Day Three: Early Morning

[Burter]

Day Three
Midnight - 6:00

"Congratulations to you 29 who have made it to the third day! We're still moving a dull, slow pace with some rather annoying groups forming, but something tells me you'll all realize that this isn't a team game.

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!

G2
F8
D3

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"


Notes:

-I'm going to sleep. Hence this up early. Don't post in here till midnight. Don't PM moves till midnight.

-I'd like a staff member to create the discussion thread and unsticky the last IC thread at midnight. Only a staffer.

-Good night.

[Retane]

The grass bent in the wake of each step that he took. The black vest, or what was once a vest, hung from his body with many great tears and rips, revealing the scars and burns, resulting from the betrayal of another. His raven tinted pants were intact and seemingly uninjured, except for the many stains from dirt, blood and the vegetation of the Abyss. While one of his fingered gloves remained in one peice, the other had a rip in the palm and backhand. His broken wrist was splinted with four thick sticks, no longer then four inches long, and was wrapped tightly with cloth and rope.

The Ki Sheild was clamped on his forearm and was activated, while his other limb was occupied by his ever-ready Nailgun. Across his shoulder and abdomen rested a vine like rope and around his neck rested two necklaces. One of which, held three gold Tokens, the other held two charms; One was a velvet, purple head of Retane's first victim, and first victim to the Abyss, Andoid 15. The other, was the 'head' of the nameks latest victim, the top of a old evergreen that was in the shape of a pitchfork.

Tapion walked behind the merc, and there was only one thing wrong with the seemingly crazed slug. He was missing a boot!

The Konat just followed, pondering what exactly was wrong with his namekian freind. Perhaps the killings had gotten to him, or maybe the Abyss itself? Tapion seemed to have an inner battle whether to actually speak or keep his mouth shut until he couldn't stand it anymore. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Retane stopped turned his head slightly to the left and down, not quite registering the question.

"You're going insane or acting like you are!"

The jade fighter, turned then, looking Tapion straight in the eyes, demanding he continue, yet he never said a peep.

"Well, what is it? Is it the Abyss? The killings? Have you just totally snapped?"

Retane only smiled, leaving the elvish warrior confused and tooken aback. His hand slowly began to reach for his pocket, where his ready-to-grab grenade rested at. He only haulted when the assassin spoke.

"Dantes Abyss is nothing but a game. If you can't play it, or take the way it's been played then you shouldn't have done it. Once it's over , it's over, then it's back to the reality. But my reality is similair to here, only worst. Here I can play and practice new roles. If you cant comprehend that then theres no use for us to even continue this further."

"As far as killing, I've only killed...two", the namek pointewd to his charms. "The rest were dealt by you."

Tapion stood there and nodded in understandment. Everything made a little more sense now, and he relaxed his guard, allowing Retane to turn and continue his march.


Still, the one question that really bothered Tapion was, 'What the fuck happened to his other boot?'

[Yamu]

The group found a clearing where two hills met and made short ravine, that while shallow, limited the directions the party could be attacked from.

Yamu sauntered out into the shadows as Jeice and Paragus broke open their food reserves. It panged the pair to share what was supposed to last them for two more days, but they also wanted whoever was to their left and right to have the strength to stay there.

The Arlian Guardian did not have to stray far before he found a low rise devoid of vegetation where he took a kneeling position, laying his treasured weapon in front of him, the handle facing him. The Shared memories of the Cloud People he had gained from the human shaman on Arlia gave him detailed instructions on how to perform this ritual. As he delved into the past, looking through the eyes of a countless number of mystics, experiencing the ritual over and over again as if he himself was celebrating it, he began the Totem Blessing.

The veiny titan raised his hands to star strewn sky, and spoke in a way that to one might seem monotone but to the very next sound like an ancient chant. ?I am far from the lands of Home and danger surrounds me at every turn. Your Brother beckons you to hear his plea and come to his aide.? He dropped his hands, clutching them into fists and resting them on his chest. ?Battle is upon me and my Brothers cannot be by my side to achieve glory together, and triumph as one.? He dropped his hands, resting his palms one on top of the other on the smooth wood grain of his bat. ?May the Spirit of the People reach my totem and fill her with the limitless power of the Cloud Spirits. Kari fights for the hope and trust of Arlia, she represents my sin and repentance, she is my symbol of conquest and rebirth. May the Spirit of the People guide my hand, for my fight is just and my danger great.? He now hefted the weapon, choking up until his hand was just below the nails that now decorated the head of the club. The hairless human steeled his jaw and jerked a row of the impromptu spikes across the back of his other hand. He fought a wince as he continued, ?I go to battle knowing the pain my opponents will feel. I will strike only where victory is necessity, for I know the damage which I inflict and will not hurt another for pleasure or for sport.? The blood from the four identical slashes was already trickling past his fingertips, faster then he had expected. He sprinkled his own blood onto the ground, then flung a spume into the air. ?May the Earth and Air bless their Brother and honor the commitment he has made.? He raised the weapon into the air with a flourish. In his mind he gave Kari her Totem.

Atonement.

He knew the tenements of the ritual did not accurately apply to Dante?s Abyss word for word, but a man could hope some good might come of it. He picked up Kari and ran a hand along her smooth and deadly curve, she was now officially his totem, and he refused to fall short of her ideals.

As he reentered the camp, no one seemed to be too concerned, pouring over the hot meals instead. Yamu sat between Jeice and Paragus Jeice offered him a plate, which he waved away. ?Not right now, can I borrow your shard though??

The white haired warrior talked around a mouthful as he handed the shiv to him, ?Sure, why do you need it?? The Arlian Guardian cut a length off his cloak to make a bandage for the shallow wound on his left hand, letting his actions speak for him.

Paragus leaned over, ?I didn?t know what you needed to do was to mutilate yourself??

?Don?t worry about me, Old Man,? Yamu said with a smile as he tied the bandage off with his teeth. ?Worry about your own ass tomorrow.? The older Saiya-Jin grumbled about fools rushing in as he plunged another mouthful down. ?I?ll take that can now, Jeice??

[Mowgli]

The booming voice of an amplified Karl Jak echoed within the ears of the tiny saiyan, awaking him from the deep slumber that he had been in. Pushing off the ground with his hands and knees, the hybrid rose to his feet. Rejuvenated by his lengthy nap; hungry for action?and food. Ready once again, for the dangers that fate had set for him to face.

The surrounding scenery had changed since his eyes were last open. The sky was now filled with the darkness that is the night. Twinkling stars smiled upon the ground, lending their light for visual aid; as did the silver moon that hovered idly above.

Continuing his observation of the lad around him, Junior?s eyes scanned the entire perimeter. Attempting to acknowledge any and all changes that occurred during his time of rest. However, despite his hopes, nothing more had changed. The grass was still green, the squirrel was still grooming itself and the trees were still in tact.

?Wait a sec?? Murmured the saiya-jin, averting his attention to the fluffy tailed rodent; this time coming to a realization. What he had failed to notice due to the effects of extreme fatigue earlier, he had noticed now. Directly beside the squirrel was a miniature catapult, and within its holster stood a basketball; Olibu?s basketball. Still somewhat sluggish and groggy, Junior could only watch as the leathery sphere was fired and met his face, with such force that he had been forced to fall on his ass.

