06-05-2007, 04:53 PM
The sun rose over Dante for a fourth time and again the fighter known as Yamu was questioning himself. A light rain trickled over the pair as they stalked the woods, looking for competitors that needed to be eliminated. The rain started as just a mist, but soon the Arlian Guardian?s cloak was soaked through and began to cling to him from the light rain.
His fingers worked Kari like a worry stone, giving the handle a smooth finish under the polish of his sweat and friction. His prized weapon felt like it was vibrating within his hands, feeling the burden of Atonement and the need to achieve it. The ebony eyed Earthling was not worried about the game, just unsure of himself. He thought he could strike his former Pitch Black comrades down if it came to that?but he did not know. The moment of truth, that eventual collision of himself and someone he cared about, scared him. Could he pull the trigger? Strike the blow? Look into someone?s eyes he cared about and slay them in cold blood. He thought he could. He hoped he could. He did not know.
?Yamu?you?ve got that hollow look again.? The hairless human looked up startled. He had not noticed Jeice had stopped and had turned to face him. He had not even noticed he had stopped walking either. ?Thinking about the future again, huh??
Yamu nodded, when he opened his mouth to speak he was taken aback by a jolt of pain. Spots flew across his vision as he looked to where he had been standing, an after image of Jeice lingered the butt of his machine gun kicked up to where Yamu?s chin had been.
The red skinned fighter had already moved, swinging the gun like a club to smash him in the head. Yamu ducked and spun horizontal to the ground through the air under the blow. ?RED! What the FUCK has gotten into you??
?You have to get your head in this game?you?ve been floating in an out of it since Day Two. You will face one of your friends and YOU will kill them, because you are that damn good. Face it now or neither of us will make it to Day Five? He lifted the fearsome firearm and aimed directly atYamu?s head. ?I know you can do it, now you have to.? The hellish roar of the gun shook the island awake and Jeice?s whole body as a splatter of energy laced bullets cut through the air, the heat from the rounds hissing as it evaporated the rain drops they passed through.
Yamu poured all his speed into running backwards, a pale streak that put a wall of trees between him and the bullets. ?Why are you doing this, Jeice??
The gloved warrior slowly turned, scoping the endless mass of trees that Yamu could be hiding in. ?I would rather go it alone, then be depending on someone that might falter.? He grinned, ?This is, admittedly, a drastic approach, but we don?t have time to go about it gently. I need you to be ready to win at all costs. If you can kill me, then you can kill anyone in this game.?
The human?s voice seem to come from every direction around Jeice, ?So I have to kill YOU, to convince you I?m dependable in a fight??
?You had better find SOME way to stop these bullets, Yamu.? He fired a round into a bush that shook, but it only hit a rabbit exploding the furry beast.
?You?ve lost your mind!?
?You?ve lost your balls.?
Yamu flew out of the sky like an orangutan, screaming just as loud, from just to Jeice?s left, a massive arm clothes-lining the slender warrior and knocking him into a tree. The Ki Machine Gun flew from his hands as they both lay sprawled on the ground.
The two scrambled back to their feet, slipping on the wet leaves that covered the forest floor. Jeice could see he would not reach the gun in time, Yamu was already on his feet and running him down. Jeice slipped the shard of mirror from his glove and flung it at point blank range right at Yamu?s throat. The veiny juggernaut knocked it away with the butt of Kari, looping the nail studded bat over his head to bring it in for a to-the-bleachers swing. He halted the spikes that lined the head just millimeters from Jeice?s face. If he had not, Jeice?s head would have sailed to the shore line.
The two panted heavily, they had pushed everything they had into their speed, anyone watching would have just seen twin blurs that lasted only seconds. Jeice smiled, his hair stained red from earlier made his grinning face a haunting reminder of the toll Dante?s Abyss took on its participants, ?It is that easy, Yamu.?
It is that easy, Yamu.
Jeice kipped up to his feet and gathered up his weapons as Yamu stood there, Kari frozen in midair where Jeice?s head had been. ?It shouldn?t be that easy.?
Jeice paused from tucking his shiv back into his glove for a beat as he thought, ?It is just the way it is, Yamu. Stop looking on the negative?at least you have it in you to win.?
Yamu did not like that he had it in him. But he now knew it was and he knew he could do what he needed to make it to the finals. At that moment he did not like that either. He just hoped self loathing was an easier medicine to take then doubt. The Arlian Guardian bared his teeth in frustration then tossed his head back and roared. He eyes glimmered like lit coals as he turned to his partner, ?I need to go hurt something, Red?now??
