced him to wince. He tucked what remained of Kari through the sash along his waist?she would still see the Finals even mortally wounded as she was.

His good hand nudged the jar of ki sand that also hung from his fabric belt as he tucked the broken club in. He pulled the jar out and with a grunt smashed the ceramic onto the ground sending a plume of sand casting the grains in all directions. His arm might not longer be working but his energy was still as strong as ever. Yamu focused his energy on the sand coating them in the pitch black hue of his own aura. Slowly the grains wrapped themselves around his useless arm turning it as black as rich topsoil. Soon his entire arm was coated in energy infused Ki Sand and shone like polished obsidian.

Yamu directed his energy forcing his arm to move by controlling his ki sand. He flexed his new pitch black hand and the pain was phenomenal, but pain had always been a part of the Arlian Guardian?s life. He could not feel through the sand gauntlet that now coated his left arm from fingertips to just below his shoulder?but he could punch with it, grip with it. Survive with it.

The problem was?the hairless human did not know what to do now. He had lost everything he had once possessed in this game. His weapon was useless, his friends all killed, and anyone he now knew on the island was an obstacle, even friends. Even Burter.

The words of his friends? echoed through the veiny titan?s head, appearing in his mind?s eye like translucent phantoms. ?If I fall?you?ll keep the gun. Even if you don?t shoot it, it will make you stronger.? Jeice told him, and Yamu?s fingers clenched the handle tighter, balancing it on his mono-colored left hand. The memories could not speak anything new, but the words of the past could have as much influence to the present as they did then.

?Looks like I?m going to be doing more then carrying it. I?m going to have to kill with it.? the ebony eyed Earthling replied to the apparition.

?That?s what I wanted to hear from you, Yamu.? Jeice replied to his friends demand. The red skinned warrior?s alabaster teeth shining past his lips.

?I just feel like I?m lost?? He spoke into his inner self, he felt like his center was gone. The supports he had leaned on, his totem and his friends, were now things of the past.

Paragus leaned over, ?Just nerves, Yams. Don?t let it get to you.? The one eyed Saiya-Jin was smiling as always, his grin just as infectious in memory as it was in real life.

Yamu could not fight the grin that crossed his face as the pleasant memories of his fallen friends renewed his spirit.

?You sure seem to be in a happy mood.? Bulma stated, her hands resting on her gun like most people?s would a beloved pet.

?Yeah?I am. I just found out that Jeice was right the whole time.?

Jeice spoke up again from a different day. ?You get your strength form your friends?I saw it in you when you saw that guy on the hill?the one you called ?Burter?. It ignited something in you, something that helped you single handedly drop two Super Saiya-Jins.?

Yamu hefted the machine gun and channeling a ball of ki through his sand covered arm slicing three initials into the butt, ?P-B? and ?J?.

The one-eyed saiyan was still sitting on top of the rock in which he stopped to take a break. ?I think we are ready to move again.?

A broken arm would not stop Yamu. He had bested one of the greats of the universe and learned the lesson from it. The Arlian Guardian was one of the best?but there was always better and to beat everyone else he would still have to play the game. His blood lust was not sated?he would make it to the Finals through a trail of blood?but there was no reason he should not pick and choose the battles that got him there.

He marched deeper into the island with a new weapon and a new arm. The glass like sand that replaced his left arm shone in the failing sunlight as the fourth day drew to a conclusion. The memories of his friends would fuel him forward to the Finals?Yamu just hoped they were enough.

[Raditzu]

"Ahem." The voice seemed to pound throughout Rad's barely conscious mind. "AHEM!" Someone very obviously wanted his attention.

The saiyan didn't move. He didn't open his eyes. He barely even took in air. The left side of his face throbbed in the after-math of his opponent's bitch slap. Though it was not truly that injury that kept him on the ground. Kami had done far more than strike him physically. Though the Namekian was probably unaware of it, his blow had reverberated through the very core of what Raditzu considered himself to be. It was a wound that wasn't like to heal quickly.

"Mr. Raditzu!" it was the woman that had been calling him to the interview. The saiyan had tolerated her request earlier, but it sounded as though she was about to wear out her welcome. "It is time to go... now!"

It was with a long sigh that Raditzu began the process of picking himself up. The hole in his stomach, which had recently slowed in bleeding, had been torn back open either by a stray machine gun round from Yamu or from his fall down the cliff. The other shots he had taken from the Ki Machine Gun seemed to had been mostly cauterized by the rounds that had caused them, but that didn't keep Rad from feeling the intense pain from the new injury.

