Day Two: Morning

[Burter]

Day Two
6:00 AM - Noon

The moon returned high above everyone's head once again, to signal the end of the first day and the start of the second.

"Wake up folks, let's get this show on the road. We're slipping on the pace!

Here is the death list:

#30 Raspberry

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

F1
B5

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"

[Retane]

'What's next Retane?' The mercenary haulted, pondering the voice as he looked around. He didn't know where it had come from and even turned to Tapion who was further off to his right. The elvish warrior moved as he had been doing since they had set back out. Was he hearing things? Perhaps even imagining them?

'You're to be faced with one of three rather hard-to-swallow situations.' The namek yielded his march, knowing all too well that it was Enroshia by some sort of telepathy.

'One. Tapion will die in a fight by your side. You will have failed him and your loyalties to ye' both. You will be alone again and back to your own solo habits, lost in that cold dark mentality that you forever seem to thirst upon.'

'Two. You will have to face him in the end to decide which of you will be victorious. Do you really think you can? Or have you goner soft. Can you place that Nail gunto his forehead, look him in the eyes and tell, that of which you call a freind, good bye, then pull the trigger? Or could you be more devious and take one of his own grenades, pull the pin and make him deep throat it? Will you be able to handle the blood that splatters upon you? will you lick the droplets that get upon your lips and give that wicked smile that you tend to hide from the world? Will you be able to savour the victory?'

'Three. You die. You fall to the ground taking your last bit of breaths as your foe stands over your body. You recognize defeat as everything goes black. You become elimated from the Abyss and you fail your mission to survive. There will be no, "I didn't accept the mission this time", Devious. You accepted the mission when you placed that collar upon your green flesh.'

'What will you do when one of these scenarios begins to unfold?'

The assassin just stood there. He didn't pay attention to the distant echoes of Tapion asking if he was alright, even thoguh the Konat was right beside him. The heartless namekian just played the words over in his mind. 'What would he do?'

There was no simple answer as to what he would do. This much, he knew. All of the options were open and there was no true planning if anyone of them did happen. All the warrior could do was know that whatever happened, he wouldn't just lay down. He would fight and he would be incontrol of the situation. It would happen the way he allowed it to!

A hand grabbed his shoulder.

Retane snapped around and reached for the nail gun. It was up in a matter of seconds and pointed straight into the face of Tapion.

Imedeately(sp?), the namek dropped his gun to his side, his eyes wide open. He realised his muscles were tight and he was flexed, ready to strike. He stood there, hunting for words to offer for his actions, but he found none.

"Are you ok?" Came the konat, once again.

Retane only nodded and turned away, stalking off, searching for his next victim. Tapion follwed suit.

[Celipa]

"How're holding up, Bujin?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Little sore. Burnt," his voice sounded like it was directed somewhere else, but she was getting used to his bizarre air-speakings.

The teal-lien was lagging behind, whilst Celipa stayed a few paces ahead during the trek at a proud stride. Her shotgun hung loosely in her right hand, should the two changelings come back for more, but she really hoped they didn't. Using kaioken had absolutely drained her, and despite her power walk and tough body language, she was probably struggling more than Bujin to walk at this pace.

"My stomach's killing me!" she complained loudly. Her childish disposition had returned, the thrill of the fight having died off at his point. "Fucking changeling and his stun gun. I checked earlier, I've got a huge burn because of that! But, I'm still happy that I obliterated the bigger one's shoulder. Did you see his arm? All dangly..."

She trailed off, knee-deep in old news.

"That's actually pretty gross," replied Bujin with a raised eyebrow. Of course, she didn't see the raised eyebrow, being so far ahead...but it was there. "On the other hand, I shot up the one that stunned you pretty bad. Good stuff."

Celipa giggled out loud, as was so frequent of her, and continued her trek.

"I'm not actually sure where we're going!" she piped up cheerily. "I'm actually just leading us around any areas that aren't danger zones."

Bujin groaned out loud.

"Strategic."

[Burter]

Face to Face

Pikkon

Cargo

The school building was already beat up from an earlier battle between saiyan siblings. It didn't stop Pikkon from stumbling in to rest. After his failed backstabbing against Retane and Tapion, he found himself in a position where the only thing he could do was hide and hope he could ride out the storm.

Unfortunetly, an incoming namekian had the opposite plan. Cargo wanted to kill somebody, and that's all there was to it. Pikkon could hear somebody entering the school thanks to the creaky door. From the teacher's lounge, Pikkon prepared to strike.

