Day One: Morning

[Retane]

Retane stood over the lfeless bulking mass as the Shadow Blanket slowly began to fade. The scent of the saiyan's blood musked the area, as if warning anyone near-by. The namek picked up the nine of hearts, now stained with victory, and placed it back in his deck. He pocketed said deck and took a look around the area.

He noticed the bag and the weapon that rested on it. Taking no time, the mercenary scooped up his bag and moved onward to gather the rewards of the recent kill. Thew sun was clearly visible and the burns of the light to his eyes and of the flames to his skin were remembered.

He picked up the weapon and laid it to the side. he opened Nappa's bag and took the supplies that had been left. One of the canteens of water, he drank. The other stored in his own bag. The food, which he being a namek did not need, he tossed aside.

He now stared at the weapon once again. They were nunchaku. He gathered the weapon in his hand and looked at them for a length of time. Perhaps they would be of some use to him. He hooked them onto his belt and turned to his dead advisary.

"Perhaps you would have went on if I hadn't betrayed you. But I feel no remorse for what I have done. The object of this game is to win,. The higher I get the better my chances. After all, you aren't the only two possible allies in this game. THough, I wonder how Bulma will take it in six hours when Karl announces you name. Will she cry? Will she sgur it off? Perhaps that bitch would even shut her mouth for a few moments. Though I wish I could see her face when it happens."

The underdog was gaining confidence, there was no dsoubt. But he wasn't stupid. He could go on killing people on a solo mission, He knew others would group up. He needed an ally. Little did he know, he was about to find one.

[Banned Dana]

Keeping his gaze low, the droid did his best to ignore the occasional gaze by one of his fellow contestants. He had spilled out more than he had originally intended upon and felt a bit sheepish. Though he trusted these other men, he wasn?t exactly sure as to the reasoning for it, after all, he had just met them. For some reason, he just felt completely at peace and at home with this lot, a feeling he hadn?t felt in a while.

WHAM!

Thirteen suddenly smashed his head into an amazingly hard object, almost biting his tongue off. Placing his hands on his cranium and with a tear rolling down his cheek, he looked up and noticed that Trunks had come to a dead stop. Rubbing the injury a few times, he could only think of one thing, ?Damn, that?s going to leave a mark.?

?Why are we stopping?? came the voice of the little green goblin from the back of the group.

Trunks seemed to ignore the question and kept his eyes glancing around the wide open plains. Everyone else just watched what appeared to be the leader of the group do his thing. Moving his head side to side, the lavender haired man pressed a button on his scouter. The small device beeped and booped. The sound of tiny winding gears screamed out as it booted up. A small bit of text scrolled across the screen, releasing information from the area around them, though it all proved worthless.

?Piece of crap.? spoke Trunks, disheartened as he clicked the off button.

For some reason he had thought that he could feel the presence of another just dead ahead, but then again, it was impossible with these collars. Thinking that it was perhaps a ghost felling, the halfling turned and smiled to the group.

?Alright, let?s move out.? commanded Trunks as he motioned for them to follow.

?Everything ok?? questioned Kami as he caught up to the Sayajin.

Trunks didn?t answer him, he felt like there was something out there, though he couldn?t tell what it was.

Suddenly, there was a crash from behind them, turning around, they found Android Thirteen laying face first on the ground and he didn?t seem to be moving. Moving quickly to their comrade, both Hellfighter and Trunks lifted the droid up off h is face and sat him down. Sweat was pour down his face, it looked as though he was beginning to dehydrate. Pulling a water bottle from Thirteen?s bag and unscrewing the top, Trunks handed the bottle to the humanoid, who grabbed it quickly and guzzled down half of it?s contents.

Feeling quickly returned to his hands and feet, and Thirteen finally stood up, feeling a bit refreshed, but still a bit tired. After thanking his comrades, the droid could feel his face burning with embarrassment. He couldn?t allow himself to look like a fool again, not around this group at least. How could they trust someone that couldn?t take care of himself? He would show them why he was worth keeping around if they got into a fight, that much Thirteen knew for sure.

?I just hope we can survive that long.? thought the droid as he pulled out a piece of bread and devoured it. ?It?s going to be a long week.?

[Ruhiel]

Android Twenty was on edge at the moment. He felt blind on this island, as the damned collar that he now wore around his neck prohibited his ability to send out SONAR-like echoes that would allow him to detect other warriors. Because of this, he was now also cut off from long-distance telepathic communication with others, because he needed that lock on their ki signature to establish a link.

He had already been ambushed once, and it had done a good job in mentally jarring him out of his feeling of invincibility. He was still mortal, he knew this, but the fact that three moderately powerful warriors had managed to sneak up on him still unnerved him.

