Day One: Early Morning

[Reijin]

Continued from: http://www.cdbzrpg.com/forum/showpos...6&postcount=13

Across several planets there thousands of different starscapes to behold. Some races and cultures believed that the stars themselves were watching over them, leaving them to feel heaven's caress in the darkest of times. On the planet Dante, there were very few times darker than the present, as the present was always the most important of the three time periods. The past had already happened and thus was nothing you could change. The future was simply fears yet to enter realization, of which one could worry for hours about and still fall victim to their touch. It was the present that condemned the lives of those unlucky warriors stranded on the planet of Dante, home of the darkest tournament to publically be embraced in the Northern Quadrant.

Drip...

Even within his lack of conciousness, Reijin knew the unmistakeable sound of that splash of water while this being infected his cerebrum. There was no doubt that this creature seemed to enjoy the splash of water to taunt him endlessly.

Drip...

Reijin stood up, the world completely abyssal to him as he rose defiantly to look around. Every splash of water seemed intent on driving fear into his soul.

Drip...

Again, like blades to the heart, he could hear the water fall from some unknown source. In the past, he'd have wondered if he'd awoken within a dark chasm, a chamber to which he would never escape. Now he had grown and learned differently. This particular splash was unmistakable. So now he was simply waiting for the theatrics to end.

Then approach me.

Striding forward in an absolute void that consumed his being, his eyes were slowly adjusting as he sought out the girl of grey.

This is not the dreamworld. This time we are in your head. Questions will be answered in time, but since you can not seem to handle yourself in my presence at this moment in time then I'll have to bring you into here where you can do no harm to yourself.

"All of you interdimensional beings can go fuck yourself."

Like a drum of war, Reijin's defiance echoed throughout the endless chamber of his own mind.

You mistake my intentions once more. You have no idea the strain and toll I am under to contact you right now, especially adding your constant attempts to fight me off. I wish to simply observe you.

Reijin spat into the open void with words of fury. "I'm sure you do. That's why you have infected me like some parasite. What the hell is it this time? Are you a god, an angel, or a devil? Because I have to warn you... All who have called themselves a god I have seen dethroned and crippled like the pitiful human creatures they are. I have trained angels themselves in the art of warfare. I have killed Satan himself of the devilkind. So to repeat my former statement, all of you interdimensional beings can go fuck yourself."

All very impressive. A large reason why I'm approaching you. Forgive my intrustion-

"Not a chance."

-but I am none of the above, if that means anything. If you insist for an answer, then I will tell you. I am mortal, as you are.

"I care. No, seriously I do." The venom dripping from the rattlesnake's mouth was so strong that it nearly had a physical form.

My mother was a Saiyan with human blood, as was my father.

"Ok, so you are trying to appeal to what? My sense of brotherhood at you being a fellow Saiyan? Go fuck yourself. My sense of pity at you being a halfbreed of human filth? Go fuck yourself. Your awe inspiring presence? Go. Fuck. Yourself."

Quite the opposite. I wish to see you in action. And it seems we are being interrupted. I recommend you awaken and handle the attack. Let's hope you survive, for both our sake's.

"Go fuck your-"

Like a spring being uncoiled Reijin was fired from the world within his mind back into the real world, bolting up in the middle of the darkest night. The first thing he saw was the stars, almost laughing at him from up high.

Then the two came.

Flows into: http://www.cdbzrpg.com/forum/showpos...6&postcount=20

[Minoshia]

Bottom of the ninth, two men on and two men out- the pitcher enters the stretch, a mask of determination covering his face as he stares down the plate. Minoshia steps in, facing a full count, this next pitch could very well decide the season…

Minoshia tossed an acorn into the air, lifting the wooden slugger to his shoulder as his small brown target defied gravity. The woodland delicacy stopped momentarily at the top of its trajectory, time allowed itself to stand still for an instant to let the drama set it. The dense nut began its descent like a damaged asteroid, spiraling out of control towards the surface. Keeping his eyes forever locked on his target, the Konat stepped into his swing. His hips rotated in symphonic harmony with his shoulders, sending the Louisville baseball bat into rapid motion. Colliding with a firm cracking noise, the acorn abruptly changed direction and leapt off the end of the bat. The tiny projectile set off on course towards the horizon, a miniscule space craft being launched towards the moon. It all happened in poetic chaos, just the way he liked it.