Despite these injuries, Rad managed to pull himself to his feet in fairly short order. The woman stood, glaring at him, tapping her pen against a clip-board she seemed to have found. The saiyan warrior drew himself up to his full height and took several deep breathes before the woman spoke again.

"Now, are you ready?"

"Yeah," Rad said after dusting himself off. "I'm ready."

With a sudden jolt of movement, Rad raised his arm and pointed an open had at the demanding figment of his hallucinations. The darkening sky lit up for the briefest of moments as a bolt of ki lept from Rad's hand. The blast sailed through the woman, since she wasn't actually there, but she quickly faded from his sight nonetheless.

For a moment, Raditzu was alone. Without a distraction, however, his thoughts drifted back to the scene he had witnessed before Kami had, quite literally, slapped some sense into him. All those people. People he knew, people he cared about, people he would give his life for... all of them mocking him. Jeering, laughing, pointing: their verbal assault seemed unrelenting and it struck him in ways that no physical blow ever could. This train of self-destructive thought, however, was quickly knocked off track by another invading voice.

"Good lord... you look like a mess," came the voice from behind him.

Raditzu didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The voice was unmistakable to him. When he finally did face the speaker he felt as though he could cry. There were very few people Raditzu wanted to see right then, and she was definitely not one of them. His response reflected that.

"I didn't think I'd see you here..."

[Raditzu]

"What are you doing here, Sei?"

It was a simple question, but it carried with it more anger and frustration than Raditzu thought he had ever expressed before. While he respected the woman as a fighter, and as an instructor, they had never gotten along. They would probably never get along, but that didn't seem to bother either of them very much.

"Its been a while, hasn't it?" Sei answered Rad's question with one of her own. "Haven't seen you since you left Lord Vine's."

"I'm aware of that. Now what do you want?" Rad's breath quickened.

"Wanted to see how your training was coming along. Make sure you've remembered everything I've taughtcha." Sei approached Rad with a condescending smile of arrogance. She had always known that Raditzu was miles beyond her in raw power, but she would never let him forget that it was she who had been teaching him; a fact that had always rubbed Rad the wrong way.

"I'm doing fine," Rad responded. His entire body seemed to tense up as she approached.

"Yeah," she looked him up and down slowly. "You sure look like you're doing fine."

"Whatever. Just leave me alone. I have a tournament to win, and I don't need you hanging around."

"Oh really? You think you're going to win anything in that kind of condition?"

"Of course I'm going to win!" Raditzu suddenly found himself yelling at his former teacher. "I have to win!"

"Why? So you can see more of these?" Sei was suddenly holding a Raditzu doll. Her entire countenance had shifted to one of disapproval and borderline anger. "So people can parade around your name and use your face to sell piece of shit toys?"

"Yes!" Rad swept his hand through the outstretched Rad doll. "You got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact I do!" Sei had raised her voice to match Rad's.

"Well that's just too fucking bad, now isn't it?!"

Sei didn't say anything for a moment. She looked Raditzu up and down once more, then just shook her head. "Is that why you came to Vine's? You just wanted to learn another trick for your one-man circus?"

"What if I did?" Rad eyes burned with anger. Even his body shook.

"I may not like you much, but I thought you were better than that." Sei started to turn away.

"What the fuck do you know about me?!" Rad's voice cracked as he screamed. "You don't know anything."

"And what? A posted with your face all over it is your solution? Dolls of you for kids to play with?"

"Its an action figure! And yes! That is my solution. You don't like? You can go fuck yerself for all I care."

"... you're pathetic. You don't deserve any of this."

"Don't deserve this?! You have no idea what I deserve. You have no idea what I've been through."

"Yeah, you've had a tough life. Get over yourself, we all have shit we have to deal with."

"I haven't had a tough life, you ignorant cunt. I've had a fucking wasted life!" In his anger, tears had welled up in Raditzu's eyes. His view of Sei blurred, but he didn't even care about whether or not she was there. "I spent my entire life fighting for people who didn't give a shit about me! People behind desks sent people like me to die without a second thought. They didn't care if we died and they certainly didn't care if we came back alive. From birth I fought for these people! I've been shot, stabbed, blown up, straggled, tortured, and god knows what else because I thought it was the right thing to do. And look where it got me! There's only one thing I can do, Sei! I kill people. That's all I'll ever be good at and that's all I was ever given the chance to do."

Sei opened her mouth to say something, but Raditzu cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"So now I finally decide to do something for myself and I'm the fucking bad guy? No! I am not going to die being some soldier that no one will remember. I have not given my sweat and blood so no one can know who I am! If putting on a show is what gets people to know my name, then I'm going to give them the best show they've ever seen! I refuse to let myself fade out being a nobody."

