[2] Group 4 - Caves

[Burter]

26. Tapion
27. Krillin
28. Android 20
29. Toma
30. Zarbon
32. Bido

What now? You're outside the caves, but the clue is INSIDE them. Do you go in, or do you head out and look for something else?

[Zarbon]

?Well, this is retarded.? Zarbon frowned as he watched the saiyan Toma try to bust through a wall of stone with his massive maul. It had barely made a splinter come off the block of rock so far. They had been back inside the cavern for about ten minutes, and the group hadn?t gotten very far yet. The transformer wasn?t even tired, as he hadn?t done anything since ?Gold Miner Toma? set out to work to find their clues. In the meantime, the transformer sat down on a flat rock beside the wall, dreadfully bored. ?Can?t you go any faster you weakling??

?You try hammering through this!? The saiyan shouted ragefully back at the mutant. ?It?s like solid steel or something!? In his anger, the saiyan lifted his Megaton Hammer high in the air, and brought it down hard, making a huge break in the barrier before him. It cracked all the way up to the top of the cave roof, and then shattered into little pieces, flying over their heads from the aftershock of the attack. The crack opened sort of a door, allowing them to pass easily between the clean split rock.

?Well then.? Zarbon rose from his seat. ?Let?s move in, shall we??

They all went through their new entrance, into a large room with colossal boulders blocking all other doorways to the room. Destroyed equipment littered the floor; massive drills had been dropped from their holders and now were in the sand. Mining picks were shining from the dim light from where they had come in. They were lost in the grey dust that covered the floor: lost in time, lost from their owners. Directly in front of them, a robotic arm arched over the path, electricity flaring off of it from long broken wires.

?Christ. What a mess.? Krillin said to himself in awe.

?Yes, that must have been some cave-in.? Zarbon nodded in agreement and began walking forward. ?Its going to be impossible to look around here without a torch, unless one of you has a flashlight you?d like to tell me about after burning my hair!? His last words turned into a yell of rage.

The team shook their heads about a flashlight, but 20 looked around curiosity at all of the mining equipment around him. He walked over to the robotic arm and rubbed its metal casing slightly before speaking: ?Do you think these machines were made using hydraulics?? The android said calmly as his eyes darted from piece of equipment to the next.

?What?s hydraulics?? Toma asked confused.

?Hydraulics, in basic terms that you will understand, the study of fluid, fluid motion, or etc, and I will not go any deeper then that, but what I?m driving at is that hydraulics is commonly applied to machines.? 20 said smartly. ?What I?m thinking that if these machines use hydraulics, which by the look of them they do, they could be using oil: the most common substance. If its not all gone, or useless, we might have a chance. Using this robotic arm?s electrical power, we could cause the oil to flare up, allowing us to use torches, as long as we have a stick to put it on.?

?Great idea!? Zarbon smiled at Gero. ?Clever as always 20! I?ll go outside and look for some sticks on the mountain side to use, in the meantime, you guys can get to work on this.? The transformer walked back through their entrance way, going out on the mountain to look for twigs to burn.

Awhile later, Zarbon returned carrying 5 long sticks: they had been hard to find, and almost missed the last one. Luckily he tripped over it on his way back in. As he came through the cracked wall, he saw 20 and Tapion working on the parts of an old drill, and trying to find the oil within it. Meanwhile, Toma was shocking himself trying to pull the cords of the robotic arm out. Krillin stood nearby him shaking his bald head. Zarbon made his way up to 20.

?I got the stic-? Zarbon began, but was interrupted by Gero making a yell of joy. He took his hands out of the machine and turned to the transformer.

?I found enough oil, hand me the sticks.? 20 said smiling. He had dust all over him and blotches of oil covered his clothes. Zarbon gave him the torches making sure not to get anything on them. Gero turned back to the drill and dipped the sticks in one at a time, then took them all over to Toma, whose hair was standing up more then ever. 20 put the torches to the cords and watched as each off them flared. He then gave one to everyone in the group.

?Alright, we?re good. Look around and see if we can get deeper into this place.? The android instructed them all. ?If we can?t find a way out, we are going to have to find another way through.?

?Namely me!? Toma smirked in confidence.

?Hell no! I don?t feel like sitting around for another hour waiting for you and your weak hammer to bash through another wall!? Zarbon yelled at Toma in a fury. ?If we can?t find another way out of here, we are not letting you handle it, got that!??