Cargo noticed the DA bag (that of Grandpa Gohan) laying in the hallway by the lockers. There was either a corpse or somebody hiding out. Anticipating the latter, he moved forward down the hall, ready for a fight. This is what he had prepared for the last 24 hours. A bloody bout in which he was the victor.

He passed the teacher's lounge, holding his gun. Pikkon lept out, grocery bag in hand.

"Hrk!" Cargo grunted as the bag closed over his head, cutting off his breathing. His eyes bulged under the plastic, reaching up to grab it but with no luck of getting it off. Pikkon held tight, unwilling to let this one go.

With a gasp and a groan, Cargo threw his super soaker water gun backwards, crashing into Pikkon's gut. When the bag was let go, Cargo spun around and whapped the gun across Pikkon's face, cracking his jaw.

Once the bag was off his head, Cargo got a good look at the fellow green fighter who ricocheted off the lockers. Pikkon was on the ground, struggling to stand. Burned up, bruised, face busted open and an arm shattered to peices.

This wasn't the fight Cargo wanted. This wasn't his epic battle. This was doing Pikkon a favor. This was a pity kill.

Refusing to go down like a bitch, Pikkon lept up, ready to strike with his good arm.

Cargo's large toy gun smashed into Pikkon's face, shattering his skull and breaking into the brain. He bounced off the ground, dead before he hit it.

#14 Pikkon DEAD

32 Remaining

Cargo can take the plastic bag if he wants.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Android 18

Bardock

Bardock had seen her stumbling around from about a hundred feet back. Since it was still pitch black with the exception of a little moonlight, he had replaced his sunglasses with a scouter, which told him that the girl in front of him was in fact Eighteen...with whom he had already fought...and lost.

The saiyan warrior moved forward to catch up to her, but made sure to keep quiet. His pistol remained at his side, gripping it firmly.

The girl suddenly turned at the sound of a crunch. Bardock raised his gun immediately when her eyes gazed on him. "Who's there?!"

Before she could speak, he fired twice. One in her chest, the other in her gut. Gasping, she stepped back, shocked even more so then earlier. In her stumbling, she fell back onto her bottom, grunting.

Bardock stepped forward and looked into her eyes. He wanted to make sure she knew that he won.

But all he saw was confusion and shock. Eighteen's eyes were different. She was clueless as to why she was being fired upon. "Why...?" Was all she can manage with the ki bullets clutched inside her chest. Her eyes were watered, almost teary. "Why?"

The saiyan swallowed hard. He hadn't expected this. He gave the most honest answer he could. "Because you're in my way," and even though he really wasn't, he said "I'm sorry."

Eighteen tried to yelp, but it was cut off by the shot into her robotic temple.

#03 Android 18 DEAD

31 Remain

Bardock can take the GPS

[Retane]

He hated the sun, but today he endured it as they stalked on, though it hindered his far vision greatly. He could have put his mask on, but sometimes he felt that the light was a weakness he would need to overcome. It was an enemy that went against everything he beleived in. It was a beacon to his victims and foes, to follow when they fled from the Hunter of Darkness. It was their only chance to survive. It was their hope.

Retane wished he could squash that hope.

A vine hung low at the edge of the wood that the Horsemen Duo now walked parrallel with. Retane stopped, as it caught his eye. He cocked his head and observed the rope-like vine as his good hand reached up and tugged on it. It was strong and held fast. The mercenary pulled on it harder, it still held. Annoyed by the bull-headedness of the vegetation, the mercenary let out a deep snarl and pulled with all his might! The vine came loose and toppled upon the ass busted namek.

He cast a foreshadowing glare at Tapion as if daring him to laugh, but calmed himself quickly as his Konat watched on with interest and curiousity. Retane went to push himself up but as he applied even pressure to both wrists, the broken one sent a shock of pain through his body. The renegade paused for a moment before Tapion moved over to him, offering a hand.

The mercenary stared at the hand, his mind replaying the words of Enroshia and as he tried to shake the thoughts away, he accepted the limb.

Giving a nod of gratitude, Retane swiftly turned to the naturally grown 'rope' and wrapped it up. It was near twenty feet in length and an inch thick, perfect for almost anything the namekian could think to use it for. Slipping it over his head to rest upon his shoulder and abdomen, the merc moved on, this time his eyes were traveling the ground.

