Day Three: Afternoon

[Burter]

Day Three
Noon - 6 PM

"It's high noon once again, my little fighters! We lost yet another person, bringing us down to 12!

#10 Minoshia

Here are the danger zones:

B-3
E-8
C-2
H-4
D-2
E-4

Good luck!"

[Violet]

So, here she was, frozen on the bank of the river, eyes locked on the Saiyan as he enjoyed his moment beneath the waterfall. She followed the cascade of water as its cold fingers spilled over his bronzed flesh, wondering if perhaps she should scold him for getting his splint wet, or dive in after him and do things that perhaps would be counter-productive to their endeavors. Her arms hung limply at her sides as she debated on what to do.

He placed her in a rather awkward situation, as if he knew that wrapping himself up like a scrumptious treat for her eyes to feast upon would keep her from scolding him. Well, she couldn’t argue with his logic. Thoughts of bitching at him were quickly wiped away as she watched his good hand rake through the ebony perfection of his spiked mane, imagining it was her fingers moving through the slick locks. What made it worse when he slowly, deliberately, moved it down his chest, the water slicing around his hand to spill like tiny waterfalls into his lap.

“Damn it.” She cursed shakily beneath her breath, puzzled as to which course of action she should take. Biting her lower lip in frustration, she stamped her foot in the mud, only to have it splotch all over her bare leg in dark brown patches. “That isn’t fair, Bardock!” she called out to him.

She heard his chuckle from beneath the waterfall, and cursed him for it. He knew what he was doing, and he knew the effect he was having on her. Totally not fair, whatsoever. Frowning, Violet grunted her frustrations as she pulled her boots and socks off her feet. He was teasing her, and damn it, if that’s the game he wanted to play, then there was no other recourse but to tease back. As she slid her jean shorts down her slim legs, she smiled devilishly. He was a fighter, and bashing skulls was his passion, but damn it, he was still male, and females were always the bane of such simple creatures. In this aspect, her arsenal was extensive, and she was prepared to capitalize on it.

Lifting the tattered hem of her shirt, she lifted it up, only to remember that nothing lay below, and she quickly dropped it back into place. Okay, well, she wasn’t going to pull the big guns out unless absolutely forced to, so she let them be. Diving headfirst into the water, she sliced through the water towards her destination.

Her sight was amazing as she opened her eyes in the crystal clear water, watching as just a short distance away, his toes wriggled just below the surface. A keen smirk spread across her face as she advanced, arms propelling her towards her goal. Almost there…

Suddenly, the toes disappeared, and then a splash, a heavy weight landing on top of her, arms pinioning around her waist as she tried to turn around and swim away. Her efforts were futile as she was brought to the surface, her head breaking above the water. She gasped in great gulps of air as she wriggled against the unyielding hold of her captor.

“You shouldn’t try sneaking up on me;” he chuckled next to her ear. Suddenly, she was airborne, her body twisting in the air as a frantic cry tore from her throat. Her arms flailed as she tried to catch herself before impacting the water, remembering all too late that she couldn’t fly. She sank into the rippling water with a massive splash, water shooting upwards from her unceremonious landing.

“Damn you, Bardock!!!” she cried as she came to the surface once more; his response was the guttural laughter bubbling from the uncharacteristically jovial Saiyan. “I’m going to get you for this!” Her heated threat only served to extend his humorous undulation.

Treading through the deep waters of the river, Violet swam with terse strokes towards the bottom of the pool, grabbing handfuls of sand and then springing back to the top, only to find he was still laughing his happy ass off. “You think it’s funny?” she snapped, gripping the handfuls of the gritty material in her palms. “How about this?!” she launched the debris at Bardock, splattering dark, slimy splotches across his face and chest. Now, it was her turn to laugh maniacally.

Sobering, Bardock shot narrowed eyes towards her, wiping the nasty residue away from his face. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

Shooting him a smug grin, Violet replied, “I didn’t mean for it to be nice. Who the hell are you to preach about being ‘nice’, anyways?”

“That’s it.” He grunted, and disappeared below the murky surface.