Now looking to the sky with a cock-eyed expression?as if his questions could be answered by it?the boy thought to himself. Did a squirrel?just hit me with a basketball?

In less than a second he had been answered by the cackling of the rodent. Pushing off the ground with yet another arm thrust. Junior rose to his feet in one swift nip-up motion. ?I?m gunna eat you.? He then sung aloud, as if following the tune of his very own melody.

[Yamu]

?This is it folks! I know some of you have been disappointed in Day Two, but before every storm there must be calm and that storm that has been building is upon us NOW!? Viewers were forced back to their screens as the Dante Stat Sheet began, a daily morning show to build up each day, their curiosity perked. Viewership had been waning but word quickly spread that something major was up and spectators flocked back to their screens. ?We have two COLLOSAL groups about to merge in what promises to make anything in last year?s Abyss seem like hopscotch!? The anchor was human, with traditional slicked back hair and a permanent grin of the news profession. ?For those following the action on the TrackMax Map, sponsored by Northern Fuels, nearly a quarter of this years competitors are about to meet in what promises to shake the island till the Finals! Do not miss a minute of Day Three, or you?ll miss what the whole QUADRANT will be talking about!?

Sovereign Sapan muted the view screen. Even the new Unopposed Ruler of Arlia had a stake in the proceedings of Dante?s Abyss. The man he had fought as Conquest, followed as Yamu, and elevated as Guardian was in one of those two groups about to meet. His planet had always been considered somewhat of a backwater planet, no insectoid had ever even competed in the grandest championship the galaxy had to offer. Arlia was a forgotten corner of the universe. But, this human fought to change that. While Yamu was not an Arlian by blood or looks, he was an Arlian by choice and that meant something to planetary ruler. He did not know exactly how or why, but Yamu winning could only bring good to him and his people. Maybe tourism, maybe just prestige, Sapan did not know what, he just knew that it was good.

The map still blipped, as always, in the corner despite the sound being off, the main picture currently followed a large hellish creature that looked to be composed completely of pink bubble gum. Yamu?s group was five with two blips behind, two blips that were slowly getting further and further distant from the main group.




Kari Nor was watching even more intently then the Arlian noble who was light years away but despite distance she saw the same movement in the blips. She could see what her protector could not, that he was running directly into a wall of eight lights while two of his own slowly faded from behind him. ?No?? her voice was barely above a whisper but grew louder as she continued. ?No..no?NO!...? tears rolled down her face like a rainstorm soaking her shirt collar in seconds.

The hologram Moira rushed over and cradled the girl in her arms, ?Kari, Kari, Kari, what?s wrong precious?? She had been fixing breakfast, only half listing to the morning news program.

The girl had to wipe a string of snot from her nose before her voice was clear enough to be heard. ?Yamu-he?s going to die-he can?t die-mommy and daddy died-now Yamu-why does everyone leave me? Everyone who cares for me goes away!? Her sentences ran together between heaving breaths.

The ship?s captain clutched her closer, not knowing what to say. Telling the girl it was only a fake death just did not seem to cut it.




Jeremy always caught the Stat Sheet before going off to class. He finished his eggs and milk as fast as he could so he would have time to watch. He saw the same thing millions upon millions of people saw coming, and he threw up. He couldn?t bear to see it happen, his hero was marching directly into a trap. He just kneeled there staring at the screen, a piece of his regurgitated breakfast still clinging to his lower lip but he was unable to move.

I didn?t win on the Hill, Yamu?I?m sorry?I lost it for both of us.




The Dante Stat Sheet began to profile the expected participants in the upcoming spectacle and by chance started with Yamu. ?Yamu had become somewhat of a Dark Horse, an unexpected catalyst considering his quick demise last year. But, his drive and determination, as well as good nature have shot him to near the top in several popularity polls. The friendships he has made on the island seem genuine, and his cause as the new Guardian of Arlia has endeared him to the masses. Yet, it seems to be this open heartedness that has placed him in this current predicament. Can this fan favorite survive another day, or will it be another disappointing finish for the man known as Yamu??

A concerned Sapan, a sick Jeremy, and a sobbing Kari all placed heir hands on the screen at the exact same time, over the picture of the bald veiny human that hung over the announcer?s shoulder.

[I]Don?t give up, Yamu. Win for me?

and for Arlia.

so they know I?m right about you!

because I can?t lose you![/ I]



The veiny titan stopped, ?Did anybody just hear that?? Bujin laughed to himself in response while the others just gave him sideways glances. The veiny juggernaut flexed his left hand while he spun his Totem, ?Could of sword I heard my name??

Paragus leaned over, ?Just nerves, Yams. Don?t let it get to you.?

?You?re right, Old Man. Probably just a lack of sleep?? Yamu wondered if he would ever get a chance to tell his Saiya-Jin friend how old he really was.

Jeice and his pet paused a step to get beside him, ?We can sleep when we?re dead! S-man here still hasn?t seen any action!?

Yamu wanted to join in with his friends, but he still did not know if he was a Cause or Effect. It might have seemed like a small distinction to some, but for him it made all the difference. He ran his fingers gently over Kari as if he was massaging the weapon, his Atonement was official now, he would not fall short of the Finals, he would crawl on stumps to get their with Kari in his teeth.

He hoped that would pay the price.

[Bujin]

Bujin? Rae whispered as if she could possibly wake up the surrounding people. Bujin?you awake?

?Of course I?m awake,? Bujin yawned, rolling over in order to get into a comfortable position ? that is, as comfortable a position as possible on the cold, unforgiving wilderness. He had been at the game for two whole days, and he was none the wiser. After all he had been through; after all the bullshit he went through with Rae and Nancy, he had no particular goal in mind. That was the luxury of being in a game such as Dante?s Abyss, though -- never having any goal in mind except the one that had been given to you: find each other and kill each other.

Dude, Nancy?s voice was present too, which filled the blue midget with a sense of sarcastic joy, You don?t look too good.

Bujin clicked his tongue harder than he normally did. How the hell would he know? That was his main problem with the voices. They claimed they knew things about Bujin that they couldn?t even know about themselves. The prospect of discoursed voices was hard enough to understand ? that little problem only added to the amassed confusion. It was moments such as this one when Bujin just wanted to scream. The only thing that was stopping him was the fact that his temporary companions needed as much sleep as they could possibly get; like sailors before an oncoming storm strikes.

?Your concern is touching,? Bujin sighed after a moment of silence. ?Now leave me alone.?

Unbeknownst to Bujin until he glanced in his direction, Yamu was still awake and prodding at the fire they made, apparently trying to keep it ablaze. It was readily apparent that he was listening to what the small man was saying, but he smartly didn?t say anything ? something that Bujin appreciated. It was hard enough to deal with himself knowing about his problem. Rolling back over so that he was facing away from the rest of the group, he awaited for what would surely be a comment from either of the voices.

Bujin, we know what you?ve been going through? Rae began softly, as if to console the blue midget.

Of course they did ? they were there the entire time. Bujin kept his mouth tightly sealed.

Really, we do, the female voice continued. Even outside of what?s happening in the game.

Rae had a way of tugging at Bujin?s short attention span. Regardless, he remained silent.