It wasn't long before his eyes had spotted two rocks, one of them having a dull but angled edge while the other remained flat. Both were found indifferent spots and when he found the second, he took the rope and pulled off two and a half feet of the vine and placed it upon the flat rock. Using the one with edge as a hatchet, the mercenary continually hacked at the vine until the peice was severed.

Pulling off his backpacks, the mercenary popped them both open, first grabbing a canteen. Using his injured limb to hold the bottle to his chest, he opened it with his free hand. The water drained into Retane's throat and he consumed every last drop. Tossing the empty container back into the bag, he also added the two rocks. His eyes then turned to the bag that only contained a single head.

He reached in, grabbed it by it's hair and it was then that he knew the smell of decaying semi-organic flesh. The stench putrid and could make a weak stomach vomit. Luckily, he had no weak stomach. He laid the cranium on its side in front of him, then grabbed his Nailgun. Placing the weapon to the temple of the decapitated member, the assassin pulled the trigger. The namek frowned as their was no blood splatter and remebered that the blood had either coagulated or drained out.

Placing the gun to the side the wicked warrior put his forearm on the velvet face and with his good hand pulled the rather large nail out. He glanced at it for a moment and tossed it behind him only to hit the unexpected Konat right in the nose. Paying no heed though, the green slug took the vine and forced it into the hole, inching it in hard and fast. As it came to the other side, the mercenary slid the head to the middle of the rope and raised his new creation to his face.

Raising up and fastening it around his neck, he turned to the elvish warrior. "How do I look?"

[Bujin]

Bujin had been trailing Celipa for quite some time now. At first it was merely because he was tired and injured ? his head was in some serious pain. That pain had dulled down some, despite the somewhat new pain in his abdomen where he had been burnt by the shock rifle. Now he was following her because he was somewhat embarrassed of his?condition. He knew that she had been eyeing him for some time due to his more-than-random comments to the internal voices. She occasionally slowed down so that he could catch up, but something deep inside was telling him to stay behind.

?Geez, Bujin,? Celipa said finally as she slowed to a halt. ?Wanna take a rest??

Bujin clicked his tongue. He hadn?t slept much since he arrived on the island, and the prospect of sleep didn?t seem too shabby in the blue man?s mind. However, despite the friendship that they had woven in such a short time, Bujin couldn?t help but feel a bit paranoid. Under normal circumstances, he would have trusted Celipa with his life. However, Dante?s Abyss was far from normal. The thought of him going to sleep peacefully and Celipa blowing his small head off with her boomstick was less that encouraging. Nevertheless, he decided to take a chance and take Celipa?s offer. Laying his head down on a flattened rock, he closed his eyes and let the darkness of sleep envelop him.

Bujin awoke in some sort of office. The lights had been turned off, but the light peeking through the curtains illuminated the room to the point where immediate obstacles could be seen. The room was uninhabited, but the cups of coffee as well as the active computers suggested that the room had been used recently. Since it was a dream, Bujin didn?t realize that anything about the situation was different. Walking towards the computer, he bent down and tried to glance at the screen. There was, sure enough, a picture of himself in the upper-right corner and had some of his more personal information next to it. He would have opted to read it, but a variety of background voices halted him and made him stand up straight once more.

What?s going on?

I believe he?s dreaming.

Can you get a read on what he?s dreaming?

Sure, just give me a moment.

Bujin frowned. Who were they talking about? Memories of the real world began to flood into his mind, as voices were somewhat familiar to him. One of the voices sounded familiar, but he couldn?t place a finger on it. The other voice didn?t ring any sort of bell, but he knew he had something to do with him. Then it clicked. Were they talking about him? He had figured out by now that he was dreaming. The information on the screen, the voices ? it all became clear.

Well? What is it?

He?s?here, sir. It must be a side-effect from the implants.

Well, fix i?

?Bujin!? Celipa?s voice interjected, causing him to jolt back into consciousness. ?We should go. I see something ahead.?

?O?okay,? Bujin rubbed his temple.

Are you okay? Rae inquired, sounding a little bit out of breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bujin assured.

What was happening to him?

[Yamu]

The Sun over Dante found a much different Yamu walking the shores on Day Two. His group had not seen any action since the brutal price Minosha had cost them. Metal Koola had been taken care of for them, which had probably been for the best. The Arlian Guardian had chased the reflective Icer to the afterlife and back, and any upper hand he had ever gotten on his rival had been through luck. No, not fighter he cared to fight one on one, his former hatred and developed into a begrudging respect for the changeling, but their meeting had been cut short.