[Android-18]

He slept so soundly that even an earthquake wouldn’t wake him. Even though the sun had risen, their fun filled night had left the Saiya-Jin out of stamina and in much need of sleeps embrace. She couldn’t argue with that, she was sleepy herself, but this was her moment to be alone. He stirred only lightly, twitching here and turning there. His tail was free from his waist and flicked once or twice whilst the cutest of snores escaped from deep within his throat. She, however, sat very still at the end of the bed. She stared at him, and at the way the rays of sunlight sparkled down across his body. His pants were discarded, leaving a thin white sheet to cover his well toned body, even though he wore boxers so as to respect her wishes. The sheet stopped just above the waste, letting her see his belly button in the shattered light. The blinds held back most of the afternoon’s onslaught; it still let shafts of gold pierce through holes and slots.

She let her feet slip from under her and settle upon the wooden floor. She stood in the small room that was their temporary bedroom. Their packs lay against one wall, their various weapons with them. The cards remained upon the floor, the bed, and one or two had made it into the hall. She began silently picking them up, making sure to count them as she went. Each one was glossy and well decorated on one side. She had never really been interested in cards, but last night had been interesting. She smiled so very softly to herself, and left the deck of cards upon the nightstand. There were only 51 cards, one was missing, but she could not find it.

Eighteen turned her attention to the packs. She examined the sniper riffle carefully, making sure that it was in good shape. She moved on to the brass knuckles, noting that they seemed barely used. The maps were bent in every which way, but she took the time to fold them nicely and set them together in one pack. The compasses and water bottles were added to the same pack. She would add some of the canned food to it later; they still needed to eat on this island.

She rummaged within the other pack and pulled out the Ki Pistol. Its cold metal was soothing against her palm. She stared at it, contemplating it. The android felt like it belonged in her hand, but other feelings stirred within her as well. His light snores penetrated her thoughts, and she found herself wandering toward the bed. Slow and softly, her feet made no noise although the floorboards must have been very old. She stood hovering over his dozing body like some villain, the pistol held loose like some foreign thing in her grip. She gazed at him, his soft features, and his undefended posture. Dare she even think it? She found herself raising her arm, the gun pointed at him as if for the kill. Her hand visibly shook, but the only noise was that of her heavy breathing mixed with his. It felt as if a lifetime passed, she wondered whether she could really pull the trigger. Is this what winners did? She asked herself many questions, even more than once. Did team mates do this?

The gun lowered back to her thigh, and she felt her heart begin to slow. She reached down slowly with her free hand, and with deft delicate fingers she pulled the blood splattered card from her lover’s hair. It was an omen for sure, but she didn’t want to dwell on it. She would not be his reaper, not for all the gold in the world, and certainly not for some tournament. She turned from him and went about packing the other bag with the weapons that they had thus far, including the gun. It would be a long journey once they were rested, and surely fights would ensue.

The android returned to the bed, her naked form slipped beneath the sheets and found itself close to his body for warmth. She held his torso with one arm, and rested her head upon his chest. The girl waited for sleep to take her, she wanted to forget what could have transpired in this room. Greed and battle lust could have taken over, but she wanted to be better than that. Innocent as she was, how other people won these games were their own business. She would win her own way.

Little did Android Eighteen know, her Saiya-Jin companion lay with eyes wide open, contemplating his girlfriend’s actions. He did not sleep soundly when danger pricked upon his senses. He was not a fool, an enemy could lurk into their room at any time…he knew, in his heart, that she was not like them. He smiled lightly, thankful for that.

[Aero]

The air was becoming thick with humidity, almost suffocating. The island had essentially turned into an oven; the participants were the fillet mignon, trapped in the broiler.

Aero wiped the sweat developing on his forehead as he wrapped the makeshift bandage around his wound again. “Whatever,” he replied, wincing as he tied the cloth as tight as he could. “So, where you from?” He and his partner knew relatively nothing of each other. Aero wanted to make small-talk, just to keep it friendly.

“Earth,” Kirano replied, retrieving the bottled water from his sack and drinking it. He could feel the water nourish his body from the tiring heat. “You?”

“Same, man.” He got up off of the ground, favoring his wounded leg (it was affecting every part of his movement). “Ever heard of it?”

“Cali?” Kirano asked with a raised brow.

Aero reacted in the same manner and said: “Yeah, Cali. I know you’ve heard of it.”

“Nope.”

“Forget it then.”

The two didn’t speak to one another again. Kirano searched through his sack with wild hands, hoping to grab the bread. He did so with no success; he kept looking.