?Whatever.? The saiyan moped.

Soon enough, they were all across the room examining things as closely as possible. They didn?t find much other then dust, sand, and rock: at least nothing they hadn?t already seen before. Sooner or later, Zarbon came across something new. He was at the other end of the cavern, opposite their entrance, and came across sort of vehicle. Not a mining cart but more of a new electric train. It was, after all, on energized tracks. ?I think this is the way out guys.? The transformer said looking for a way inside. As the team approached, he found a sign on the right side of the train next to the way in. This is what it read:

Kala Mining Headquarters

This Way

?I bet you any money we will find a clue there.? Zarbon said calmly as they approached. ?Let?s get on board!? The transformer opened the door near by the sign. Dust fell off as it came as it was released from it still state. As soon as the way was clear, they all went inside, 20 heading towards the controls.

The interior was like a modern bus. Seats lined the sides and it had a path for walking in the center. There were two entrances, one near the back, the other up front. The controls were at the very front and 20 now sat at them, looking over how they worked in a manual he found under his great leather driver?s seat. The rest of the group sat up front waiting for the ride to start.

?Alright. I think I?m ready.? Gero put away his manual and put his finger over a button labelled ?START.? ?You guys good to go??

The whole crew nodded and 20 slammed the start button. Outside, lights snapped to life along the track. The train engine hummed as it began to move forward into the light. It sped quickly along and soon enough they were quite away along.

?It took you how long to do that?? Zarbon rolled his eyes.

?Its harder then it looks!? 20 shouted back at him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something landed on the top of the train with a loud thud, shaking the vehicle side to side in its force. ?Trouble already?? Krillin said. ?Whats the problem?? His question was soon answered, as a spider?s head soon crept into view in front of them, the insect blinking rapidly trying to see. It let out a squeal at them upon sight soon, more spiders hammered against the side.

?These caves infested or something?? Toma said in terror.

OOC: Alright. More creepy-crawlies!

[The Not Cool Not Tapion]

The sun was bright, too right. A hand raised to sheild his eyes from the ultraviolet rays that seemed to burn his retinas. He had no look of emotion except for a mere frown on his lips now. He had had his store of fun and then they had to blow their way out of the cave. Now the man, Toma, wanted to go back in? Tapion didn't know what to do, he wanted to get that clue and go back in but at the same time, he thought his group was retarded. A few people had already left the group, and the squad was left with only a few members left.

So he was in a stump. A couple people already left and the others seemed to go down into the cave system once again, the konat thought they were crazy. He looked into the darkness of the just-blasted-open hole in the rocks and looked off in the distance where anything could be...

I am not going to get stuck in a cave again. I am better alone, anyway... Tapion came to a conclusion soundlessly and as the others disappeared in the distance and the rest turned into shadows in the darkness of the cave, he turned toward a random direction, nothing in particular and kicked off the ground, sending himself aimlessly into the air and taking flight. A white aura surrounded the fragile body as his mohawk waved in the air. The wind played against the flesh of his air and made the skin on his face tingle slightly.

This feeling, the feeling of flight always gave him a rush. He enjoyed the air all around him as he let his mind run free, forgetting everything. He closed his eyelids and continued to fly, now with grace, without a worry. He loved it, he wanted to- SPLAT! two bugs slammed into his face, and smeared amongst his forehead, and the other on his cheek. His eyes opened and a look of disgust crossed his face. It stung at first impact slightly, and he quickly wiped away the goo of the splattered bugs. That was the only thing he disliked about flying...he got over it quickly though, and continued his flight, this time paying attention.

OOC: I know, short post. My bro gets off work shortly so I'm not taking chances.

[Burter]

EVENT

Both Tapion and Bido have left the group.

[Krillin]

The train itself was very plain, being in essence a thin, metal cage in which the teammates would trap themselves for transportation. Krillin wasn?t entirely pleased about this, especially in such unfamiliar territory, but it couldn?t be helped. They needed to get around somehow, and that clue was still waiting for them.

It was too dark and dim outside to really figure out how fast they were going, but from the initial disorientation, Krillin guessed that to be very fast indeed. He had almost been thrown completely backward, being saved only by a thin metal pole that withered in his grip. The incredible speed gave a sense of security, however. If there was anywhere in this labyrinth they could feel safe, it was here.