Leave it to Big Blue to save my ass again. Even after death!

The veiny warrior felt a tinge of pain, it would have been nice to have said hello to his former comrade. He honestly did not know if he could attack the azure reptile?Yamu lusted for the finals, but he did not know if he had the mettle to make it there. That was what Dante had become to the ebony eyed Earthling. Did he have what it took to go the distance. Could he make the decisions that would make him a champion.




Would I give up the things I have, just to get the one I want?

The machine gun had passed through everyone in the group?after Tapion had ripped Paragus limb from limb, Jeice had taken up the feared weapon. Then, after a surprise shotgun blast form Celipa, the gun came into Yamu?s possession. He had cleaned it the night of the fourth day, he didn?t want it to jam so close to the finals. The hairless human had been counting the casualties every six hours and there was only one fighter left on the island besides him.

Bra.

He had seen her in the Barracks, a much older girl then the spitfire he had met on Arlia, but still attitude enough for a whole biker gang. Her name had not come up on the quarterly update yet, while forty three other names had. He double checked his scribbled on map, forty three names crossed off.

He winced as he stood putting weight on his left leg again.

Fucking Kami? The wizened Namek had caught him off guard and now his leg was near useless. If the emerald warrior had not used his Super Namekian just a few hours earlier, Yamu would have been a goner. His busted leg just had to get him a little further though, the dead zones had forced the fighters closer and closer to the center, the hill in the middle was the only placed left to go.

Yamu set off, slowly but at a steady pace. Kari sat in his sack, handle over his shoulder, while he held the machine gun to bear. He smiled, running a hand over the bloodied nails that stuck out from his prized weapon. She had made it to the Finals?Arlia had made it to the Finals.

The tree just in front of him erupted, a blast of heat and splinters the size of his hand ripping through his body and tossing him back like a cheap rag doll. He vision dimmed and his ears rang, he scrambled, grabbing the rapid fire Ki gun that had slipped from his hand and with his senses only half working scrambling behind an outcropping of rocks for cover.

That had to have been the Ki Rocket Launcher?nothing else had that much punishing power on the island. He shook his head, he started see better and the ringing had gotten a little fainter. Adrenaline flooded through him, his veins looked like they might finally burst from under his skin, but he had to stay still. The attack could have come from anywhere, he had to wait. He knew Bra?she was wild, she was impetuous, she would make a mistake.

*crack*

A single twig broke. To the left of the outcropping, so she had circled around instead of advancing directly?she had gotten smarter. But not enough.

The Arlian Guardian leapt into the air spraying a volley of ki bullets in the direction he had heard the twig snap. The cyan haired girl was dropped as three bullets cut across at her knees, two in the right leg and one in the left. The Saiya-Jin princess screamed out in pain as she fell to her knees. The gun in Yamu?s hands clicked then clicked again as he squeezed the trigger. Yamu swore as he tossed it to the ground, he had even cleaned the damned machine!

He whipped out Kari and dashed across to the girl as she lifted the rocket launcher to bear. He swatted it with the simple club, knocking it from her weakened hands, the primitive overcoming the futuristic for dominance once again. Blood stained her lips as she wordlessly mouthed the word ?no?. He lifted the spiked club, holding it high over his head as a trickle of blood leaked from the girl?s mouth.

His friends mouth.

Would I give up the one thing I want, just to keep the things I have?



?There?s a road up ahead, Yams.? Paragus said, ?We should cut left, avoid walking in the open.?

The hairless human shook himself from his day dream. ?Yeah?we want to do the ambushing, not be ambushed. How?s S-man doing, Jeice??

?He wants a fight.? The white haired warrior said with a grin.

?Don?t we all?I guess it just depends on what kind??

[OldSpice]

The calamity continued as Spice struggled with his inner pendulum which swayed indecisively, but the abrupt intrusions had become mild for the most part, allowing the cyan soldier to hold himself together. Although, how long could he do so was the question of importance.

His stomach groveled and churned, purring beneath his abdomen as the empty hole bubbled with hunger. Whatever leftover rations he had were depleted at this point, save for a pile of crumbs bouncing around at the base of his survival pack. The makyo?s throat burned of thirst as well. Bringing a flask to his mouth, he waited in suspense as a small droplet leaked out from the cap and dribbled onto his tongue.