It had been a long competition, longer than he thought he’d last. He was a newbie, and to suspect a newbie to come so far was near unfathomable. He wasn’t lacking confidence, just thinking in pragmatic. It was the brand of thinking that secured his focus, and perhaps even kept him in the game.

He could still picture the first day he was on the island, awaking from the cold concrete of the ruined city, with only the provided sack to keep him company. It had come fully supplied with survival needs, but he had failed to replenish its food and water contents. He slung it back over his shoulder and brought his arms through the straps.

Aero’s thought of the competition differed.He was destined to come this far. He was destined go to further as well. Fuck being fresh meat; it was not about who was more seasoned,but rather who had the heart. Aero had the heart. Pragmatic thinking? Aero didn’t think in that light. He saw in the light of his ability, and that was all that mattered.

But doubt did loom over his confidence. He could still remember the two fights he engaged in—with Reijin and Android Seventeen—and remembered them well. He doubted that he could defeat either one of them. They had credibly kicked his ass from left to right. But his heart still drove him to want to confront them again, ignoring what the consequences may be. Losing was something he didn’t mind. He might have been the only one thinking in that light. It was more about the competition—the thrill of the fight. Win or lose—to either Reijin or Seventeen—still had its thrill. That’s what he thought of, not the thorough asskicking.

He was injured though. Fuck his injury. He had been injured before, and in much worse ways. Pain was simply nerve endings in your body transmitting information to the brain, which was then translated into OUCH! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! But the brain was weak, stupid. Who needed brains? The mind was what he deemed tough. And last Aero checked, mind overcame all, if you were willing to allow it. His brain did translate the pain of his fresh wound, but his mind convinced him to ignore most of it. The mind was the lone thing Aero gave consistent attention to in life. A.D.D. never affected the body.

“We need to scavenge for some food,” Kirano said, a subsequent sigh exiting. “Use your binoculars to search for some.”

Aero spun his binoculars around his neck and grabbed them with a steady hand, bringing it to his eyes. All that they showed were hills upon hills in rollercoaster gradients. He could barely see a mile down the island. “I’m not picking anything up, jack,” he replied, readjusting the lenses and focus. “Still nothing.”

“Damn,” Kirano murmured. “We need food. We may be strong-willed, but food is something that we cannot deny our bodies of.”

“Yeah.” Aero brought the binoculars down, looking over at his counterpart. “Especially in this type of muggy heat too. It’ll really take its toll on ya if you ain’t paying it any attention.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead again with the back of his hand. “We need to find some shade or somethin. Or at least get out the heat.”

Kirano simply nodded. “Agreed.”

[Burter]

Face to Face

Android 18, Raditzu, Zangya

Zangya wanted to sneak up the couple, spooning under the bright sunlight in their grassy fields. To be honest, it made her sick. Here she was, her head busted open and her torso shot up from a pistol, but these two were relaxing like they were on their honeymoon. What gave the right to relax while she was out here dying?

Unfortunetly, she was in no condition to be fighting anyone hand to hand, especially two people with seemingly no injuries at all. Thinking quick, she grabbed the weapon she had stolen off of the poor Bojack, gripping the shuriken. With careful precision, she knelt into a solid stance behind a bush and flung the starry blade.

Down on the spread blanket, Raditzu was looking at Eighteen in the eyes, as if about to kiss her. "So, when do we go to the show?" The woman was asking dreamily.

The long-haired saiyan warrior's hand flicked up and grabbed the star without even looking to see where it was coming from. He grinned, creeping Eighteen out who turned to see Zangya. "Looks like the show found us," Rad grinned. He stood up and dropped the shuriken, walking over to the Aderess.

"Where are you going?" She asked calmly, grabbing the sniper and the pistol, each in one hand.

Inwardly, she was happy that she would finally get to compete in the game, but she couldn't help but feel like this interrupting her time with her boyfriend. They had three entire days to themselves...just her and him. That couldn't happen anywhere else. In all honesty, it was paradise. Raditzu, however, didn't answer her directly. Instead, he just said, "Love ya, babe."

Zangya immediately ducked behind a tree near her bushes, grabbing two of the tiny shuriken. It looked like this was a bad idea, but it was too late to run away now. She was already injured and this was a former Dante's Abyss Champion. She looked over to see he had taken the long way around the bushes, grinning.

"Hi there," he said with a chuckle.

The Ader swallowed nervously. "You don't scare me," she said confidently. "You don't. You don't."