He was on the move now. Twenty wasn't about to sit tight in one spot anymore. That was a sure way to get ambushed again. That, and the recent announcement by "Karl" told him that he need to "haul some ass" and get out of his area. He wasn't about to let a repeat of last Dante's Abyss happen again. He had been cheated then...

Android 20 leapt into the air, flinging a quick blast at Selipa. "Are you ready to-" Mid sentence, he began to suddenly feel strange. His attention shifted from Selipa to the collar at his throat, beeping wildly. Impossible! He'd entered a bunker before! He looked at Selipa. "I've been cheated out of this vic-" As one, every cell in his Android body imploded into itself, and the blood splattered all over Selipa.

His hand felt along the sleek metal of that damned contraption at his neck. He had put up quite a fight when they tried to get it on him. After three broken noses, smashing down a wall, and several shots of intense sedative, they had managed to force it on him. It made him laugh slightly, how they tried to reason with him that it wouldn't malfunction.

Regardless, he was now deeply entrenched in Dante's Abyss, with his only possible ally separated from him. He thought that perhaps once he had heard Krillin trying to contact him telepathically, but the mental connection was so weak, he couldn't hear or understand what might have been said. Obviously Krillin was having the same problems using telepathy without his ki sensing abilities to help him contact someone directly.

Twenty did have a new rather unexpected ally, though. When he had been teleported to the surface of Dante, the one person he least expected to consider helping him, contacted him. It was Gero. Apparently, the captive doctor wished to make a temporary "ceasefire" of sorts between the two of them for the duration of Dante's Abyss, so that they could win and not end up getting killed. The last time they fought separately from one another, it had nearly ended in their deaths. And when they fought in unison, they were victorious, and took the life of the brutish saiyan who had murdered their friend, Krillin. This new alliance pleased Twenty considerably. He did not enjoy the prospect of having to fend off Gero at the same time as fighting against the other competitors in Dante's Abyss. But this alliance did him one better. It seemed that because Twenty had sealed Gero inside his mind, he had allowed Gero to develop a new ability. Not one that could threaten the android's control of their body, but one that would prove invaluable, and did.

Gero could project his mind into the physical world. As Twenty's ability to detect ki signatures had been compromised, he couldn't see Gero, but he knew he was there, as Gero used this mental projection to act as Twenty's "third-person view." It saved his life when he had been ambushed. Without Gero alerting Twenty to the ki arrow screaming towards him, he could have been badly hurt. Not to mention the fact that Gero also possessed the ability to utilize Twenty's Mind Break ability, which he used to stop one of the ambushers from pouncing on Twenty before he could counterattack.

Gero and Twenty were finally a team once again. The feuding had been put aside, if only temporarily, and now they both planned to use every power at their disposal to help one another. History would not repeat itself.

The android moved silently through the trees, the near-inaudible hum of his internal generator the only sound that was made. He wished he could find Krillin. He needed an ally, a physical ally, not a mental one, like Gero was now. Despite his confidence in himself, Twenty inwardly feared being alone. Of course, this solitude was not to last long. It never would in this tournament.

[Yamu]

The two boys were somehow still full off energy after staying up all night to watch the debut of Dante?s Abyss, even after their mother had told them to go to bed. Their satellite TV received the Dante Channel so they could get twenty four hour live access on top of the featured hour long shows that appeared on FBS every night during prime-time.

Their names were Michael and Raphael Howell. When telling people their name they always stressed ?Howell? the way their mother did, ensuring they did not slip up and say the wrong name. Now, instead of getting ready for school as was custom on such a morning Raphael was chasing Michael down the stairs, each brandishing a card board made sword.

?Pull your self together you PRAT!? He screamed slashing at his younger brother with a amusing mockery of a certain halfling?s voice.

A wordless bellow came from Michael?s mouth, as the two clashed and slashed with their homemade ki swords.

?BOYS!? Ms. Howell screamed running from the kitchen and two half prepared lunches. For her own name she always stressed the ?Ms.? Making it sound like it was written with four ?z?s at the end. She let out a sigh knowing that there was too much of their father in them to keep them from watching that damnable show?




?Pull it together or I will kill you.? The voice was cold and full of certainty. There was no escape and no fighting back, merely the simple choice between two absolute options.

Chainsaw.

Yamu?s free hand could just feel the cool metal of the blade. ?URGH!? He screamed as he smashed the massive weight against his oppressor?s thigh sending them both to the ground.

?God-damn it Yamu?what is your fucking problem??

Yamu? That was his name?Yamu?Gohan?

Like falling down a water slide his humanity cascaded back into him.

?Gohan?? The vein covered human asked the Half-Saiyin?s elbow as it kindly introduced itself to Yamu?s nose. ?Shit?I?m back??

?I know?that was for being a prick and losing control. You back now??

?Yeah?? Yamu smiled through the blood running down his face and made his fellow Pitch Black member double over with an upper-cut to the mid-section. ?That was for being a prick.?