The chicken suit. Remember that? I was there with you in that bar, Rae giggled lightly after she finished. Bujin, you?re in a weakened state of mind. You know that, so why don?t you get some sleep?

Bujin?s chuckle steadily grew into loud laughter.

?Are you a result of my ?weakened state of mind??? Bujin asked bitterly. ?Don?t pretend to know me. A voice telling me I?m crazy is like a lion telling me to get a haircut.?

Dude?you don?t have any hair. Nancy commented dully. Bujin gritted his teeth.

?I KNOW!? he shouted angrily, immediately wishing he hadn?t as the warriors around him snapped awake and started to reach for their guns. Bujin rolled over to meet their eyes with his own. Chuckling nervously, he began to scratch the back of his head and smiled brightly.

?Sorry. False alarm,? Bujin laughed, glancing around wildly. His companions just shook their heads and went back to sleep. Rolling over, Bujin sighed angrily.

?If either of you say one more word, I?ll kill you,? he whispered through clenched teeth. ?Hell, I?ll kill myself.?

The only remaining sounds were that of nature surrounding them.

[Kami]

He didn't know what was going on. All of a sudden there were far, far too many people in the immediate area. He never thought being in a huge group was a good idea and this was exactly why. He took a look over to his new found partner, the now slightly inhebreated Jack Sparrow. The pirate knew this wasn't good either. Kami wasn't sure how the pirate code of ethics was going to stand up to a big fight, but this was never a good time to start worrying about who had your back.

The scouter he wore was going nuts, the breathing around him steadied. This would be intense, and he knew it. His only hope was that they didn't end up fighting their way into a forbidden zone and having everyone blown to pieces.

At least, he thought they moved away.

[Android 17]

The epic confrontation that Yamu had woven frightening tales about was about to transpire. Both sides had convened in a single location, and in a matter of moments, the resulting battle would rock the island to its very foundations. Although he didn?t know how, Seventeen and his saiya-jin partner had someone gotten themselves away from the scene of the inevitable crossfire.

The machine-hybrid wore a faint smile on his face as his partner and he skittered across the moderately flat terrain. In the end, the android would probably feel bad about having made his exodus from the group prematurely, but for the moment, he couldn?t care a less about the dozen or so people who were about to tear one another apart. A few months ago, Seventeen would have been fighting alongside them, but enough had happened to him recently because of others.

That?s none of my business. The cybernetic warrior pondered as the saiya-jin and android twosome came to an emphatic halt near a group of massive trees. Without any witty exchanges, the duo simply dropped their belongings and sat down on the leaf-covered earth. With a sigh, Seventeen threw up his arms and gently lowered his torso backwards onto the ground.

?I?m going to be over there in the bushes,? Raditzu responded?his voice low and apathetic as he pulled himself off his haunches and began toward a large cluster of foliage. Seventeen simply nodded and turned his eyes to the lush canopy that was suspended over his head. Despite the thickness of the layer of leaves and branches, the first amber rays of dawn were beginning to penetrate through the dense veil of green.

As he became lost in the canopy, the cyborg?s thoughts once again began to shift inward as his mind wandered back to the scene of chaos and bloodshed. A frown spread across the android?s ivory countenance as he found himself conflicted over the seemingly spontaneous choice he had made. In leaving that group in its time of need, there was a dire chance that Seventeen had sent some of his acquaintances straight to the gallows.

Then again, there was always the chance that the entire existence of the group had been a trap. After all, the cybernetic warrior was traveling with Raditzu, who had emerged from last year?s bloodbath as the champion. It wasn?t much of a stretch to imagine that a group of people would converge with the sole intent of lynching last year?s victor. In that type of scenario, what would that make the android?

I hope this wasn?t a mistake. Seventeen pondered, glancing over at his partner. The long-haired warrior was on his knees rooting through the bushes. I should just kill him and wipe myself clean of this mess. The machine-hybrid thought, his eyes moving over to his survival bag. Although the bag was mostly zippered, the android could nevertheless spot his lasso hanging out of the duffel.

As he stared at the weapon, images of a potential scheme flashed through the machine-hybrid?s mind. In it, Seventeen crept forward and gently pulled the rope from the confines of his survival bag. Then, the android tightened the slipknot around the neck of that overpowered buffoon and throttled every drop of life from him whilst he had his back turned.

It was a marvelous scheme, but for the moment, Seventeen would have been folly to do anything to injury his acquaintanceship with Raditzu. Their ability to topple the majority of challenges far overweighed the danger associated with the saiya-jin?s notoriety. Regardless, the idea brought a malicious grin to the android?s overly pale visage, but after another moment or two of showering in the malignant glee, the cybernetic warrior turned his thoughts elsewhere.

Tough luck, dudes. Seventeen thought as he turned his eyes back in the direction of the confrontation. With a grunt, the android sat up and shifted his gaze back to his dirty hands. Although the positive buffs associated with the marijuana were almost up, the machine-hybrid still felt great. After all, he had just avoided a date with almost certain mutilation. On top of that, several of his foes were going to die soon?a fact that brought glee to the android.

?Sorry boys and girls,? Seventeen spoke aloud as he sat off his derriere and turned his attention toward the canopy once more. ?I?m no one?s hero.?

[Burter]

Face to Face

Reijin, Vegeta, Bra, Bardock, Kami, Jack Sparrow, Retane, Tapion

Celipa, Bujin, Jeice, Yamu, Paragus

Burter

There was forest on either side of the clearing. Thick trees surrounded the beautiful spring field, as if protecting it from the wild. It would be a beautiful battleground for the two groups moving in together. Bardock was leading the way, looking at his GPS tracker. "Everybody stay alert," he announced, "Big group coming up."

Reijin pulled out his projectile weapon. Kami spun his pistol in his hand. Vegeta kept his box folded up by his side. Bra's ki energy fluttered. Captain Jack Sparrow weilded his comb.

"Wait, a comb?" Kami suddenly blurted, looking over from by his friend's side. "Are you gonna fight with a comb?"

"Better then fighting with the rum," Jack reasoned.

"Oh, well...can't argue with that logic."

Behind them, the two newcomers were also preparing with their own weapons. Tapion had both of his grenades out and his shield over his back. Retane cocked his nail gun as he moved with his friend. They had made the right choice in their mind by teaming with these guys. They were itching to kill...and killing is what they'd get to do.

As they came out into the clearing, they saw another group stepping out. Yamu was in front of his friends, bulked up as usual with his trusty baseball bat named Kari. He immediately recognized some faces, namely Bardock and Bra staring at him. Behind him, the loyal Paragus and the determined Jeice stood on either side. Off to the side were the two buddies, Bujin with his machine gun and Celipa with her shotgun. Sitting on it's lazy butt was the Saibaman that Jeice had sprouted.

"Think you can keep up?" Cel smirked to the side at Bujin.

Bujin cocked his machine gun. "You'll be surprised."

On the other side, Jack Sparrow cut the tension by stepping forward in front of his group, hands raised with a comb in one. "Now, now, I think we can all settle this like men, eh?"

Celipa pumped her shotgun.

Jack blinked. "Oh, bugger."

The flash of ki started the battle, erupting from the shotgun and blasting a hole in Captain Sparrow's chest. His blood splashed backwards, covering his allies. Then he fell backwards.