"That's okay," he told her, "You don't have to be scared to get your ass kicked."

With that, the saiyan moved forward suddenly. Zangya jumped out, swinging the shuriken down. At that moment, just as she came into view, she realized Eighteen was nowhere to be seen.

Then she heard the gunshots.

Three shots knicked her in the torso, while the fourth shot connected with her shoulder. She could see the saiyan warrior jumped in front of her, taking two shots into his back. He, however, did not share her look of anguish. He was grinning.

Both warriors dropped. Eighteen let out a sudden, blurted cry. "Rad!?"

Zangya was dragging herself backwards, trying to get to the tree where she could recline. Eighteen had lept over the bushes and knelt down next to Raditzu, who taken two shots near his heart. "OhmiGod!? Did I...Rad, I'm sorry! Raditzu! Rad!"

"Shh..." He said, still grinning. "C'mon babe, you're a better shot then that. I didn't...you didn't miss." He let out a cough, shifting uncomfortably. "I didn't come into this...to win. I came here...for you to win."

Eighteen's eyes were getting blurry. This isn't how their vacation was supposed to end. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Where was her happily ever after?

"So, just bite the bullet...you don't need me to win this."

"Rad..." She whispered, but it was too late. His self-sacrifice allowed him to pass on peacefully, out of the game and back into the real world. He knew, even if she didn't, that if she was going to get any further, she was going to have to stop relying on him to always be there. It was going to have to be just her from here on.

The woman stood up, holding the pistol in her tiny palm. Zangya's eyes went wide as she nursed her wounds, looking to find the woman aiming at her. "Wait!"

The gunshot erupted into the air. Zangya's forehead opened up to the ki bullet and her brains splattered across the tree.

Two stories were over, but someone's was just beginning.

[SIZE="5"]#12 Raditzu DEAD
#01 Zangya DEAD[/SIZE]

10 Remain

Eighteen has the deck of cards and the throwing stars.

Heading out for a bit, next F2F up later

[Burter]

Face to Face

Aero, Kirano, Talys

They had been following him for over a day. Using Aero's binoculars, he and Kirano had been tracking the man with the GPS Device since they first spotted him with the goggles. Now, finally he had stopped moving on the rocky beach and they could finally attack.

Talys was sitting on the rocks, his GPS on his lap and his game boy in his hand. The GPS wasn't showing anything unusual, but it finally beeped to alert of someone within 100 yards. He looked down and grinned. "Looks like it's finally time to hunt."

The human stood up, holding both of the devices in his hands. Sure enough, he could see the two intruders walking towards him. One of them clearly had a large gun in his hand, one that looked disturbingly familiar. He could tell by the shape and color it belonged to his once-ally Uno...who was now dead. Now doubt these two were the reasons.

Aero was looking through the binoculars as he and Kirano walked over the rocks and sand. "He's gone," he reported to Kirano, "Must have seen us."

"Danger Zones are all around, the only way out of here is to go through us," the blonde human shrugged, "No biggie."

Sure enough, the attack came, even faster then anticipated. Talys had snuck up around the two and came out from the side, leaping up and throwing a roundhouse kick, knocking Aero to the side and onto the ground. He snatched the shotgun, and in one swift motion, had it aimed down at Aero.

Just as quick, Kirano had his pistol out and pointed right at Talys' scarred face.

"Put it down," Talys warned, "Or your buddy loses his head."

Kirano smirked. "Really? Think it'll be that easy? You look like you've been through an explosion since I last saw you. Your old partners you jumped me with are dead. You're the last one and I'm glad it gets to be me."

Talys knew he was right about his injury. There was no way he could compete when both of these men seemed perfectly fine aside from Aero's limp. With no choice, he raised his pistol from Aero to Talys.

A kick came to his thigh and a shot to his chest. With those two slams, Talys dropped backwards, rolling down the platform onto the rocks a couple feet below. Thinking quick, he dropped the shotgun and grabbed the GPS.

Both Aero and Kirano appeared above him as he slammed the device against a rock, breaking it apart. "Go ahead!" He shouted, "Now you get nothing!"

Kirano unleashed the blasts of the ki pistol, all five of the ones left in his clip. Talys took all of the bullets in his torso, but he was dead by the third one.