?Damnit!? he growled, slamming the flask against the ground in a rage. The poor guy just couldn?t catch a break, but self pity was one thing he didn?t enjoy practicing, so he trotted on without thinking twice on the matter.

Eventually, the white-haired skitsofranic wandered into a small village. The town folk kept a curiously close eye on him; judging from their distant proximity, Spice could tell he was unwelcome, and possibly feared. His stomach suddenly reminded the Makyo of its craving to be stuffed full of juicy meat and watermelon; Spice loved watermelon.

A barrel of fruit snagged his attention as the cyan soldier?s tongue began to slither out from a drooling orifice. Spice rapidly shook his head and stuffed his dangling taster back into its confines; it seemed Licorice wanted to come out and play, but Spice managed to restrain the glutton before he could make a fool of himself.

Cha Chink!

A shotgun cocked beside his ear as the cold steel barrel nudged his temple. The makyo?s eyes crawled to the side and followed the cylinder down to a chubby middle-aged man with a chin-full of facial hair.

?Look, freak. Just getch? yourself outta? here and quit eyeballin? my produce. We?ve had too many of you scavengers roamin? through our parts already; takin? what they will and leavin? without a single coin in return,? the rugged trader demanded as the fellow patrons tucked themselves safely behind boxes and barrels.

Without reply, Spice seized the gun from the man?s hands in a flash; and with a simple squeeze of his palm, the boomstick snapped in two. The cyan warrior?s eyes burned and his brows narrowed. With an aura of fierce, killing intent he snatched the man by his throat and lifted him up from the ground.

The trader?s face flushed beat red and veins protruded from his skin as he gasped for sweet oxygen. However, the Makyo lit up with a sinister expression as the jarring sound of his victim?s wind pipe crushing shot fear into all bystanders.

Spice then stumbled back into the past; or was it into reality? He was unsure for a moment as his eyes refocused and regained composure. The barrel was still placed to his head and a bead of black sweat trickled down the gunman?s dirtied cheek. It was Mace; he was toying with Spice once again, showing him visions of a possible future, luckily the trader?s death was only a vision.

?Harold you buffoon! Put that damned thing down and leave the man alone! It?s not the same one as before I tell you!? the voice of a girl screamed out as a slender woman ran toward the two men. The clerk was reluctant to hand over his weapon, but eventually gave it to the woman.

?My apologies young man; I mistook you for another fellow. Well, you look like a strong boy, would you be interested in helpin? us out? Ya see, there?s been quite a few works of evil these days, including a savage beast that?s been killing all of our animals, and we can?t get no business with no animals. So, are ya interested?? the man ironically requested, considering he was asking for a favor from a man he just held a gun to.

?Not really?? Spice replied with a nonchalant tone.

?We?ll pay ya? real nicely, and you can have all the food ya? want? said the man with obvious desperation. The mentioning of food sparked interest in Spice.

?Color me intrigued??

[Bardock]

Done. Finished.

For the second time, Bardock had killed Android 18 in Dante?s Abyss. But for some reason, it wasn?t nearly as satisfying as he would have liked it to be. He crouched down, holstering his pistol and preparing for his death ritual. Her body was riddled full of holes, and her head was split wide open.

?Did she even know who I was?? he wondered, disappointed. He tied his bandana back on his forehead, now soaked with the blood of the androidess. He sighed, and wiped his face with a dirty hand. The saiyan uncomfortably patted her down, looking for a weapon. No good. He ransacked her bag, upon which finding a small device. Curiously, he pressed a few buttons, and the dark screen came alive. Thirty-one little red dots appeared on a map of Dante.

A lump formed in his throat. With now trembling hands, he watched as some of the little dots moved.

?Scouter, location.?

He looked towards the device and checked the coordinates. There was one little blip where he was supposed to be.

?A tracking device,? he laughed, scarcely believing his fortune. He kissed his fingers and patted Eighteen?s lifeless cheek. ?Thanks, ?ppreciate it.?

He jumped up, feeling completely revitalized. The nightmare of before was fading away. This new find would either prove to be a highly useful thing, or make him a target of desire. Hopefully it was the former.

Let?s see now. What to do?