"Everyone scatter!" Reijin suddenly shouted. Bujin and Paragus raised their machine guns again, ready to fire. As they did, the remaining seven fighters on the east side of the clearing spread out.

Rei went right and Vegeta went left, then lept towards the opposing side. As they moved, beautiful gold hair lit up above them, eyes flashing teal as their bodies bulked, super saiyans ready for battle. Yamu grinned as they moved too fast to be hit by the moving ki bullets. "Come and get me!" He shouted, "Come and get ME!"

Yamu took on both Reijin and Vegeta's super saiyan forms in full Kaioken power, bashing them with the baseball bat as they used teamwork to keep him busy.

Meanwhile, Bra's eyes lit up teal just like her male comrades. Celipa stood in front of her, ready to duel with her kaioken in full force. Even without being a super saiyan, Cel could match up to Bra's power...though only barely. Thus, she had no problem using her shotgun.

Close by, Bujin's machine gun was having little luck controlling Kami's movements, as the namekian was simply way too fast. "Over here!" The namek grinned as he flipped over the blue opponent. "Not bad," he complimented when Bujin threw his weight around to crack him in the head. "But not good enough, either," he said just before kicking the blue goblin back into Bardock, who ricocheted him into a tree.

Bujin flew back a 2 on 2 fight between Retane and Tapion against Paragus and Jeice. Para's machine gun managed to knick and slow down Retane as they rummaged around some trees. Tapion was finding his shield extremely useful against Jeice's glass peices. The Saibaman was little help, as Tap quickly dispatched it.

Tapion threw a fist forward, missing Jeice. That was when Jeice smashed a peice of blade into the Konat's gut, cutting inside and upwards to his black heart. Shocked by the sudden intrusion, Tap gasped...then fell.

Retane looked over as he and Para stopped dodging each other's guns. "Tap..." He said in shock as his friend fell. "You...killed...TAPION!" With a loud blast of light that caused the trees to crush backwards, Retane's untapped powers came alive. "You took my friend!" Angry and bewildered, Retane could only think of one thing. Revenge. "I'll take YOUR'S!"

As Retane looked over to the old man, Jeice's eyes bulged. "Para! Watch out!"

It was too late, though. Retane lept up, firing his nail gun as he side flipped in the air, cutting into the elder saiyan's forehead. The namekian landed perfectly, gun up and pointed at Jeice. Then he fired.

The red alien had no time to respond. "Fuck!" Was all he got out just as the nail stabbed into his torso, forcing him backwards. He fell onto his ass over Tapion, blacking out.

When Retane turned around, his head opened up from a collision with Yamu's baseball bat. "That's for them," the overgrown human panted. It didn't last long, as the super saiyan duo came in behind him immediately and tackled him.

Back in the field, Bra hurled Celipa into a tree, which she propped onto with her feet. "Nice try!" The black-haired vixen laughed. She then leaped at the super saiyan.

Bra jumped up and avoided being kicked, landing behind Cel. Celipa spun, shotgun up and raised in front of Bra's face. "I win," she taunted at the super saiyan. "Bye."

"Bye," a hiss came from behind her. Bra's eyes lit up as Celipa tried to figure out who had spoke. Finally, the Kaioken'd superpower turned to see a tall reptile standing in front of her, gripping his longstaff. "Should have fired the gun."

And Burter was right. Bra used the oppurtunity to tear her fist through the back of Celipa and out the other side. She then pulled it back, grimacing at the blood on her arm. Cel fell sideways, shocked.

"Happy birthday," Burter said in the middle of the ki machine gun blasts from Bujin and the random jumping from Kami.

Bra could hardly speak. She wanted to say something witty, but she was just so shocked at who was standing in front of her that she couldn't come up with anything. "It...it was yesterday."

"Late birthday," He corrected.

"Hey!" Bujin shouted from above them as he came down from jumping onto a tree. "This fight isn't over yet!" And with an angry roar from seeing Celipa down, he aimed his machine gun.

Right on time, Bardock smashed Bujin's head with his foot, knocking him into a tree and out cold.

Bardock and Kami both landed on the ground, walking over to Burter. With Yamu battlings the super saiyans, the remaining four on the field was Burter, Bra, Bardock and Kami. "Where..." Bra stuttered, "Where have you...?"

"We'll talk later," Burter promised. "But right now, I have a tournament to win."

Before she could protest, the staff swung around, catching her arm and cracking it the wrong way. With her elbow distorted and her shriek high, he smashed the stick into her jaw and knocked her out. He then looked up at the remaining two, who hadn't reacted at all.

"Think you can take us both on?" Bardock asked, moving in front of Kami.

That was when Kami's fist thudded into Bardock's head. The saiyan suddenly fell forward, unconscience. "Sorry," Kami apologized, "Everyone else was doing it. I felt left out."

"Good to see you again, Kami," Burter grinned broadly. Then his staff swung forward. Even the lightning quick namekian didn't get a chance to dodge before his jaw cracked, and he spun from the strike. "But I need you down there too." And then his staff smacked Kami across the back, shattering the spinal cord of the namekian and causing him to fall forward. "He didn't even try to stop me," Burter mused.

Meanwhile, the poor trees in the forest continued getting abuse. Vegeta and Reijin both landed simultaneously on the ground after kicking Yamu backwards. "Damn," Vegeta panted, "I didn't think a human would be this tough."

"He's good," Rei noted, "I fought him before."

Yamu was still angry over the loss of his friends, but he kept his mind on the task at hand. Nothing could distract him from the fight.

Reijin lept forward and ducked a swing from the baseball bat, then leaping up and kicking the human in the chin. Yamu spun and caught Rei this time with the bat, knocking him sideways. Vegeta lept forward, knocking Yamu with five punches in the chest. Yamu spun around Veg, blocking the elbow, then knocked him with the across the head. Vegeta spun into a tree as Yamu shouted "Ki Shotgun!"

A flash of ki erupted and Vegeta found himself with a hole in his belly. Shocked and in awe, he fell onto his knees, then down.

Reijin moved forward, swinging a punch at Yamu but having it blocked. He then sprayed his acid squirt gun right into Yamu's face, burning into his face. "Ha!" The saiyan taunted.

"Aaaagh!" Yamu growled, smashing forward with his head so Reijin reeled back, face broken up. He then landed on his back with a thud.

The pain in Yam's face was excruciating it. He stumbled back as he saw the clearing to the left of him glow red. Was someone going Kaioken? No, this was much bigger then his own Kaioken aura. He only knew one person who could go beyond normal Kaioken. Just one. Before he could find out who it was, he passed out.

Everyone was knocked out but one person. One reptilian. He could have killed them all and took the spoils. But he had been infected with a belief that his long-haired rival had always emitted. There's no point in taking the easy way if it wasn't any fun.

"This should make things interesting," he decided in the middle of the field. Burter's power exploded with a roar, his body bulking. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" With Super Kaioken shooting out from his body, the bodies of the warriors, dead and alive, blasted out and away, scattered around the area. After a few moments of this, he powered down.

The battle was averted. Not everybody got to kill each other.

Which meant more fun for everybody else.

