[00] Welcome!

[DA 2009]

A large plaza stretched out in front of the row of teleporter machines. One of the maintenance staff walked through, making sure the entrance was as smooth and grandiose as possible. He started at the teleporters, and jaunted along a huge hall until he came to a security checkpoint. Menacing bouncers, of course, monitored this area. Each entrant was required to hand over their invitations and identification chips in order to gain passage into the plaza itself. Once past the checkpoint, he stepped into an enormous octagonal room, which served as a kind of vestibule. The room was lavishly decorated: the walls were eggshell white with gold trim, and the floor was hand-carved and polished blue marble. Various ornaments, paintings, and tapestries hung here and there, accompanied by potted plants and flowers. A pleasant scent wafted in the air. The only disruption to the marvel was the display screen that hung from the ceiling; there were four screens facing each direction, sort of like a scoreboard on a basketball court. A beautiful-looking woman with a pleasurable tone was speaking an instructional greeting, recorded on a loop:

“Welcome to Dante’s Abyss! Until the tournament begins, we here at Syntex have strived to provide only the most luxurious amenities for you, our most honored guest. There are four different areas in which you may relax or prepare yourself as necessary. Our five-star restaurant is manned by professional chefs teleported in from around the universe, offering many popular styles of cuisine. Only the finest food and beverages are served, at absolutely no cost to you, our most honored guest. Our five-star hotel includes a swimming pool, spa, casino, and bar area, as well as private rooms supplied with only the best that zeni can buy. Should you be in the mood for pleasurable company, our diverse and enthusiastic escort service is on hand to satisfy your needs. Our top-rated gymnasium provides both modern and traditional equipment, including a sparring area, which gives you, our most honored guest, a wide variety of items to fit your every training requirement. Finally, our library is compiled of thousands of documents and publications, both in written and online form. It is rivaled only by those on Kajin Rala. Our database will locate anything you wish to read. Throughout the pre-game area, you will find numerous terminals that contain all of the rules and information pertaining to the Dante’s Abyss Tournament. It is recommended that you peruse this data in order to be able to competently participate.

We hope that you, our most honored guest, find everything to your complete satisfaction. Our staff is highly trained and ready to serve. Please enjoy your stay!”

The staff member couldn’t help but be a little unnerved by how many times she used the phrase “our most honored guest,” as if once wasn’t enough. Everything appeared in order. Everything was bright, clean, and attractive. Now all that was left was to start waiting for the participants to arrive.

[Kaden]

“Hey! Wake up, jackass!”

While being yelled at was never particularly fun, it wasn’t the overly gruff officer’s voice that startled Kaden. No, it was the jarred clang of the officer’s nightstick against the thick metal bars of the courier’s prison cell. Though that though on its own took several seconds for the boy to process.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out where he was. Sadly, it had actually not been the first time he had spent a night in jail since his ascension from the ranks of “minor.” Despite his limited familiarity with the setting, though, he had no idea why or how he had ended up there in the first place. His mind raced to recall anything that might help him to that end.

The last thing he remembered was… being in the middle of Central City. He had been with Belle Hibiki. There was a big fight, Kaden had tired himself out, and then… a sigh escaped his lips as Kaden shook his head. He had been in a crater made by Hibiki after he had transformed. Apparently turning into massive, monstrous monkeys was just something that Saiyans did. Live and learn.

While Kaden would have preferred to spend a few more minutes mentally collecting himself, the officer on the other side of cell wasn’t interested in waiting around. Wincing as the man barked more orders at him, Kaden slowly pulled himself off of the small cot he had been laying on and walked to the cell door. Reaching his hands through a break in the bars, Kaden waited for the officer to hand cuff him before stepping back and waiting for the door to swing open.

Ordering him to get a move on, the officer directed Kaden down a series of hallways and out of the police precinct. As he exited the building, Kaden recognized it as the same one he had visited during the terrorist attack on Central City’s mayor. It almost disgusted the courier that he had put himself in harm’s way to help out, given the situation he found himself in. Though, the truly disgusting thing is that, if he could go back in time, he’d do the exact same thing.

The police officer, Kaden didn’t even care to try and get the man’s name, pushed Kaden into the back of a squad car and they were off. The courier was actually glad to get some time to sit and think. Taking stock of his person, he could see that he was obviously still wearing the same clothing. His jacket was covered in dirt, mud, and soot, while his shirt and pants were spotted with his own blood. The wounds that he had suffered, though, had mostly healed and, as he moved his head, he could feel the itch of stubble rubbing against his neck.

“Hey,” Kaden called to the officer sitting in front of him. “How long was I locked up?”

It didn’t surprise Kaden at all that he had completely passed out. He and Belle had fought through a trio of super-powered psychos, all of whom were stronger than either Kaden of Belle, and managed to come out on top. Even then, instead of having a chance to call it a night and go home, Kaden had been forced to work with the people that been trying to kill him only moments prior to stop Belle’s Oosaru onslaught.

Normally that would have required Kaden to push himself to the absolute limit. Unfortunately for the ragged courier, he had needed to do that just to overcome an opponent named Wave. Kaden had fought Belle on nothing but fumes… and borderline psychosis.

“You’ve been out for three days. Now shut up.”

Fair enough, the courier thought to himself. All-in-all, though, things had worked out relatively well. Given the number of times Kaden could have lost his life, coming away with a couple cuts and a few days rest was not too shabby at all.

The car ride ended rather abruptly. Kaden had been taken to a courthouse. It was a disturbing familiar sight. In that same courthouse, Kaden had met Belle, broken a handful of laws leaving it, and basically been accused of being a terrorist. Not just any terrorist, but one of the terrorists who had gone guns-blazing into an elementary school and taken a classroom full of kids hostage. Kaden was definitely not okay with being put on the same level as filth like that.

Being escorted into courthouse was uneventful, though Kaden was both amused and frustrated at the sight that greeted him. Apparently it had been four days since the last time the courier had stood on that very spot. Norman Attkerson faced him once more, though this time he did not look like he was enjoying the false sense of authority that came from sitting in a judge’s chair. Instead, the man looked as though he had been awake for the past four days. Understandable, really, given the situation Central City was still in.

“Kaden,” the man said. His voice was monotone and rather lifeless. “I hope you know why you’re here.”

“Because you have no one else to blame something on?” the courier guessed. Kaden plastered a fake smile across his face.

“Not a good time for jokes, son,” Norman said. At least the last time Kaden had been ‘debriefed’ by Norman he had had a sense of humor. “Several city blocks were reduced to rubble and, thanks to that little device around your ankle, we can prove you were there when it happened.”

There was a long silence as Norman simply stared at Kaden. After a couple of second staring back, though, Kaden obliged his wandering mind and craned his neck around to get a good look at the courthouse. It was actually a very impressive room. One of those big, elaborate courtrooms that were always shown on TV, but almost rarely ever used in the actual world.

“Well?” Norman prompted the courier. His voice was growing increasingly edgy.

“Well what?” Kaden replied, making a point to keep his eyes averted from the man.

“Well what do you have to say for yourself?!” Norman slammed an open palm on the desk in front of him in anger.

It took a great deal of effort for Kaden not to smile at the man. Poor Norman was so flustered that it almost wasn’t fair. Sweat beaded along his forehead, his eyes were dark and his foot was tapping erratically. The man was frayed and exhausted. It didn’t take any amount of real insight to figure that out.

“Yes, I was there. I was actually trying to stop it, though I doubt you’re going to believe me,” Kaden shrugged and turned his attention away from Norman once more.

“Describe what happened.”

“Well,” Kaden began. He was actually pleased that Attkerson had dropped any pretense of politeness. “I was with Belle Hibiki. He also helped stop a terrorist attack on Central City and I was helping him track down something that was stolen from him. Unfortunately, there was a full moon out, and Belle is at least part Saiyan. I’m sure you can do the math.”

“So you’re claiming that Hibiki transformed, started destroying what’s left of the city and that you decided to step up and stop him?”

“It’s not like I was just being altruistic,” Kaden replied with a shake of his head. “I was worried about Belle killing people, but like I said, I was with him. I’m lucky I lived through the night.”

There was a long, awkward silence as Kaden watched Norman lean back in his chair and take a deep, slow breath. Before speaking, it seemed like Attkerson needed a minute to compose himself. Kaden could sympathize with how utterly exhausted – defeated might have been a more accurate descriptor – the man looked.

“Alright,” he finally said.

“Alright?” Kaden repeated.

“Yes. Alright. A giant monkey stomps around the city. There are going to be plenty of witnesses to something like that. More than one of them said a man matching your description stopped the monster with some kind of… glowing spear? An arrow, maybe?”

“Something like that, yeah,” Kaden confirmed. “What about all the other stuff? Me being a terrorist? Helping Juliet steal a bunch of weapons?”

“Ah.” Norman nodded, though his expression hardened as he did. It turned out that was what he had been composing himself for. “We owe you an apology, as it turns out. We looked into your claim of being whisked away to some rooftop. Several people in the adjacent buildings witnessed part or all of the fight.”

“So… what? I’m, like, free to go?”

“Indeed you are. The monitoring device around your ankle has already been deactivated. You’re free to go.”

And indeed Kaden was. To the courier’s great amusement, he ended up waltzing out of the courthouse like nothing had happened. It was more than Kaden could have hoped for. In addition to letting him off the proverbial hook, Norman had informed him that his truck, with all of his belongings, had been moved to a nearby hotel where he would have access to a room for up to a week. Apparently it was supposed to be a combination thank you/apology for the false accusations and helping Central City.

