Day One: Afternoon

[Tapion]

The passage of time since his last physical encounter had been grueling. Literally hours had ticked away without the slightest hint of a fight, and as the hands of the clock circled continuously the vital adrenaline which had proved to be Tapion?s best friend during the course of the competition slowly drained itself from his body. The only epic showdown the non-transformer was facing now was the one he was having with his own eyelids, whose defiance to stay open was proving a much worthy adversary to the fatigued warrior.

For the first time since the game had begun, the coruscating rays from the overhead sun now shown themselves with their full brilliant warmth through the parting grey clouds above. The jungle terrain, abuzz with insectile actives provided a low but almost deafening murmur which served as appropriate background noise for the otherwise eerily quite game of survival.

Flashing a quick glance towards his namekian ally showed that Retane too was slowly succumbing to his body?s undeniable wear and tear. Fortunately though remembering the inbreed trait which all nameks shared which excused them from the natural handicap of needing sleep brought a wave of relief through Tapion?s mind.

As his stubborn eyelids grew heavier, and his consciousness began to slowly fade, a sudden commotion in the near by brush abruptly caught Tapion?s attention. With his ears already erected, the non-transformer?s eyes now shifted themselves over towards the unexpected noise which had so unwelcomingly grabbed his attention. Clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles whitened, the elfish warrior watched intently as the natural shrubbery before him began to part.

As the air stood still and the jungle terrain fell into a unison silence, the frame of a harmless little bunny rabbit hoped through the bushes and into a small dirt patch only inches in front of the heaving non-transformer. ?Jesus?? Tapion lipped as he took in a large gasp of oxygen, much to the relief of his trembling body. It was at this point the realization had finally struck the Konat-Jin, it was not just the other competitors whom were his enemies during this game, but in actuality the island itself was proving to be a one of the largest obstacles which stood between himself and victory.

Outstretching his dirt soiled index finger, Tapion let off a narrow beam of energy which soared brilliantly through the air for a moment before lodging itself deep within the white fur covered cranium of the defenseless hare. Take that you god damned island?

[Aero]

* * *

He had escaped the death that welcomed his body at C-5.

The sun shined brilliantly in the sky above after the intense battering of the rain finally discontinued after six straight hours. It cast a long shadow of Gokua behind his dragging feet.

We walked through the barren land with no particular destination implemented just yet. Footprints of his boots left small imprints in the soft dirt behind him, leaving a faint trail of his travel.

His long journey had begun. What long journey? The journey that he subconsciously knew would have to arise if he were to ever locate his longtime friend Kiro. He remembered the words that were said when he saw his face on the tele?.

Well, I plan to make it pretty far and hopefully meet up with a childhood friend of mine.

Those words were like a syringe being lodged into Gokua?s vein, pumping him with some alien drug. His friend knew much, and the swordsman craved to know the same. Kiro knew of the civil war?and its secrets. Gokua had always pondered about the civil war that occurred back on his home planet against the Njuru-Jins. Kiro knew the secrets; that?s why he abandoned the swordsman, leaving him to be shot a few times and almost die.

He knows who he is.

Damn right Gokua knew Kiro was speaking about him. Who else was in the competition that knew a Pathosian? No one.

He began to attempt and fathom what happened during the civil war. It was something he had always tried to make sense of, but always fell short of any actual conclusion. And now was a better than any other to know the answers. That?s why he needed to find Kiro. Fuck saying hello, or how?re you doing. Fuck cheap talk about the past when they used to train together. Fuck trying to reconstruct their friendship. He needed to know what transpired between the Pathosians and the Njuru-Jins. Kiro knew.

Come with me Gokua! This battle is not worth dying over! Trust me!

* * *

Gokua kept moving. Thoughts of Kiro and the entire war back on his home planet still hammered at his cranium like a blacksmith smashing a mallet against a sword he was creating.

He had to find Kiro.




-------------------
OOC: I figured I should finally go in-depth with Gokua's purpose in DA now.

[Paragus]

The jokes were lifting the mood, but Para was still having a hard time forgetting Bulma?s burning boy back at the cave. Mino had done a number on the group especially the aged saiyan himself. He brought his hand to his face. His burn had healed nicely but he was now working on his arm. The glowing konat had broken it with the greatest of ease.

The med kit had done wonders, but it almost got him killed against the intruder. He need a legitimate weapon, one in which he could defend himself. The leather strap of the machine gun sagged over his left shoulder. He carried the gun proudly for Bulma, who could no longer carry it herself.

The rain had stopped so that problem was taking care of, but his arm was another.The scarred saiyan extended the injured body part and tried to flex it. There was a slight pain as he bent the injured arm at the elbow, but for the most part it was fine. He threw some punches with it to relieve the stiffness. On the ground in front of him were a bunch of stones. He lifted the biggest one and hurled it at one of the trees on the path.

The trunk of the tree splintered as the mini boulder collided with its fragile wood. It had some good speed on it, the saiyan was feeling better already.

?How is the arm Para?? Yamu asked looking at the injury for himself.

?It hurts a little but I will live. For now at least.? Yamu let out a tiny chuckle as he watched the saiyan throw a couple more rocks.