Team Four had been narrowed down to Twenty, Zarbon, Toma, and himself. The elfin teenager and the resourceful ?gangsta? had both left the fellowship, apparently hoping to stake out opportunity for themselves. Krillin couldn?t really see the sense in that, as it had been made quite clear that the clue was inside the caves, but it was their choice. It was unfortunate to lose the one named Tapion, as Krillin could sense a large amount of power in him. Bido wasn?t near as strong, being perhaps the weakest member of the group, but they all owed him a little something for getting them out of the caves.

Zarbon looked strangely familiar. Krillin almost swore he had seen him before somewhere, perhaps at Dante?s Abyss or in Heaven. But, he couldn?t match anything up with his memory, so he shrugged it off as an odd case of d?j? vu. An effeminate little bugger, Krillin could sense a respectable level of strength in him, pretty much equal to his own.

Toma was obviously saiya-jin. The black hair and muscle anatomy was a fairly certain giveaway. Another good warrior, one who was a just a hair stronger than he. If they ever had the opportunity to spar, it would be a fine match indeed.

And finally, Twenty. Krillin felt oddly calmed to have the analytical Cyborg around. A fellow Telepath, they seemed destined to be a dynamic duo. Hopefully they would not have to fight each other in the Tournament, or any other for that matter. Krillin had fought alongside him too many times to turn against him now.

While Krillin reflected on their strange little group, a large arachnid slinked onto the passing train, utilizing all eight limbs to remain as silent as possible. With the creatures' massive size increase came an equal boost to their intelligence, and with that came an understanding of stealth. Still, it was not without fault.

The first sign was a passing leg, seen by Zarbon. It caught his eye outside one of the smudge-clouded windows, but since many such obstructions had whirled by at blinding speeds, he took little notice.

Then, a crinkle overhead. The metal roof was much too thin to support the spider?s weight, and one step caused an abnormality in the structure. Every occupant jumped slightly, before looking up for the source.

It was at this point that the arachnid struck. With a quick motion, it thrashed a leg through the weak window and grabbed at Krillin. Were it not for his heightened instinct, he would have been taken out the window, and likely made lunch. His teammates would never have gotten out in time. As it was, he flipped out of harm?s way and against two glass double-doors, which immediately shattered at impact. His body went through, landed on the cavern wall, and was left behind as the train sped on.

Meanwhile, the three occupants tried to grapple at what was happening. Glass lay all over the train floor, a testament to an earlier attack and escape. Krillin was gone in a flash of an eye, and two more limbs shot through, looking for more victims. Zarbon hit the floor, while Twenty?s mind scanned the field and found the perfect spot for cover. Toma, in his classic way, shot out of Krillin?s escape route and locked eyes with the spider. At the exact time that Toma attacked, Krillin caught up with the train.

Surprisingly, though, the first strike was Twenty?s. Utilizing his impressive Ki Sensing abilities, he locked on to the signature of the spider and clicked out a few choice ki blasts. They seared through the metal roof, leaving molten holes behind. Two hit, while two more deflected off the cave roof before being harmlessly routed down the tunnel. Zarbon, using the roof-holes to aim his own shots, offered a barrage of fire as well.

Krillin and Toma went for the gusto. A kick to the eyes sent the spider screeching in pain, lashing out at anything that moved. Unfortunately, this Momma was a lot more potent when blind and desperate than when sane and calculating. Two bodies, one bald and one not, were sent down to the tracks, where both caught themselves just before they connected with the electricity. That would have put an immediate end to their parts in this competition.

Krillin blasted back off at the train, just behind Toma. Hopefully the train would still run after all this. If not, they could quickly get lost in the dark, unfeeling veins of Kala Mountains.

[Ruhiel]

The sound of water dripping softly echoed through one of the massive catacombs of Kala. The condensed moisture fell from the mighty stalagtites that hung from the ceiling, splashing into small pools on the rocky floor below.

But the sound of the water slowly faded away as a new, more horrible noise approached. A crackling light began to slowly fade into view, and then, a screeching train roared past, sending sparks flying. Bursts of light and explosions rocked around it as it hurtled past.

"It's moving again! Zarbon, mark the left side of the train, it's going to try to get back in again!" Twenty barked as the sound of metal crunching resounded above.

The teal transformer slid over to the left side of the cramped train, holding his hand up like a gun. A hairy leg began to poke over the edge of the windows, and Zarbon quickly reacted, firing off a bolt of energy from his fingers at it. The blast slammed into the limb of the arachnid, and ripped straight through it. A hiss of pain came from above the train as the spider recoiled.

