12-06-2005, 09:29 PM
Bardock?s crimson aura burned fiercely around his body, enveloping his figure in a shroud of blood-red light. The stone structure of the watchtower loomed up in the distance, until finally it completely encompassed the saiyan?s vision. Seconds before colliding into it at his dangerous rate, he slammed on the breaks, coming to a rough stop on the ground. The earth shook beneath his legs with the force of impact. With a single thrust of an arm, he forced open the great doors and thundered in. He suddenly wished he?d known the angels name, so as to call it out during his search. Screaming ?angel? at the top of his lungs would likely get a response from everyone. In any case, the fighter was not searching for long before he found what he was looking for?or more specifically, heard.
?I can promise nothing more. I will think about it. That is more than I am required here.?
The voice that floated to the saiya-jin?s ears was none other than that of Reijin. The youth seemed to be everywhere Bardock turned these days. You meet somebody once, and then they?re all over the place. He shrugged. The younger fighter had probably never even left the tower. The voice that followed was one Bardock was more interested in. There was a pause.
?Fair enough.?
The great angel was displeased with Reijin?s answer.
?If you decide you would prefer to avenge your friends by helping us to save many worlds, saiyan, then join us below.?
The affair that was transpiring between the two meant little to the roughneck. All he cared about was extracting some information out of the celestial being. His ears perceived the sound of footsteps walking away, and then down a stairwell, accompanied by the ever so light ruffle of feathers. The angel was getting away! Bardock started to move, but then stopped as voices resumed. Reijin was speaking with another. It sounded like?Akira. Their exchange was brief, and the black-haired brawler heard her laugh before walking towards him. He stiffened. It wouldn?t do well to attract negative attention to him, especially since he didn?t really prefer to associate with her. He was far enough away that he was out of sight, but too close to slip away before the elemental saw him. Well, it wasn?t like he was the enemy. What did it matter if he was nearby? Akira gracefully sauntered close by, and noticed his presence. He gave her an emotionless look as she observed him, as if considering the very nature of his intentions. His black eyes followed every motion of hers, staring her down, oblivious to all else. What did he have to hide? She finally relinquished any pursuit and continued to walk away. Bardock?s hard eyes trailed her departure until she was out of sight. Once she could no longer be seen, the saiyan went in the direction of the angel?s voice. He was startled to find that in such a short time, both he and Reijin had disappeared. The only path down this section of the tower was a winding stairwell. Bardock had little other choice than to assume they had gone this way, and chased the same route. His boots fell softly against the mineral steps until he finally arrived at a heavy cellar door.
?This is where they went? This thing?s way too small,? he noted to himself.
Regardless, he opened. At first, the entryway was black. He stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the lack of the light. The watchtower itself was lit by torch, and that wasn?t a very strong source of illumination, so it shouldn?t take long. Bardock was taken aback by what he saw. Black washed away, giving precedence to a vast sky awash with warm rays of sun. It was as if he had entered another realm completely. Benign clouds laced the sky, painting a blend of faded white against the softness of cobalt. He could feel firmly packed soil beneath his feet, cobblestones forming a definitive path. Hints of lush green poked up here and there, as grass trying to shoot its way towards the breathtaking view above. It was only a deep-pitched decibel that awoke Bardock from his dream-like gaze.
He hadn?t even noticed the perfectly aligned columns of angels. They all stood at attention, fully dressed in their saintly war garb. A strong sense of discipline and unity emanated from the body of angelic warriors. The saiyan was impressed and disgusted at the same time. Here was a unit of refined fighters, and yet their very cause for fight went against everything the roughneck believed in. He had his own defined set of principles, and they stood for what he opposed. They were the cleansers of sin, the hammers of the gods, determining what was right and wrong and doling out punishment for it. Bardock felt in the deepest corners of his heart and mind that for any creature to hold such judicial power over another was wrong. Who was one to tell another, what they should and should not do? Who decided what was morally sound?
Reijin?s voice rang out throughout the pitch. Was he?instructing them? Was Reijin to be the leader of the mighty angel?s army? Bardock grinned. How ironic that the mighty deities were turning to someone so, unclean as a saiyan for lessons on fighting prowess. But truly, there was no one better than a son of Vegeta-sei. The young lecturer?s words resonated with power and passion, each one fully absorbed by every member of his audience. Icy truth and cold, hard reality stung their minds. To defeat one?s opponent, one must become one?s opponent. It was an inevitability of battle. Reijin decided it would be best to lead by example. Twin blades of Ki materialized in his hands, setting off Bardock?s battle visor. In a display of pure swordsmanship, the young saiyan lunged towards the flank of one column, directly assaulting an exposed soldier.