Momentarily pleased with himself, the Konat slipped the standard issue bag off his shoulder and pushed the baseball bat back into the sack. The devastating melee weapon was too large for the satchel; a good portion of the wooden tool erected from the borders of the pack and exposed itself to the moonlight. He had experienced this tournament enough to know how exhausting it could be, and figured it would be in his best interest to relax while he could. Minoshia slowly lowered himself to the ground, letting his legs unfold in front of him. Even while he relaxed, thoughts of imminent violence crossed his mind – it had been so long since he had drawn the blood of a foe, it had been too long. Next time I swing that bat, someone’s skull will be on the receiving end. Images flashed through his head like a slideshow of pleasure; images of Android 17 and other adversaries having their faces rearranged with one swift swing of his fiendish little friend.

As his thoughts wandered to murder, his eyes journeyed as well. Dancing across the night sky with relative randomness, Minoshia eventually found himself locked onto a single sight. Even a battle hardened warrior like himself could find himself lost in the gazing stare of the moon, its massive craters creating mysterious eyes. Minoshia found himself realizing how the two were similar, the moon and he. The titanic nightlight was the master of the night sky, the dominant force of the vast darkness. While he, himself, was the Prince of Evil, the dark force that struck fear into all those who gazed into his eyes and terrorized the mortality of everyone who had the misfortune of crossing his path.

“There is a difference between you and I,” Minoshia spoke to the moon, lifting his body off the smooth sand and hoisting the bag onto his shoulder. “Even now you surrender to the will of another, as you slowly descend towards the horizon like a dog cowering into his cage…” he paused to allow the moon a rebuttal, but it stood silent. “Where as I will never surrender, I will never be outmatched, and I will never hide. I, Minoshia, am the true master of darkness and I will show everyone the power of my hatred.”

Making his declaration to the vast emptiness of the barren wasteland, no one but the television audience was there to hear his evil vow. No one was there to watch his eyes burn like charcoals or hear the demonic hissing in his frightening voice. Only the sands and the winds listened, and they swept across the surface of the island without a care or a response. With unmatched will, a cunning mind and a blackened heart Minoshia began his trek towards domination, and ultimately, towards imminent victory.

[Android-18]

The sun was not yet above its nest, the horizon was alight with the very faintest of rays, but angry clouds threatened to blot out its heavenly existence. The girl stared out around her, and she took in the world as if it were her own. The sky opened above her with its many stars, whilst the moon fled the scene in much haste. This Island was beautiful, and full of much life. She had climbed the slope of this hill in hopes of seeing anything, or anyone. Although darkness lapped up the island into its grasp, she did see small movements. However, who they were, or what they were, was beyond her. She turned around and took in the sight of a small farm far from her position. She could not quite see the end of the island, but could swear that the wind carried the smell of the water. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

A small sound took life behind her, but it was very much far away. It was faint, but it was unnatural. Was the fighting already starting? She frowned, but knew that it was likely so.
Eighteen shrugged her pack off momentarily and reached in before producing her weapon. She felt that she was lucky in receiving this item; it would do well if she were attacked. She fitted it on, and then flexed her hand appropriately into a fist and then outward again. She would fight tooth and nail, face to face, and hopefully it will aid in her mission upon this strange land.

Another noise was heard, and a few birds took flight from their rest within the trees to the north. She took it upon herself to fit the scouter onto her face, hers was useless. She tapped upon the button, and soon saw various powers. Locations were not provided, and neither were names. However, she could see that her opposition was not easily matched. Even then she knew power was not everything, she could be outsmarted by someone half as strong as she. She turned off the device and sat down on the grassy knoll. Well, it was more of a peak than anything. She took her canteen out and took a few cautious sips, she was not sure if she would find more water to sustain her.

“Well, what should I do?” she asked no one in particular. She leaned back on the palms of her hands and watched the night fade ever so slowly. This was peace, but for how long? She knew she was a target, not personal, but a target nonetheless. Yet it was hard to get up and move, to strategize, and make an effort. She was content in enjoying this land, and the world above her. The sky was a pretty thing, not many people enjoyed its splendor.

To be honest, the android kind of liked being lost in her mind. There was no memory of her failures and her regrets. A part of her was afraid to remember. What if she just stayed forgetful? She felt that in a way this was being reborn, and she could become someone better and wonderful. What if she was a horrible person? She did not want to be someone full of pain, or emotions that were dark. She was happy, and content.

The girl sighed, she was here and she could not go back. She got to her feet and looked about herself again. She had to move, it was not safe to remain in one place for too long. She strapped on her pack once more and adjusted it comfortably before trekking down the opposite way she had come. This was going to be a long day, she surmised.

[Bardock]

“Don’t follow me,” Reijin warned. “Or I’ll kill you.”

The words hung on the air, an idle threat in the proud saiya-jin’s weakened condition. His promise was good enough, but the delivery was somewhat lacking now. Bardock’s face shook with frustration. He could have finished him off, man-to-man, during the perfect opportunity. The bronze bruiser cursed himself under his breath as Reijin’s shadowy figure slipped off into the darkness, tactically retreating while he had the chance.