Sadly, the hotel was the most run-down establishment the courier had ever seen. Fortunately, Kaden knew that beggars couldn’t be choosers. He had basically no money, no job, no real place of residence, and all of his worldly possessions were still crammed into the back of his beat up old truck.

Showering and changing were the first things on Kaden’s to-do list. The nap he had been taking for the past several days left him feeling more than refreshed. The next on Kaden’s list was to get his stuff out of his truck. While he wasn’t interested in staying in that room for any prolonged period of time, that was infinitely better than just leaving it in his truck. As he was unloading things, though, he found a peculiar envelope tucked into the driver’s sun visor of his truck.

Kaden it read. Spectacular acts are worthy of spectacular rewards. Someone willing to risk their life should not be condemned to such squalor. With your selfless defense of Central City and its inhabitants as a guiding beacon of inspiration I have chosen to reward you in kind. I have prepared accommodations much more suited to someone of your caliber. Please present this invitation and the enclosed chip to any Capsule Corp. I hope you enjoy the reward you have worked so hard for.
Sincerely,
Damon Duke

“Now this is what I’m talking about,” Kaden said to the invitation. A stupid grin was plastered across his face as he read through it one more time.

He would be the first to admit that he had never really been the luckiest guy around. It looked like putting up with that was starting to pay off, though. Maybe it was karma or maybe it was just a random act of generosity. Whatever the case, Kaden was more than happy to take Damon up on his offer. It seemed only fair that someone in the city he had helped repay a little bit of his kindness. Without wasting another minute, Kaden hopped in his truck and headed off to Capsule Corp as quickly as possible.

---
“Woah…” was all the courier could say as he stepped out of the teleporter. He had never imagined that Mr. Duke would reward him so handsomely. “Looks like my luck’s starting to turn around.”

[Jesper]

Several things ran through Sophia’s mind as she started to fall through the door, most of which were profanities that she would be ashamed to admit to. Things hadn’t changed for her much since she had died, and despite King Kai’s tireless efforts to help transform her into a relentless and polished fighting machine, she was still as clumsy as ever. Of course, she liked to think that it would have happened to anyone—after all, who would have thought that one would have to push on a random door in the ground? It didn’t even have a sign. If she were still living, she would have resolved to sue the makers of that door for every zeni that they had (though, in reality, she just would have felt so bad that she would have given it back).

However, just as quickly as those things went through her mind, the fighting guru caught her by the arm. Sophia had her eyes closed as tightly as possible, of course, so it took her a while to realize that she no longer felt that nagging falling feeling. It was cold where she was hanging; the dirt around her sent a chill down her spine as she realized that such a fall could have really hurt her. She finally remembered to exhale, and though she knew it was stupid to look down, she couldn’t help it. The chill turned into panic as all she saw was darkness, a seemingly endless pit extending down below her.

Sophia let out a high-pitched squeal. “Help me, King Kai! Help me~!”

Kaiousama merely chuckled and grabbed onto her arm with his other hand, stabilizing his grip on her so that he could pull her up. The ex-priestess glanced up at him fearfully, suddenly worried from his cheerful demeanor that he was tempted to just drop her. That’s what he did, after all—he always put her through tests, always put her in danger, and never told her anything about it afterward. Such things were to be expected at that point.

“Don’t you dare drop me…” she muttered as she clutched the side of the tunnel and crawled up onto the surface. As she stood to her feet and began dusting her clothes off, she looked up at him with a frown pasted on her complexion. “Do you have any idea how close that was!?”

“Sophia…” King Kai whispered, holding out a hand to comfort her.

“No! I’m tired of constantly getting hurt or almost hurt! I could have died! Or…well, I don’t know! You’ve never given me a clear answer on that, because you never tell me anything! I have half a mind to…”

“Sophia…” he said again patiently as she continued on her rant.

“…and what about the food!? If I have to eat ramen one more time, I swear I’m going to…”

“Sophia!” he snapped.

“Yes, sir,” she said quickly, putting her arms stiffly to her side.

“Sophia, what’s the problem? You can fly now, can’t you?” he reminded her.

Oh, right, flying. Her face turned red as she realized his point, although she had no idea if she could replicate those same results again. She had never even realized that flying was a possibility, and now he was expecting her to fly perfectly like a sparrow. Nonetheless, she sighed and shook her head, rubbing her eyes. Maybe the training was starting to wear on her nerves a little bit. After all, this was a big change from her normal routine in life—mainly, healing people and reading books in her spare time. Physical exhaustion was not something she was exactly used to.

“I’m…I’m sorry, King Kai,” she bowed. “I don’t know what got over me.”

“Oh, stop that. It’s fine,” the round man smiled. “That’s actually mild compared to some of my former students. You’re practically a teddy bear.”

Sophia chuckled. His joyfulness was starting to grow on her.

“Now come on inside,” King Kai said. “You look like you could use some ramen.”

The pair chuckled and sauntered through the door of his little hut. Maybe a bowl of noodles wasn’t such a bad idea after all. She sat down at his table as Kaiousama ventured into the kitchen to prepare the meal. The healer straightened her skirt a little bit and cleared her throat, looking around the kitchen. She had never really taken the time to look before, but King Kai knew how to clean up a mess. After her fight with Cain, the entire house was broken into pieces, but every such piece seemed to be in perfect order. It even seemed a little homey, though that kind of clashed with the whole fighter routine.

A tap on the window distracted her a bit, but a quick glance revealed nothing in particular. It was probably just something carried by the wind into the glass. She leaned over, trying to get a glimpse at King Kai. “How’s it coming? Do you need help?”

“What was that?” he called back.

She heard another tap on the window. She proceeded to answer Kaiousama as she turned to look back at the window. “Uh…I was just wondering if you needed help.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine, thanks. It’ll be ready in a bit.”

Nothing was there again. Sophia frowned and shook her head—maybe she was more tired than she had realized. Taking a deep breath, she put her hands on the table and rapped on the surface with the tips of her fingers. She thought she heard yet another tap, though she decided that it was probably just her own noise. The healer clicked her tongue and took another casual glance at the window. There floated a gigantic cricket.

Sophia jumped out of her seat and onto the floor, gasping.

“What’s wrong, Sophia!” Kaiousama ran back into the kitchen. He looked down at Sophia and followed her extended index finger towards the window. He laughed. “Oh, it’s Gregory. Hi, Gregory!”

The cricket floated into the kitchen, snickering. Sophia frowned at him, tightening a fist as she stood back up. Noticing this, Gregory waved his hands. “Hey, sorry about that! It was just a little joke.”

King Kai smacked the cricket lightly on the back of his head. “Don’t do that. She’s frayed enough as it is.”

“Ahhh, training’s gettin’ a little rough, is it?” Gregory smirked. “That’s fine. At least he hasn’t asked you to hit me yet.”

“Keep it up and I will,” King Kai muttered. “So…what’s up? I thought you were visiting your sister?”

“I was. It was fun, but I wanted to leave. Her boyfriend’s kind of a creeper,” he scratched his head. “Anyway, I kind of had to leave, since someone told me to give this to your student.”

He pulled out a sealed envelope from seemingly nowhere—how he managed to hide anything on him was beyond Sophia. Kaiousama cocked his head and took the letter. “Damon Dukes, huh? Never heard of him.”

Sophia took the envelope from him and inspected it closely. “How would anyone know I was here, anyway? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Do you know him?” Gregory asked.

“No, I’ve never heard this name before in my life,” the healer responded. “I guess…I better open it.”

Using a fingernail, she slid it along the crease and opened it. Holding it out in front of her, she read it aloud.

“Dear Sophia,” she began. “Your heroic deeds on Friend or Foe may have escaped the notice of some, but not mine. Though you may be dead, I extend to you an invitation to a get-together with several other like-minded individuals. There, you will be compensated for your self-sacrifice. If you wish to participate, please show this invitation and the enclosed chip to one of my attendants, who will be waiting for you at the mouth of Snake Way. Please, do not worry yourself with the finer details of your delicate situation—just know that it has all been worked out. Sincerely, Damon Dukes.”

“Seems suspicious,” was all King Kai had to say initially.

“It also seems like something you would know,” Sophia poked him in the arm. “Have you been holding out on me?”

“Hahaha, you know I can’t keep a straight face!” he burst into laughter. “Yes, it has already been worked out. Damon Dukes seems like a nice individual. I’m sure the attendant will fill you in a bit more.”

“Can you give me a lift?” Sophia asked.

“No, I expect you to walk,” he said. “…just kidding!”

In a blink of an eye, she was at the foot of Snake Way. It kind of gave her the creeps just being there, as all the memories of her hellish experience on that road came flooding back. Turning around, she spotted a man in a suit standing at the gate, looking at his watch. She walked up and nodded to the man.

“Good afternoon, Miss Rosado,” the man cordially greeted her. “I’m assuming you’re here to accept?”

“Yes, sir,” Sophia bowed. “I have my invitation and chip right here.”

“Now, I’m obliged to tell you that you’ve been granted access to the living realm for the entire duration of this event. After that, you are to return immediately. Is that understood?”

Sophia nodded again.

“Very good,” he said. “Follow me.”

*

The man led her through a large teleporter. It wasn’t until it closed behind her that Sophia wished she had thought this through a bit more.

[Orion]

Skin melting molten rock bubbled before them in a great blazing sea. Slithering lines of steam coiled upwards and over the elongated platforms of rock that balanced precariously on spindly columns. The ominous, shadowed spires in the distance were further out of reach now. Even the pulsing swathe of orange-red that rolled over the two saiyans couldn't stretch to the far horizon.