A voice link directly to his mind informed Bardock of the specifics of the attack, and a visual display materialized on the monitor accompanied by a brief section of text.
[Dual Ki Swords]
[Energy-based attack]
Twin blades of opposing ki: one positive (gold signature) and one negative (black signature). The power is formed into concrete energy, giving them the ability to cut through opposing energy attacks. Countering with the correct amount of energy at any of the specific fracture points will rupture the structure, causing the ?swords? to dissipate.
Impressive, thought the brawler in reference to both Reijin and the machine.
The angel in defense perfectly parried the blow, but was completely caught off guard when Reijin utterly violated him with an energy-charged boot. The surprise on their faces at such a horrendous and dishonorable tactic meant that they expected the ?rules of combat? to be observed. How foolish and na?ve. Any saiya-jin knew that there were no rules. Winning was winning, no matter what you did. Your chances of victory were only as good as how far you were willing to go to obtain the prize. Bardock knew this?all too well.
He returned his eyes to the younger saiyan, who had burst into golden flames. He was now transcended beyond that of a normal saiyan?a Super Saiya-jin. The battle visor quickly registered this, and although its owner let it, he didn?t need the information. Someday?
Not long after, the actual practice commenced. Brutality ensued. The weak were being weeded out, picked off one by one. If they could not defeat their brethren, what hope had they had against bloodthirsty demons? It was better this way, cleaner. They deserved not the glorious rush of battle through their veins if they were not worthy of receiving it. Bardock was so absorbed in watching them, mentally criticizing and critiquing their every move that he had forgotten all about Reijin and Kao. How he loved the intricate dance of death. It was his calling, his reason for existence. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, Bardock could both appreciate and hate the need to fight, and all of the physical and psychological ramifications. He could communicate his love, his anger, his sorrow, all with his fists. Could they? Could they feel such a release?
Their stamina was most impressive as they were able to last for hours throughout the bloodshed of their kin. Reijin gave them their restful reprieve, but they looked as if they would find no comfort in it. Their way of life was forever and irrevocably changed by the revelation of the underbelly of the beast. Bardock hoped they could understand what a cesspool the realms of Hell really were. He had lived it, and so soon would they.
The warrior slowly made his way to Reijin, who looked to be deeply contemplating something. The younger did not notice the elder?s presence next to him, and so Bardock stood silently, arms folded across his great chest.
OOC: Two. Check your PMs, Rei.
?I can promise nothing more. I will think about it. That is more than I am required here.?
The voice that floated to the saiya-jin?s ears was none other than that of Reijin. The youth seemed to be everywhere Bardock turned these days. You meet somebody once, and then they?re all over the place. He shrugged. The younger fighter had probably never even left the tower. The voice that followed was one Bardock was more interested in. There was a pause.
?Fair enough.?
The great angel was displeased with Reijin?s answer.
?If you decide you would prefer to avenge your friends by helping us to save many worlds, saiyan, then join us below.?
The affair that was transpiring between the two meant little to the roughneck. All he cared about was extracting some information out of the celestial being. His ears perceived the sound of footsteps walking away, and then down a stairwell, accompanied by the ever so light ruffle of feathers. The angel was getting away! Bardock started to move, but then stopped as voices resumed. Reijin was speaking with another. It sounded like?Akira. Their exchange was brief, and the black-haired brawler heard her laugh before walking towards him. He stiffened. It wouldn?t do well to attract negative attention to him, especially since he didn?t really prefer to associate with her. He was far enough away that he was out of sight, but too close to slip away before the elemental saw him. Well, it wasn?t like he was the enemy. What did it matter if he was nearby? Akira gracefully sauntered close by, and noticed his presence. He gave her an emotionless look as she observed him, as if considering the very nature of his intentions. His black eyes followed every motion of hers, staring her down, oblivious to all else. What did he have to hide? She finally relinquished any pursuit and continued to walk away. Bardock?s hard eyes trailed her departure until she was out of sight. Once she could no longer be seen, the saiyan went in the direction of the angel?s voice. He was startled to find that in such a short time, both he and Reijin had disappeared. The only path down this section of the tower was a winding stairwell. Bardock had little other choice than to assume they had gone this way, and chased the same route. His boots fell softly against the mineral steps until he finally arrived at a heavy cellar door.
?This is where they went? This thing?s way too small,? he noted to himself.