Turning around, the android spotted the back door of the train opening, as both Krillin and Toma quickly dove in, slamming the door shut as a flurry of hairy legs attempted to wedge themselves inside.

"They just keep on coming! It's like these spiders set up this ambush on purpose!" the muscle-bound saiyan, Toma gasped over the chaos.

An ambush...

"Gero... I know you're thinking what I'm thinking." Android 20 reverberated in the android's mind tentatively.

"Yes... it's beginning to make sense now. These caves were once filled with activity, and this train led the way to the main compound in these caves. The spiders probably preyed on the miners. With so many miners travelling down these tracks, it was probably a perfect place for the spiders to wait for their dinner to come rolling by." Gero thought.

"Yes, but if these spiders constantly attack the trains that pass through this channel, then why was this train intact when we found it? It had to have been used before." Android 20 murmurred.

"That means the miners would probably have come up with a way to keep the spiders at bay..." Gero answered.

"Hey, uh Twenty? I know whatever you're thinking about is probably really important, but... THIS ISN'T A GOOD TIME!" Krillin screamed towards Gero, snapping him out of his mental conversation with his robotic half.

"You all hold them off for as long as you can. I need to find something." Gero muttered quickly and then raced towards the conductor's compartment.

"Hold them off- hey!" Krillin voiced.

The android ran into the cramped conductor's quarters, and immediately began violently searching the room. The sounds of explosions outside increased his fervor as he threw things over his shoulders, digging around until-

"There it is!" Gero thought aloud.

Picking up a weathered looking book titled "Emergency Guidelines." A fairly simple name for it, but it was what the android needed. Flipping it open, he scanned the pages rapidly, muttering the word "spider" over and over.

His finger came to rest on page number 58:

What to do in the event of a spider attack:

1. Remain calm.
2. Lockdown train.
3. Activate high-decibel siren and leave on until the area is clear.

"Of course! These spiders live in a dark cave, no light, so they can't see anything! Why didn't I think of this before? They will probably rely on their hearing to sense prey. If they come too close to a loud or high-pitched noise, they will be blinded in a sense!" Gero exclaimed.

Jumping into the driver's seat of the train, he quickly scanned the controls until his eyes fell upon a rather aptly named button labeled: High-decibel Siren. Throwing his hand down on the button, Gero tensed in expectation of an explosion of sound. Instead, nothing happened. The screeching noises of the spiders continued, surrounded by the explosions of ki energy. Thinking he didn't hit it hard enough, the mechanoid slammed his hand down on the button again, yielding the same results. Unbeknownst to Gero, someone had cut the cables that led to the siren.

Wringing his hands in frustration, he ran back out of the conductor's quarters. He soon noticed the situation had deteriorated rapidly. Far more spiders were attempting to force their way inside the train, and now, one was inside. Toma was furiously attacking it, beating it back outside, while Krillin and Zarbon fired off energy blasts at the assailing arachnids.

"Hey genius! You ever wonder what the "bang" in "flashbang" stands for?" Android 20 echoed suddenly.

Smacking himself in the forehead, Gero quickly called out to the rest of the group.

"Can you call provide cover fire? I'm going to try and get these spiders off of us!" Gero yelled.

Over the sounds of metal ripping, glass breaking, and spiders screeching, the android could barely discern that they would. Gero nodded and ran to the back of the train, where a hostile arachnid was trying to get in again. The android kicked the door open, quickly launching a beam of energy at the monster. Stepping outside, Gero flared up his white aura, as a slipshod defense to keep the spiders off of himself. Energy shots exploded around him as he slowly raised his hand into the air, focusing power into it.

"I don't know how much solar energy is left in my reserves... I just hope this will be enough." Gero thought.

His hand began to emit a pulsating light, as the flashbang was prepared. A hairy leg attempted to grasp the android's arm at this point, but a quick shot from the teal transformer blasted the spider off of the elderly machine. When a constant glow of light radiated off of his hand, it was ready. Flinging his arm down towards the ground beneath him, a small orb of pure solar energy erupted from his palm. It slammed into the ground, and a blinding flash of light burst through the cavern. A split second later, an explosion loud enough to be heard miles away burst outwards, slamming into the ears of the remaining fighters with tremendous force. However, the spiders seemed to take it worst of all. Inaudible against the enormous sound of the flashbang, their screeches of agony echoed as they quickly fled from the train, slamming into walls hapazardly as they bumbled about.

