06-03-2008, 10:49 AM
It was a funny feeling, being disembodied. You just kind of float around. You see and hear things you wouldn’t normally see or hear. Echoes and colors passed all around him in a whispery wind of senses. Bardock’s eyes slowly opened, and he sat up, not really paying attention to how he’d managed to survive that stupid mistake of his. After a moment, he got to his feet, rubbing his head, which happened to be pounding. His thumb caught something that should have been missing right now: his ear. Face forming in surprise, he palmed the appendage, confirming that it was, in fact, there. Both of them. Something wasn’t right. Reijin had torn it off. Looking around, Bardock realized he could no longer see the ruins. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t really see anything. The world was empty and white, a shapeless realm of nothingness.
“Hey!” Bardock called out, his voice reverberating into the distance. “What the hell is this?”
He turned this way and that. Was he still on Dante? Or was he dead? Had he been killed?
Whirling around, he stopped. Somebody was standing there that hadn’t been standing there before. The blood boiling in his veins, Bardock recognized the person immediately and threw his arm, shooting an energy blast from his palm. The attack passed right through the apparition of Violet. The saiyan’s mouth dropped slightly in surprise. Her face was lined in concern.
“Don’t die, Bardock,” she said.
“What? I’m not fucking dead,” the fighter insisted.
“Come on, snap out of it.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m fucking fine!” Bardock reiterated. His words hung deafly on the air.
“Don’t you fucking leave me.”
His already short amount of patience expired, Bardock lunged, fist cocked. “SHUT UP!!”
Just as his energy blast, he too, phased through. Undaunted, the black-haired brawler turned right back around and began launching a vicious assault of wild punches. None of them landed, but eventually, Violet’s form dissipated into the ether. Bardock’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering what happened. The only thing for sure, was that he was alone again. The fighter didn’t know what to do now. This was some kind of trick…some kind of mind game, and he was the poor fool on the receiving end. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. When the breath was gone from his lungs, he dropped to his knees. He hated this. All he wanted was to just get lost in the tournament. Clearly, in his mind’s eye, he could see Violet smiling at him. After all that had happened, it was over. He wasn’t able to make her understand that all he was trying to do was fight, that all he knew how to do was fight. And he wanted her to fight, to see what it meant to him, to see that maybe, just maybe, he was trying, too.
His eyes opened slowly, and an outstretched hand was waiting gently before his face. He didn’t need to look up to see who it belonged to. Unquestioningly, he closed his eyes again, and grabbed it.
“Bardock…Bardock…”
When he opened his eyes again, he was laying uncomfortably on the concrete. He groggily realized he’d been pulled out of the rubble.
“Shit,” a familiar voice breathed.
Surprisingly, he’d just been knocked unconscious, and was otherwise unhurt. He sat up, a little too quickly for his spinning head, but sat up he did. Bardock reached up with his hand, and felt the side of his face. No ear. Things were back the way they should be.
“What did I say?” Violet said shakily. “Don’t fucking do that.”
Silently, Bardock got to his feet, and slowly stumbled to where his axe had been thrown. Suddenly, he felt cold metal on the back of his neck. His senses fully reawakening, he realized Violet had drawn her nail gun on him. They were, after all, still fighting. He smiled wryly, knowing even during this bold move she wasn’t going to be able to pull the trigger.
“Even if you don’t need me, even if you don’t want my help, Bar, we’re fucking in this together or we’re not,” she stated.
Deliberately, Bardock turned around, looking down at the nail gun that was now aimed for his throat, and then slowly raised his gaze to her eyes. Their blue depths were alight with blazing determination. She most certainly wasn’t a quitter.
His face expressionless, he uttered a single word. “Okay.”
“Hey!” Bardock called out, his voice reverberating into the distance. “What the hell is this?”
He turned this way and that. Was he still on Dante? Or was he dead? Had he been killed?
Whirling around, he stopped. Somebody was standing there that hadn’t been standing there before. The blood boiling in his veins, Bardock recognized the person immediately and threw his arm, shooting an energy blast from his palm. The attack passed right through the apparition of Violet. The saiyan’s mouth dropped slightly in surprise. Her face was lined in concern.
“Don’t die, Bardock,” she said.
“What? I’m not fucking dead,” the fighter insisted.
“Come on, snap out of it.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m fucking fine!” Bardock reiterated. His words hung deafly on the air.
“Don’t you fucking leave me.”
His already short amount of patience expired, Bardock lunged, fist cocked. “SHUT UP!!”
Just as his energy blast, he too, phased through. Undaunted, the black-haired brawler turned right back around and began launching a vicious assault of wild punches. None of them landed, but eventually, Violet’s form dissipated into the ether. Bardock’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering what happened. The only thing for sure, was that he was alone again. The fighter didn’t know what to do now. This was some kind of trick…some kind of mind game, and he was the poor fool on the receiving end. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. When the breath was gone from his lungs, he dropped to his knees. He hated this. All he wanted was to just get lost in the tournament. Clearly, in his mind’s eye, he could see Violet smiling at him. After all that had happened, it was over. He wasn’t able to make her understand that all he was trying to do was fight, that all he knew how to do was fight. And he wanted her to fight, to see what it meant to him, to see that maybe, just maybe, he was trying, too.
His eyes opened slowly, and an outstretched hand was waiting gently before his face. He didn’t need to look up to see who it belonged to. Unquestioningly, he closed his eyes again, and grabbed it.
“Bardock…Bardock…”
When he opened his eyes again, he was laying uncomfortably on the concrete. He groggily realized he’d been pulled out of the rubble.
“Shit,” a familiar voice breathed.
Surprisingly, he’d just been knocked unconscious, and was otherwise unhurt. He sat up, a little too quickly for his spinning head, but sat up he did. Bardock reached up with his hand, and felt the side of his face. No ear. Things were back the way they should be.
“What did I say?” Violet said shakily. “Don’t fucking do that.”
Silently, Bardock got to his feet, and slowly stumbled to where his axe had been thrown. Suddenly, he felt cold metal on the back of his neck. His senses fully reawakening, he realized Violet had drawn her nail gun on him. They were, after all, still fighting. He smiled wryly, knowing even during this bold move she wasn’t going to be able to pull the trigger.
“Even if you don’t need me, even if you don’t want my help, Bar, we’re fucking in this together or we’re not,” she stated.
Deliberately, Bardock turned around, looking down at the nail gun that was now aimed for his throat, and then slowly raised his gaze to her eyes. Their blue depths were alight with blazing determination. She most certainly wasn’t a quitter.
His face expressionless, he uttered a single word. “Okay.”
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
_=Pass you by, it's all in this life you have
Pass you by, good-bye to you=_
Pass you by, good-bye to you=_