Regardless, he opened. At first, the entryway was black. He stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the lack of the light. The watchtower itself was lit by torch, and that wasn?t a very strong source of illumination, so it shouldn?t take long. Bardock was taken aback by what he saw. Black washed away, giving precedence to a vast sky awash with warm rays of sun. It was as if he had entered another realm completely. Benign clouds laced the sky, painting a blend of faded white against the softness of cobalt. He could feel firmly packed soil beneath his feet, cobblestones forming a definitive path. Hints of lush green poked up here and there, as grass trying to shoot its way towards the breathtaking view above. It was only a deep-pitched decibel that awoke Bardock from his dream-like gaze.
He hadn?t even noticed the perfectly aligned columns of angels. They all stood at attention, fully dressed in their saintly war garb. A strong sense of discipline and unity emanated from the body of angelic warriors. The saiyan was impressed and disgusted at the same time. Here was a unit of refined fighters, and yet their very cause for fight went against everything the roughneck believed in. He had his own defined set of principles, and they stood for what he opposed. They were the cleansers of sin, the hammers of the gods, determining what was right and wrong and doling out punishment for it. Bardock felt in the deepest corners of his heart and mind that for any creature to hold such judicial power over another was wrong. Who was one to tell another, what they should and should not do? Who decided what was morally sound?
Reijin?s voice rang out throughout the pitch. Was he?instructing them? Was Reijin to be the leader of the mighty angel?s army? Bardock grinned. How ironic that the mighty deities were turning to someone so, unclean as a saiyan for lessons on fighting prowess. But truly, there was no one better than a son of Vegeta-sei. The young lecturer?s words resonated with power and passion, each one fully absorbed by every member of his audience. Icy truth and cold, hard reality stung their minds. To defeat one?s opponent, one must become one?s opponent. It was an inevitability of battle. Reijin decided it would be best to lead by example. Twin blades of Ki materialized in his hands, setting off Bardock?s battle visor. In a display of pure swordsmanship, the young saiyan lunged towards the flank of one column, directly assaulting an exposed soldier.
A voice link directly to his mind informed Bardock of the specifics of the attack, and a visual display materialized on the monitor accompanied by a brief section of text.
[Dual Ki Swords]
[Energy-based attack]
Twin blades of opposing ki: one positive (gold signature) and one negative (black signature). The power is formed into concrete energy, giving them the ability to cut through opposing energy attacks. Countering with the correct amount of energy at any of the specific fracture points will rupture the structure, causing the ?swords? to dissipate.
Impressive, thought the brawler in reference to both Reijin and the machine.
The angel in defense perfectly parried the blow, but was completely caught off guard when Reijin utterly violated him with an energy-charged boot. The surprise on their faces at such a horrendous and dishonorable tactic meant that they expected the ?rules of combat? to be observed. How foolish and na?ve. Any saiya-jin knew that there were no rules. Winning was winning, no matter what you did. Your chances of victory were only as good as how far you were willing to go to obtain the prize. Bardock knew this?all too well.
He returned his eyes to the younger saiyan, who had burst into golden flames. He was now transcended beyond that of a normal saiyan?a Super Saiya-jin. The battle visor quickly registered this, and although its owner let it, he didn?t need the information. Someday?
Not long after, the actual practice commenced. Brutality ensued. The weak were being weeded out, picked off one by one. If they could not defeat their brethren, what hope had they had against bloodthirsty demons? It was better this way, cleaner. They deserved not the glorious rush of battle through their veins if they were not worthy of receiving it. Bardock was so absorbed in watching them, mentally criticizing and critiquing their every move that he had forgotten all about Reijin and Kao. How he loved the intricate dance of death. It was his calling, his reason for existence. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, Bardock could both appreciate and hate the need to fight, and all of the physical and psychological ramifications. He could communicate his love, his anger, his sorrow, all with his fists. Could they? Could they feel such a release?
Their stamina was most impressive as they were able to last for hours throughout the bloodshed of their kin. Reijin gave them their restful reprieve, but they looked as if they would find no comfort in it. Their way of life was forever and irrevocably changed by the revelation of the underbelly of the beast. Bardock hoped they could understand what a cesspool the realms of Hell really were. He had lived it, and so soon would they.
The warrior slowly made his way to Reijin, who looked to be deeply contemplating something. The younger did not notice the elder?s presence next to him, and so Bardock stood silently, arms folded across his great chest.
OOC: Two. Check your PMs, Rei.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
_=Pass you by, it's all in this life you have
Pass you by, good-bye to you=_
Pass you by, good-bye to you=_