Obstacles were great and all. They helped gauge Orion's strength, test his mental sharpness, etcetera, etcetera. But, as he stared out into the fiery sludge, he realised at that moment that all he wanted to do was hit something.

The intense and unfamiliar training exercises supplied by Anitan involved speed, quick movements and absolutely no fighting. The closest they had gotten was the dodging regiment but the monotony of evading punches without throwing them eventually frustrated him so much that he knocked out the spindly agility disciple. That was the last time he hit something. And did it feel good.

Fantasising about the past only fueled the desire to battle. His only option was Ares, but to fight before an oozing avalanche of lava wasn't a intelligent choice. Ares was sizing up the best possible route over the proverbial stepping stones, oblivious to the elder warrior's musings.

Orion went to open his mouth and at least declare his urge for a spar, but a sudden gust of wind slammed over them, nearly causing them both to lose their footing. They spun hurriedly into the horizon from whence they came, expecting to see something ... else. Anything else. But wishing never made anything better.

Anitan stood before them, the progenitor of the wind buffet. The arrogant grin on his face was strange considering they were no longer under his tutelage. In his index and middle fingers, he pinched an envelope. Bringing it to the duo's attention, he rocked it back and forth in front of his face.

"Hey guys!" he greeted chirpily, the hundred mile run not affecting him in the slightest. "Have I got some news for you!"

"Do you?" Orion acknowledged disinterestedly, clearing his throat. "I'm not sure there's anything more you can give us, now that we have the badge."

Anitan couldn't contain himself. He snorted through his nose, attempting to reign in his amusement. "Oh, I think you'll want to see this!" he declared, flapping the envelope in Orion's face obnoxiously.

The bemused elite snatched the enigmatic message from the thunder god and tore its container open with a pull of his finger. Blowing into the envelope, he plucked the embossed note from within and read it to himself. Anitan smiled eagerly as he awaited Orion's response.

"What is it?" Ares inquired. Orion passed the invitation to his kin, staring the platinum haired deity down.

"You expect me to believe this?"

Anitan dropped a small microchip into Orion's hand. "Absolutely. If you want to go, then go! I'll be watching excitedly! To think, my brand new graduating pupil in an intergalactic tournament! Then everyone will know how awesome I am!"

Dante's Abyss. The name sounded familiar to the seasoned nomad, but until he read the invitation for himself and Ares, he didn't know what it entailed. Of course, there was no way he was going to refuse. If Anitan wasn't baiting him to return to the temple, then this was the perfect way to satiate his instinctual need for combat.

Plus, there were no risks. The note mentioned a special one day pardon by King Yemma to return to the living plane so the potential contestants could participate. If he won the death match, he gained fame and recognition, while returning to the afterlife to continue his training. If he lost, or was murdered, he'd return to the afterlife to continue his training. Few times in his life a situation was win-win.

Without waiting for Ares to announce his decision, Orion declared his.

"I'm in," he confirmed as calmly as he could with the circulating adrenaline in his bloodstream.

Anitan bared his teeth. "Excellent! Don't let me down now!" The spiky haired sensei clapped his hands twice, and in a cone of light that descended from the blackened sky, Orion was gone.

[Celena]

A flashy new haircut, brand new expensive clothes; it was like being back home on planet Vegeta. The only difference was that here on earth; she had actually earned the money. To say she was glad that she was no longer poor was an understatement. Her next aim was to find her own place, a nice fancy one of course, but for now, she twisted her key into the entrance door of her grandfather’s mansion and then picked up her shopping bags. The clothes on planet earth were much trendier than the clothes on her home planet.

After slamming the door shut with the back of her heel, she travelled up a flight of the stairs on the left hand side of the first floor, and then entered her room, where she dumped the bags filled with new clothes by the front of her bed.

Day two of shopping was complete.

Oh, a letter, she said to herself, gazing at her glass textured table which was by the left hand side of her double bed. A bonus pay check from Aztec Corps, she joked, even though she would not mind if it were.

Xenia opened the green letter and unfolded a white piece of paper with typed (italic font) information on it.

“You are cordially invited to the 2009 tournament of Dante’s Abyss. You have been selected out of thousands of potentials to participate in this reputable annual event, sponsored by the Syntex Corporation.”

Yeah right.

Xenia knew all about Dante’s Abyss. Practically every family member of hers had competed in the tournament at some point in their lives, some even more than once. She had watched the tapes of her family members fighting for survival. There was no way she was going to join a competition which was of no significant value to her. Regardless of her feelings, she continued to read the letter.

“This challenging yet exciting opportunity will afford you a chance at honor, glory, and wealth.”

Honour?

She was a saiyan heiress and proud of it even though hardly anyone from this dimension knew she was.

Glory?

She did not need to be glorified. She was already special and that all that mattered.

Wealth?

She laughed. There was nothing she could gain from joining Dante’s Abyss.

“Enclosed within this envelop is a special chip, which when taken to any nearby Capsule Corporation, will grant you free passage in a teleportation device to our planet of Dante. The finest amenities and provisions will be provided prior to the start of the event. We truly hope to have you as our most honored guest for this momentous occasion.”

They would probably be disappointed that she would not turn up, but they would have to live with it.

C’est la vie.

It appeared that the letter was finished, but it could not have been because every letter had an author, and to her understanding, every letter ended with ‘yours sincerely’, or ‘yours fathfully’.

Just as she suspected, the letter was not finished. There was an unusually big gap for a paragraph.

“Oh, by the way, I sent an invitation to the that saiyan, you know, the one who defeated you during Friend or Foe three.”

A frown was an indication that he had struck a nerve, but then she quickly regained control over her emotion and continued to read.

“Knowing him, the one eyed saiyan wouldn’t pass at the opportunity of testing his exceptional skills against the universes brightest fighters.”

Xenia could not help it, she frowned. She knew the author was baiting her in order to participate, in order to gain a measure of revenge against the one eyed saiyan. The thought of losing to a man with an impaired vision, was enough to get her blood boiling.

“I couldn’t imagine what losing to a visually impaired saiyan who is in a social class below your own, could do to the pride of his princess.”

Xenia began hissing subconsciously as she continuied to read.

“This could be the opportunity to salvage your pride as his princess, prove your superiority over him. The question is; is this an opportunity you want to let slip by?

As a hybrid saiyan, even if your blood isn’t itching for a chance to prove your dominance, there is still the matter of your pride. I’ve done my homework; I know every saiyan cares about their pride no matter how much concentration of saiyan DNA they have in them.”

Underneath the piece of text she had just read was a map of the hotels interior. There was an arrow that pointed to a building which was ladled ‘dojo’.

“After that who knows, you may still be filled with adrenaline and as a result, willing to participate in Dante’s Abyss 2009. Even if you cannot beat the saiyan twice, third time might be the charm, young…assassin.

Sincerely yours, your Host,
Damon Dukes”


Damon Dukes, heh, you son of a bitch.

She had to admit; the letter was super effective. Damon was a really intelligent man and would make one damn good psychologist if he was not already one. He was right, every saiyan had their pride. Xenia had put that certain event in FoF three behind her, but Damon has ignited a fire within her. His words had touched her deeply, and they had also cut her. The letter had filled her with a desire for redemption due to her defeat at the hands of someone, not only ‘visually impaired’ but also ‘in a social class below her’. Just thinking about her loss left her feeling mortified. It also gave her a purpose to join in order to rid her from the feeling of mortification.

[Ren]

A voice boomed into the androids quarters as he sat there at his desk. Something about who over it was didn’t make the android like him very much. Hell the man didn’t even knock he just barged into his private sanctuary like he owned the place. Something must people would have found a bit unnerving just as the mechanical wonder at in the leather chair did.

He wondered if this had anything to do with what had happened recently in his life or if this was about something else. The man was decked out in a fancy expensive suit. The suit was buttoned from top to bottom just like some lawyer could be expected to dress or a businessman. Still the android raised a curious eyebrow at the figure that had entered the room as he slowly rotated his chair around.

The man was tall, bulky, had black hair, and was wearing thick black sun glasses. In one hand he was holding a small envelop that the white haired priest assumed most be addressed to him. Still the man asked his name and as the priest answered the man tossed the small flimsy package onto his desk. He seemed to wait for something after that but the priest didn’t open the envelop.

“Why don’t you tell me what this about and I’ll tell you if I am interested.” The priest’s words were direct and to the point. They had just the slightest hint of irritation.

The man at the other end of the room pulled at a tie that had slightly been hidden by his collar and clear his throat. He didn’t seem to know what to think of the holy man now that he had spoken to him the way he did. Still it wasn’t all that odd. The strange man seemed use to people not being what they appeared. A holy man that could throw an attitude thou was not what he was expecting. Apparently the stranger in the tux like suit thought the man was going to be laid back and cheery all the time.

“You have been invited to an exclusive location that is for your benefit if not your churches.” The man didn’t give too much away with his words and he seemed to be hiding what was actually going on here.

The priest smiled a bit thinking of what this man could give him or his church that meant a trip to some foreign location. Still the idea of going somewhere knew and meeting some people he could possibly convert was intriguing to say the least. It was intriguing enough for him to enquire more about the where he would be going and doing.

“You would be taking place in a small competition for the glory of your name and your way. The payout of this event would surely benefit your cause in more way then one. You’ll find out the location if you agree to come with me now.” The man now stood with some what of a wicked grin on his face his voice trailing off into the now silent room.