?Just keep working with it.?

Para nodded realizing he had run out of rocks he resorted to stretching. The three warriors continued walking as the oldest of the group paced slowly behind them, stretching his arm.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Sazuaa

Krug

Sazuaa would hear him a mile away. The skinny blue fighter had taken residence behind a row of bushes to keep an eye out for the source of the huge footsteps. He wasn't exactly easy to miss, so making Krug out in the horizon was no issue at all.

"Krug find fight!" He was saying to himself as he stumbled. Apparantly, the big man was having difficulty staying up. "No sleep! No food! Not till Krug fight! Not till Krug fight!"

Swallowing hard, Saz gripped his flail and carefully moved left to get around the big man. If he was going to strike, it would have been stupid to do so face to face. At the end of the day, Krug was way too big.

Krug stopped for a moment as he passed by Sazuaa. "Who there?" He asked, actually expecting an answer. "Who watch Krug?"

That was when the cheap shot came from behind. The spikey ball of the flail peirced into his back, ending it before it could begin.

#45 Krug DEAD

38 Remaining

Sazuaa can take the guitar

[Kami]

Kami found himself with a little time on his hands as a result of his current approach to the game. It allowed him to think briefly on the past DA tournaments he had been a part of and how he had faired in the past. Considering he spent a majority of one of the tournaments as a disembodied head, he had made great strides in increasing his placing in the tournament. The solitude on the island reminded him of the Lookout which he spent so much of his time ontop of, whether it be watching over the Earth or laughing maniacly while he ruled it with an iron fist. The latter was a feeling he was not sure he even wanted to be close to again.

He shifted his weight and readjusted himself. Deciding he had been sitting for for too long he ran down the stairs and then up again before going back to his spot and stretching out a bit. The technology of the tournament had robbed him of some of his abilities, but not all of them. Reaching his arm down the stairs it continued to stretch out like a rubber band until it finally grasped onto something down below. With a thought the extremity soared back to it's original length like a recalled tape measure. In his fist was a small rat, whom he had glanced at earlier.

The Namek took a small piece of bread from his bag and held it infront of the terrified rodent. Slowly he sniffed around and realized there was food before him. As he began to munch away Kami set the rat down next to him. His new friend ate away, but had some calm sense about him, rather uncharacteristic of a rat. The little furball scurried around a bit, coming up to the Namekian and tried to climb up his pant leg. Kami grabbed him and set him up on his shoulder. He gave the rat a little pet on the head. The small creature moved a bit more and then settled down. Soon enough he hopped down and ran back into the shadows.

That was fine with Kami, the rat would probably be safer where ever it had been hiding before anyways. It was only a matter of time before the Guardian of Earth would be showing a far less kind and gentle side.

[Android 17]

Seventeen had left behind the city a few hours ago, and by now, the sun was already beginning to set behind the android as he made his way toward whatever laid ahead of him. Turning around to face the path from whence he had came; the machine-hybrid lifted his forearm above his eyes and took a little peak at the sun as it descended beneath the western horizon.

?Red sky at night, sailor?s delight,? Seventeen whispered with a smirk as he pivoted away from the sunset and resumed his path toward the unknown. Humming softly to no one in particular, the machine-hybrid pulled out his lasso and began to twirl it at his side as a means to occupy his mind as he trudged onward toward an unperceivable destination. With the rain having recently come to a conclusion, the cybernetic warrior was once again starting to join enjoy himself.

?Hello hello, my brave warriors! It's now in the middle of the day, and I'd like to congratulate you all on surviving 12 hours! However, you only have...six and a half days left to kill forty-one people, or nobody wins!? It was the voice of Karl Jak?the host of the illustrious competition that Seventeen was embroiled within. ?Here is the death list: Grandpa Gohan, Warren Peace, Paige,? the last member of the recently deceased instantly piqued the attention of the formerly inattentive android.

?No way,? the machine-hybrid muttered after coming to a dramatic halt. ?Why the hell would she enter this competition?? Seventeen sighed?letting his shoulders sag and the lasso fall to the ground. Despite the fact that death in Dante?s Abyss was mainly a farce, the android was nevertheless thoroughly disturbed with the notion that his pregnant girlfriend had entered the competition and got herself axed within the first twelve hours.

?Don?t sweat it, sweetheart.? The android whispered softly. ?If I figure out who took your life, I?m going to throttle the life out of him. Then I?ll make sure to cut off his head and parade it around like a gruesome little trophy,? the idea of butchering someone brought a smile back to the machine-hybrid?s pale visage. Something about murder and dismemberment sparked something within the android. With an uncharacteristically malevolent smirk, the cybernetic warrior collected his rope and continued on his path.

It was as if he had unearthed a side of his persona that had become buried over time. Had all these years of putting himself on the line for others murdered a part of his being? Seventeen was aware of the fact that he had no recollection of his life before two years ago. In fact, one of his biggest personal mysteries of those first few months had been discovering the truth about his existence; however, something had transpired that drew the machine-hybrid?s attention elsewhere.