"You really think anyone cares whether or not you're popular?"

"Of course people care! I've been a nobody my whole life. People don't care who you are. People don't care what you've done. I've saved worlds, Sei. Entire worlds! And how many people know that? No one. I'm done wasting my time for all of the ungrateful, self-absorbed assholes out there."

"You're happy just turning into one of those assholes yourself? You're disgusting."

Without saying anything else, Sei faded from view. Rad dropped to his knees, still shaking. He agreed with Sei, though she had no idea why. Even in his anger, even in his rage, he hadn't told her the truth. He hadn't told himself the truth. He had already lost the thing he had been fighting for and no amount of fame or fortune could bring that back. Maybe this was a form of atonement. Maybe it was a way of trying to apologize for his past shortcomings. No matter the reason, it was driven by the same thought:

No one waits for a nobody.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Burter

Saiba

It was pure chance that Saiba happened along the path of a dangerous reptilian. With almost fifteen people left on the island, his chances of finding someone were few, but his luck was not very good.

He had remained in the same area for the most part, unknowingly travelling in circles around the same large tree. Burter had taken a seat on a rock far up a hill when he noticed the little plant-monster.

Saiba just hopped along, searching for his master who he loved dearly. He knew Reijin was probably looking for him too, after all. Better to hurry and find him before he got too angry. When Rei was angry, bad things happened to Saiba.

A loud hissing sound could be heard from the north. He peeked up, curious as to what it was.

That was when the missle from the ki rocket launcher smashed into the ground in front of him, causing a large explosion of energy that vaporized his very figure.

#44 Saiba DEAD

14 Remain

The binoculars are gone.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Android 17, Cargo

Garlic Jr

The little goblin known as Garlic Junior lurked in the bushes like so many had done before him. The two coming near him looked hurt enough to stalk successfully. All he needed to was sneak up behind them and get a good target. No problem.

By now, both the namekian and the android had been used to being stalked as they hunted. It was thanks to this experience that Seventeen heard the rustling and stopped walking, stopping Cargo in his tracks. "Hold here, Paige," he told the namek.

"Whatever," the annoyed child responded, holding his flail.

Seventeen turned, tensing as he waited for someone to step out. "Come on," he demanded. "I've had enough of the stalking for one night. Come out or I'll just drag you out."

Fortuntely, he didn't have to move too much to get to Garlic, as the goblin walked out from his hiding spot, holding his spud gun. "Fine, fine. Have it your way."

After four days of nothing but injuries and tears, Seventeen was sick of fair fights. He raised up his pistol with one hand and fired.

"Hey, whoa, hold--"

The goblin had no time to react. It was a cheap shot, it had worked. Another fighter down.

#05 Garlic Jr DEAD

13 Remain

Either of you can take the spud gun but you need to discard a large weapon if you do

[Android 17]

(OOC: In case anyone asks, yes...the italics is a disembodied narrator guy.)

Welcome back, boys and girls, to another episode of ?Seventeen: An Android?s Story?! On our last episode, our goofy, beloved protagonist got himself into one heck of a tizzy when he went up against the Cold Dynasty with his ole pal Super Buu. In the aftermath of the battle, the android found himself delusional and confused, but then again, when in his life hasn?t he been?

After meeting up with a few of his former compatriots and dealing with some surly facsimiles, our wayward hero was thrust into a rapid succession of bloody confrontations! At the end of the first battle, Seventeen was reunited with his cherished girlfriend Paige, who he believed had been eliminated several days prior. Fresh of their get-together, the Bonny and Clyde-esque twosome claimed two more victims and now find themselves inches away from the finals!

Will the pair survive? Who will be the next to fall? Will Seventeen ever find an escape from the insanity he is oblivious to?!

All these answers and more are coming up in the next half hour, folks! So stay tuned to this excited, nerve-wracking episode of ?Seventeen: An Android?s Story?!

***

?Paige?? Seventeen asked?his eyes still glued on the sea of stars that were suspended high above his eyes.

?What?? The woman asked, sighing at the prospect of having to once again deal with the raven-haired youth and his incessant attitude. As she waited for a response, the redhead picked up the fallen goblin?s oversized cannon and began to look over the weapon.

?Did you hear that?? The machine-hybrid asked, glancing over at the woman as she knelt over the corpse of Garlic Junior. When all the former whitelighter did was nervously glance around a few times and then flash the mystified man a confused glance, Seventeen pointed toward the night sky with his right index finger. Paige followed the cyborg?s gesture until she realized what he was pointing to.