It was clear the this man was not going to give him all the information he need as to what he would be doing competitively. Seeing as the way he was trying so much to act the part of the businessman now. The priest stood and straightened his jacket nodding ever so slightly towards the man and then to door. The man he looked at now bowing and leading the way to what looked like a massive tube sitting in the clearing of his yard where his fountain used to be. The priest frowning at the scene of the smashed rubble in his yard let out a sigh and followed the man into the massive tube.

Within seconds there was a hum and the leather jacketed man found that he somewhere completely different then anywhere he knew of. The roomed was filled with people and as he stepped into the room a woman who noticed introduced him quickly to the crowd as if tired of repeating a line that was all to familiar to her now. It was probably not the last the last time Nakan would hear the line either.

“Look everyone we have a priest amongst us who thinks he can fight.” A man in a corner stated. The voice sounding rather familiar but for some reason the android couldn’t place it.

Now he new exactly what kind of competition it was going to be and the person he had heard had some how knew what he didn’t. Perhaps he was a former contender or a just someone good at getting information. Still the man that had brought him hers shuffled over to the idiot in the corner who the priest guessed should have kept his mouth shut. Still the priest made his way through the crowd of fighters and on lookers. He was overly careful as he passed them as well.

He didn’t know these people and at a competition almost anything went before you entered the ring. So if anyone wanted to pull something quick they could do so. He also feared some wanna be gangster might try and take off with his jacket. That wasn’t a thought he enjoyed to much. This crowd was a rowdy one and most of them didn’t look to trust worthy but some did. Some of them had a feel of pride and honor about them as if they knew what they were doing. It was as if they lived their life for such moments as these. Nankan on the other hand had only heard of such events and never thought of participating in any of them.

The women when he got back to his church if they ever found out would surely give him a lecture and call the money dirty. Still as long as he didn’t have to kill anyone or hurt them to badly assuming these people were that intelligent to know when to quit. He should be fine from committing any sort of sin that he did not plan on ever doing. Still if it had to happen the almighty must have deemed it so.

“So where can you go for some peace and quiet around here.” The white haired male’s words faded into the murmurs of the crowd as a rather thin and well dressed women approached him.

“The library is located here and the restaurant is located here. For some reason must people seem to be avoiding these place. Please visit them.” Her words seemed a bit desperate as she peered through thin framed glasses at the supposed priest.

The man smiled and nodded and started to make his way to the room of knowledge. Something he never minded doing in his free time was getting some reading in. Hell he might learn something about where he was at or maybe that had some religious books he could study for one of his sermons. That would definitely be a plus as his library was currently limited. As the man scurried towards the library he could here the women behind him trying to pry people to do the same.

“Welcome to Dante’s Abyss.” Someone had said to him as if trying to announce something but the rest was lost on him.

Strangely enough as he walked he found the strange feeling that this was going to be one rough ride. It wasn’t going to be some happy picnic once things had gotten started. Still he was here now and he was sure there was nothing he could do about it so he was going to enjoy what little peace he could well he could.

[Sage]

Sage opened her eyes to a vast, infinite desert that stretched off in every direction. The great domes that marked the cities of Mercy were nowhere to be seen. The city under siege that she had fought so hard to protect was gone. Somehow, she was suddenly in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately, at least, the inconsolable rage that had gripped her had slipped away, and the real Sage seemed to have returned to the surface. It offered little comfort amidst her new predicament, however.

“Vad?!” she shouted, suddenly not interested in the mechanics of how she arrived in the desert, or why her foreign anger had suddenly dematerialized. “Vad?!”

This made no sense! She was just about to kill the mother of the Mershikali - the bizarre, monstrous creatures that had stormed the capital of Mercy-Sei, and she had been whisked away into the middle of the desert!

...The leader did it. She must have. Vad vanished first, then her. It split them up, to keep them from regrouping to come back for her. To keep them lost.

And she was lost.

The sand dunes stretched to forever and seemed to spin around her. She felt sick. All those people who had been mutated, corrupted by the Mershikali... or killed by them... and Sage couldn’t help them. But, then... they were lost already. She just hoped the damage she did to the beast would be enough to give her friends a chance.

In the desert, there was no frame of reference. No coasts to follow, or forests to orient you. Just like the ocean, the only way to navigate was by the stars, and there were none to be seen for Sage under the hot midday sun. An ocean of sand.

Determined to get back to the city somehow, the girl picked a direction, and walked. She could only hope that she wasn’t getting herself more lost as she trekked up and down sand dunes in what she hoped was a straight line. Although she had heard stories of people going around in circles for days in the desert, there was simply no other option. There was nothing here.

- - - - -

She had only been walking for about an hour or so, but she was exhausted. Sweat soaked her clothes and matted her hair, and her lungs burned from exertion. Hiking was one thing; hiking through sand something else altogether.

Finally, in a fit of frustration, Sage expelled a frigid bubble around her, sending the temperature just around her plummeting. A tiny patch of ice formed over the sand beneath her, and followed along with her as she walked. The frost she left behind melted almost immediately, under the sun’s harsh glare.

- - - - -

Night was beginning to fall. Finally, Sage thought. She had been keeping up her cold bubble all day long, and needed to rest. Instantly, the sub-zero shield that had been protecting her dispersed, and she was assailed by the desert’s evening heat. But it would get cold soon... as soon as the sun was gone for the night.

The girl plopped down onto the sand, taking a moment to relax for the first time today. Her whole body felt like concrete; everything was stiff and difficult to move. And there was still nothing everywhere.

Just a town! Even some frontier village! Anything, so she could just find out where she was! Was she even still on Mercy-Sei?!

Sage held out her palms so she could look at them. In one hand, she manifested a snowball, and in the other, an icicle. Simplistic objects, but she was still deeply disturbed by them. She had made a vow never to use her elemental powers since that day...

It wasn’t even the first time she had broken her promise. During the Friend or Foe tournament, she had used them in desperation, after she had no longer been able to suppress them anyway. But this time... this time, she had sought them out.

Placing her head in her hands, she began to sob. It was just too much. Friend or Foe, rescuing Trixie from Frost, then the monsters on Mercy-Sei... it was too much. And now... now that she had broken her vow...

No, he’s dead. It’ll never happen again. Xenia said so, she reassured herself. Didn’t do much good, though. The weight of the world sat on little Sage’s shoulders in the darkening desert, alone with her fears.

- - - - -

The girl opened her eyes, and suddenly found the world on its side. She must have fallen asleep. The diminutive quarter saiyan righted herself, and the desert went back to the bottom of the horizon.

She brushed herself off. Or tried to. “Stupid sand...”

“Nowhere else to sleep?”

Sage nearly jumped out of her skin. The azure haired girl whirled around, and came face-to-face with the clean-cut man in the suit. The man who had been manipulating her for the past few months.

“Wh-What do you want?!” she exclaimed, balling her hands into fists. “I’m through d-doing stuff for you!!”

“Indeed,” came the reply. “I didn’t come here to coerce you into working for my... employers. Not this time.”

“Then why?” Sage demanded through clenched teeth. Her normally compassionate, rose colored eyes contained only hatred for this man.

“Because... one of my... employers has failed to... compensate me for my efforts,” the suit-wearing man explained. “He was the one who had... interest in you. Like you, he is... displaced... in time.”

“What?” the girl’s eyes softened. Confusion seemed to shroud the fiery anger. The aging man in the suit smiled a sinister smile.

“Yes... you’re interested to know how any of this could be your... problem,” he drew the last word out. “You know him. And I intend to receive compensation... one way, or another.”

“Why would I help you?” Sage demanded, using her Chillrend technique to fabricate claws of ice over her hands. She fought to hide her tears. “I’m not afraid of you anymore!”

“You will help me, because you have... stake in my employer,” came the reply. The man fished a small device from his pocket, clicked the solitary button on it, and tossed it to the ground. It bounced, despite the sand, before sinking into the grains.

A hologram appeared above the tiny projector, of a man.

Sage recoiled so fiercely, that she tripped backward and collapsed. “No!!” she shouted, her eyes wide with fear. “No! He’s dead!! I- I watched him die!!”

“Your sister sabotaged his vessel, correct? It exploded, and... everything... was destroyed?”

“Yes!!” the girl exclaimed. “He’s dead! He has to be dead!!”

“Sol is quite remarkably alive. And also in default of what he owes me. So, we can work together to rectify both of our situations,” explained the man.

“Work with you?!” Sage retorted. “You were working for this monster!!”

“I work for whoever requires - and can afford - my... expertise. Since he cannot, I have decided to acquire what he owes me through... other means. You’re that means. In exchange, I tell you where Sol is, and you do with him... as you wish.”

To get a chance to pay him back... for what he did. To make him feel the things she did. To show him the anguish she had gone through for her entire life. To make him suffer... it was to good to be true. It was a trick. It had to be a trick-

“It’s no trick,” the suit interrupted. He smiled at the girl’s confusion, and tapped his temple. “You’re projecting your thoughts.”

“A-And why... wh-why would you j-just tell me where he was?” the princess was flustered. This was a bombshell, to say the least. Her entire perception of the world around her had completely altered, in an instant.

“I won’t just tell you... like I said; I intend to be compensated for my efforts-”

“Your efforts manipulating me!” Sage shouted. “What does Sol still want with me?!”

“Yes, my efforts manipulating you. I don’t know what he wants. But I want money. You’ll get what you want if I get what I want. And I have arranged a way for you to get the money I require in exchange for Sol’s whereabouts,” the suit explained.

“How?” she was almost afraid to ask.