?In dedicating myself to helping others,? the machine-hybrid spoke aloud. ?I lost sense of myself in the process,? Seventeen?s fingers tightened around the rope as he struggled to digest the epiphany. Was he being too blunt with himself? ?No?? the onyx-haired warrior whispered?answering his own question. Unfortunately for those with whom the android had past affiliations, enough was enough.

It was time for the cyborg to stop procrastinating and solve the greatest mystery of his life: ?Who am I?? After all, how could the android properly raise a child to be an independent individual if their own father was clueless to the first twenty years of his life? Slinging the rope over his shoulder, Seventeen narrowed his eyes and set his sights on the small building on the horizon in front of him.

Although the odds were no doubt heavily stacked up against him, the onyx-haired warrior wasn?t going to go down without a fight. This year?s Dante?s Abyss wasn?t dedicated to the fans, his friends, or even his soul mate. It was devoted to one and only one individual?

Android Seventeen.

[Old Zangya]

An ally, deliberated the ginger-haired flapper, I need someone to support me. I?m never going to win without that. The young woman who?d been born on Mercy-sei slowly raised herself from the ground, attempting to not think about her face. She had eased her anger, suppressed it for the time being?hopefully it would help in the long run.

Looking down beside the place where the onyx-haired woman had planted her face, Zangya saw her survival bag with its contents spilled out over the grass. Luckily, no precious water had been spilled from the canteens, and the bread and unclean meat had yet to roll over onto the pasture. Smiling, the woman stuffed the contents of her bag back in there and then closed the knapsack, slinging it over her shoulder as she looked round for her weapon.

?Hey, sweetheart,? she suddenly heard from behind her, ?Lookin? for this??

Spinning around quickly, Zangya?s eyes caught sight of a figure that completely disgusted her: Garlic Junior, the little person she?d fought back in the dojo at the compound. He was examining her chi pistol.

?As a matter of fact, it is,? Zangya replied crossly.

?Chill, Zangya,? the tiny figure commanded her tranquilly; ?I?m not here to fight you. I?m here to join with you.? Zangya?s reaction to the offer was less than enthusiastic, to say the least.

?You really think I?d want to partner with you?? she inquired to him bitterly.

?Your face has just been blown off the charts. I am the ninth most powerful person in the universe. You?d be wise to accept my offer, Zangya,? Garlic counseled. Zangya?s lips curled into a snarl. ?Plus, I think it?s nice to have someone to talk to?how about you?? he supposed sarcastically.

?I?d rather talk to the woman who just blew one side of my face off than talk with you,? Zangya retorted.

?Alright, fine,? Garlic surrendered, ?If you don?t want to partner with me, then I guess I could just kill you now.? Garlic raised a hand as if to shoot her with a chi blast.

?No!? Zangya yelled fearfully. ?I?ve?changed my mind,? she told him, hesitating slightly, ?Let?s partner up.?

?Now that?s what I want to hear!? Garlic exclaimed joyfully. The little goblin smiled a sinister smile. ?So, where do we head first as a pair, my wonderful lady?? he asked her.

Pulling out her map, Zangya replied: ?Here?the cemetery,? she pitched.

?If you insist,? the midget agreed.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Tapion

Gokua

Gokua could hear shuffling around at his makeshift campsite. He was only out walking for a few minutes, so no one could have just snuck in and out that fast, right? Moving quick, he hopped over a rock and moved under some hanging branches, into his little clearing.

Everything was right where he left it. The alien let out a sigh at his own paranoia. Things were really getting to him, but he was okay now. "Whew," he panted as he took a seat.

The teal man took his canteen of water and took a sip, sighing again at how boring the game was thus far. He had signed up for some action, not a fucking camping trip. The only action he had resulted in a burning spew of fire right in his face. Not the best way to start the game off.

A small ache came from his stomach but he ignored it. Instead, he stood up and peeked at his weapon, the spork.

That was when he saw a face to the left. He immediately looked over in surprise, seeing a Konat watching from behind a bush.

That was when he felt something coming up his throat. The blue alien gasped and choked out vile liquid onto the ground, then a full-on organ. His guts spilled from his face as he held his aching belly. It felt as if acid was tearing him up from inside, causing everything to let go.

Still in shock, Gokua fell sideways, landing with a thud, dead before he hit the ground.

From a few feet away, Tapion dropped the vile of poison and moved to grab his things.

#08 Gokua DEAD

37 Remain

The poison has been used, and is gone

Spork is there if Tap wants it

[King Cold444]

Koola was growing stranger by the minute, King Cold noticed. He would talk to himself whenever he wasn't talking to the ridicuously mammoth changeling czar, not that it worried KC. He could handle himself should Koola choose to flip the script on him.

"Lol! ..script..." Cold chuckled, tasting the repulsive aftertaste of earth and water on his tongue. As much as he would hate to admit it spending quality time with his son wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He almost felt bad, running off to destroy galaxies instead of caring to be around him when he was younger.

"How do you pronounce that?" Koola asked from beside him. Cold gazed down and realized how... vertically challenged Koola was compared to himself.

"You know... I don't know what you've been eating, but you should try--well, something else." Cold snapped back. It was totally irrelevant to Koola's more recent question, but King Cold was touchy about his weight so it dwelled just beneath the surface.