He looked high in the sky. The morning sun had dawned, and warm ambiance bathed the island. The fighter swapped his scouter for his sunglasses, and grabbed a bag of jerky, breakfast of champions. Hand on his pistol, he leapt over the fallen android with the grace of a hurdle jumper and hurried off, trying to multi-task by stuffing his face with preserved meat.

[Android 17]

For the umpteenth time in the last few minutes, Seventeen flicked his lithe wrist and watched the yo-yo carve through the air in front of him; however, just like every single previous attempt, the toy reached the end of its string and proceeded to immediately fall limp. With a frustrated sigh, the machine-hybrid turned his eyes back to the notebook and once again attempted to decipher the almost hieroglyphic-like instructions contained within his companion?s ?training manual?.

Moving swiftly, the onyx-haired warrior retracted the toy and proceeded to wind its string back around the axis of the relatively cheap plaything. Standing up as he took one final look at the stick figure drawing that Raditzu had drawn as a guide, Seventeen narrowed his eyes at the minute tool clasped between his fingertips. After sliding his index finger through the loop at the end of the yo-yo?s string, the cyborg took a deep breath and released the weapon from the confines of his trembling palm.

Watching as the string drew closer and closer to its terminus; the cybernetic warrior drew in one final gulp of air into his dry mouth and attempted to execute the maneuver laid out for him amidst the first few pages of the manual. Arching his arm, Seventeen gritted his teeth and twisted his wrist. The yo-yo proceeded to pivot for a little while, and then, as it had many times prior, it fell limp.

?Don?t worry,? Raditzu interjected. ?This type of thing happens to a lot of guys,? the saiya-jin added, snickering softly as he began to put out the small fire at the center of their campsite.

?This is ridiculous,? the raven-haired cyborg uttered, rolling his eyes as he moved to collect the toy from the ground. ?I have a CPU capable of dissecting even the most cryptic and complex styles of combat, yet it can?t analyze pictures and paragraphs that look like they were whipped up by a child.?

?I never said you?d be able to master my genius,? the saiya-jin said, smiling faintly at his pallid companion.

?Uh huh,? Seventeen muttered sarcastically as he collected the composition book and his survival bag from the ground. ?I just need a little more time to dissect these?techniques whilst we travel," the android added as the two finished cleaning up their makeshift campsite.

Once the fire was squelched, the duo performed a final inspection of the small clearing and quietly departed the area without another word. As they vanished into a small patch of trees, Seventeen slid the yo-yo into the right pocket of his blue jeans and unzipped his duffel bag. Furrowing his brow, the android began to sift through all the food, water, and miscellaneous paraphernalia that he had accumulated in the last day and a half.

"Victory is mine," Seventeen muttered, pulling out the small, herb-filled bag he had procured from the school. With a devious grin his face, the android placed the top of the bag between his teeth and went back to digging through his belongings. After another few moments, the onyx-haired cyborg produced one of the many scraps of paper that he had stolen from the building.

Placing the piece of paper inside the bag where he could see it, Seventeen unraveled the plastic bag and dumped some of its contents in the palm of his hand. Arching his eye at the tiny red fibers laced throughout the green and brown plant matter. With a smirk on his pale visage, the machine-hybrid transferred the plant from his hand to the paper. After twisting the top of the plastic bag closed, the android rolled the small piece of paper up and placed one end on the very inside of his mouth.

Using a flash of ki as a rough-and-ready lighter, the machine-hybrid ignited the blunt. Taking a long drag on the cigarette, Seventeen took it out of his mouth and exhaled a small cloud of smoke a moment later. Because he didn't feel any immediate effects, the cybernetic warrior proceeded to take several more hits in rapid succession. As he was exhaling his fifth of sixth hit, the android started to feel a little lightheaded and woozy.

"Shit," Seventeen muttered, pausing in his tracks and dropping his survival bag as the environment around him began to shift and meld into itself. "What kind of drugs are kids peddling nowadays?" The cyborg uttered incoherently as he fished the yo-yo out of his pocket. Acting off an idea that had been forged by the new substances flowing through his system, the android slid his finger through the toy's loop and began to twirl and spin it in rapid succession.

"I knew it!" The groggy voice caused Raditzu to finally stop in his tracks and turn around to face his partner. The monkey-hybrid ached his eyebrow at what he saw?one incredibly doped-up android executing a flurry of high-speed tricks with a yo-yo he had been unable to do even the simplest maneuvers with a few moments ago.