The remaining saiyan angrily swung his axe through the empty air and moved towards the edge of the cliff. Violet’s dangling body was illuminated under the light of the moon. She winced, forming a sheepish smile on her face.

“Uh…little help here?” she asked.

Bardock crouched down on his haunches, noticing the stray nail gun just above her lone handhold. He picked it up with his free hand and examined it. Didn’t his son have one of these a couple years ago? They were nasty little things. He tossed it behind his shoulder, and then focused his attention on the purple-haired woman suspended precariously on the rim of the rock face. One of her arms hung limply at her side, and she was holding on for dear life with a single hand. Bardock rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his brows deeply furrowed. The possibility that maybe he wasn’t going to pull her up flashed in her eyes, but they were quickly replaced by shock as she felt the rock loosen from the earthy wall and her grip gave way. She uttered a startled cry and her gaze shot downward, waiting for the ground below to loom closer and closer until it claimed her. Instead, Violet felt a firm hand grasp her forearm, and she looked up. Bardock was leaned forward, axe plunged into the earth behind him, anchoring him down. The woman breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to let her fall. Her fingers tightly grasped his wrist, and he smoothly hauled her up, pulling her away from the precipice.

In the moonlight, Violet could see blood steadily flowing from the side of his face. “Oh my god…your ear…” she said, reaching to touch him. Her hand hesitated, then withdrew, as if she’d thought the better of it.

“It’s nothing,” he grunted, reaching down to pick up his axe. The saiya-jin frowned and clenched his teeth, making his way back to where he’d dropped his bag. Bardock’s dark eyes glittered in the direction Reijin had exited, the possibilities of what could have been still fresh in his mind. As the hunter slung the duffel back over his shoulder, he heard an audible “thanks” from the female. Nothing was said in response. Bar could still feel the intoxicating effects of the adrenaline still pumping steadily throughout his being. Draw or not, that fight was incredible. No one could have been a more perfect match for the old soldier than the young raven-haired saiyan. They both were in prime form. Not a single thing could have made it better, except for Bardock executing the killing blow.

He began to trek forward, this time at a slower pace than his previous leg-burning strides. Noticing that he did not hear any footsteps behind him, he called back over his shoulder, “Are you coming or not?”

The rustling of the nail gun and the light treading quickly gave him his answer.

“Where are we headed?” the femme fatale inquired.

“To find water,” Bardock answered distractedly, having his scouter zoom in on the nearest source of it. The terrain upon which they found themselves had better use as a campsite than most, as the wide sweeping view was advantageous, but it had proved dangerous to battle in without the use of flight.

The pair plodded along the charted course until they reached a small creek running through the bottom of a ridge. Bardock set down his supplies and approached the bank, splashing the cold liquid against the side of his marred head. It stung a little as the now-dried blood was cleansed away. He gingerly rubbed where his ear should have been, realizing in irritation that his hearing was a touch distorted without the bowl of flesh to catch the sound. Other than that, it was just a chunk of missing tissue and cartilage. With a steady hand, he felt around the edges where it had been torn off. The open lesions would clot soon enough, so there was no need for cauterizing.

After he was done with that, he made a quick fire pit with his pyrokinesis and sat down, keeping his axe close by. Bardock ran a hand through his hair, and as per usual habit, rested his elbows on his knees.

“You find anyone else but us?” Bardock wondered.

“No. Just you,” Violet responded, examining her injured shoulder.

That meant she hadn’t collected anything to offer. Bardock inwardly shook his head. He hadn’t asked for her to step in. He could have finished Reijin off on his own, even despite being pinned to the ground by a pitchfork. Even so, this early, if it was his time to die, it was his time to die. The woman hissed in pain as she touched the tender area.

“The nail’s in pretty deep,” Bardock surveyed. “You need to keep from using that arm as much as possible and save it for the fights.”

All he offered was his opinion. He’d played the survival game last year. His companion was going to have to be able to hold her own, because there was only so much he could do, or was willing to do.

The saiyan’s knee bounced lightly. One competitor was down, although not necessarily out. And there was still plenty more to go around.

[Android 17]

Here it goes again… The thoughts reverberated in the back of the android’s turbulent mind as he waded his way through the thick shrubbery. For the last hour or so, he had waited for this very moment, and now here he was, once more shackled and tethered to voracious monster that was the Abyss. This time, however, Seventeen welcomed the event…after all, the opportunity to do whatever he wanted to rarely arose now a days.