"Whatever pops," Koola surveyed the area again, noting how some of the trees were slanted sideways from the force of several overpowered throws. "We still have to watch out for competition, y'know we're still--"

"Wtf!" Cold yelled, startling his son, who sprung to action. He expected another combatant, but only saw Cold with his attention stuck on the back of his cape. Mud that had hardened into clay covered much of his favorite cape and his armor-esque body. Two lines of hardened mud were just beneath his eyes, and his face was smeared in the makeshift clay. "This better come out Koola! This is my favorite cape!"

"We should find shelter for the day, it can't be safe to walk around in broad daylight." Koola mentioned, crouching low to the hill and looking over what landscape he could from where they stood. He was quite sure of himself, logical in thinking and scoffed aloud. "We hunt by night."

[Old Zangya]

?Westward!? called Garlic Junior as he took the lead. The pair of Zangya and Garlic Junior had settled upon heading to the cemetery, and now, they had decided to pass the time by racing to their destination for the afternoon. Currently, the smaller of the duo had taken the pole position, with the emerald-skinned combatant just inches behind him.

?You?re not going to beat me, Garlic,? Zangya retorted to him, laughing as she paced her steps.

?I sincerely doubt that, my blue woman,? the goblin assured her confidently. Zangya smirked.

?Just you wait, Garlic.?

?I?m already waiting, Zangya my dear.?

Zangya had made the choice to put aside the feelings of resentment she felt towards Garlic for the competition, seeing as their last encounter?in the dojo?had not worked out so well.

?Still waiting,? Garlic taunted.

?Hold your horses.?

And with that, Zangya leaped into the air and did her flip over Garlic?s head, landing inches in front of him. Unfortunately, the leap wasn?t the most perfect or graceful thing, and her landing plus Garlic?s speed and continued running caused them both to crash into each other, knocking them flat on their faces.

?Ouch!? Zangya bellowed as she landed on the blistered left side of her face. Suddenly, it felt like a blaze of overcooked proportions had been ignited on her cheek, and she quickly sat up and slapped herself, attempting to put out the fire in her face.

?You okay?? Garlic ceded, crawling over beside his injured comrade.

?No,? Zangya stated in a tone that reflected to Garlic that that fact should?ve been obvious, ?The stats say that this is a major injury. I don?t know if I can stand it much longer, Garlic.?

?Zangya,? Garlic consoled, ?Don?t worry about it. Just let your mind clear of it.?

Zangya took a deep breath as Garlic?s warty hand slid down the side of her face. ?OK,? she nodded, ?It feels?better now,? she said, turning to look at Garlic. ?Thanks.?

?No problem, sweetheart,? he chuckled, and then stood?which didn?t raise his height much at all, and beckoned for her to follow as his feet began the race again. Laughing, Zangya stood and followed him, and the two soon turned south, heading for the cemetery, they hoped.

This was going to get creepy soon, as night was falling, and the cemetery was getting closer and closer with each speedy pace.

[Saz]

Sazuaa stood over Krugs lifeless body, his blood-stained flail swinging left and right. There was something beautiful about death, it was hard to explain or to put into words, but seeing the brutish human laying there silent and motionless sent a chill down the aliens spine.

As the injured non-transformer starred down, almost in a trance, he suddenly noticed something laying on the ground next to Krugs mammoth corpse, a stringed instrument of some sort, unrecognisable to the non-transformer. Slowly Sazuaa bent down and picked up the object with his good arm. It was quite heavy, perhaps he could use it for a weapon, he thought to himself, it couldn?t hurt to keep a secondary weapon incase something happened to the flail.

With his new weapon, Sazuaa lurked away back behind the bushes he came out from, making sure to keep himself out of sight from any nearby enemies. Lowering himself gently, Sazuaa sat down on the grassy ground. He was still very much feeling the effects of his fall from the cliffs edge, his body was aching all over, and his left arm was in absolute agony. It was all he could do to try and keep his mind off the pain and to focus on keeping himself alive.

As he started to muse over his first kill in the competition, something hit him. It was time to switch things up abit. After his confrontation with Krug, he realised that his best chance of getting further in the competition from here on out was to play it stealthy. Facing off against another competitor one on one in his state would be a sure-fire way to book himself a one way ticket out of the contest. Even though taking up the stealthy approach would take him completely out of his element, he knew it had to be done if he had any chance of surviving and progressing further in the tournament.

Night was coming soon, and with it, darkness. And under the cover of darkness is when Sazuaa would make his move. While the other competitors settled down and lowered their guard, he would sneak up and pick them off one by one whilst they were at their most vulnerable.

It was going to be a massacre.

[Drake]

Kakarot raised a hand to block out the afternoon sun, its rays beating down hard on his damp skin. The fight he?d had with his brother earlier had left him a little worse for wear, sporting some bruises and a nice sheen of sweat from the energy he had needed to exert.

?Phew, that was a long trip.? Sighed the saiyajin as he wiped the sweat off his forehead onto the sleeve of his shirt, leaving a nice dark stain to match the bloodstained one. ?Should just be over this hill.?