#26 Talys DEAD

09 Remain

The GPS is gone but the Game Boy is okay

[Android-18]

Crimson blood began to pool from the wounds upon his body. The grass became tainted by the blood, while the soil soaked it in. Dante’s Island sucked at his life, taking him within, and she was to blame. “I didn’t want it to end like this,” she said, to no one. Her hand moved slowly, shaking, with red dripping from the fingers. She touched his cold face, so still, so soulless. She left warm blood against his cheek from the tips of her fingers. Eighteen had known that he would become that blood splattered card, it was a sign. “You idiot, it’s as if…” she stopped. “You saw me, didn’t you?” There was no response, naturally. He had stepped into the gun fire; he had sacrificed himself for her. She had to think about the big picture. She sat upon the grass, picking up the cards and began playing solitaire while she thought to herself. He had taught her this game a day ago, but it was a solo game so she didn't think she would have played it.

“I guess if we had made it to the finish line, we would have had to fight, wouldn’t we?” she asked, looking at his motionless body. “I wouldn’t have been able too…I couldn’t kill you while you slept, I couldn’t betray you. You did what you thought was best, and made me kill you by accident.” She set a card down upon one line, continuing the game. “I know I can do this alone, and I will try my best to win, otherwise…this will have been a stupid move on your part.” She flipped a card, frowning at the results. “Damn it Raditzu, you better wait for me, you hear?” she said sternly as the wind rustled his limp hair. “…you hear?” tears welled within her eyes, beginning to gather and roll down her cheeks. She sniffled and wiped at them, dashing away the emotion.

She moved, and her knees caused the cards to become scattered as she made her way closer to his corpse. She touched his face again; the blood upon her hands was now dried to her flesh. His own skin was pale, ghostly. She touched his lips, and cupped the side of his face. “I’ve fallen in love with you for the second time, do you know that?” she said, the wind rushed at her and caused her golden hair to frame her sullen face. She lowered and kissed his chilly lips, knowing that no warmth was here, but craving just to remember his kisses and his love. She did not know when this hell would end, she could not be sure if he would be there when she got out. From what she gathered, from what she recalled, he tended to leave on any whim. She kissed him again, hot tears dripping down her cheeks and pelting the long grass blades, a few stray tears splattering against his cheeks.

The fiery sun moved in the sky, and the sound of birds chirped in the trees. Flies were beginning to swarm in toward the death that lay on the land. She, too, lay upon the land. She rested her head on his bloody chest, her arm around him, cuddling a dead man. Was she insane? She asked herself what the reason for this behavior was. She was scared…she was unsure. She did not want to leave him, but she knew that he would not want this either. The viewers probably thought she was a lunatic. She sighed, feeling the wind against her cheeks. “You’re right, you’re right.” She said, now getting up and looking about herself. “I just…need to grow up. I’ll be better than before.” She smiled, tracing a fair wrinkle along his face.

She gathered her belongings, which to her dismay did not include the Saiya-Jin. She knew it was time to move, and she knew it was time to put her game face on. For her, that was a smile. She tightened the pack, took the pistol in one hand, and swung the sniper riffle up to lean on her shoulder. A short trek took her to a jutting cliff covered in moss and spouting bits of grass through aged cracks. She stood with one foot planted higher than the other; her gaze roamed the land before her. “Time make this island red.” She grinned, adjusting the riffle and looking as much of a warrior as she was built to be. She held the pistol upward, closing one eye and aiming off in the distance. "Boom..." her lips let out the word, and the wind carried it off into the sky.

[Bardock]

Oh, it was on. One thing you never wanted to do was get into a pissing match with a saiya-jin. It was not going to end well for anyone.

Bardock kicked violently down to the bottom of the water pool, until his hand could reach the bottom. A handful of mud was nothing. This fighter had style. Hovering at the floor with his legs, Bar pressed his palm to the bed of muck and splayed his fingers out. Concentrating on holding his breath and expelling energy at the same time, he slowly ejected several thin pulses throughout the layers of mud. When the bottom was good and popping, Bardock fired off a concentrated blast that pounded through the base of the sand. Back above the water, Violet curiously peered down at the surface, noticing the body of liquid beginning to roil and bubble. Her head jerked up in surprise as a thick object burst through a few feet away, and landed back in with a plop. A few seconds of bewilderment passed, and suddenly the whole pool was erupting with strange masses shooting from the depths. She looked up, and was splattered in the face. Wiping it off, she realized it was mud. It was raining mud! The human threw her arms up, trying to prevent from being completely plastered in the stuff. Alas, her attempts were in vain. There was no escaping the mucky downpour.