The man smirked and handed her a note, and what seemed to be a computer chip. Sage took them, and quickly scanned the note.

Dear Sage,

Your efforts in the past few months have not gone unnoticed, and although we suspect you will turn this opportunity down, you come from a formidable pedigree, and as a result, you have been formally invited to this year’s Dante’s Abyss tournament! Your parents have fought here, and we believe our fans would be excited to see the next generation in action. We have sent an invitation to your sister, as well, and we suspect she won’t decline...

Regards, Damon Dukes

“D-Dante’s Abyss?!” the girl seemed shocked. “You want me to... to fight in Dante’s Abyss?”

“I want you to win in Dante’s Abyss, so I can be paid.”

“I... I can’t! I can’t! I’ve hurt too many-”

The suit interrupted with an angry sigh. “It’s not real! Nobody dies, nobody suffers, nobody is harmed. It’s a fake fight to a fake death and in return, you get to reconcile your... situation with a man who has caused real suffering and real harm. You are living proof, are you not?”

“No... I’m... I’m a doctor; I couldn’t... even if I could convince myself that Dante’s Abyss was alright... I couldn’t actually... go after Sol-”

“Despite what he did to you?” the suit-wearing man had gone back to his usual disinterested bemusement. “You would let a monster like that loose on the galaxy, knowing full-well what he’s capable of? Would not your inaction toward him be doing harm to those he comes into contact with?”

“I-”

“You want to pay him in kind. Your broadcasted thoughts said as much. You would let this opportunity slip by because of a perceived moral... conflict? Your mother has been in several Dante’s Abyss competitions, has she not? She was killed in at least one of them, wasn’t she?”

“...Yes, b-”

“And she’s still alive, isn’t she?”

“...Yes,” Sage conceded. That wasn’t the point, though! She was a medical doctor! Primum non nocere was supposed to be the guiding principle by which everything she did was directed. And yet, she was considering entering a competition based on bloodshed - real or not - in order to get a chance to exact her revenge on a man who had caused her a great deal of suffering years ago, in a different timeline.

She sighed. It should have been an easy decision. ‘No, I’m not a murderer.’ But it wasn’t easy. The more Sage thought to say ‘no,’ the more she wanted to say ‘yes.’ She fell to her knees, and the suit placed his hand on her shoulder.

“In ten seconds, I’m going to teleport us to Dante. If you don’t want to go, then say ‘no,’ and give up the chance to get back at Sol forever. I suspect he’ll be going underground very soon; he knows of my... connections. Make your choice. Ten seconds...”

Sage said nothing. She just sat there, in the sand, contemplating her future. And then everything fell away. She materialized next to that horrible suit-wearing man, in a lobby bathed in lavish marble and eloquent crystal. It was stunning.

Immediately, a man demanded her computer chip and invitation, and she obliged him, following his directions to proceed into the lobby in a stupefied passiveness. Finally, what had happened and where she was sank in, and she whirled about to tell the suit-wearing man to send her back.

And he was gone.

“I have to leave!” she exclaimed. The man who had taken the note from her - he looked like a bouncer - just rolled his eyes.

“No chance. Deal with it,” he grumbled. Sage protested, and he cut her off. “It’s like this. Go enjoy your stay, or I’ll beat the shit out of you and you’ll wake up on the killing field.”

Defeated, Sage turned around, watching the announcement displays overhead. The pleasant tone of the woman on display seemed to make everything even worse somehow. At least be honest with the competitors at the reality of this gladiatorial nightmare beforehand.

...What had she done?

OOC: Oh lawd, it's a behemoth! I'm so sorry!! I just had a lot of stuff to go over. ;_;

[Belle Hibiki]

Long before the crack of dawn, hours before even a hint of a rosy hue would peek at the edges of the horizon, Belle Hibiki awoke from his light sleep with a start.

He lay for a few minutes, groaning and turning in his bed, before finally mustering up the will to haul himself out from between the sheets and throw on a fresh change of clothes. Heading to the bathroom, he groggily brushed his teeth and flushed some cold water into his hair. He eyed himself in the mirror hanging on the wall. Sayana probably used it more than he ever would. Stupid kid was almost obsessed with her appearance.

He noticed that his hair was lying a little flat. He shook his fingers through, locks of hair sticking wildly around in an untidy mess.

There, that was better.

Heading out onto the deck, Belle stretched and began his early morning exercises. He'd had considerably more free time now that Cog had finally gotten around to installing an engine on the Maiden's Dream. Without the need to pedal the ship everywhere, Belle could finally concentrate on his training.

He started out by stretching and getting his muscles warmed up, then moved on to basic sit-ups and push-ups. He was still just getting back into his usual rhythm, so he decided to start with a modest two sets of two-hundred reps each.

From there he moved to leg presses. Back against the aft castle, he shoved a large, heavy crate of spare parts that Cog had thrown together across the deck, then he used a length of steel cable looped around it to pull the box back.

Hopping up after his hundredth press, Belle latched onto one of the cable nettings that helped secure their zeppelin's two halves together. He knew there were better way of building up his muscles than just what he could scrounge together on board, but he just didn't have any of his usual tools.

He'd heard years ago about some fighters that used weighted training clothes to add additional stress to normal workouts, but he'd always thought of it as a dumb thing to do. Now he could see how it would be useful if you didn't have access to any boulders to lift or trees to chop. It might be worth looking into.

He was on his ninety-third pull-up when the door to the ship opened and a dark, squat shape emerged onto the deck.

Cog was an old man. His wide beard, scruffy and ill-tended to, was almost all white, save for a few peppers of gray. Deep lines had been worn into his face. His eyes, however, were alert as anyone Belle had ever seen, and despite his shabby clothes and less-than-perfect hygiene, he still managed to cut an impressive figure. "Up early or working late, Mister Hibiki?"

"That first one," Belle grunted, hauling himself up to touch his chin against the cable. He really didn't mind the old man, but he wasn't all that close to him either. Most of their talks, if he could call them that, centered around the only other living soul on board; and she was something that Belle tried not to think about as much as humanly possible.

For the most part the two of them left each other alone, which was why he was somewhat surprised when he looked down a few minutes later and saw the old man still standing in the same spot, looking up at him. "Was there something else," Belle breathed as he pulled himself up for the hundred and twentieth time, "you wanted to ask me?"

The old man's beard shifted back and forth as he rubbed his lips together. "I was just wondering if you knew how many people know where you are. Whether you're on my ship or not, I mean."

Belle frowned, but decided not to bother asking why. Cog would tell him, eventually. The old man always took a real roundabout way to get to any point. "No one. Well, aside from you guys. And I guess Master Long. And my friend, Alex."

"No one named Damon?"

"Nope," Belle grunted. He dropped to the deck and turned towards Cog, mopping his brow with his arm. "Don't think I know anyone named Damon."

Cog paused. Then, almost reluctantly it seemed, he reached inside his coat pocket and extracted a small, pale blue envelope and held it out. "I found this on the table this morning. I hope that you don't mind; I already opened it."

"Uh." Belle stared at the extended item before taking it carefully in his hands. "What is it? Weird... Paper?"

Cog pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's an envelope, Mister Hibiki. It's what people put mail in."

"Mail?" Belle frowned, then squinted at the small opening just under a flap in the back. "How do you get a guy to fit in there?"

"Mail, Belle. Mail. M - A - I - L. Paper, written letters."

"Oh! Well, you could have just said that, then," Belle scowled, then flipped open the flap at the back of the envelope and pulled out what looked like a small card from inside. Very neat, clean writing was printed on it, and there was some sort of gold imprint along each letter that Belle could feel with his fingers. Fancy stuff. There was just one small problem. "Uh," he looked at Cog, "I can't read."

Looking more defeated than Belle had ever seen him, Cog held out his hand for the card, then lifted the square of paper to his eyes, squinted slightly, and began to speak:

"Dear Mr. Hibiki -

You are hereby cordially invited to participate in this year's Dante's Abyss competition, sponsored by Syntex. Several thousand fighters from across the known universe are nominated for this prestigious honor every year, but only a handful are chosen to actually compete in the arena. Should you choose to accept our invitation, you, Mr. Hibiki, will square off against some of the strongest fighters in this life or the next.

The tournament will follow a strict set of rules, most of which you will learn upon your arrival. Syntex has asked us to make it clear that regardless of the result of your fights, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that nothing permanent will happen to our honored contestants.

If you accept, enclosed within this envelope is a special chip, which when taken to any nearby Capsule Corporation, will grant you free passage in a teleportation device to our planet of Dante. The finest amenities and provisions will be provided prior to the start of the event. We truly hope to have you as our most honored guest for this momentous occasion.

Sincerely yours, your Host,
Damon Dukes

Cog finished and looked up. "What do you think?"

Belle scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, that... Sounds pretty awesome, I gotta admit."

"What?" Cog blinked. "Don't tell me you're seriously considering - ?"

"Well," Belle said slowly. "I don't know. I mean... This would be a really good time to try and collect the Dragonballs, I guess. With all those strong guys fighting, none of them will be going for the balls. On the other hand..."

Belle folded his hands behind his head and looked across the forest. A faint sliver of light peeked around the distant mountains. "Collecting them all won't mean a lot if someone stronger than me comes along and takes them from us."

"Are you thinking about those men you were talking about before? The ones in Central City?"

Belle nodded. Zephyr, Rock, Wave... And Blaze. "They were all hugely strong," he admitted. "If that Kaden guy hadn't been there, I'm not sure what would have happened." He clenched his fist in front of him. "I'm ... strong, I guess. But they were even stronger. And I bet there's plenty of people out there even better than they are. Going to this Dante's Abyss thing'll let me know where I stand."