#31 Jack Sparrow DEAD
#28 Paragus DEAD
#04 Celipa DEAD

26 Remain

Kami gets the comb and Jack's rum
Yamu gets the large medikit, which has one heal left.
Jeice gets the ki machine gun from Paragus. His saibaman is dead
Bra gets Cel's shotgun

Minor- Yamu (acid squirted on face), Bardock (head bashed open), Reijin (head bashed open), Bujin (head bashed open)

Major- Bra (broken arm), Kami (spine shattered, will be limping the rest of the game), Retane (skull shattered, loss of one ear/eye)

Insane- Tapion (cut in torso from gut to chest), Jeice (stabbed with nail), Vegeta (torso blasted open. 24 hours to live w/o being healed)

Everyone has been blown away from the battlefield. All alliances are void. If you want to meet up again, you need to re-confirm your alliances on another square.

Everyone who used a power-up is tired for 24 hours, except Burter who is tired for 48.

Retane has earned Super Namekian

[Orion]

The sun rose above the horizon for the third time since the changelings arrived on the island. Its strong presence seemed to scare the clouds into departing, forming a clear section of sky around the mountains that was surrounded by them. Again, it was a tranquil morning, absent from the assumed violence and war that was erupting all around them, but out of their perception. Koola wished they were more involved, but gazing at his father's wound and the sudden twinge of pain from his bullet ridden side gave his bloodlust pause.

Feeling a quake from his stomach, the prince reached into his drawstring bag and brought his bread and water into the light. Taking a sizeable bite into his bread, he mulled over if Cold would ever regain the use of his arm while they were there. It was still attached, but barely. If the weakened emperor were to get too close to the heat of battle, the arm would probably give way. Not wanting to see his father lose an advantage, Koola hoped that they would soon find some sort of medical kit to reverse the condition.

"So how's it hanging?" Koola asked nonchalantly.

Cold seemed a little unimpressed from his son's choice of phrasing. "...Yeah, it's still there. Don't touch it."

"Wasn't planning to." The prince returned his bread to the bag and removed the lid on his water, taking a swig. "There's only twenty nine left here now, y'know. We're in with an inside shot."

"Well, we've got a better chance than those already dead," Cold stated obviously. "And as much fun as winning would be, I'd rather fix my arm and start busting heads."

"I'd suggest a spar to liven ourselves up a bit, but I'm afraid you'd lose that paperweight."

"What? You don't think this can be fixed?" Cold motioned to his damaged arm with his other.

"I'm not saying that," his son replied defensively. "But you need to be aware that we can be jumped at any time, and if we are... well, your deadened limb will be more of a hindrance than anything."

The horned patriarch hadn't thought about that, as the expression on his face showed. "Perhaps," he half heartedly agreed, hoping that a situation like that would not arise.

"At any rate, we just need to keep moving and hope we can find some supplies." Koola gave Cold's wound another look. The blood had clotted somewhat; it still seeped a little, but it didn't flow nearly as freely as it had a day ago. Dizziness and fainting would be symptoms that his father should be clear from now.

The father and son Icers made it over a small hill, which overlooked a valley. It gave them a good view of their landscape. Again, no one was visible or audible. For now, that was a very good thing.

"Keep your eyes peeled," King Cold said seriously.

[Jeice]

Alone, injured and terrified for his life, Jeice found himself leaning up against a large based tree, with his right index finger hugging the hairpin trigger of his fallen comrade?s weapon. He wasn?t prepared for what he witnessed, death and savage beatings. It became clear he would have to up the anti if he wanted to last another day on the island. He eyes slowly wandered down the bloody hole in his torso. He quickly closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the tree, trying to ignore the fact that he had been bleeding profusely, but at that very moment there would be nothing for him to do.

He at least walked away with knowledge, the knowledge of his remaining competition to win the game. It became evident to the red warrior that if he was to go blow for blow with any of those who looked to oppose him, he would die. He would have to use cunning tactics to bring the other contestants to their demise. The severe injury he suffered from would hold him back. With his free hand, he ripped a long piece of fabric from his shirt, and quickly wrapped it around his stomach to stop the bleeding.

?Think, think, think?? He scolded himself to come up with a game plan.

The only thing that seemed logical would be to tactically maneuver through the island and try to find Yamu, and figure it out from there pending on his injuries. A medikit would have really come in handy; unfortunately he had no idea who even had one. Only one thing was for certain at this point, the next person he came across would be pumped with so many bullets they wouldn?t know what hit them. That would have to be the state of mind he carried with him.

?Alright?? He let out with a grunt of pain as he pushed himself away from the tree. ?Rest time is over.?

He wasn?t ready to go back out there, anyone could be out there, but he would rather die fighting for his life then have someone come up to him while he wasn?t prepared. It was as if he had a false sense of pride he had to live up to, which could easily lead to his demise. His knees wobbled as they desperately tried to hold his weight up. He was unsure if anyone had been in his general area; he quickly peeked his head out from the side of the tree and looked around. He didn?t see anything, but that didn?t mean that someone wasn?t there.

The white haired warrior jumped out from behind the tree and pointed the machine gun in the direction he was facing. He swept the barrel from side to side; ready to pull that trigger and unload into the next motherfucker he came in contact with. A sigh of relief escaped his dry lips. There wasn?t a person in sight.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Raditzu

Android 17, Super Buu

The long-haired saiyan kept unusually quiet as he led his cyborg partner down one of the roads. They hadn't been used in ages, so the road was quiet errie. The problem was that is was out in the open, so anybody could see the two walking.

Anybody, like Super Buu. The pink puttalin monster had no problem heading over to the duo, sneaking around in some bushes as he moved close.

The two warriors had no real bond, aside from a mutual respect. They both liked the game and knew how to play it, and that was the only thing that kept them together. The only thing. Trust didn't equate. They were simply using each other for the sake of making the game more enjoyable.

"Hey there, Seventeen," came a familar voice. Rad stopped, as did his comrade behind him. "Long time no see."

The two looked over the pink warriors, who's arm had been shot up by the gun he now held at them. "Buu?" Seventeen asked, shocked. "What the...?"

"I remember you," Rad chimed in. "Can we not wave shotguns in my face, please?"

"So, I'm thinkin we should team up," Buu said cheerfully, grinning at his old friend on the other side of Rad. "As in, you and me. Not him."

"Hey, I'm right here!" Rad protested.

Seventeen folded his arms over his chest. "Why should I?"

"Why not?" Buu argued.

"Because Rad's right here, and Rad says no shooting Rad!" Raditzu finally batted the shotgun to the side to keep it away from his face, mainly because he didn't like the barrell being right in his eyesight.

Immediately, Buu reacted by spinning around and using the shotgun as a baseball bat, knocking Rad in the head. The saiyan moved to the side after being hit, sliding to the other side of the road. "Well, I'm gonna deal with him," Buu told Seventeen. "Stay out of my way if you won't help."

"You know," Rad said with a friendly tone. "I don't think I like you very much."

"I'm so hurt." Buu gasped in a mocking tone. He then tensed his fists, shotgun pointed to the side. A pink blast of power erupted from his body as his head-tail grew in size. The spiritual powers inside him came to a full front as he unleashed Spiritken upon his body with a nice, hefty shout.

Raditzu powered up a little quicker. He took a deep breath and then as he exhaled, his super saiyan powers lit up as if he just pressed a button. His hair turned gold, his aura went from white to yellow and his eyes shifted into an icy blue. "I promise I'll try to go easy on you, but the yo-yo has a mind of it's own."