The train continued to race down the tracks, leaving the swarm of spiders in its wake. When the small band of warriors regained their hearing and sight momentarily, they were shocked with what they saw.

"We made it... we're in the mining compound." Toma muttered softly.

OOC: Ugh, sorry that took so long. It's crappy too, but basically we're there now. Whoever goes next can describe it. Sorry =(

[Zarbon]

As Zarbon looked in awe at the great structure before him, time seemed to slow down before his eyes. The Kala Mining Corporation?s headquarters was massive. It was a smooth steel orb held up by support beams that seemed to be welded to the cave walls. The headquarters was held over a mysterious mining shaft with equipment from the sphere going all the way down. They were all offline though, and the corporation base seemed to have been abandoned for many years, but nonetheless, it was an amazing site: the sheer vastness of the building would overwhelm almost anyone. The transformer just stared at the greatness. ?I wish I had one of those babies.? He muttered without taking his eyes off of it.

In front of them was an entranceway that the train tracks led into it. It was dark, but seemed welcoming enough, as it did have a big sign above it stating where they were: ?KALA MINING HEADQUARTERS? it said in bold, just as it did at the sign near the place they had picked up the train they were in now. That train was now racing through the door towards its final decision, as it had done so many times before. Suddenly, a green light flared up on the vehicle?s control panel, and a strange computerized voice was heard by them all.

This is the Kala Mining Transportation System. You are now entering the main Kala headquarters. Please keep all limbs within the vehicle as we approach your final destination. Have a nice, fulfilling working day.

?I wouldn?t be surprised if all the workers quit because that annoying voice.? Zarbon said now irritated from boredom that had sweeped over him as soon as they had entered the base. ?Then again, it might have been the spiders, but you never know.? He flipped his hair from one side to the next and looked out the window. All he could perceive was constant flow of moving metal, like an endless see. After awhile of looking at irregular scratches on the walls, they broke into open air. They saw a small metal room with elevators all around them: the whole place seemed wrecked. Most elevators were broken into by what appeared to be an outside force. Others had been actually torn from the cables they were held by and had been thrashed about the room. Fragments of broken glass had been shattered across the floor, gathering dust from time itself.

The train whirred to a halt at the end of its track, its wheels screeching and spurring sparks in all directions as the vehicle stopped. The whole team looked out of the train?s windows, taking a good look at it all.

?Isn?t it homely?? Krillin smirked sarcastically.

?Whatever you say,? Zarbon said making his way toward the vehicle?s door. ?but we have to make our way into this place: though we will probably get lost. I?m sure we can find some sort of terminal to help us out.? The transformer ripped open the door, the amount of strength added to the weakness of it during their spider battle made it fall off. Ignoring the metal crashing to the ground, the mutant turned left, where he saw a sign and what looked to be a working elevator. Zarbon stood near the sign and began to interpret the text before him. It looked familiar to him, but he couldn?t put his finger on it. As he began his useless attempt to understand it, his team walked over.

?Whoa! Weird sign.? Toma looked at it strangely. ?This is definitely an alien language!?

?It?s Spanish.? 20 sighed. ?Do any of you have a pen??

?I have my lipstick?? Zarbon said taking out his make-up. ?Will that do??

?Yes it will.? The android smiled. ?Anything that smudges will be good. Alright, I?m going to write this down for you all, on this sign, just in case you don?t have me later.? Gero gulped as he said his final words, and then got to work writing it all down with Zarbon?s purple lipstick. He wrote in a clear printing, like a professor, so everyone could comprehend it. After he was done, he turned to the side, letting them all see what he had wrote:

Floors:

1. Check-in/Information Terminal
2. Marketing (Requires Level 3)
3. Conference Rooms (Requires Level 3
4. Mineral Collection Plant (Requires Level 1)
5. Mineral Processing Plant (Requires Level 2)
6. Mineral Division Plant (Requires Level 2)
7. Company Records (Requires Level 4)
8. President?s Office (Requires Level 5)

?Interesting.? Zarbon said taking it all in for a moment. ?Looks like we are starting on the first floor. Maybe we can find out more about these ?level? things. So, what are we waiting for! Into the elevator!? They all hurried into the little metal box beside the sign. As soon as they were all inside of it, Krillin reached up and managed to press the ?1? button despite his short stature, and they rocketed up to the first floor. Within seconds, they were in a new room.