"But what if something happens to you?" Cog worried. "You might not know what Dante's Abyss is, but I do, and so do a lot of people. It's not just a tournament - it's a bloody competition for survival."

"Aw, c'mon," Belle rolled his eyes. "They said right in the letter there that we weren't going to die, right? Nothing 'permanent'? It's been a long time since I've been able to fight without having to worry about my life being on the line. Heck - "

He turned and smiled, and Cog took a slow step back from him. "This actually sounds like it could be kinda fun."

~+~+~+~+~

Cog hadn't liked the idea. Sayana had liked it even less. It had taken the better part of half a day to convince her to stop complaining, and even then she had only done so after kicking Belle between the legs and saying 'Fine, I really don't care what you do!'

He really didn't understand why she was angry with him. It wasn't like she was going to be in any danger.

Deciding that it would be best to leave the Dragonballs with his 'partners' instead of hauling them along to some alien planet, Belle found himself with precious little cargo of his own. It consequently took almost no time at all to pass through all the checkpoints necessary before handing the little chip that had come with the envelope over to one of the teletube guards. The man checked it, handed it back, and cleared him for transport.

Belle had never used a teletube before, but he had been teleported around a couple times, and he quietly steeled himself against the trip.

He needn't have worried. As the world flashed before his eyes and he stumbled out the other end of the tube, his lunch remained solidly where it was. After taking a moment to rub his belly and make sure that there wasn't going to be a sudden revolt, Belle finally looked up.

"Whoa," he breathed. "This place is HUGE!"

[Psyren]

Frozen stepped out of the teleported with his two comrades and let out a long deep sigh. They had been on Mercy at the compound when the letter had been delivered. The strange man had left without a word and left Frozen and his team standing there clueless. They had managed to reach capsule corp and get transportation to this rather lavish place. But Frozen couldnt help but feel out of place. He and his team walked towards the large bouncers and he handed him his identification chip. The bouncer let him pass but stated the others could not come.

"No no way. They cant come in. This is for you only."

"What the hell?!"

"You heard me tiny!"

"Guys head back to Mercy. Nadia keep yourselves busy until this is over hopefully something good will come out of this mess." Nadia nodded and turned back to the teleporter. Frozen walked down the pathway towards his next adventure.

[Shou]

Shou wasted very little time getting comfortable with his newfound environment. He stretched every fiber of his muscles and grunted loudly, rolling over and smiling at his company.

"Oh, hi there.." the young operative said, despite the throbbing sensation his inborn teleportation abilities had been pressing on him as of late. He had hoped it was just a side-effect of the teleportation tube that had taken him to the planet Dante, but that disorientation was mild compared to the constant thrumming.

"Why, hello thurr." Her tone was friendly, her grin revealing rows of pearly whites. Her bronzed flesh shone with a fine perspiration beneath the dimmed lighting of his hotel room.

"Summer, right?" Shou was pretty sure he didn't fuck that one up. When she frowned and retracted slightly he couldn't help but smirk. Great, fucked it up already.

"Babes, I just had a looonng trip," Shou noticed that his voice was groggy and his teleportation sickness was on the bottomshelf, next to his hangover.

"Sure, whatever. You've been feeding me this cock 'n bullshit story since I got here about how you single-handedly fought off a lizard invasion on Mercy, you—you claim to have leveled an office building on the same planet, and then you robbed an outlaw of his invitation just to skip town..." Shou giggled when prompted to recall exactly how he paid his way, although her newborn nagging didn't agree with his migraine or his hangover. Sounded like his doing down to the 'T.'

"Anything to get off that rock, huh? I bet you haven't even been to Mercy! I bet you didn't even kill all those people in Central City like you say you did, Vad!"

Omgwtfbbq..! Goddamned Full Moon imports!

Shou wanted to clear things up and write it all off on that imported Vegeta-brewed ale. In spite of himself he could only find the will to groan aloud and roll over at best.

She's upset because I forgot her name... Remember her name and get her to shut the fuck... up!

For some reason he thought back to the planet Mercy and the hundreds upon hundreds, possibly thousands of lizard that had been harmed in the making of that movie scene. It felt unreal, being there and although he tried to convince himself otherwise the meager funds in his planetside bank account spoke great deals for his effort and for those who lost their lives. Then he thought back to the wintry abilities of the girl who'd transformed much of their dome to a tundra and laughed aloud. It was funny, this liquid courage made him a genius.

"Winter—" Shou corrected himself as he bolted upright, but she was gone. Only the faintest trace of her perfume lingered in the room. In Shou's head it was the dwindling thought of her southern drawl, sharp, emerald green eyes, and voluptuous curves. He chuckled as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, because he recalled calling the girl Winter from the moment they'd sent her up to his room.

Shou took a moment to himself. Tasting what remained of the ale on his breath, he decided he'd hop in the shower and do it all over again. Toothbrush in hand he'd allowed the showerhead to pulse water through his unkept hair and he thought.


—————————— ——————————


Bare desert stretched for miles in each direction, only this dome hadn't met with the guided misfortune that Jolic had. Mycos was on the other side of the planet and hadn't even received news concerning the goingons of the Black Dawn. Holding true to his word, Shou mentioned nothing about it.

"So, boy, what brings you 'round these 'ere parts if you aint tryin' to git parts?" An older man in oil-stained overalls poked at the young saiyan, who lifted his forehead off of the bar again. "I figured you mercs would be flauntin' and gallivantin' Jolic or Ampar. I just don't get you saiyans."

Shou tried his best not to throw up all over the bar. At worst it was a hicccup, bile burning the back of his throat.

"What figures I'm a saiyan and not... Ugh, a human or robot... Or changeling."

"I've known my fair share of saiyans, all of 'em drinkers. You saiyans all seem to love drinks an' drownin' yerselves 'em —'specially that Vegeta juice... Besides," The old man cackled, his grin showing signs of wear. He jerked a thumb towards a pile of empty bottles of various hues, shapes, and sizes. "Heh... 'sides, you're cleanin' me out —not that I'm complainin' or anything."

Shou dropped his head back on the countertop, kissing his teeth. "Just let me know when that merc comes through."

"Who? Suicyde Krew?" This voice was unfamiliar. Shou put his head on a swivel.

"Who the hell're you supposed to be?" Shou sat up straight and eyed the rugged man before him, as he seemed at least thirty.

"Corey Grizzy, my 'G.' You needed some work right, 'cause me and my dudes —nah mean— we're halfway to hell." the man rambled, articulating his speech with excessive hand gestures. Shou already wanted to punch him in the face. "I'm on a strict schedule though, tryin' to make it to Dante."

"Hold the phone." Shou nursed his head in a single hand and groaned. "I just need enough zenies to get off this planet and that's that. No contract, no commitment, just cash. No complication."

"Got you, my dude."

"Just one question... What is Dante?" Shou asked out of curiosity.

"You've never heard of Dante's Abyss? The tournament?" Corey's brows raised in surprise, as though Shou had violated him unexpectedly. "What's your name anyway homie?"

Shou wanted to play it safe, just in case, so he said the first thing that came to his drunken thoughts. "Sho—uh... Vad."

"Well Vad," Corey pulled an envelope from within his flak jacket and kissed it gingerly. "This is my way outta here. All we gotta do is get to Jolic and deal with some minor infestation —feel me— then I can take this chip to Capsule Corp. and I'm outta here."

Shou eyed this envelope with a brand new curiosity. "It's that simple, eh?"

"Yeah man. I'm going to win it all, pay for—uggh!" Corey was suddenly thrown backwards by an invisible force, bouncing across several yards of barren earth and into the carcass of a small spacecraft. The envelope remained, held just within Shou's grasp.

"Anything to get off this shitty desert trap." Shou mumbled, then he winked out of sight.

[Piper Juunanagou]

Dearest Piper Juunanagou:
We’ve had our eye on you these last few months, and we feel you may be interested in our proposal. We would like to cordially invite you to participate in a game of wit, intelligence, and skill. This game will pit you against a wide collection of opponents from the far stretches of the quadrant! Victory will grant you your wildest dreams and glory innumerable! Just present this identification number: 263764317 to the nearest Capsule Corporation facility to enter into our contest! Just make sure you bring this invitation and your identification chip with you!

We hope to see you here!

Sincerely,
The Syntex Corporation

Upon first seeing the letter, Piper had crushed it into a tiny little ball and chucked it into the trash. After all, the moment she’d touched the envelope she’d been gifted by a wave of ugly, terrible emotions: greed, dread, and bloodlust. The impact of the letter’s true, underlying motives was more than impetus enough for Piper to discard the piece of flowery stationary.

Unfortunately, both Dr. Tannis and General Gauger, who somehow knew of the invitation, had forced her to unfurl the piece of paper, ‘march her ass over to the nearest CC building’, and enter the game.

Despite the fanciful claims of having all her wildest dreams fulfilled, Piper would much rather have spent the time sleeping. After all, the horrors of Bellavista were still raw in her mind—plaguing her so badly that she’d been unable to sleep for the last three days. Even with all her extenuating circumstances to be asleep in a bed right now, Corporal Juunanagou found herself standing just a few paces away from the row of teleportation devices that were constantly feeding the plaza with a slew of fresh faces.

On the upside, this was the first time that Piper had ever traveled off the planet Earth. Even during her earlier years in the military, she’d never been stationed to an extraterrestrial location, even after the war had started and most people were being drafted day and night to go die fighting the Red Stallions. Unfortunately for Piper, her first trip off the surface of her home planet involved standing in a line that rivaled those at the DMV.