He?d planned on taking a rest after the next hill, somewhere cool and out of the sun considering how warm it had become- not that remarkable given the humidity the rain had left. Kakarot wished it was still raining even now, fighting in a heat that stuck to your body wasn?t very fun- it was fun, just not as fun ?the body became slow and uncoordinated.

Crossing the hill was an easy task, but since Kakarot had designated this as a place to rest, his steps were slow and deliberate so as to conserve energy- and to be somewhat playful. Had he known what lay on the other side, he may have been a bit more discreet in his footfalls and had taken the long way around instead of such a direct root. Unfortunately for him- in this situation ?he?d run into a group of powerhouses who were each a handful on their own but in a group they would be something else. The tired warrior would also have to take into account his own waning strength as he confronted the group.

?It feels like a storm is coming on?? He thought to himself, looking up at a clear blue sky confused by his own instinct as to how it?d lead him to such a conclusion.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Kakarot

Bra, Reijin, Vegeta

"Goku," Reijin said aloud as he noticed a figure walking by. The saiyan had made no point of sneaking around or trying any cheap tricks, instead walking right towards the group of three. As Rei stood up, Vegeta and Bra followed.

"A wanna-be human," Vegeta smirked from behind his friend. "But idiot or not, he can fight."

"I call this one," Rei said, grinning back at the father and daughter. "Me and him have a little history."

Kakarot stopped in front of the three. The battlefield was a large, open plain with just a couple trees. The only cover was where the three had set up camp to rest. "Reijin," Kak said. "Seems like I keep running into all the powerhouses today."

Indeed, the saiyan was very scratched up. "I saw the super saiyan flashes during the rainstorm. Was that you?"

"Yea. Me and my brother," he answered. "I kicked his ass."

"I bet," Bra chimed in from the side. "You look like shit, Goku." Believe it or not, that was a compliment coming from her.

The saiyan frowned at the name. "My name is Kakarot," he explained, "And I didn't come here to talk." Then the frown turned into a smile. "Let's go. I'm still itching for a real fight."

Reijin's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists. "Alright, then, Kakarot. I'm ready for a real fight, too. NOW!"

The two lunged forward. Melee combat ensued at normal speed, with Kakarot getting the first upper hand by jabbing Rei in the face. The opposing saiyan countered by jamming his elbow into Kak's gut, and then bringing it up into his chin.

"Now this feels good," Reijin commented as he spun around, heel kicking Kakarot in the head. The humanized saiyan rolled to stand up. "I was starting to feel cramped, just walking around."

"Sounds dull," Kakarot agreed. He threw a fist, which got caught, but hooked Reijin in the chest with his free hand. "I've been kicking butt since this game started!" He then jumped up, slamming his knee into Rei's rib cage.

Kakarot landed on his feet over Reijin, who hit the ground hard. That was when Vegeta lept forward. Fighting fair wasn't exactly in a saiyan warrior's manual: survival was at the top of the list. "Haaa!" The prince roared.

That was when the man formally known as Goku ducked and raised up, shattering ribs with his shoulder and causing Vegeta to gasp in surprise. So much for supplying back-up to his good ole buddy. To top it off, Kakarot knocked him backwards with his hand and landed fine.

"Dad!" Bra jumped up and caught her father in the air. "Dad, you ok!?" She landed on the ground, gripping him and checking his wound. "Dad?!"

As Reijin stood, Kakarot looked at the father and daughter. After so many years, the two were still inseperable. He tried his best not to, but his thoughts drifted to his own status as a father and a husband. All his life, he had looked down on people who spent more time fighting then they did with family...and he had become one. He had turned from the family man, Goku, into the man who only knew fighting: Kakarot.

His thoughts were cut off when Reijin appeared in front of him, holding up a gun. A stream of liquid sprayed into his face and immediately tore into his eyelids, making it all black. "Ugh!" He grunted, "What the...Aaaaagh!"

Reijin slammed two palms together. "Final FLASH!"

Kakarot's body was engulfed his light and ki, and blown backwards, almost ripping apart in the flash of energy. With no way out, he just let himself be blown back.

Hundreds of feet away, he remained motionless and quiet save the occasional twitch. It was then, and only then, did he realize what he had gotten himself into. This was the life he had chosen to take. And he gave up everything he ever loved to live it.

It didn't seem like such a fair trade after all.

37 Remain

Kakarot is scarred up, bloody, beaten...and blind. Major injury

Vegeta's cracked a couple ribs. Minor injury

[Old Zangya]

~~Flashback~~

The pale walls of the hospital seemed too, too bright. A young Zangya?s eyes receded in pain, and the little girl?s mouth began to foam with injury. Blood rushed down her face, seeping from her oral and nasal cavities. Her carrot locks were burnt to her shoulders, and her clothes were ragged and torn. Everything was wrong right now; how she felt, what was going on, and what she had done.

They were dead. All of them. And she was responsible. She had made the horrific mistake of flailing out of control when she shouldn?t have. It seemed nigh impossible to forgive herself now, for she was all alone in this world at this instant?no mother; no father; no brother to argue with. No one and nothing but herself. She felt lonelier than ever before.