With two whining children and a demigod for a girlfriend, the machine-hybrid had felt his fare share of pressure and stress these last twelve months. But for the next few days, he had been given a reprieve from the endless crying of the twins and the needy nature of Paige. For once, Seventeen was free to do as he pleased when he pleased and nothing short of a gruesome death was going to rob him of his freedom.

As the bushes and trees began to slowly thin, the faces of the android’s recent associates began to flash through his mind. His stint at the barracks, which had been designed to give him some naptime before the contest, had turned into some large, impromptu meeting place for a bunch of people he hadn’t seen in months. On top of that, there had been several strangers that had swarmed the android’s cot, and although he knew their names, Seventeen couldn’t help but view the jovial strangers with a grain of salt.

They’re just obstacles. The voice mused, eliciting a faint smile from the machine-hybrid as he emerged from the treeline and into the city that lay beyond the dense veil of greens and browns. The synthetic city was one of his favorite constants throughout the contests because it housed such a lovely plethora of knickknacks left behind by the Syntech Corporation employees behind the design of the island.

“Neat,” Seventeen mumbled as he approached a small convenience store adjacent to the main street of the city. Grinning as he trudged across the pavement, the android reached the small building and slid in through the front door, which had been left unlocked. Like a child in a candy store, the machine-hybrid purused the isles—shoveling anything that caught his eye into the duffel bag that housed his initial rations and his weapon.

Let’s not get started on that one… Seventeen thought, a frown spreading across his face as he caught a glimpse of the archaic device that the gracious producers had granted to him for the sake of murdering his opposition. But this will have to do. He mused as he buried the wooden tool beneath a few cans of Mountain Dew. With a faint scowl on his face, Seventeen walked up to the front counter and peered at the locked case behind the cash register.

“I’ll take some of those,” he snickered as he hopped over the wooden counter and smashed open the glass doors with the heel of his boot. With a snicker, the machine-hybrid scooped up a few packs of cigarettes and shoveled them into his duffel. Before making his exodus from the store, he snatched a fifth of Jose Cuervo and a Zippo lighter. “I think I’m properly outfitted,” Seventeen spoke aloud, reaching into his pocket for a handful of coins.

With a laugh, the cyborg tossed the pieces of metal onto the countertop and made his way out through the front door of the convenience store. Once he was back on the street, the android let out a sigh and leaned up against the wooden façade of the store. For a few moments, he simply gazed up at the clouds in the sky—wondering how many others were looking at the same thing.

Probably just a bunch of people whining and moping about how they’re out here… The voice snickered, prompting a coy grin to spread across the android’s ghost white visage. It is people like them that constitute the prey, my dear friend. People like them that must be purged to clear our path from perdition. As Seventeen’s thoughts ran rampant, he fished into the duffel bag and liberated one of the packs of cigarettes.

“This is going to be fun,” the machine-hybrid spoke to no one in particular as he fumbled with the cardboard package.

To say the least, my friend. His thoughts replied as he popped one of the cigarettes into his mouth and produced his Zippo from the pocket of his pants. With a flick of the wheel, he cupped a hand around the lighter and held it up to the white end of the cigarette. Now stop standing around and go relish in the freedom that is your captivity upon this lovely little island. A smug grin spread across the android’s face as he took a drag on the cigarette. Exhaling, he leaned over and plucked his duffel bag of off the ground.

“Let’s paint the town red,” Seventeen snickered, punctuating the remark with another puff on his cigarette.

[Bujin]

“Walk, walk, walk,” Bujin groaned to himself as he lugged his “equipment” around with him. “It’s just like last year. All I do is walk.”

The azure competitor grudgingly trotted along a path that he was making himself – in other words, he was making his way through a shitload of brush when he could have been walking down a path. It was easier, sure, but taking the easier route was to take the expected route, and that wasn’t the name of the game. Besides, he couldn’t afford to meet anyone at the point in the game – not when so many questions were left so unanswered. So far, nothing had triggered any memory or revelation of any worth. All he found was a pain in the ass weapon to carry.

He glared at the contraption as he walked, trying to figure out any use the item had. As he passed through the bumps of the path, Bujin grew weary of carrying the damned thing – hell, he was tired of doing anything in general. Noting that he had cleared that particular area and had another in eyeshot, he sighed and stopped to rest for a moment, using his weapon as a chair. It served that purpose adequately, though it was apparent that that wasn’t its original use as it tended to tip with he put any sort of weight on one side. Though Bujin was sure that he had this process down, the item tipped over, causing the midget to hit the back of his head on the ground. Frustration filled his mind as he quickly got up and kicked the object. It sailed off in the distance, and though he couldn’t see where it landed, he could hear it.

Plunk!