"Yo-yo?"

It was at that time that Raditzu saw it nessecary to fling the yo-yo on his index finger out, smacking Buu right in the eye. "Yo-yo!" And with the pink creature distracted, he lept forward, punching Buu in the cheek and then uppercutting his belly. With him stunned, Rad spun and kicked the man sideways and down.

He would have continued the unslaught, had Android Seventeen not crushed his back with his robotic knee. He would have moved forward, had the rope not caught his neck and begun to strangle him. Super Buu stood to see his friend holding Super Saiyan Raditzu against him, struggling to choke him.

Rad found it nearly impossible to move in Seventeen's grip. The android was clearly much stronger then he was in his first tier form. Realizing this, Rad began to summon more power before finally exploding in another flash of golden light.

Seventeen jumped back, landing on his feet. Rad's hair had a crisper look to it, spiking out more then usual. He turned sideways so he could see both Buu on one side and Seventeen on the other (and also give an awesome view of his hair flapping in the wind from his aura). Seventeen only had a minor aura from his RAGE upgrade, so Raditzu's sparking light around him seemed a bit out of place compared to the equal-in-power android.

"Okay, I've decided," he told them. "I really, really don't like you guys."

Seventeen spoke up. "This isn't a team game," he declared. "We both agreed to stick together as long nessecary. It's not nessecary anymore."

"Oh, I completely see your logic." Rad glanced at the raven-haired android. "I'm still annoyed, and I still don't like you."

Rad suddenly heard the sound of a shotgun pumping. Immediatly turning to the side, he saw Super Buu aiming to get the fight started. "Boo," Buu said. With the exploding sound of a gun firing, he backflipped to avoid the shot, using his hands as a way to launch himself forward off the ground.

"Masenko!" He declared, easily overpowering Buu and firing the ki at him. Supes barely dove sideways before his already destructed shoulder was ripped apart by the blast. He fell backwards, sliding on the ground.

Behind Rad, Seventeen had dove forward. The saiyan spun, anticipating it and caught the punches. Now supercharged, he held the advantange and made sure to use it. With his immense speed, he shot his fist through Seventeen's gut, and out the other side.

"Gotcha," He told him.

Seventeen's eyes were bulged. As the hand went out, he stumbled sideways. "Ouch." He noted before falling to his knees.

Raditzu's inevitable victory was cut short when the sound of a shotgun blasted into his back and of his belly. With guts practically spilling out from his body, he clicked off of SSJ2 and fell forward, stumbling onto his knees. The collar began to tire him out immediately. "Shit," he coughed, holding in his intestines as he crawled towards the end of the road.

Thanks to his lack of 'guts', Seventeen had an easy time keeping his wirings inside. Those that had been cut caused him to hurt bad, so he didn't get to chase Rad. He stumbled up thanks to Buu's help.

An so a friendship was lost, and another one was reformed.

Oh how frail the relationships become when they are thrown into the Abyss.

26 Remain

Rad's been shot in the gut. He had organs spilling out. Major injury

Super's major injury is now insane, because his arm is gone.

17's been punched in and through the gut, and has a similar hole to Rad's. Major injury

[Reijin]

The rock that Reijin had landed on seemed to have suffered more from the fight than the Saiyan actually had. With a groan, Reijin pushed himself to his feet amidst the broken shards of granite he'd been buried under, and then gave a look around. "Fuck..." he mumbled, his head blasting him with a searing pain. His gloved fingers reached up to touch his forehead and he felt pain as his answer, a trickle of blood breaking forth from slowly mending wounds to cascade down his face.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his bloodstained bandana, the torn fragment from Videl's pants during the last time he'd been wounded in her presence, and wrapped it once more around his forehead to form a bandage, hoping to prevent any severe bleeding. He really couldn't properly survey how much damage he'd taken, so his only choice was to just go with it until he could find out. It was hard to judge a wound when he couldn't really see it, he mused, at least given the removal of his Healing Technique.

He ran his arm across his forehead once more, wiping the slowing stream of blood away and glanced down at it, seeing that the bandana was indeed slowing the bloodfall. His entire body was fairly sore from the onslaught, but nothing too serious that would prevent him from continuing on. He'd seen a few others encounter far worse fates. His mind wandered to the moment they'd entered the fight, seeing the ever jolly pirate as his eyes opened wide the moment his intestines propelled themselves out through a hole in his back in an attempt to escape the battle that was to come. It was very similar to how a flock of birds and animals could be seen rushing towards you just a few moments before you would see the lion leap for your throat.

Reijin really had no idea where to go from this point and every bit of direction or heading he'd had before the battle had taken him for a turn. He'd intended on heading further south, but he hadn't noticed Vejita making the same mistake he'd noticed when they'd first pulled out their maps a few days before. Vejita had been holding the map upside down at the time, and it became obvious to him that Vejita had not yet rectified reading the map that way. So instead, they had traveled north, right into the heart of enemy territory.

So where was he to head now?

The fighter finished struggling to his feet, holding onto the remains of a tree trunk that had been devestated by his landing, and looked in every direction. By sheer randomness, Reijin's foot nearly caught on the shoulderstrap of the bag he'd been wearing, and he kneeled down, using the tree trunk for balance as he lifted the bag and threw it onto his back. Everything was there, his map, his flashlight, even his weapon was still attached to his sides. He didn't really remember resocketing it after use, but then in battle he did everything by sheer instinct.

To the gaping mouth of Hell then.

He took his first step, biting back the pain. It grew easier from there. One step at a time.

[Kami]

The pain rioted through his back. He didn't know where he was or what exactly had just happened, but he did know that he bumped into an old friend. The Namekian was rolling around in the dirt, spasms rippling through his broken back. Nearby was a familiar looking bottle.

"Jack!" Kami spoke the name of his former partner, but was quickly silenced by another wave of pain, his words turned to grunts. He wasn't even sure if he would be walking anytime soon, he was really just laying on his back in the dirt someplace, a few bottles of rum and a worthless comb at arms reach. He tucked the comb into his back pocket. It could be useful somehow.

The rum burned his throat on the way down. Slowly a warm feeling began to grow within his chest. The pain in his back began to fade, but it was only temporary. The rum might numb the pain, but he'd need to find a way to keep moving. He dragged himself off into the shelter of some trees and brush, his face almost permanently etched in agony.

I'm really starting to hate these damned tournaments...

He slowly made his way out of sight and lay flat on his back. Burter hit him hard, his jaw was still reeling from the hit he took. I wonder what the hell he's doing here... Another wave of pain shot through his back and into the rest of his body. His legs twitched this time. Either that was a useless spasm or my legs are still good...

Ever so slightly the old Namekian moved his feet around. Then he pulled each leg up to his chest.. They still worked, but now the test would be to see how he could stand. He used a nearby tree and made his way up to his knees. He kept one hand on his back as the pain roared it's ugly head again. He was limping badly as he stood up, bracing himself against the tree. He couldn't stand up straight either. The back injury was totally debilitating. He wasn't sure how he would continue on with the tournament. With a deep sigh he picked up his effects and limping the whole way wandered deep into the woods...

[Bra]

Thud.