?Are you sure there isn?t some sort of medication you should be taking?? The woman inquired cruelly as she traced her fingers across the metallic surface of the potato gun.

?I?m being serious,? Seventeen said?stomping his foot on the ground with enough force that it splintered the earth. ?There was this dude with an overly dramatic, booming voice who was just talking from up there,? the android added, crossing his hands over his chest and sticking out his lower lip. Paige, who was more taken aback by the hairline fissures the cyborg had created, placed the spud launcher on the ground and returned to a standing position.

?Okay, okay,? the former whitelighter started, lifting her hands as she took a subtle step toward the frustrated machine-hybrid. ?I believe you,? the woman said, gesturing with her hands for the android to calm down and stop making a scene.

?You didn?t believe me about the chocolate river or the gumdrop village either!? Seventeen accused in a high-pitched tone, frowning from ear to ear like a spoiled child as his girlfriend tried to sooth him to the best of her abilities.

?We?re on an island in the middle of nowhere,? the woman rationalized, her voice calm and peaceful despite the fact that she was beginning to slightly convulse. ?You were just seeing things earlier, and now you are starting to hear things. You?re just a tad bit delusional,? Paige replied, retching slightly as she placed took another step forward and placed her hands on the android?s shoulders.

?I am not,? Seventeen retorted?sticking his tongue to punctuate the remark and indirectly spraying spit in his girlfriend?s face. Gritting her teeth together as she struggled to not scream in the android?s face, Paige simply clenched her eyes shut. As her grip on the cyborg?s shoulders tightened, a vein on the right side of her forehead began to swell and pulse. ?You?re cute when you?re mad,? the android replied, leaning forward and lightly kissing his girlfriend on her pursed lips.

Almost instantly, Paige let go of the raven-haired warrior?s shoulders and staggered backwards?her left eye twitching as she tried to fathom what had transpired. Clamping a slender hand over her mouth, the women began to heave and convulse as Seventeen casually walked observed the bloodied corpse. Ignorant to his girlfriend?s battle to keep the vomit down in her stomach, the android simply took a set next to the dead goblin.

?Are you going to start talking soon?? Seventeen whispered with an innocent smile as he picked up the body and placed it on his knee like it was a ventriloquist?s dummy. ?Oh noez, you killed meeee!? The android shouted in a raspy, infantile voice as he moved the corpse?s arms erratically. Paige, who had quelled the uprising in her stomach, merely arched an eyebrow at the bizarre antics of her boyfriend.

[Yamu]

Unfamiliar constellations spread across the night sky as if under the guide of an artist?s brush, a glorious composition of heavenly bodies to give a little illumination to the horrors of Dante?s Abyss.

Yamu sat his pack down and found a low rise with which to rest. Fighting had always been more of a sprint for the hairless human and going near non-stop marathon of four days had begun to take its toll on his body and mind. For a moment he rested, looking up into the glittering sky and he fed himself from the rations he and Jeice had procured.

The Arlian Guardian had to admit?the sky was beautiful. With no light pollution, possibly on the entire planet, the sky seemed to be bursting with stars of every color. More points of light were up there then there was blackness in between, and no clouds to prevent those rays from reaching his black within black eyes.

It was lying on the slight slope of the hill with no one to talk to that Yamu pondered beauty. Each of those stars was a thread in a magnificent tapestry to him each magical in their own right and only more splendid when put together?but what if someone was stranded on a planet just miles from one of those stars, being roasted alive under the unimaginable heat and pressure, that star would be thing of terror, not peace.

Beauty was perhaps not in the eye of the beholder but in the distance. A wildflower next to Yamu billowed in a gentle breeze, another object that was pleasing to his eyes. To an insect, maybe, trapped on the waxy coat of the wide pink petals?the flower was nothing more then a trap used to eat it with.

Yamu had always seen himself as a monster. Large, veiny, and hairless he was by no one?s standards easy on the eyes. The scars that marred his face and an appendage now a monochromatic shade of black did nothing to help his appearance. Maybe from far enough away or maybe close enough a little beauty could be seen in him as well.

The vein covered titan ran the good fingers of his right hand across the pitch black coating that allowed him to move his arm, the texture was grainy but stable. He watched his left hand as he flexed it, a completely different mode of mobility moving his digits. His good hand went back to casually rubbing what was left of Kari, then picked up his monogrammed machine gun once again.

He would stop and rest in a more secure location?one that did not have stars to trouble his thoughts.