“I love my job, I love my job,” Piper mumbled beneath her breath as she contemplated teleporting back to Sentinel HQ and turning in her uniform. “I love my—”

“Talking to yourself already, eh?” The voice was accompanied by a hand on Piper’s shoulder. Swallowing down the urge to swiftly backhand whoever had just touched her, the medic calmly tilted her head back to see that she’d been addressed by a relatively handsome, apparently humanoid young man.

“Hello,” Piper said with a faint smile as she gently shook her shoulder in an effort to get the man to remove his hand without the woman having to touch him. After all, the last thing she needed was another person’s dirty laundry swirling around in her head. “Corporal Piper Juunanagou,” she spoke without extending her hand.

“The name’s Emmanuel Torque,” he replied as he removed his hand from the woman’s shoulder and allowed it to swing back down to his side. “You get one of these fancy invitations?” He asked as he produced one of the flowery invitation letters from the inside of his leisure suit.

“Yes,” Piper replied, trying her hardest to fake her interest in anything other than crashing on the nearest sofa. After a few beats of silence, the woman reached into one of her vest’s front pockets and removed an extremely wrinkled, tattered invitation. “…S’right here,” she added softly as she unfolded the document and held it so Emmanuel could skim it.

“Wow, your invitation sounds so personal,” he remarked, prompting Piper to glance at the ragged piece of paper one last time before cramming it back into her vest. “Mine’s so boring in comparison,” he said with a chuckle as the medic glanced over her head to see that she was only a few people back from the security checkpoint. As if noting the woman’s blatant impatience, Emmanuel chuckled softly.

“Yes?” Piper inquired as she took a step forward without taking her eyes off the man.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” the man replied as he lifted his hands in a show of surrender. “You just seem like you’re in a big hurry, that’s all.”

“I’m tired,” the blonde answered as she lifted a gloved hand and ran it through her short, unkempt hair. “I just got back from an assignment less than twelve hours ago, and my superiors immediately shunted me through the nearest teleportation pod.” She remarked with a sigh as she took a step forward and presented her invitation and ID tag to the bulky man at the security checkpoint. Whenever the guard failed to simply flip the switch and let Piper through, the medic let out a cough and crossed her arms over her chest.

“It’s authentic,” she groaned as she watched the bald-headed man mull over the two items.

“Your name sounds really familiar,” the guard muttered as he looked up away from the small identification tag and frowned softly. “Do I know you from a television show?” He asked as he slid the tag through a reader and handed it back to the woman.

“I’m afraid you must be mistaken,” Piper responded nonchalantly as she took the item from the man and stepped through the scan point.

[Mal Nova]

"So what's next", Came the inquiry of the Emerald Warrior as two underlings transported the corpse of the late Guan Fu into the back. As the concealed door closed, removing the lackeys from view, Gelidus, looked up from with a pleased and eager smile spread across his visage. He paused, not only for dramatic effect, but as if he were debating which answer to give as he looked from the Namekian. to the young girll. His hands nervously fingered the edges of two finely crafted envelopes, the only two pieces of parchment on his desk Nova noted, and after a few more moments picked them up.

"After you left, and we ran your names to make sure we would be able to have repeat business together I received these two invitations for you, for the both of you." The Changeling handed each one to their respective owner as he spoke. He focused his eyes on Maleficus then, directing his next thoughts at him, "You either have great ties somewhere or perhaps you have some history related to it. I'll assume this would be the reason for them requesting you personally, but I may be wrong."

Maleficus had the envelope and was reading it carefully as he listened to what Gelidus had to say.



You are cordially invited to the 2009 tournament of Dante’s Abyss. You have been selected out of thousands of potentials to participate in this reputable annual event, sponsored by the Syntex Corporation. This challenging yet exciting opportunity will afford you a chance at honor, glory, and wealth. Enclosed within this envelope is a special chip, which when shown at the gates of the Entryway on planet Dante, will grant you entrance into the tournament. The finest amenities and provisions will be provided prior to the start of the event. We truly hope to have you as our most honored guest for this momentous occasion.

Sincerely yours, your Host,
Damon Dukes



He was sold at the first sentence, and didn't need to read further, although he did. Retane, his father, had participated multiple times but to know avail, so winning and conquering Dante's Abyss would mean that he was even better then the Emerald Fiend. This was a golden opportunity for Maleficus Nova, and he wasn't going to let it pass him by.

He looked up with a determined grin on his face and saw that he had lost himself for a few moments as both, the Changeling and Tamsin, were looking up at him. "If you so choose to enter the tournament, you can have access to our teletube in the back to get to the planet. This is not an assignment, but I hear it does pay. At the same time it could even bring reputation upon yourselves. You don't have to go though, and if you refuse we can get on with your next target-"

'I'm going." Mal's mind was already made up and set. He was sure that Gelidus was hoping as much and assumed that by raising their own reputation, Arbiter Employment Agency's own reputation would soar.

"Very well", Chuckled Gelidus, then he turned his attention to adolescent, who looked at her letter curious as she bit her lip. "As you two seem to work great as a pair, I assume that you will be joining him in his little endeavor?"

The silver haired human looked up to the orange clad Namek, gave a nod of confirmation. Maleficus, who remembered her being cheery when they first met, eyed her with more then a passing glance. She had never killed anyone before, but had just witnessed her first homicide hours earlier. It was Nova that had sent Guan Fu's soul to the afterlife when he wrapped his legs around the china-man's abdomen and his arms around his neck and stretch straight, severing the spine into two.

He knew the first was always the hardest, and it never got much easier. He continuously asked himself if killing was right, but managed to push it towards the back of his mind telling himself that if he didn't do it, then another would. The Abyss meant killing and surviving and if you intended to win, then you would have to kill. Nova wasn't sure if the Maid Prodigy could do it, then again, you never knew what someone could do until you put them in the situation.

"Then it's settled then I suppose", Came the calm voice of the Changeling as he pressed a button that emitted a buzz from the back that the Namek heard with his keen sense, The concealed door from before slid open and came one of the lackeys again. Nova noticed that this one actually resembled Gelidus, but where the brown skin beneath Gelidus' marble white plating was, this one had bluish-gray.

"Yes, Cold Steel", Came the Lesser Changeling. Cold Steel was a separate handle used to address Gelidus and Mal Nova assumed that Gelidus at one time was something under the Mercenary class and that was what he used to be called. He gained the assumption from knowing that at one time, Retane had a similar Nickname, but was called 'Dark Hunter' instead.

"Right away."

"Please follow Gelu, to the back and he will get you on your way", Gelidus instructed the two with a grin on his face. And with a Grin as they passed by he added, "Good Luck!"

[Tamsin]

As Gelidus bid them farewell as they walked passed him into the corridor at the back, Tamsin did not really pay attention to the Changeling. Her entire body was almost unnoticably trembling, her mind reliving the moments that occured only hours ago.

Back at Servus, she was warned of the possibility that she would have to kill in order to protect her employer and that nothing can truly prepare you for when someone dies right in front of your eyes. The girl also kept reminding herself that Maleficus was merely doing his job and that Guan Fu was a crime lord who had done many wrongs. Yet, no matter what excuse she could conjure, the shock of seeing a life extinguish right in front of her persisted. And since it was Nova who actually killed the man, the thought that she herself would one day be forced to claim the existance of another filled her with dread.

Even though she was aware of the Namekian`s stern look observing her, Suzaku kept her own gaze towards the smooth surface below and forced herself to stop shaking. A sense of guilt and shame suddenly overwhelmed her as she remembered her task. For someone to become great, they needed to have people around them that they could rely on to act as their pillar of strength. Even in the worst of times, a servant always needed to be there for her master to help him succeed. Yet, it was the silver-haired girl who was weak...it was her resolve that was faltering. In order to strenghten it, she reminded herself that there was no going back, that this was what she had been training for all her life. She could not fail...for both of their sakes.

As the adolescent forced herself to focus once again, the group entered a small room at the back of the agency. Standing prominently in the middle of it, with a large set of wires attached, was a transparent tube with glowing energy plates marking it`s top and bottom end. The maid prodigy recognised the device as a teletube, a means of instant transportation. Although she had witnessed such a device before at her guild, she never recalled actually using one herself. However, she was compelled to try as Gelu told them: "Get in."

Without hesitation, the pair entered the device as it`s doors automatically moved out of their way. As they closed, the changeling quickly began to work on the nearby console. As they gained power, the plates above and below them continued to glow and an increasingly loud noise appeared. In a sudden instant, a very bright blue flash covered their eyes and they suddenly found themselves in front of a large white plaza.

The adolescent was shocked somewhat at the sudden change of location, even though she knew that the transportation was instant in nature. Meanwhile, Mal Nova simply continued towards the security checkpoint at the end, as he was used to such technology. Attempting to regain her composure, Tamsin quickly followed suit and they reached the black-dressed security team that watched over the entrance. In a obviously disgruntled tone, the nearest guard spoke to the duo: "Your chips and invitations, please."

At that moment, the young girl took another glance at her invitation letter. Marked with a finely-written personal signature by Damon Dukes at the bottom and the prominent bold word "Invitation" at the top, the letter said....nothing. Besides those two features and the chip within the envelope, the yellowish piece of paper was completely blank. But while many people would have been left puzzled by this, Tamsin immediately understood the meaning of the empty letter. Even though she did not know anything about the event they were attending, the organiser seemed to know that the maid would come. They knew that her sense of duty and obligation to her master ensured that she would arrive at Dante no matter what and that she required no specific reason to be compelled to come along.