Bujin exhaled as he thought about what he had just done. Though the weapon didn’t seem like much, he felt like he still needed it somehow. Maybe it was because he was certain that every item delegated had its own use, or maybe…did Bujin feel guilty? He sighed and rubbed his eyes as he considered his actions – even though it was an inanimate object, he felt bad for kicking it. He shook his head when those thoughts crossed his mind. It was stupid to feel sorry for hitting something that wasn’t alive, but he had to go out of it. He just had to.

Sighing, he followed the sound of the fallen item. Luckily, it was where he was heading, anyway. As he followed it, he started to feel funny. Something about the area started to quell up some memories, which was just what he needed. He looked ahead at the water, watching the ripples move away from him, apparently still from where the object hit it. Bujin was here last year. In fact, this was close to where it had all started. The point of origin was obviously where he had to begin, but when he looked around the area of closely, he didn’t learn anything new. Sighing and shaking his head, he went closer to the water in order to retrieve his lost object.

When it came into view, the guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach grew worse. It just floated there, seeming as though it was staring at him sadly as it bumped into the wood. He shook his head furiously when that sentiment came; it was silly to grow attached to a simple weapon. Gritting his teeth, he bent down and began his attempt to fish it out. Trying to get it out with stubby appendages like his own turned the endeavor into a very bad idea, and instead of getting the object out, he fell in with it. His head broke the surface of the water under his floating turban. Spitting the water in his mouth out, he glared at the weapon once more. The pink heart on one of its sides was right in his face, mocking him.

“Shut up,” Bujin sighed as he grabbed the weapon and pulled himself out.

[Hellfighter 17]

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ boomed a voice over the intercom. The sound hung in the air for several seconds, bouncing off the walls of the compartment that Seventeen was held in. He had no idea how to deal with the concept of a disembodied voice, so he closed his eyes, furrowed his brow, and starting shaking back and forth. If it were not for the crazy glue, developed to survive heat stronger than the core of a star and ki from the likes of planetary guardians, an apple would have fallen off of his hat, which nearly reached two feet in height.

When the voice started again with ‘It’s Karl Jak here!’ the android was ready. In his mind, the voice clearly come from a mouth. The mouth opened and closed as would be expected with the host continuing with, ‘I hate to interrupt ....’ A tongue would also dart out periodically—a forked tongue. The head was elongated and flattened to resemble a snake—in fact, it looked exactly like a snake, olive green in complexion and with beady eyes that anyone would grow distrust for, except Seventeen, who felt an immediate affinity for Karl. Below the head there was not much detail, except the beginning of a black suit right at the bottom of the head, with no allowance for a neck. A white shirt and crimson tie were neatly tucked behind the Italian suit. While admiring how beautiful of a person Karl Jak was, Seventeen missed all that he was actually saying, and, before he knew it, a hatch opened up beneath him. He started to fall down, and when he looked, he could see a large island, which had a large array of habitats for so small a space. However, soon enough he hit a kind of portal, which then had him land on the ground below.

Dusting off his shirt so that all could read the saying, ‘Real Men Wear Pink,’ the android gathered himself to his feet. He noticed that he was now donned with a duffle bag on his back and a collar around his neck, prompting him to say, ‘I knew I should have gotten an accessory!’ He started to fiddle with the collar a bit, and found that it was on his neck pretty tight, practically suffocating him. There was a series of lights on it, which would be lit up one by one consecutively, tracing out a circle once a second.

Plop. Seventeen fell to the ground—he was amazed. He did not even brace himself for the fall, but let his butt slam against the ground. His grass skirt, which only reached down four inches, flew up as he did so, revealing a bulging package hidden behind a pair of long johns. The lights on the collar simply amazed him, and he sat for several hours staring at it, as the night sky began to diminish, allowing day to slowly creep into existence. Just as the night would soon be killed off, so would the many competitors of Dante’s Abyss.

[Vazko]

Very slowly, hour after hour passed by. The sun hadn't come up yet, but Vazko could see that light was just beginning to emerge from the horizon. As the young fighter continued traveling over the crumbled setting, he kept close watch on his scouter in case it picked up any nearby readings. Throughout the entire night he had been on the island, Vaz was full of adrenaline. So much that it made him feel very jumpy. Too jumpy for his liking.

Everything was so cold and quiet, and it made the halfling's paranoia grow more intense step after step. He continued having that bad feeling sit tightly in his gut, whipping his head around in every possible direction, making sure to watch out for any predators he might come across.

The silence was driving him insane. All that could be heard was the occasional chirping of crickets in the distance and his deep breathing which he tried very hard to control. Thinking about so many things at once only worsened the situation. It made Vazko feel as though he'd be taken off guard if he didn't stay focused.