A child shivering with cold and fear.

~~End Flashback~~

No longer was she shivering; no longer was she cold. No longer was she alone. Now, she had someone beside her, someone to talk to. It was the one thing that pleased her; and now, she was practically the happiest person in the world.

The emerald-skinned Ader looked upon her cohort with delight and sanitization; it was unimaginable how just having someone to walk with could do. But they weren?t walking. They were running?racing, even.

But now the race was over, and it was a tie.

The two came to a sudden halt as jutting out before them was South Lake. A beautiful, crystalline field of H20 sat before them, mesmerizing the two like nothing would. It was water. Wait. Zangya quickly unzipped her bag and pulled the meat from it, rushing over to the beach of South Lake and dipping the game into the cold, peaceful liquid. Soon, the Ader had washed it enough to make it alright to eat; and then, she stuffed it back into the bag, much to the contrary of Garlic Junior?s personal wants.

?But?? he pleaded.

?Not now,? Zangya told him, ?This evening. We?ll have a nice, supplemental dinner.?

Garlic conceded.

With that, the two attempted to move on to another position, but it was taking them rather long, and the sun?s arc was reaching its horizon line. Hunting seemed like a proper exercise, to prepare them for the battles ahead. Pulling his largish weapon from his bag, and then piecing it together, Garlic rocketed potatoes over the lake, and as the creatures of the lake leaped forth to feast on the treat, a blast of chi struck them square in the neck as Zangya fired her chi pistol.

After a while, though, even that got boring. And so, the trek continued as the stars began to light up in the sky.

[OldSpice]

A treacherous scream pierced out from a foggy wall of smoke, which flowed freely from a door that had been reduced to kindling at the whim of a devastating fire. The infernal bastion raged on, devouring the household and all who were trapped within. Blocks of wood, taller than any man, continuously fell and flaming shingles slid from the roof as the adhesive holding them together spread into a gooey pool of tar.

The shriek of a child echoed from inside yet again, this time more painful and doused in fear. A two by four suddenly broke off from the ceiling and crashed through, plummeting over the terrified toddler. Her eyes clenched shut and her body cringed, waiting for what she knew was inevitable; until nothing happened. Her left eye peeked open to find a towering brute of a man standing over her, grasping the block with a single hand above his head.

?Do not fear, young lad. Ginseng is here? the strange hero boasted as he tossed the plank across the blazing room. However, his cheerful expression suddenly shifted as a sadistic grin crossed his face uninvited. The cyan warrior gripped the girl by the hair with a single palm and lifted her into the air. She frantically flailed her arms and legs in an attempt to break free, but to no avail.

?Now comes the fun part,? the psychotic savior instructed, licking his lips. The girl screamed for help; however her yelp slowly faded along with the glimmer in her eyes. A stream of blood dribbled out from her open mouth; her chest had been impaled by the Makyo?s fist. With a gruesome tug, the sound of tearing flesh and squishing innards splashed out as he removed the girl?s heart from her body and tossed her to the side, much in the same fashion as the block of wood. The cyan soldier proceeded to sink his teeth into the fresh, warm flesh before mashing it between his hands, snickering as the bloody goop seeped between the cracks of his fingers.

?AGHH!!? Spice roared as he gripped his head and fell to his knees, snapping back into reality.

?Damnit Mace?why must you constantly bombard me with such images? Why?!? The Makyo demanded, clutching his milky hair with tensed fingers, trying to drive out the pesticide that is Mace. It seemed Spice was gradually losing grip of his sanity; well, sanity by his standards. The cynical personification of Spice?s hatred and regret was growing stronger; more aware. Spice was being eaten away from the inside out by this maniac.

?Hmph, relax. It is only a fantasy Spice. However, it can very easily become a reality...?

[Yamu]

The three fighters decided to take a nice long break, they had never really paused since the battle with Minosha and everyone?s nerves were becoming a little frazzled. They partitioned off their looted bread and tasted what little sweetness there was to victory in Dante?s Abyss.

The peaceful stillness that had occupied the island during Yamu?s first footsteps was completely gone. The ground felt alive, a pulsing energy filled every leaf, every rock, even the air. Serenity was fighting a storm as more violence and more death spread across the once tranquil land.

The Arlian Guardian held onto Serenity though. He knew it would be his peaceful state of mind that would get him though Dante. He clenched the handle of the bat, the wooden weapon was his anchor, to here and to his reasons for being there. Kari stood up strait before him, the name he had etched in staring him directly in the eyes. He nibbled his hunk of bread while he stared at his weapon in thought, his eyes drilling through the thick wood.

As his eyes lost focus they saw past the bat since his eyes were spaced further apart then Kari herself. On the other side Jeice sat gnawing on his half a loaf like a cow, his jaw making long circular bites as he dug a white boot into the ground to amuse himself.

The cloaked Earthling let out a low half hearted chuckle that jerked the other two?s eyes on him. ?What are you laughing at?? Paragus asked, his own portion of bread already making its way through his body.

