[PS] Barracks

[Bra]

Waking up never usually sucked, but when the first thing one sees upon regaining consciousness is a tall, ugly man with an enormous facial scar and a rather strange look in his eyes, one begins to think that waking up could, indeed, suck.

?Who the fuck are you?!? Bra immediately growled, shooting to her feet and clasping her hand around the man?s throat. ?A-Are you... what the fuck have you been doing here?!?

?Waiting for you to wake up, of course.? replied the man, whose words were really only coherent in his mind, for the iron grip around his throat reduced his speech to little more than choking, wheezing sounds. Realizing this, the girl loosened her hold a great deal and asked him again.

?Waiting for you to wake up, of course.? the man answered once more. The princess offered him little more than a glare - one that told the man to keep talking, but not to try anything stupid.

?You see, I am one of the attendants. You?ve been selected for Dante?s Abyss. I?m to take you to the barracks... unless... er, unless you?d prefer to refuse the offer.? the game official explained, doing his best to keep from instinctually grabbing Bra?s arm, knowing she could crush his throat in a heartbeat - almost any of the fighters present could.

?Oh. Well... you shouldn?t have surprised me like that,? the halfling responded, letting go of the poor attendant?s throat. ?Yeah, let?s get to those barracks, then.?

The official quickly brushed off the confrontation with a dignified nod, before clearing his throat and brushing off his suit slightly. He pivoted on his heel and strode out of the arcade, with Bra closely in tow.

Heading to the elevator was a fairly boring affair, though there were a handful of intensely annoying men and women with cameras and microphones clamoring about the entrance to the lift. Growling softly, Bra did her best to merely ignore the idiots as they prattled on with their questions, each becoming more and more inane. All were dismissed.

?Do you think you stand a better chance of winning this time?? questioned one overly-inquisitive reporter. She leaned in toward the cyan haired empress, thrusting the microphone into her face as Bra recoiled in disgust.

?No, I don?t think I stand a better chance this time.? the demi saiyan angrily retorted. The reporter - whom Bra pushed past - seemed confused.

?So... you expect to lose?? the moronic journalist pressed. Finally, the heiress turned around and offered the inquisitive fool her full attention.

?Like I said: I don?t think I?m going to win, alright? I know I?m going to win.? Bra coldly stated. Her eyes burned with resolution, showing the reporters - and everyone who would see the footage from the cameras - that she obviously believed what she was saying.

?What about Raditzu??

?What about Raditzu?? the cyan haired girl growled, walking into the elevator with the scarred official. The doors closed, and by now, the entire crowd of reporters was buzzing with questions which were at once silenced by the sealing of the lift?s steel double doors. The reporters would flock to the next contestant, but that was hardly Bra?s problem.

?I... apologize for their behavior. There isn?t much I can do about the reporters; the owners like their presence because it creates a sense of sensationalism amongst the spectators, you understand. After all, this game has to turn a profit, and it?s hardly a cheap contest.? the official explained, only to receive a furious grunt as a response.

Finally, the doors opened, and Bra followed the scarred man to a bed within the large room, as several other contestants looked up to see the new arrival, and several more simply ignored her. The official stood to one side and gestured to the bed.

?This is yours. You?re welcome to speak with your opponents, but outright violence is strictly disallowed, unless you and the opponents agree to a friendly spar or some such. That?s about all there is to say; good luck.? the attendant stated, before returning to the elevator, leaving Bra alone.

The princess took a seat on her bed, and seemed to be staring into space for a moment. She hardly paid the other warriors any attention, despite the fact that most seemed very formidable. Still, the girl was most concerned about Exosus? hold on her mind.

Exosus was little more than a side-effect of her use of dark magic. Even so, this ?side-effect? had apparently been powerful enough to amass itself into a consciousness, which, although limited to Bra?s subconscious, was able to shape an environment around it and manage to sway the empress? will. Already she regretted offering Exosus the minute power she had given her, despite the fact that it hadn?t yet been abused.

She sighed, then, and shifted her weight, sliding onto the bed. Her head hit the pillow, and she slid her hands between the two. She threw one leg over the other, and finally, felt comfortable enough to close her eyes, though she wasn?t nearly tired enough to sleep.

?I wonder what everyone else is up to...? she wondered aloud, though she was totally oblivious to the fact she had actually said it out loud.

The gentle hum of several conversations being held at once created a sense of white noise all about her; a constant, unintelligible sound. It was far too gentle for what was going to happen, and it left Bra extraordinarily uncomfortable. People were going to die. Her life would be risked, but in the end, she would win.

OOC: Go ahead and bug me if you want.