His fingers worked Kari like a worry stone, giving the handle a smooth finish under the polish of his sweat and friction. His prized weapon felt like it was vibrating within his hands, feeling the burden of Atonement and the need to achieve it. The ebony eyed Earthling was not worried about the game, just unsure of himself. He thought he could strike his former Pitch Black comrades down if it came to that?but he did not know. The moment of truth, that eventual collision of himself and someone he cared about, scared him. Could he pull the trigger? Strike the blow? Look into someone?s eyes he cared about and slay them in cold blood. He thought he could. He hoped he could. He did not know.
?Yamu?you?ve got that hollow look again.? The hairless human looked up startled. He had not noticed Jeice had stopped and had turned to face him. He had not even noticed he had stopped walking either. ?Thinking about the future again, huh??
Yamu nodded, when he opened his mouth to speak he was taken aback by a jolt of pain. Spots flew across his vision as he looked to where he had been standing, an after image of Jeice lingered the butt of his machine gun kicked up to where Yamu?s chin had been.
The red skinned fighter had already moved, swinging the gun like a club to smash him in the head. Yamu ducked and spun horizontal to the ground through the air under the blow. ?RED! What the FUCK has gotten into you??
?You have to get your head in this game?you?ve been floating in an out of it since Day Two. You will face one of your friends and YOU will kill them, because you are that damn good. Face it now or neither of us will make it to Day Five? He lifted the fearsome firearm and aimed directly atYamu?s head. ?I know you can do it, now you have to.? The hellish roar of the gun shook the island awake and Jeice?s whole body as a splatter of energy laced bullets cut through the air, the heat from the rounds hissing as it evaporated the rain drops they passed through.
Yamu poured all his speed into running backwards, a pale streak that put a wall of trees between him and the bullets. ?Why are you doing this, Jeice??
The gloved warrior slowly turned, scoping the endless mass of trees that Yamu could be hiding in. ?I would rather go it alone, then be depending on someone that might falter.? He grinned, ?This is, admittedly, a drastic approach, but we don?t have time to go about it gently. I need you to be ready to win at all costs. If you can kill me, then you can kill anyone in this game.?
The human?s voice seem to come from every direction around Jeice, ?So I have to kill YOU, to convince you I?m dependable in a fight??
?You had better find SOME way to stop these bullets, Yamu.? He fired a round into a bush that shook, but it only hit a rabbit exploding the furry beast.
?You?ve lost your mind!?
?You?ve lost your balls.?
Yamu flew out of the sky like an orangutan, screaming just as loud, from just to Jeice?s left, a massive arm clothes-lining the slender warrior and knocking him into a tree. The Ki Machine Gun flew from his hands as they both lay sprawled on the ground.
The two scrambled back to their feet, slipping on the wet leaves that covered the forest floor. Jeice could see he would not reach the gun in time, Yamu was already on his feet and running him down. Jeice slipped the shard of mirror from his glove and flung it at point blank range right at Yamu?s throat. The veiny juggernaut knocked it away with the butt of Kari, looping the nail studded bat over his head to bring it in for a to-the-bleachers swing. He halted the spikes that lined the head just millimeters from Jeice?s face. If he had not, Jeice?s head would have sailed to the shore line.
The two panted heavily, they had pushed everything they had into their speed, anyone watching would have just seen twin blurs that lasted only seconds. Jeice smiled, his hair stained red from earlier made his grinning face a haunting reminder of the toll Dante?s Abyss took on its participants, ?It is that easy, Yamu.?
It is that easy, Yamu.
Jeice kipped up to his feet and gathered up his weapons as Yamu stood there, Kari frozen in midair where Jeice?s head had been. ?It shouldn?t be that easy.?
Jeice paused from tucking his shiv back into his glove for a beat as he thought, ?It is just the way it is, Yamu. Stop looking on the negative?at least you have it in you to win.?
Yamu did not like that he had it in him. But he now knew it was and he knew he could do what he needed to make it to the finals. At that moment he did not like that either. He just hoped self loathing was an easier medicine to take then doubt. The Arlian Guardian bared his teeth in frustration then tossed his head back and roared. He eyes glimmered like lit coals as he turned to his partner, ?I need to go hurt something, Red?now??
![[Image: Yamusig3copy.jpg]](http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e227/Wyled/Yamusig3copy.jpg)
Dante's Abyss 2007 Runner-Up