?Oh..it was nothing?Jeice just reminded me of an old friend of mine right then. He-? Yamu could not talk through his smile and had to start over, ?He, always ate like that?just these huge bites of his food over and over again. Every meal we ate, every day, just these massive bites you could hear him chewing, hear him swallow, it was like someone eating in stereo in both your ears. It used to bother me so much that I would yell at him, just scream.? The other two joined him in a light chuckle. ?When-? Yamu?s smile suddenly dropped form his face, ?he was killed?I couldn?t eat for a week. Every time I tried to put food in my mouth?I just could not chew. Now matter how much I forced myself my body, it refused to do it. It was almost like I needed those noises, my body linked those horrible noises with its own eating. It makes me wonder if that might happen to me fighting one day. That maybe alone I won?t function if the right signals aren?t there.?

There was a long silence that Jeice broke, slinging his bag over his shoulders again as he stood, ?No time to get morose, we should make what time we can while it is still light. I think once Kari gets a little blood on her, you won?t be as worried about loosing your touch, Yamu.?

Paragus laughed, remembering a joke Yamu had told earlier in the day, ?They can both smell it but they can?t eat it?? he muttered, as he rested his hand lightly on the trigger. The one eyed Saiya-Jin was going to get a shot off of the thing, come one man or eighty.

Yamu nodded and stood beside his red skinned friend, ?If that is the case?we should go find someone then! Kari is getting a little impatient about not seeing any action.?

[Burter]

Face to Face

Kami

Jack Sparrow

There was one thing that Kami valued above all things in life, and that was knowledge. Even in his old, old years, he still lived to learn more. And so, the thing he did the most while he was huddled alone in the lighthouse was relax on a cot and read quietly.

Things were quiet so far for the namekian. Everyone probably avoided the lighthouse because they knew everyone would want to go there - but only Kami had travelled there since the game began. It was great shelter in the rain.

Of course, he always kept a careful watch out, so when his ears twitched, he looked up immediately. It was a good thing the door downstairs creeked.

Down at the entrance, a human man snuck carefully into the dining room to see a Dante's Abyss duffel bag. He could have went and hunted for whoever was in the building, but he had more important things to worry about. A bottle sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Ah," he said, delighted. "Rum!" He quickly moved into the kitchen and snagged the bottle, not wasting any time pouring it into a glass. "Oh, how I missed you," he grinned.

Kami watched from the stairs with a smile. It was certainly amusing to see after half a day of nothing but reading. "Good drink?" He spoke up as the pirate satisfied his thirst for alochol.

"Bah!" Sparrow yipped, spinning around. He raised up his weapon in defense, obviously spooked. He kept his drink back and his comb forward. Yes, his comb. "Can't you see I'm trying to drink?!"

"Sorry," the elder namek chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not hostile unless you are."

The pirate lowered his comb and raised a brow. "You little a little green, grand-dad. You doin ok there?"

Kami found it better not to explain he was actually green. "I'm fine. So, friend or foe?"

"Well," Sparrow said with an equally calm smirk. He set his comb down. "I've been walking for 12 hours straight, through hot, cold, wet and dry lookin for shelter and a good bottle of rum. You have both." He then poked the namek in the chest as he stepped forward. "That makes you my new best friend. Savvy?"

"Wonderful. I was getting bored," the namekian admitted. Sparrow probably didn't think Kami was a very good fighter, given his age, so he decided not to do anything that would give away his athletic ability. "The name's Kami. I'm just an old namek lookin for a fun fight."

Of course, Sparrow didn't buy it. As a sly player himself, he could tell when someone was playing a strategic game. But he stuck his hand out anyway and shook Kami's. "A pleasure, I'm sure. I'm Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."

37 Remain

Kami and Jack are together

[Bujin]

Hey, remember when you shot that one chick?

?That was a couple hours ago, Nancy,? Bujin sighed. The male voice merely whistled in amazement as a response, leaving an awkward silence hovering over the area. The blue man was still walking through a massive expanse of trees. He knew it was a deserted island, and he knew he was there to kill people. However, he was disappointed that the scenery wasn?t any more interesting than it was. To add to that, the more-than-minor discomfort in the back of his head had made the trip even less enjoyable. He needed some action, and he needed it quickly.

It seemed as though he had been walking for quite a while, so he took a much needed rest. Sitting down, Bujin unzipped his coveted man-bag and dumped out the contents once more. He took what little bread that he had left and broke it in half. Laying the portions down next to him, he took the remaining water and drank of it, making sure that there was still some left. It was the first responsible thing he had done all day. Laughing, he picked up the two pieces of sustenance and raised them in offering to some unseen force.

?You kids want some?? Bujin asked smartly. Rae chuckled in response.

I?ll pass. That stuff goes right through me.

The small man laughed and ate a portion, wrapping up the remaining one and placing it in the bag with the rest of the supplies. The pace that he was ?playing the game? was starting to catch up with him. The muscles in his body ached, and the ever-present pain in his head had yet to dull. So Bujin decided to just lay back and hope that nobody would come his way. The reason for signing up for Dante?s Abyss was starting to become unclear to him. Sure, he was practically forced to do so, and sure, he was fighting for his freedom. However, he was starting to lose any sense of moral decency that he had ever known. Hell, he was starting to lose his mind.