Ending his display of sudden prowess, the cyborg yanked the toy and grinned as it returned to his palm with the string flawlessly wound around the axel. With a swift motion, Seventeen tossed Raditzu the yo-yo and proceeded to cross his arms over his chest. The saiya-jin caught his weapon and let out a soft laugh as his traveling companion took another drag from his blunt.

"Want a hit?" The machine-hybrid inquired, exhaling a small puff of smoke through the grin that was still plastered across his ivory countenance.

OOC: Pardon the length, I just got kinda too immersed in it, lol

[Super Buu]

Bibidi. That shrieking father-by-default. That repulsive, green-faced imp.

Buu supposed he could have had many ?parents?. The many subjects whose energy had gone into his creation; the planet Puttalin, which had provided the material basis; those whose genetic code had been analysed in order to make the perfect one.

So why was Bibidi always his ?father?? Pretty simply, because none of the others had been there. He had become the daddy by default. It was always difficult for Buu to imagine what he might have become under the parenthood of anyone else. Maybe he wouldn?t be this bloodstained warrior ?

Or maybe it wouldn?t make a difference. The lust for fighting was imprinted on his blood, so maybe his ?career choice? had been an inevitable one. It wasn?t like he?d made a lot of effort quitting.

Was it even possible to give up the warrior?s path now that he was on it? Buu knew very little about his brain. Maybe it was impossible for him now to change his ways after the training pushed upon him in childhood.

It was a comforting thought. Buu stood up, and surveyed his surroundings. Two bottles of Jack Daniels lay on the floor next to him, along with presumably the tattered remains of a few cakes. The few morsels left on the grass made it hard to tell. Buu stood up and yawned, stretching his legs.

Why would he even consider quitting in the first place? Super stopped and thought of the consequences. It was difficult to say that his presence had always been a reassuring one. He?d destroyed his fair share of wildlife, levelled enough buildings to merit some serious criminal charges ?

Buu had never been anyone else?s freedom fighter. He?d been his own ? fighting for the freedom of doing whatever the fuck he wanted ? and for the most part, he won.

No. The monster shook his head. ?That?s not true ? Red Stallions ??

His actions may inadvertently have helped others, but had he actively been seeking to do so?

?The Vegeta-sei Rebellion!?

What about since then?

Buu screwed up his eyes and tried to answer the question posed by himself. All the while, he looked at his own situation. Playing a gameshow when he could be out helping others.

There were reasons for changing. But there were reasons not to.

Buu jumped onto his bike, and set off. It would be easier to think about them on the road.

[Bujin]

Bujin? Rae?s voice trailed off, but the blue man quickly realized that she wanted to know something.

??yeah?? Bujin eventually asked after a few empty moments. ?What is it??

What does this feel like? Rae inquired softly, concern sounding in her voice. Dante?s Abyss. What does it feel like?

Bujin chuckled gruffly, the low tone in his voice making him sound creepier than he intended. He pondered the question for a moment. He looked around at the trees swaying gently in the breeze, and the waves of grass flowing in the wind. Glancing over at Celipa, she was walking at a much slower pace than what they were both used to and was constantly fiddling with her shotgun. Looking up ahead, the winding path led to a peaceful prairie. Looking down at his weapon, then back up, Bujin had formulated an answer. The setting was peaceful enough, but it was all a ruse. As such, it wasn?t the best answer, but the most realistic and honest answer he could think of.

?Imagine a constant feeling of anxiety,? Bujin began, not caring about Celipa?s naturally dubious glance. ?Imagine running away from something you?ve never seen before. You?re always hungry, always tired, and much more, you?re forced to do the unthinkable. Everything that you swore you wouldn?t do for as long as you live has been done within the first few hours. Imagine having your privacy invaded. That?s what Dante?s Abyss is like.?

Bujin sighed and looked over at Celipa. She was confused by his apparently random outburst, but nodded in solemn agreement anyway. Of course she did ? everyone who knows anything about what the game is really like would know. Bujin envied the viewers watching through their television screens ? such pathetically ignorant bliss. The thought of all of this started to anger the blue midget, but he managed to keep it all under tabs.

I?I see? Rae stuttered. The awkwardly silent situation was ruined by the stifled laughter of a familiar male voice.

I didn?t know you could be so deep, dude, Nancy jested, Did you rehearse that speech, or did you just come up with it?

?Shut your face,? Bujin muttered angrily. Celipa frowned even more and stopped.