From the door, the first thing you saw in the Check-In Room was a huge wooden desk that was rotten to the core with a computer on it connected to two massive terminals. The rest of the area was just a few torn-up couches and some overturned coffee tables. 20 exited the elevator first, jumping over the desk and quickly booting up the computer, making the place come to life from the hum of the technology and the blinking lights across the room. Gero typed furiously for a moment, and then looked up in shock.

?This system is ancient. Windows XP?Christ. The most bug-ridden computer program ever written.? The android shook his head lightly at the pity fools of the past, and then carried on. ?Those level notes on the signs are requirements for each area. They are assignments for each worker, and I can each get you a level 5 pass now?? He moved away from the computer and gave them all a translucent card labelled ?L.5.? ?I think we should all divide into groups. I?ll get the Marketing and Conference Rooms, Zarbon, you get the Mineral Collection and Processing Plants. Krillin, you got Division and Records?And Toma has the President?s Office.?

?Alright then. Let?s find this bloody clue.? Zarbon smirked as he stepped back in the elevator and slammed the ?4.?

OOC: Thought I'd make it a bit interesting. You explore your sections and stuff now...You can do anything you want with them, making them spider infested, robot defence systems, or whatever. I don't care. Just investigate.

[Krillin]

((OOC: Well, have fun down there, Toma. I?m quite content to roleplay without that plot twist.))

?Divisions and Records, eh??

Krillin?s eyes wandered back to the sign, skipping the formal text and instead looking at the beneficial graffiti.

?Levels 6 and 7. Sounds good. I?ll check back with you all in a little bit.?

If I find anything, Twenty, I?ll letcha know immediately.

Good. Until then.

Krillin nodded. ?Adios all.?

But, Krillin didn?t embark immediately. Glancing back at the elevator, he realized that he would be quite alone. It had gotten them from the Ground Level to the first floor, but beyond that, he wasn?t entirely content with its performance. There had been a few mechanical hiccups, and he swore he had heard a faint warning siren go off somewhere. Still, he had to prove himself to the time. Through everything thus far, he hadn?t exactly been the most capable. They looked down upon him (which, considering his diminutive size, was inevitable anyway), so he had to kick the Brave-o-meter up a few notches. In other words, he had to rid himself of every self-preserving mechanism, belittle himself to foolish ambition, and trek wildly in like a madman.

He did just this. With a heartfelt entry leap, he landed firmly in the elevator, clicked the appropriate button, gave a ?Yahoo!?, and let the elevator carry him on down. Oddly, despite going up to get to Level 1, every other Level thereafter was actually below the Ground Level. Quite inconvenient, but then, perhaps this civilization hadn?t adopted the inherent laziness found all throughout humanity.

The elevator was quite slow, though that was only to be expected. It?s a wonder it still worked at all. After the recent events, he spent the entire time checking every air vent and pinhole, wary of any incoming spider legs or fangs. But, the entire ride went without glitch, and before long, the doors opened up at Level Six.

As he walked in, Krillin ran his hands along the wall, finding a light switch. He almost jumped when the lights actually came on. Somehow, he had thought the light systems would not work, and the fact that they did sent an eerie pang throughout his brain. But why wouldn?t they? Hadn?t the elevator worked?

Comforted by this, he ran a cursory check of the floor. From what he could tell, this was the purifying level, and because of that, it was mostly raw machinery. Again, very creepy, but there was absolutely no sound here. If absolutely anything began moving around, he?d likely hear it.

Sighing, he rested his hand on tarnished metal table. ?What the heck does he expect me to find around here??

[Zarbon]

As soon as Zarbon pressed the ?4?, the elevator came to live again and the cables began to move slowly up to that floor. The metal box was battered but it still did its job, and that made the mutant somewhat happy, though he was upset about the place being cramped. The whole group of them could barely fit in, and he was squished even without them taking up space. Soon enough, the elevator made a nice ring as it made it to the fourth floor. As the elevator doors opened up, Zarbon stepped out immediately.

The Mineral Collection Plant wasn?t all that interesting. Rocks entered through a small gap through the wall along a small conveyer belts, quickly put into bunches and shipped up to the next floor. So, it wasn?t the most exciting place on Earth, or on an asteroid. The floor was large one though, due to the massive amount material being taken in from the mines: though only a few rocks were coming through now, and only those were just pebbles taken in by mistake. The place must have been abandoned for centuries. Zarbon looked around a bit, under a few boxes and such, but all he found was lousy rocks and a bit of bubble wrap which he quickly got bored with.