Not knowing what she was getting herself into, she gave the invitation and her chip to the security guard. Unsuprisingly, when he surveyed the piece of paper, he glanced at the girl with a curious look: "But...there is practically nothing in this letter."

Wondering who this Damon Dukes was and under the gaze of the green rogue and the guard, the adolescent managed a weak and bitter smile as she replied:"And that says everything."

[Ashe]

"Sigh."

Ashe's fingertips drummed the computer desk as her forehead rested in one of her palms. Her eyes drifted sleepily over the monitor trying to focus on the task at hand, but the week had been so frustrating that she just wanted to lay down and get some sleep. She just couldn't quite decide on...

1:00.

Her head snapped up and she mumbled something under her breath as she looked at the clock by her bed. She finally turned off the monitor while yawning and lay down in the bed, sliding under the covers to escape the chill. She never understood how Gensei insisted on keeping the air on even during the winter. Honestly, the heating in the place sucked due to the shop windows just bringing in cold air, but to have the air on in addition to that?

He always just laughed in his own way when she brought it up, faulting her for refusing to just put more clothes on when it was cold. His viewpoint was that her insistence in wearing a sheer nightgown leaving her practically naked was her decision and didn't really affect him. Her viewpoint, on the other hand, was that they slept upstairs where heat would rise, and he expected her to then wear a full wool jacket while sleeping. If it wasn't for the additional expense, she swore that he'd probably keep all the windows open on top of it.

The old man was just hot natured, she supposed.

She bolted forward a moment as a frost induced sneeze overtook her. Reaching over to her tissues, the adolescent wiped away her frustrations before pulling the covers back down onto herself to start up a good heat bubble. The thought crossed her mind that Sage would fit in perfectly with the snow that Gensei seemed to be hoping would happen in the apartment.

She hadn't heard from anyone since the events of Friend or Foe, which bothered her a slight bit. She couldn't quite remember what had happened after they each had viewed their futures. It was as if she had watched some movie about an alternate future based on her life and then immediately gone to sleep. She remembered the doors opening for the group to move through... and it was foggy after that.

The next moment that she remembered distinctly, she was completely naked on a helicopter with a blanket around her. She'd turned bright red after lazily throwing the blanket off herself to discover that she'd had nothing on beneath her. In their defense, Kaden had tried to stop her but she'd insisted that she was burning up at the time. She had shut her eyes once more on the helicopter, hoping to shut the world out to hide herself from them, but in her absolute exhaustion she had passed out once more, not waking until her grandfather was standing over her in a hospital.

He'd had a difficult time after waking from the darts that had been used to capture her for the event, but he'd managed to hold himself together until the authorities had taken them all back to their home planets. She'd missed her flight to Kajin Rala to visit her family, but Capsule Corporation had agreed to give her a free pass to use a ship of her choice at any time in the future, allowing her to save it for the next time she had a break from school.

Unfortunately she hadn't had the chance to exchange contact info with any of the great people she had met during the event. She was lost in a galactic sea full of trillions of people with no way to get any of their attention, no idea of even where to start. She had returned to her life without the ability to look back, and after reconciling with her family and friends on the events, everything seemed to pass as normal. Gensei had insisted that she return to practicing her martial arts with him at least twice a week, to help prepare her for the next time something happened. She insisted that there would not be a next time; he insisted that as long as the Star's Tear was present within her, there would always be a next time.

Outside of this minor training, she spent most of her time heavily studying, spending time with friends, and running the shop beneath their apartment. She'd even picked up an extra job babysitting for one of her teachers' kids when they had family issues to take care of. Everything had kept her busy, including the two young kids that had somehow broken her cellphone screen on her last visit. Thankfully she had brought in enough money to possibly get a new phone to replace her current one with. Having a cracked touchscreen phone was absolute balls to her social life.

Staying up looking up phones on her computer was going to suck in the morning.

---

Yeah, this sucks balls... she thought groggily as her clock went off. Morning had come early, as usual, but her schedule had kept her occupied lately. She almost missed the simpler time during Friend or Foe, when the only thing she had to worry about with her time was surviving.

Her off humor joke kept her amused long enough to go through her morning routine on sheer muscle memory, stumbling out the door and down the rafters of the stairwell. She was probably going to be late for school, she realized, but she was too tired to care. She didn't even know what day it was, when she got down to it.

Thinking about it, she figured it was probably time to check the mail. She'd been forgetting the last few mornings and Gensei had asked her about it last night. Why he didn't just go get it himself, she'd never know. He always laughed and used the excuse that he was old, but she didn't think he was that old.

"Phone bill... Credit card offer... another credit card off- Freakin' Kami, like five credit card offers in here," she grumbled, about to throw the entire thing into the trash before remembering the bills she'd run across. While thumbing them separate, she ran across another envelope that was addressed to her in formal ink. The girl with longer pink tipped hair staired at the envelope for a moment before setting it with the keepers.

She pulled out her cracked phone for a moment and groaned before runing to her car, the envelope forgotten in the stack of letters.

---

She was thankful that picking up the extra work had let her afford a decent car for herself so that she could stop walking to class on the cold days or begging her grandfather to take her, but the amount of time she had to put into it sucked when she showed up at school late.

Speaking of...

"Where the heck is everyone?" she questioned out loud as she pulled into the parking lot. Had there been some form of emergency? Who the hell would call in a bomb scare on the school at 6:30 in the morning? Did the time change again? Her phone flipped out into her hand quickly as she glanced at the time on it. "No... its right on time... for a Saturday, oh bull!" she groaned, realizing that she could have slept in since it was actually the weekend.

Taking a deep breath to calm down and watching her frozen breath fog up her window for a moment before reaching behind her seat to dig the stack of bills out from where she'd thrown them in the backseat. She pulled the envelope addressed to her out from the stack and ripped it open. "Probably just another credit card offer," she sighed as she glanced at the first words on the paper. "They do get creative lately."

To our grand prize winner Ashe!

You have been selected to visit the planet Dante for our grand event. It should only take a moment of your time and the prizes are numerous. We have a wide assortment of concert tickets for all your favorite bands, the largest choices of the newest high tech cell phones, music players, and other gadgetry. Just visit the nearest Capsule Corporation and hand them the enclosed chip for a quick trip to the headquarters on Dante and you could be well on our way to greatness! Offer expires on Saturday, so hurry in!

Damon Dukes

She stared at the paper unsure of what she'd just read for a moment before picking the envelope back up and shaking it. A smaller piece of paper wrapped around something fell out into her lap and she picked it up. "What's this?" she asked out loud as she unfolded the paper. P.S.: There will be punch and pie. She dropped the paper and looked at the computer circuit a moment before remembering the words about Saturday.

Setting everything down in her passenger seat next to her bookbag, she put her vehicle back into drive and pulled out, heading towards the Capsule Corporation building. There was no way she would get back to sleep at this point in the day, and she didn't want to miss out on punch and pie. Especially if the punch was spiked. With her weak, she could use it.

---

"Last call for anyone heading to Dante! Your chips will deactivate within the hour!"

The loudspeakers called out as she entered the building. She'd grabbed her bag on the way out of her car just in case she needed to store some kind of paperwork or listen to her music player while waiting, but it didn't look like she'd have that luxery. She was running in full sprint mode towards the teleportation tube room before rounding the corner as they called once more over the speakers.

"Hey! I've got a chip," she yelled to the woman about to power down the tube. "Don't you dare turn that thing off!" She slid to a stop before throwing her bag down to the ground before her, heaving heavily in her attempt to catch her breath.

The attendant gave her a stern look for a moment before silently extending her hand. Ashe glanced up and quickly handed her the microchip before returning to running her hand over her cramp. "Everything cool?" she asked after a moment as the woman placed the chip into the machine and pointed a finger at the tube itself.

The woman shrugged before waving Ashe towards it. "Go for it. I'm just a bit surprised to see someone heading to Dante that gets a cramp so easily. Hope you make it out of there alive," she intoned ominously.

Ashe just laughed a moment, not realizing how seriously the woman was being. "Thanks, I've done this before. I do love my contests," she added. "And this pie totally better be a cheesecake!"

The woman scoffed for a moment before holding her hand over the teleport button. "Cheesecake is not a pie."

The machine whirred to life and Ashe dematerialized before she could argue with the woman, her essence finding itself reassembled in another tube on the receiving end. As soon as she appeared, she argued with the silence and darkness to which she'd appeared. "What does she know? Cheesecake is totally made of awesome, the main ingrediant of pie. What does she think? I totally wouldn't go if they had said there would be cake. That's the biggest trap in the world. Everyone knows that if someone tells you there will be cake, the cake is a lie! Pie on the otherhand, especially cheesecake, is like the awesome that binds us together."

"Cool story," a deep voice called out from a now open doorway as she jumped high into the air.

Screaming, the pink haired girl landed and whirled around, shielding her eyes from the extremely bright light that had appeared from behind the tube. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"No one of your concern," the voice answered. She saw a dark shadow turn and walk through the light before stopping. "We've been waiting for you to finally arrive, Ashe. I believe most of your friends are already here."

"What?" she asked, her mouth dropping, no longer sure of herself. The man in the distance left the entranceway as Ashe spun back around to find that the machine had powered itself back down. "Are you kidding me? A one way trip? Ugh, I knew that the words free were a bad sign. But..."

She couldn't believe it.

The pie was a lie?