After it was over, Bardock surfaced, a grand smirk smeared all over the lower half of his face. He spread his arms out in superiority. Violet wasn’t looking so smug now. She disappeared underneath. Bardock treaded lightly, eyes scanning below. The woman emerged like a leaping shark in front of him, her hands landing on his shoulders as she roughly pushed him under. Violet laughed, swimming a few strokes backwards, completely cleansed of the sand. The saiya-jin burst back out gasping for breath, slicking his hair back from his face. It was Violet’s turn to laugh.

“Oh, you wanna do that? You wanna do that?” Bardock challenged, beckoning her over. “C’mere.”

“I don’t think so!” the human grinned, treading water at a safe distance.

So, Bardock stroked over to her, trying his best not to look like a lamed fish with his busted hand. However, rather than lunge aggressively for her, the closer he got, the slower he approached until he was just a few inches away. She carefully swam backwards, keeping just a little bit of distance between them.

“Bring it on then,” Violet dared, until her back was to the bedrock shelf he had been sitting on.

There was no more room for her to flee, and Bardock closed in. Yet he did not attack. He just kept staring, and slowly, the smile on Violet’s face faded. Using his bad arm, Bar reached out with his hand, carefully sliding it around her waist and pulling her close. Her heart began to pound as he leaned his head forward. At the last possible second, he suddenly crushed her body against his and yanked her out of the water, flinging her over and onto his shoulder like a bale of hay.

She fell for it!

“You bastard!” she growled, realizing she’d been tricked. Futilely, she beat her hands against his back. “Put me down, right now!”

“Nope,” he said simply, approaching the bedrock wall. With his strong hand, he reached out and pulled himself up, beginning to climb the slippery slope to the top of the waterfall. It was an amazing sight as he scaled the rock wall with one hand and her over his shoulder. The only thing missing was a couple of barrels and a fat guy in a red-and-blue jumpsuit chasing after him.

Seeing his flickering tail, her eyes lit up and she attempted to grab at it. As she grasped the slick wet fur, he stumbled a little bit in surprise, and she gasped.

“Don’t do that,” he warned, giving her butt a smack. “You struggle and you’re gonna fall.”

“What exactly are you planning on doing here?” she inquired with a frown.

“You dunked me. I’m going to dunk you,” Bardock answered, finally reaching the top.

“Ohmygod, no!” Violet protested in realization. “That drop is really high!”

Bardock stood at the edge of the falls, pausing in contemplation. Impacting the water from that height would surely worsen the pain of her burns, and he couldn’t have that after using up the last medical supplies for them. Instead, he set her down, and she straightened herself out. The saiya-jin peered over the edge.

“That is pretty far down,” he admitted. He grinned, and twisted the upper half of his body to face Violet. She studied his face, and then it dawned on her. Before she could say a word, he turned so his back was facing the drop. He spread his arms out, and leaned backwards until his feet could no longer hold him up.

“Bardock!” she shouted in surprise. She raced over to the edge just in time to see him straighten out and tuck his injured hand against his chest like a broken wing. He hit the water with a majestic splash that geysered all the way up to the top of the falls. “Crazy ass,” she muttered, waiting for him to surface.

Moments passed, and the ripples of the splash faded and smoothed over. He wasn’t coming up. Worried, Violet took a running leap and jumped in after, gracefully breaking the surface in an Olympic dive. When she bobbed to the top, she looked around. He still wasn’t there.

“Quit screwing around!” she called out, beginning to panic a little.

Suddenly, a gargantuan fish popped out and began violently flapping in her face. Backing away in surprise, the human saw a distinctly male form gripping onto its body. Bardock cracked the neck of the leviathan fish and hurled it out of the river and onto the bank like a shot-put.

“I found us something to eat,” he smiled.

[Hellfighter 17]

‘So, how is it that you changed from an incompetent fighter to a sharpshooting sniper?’ As the last word of Orion’s question fell out of the saiyan mouth, one could feel tension grow in the non-existent audience.

Seventeen looked down. He just witnessed himself killing the Namekian, Retane, without even a bit of regret on his digital self. The idea of others dying did not trouble him in the least—it seemed like it is how things should be. He did not, however, like the thought of being a murderer, of causing the death. And to be a “sharpshooting sniper”? The thought was just abhorrent to him. While looking down, he could see the world starting to disappear. The carpet was stripped away, and, as he looked up, as was the studio, his bald self, the desk, the orchestra, and, last but not least, Orion. It was just Seventeen in a black abyss.