Five more minutes passed by as the black-haired warrior quietly progressed forward. The moon was really a sight to see. Big and bright, it couldn't be missed when looking up at the sky. Being unprepared was what scared Vaz the most. He had never been in a tournament like this before, so he didn't have any idea how skilled his opponents would be. He just hoped that he'd at least stand somewhat of a chance. Eventually he came across a few trees, and the shadows they brought from the moon only added to the darkness in the area.

That's it. I've had enough.

Vazko quickly walked over to the nearest tree and tossed his duffel bag at the base of the trunk. He then took a deep breath and sat down next to it, pressing his back against the bark and leaning against the thick pole of nature. He figured sitting down and keeping quiet for a while wouldn't be a bad idea. At least until the break of dawn. As he sat there in dead silence, he slowly unzipped his duffel bag and took out one of the bottles of water it contained. The saiya-jin halfling then took a quick sip from it and put it back into the survival kit, zipping it back up once he was satisfied.

Hidden by the large dark shadows while underneath the tree, Vaz comfortably relaxed. The first sounds of birds chirping nearby told him that morning would be here soon. That's when he'd be back on the move. Until then he'd just sit and wait in silence, always prepared for something unexpected to occur.

[Reijin]

Continued from: http://www.cdbzrpg.com/forum/showpos...6&postcount=20

"Don't follow me," Reijin warned. "Or I'll kill you."

The young Saiyan cradled his wounded arm into his chest as he stared down his adversary. He'd always thought highly of Bardock, and his Saiyan blood rushed from their encounter. Regardless of injury, Reijin relished the encounter for what it had been: A fantastic warmup against a very strong competitor. Until that bitch interrupted.

He had no ill will towards Violet, but he didn't completely have any favor to her either from her time in and leaving his Alliance. He turned and ran up the hill with the grace of a tiger, having already practiced the steps and footholds to find out the quickest placement of his feet to glide effortlessly up an otherwise impassable steep wall.

That was entertaining.

Reijin said nothing, not wishing to argue with her vocally while making his tactical retreat. It would have been stupid to yell out an alert for others to follow.

And yet I speak with you within your mind as you do to me. You are telepathic as well.

Reijin's thoughts paused themselves for a moment as he rounded a tree and threw his back to it, listening quietly to the sounds around him. Focus... Focus...

After a few seconds he relaxed, having heard no sounds of anything following him. He leaned carefully around his tree and allowed his eyes to adjust to the pathway behind him, but he could tell from the path that he'd taken that no one was attempting to find him.

He dropped down in a denser patch of trees and set his bag between his knees. He found that he'd been leaning on his pitchfork for support during the hike. If he'd had his pyrokinetic powers here he might have considered toying with making himself look as devilish as possible with it.

So why don't you have your fire here?

"Because that would make things too easy..." he spoke silently within his mind, vocalizing it only through thought. He looked around quietly and watched the area around him while toying with his thoughts. "I don't have my telekinesis either... So why am I talking to you without words?"

You mean your telepathy. You used your telekinesis earlier in the fight with the nail gun.

"Answer my damn question!" he raged internally, miffed that she was picking at his specific wordplay.

Alright. I do not know why you are talking to me without words. It is your choice, though I assume that it is due to a wish to not be found by others for speaking out loud.

He let out a small growl and ripped open his bag, producing a small bandage wrap from a pocket he knew well. Her insistance at playing with his words was beginning to get very old quite fast.

Heheh...

His eyes turned bloodshot for a moment as his mind raged once more. "Are you laughing at me???" he fumed mentally, trying to keep from making any outside noise.

Perhaps. I answered a question as well, so now you have no reason to be so angry.

"I would think I could have been infected with less annoying voices."

I would think you could have won Dante's Abyss by now.

That had done it. This woman within his mind had really figured out from the inside which buttons to press. And then she'd slammed her fist all onto it. He tried to shut his ears to the internal voice but it was nothing he could ignore. Angrily he jerked the bandage around his left arm, binding it closely to his chest before using his teeth to tear it loose and lock it into place. He glanced down at the discarded nails from the gun and seethed over the shredded tissue within his arm. If only they'd allowed him to use his healing power on this planet...

He used the pitchfork to help push himself back to his feet as he closed the bag telekinetically. He needed to move from here. Turning around his back, he found himself using the pitchfork to sweep behind him and cover his path with new leaves to hide his presence from anyone who came searching for footsteps. After a decent length of path, he looked up to the dark sky and ran into the dark night.

[Zangya]

“Come on, Celipa!” Zangya spouted at her Saiyan partner. The two women moved not unlike warriors with a mission—grace and poise had left them, and now they were focused on getting to their destination. All deception aside, these girls were playing the game strictly cordial for now—they hadn’t felt the need to draw attention to themselves, so, needless to say, they had kept to themselves as much as humanly possible.