Bouncing off a stone was, in Bra?s opinion, one of the worst possible ways to land. She didn?t have too much time to think about it, though, given that she passed out and collapsed upon the dirt.

?Are you up yet?!? demanded a voice. ?Of all the nerve! Just sleep on the floor, right?? an amused chuckle followed the accusation.

Searing agony greeted the girl as she awoke. Her head pounded, and her right arm was on fire. Forcing her eyes open, she glanced at her arm. It was bent the wrong way, and turning purple at the joint. Completely fucking broken.

?Unh-!! Dammit, Burter!!? she shrieked. ?What the fuck would you do that for?!?

?He saved your life, you tool,? came a remarkably familiar voice. ?Breaking your arm was insurance. I?d have done the same thing. Actually, I?d have probably killed you after you got rid of that useless saiyan. You?re lucky she didn?t know how to fight.?

?Shut the hell up!? Bra retorted, pulling herself up to her feet. Her arm dangled helplessly at her side, and she grasped her bicep with her one useful hand. ?He was supposed to be my friend. Fucking surprised me with that ?happy birthday? crap and then breaks my arm!? Fucking prick!!?

?Would you shut up?? retorted Exosus. The robed, carbon-copy of Bra frowned for a moment. ?So, you?re on your own, knocked out in a field some place, and tired because of that collar draining you for having used your Super Saiyan form. Your arm is broken, thanks to your being incapable of defeating a run-of-the-mill-?

?Run-of-the-mill my ass! She was using Kaioken!!? protested the princess.

?And you're not a Super Saiyan? Please. There?s nothing special about being ?strong?, or a ?super saiyan?, or even 'kaioken'. It?s all meaningless. The fruits of labor for idiots. Those laboring in the right places could destroy such ?impossibly powerful? people on a whim.? Exosus snorted.

?So you keep telling me.? Bra growled.

?What?!?

?You heard me. So far you?ve been spouting a hell of a lot of hot air, but you?ve never delivered. I?m still the same damn person I?ve always been, even after that stupid deal I struck with you,? the heiress stated. The cowled doppelganger waved her hand through the air, launching the princess through the air. Before she could stop herself, Bra crashed straight through an enormous pillar which crumbled into dust as the girl crashed onto the floor.

?How?s that for ?hot air?, huh? You couldn?t touch me, Bra! You know you need me to take you through this competition!? Exosus thundered. Her eyes seemed to literally catch fire, and jet-black flames shot forth out of her eye sockets. ?All of the years you?ve trained, all of the fights you?ve fought, all of the challenges you?ve faced, none of it can compare to me!!?

?So what the fuck do you want from me this time, huh?!? the cyan haired girl roared, leaping onto her feet. ?If you?re so fucking strong, why the hell haven?t you just killed me yet?! Huh?! What do you want?!? Bra?s hair shot into spikes, and in a flash, she ascended to her super saiyan state with an enormous pulse of energy.

Exosus was stunned. For a long moment, she simply stood there, staring at the tempest that was Bra. ?I...? she began, for once sounding somewhat less arrogant than usual. ?Need more power.? she finished.

?Fuck no,? came the reply. ?You?ve already been screwing with my head. I?m sick of it! I don?t even fight the way I used to.?

?You fight better now.? Exosus insisted.

?Yeah, great. So did I fight crappy before that?! Call me a moron, yeah, great idea. That?s totally gonna get me to listen to you!? Bra shot back.

?Fine... we can talk later. Wake up.? Exosus sighed, and everything faded away.

Bra?s pupils swiftly contracted into little pinpricks which stared up into the mighty sun above her. With a sharp grunt, she picked herself up off the dirt, and to her dismay, her arm was just as broken in real life as it had been in her absurd hallucination of a dream.

It hurt. A lot. It hurt so much, in fact, that the halfling desperately clenched her teeth together, unwilling to release a cry of pain and give away her location. It would grow numb in a few minutes, or, at least, less uncomfortable.

?Damn!? she finally allowed, speaking under her breath. Cursing her poor fortune, it was only then that she realized she had been separated from the others. Her scouter picked up a series of energy signatures, but seemed unwilling - or unable - to tell her wether they were friend or foe. She sighed.

?Huh?? came a quizzical, monosyllabic grunt. Looking down, the heiress caught sight of a rather impressive weapon merely laying at her feet. ?A... a shotgun!!?

The girl snatched up the weapon in earnest. A ki shotgun would keep her in the game; the great equalizer! And best of all, it wasn?t a pump-action, which meant she only needed one hand to fire it. She looked to the sky. Maybe Burter left it for her?

[Retane]

Retane looked around, his vision dazed. He tried to sit up, but found himself weak, and worn. His head throbbed in pain and he placed his good hand upon his head. It felt weird. The mercenary took a deep, long breath of air into his lungs as he played back the recent battle. Things were hard to picture. He had took two out, but his ally, his comrade, his freind, had died!

They killed him right in his face! Tapion was dead and it was his fault! The namekian wanted to growl, wanted to scream, but he couldn't he couldn't find the energy to. Tears sweld into his eyes. His hand moved from his head to his chest, his heart, it ached. The rogue couldn't explain it but he actually cared for his Konat comrade. But the red alien had got him! He had killed him!

As the water leaked from his face, a grim frown erected on the jade warriors face. Finally, he lifted himself and looked to the ground. Minoshia and Tapion were both dead. There was nothing he could do about it, except extract revenge. The bald human, that connected a bat with his head, he had the smell of death on him, and the smell of Mino! His comrades killed Tapion! The bald huamn would die!

Once again his hand raised his hand to his head, trying to calm himself down. He noticed then that it felt weird, it ached everywhere. He saw, or noticed rather that his left eye and ear no longer worked. A mirror would have revealed that his eye was turned backwards, and the stem of the back of the eye was in the place of where his cornea use to.

His anger only furthered him to move on. He pushed himself up with both hands, pushing past the pain in his wrist. His mind flashed back to the moment where he had given the Ki Sheild to Tapion.

-----

"Here", the namek offered, unclasping the sheild from his forearm. Tapion looked at Retane in surprise, his facial expression in full shock. Retane wasn't one for giving up his advantages. All he could do was accept it and give a nod of appreciation.

-----

He began to walk as other thoughts returned to his mind. Reijin, he was involved in MOA, where Retane had been cut to his death. The saiyan was neither an enemy, nor a foe, but that didn't stop Retane from wanting to kill him as well. He, nor Vegeta could stop Yamu from bashing his head in. They weren't good allies, neither was he though.

Bra, she resembled Bulma but from the conversations she heard, she was Vegeta's daughter. Retane had all the more reason to kill her now, as he hated them and he blamed them for Tapions death. It was all there fault! Even the old Namek! Kami! He deserved to die too!

But then, there was Bardock, the Hunter, just like him! HE respected the saiyan, but iuf he got in his way, then he'd die too!

"Tapion, they will all die. That's my mission! I will kill them all just for you! To avenge you death." The rogue wiped his eyes, and started off, his one good eye focusing straight ahead, his Nail gun at the ready.