The android started to make something out in the distance. It took humanoid form, slithering slowly towards him. Eventually, it became clear that it was female, from the small breasts that adorned the chest. Her movements were very smooth, with seemingly no actual movement on her body’s part, as though the universe were bringing the two together. The woman looked fairly young, most definitely in her teens, and had black hair. She was wearing a white dress the covered her feet.

Seventeen looked to her hand and a knife was there. The woman raised the knife and brought it up to her other arm. She started to press it against her wrist, and just when it seemed like the skin was about to pop, she and the android disappeared.

*

Orion was pacing around slowly, waiting to see if Seventeen would wake from his sleep shortly. One thing was troubling: the android was sleeping standing up, rocking back and forth slightly on his feet. The saiyan, not for humour or sadism’s sake, felt the urge to push him over. It was just odd—people were not supposed to sleep standing up. His mind was debating the pros of it when Seventeen awoke from his minor slumber.

The ravenette knew what he was to do, as the woman had made it perfectly clear. Looking around, he started to run, and eventually found himself at a nearby tree. Holding out his left wrist with his right hand grasped around his forearm, Seventeen began to rub vigourously on the tree. Within a few seconds, blood started to pour. The android was not aware that he did not like to see his own blood, so as soon as his eyes caught sight of it, he fell to the ground.

Orion did not have time to even ask the man if he was okay until he had already passed out. He rushed over to Seventeen and, shaking his head, tore a piece of cloth from the ravenette’s long johns and took the bloodied wrist in hand, not wanting it to weaken the sharpshooter. When he took a look, he noticed that there were wires and other electronics underneath the skin, too. It was clear that they extended down the arm. With eye wide, Orion realized that his partner was a robot.

The one-eyed wonder tied the cloth around the wrist and took a seat, awaiting for his companion to awake from slumber. He hoped that it would take a while, for he had a bit to think about.

[Kirano]

At last he had done it, completed his objective and slain a competitor, had his fare share of fun. Even better, he had massacred the same competitor who shattered his arm during his three on one fight. They had the nerve, the combined set of balls to gang up on him, but payback proved exactly what it was, a bitch. He had paid Talys his due. Revenge was truly sweet.

Kirano, whose body was not only stained with Zangya’s dry blood, but now the wet blood of his victim, gazed down at the dead carcass of Talys with delight, a smirk spreading across his blood tinted face.

Hell fucking yeeeah, he thought.

The human had served his punishment for fucking with Kirano, five bullet holes ranging from his torso to his right pectoral, which still leaked blood. It was fascinating, witnessing the crimson colored fluid continue to exit his bullet wounds.

“Kirano, let’s go,” said Aero, from behind Kirano. The elder man began to grow a little concerned for his companions mental being. His ally seemed absorbed by the destruction he had caused. Bits of flesh hung from the strands of his blonde hair. From the inflated size of Kirano’s cheeks, Aero assumed he was smiling, which really was disturbing, even for the reckless warrior’s sight. “You do realize he’s dead right?” Aero continued.

“Yeah, he’s dead, but I’m not done with him yet.” He shook his head. “Oh no, not yet.” After a little giggle, he glanced at the weapon in his left hand. It was not the pistol he had used to kill Talys; it was the weapon formerly belonging to Aero’s friend Celipa. He let his pistol hang by his right hand side while he raised the pitchfork into the air. With a strong downward thrust, he pierced the fork into the neck of the carcass, causing blood to sprinkle into the air like a water fountain. The head of Talys separated from the rest of his body, rolling an estimated twenty centimeters away from the body, while blood from the neck continued to shower Kirano’s body. The hybrid did nothing but continue to giggle, softer, body moving in sync with his laughter as the crimson liquid coated his tanned face. Aero was left speechless. He knew there was something that had not added up about his ally, but now he was certain of the answer; Kirano was a vile being.

"Okay," he said, raising the pitchfork, watching blood drip from the triple blades, "I'm done."

[Violet]

After dragging the humongous fish to shore, they set quickly to the task of gutting and skinning. Using a crude knife she fashioned from a sharp piece of flint rock found along the rocky beach, she easily sliced through the thick flesh of the dead creature, tossing bits and pieces to Bardock who quickly set forth to cooking them.