Stuffing the newfound edible plants into their bag, Zangya rushed Celipa on. But the saiyan woman, being the typical member of that warrior race, found herself eating the things she picked up rather than stuffing them. Zangya sighed, and once again repeated her sentiment of beckoning: “Come on!” she yelled, walking over to her partner and pulling her up. She grabbed the duffle bag that her counterpart carried and pushed the black-haired woman along as she stuffed a full potato down her esophagus.

How she did that without choking astounded the Ader. The Saiyans truly were a resilient race.

The pair moved along calmly, with Celipa constantly reaching into her bag and pulling out food that was supposed to be saved for when it was truly needed. “Celipa,” Zangya said quite coldly, “Quit stuffing your face.”

“Hey!” Celipa responded, seeming as if she had taken offense. “I haven’t eaten in a while, and our fight tired me out, Zangya.” The saiyaness shot a glare at her new partner, and then turned back to eating her tomato.

Celipa shot looks at Zangya, taunting her with the food that she kept stuffing into her mouth. It was playful, yes, but it was getting on Zangya’s nerves—and the nerves of her stomach. Finally, she caved. “Fine,” she said, “Gimme a piece of that cabbage.” And with that, the cabbage was subsequently tossed to Zangya, and the two women stuffed their faces while they walked along. Soon, Zangya starting whistling a little tune.

The two girls were having fun.

OOC: A short post, but I wanted to get something up.

[Celipa]

"Stop it."

"No."

"Stop it!"

"No!"

Celipa continued balancing a tomato on her nose and stumbling all over whilst she did so. Her orange haired companion sighed, but, was generally growing used her saiyan friend's shenanigans.

Cel hopped, and the tomato bounced off her nose. She propped open her mouth and moved it to line up with the red vegetable, which fell into the gaping hole. She could feel it slide down her esophagus, stretching it outwards, but swallowing a breath of air soothed the pain that could've ensued, and pushed the foodstuffs down into her stomach.

"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms into the air in victory.

"Very nice," Zangya offered, in mock congratulation. "But you're going to eat all of our food."

Cel's vivid expression fell a little, when the restrictions upon her diet dawned on her. Rations were limited on Dante island, and she wouldn't be able to eat all she pleased for seven whole days. Assuming she lived that long. Maybe she would just take her mind off of eating with something else?

"Hey, Zangya."

"Wha... - damn it Cel!"

The Ader-jin turned her head to find her saiyan companion balancing on the branch of a rather large tree. A frustrated groan slipped her lips as she waded through some foliage to get to the base of the tall oak. Celipa was grinning up above.

"Come up here!"

"No. You come down here. You're going to draw attention to yourself."

The saiyaness grinned and dropped so she hung by her knees, with her head dangling upside-down above Zangya's. She stared for a second.

"We'll be fine, Zang," the oblivious woman stated matter-of-factly.

All of a sudden one of her legs slipped, and the saiyaness toppled onto Zangya. Luckily, the bush prevented any harm from coming to either of them. Still, they were slightly shaken.

"Let's just go," Zangya offered in resignation. "Ok?"

Celipa hopped up, startled from falling. "Yeah," she agreed. "Let's go!"

The jade Ader-jin couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Rambunctious as Celipa might have been, it kept things interesting to have someone like that around.

[Kirano]

The human could have sworn he was amongst friends a moment ago. Why was it dark now? Why was he alone, outdoors? These were two questions he could not answer, however he would soon get his answers as a voice exclaimed from above, causing the human to gaze up towards the sky.

God? he wondered. Has God come to take me away from earth? The light, why can't I see the light shining down from heaven?

If the voice belonged to God, he had a very funny accent.

Gay? No, the almighty God can’t be.

Kirano decided to listen to what God had to say, instead of questioning his sexuality. It was only respectable of the human to listen.

“ The game will begin in 20 seconds!”

Game?

“ Your location will be marked on your map! Good luck!"

Location, what location? What map? Where am I?

“Where am I God?” There was no answer. “Where, am, I?!” he rose. Even in his drunken state, the young man displayed morals. “Sorry God, so sorry,” he apologized, using his hands to cover his face, sitting on concrete.

It pained him mentally that God had not given him an answer, leading the human to question whether God had forsaken him in a place like this, banished him from his friends for reasons beyond Kirano. What could he have done so wrong to make God punished him by taking him away from the people he could count on the most? Why would God do such a thing? He had always done right by God almighty, notably saving earth countless times. Were they not good enough deeds in Gods eyes, or was the man above just ungrateful?