[Bra]

While Reijin was off ?looking for toys?, Bra set about the morbid task of stripping items of value from the fallen Spice, whom they had left outside. The cyan haired girl found such looting to be disgraceful on the battlefield, but, then, Dante?s Abyss was an abomination. There was no purpose to this wretched game, save for the fan?s entertainment.

Her eyes flashed blue for a moment, as a wicked grin crossed her face. Thoughts of slaughtering the DA executives and the entire fan-base rushed through her head. Each image was rife with blood and gore, getting progressively worse as the images wore on. Finally, the eerie glow faded from the princess? eyes and she shook her head.

?Weird...? she muttered, pulling off a lightweight piece of combat armor from her fallen victim. Bra tilted her head to read the inscription, and smiled in delight. It read ?Ki Proof Vest Part Number: 50051044?.

The hybrid rushed inside, pulling the protective vest over her head. Feeling she looked somewhat silly with the vest over her top, Bra ?acquired? a clean pharmacist?s gown, and put it on. Smirking, she pulled a pair of pink-rimmed reading glasses from a display. Surprisingly, they were non-prescription, so the girl put them on.

Her costume looked somewhat strange, as her lab coat extended further down than her skirt did, but she figured Reijin would either be incredibly confused, or he would laugh. Either way, Bra didn?t care.

?So, he wants to ?party?. Well, fuck that. I wanted a party, not to go find toys,? she reached into her ever-lightening bag, and withdrew her Reijin doll. ?I bet he?s looking for some action figure or something so he can play dolls with these.? she said with a chuckle.

A blast of freezing-cold liquid washed over her. As if by instinct, she threw herself backwards and collapsed over a chair in an effort to avoid the water. ?What the hell-!!? she had to pause in order to catch the massive plastic object sailing toward her. ?Is this?!?

She suddenly found herself holding a pretty badass-looking water gun. In fact, it was black, and had ghostly white flames airbrushed onto it. Whichever idiot would actually pay for such a thing would have to pay a hefty sum.

?There?s more outside every few feet,? Reijin announced. Bra snapped her gaze up, but didn?t figure out what he was talking about until it was too late. ?But this one is for you. Happy Birthday!!? he called, stomping on a broom handle, which he was using as a springboard. The bucket of water balloons on it rocketed through the air, and crashed into the heiress, exploding all over her.

?Oh, it?s fucking on!!? the halfling seethed, chasing the raven haired warrior out of the building, only to receive a face-full of pressurized water. Spluttering in anger, she skidded into an alley, and swiftly climbed up a ladder, nearly losing her grip since she had been so badly soaked.

Now on the roof, Bra charged to the edge and opened fire on Reijin, who thought he had some cover behind a mailbox. The icy liquid drenched his shirt as he rolled out of the way, right next to another bucket of water balloons.

The empress dropped her gun and pulled her shotgun from her back, pointing it down at him with a wicked grin. The pure-blood froze for a moment, his eyes widening with thoughts of betrayal.

Bra opened fire.

Instead of tearing Reijin apart, though, the ki blasts crashed into the bucket next to him, obliterating the bucket and exploding the balloons, which doused the man in water. Throwing the shotgun over her shoulder, Bra grabbed up her super soaker and traded blasts with her opponent, and she actually broke into laughter.

Reijin didn?t know it, but this was the first time in months that the hybrid had actually laughed. Not just because of a joke or an idiotic statement, but because she was actually feeling happy for the first time in a long while.

Her musings were interrupted, however, when a blast of water rushed over her face. Bra unleashed her own barrage, and the two engaged in a battle of liquid. The princess sprinted along the edge of the building, before slipping on the water and tumbling from the building. She thought she?d crash into the ground, but Reijin caught her, and the two slammed through a table left outside.

The duo was left cold, wet, and amongst the remnants of a cheap table. Bra erupted into laughter, and soon, the raven haired warrior did the same. For several minutes, the two chortled like raving lunatics, until each was sore from it.

?Thanks, Reijin,? the girl finally expressed. ?This... was a lot of fun.?

?Was?!? retorted the pure-blood, whirling about to unleash a final shot. Unfortunately, Bra was doing the exact same thing, and they wound up completely dousing one another yet again. The princess couldn?t help but laugh out loud at their own stupidity.

?So... is it really your birthday?? she asked. Reijin simply nodded. ?For real??

?Yes. I don?t see any point in lying about it.? came the response.

?Oh... well... then I?m sorry about before. Happy Birthday, Reijin. I... mean it. Thanks so much.?

?Don?t mention it,? he replied, not totally sure what Bra meant. ?But we better get moving...?

The girl nodded, and the two pulled themselves up off the soaked concrete, and slogged off in a new direction.