The tantalizing scents of roasted fish filled the camp, along with the loud mewling of both of their stomachs. It had been a few hours since they downed the venison, and the fresh catch would be a wonderful light meal for them, and there was plenty to smoke over the flames for later.

“You know, you shouldn’t have gotten that splint wet;” she commented lightly as she pulled a nice sized steak from the side of the fish and laying it down on a nearby rock. “I don’t think I have enough material to rebind it.”

“And I’m listening to you, why?”

“Because moisture will lead to infection.” she explained tersely. “Getting an infection wouldn’t be very helpful right now, Bar.”

Frowning, he took the slab of meat and placed it in the coals of the fire. “What are you talking about? Are you saying I’m too weak to fight?”

Shaking her head, she sighed heavily. “No, that’s not what I’m saying;” she replied, cutting off another piece and laying it aside. “I’m saying, how do you expect to perform if you are in worse pain than you are now? Why perpetuate it?”

“I can perform just fine.” He said with a coy smile. She ignored it, mostly because she wasn’t too comfortable with the insinuation of it. Wasn’t it enough that he insisted on remaining in his boxers while they prepared their supper? Come on, there’s a half naked guy cooking her food! It took all she could muster not to lay her knife down and unwrap the present he presented to her. Hell, she felt the tension, and she was sure he did, too, but now was not the time or the place to be fooling around. Besides, that would be really really awkward at this stage of their friendship.

She had the willpower of a saint, and if her mother were alive today, she’d be proud of her daughter’s practiced patience, that is, if she could overlook the whole 7 years of killing thing. She wasn’t too proud of that herself, to be honest.

“That’s nice to know.” She said finally, laying the bloody knife down beside the stripped carcass. Washing her hands off in the nearby water source, Vi padded over to her companion.

In the last four or five days since their arrival on Dante, she’d learned more about him than when they were back on the ship. They’d managed to click somehow, a silent understanding between them that made them more than they would have been apart. At this stage of the game, she knew she needed him, perhaps more than she ever needed anyone in her life. Unlikely as it was, he was her friend, and one hell of a piece of eye candy for her hungry eyes to feast upon. Plus, he had battle skills, to boot. Oh, and he saved her life, how many times now?

She owed him more than a simple thank you. It just seemed too…insulting. He could have killed her long ago, but it was yet another enigma of her Saiyan protector, he kept her around, but for what reason?

As the food cooked over the small fire, they talked about pretty much nothing in particular, just basking in the other’s company. Her eyes brightened as he regaled her in a tale of his last encounter with the Abyss, and the surprising victory he’d walked away with. He may not have been the most articulate person, but the excitement that flashed across his face was something delicious for her to experience.

She sighed in contentment as she laid the remnants of her dinner aside and drew her long, shapely legs up to her chest, hugging them with her arms. Resting her chin on her knees, she watched in anticipation as he finished his meal. “I really wish I could have seen it.”

“What?” he mumbled through a mouthful of fish. Sloshing back a fresh swig of water, he swallowed the last of his supper, wiping the greasy residue away with the back of a hand. “The Abyss?”

Nodding, she smiled. “It would have been fun to watch you fight your way to the top, a true champion. You deserved it, Bar.”

“Damn straight.” He grinned.

“I have a good feeling about this year. We’re getting close to the end.”

“And only two kills to our names.” His face fell in disappointment. Her hand slipped over to gently touch his, eyes meeting in silent understanding.

“Look at it this way, we’ve been out here for three days now, and have survived what, three battles? We may not have the most spectacular kill count now, but wai-“ she paused, ears perking up. She heard something, and looking quickly at Bardock, realized he did, as well.

Moving slowly to his feet, he grabbed the axe that laid against a nearby tree, Violet scuttling for her own weapon. A crackle of leaves in the brush beyond confirmed they weren’t alone. They aimed.

“Come out now, or we kill.” Bardock growled, the warning in his voice sending her flesh into a fit of goosebumps. The bushes ruffled, and a face peered from behind a thin veil of foliage. Her heart stopped. Was this it for them?

Bardock repeated his threat, axe poised as he tiptoed slowly towards the intruder. Saying a silent prayer, Violet aimed her gun. Whoever was in those bushes were about to get the surprise of their lives.