No no no, he wouldn’t punish me for that. What did I do wrong then, what?

The human pressed a numb hand against the ground, while lifting himself to his feet, moving unsteadily from left to right. Which way was the exit, towards his left, right, behind or straight ahead? This state of paranoia was something that occurred naturally to Kirano while drunk and was ultimately the reason why Phoebe did not condone him to abuse alcoholic privileges.

After a long yawn, the human’s weak legs toppled over in defeat as he landed on his bottom, his DA bag full of supplies, making a clonk sound as it struck the concrete along with his back. The floor would be his bed for the night. The aftermath of his behavior would commence upon his awake.

[Violet]

Timid fingers poked around the reddening tissue, examining the bloody puncture that tore a ragged path through the meat of her left shoulder. The old nostalgic feeling came back as yet again, the injury prone area was rendered nearly useless. Maybe it would fall off this time, but then, what would that leave left to hit? Perhaps if she just cleansed the wound, she could ward off infection and try to salvage as much mobility as possible. This was the killing field; even a minor wound like this could cost her not only her life, but that of Bardock’s as well.

His life wasn’t worth bartering over. Game or no game, she wouldn’t kill him, unless he begged for her to end it. Then would she lay him down with the honor due to another warrior; it would be instantaneous, as she wouldn’t let him suffer, she’d seen the gruesome, agonizing deaths on this battlefield so many times before, and never would she let him die like that.

The tips of her index and thumb rubbed over the steel head of the nail, and from its depth, knew that she couldn’t remove it completely without hemorrhaging. However, as she tugged gently at the embedded projectile, she steeled herself against the instant rush of pain that crashed over her, her limbs shaking from its intensity. Oh yeah, there’s a nerve. The hand began to spasm as she pulled the iron nail out just enough to feel its tip slide back into the cavity it’d created.

“Hey, Bar, come here a sec;” her free hand ushered him over, but the injured Saiyan wouldn’t budge. “Bar, I kinda need ya, man. Gotta borrow that fire finger you got.”

“Firefinger?” His head lifted slightly to gaze at her. What in the hell was she doing? Didn’t he tell her not even five minutes ago to leave it alone?

“Come over here, damn it;” she growled, the blues of her eyes sparkled in irritation inspired by the throbbing pain slicing through the muscle of her shoulder.

Sighing resignedly, Bardock rose from his place by the fire and stood over the ensanguined woman. Hadn’t he already helped her? The favor count was up to three, now, wasn’t it?

“What do you want?” he asked gruffly, arms hanging like twin weights at his sides.

Moving her fingers away from the nail’s head, she gingerly took his hand in hers and lifted it to the metal barb, molding his thick digits over where her tiny ones had resided. “We need to cauterize this so it doesn’t get infected. It’s too close to my heart, and I don’t want to risk infection. Infection bad, Bar.”

“You want me to pull this out?” He gave the nail’s head a slight tug, testing its resistance. It was in there pretty good, perhaps catching a few ligaments in its path.

“Ouch! Stop that!” she yelped, smacking his arm. “Just concentrate or whatever you do to get the fire going and put it in that nail. The nail will help burn it from the inside as well, so it can seal the wound up and staunch the bleeding.”

“You sure?”

“Just do it!” She commanded, regretting immediately the harshness of her tone. It wasn’t a good idea to piss off someone who was much stronger than you were, even if you share the same house.

Bardock’s brows knitted together as his arm began to glow, a fiery heat wafting off the surface of his skin. His breath became strained as he focused the burning energy into the metallic lance without overdoing it, and catching his partner on fire instead. That didn’t seem like such a good idea.

As the heat seared her tender skin, the smell of her own flesh reached her nostrils and she cringed. The pain came soon afterwards, and she couldn’t bite back the rattled hiss as vessels were melted together, and the sealing and sterilization of her wound was complete.

“You alright?” he asked, dropping his hand away from the smoking wound. The only hint of concern was the tightening around his deep set eyes. Just that small anomaly made him look much older, but it took nothing away from his eye-catching features. He had just suddenly matured.

Leaning back against her bunched up knapsack, she let the searing sensation in her shoulder ease away, and surprised herself with her calm, steady response. “Just fine. What are we going to do about you though? I know that’s got to hurt.”

Shrugging, Bar took his place at the other side of the fire, his attention suddenly plunged back into the dancing flames. “It’s nothing.”

“Bardock…quit bullshitting me. You’re missing an ear, man.”

“I said it was nothing;” he hissed, eyes twin coals as they glared at her from across the campfire.

Violet didn’t poke the lion anymore, she simply let it go. He wanted his space, obviously, and that’s exactly what she’d give him.