Suddenly, his extensive thirty second rest was interrupted by a few rustling of leaves and branches in the distance. Fumbling through his belongings, he pulled out his machine gun and pointed it in the direction of the disturbance. He had already practically seal the doom of one person, he was fully prepared to do so again ? no matter what the nagging pull in his stomach said. The rustling increased; the person that was behind the sound was either very confident or very careless. When the figure of Celipa appeared, Bujin found that both assumptions were correct.

Bujin, throwing caution in the wind, tossed his machine gun to the side and stood up. Celipa, apparently out of reflex, whipped her shotgun towards the blue midget and damn near pulled the trigger. However, her eyes screamed recognition and she lowered her weapon on the spot. The two figures merely stood as they stared at each other awkwardly. Finally, after a few moments, she darted towards Bujin with her arms extended.

?Oh?shi??? Bujin was cut off as Celipa tackle-hugged him.

[Kami]

Kami was admittedly happy to have an ally in the tournament. It was getting very boring sitting all alone in the lighthouse. The view was nice, but to company was lacking.

"So," Jack began, "I'd be guessing that you've been hiding out in 'ere for some time now?" The pirate took another swig of the rum and smiled to himself.

"It was the closest thing I could get to when the rain started, and as you can probably tell makes it hard for anyone to sneak up on me." The old Namek opened up a cupoard on the wall. He found another row of bottles sitting inside. This was obviously a kitchen or storage area. As Jack caught a glimpse of the bottles his eyes lit up.

"Suppose we be shacking up here for a while, eh?" He found a chair that creaked as it supported his weight and put his boots up on the table.

Kami was a little weary of his new partner, but was assured in that fact that the pirate had his own agenda at heart. That was fine with him, made things all the more interesting.

"Yes, I suppose we shall. There's some places to sleep up above if you get tired." Kami gestured upwards, his eyes following the spiraling staircase up to the top where the light was stored.

Jack gestured outwards with his hands, seemingly searching for words he had lost. "Plus it's close to the water, which is a welcome comfort for someone like me."

Kami found himself smiling, "Aye." Jack cracked him a funny look, his eyebrow raised and his mouth drooping.

"I think I'm gonna like you mate."

[Android 17]

With a grunt, Seventeen hoisted his lithe form onto the wooden window ledge and put his face up against the glass. Smirking faintly, the android surveyed the interior of the relatively mundane building. After deducing that there was no one in the hallway beyond the window, the machine-hybrid crafted a small ki saber in his right hand and used it to effortlessly slice through the wooden windowpane.

Once he had finished cutting around the window, the cyborg discarded the ki weapon and kicked the wooden pane with one of his combat boots. Crashing loudly onto the linoleum floor of the building, the window and its pane exploded into tiny fragments. Chuckling softly, the android lowered his head and pushed off the ledge. Landing in a crouched position on the ivory floor, Seventeen took a moment to glance down each end of the hallway.

Verifying that there was not immediate threat in the vicinity, the cybernetic warrior slowly stood up and brushed the dust and glass fragments that had somehow got all over his jet-black footwear. Content with the cleanliness of his boots, the android turned his attention to the eastern side of the hallway and started marching down the corridor. As he traversed the path, the identity of his new location quickly began to make itself manifest.

Pausing in the middle of the tiled passage, the cybernetic warrior pivoted to face the row of lockers he had been walking passed. Tilting his head slightly, the android took a step toward one of the steel boxes that had caught his attention. Decorated with stickers from all the popular heavy metal bands of ages long gone, the locker stood out like a sore thumb.

Although he didn?t really know what spurned him to do so, Seventeen grabbed the handle of the locker?s blue door and wrenched it open. Inside the relatively cramped compartment was everything under the sun except schoolbooks. Snickering beneath his breath, the cyborg pushed himself up onto his tiptoes and glanced over the amalgamation of bottles and bags that had been hidden in the shadows of the locker?s shelf.

?Score!? The android said?pulling a small plastic bag from the shadows. Eying the contents, Seventeen unrolled the top of the pouch and sniffed the contents. ?Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,? the machine-hybrid snickered, stuffing the dime bag into his survival bag as he began to steal bottles of hair and make-up products from some unlucky kid?s locker.

Dropping his bag and rope for a moment, Seventeen began to guffaw as he applied the eyeliner and gel to his hair using the mirror in the locker door to ensure he had it just perfect. Once he had his hair straight, the android returned to the locker and produced a pair of black, horn-rimmed glasses. After verifying that the lenses were cosmetic in nature, the onyx-haired fighter put them on and smiled at his reflection.

With a swift motion of his hand, the cyborg pushed all of his hair to left side of his face?slightly obscuring his left eye. Once he was content, the android grabbed a shirt, pair or pants, and a pair of black Chuck Taylor All-Stars from the bottom of the locker. Stuffing them into his survival bag, the machine-hybrid collected his effects and continued down the hallway. After only a few more minutes, the android rounded another corridor and the sound of someone?s voice caught his attention.

OOC: I had to split my original roleplay, because it came off to me as too long. There's the first half, and I'll post the rest later.