?Christ, this place is a dump.? The mutant mumbled as he got back in the elevator and hit the ?5? button and taped his foot lightly as it brought him up to the next level. As the elevator pinged, Zarbon took a look inside, and then let out a gasp as he stepped out the door. This floor was much different then the last part of the complex.

This floor of the facility was infested, with a very familiar thing, spiders, but this was much different then their last encounter. The walls actually seemed?alive, like the inside of some purple organ. Blue veins ran up and down and all over the place. In certain parts, the walls actually bulged with the green substance, the spider?s acidic goo. The bubbles were popping all around the room and the green stuff oozed from the remains. Massive spiders were crawling everywhere and seemed to be infesting the floor with the same stuff that was on the walls. ?This has to be a spider hive.? Zarbon said in shock as he eyed the spiders. ?And I think they don?t want me here!?

The spiders spotted them with their big buggy eyes and shrieked before they jumped off the walls at him to strike. Seeing this, Zarbon leapt into action, catching the first spider that pounced on him and bearing his weight long enough to fire a Possibility Cannon, splattering viscous liquid all over him, making him spit in disgust before punching another spider in gut. The transformer turned before anymore insects to get on him to escape, but only found another bug there, squeaking as he rapidly spun a web over the door. Zarbon was trapped.

?Great,? The mutant thought in anger. ?I stumble upon the Spider Alpha Squadron while they are practicing Operation ?Capture Food!?? The transformer burst from his position into the middle of the floor and climbed onto an infested piece of machinery, quickly wiping his hands on his clothes when he reached the top. As he did this, the spiders encircled him and began spitting acid at him, though Zarbon easily evaded all the globs, he knew he could last for long.

?Time to play sniper!? The transformer shouted and formed his hand into a gun-like shape and began pegging the insects off with his magnum, but they kept on getting closer and closer. Zarbon knew he had to back them off them to escape, so he would have to do a wide-spread attack, but he had none of those. He would just have to alter one of his own, but how? Zarbon dug into his thoughts for a moment, pulling out thoughts they might be useful.

?Let?s see, make-up, fashion styles, war tactics, Ki manoeuvres, fighting styles, and?? Zarbon struck a breakthrough right there. ?Figure Skating! Of course!? The mutant jumped into the air and began to spin, just like they did in his favourite sport, and began to spin, spin rapidly waiting for the monstrosities below him to come with in range, and as soon as they let one head in, Zarbon knew it was time.

?Cone Spin!? He shouted and two ki beams came forth from his palms they span so quickly that seemed to form a cone before the spiders? eyes. All the bugs within range were destroyed, and as the insects were shocked by the attack, it gave Zarbon the perfect chance to escape. He burst through the crowds of insects and sprinted towards the door, firing a quick magnum shot as it to destroy the web. As soon as he was inside the elevator, he slammed the ?4? button, nearly destroying it with the amount of force he put on it in panic.

As the metal box descended to the next floor, Zarbon let out a sigh of relief. ?Nothing on that floor. I?ll check again on the other one.? The transformer merely smiled as the elevator pinged again and the door opened to the fourth floor. ?Boring, yet safe.?

OOC: Shorter then the others, but ya, I am just introducing a new techinque. Oh, and post #3.

[Burter]

END OF ROUND

Explore, explore, explore.

"This is getting dull," Zarbon complained, leading the group onwards through the caves.

Suddenly he stopped, causing Krillin to run into him abruptly. A drum in the distance, somewhere inside the Kala Cave system. They moved forward, slowly so they could hear it. It seemed like something was there...or a lot of somethings.

The team of three stepped into the crack they found. It was as they had stepped into an underground city--well, they did. Hundreds upon hundreds of humans were bustling around. Apparantly huge party was going on, to celebrate something.

-----

The humans weren't very optimistic about the visitors, but allowed them to talk to the chief. Zarbon waited outside as the other three went in.

The teal warrior noticed that no one was watching him. He kneeled down at the interesting sight in front of him. Three small creatures sprouted from the ground.

"I see you found the Saibamen," a man told him from behind. "We grow them here. You can keep those."

30. Zarbon wins three saibamen