[Bujin]

?Why is it that everywhere I go I get hit in the fucking head?? was Bujin?s immediate response after he woke up. It wasn?t until after the fog that hazed his eyes cleared that he realized that the fight was over. Looking around, he found that he was in a slightly different place than he was before. He was still surrounded by trees, but they were?different trees. The fact that he was hanging upside-down from one was also a dead give-away. Looking up (or down, respectively), he saw the ground below that was peppered by spots of a familiar red fluid. Feeling the aching pain in the back of his skull, he realized that he was in the middle of an extremely annoying case of d?j? vu.

Situating himself to where his blood wasn?t rushing to his head, he tried to sit down in order to catch a quick rest. For someone who hated movement so much, Bujin actually wished he could bring himself to move. The one person that he thought he could trust had died. However, he wished he could say that he was alone. The voices had managed to shut themselves up since he threatened them, but regardless of their volume, he knew they were still there?monitoring him. It was up to Bujin to start a conversation again, and despite being super-fucking-pissed that he had no privacy to himself anymore, he had to admit that he missed Rae a bit.

?You kids can play now,? Bujin sighed, rubbing the back of his head tenderly. ?The street?s clear.?

?are you sure? Rae asked hesitantly. Bujin sighed, but didn?t respond. What was he supposed to say? His side-comments to the invisible voices were compromising his credibility with the other contestants, which wasn?t really something he explained clearly ? or at all. When he thought about it, making violent promises to people, tangible or not, wasn?t the best way to prove his sanity. Regardless, he was in a position to apologize because, after all, he needed the company. Just as he opened his mouth to apologize, something happened to him that hadn?t happened in a while.

Wincing through a loud, high-pitched buzzing sound, Bujin opened his eyes to discover that the forest around him had been set ablaze. The heat was suddenly unreal, and the smoke that rose above his small figure almost made his surroundings unbearable. Through the heat waves, a large rotund figure formed. The heat almost made the midget close his eyes tightly, but the mystique of the new person was too much to ignore. As Bujin approached, the haze began to clear, revealing a bright white figure with a chef?s hat that seemed to be permanently, yet perfectly placed on his rather large head. On the hat the word ?Pillsbury? was plastered on the front.

Normally, the man would look kind of cute and cuddly, but Bujin had had a rough day. Anything from that point forward, Bujin decided after he awoke, would be shot at regardless of age, gender, or prior relationships. Keeping that token in mind, the blue midget raised his machine gun and fired a single shot into the white behemoth?s stomach. The puffy figure lowered his hands to his stomach where the bullet had entered and let out a small laugh. Then he fell over dead.

Bujin, are you okay? Rae asked, snapping Bujin back into reality. You seemed to be having some sort of hallucination. You should really avoid getting hit in the head.

?Ugh?? Bujin sounded as he struggled to his feet. ?I wonder how therapy on Earth works.?

((Summary: Bujin's mental problems appeared once again because of the blow to the head.))

[OldSpice]

Unaware and rather unconcerned with the whereabouts of his alleged enemies, Spice wandered within his own lonesome cocoon of apathy. A starlit veil graced the empty sky as the sun peeked over the horizon, slicing the darkness to shreds. The immortal battle continued, leaving the stench of rotting decay with every fallen warrior that came and went. He had yet to run into anyone since the encounter with ?the green one,? and was growing rather tired of the seemingly abandoned island already. However, Dante?s Abyss was a colossal event, praised by all and feared by many; the island was its stage, and the fighters were its entertainment.

---

?Color me intrigued,? Spice accepted the plea of the trader. Regardless of the fact that he knew nothing of what he was getting into, the Makyo needed something to occupy his mind; before it took him over completely. Spice withdrew his offensive stance and placed a bottle above his head, allowing the cold liquid to splash against his face. Boy did it feel good; he had been without water for at least an entire day, so it was most certainly a sweet moment of Utopia for the cyan warrior.

?Good to hear it. The beast comes out at midnight, just as the moon reaches its apex and shines with the burning glare of the sun. Just hope for your sake it?s not a full moon tonight. OH! You?ll need to take these with you if you ever hope to prevail against the devil of a creature,? the trader instructed, opening Spice?s hand and placing a bladeless hilt into his palm. A silhouette of devout power radiated from the object, but its true purpose remained hidden for now.

The Makyo shot a quick nod at the trader and his wife before placing the hilt into his nearly empty survival pack and making haste for the shady forest, where the man said the beast resides in the night. Of course, not before taking part in the all-you-can-eat buffet, compliments of the trader for assaulting Spice in the first place. The makyo bit into a nice slab of juicy meat before tearing the entire thing from the bone; with one audible gulp the meal was gone and Spice purged a belch of satisfaction.

?Now, to go hunt me some fresh meat,? the brute snickered after pounding a mug of ice cold Samuel Adams and gathering together his essential supplies. He was so stoked about finally getting some action, he failed to realize the mysterious hilt fall from his pack out onto the floor as he left the room. Spice then made his way to the forest, scampering through a field of tall grass like a muskrat.

?I can?t wait to tear this thing apart and let the sour ooze dance about my tongue,? said a menacing voice as the white-haired warrior paved his way through the thick brush. A sinister presence was evident in his tone, but the tides quickly turned.

?Must you exploit your unquenchable lack of intelligence every time you open that fecal bowl you call a mouth?? a clearly paradox and gentlemanly voice returned as Ginseng balled a white-knuckled fist. The makyo winced in pain as he cupped his left eye after having his right index finger forcefully thrust into it.

?If we make it out of this alive, I swear I?ll kill you??

[Tapion]

With the rising of the sun overhead, a light orange shade was in the midst of overtaking the sky. Although morning was on its way, the jungle was still dark, and the sound of crickets continued to provide the otherwise eerily silent terrain with its only background sound.

This sunrise was not like all the others Tapion had witnessed on Dante though, oh no this one was much different. Lying now for the first time stained with his own blood, and with his previous confident air now solidly replaced with fear and doubts, nothing was the same as before. Although he couldn?t actually feel his lower body, he knew by the growing pools of crimson liquid on the earth beneath him that he was probably not in the best shape he had ever been in.

Never before being a quitter, ironically part of the non-transformer now contemplated to just shut his eyes and die off slowly in his sleep, surely if he stayed put it wouldn?t take long for all the blood to drain out from his body. But no, that thought quickly passed and with it so too flow back some bits of determination. Tapion was a warrior, a fighter with pride which would never allow him to merely die off all alone in a damned place such as this. Especially not when he had revenge to dish out.

Allowing the darkness of his eyelids to overtake his vision, Tapion attempted to recall the events which had lead to him being in this particularly unfavorable situation. He remembered being with Retane, he remembered seeing a bunch of people swarming in from all directions, and then nothing. Fuck? the non-transformer growled lightly in agitation. He couldn?t remember?.

With a quick spasm of his arched back, Tapion placed the palm of his right hand against the graveled earth beneath him. Pressing down with all the strength he could muster, the elfish fighter pushed his body off the ground and onto his spaghetti legs. For a moment his vision blurred, the world around him spun dizzyingly. Up was down, down was left, and left was nowhere.

With the poise and grace comparable only to that of a drunken toddler, Tapion quickly reached out with his arms fully extended towards the closest tree trunk to catch his balance. Thankfully as he wrapped his limbs tightly around the thick cylinder of timber, his vision was already beginning to settle back into normalcy?unfortunately a little too late though as he was begining to feel the inners of his stomach churning and the vile at the back of his throat quickly gushing out towards his mouth.