?What was that?? she asked, apparently wanting to know if she heard right. Bujin laughed nervously.

?I?ll race ya?!? Bujin challenged, running ahead in the path despite having no sense of direction. So what if he was depressed ? that didn?t mean that he had to act like an adult.

[Mowgli]

Starvation was a thing of the past, thanks to the extra bread Junior had acquired. He now had a new tormentor. Its name: exhaustion. Since the actual game had started, it had been a full 24 hours that the young saiya-jin was awake. That alone was enough to tire any being within the galaxy, let alone one who survived two confrontations.

The saiyans entire lower torso ached as he sat, perched atop the branch of an oak tree; staring below with his eyes the lifeless human body. The golden locks that once flowed from its cranium had become a dull orange as it lied there, motionless in a puddle of its own blood, drowning in the very fluids that once gave it life. Its name and voice played over and over again in the child?s mind.

Olibu..

As time went on Junior?s mind began to wander and his eyes began to burn, begging to be closed, forcing him to yet again give in to another one of his body?s demands. ?Gotta get moving soon...? He yawned, re-positioning himself so that his back could lean against the tree itself. ?After some shut eye.?

Just then, as the boy began to drift into a world of his own imagination?a basketball smacked against his head. Hitting him directly at the center of his left cheek; instead of the usual ?ouch? from such an event, GJ sat still?blinking in rapid succession, confused. Wondering the answer to a question that any in his current position would ask. What the hell hit him with a basketball?on a tree?

Looking to the ground once again, in the direction of where he believed the balls origin to be, he saw no one, nothing but a squirrel that seemed to be grooming itself. With a shrug he simply brushed it off, hoping it was merely a hallucination due to his lack of sleep.

Seconds after he had given up attempting to find what had thrown it, the ball once again met his left cheek. This time with more force then before; knocking him off balance and causing him to fall to the ground.

::THUD::

The impact of his body was louder than he expected, harder too. His lungs had been pushed into, knocking the wind out of him. For a few moments he remained motionless. He was now even more confused than before. He saw no one but yet got hit twice.

What's going on?

Was the last thought he could process, before his vision blurred and eyes caved in. He had fallen asleep.

[Jinpo]

Dearly departed
Certain tragedy when we started off
We were such an indestructible team when you had your plans, I had my dream . . .
And now you're lost and it's all because you were not strong enough

--------

?FUCK!? the incensed child roared at the top of his lungs. The worst of the four-letter words reverberated through the teacher?s lounge and echoed throughout the school building. Cargo let his diaphragm expanded to its full capacity as he tried to recover his breath. It was clear to the Namekian that Pikkon wasn?t the man who killed Metal Koola.

?He wouldn?t let himself be killed by scum like you.? he uttered through gritted teeth to the bleeding cadaver as he bent over, grabbed the plastic grocery bag off of the ground, and shoved it into his survival bag. ?He was much too strong for that.? Thoughts had been Cargo?s best friend during this game and, once again, he would occupy himself with them.

?That felt . . . amazing.? he said internally, ?I have never felt stronger in my life. I felt invincible . . . like I could have taken on all of the competitors at once and killed every last one of them.?

Squeak.

The halls lit up as a vivd green ball of ki zoomed away from Cargo towards the direction of the noise. The smell of burning flesh now filled the corridor. It was once unlucky mouse. Wrong place, wrong time. All of the childish emotions that once plagued the teenager seemed to evaporate away to leave only two channeled emotions that now fueled every action that the youngling executed.

Hatred . . .

?I want to kill the mother fucker who killed Metal Koola.?

Desire . . .

?I want to win this competition . . .?

The irate adolescent folded his legs and sat down across from his deceased enemy to regain some lost energy. As he sat Indian-style on the cold tile ground of the schoolhouse, an interesting object caught his eye: a human-shaped piece of bread with the head missing. A small chuckle passed through the lips of the kid as the irony of the events dawned on him. He glanced over at Pikkon before he reached out to pick up the decapitated bread. As he took hold of it, the brittle form of sustenance crumbled in his hand.

?I guess I don?t know my own strength.? After salvaging all of the energy that he could, Cargo leapt to his feet to continue his vengeful manhunt of all of the bastards who remained alive. The Namekian child teetered on the edge of sanity and it was not safe for anyone who encountered him. Who knows where he?d go if someone pushed him over the edge?

OOC: The beginning quote was from the song ?Movement? by The Higher