A few moments later they sat each with a bottle of their water, trying to plan out their next move when Gohan asked, ?What was with you back their, Yam??

The freakish Earthling stared into his water, ?My past?I used to be a gladiator?one of the best?this ?game? its bringing back. Even now?I have the lid on?but I feel like I?m still at a rolling boil underneath?if it gets to much it might just knock the top off??A long silence over came the two as they drank quietly. ?We need to go find Hasky??

?She?s not with you?!? Gohan asked alarmed, his body stiffening.

Yamu shook his head, ?We are spread out all over the island??

?What were you thinking t??

?Running off to Mercy-Sei and leaving her feeling abandoned??

Gohan became sat back down, chastised, ?She WANTED to come?I think part of her wants to prove something to you?and to me??

?I guess we both have some blame, eh??

?Yeah?let?s go fix it, man.?




?DAMN!? The director slammed his fist on the control table. His story writers had crafted a whole story line for tomorrow nights show about the raving psychopath, mangling trees and people all over the island. Now?he had clamed back down again, ruining six man hours of work. ?Call the ChoperCrew back in?those two aren?t going to fight??

?Where?s my five bucks, Dave?? One of the associate producers asked with a sickening smirk across his face.

?What??

?He didn?t drop.?

?Ahhg?double or nothing??

[Super Buu]

?I?m bored!? Buu had whined. ?And hungry!?

The group of seven had been walking for some time. So, when the call came for a rest and meal, almost all of them were happy to stop.

They set down under some trees, undoing their packs to check the contents. Rifling through his bag, the pink-coloured being known as Super Buu grabbed something and pulled it out. ?Bread?? he spat, with distaste. ?I?m not eating this crap!?

?Tough,? said Violet, smirking satisfactorily as she ripped off a piece of her own bread. ?That?s all you?re getting!?

?Hahaha!? Buu burst out laughing. ?AHAHAHA!?

?What?s so funny?? demanded the girl, frowning.

?Oh, nothing,? said the monster, wiping a tear from his eye. ?Enjoy your bread, I think I?m going to have some ?? he angled his headtail towards the loaf in his hand, ?CAKE!?

With that last syllable, a translucent ray of energy fired from his dangling appendage, encasing the bread in a jagged pink glow. With a puff of smoke, it disappeared. In its place was a very scrumptious-looking round cake, the size of Buu?s head. As Violet gawped, a thread of drool hanging from her mouth, the majin threw it into his gaping maw. With a loud gulp, it disappeared down his throat.

?How the ? what the fuck?? Violet looked flabbergasted. A loud burp caused her to turn around.

?Delicious!? Kid Buu sighed contentedly, licking his fingers. His face was coated in a layer of crumbs and icing, though he didn?t seem to mind as he lit a cigarette.

?You can do it too?? The woman?s eye twitched, but before she could demand answers, a cat plopped down on her head.

?Find any fish?? asked Super Buu, laying back in the shade.

Puar looked up from licking his paws and pointed downhill from where they were. ?There?s a stream down there,? he squeaked.

?Excellent!? The taller of the two pink beings stood up, punching a single fist into the palm of his other hand, as if the stream was an enemy to be conquered. ?I?m gonna make some wine!? Apparently, the habits of his smaller counterpart had begun to run off on him. As he made to run off, a stern voice halted his progress.

?Don?t go by yourself. We?ll all go together.?

Buu looked back to see Seventeen, yawning as he got up from the base of a tree. He turned and nodded to Sixteen and the elderly-looking man who had joined them shortly before. The group began down the hill, heading in the direction Puar had said the stream was.

OOC: Short, but I'll definitely have something else up later. You guys can go off to the stream and wash or whatever, or you can do something else if it takes your fancy.

[Piccolo Daimoun]

"Haha...What a fool," Piccolo Daimoun announced darkly, looking at the ground that Silver had just been, "What idiot thinks he can take on four of us?"

"That retard did," Blue answered with a cruel smile, spitting whatever was in his mouth on the spot, "But he's done...Nothing more to do here."

"Yeah," Bujin acknowledged, looking a bit wiped out from recently ascending into Spiritken. A dull greenish glow still inhibited his body, after effects of the great technique he had just used, "Where do we go now, guys?"

Koola turned to the group and slowly pondered on the question that was posed to him, "Well, we could run around blindly until we find someone else to eliminate from the game."

"Yeah, let's just hope they're not as weak and useless as Silver," The jade Namekian answered with a sneer, curling his eyes in to enhance the devilish look that plagued his face.

Silver was a good man.

The thought rudely shoved itself into the elder Namekians mind, and his previous look was replaced with one of deep confusion, "Uhh, did anyone say something?"

They all turned to him looking perplexed. Bujin replied to him after a few short stares between the three of them, "No, we didn't say anything."

Silver was a good man! It assaulted his head, stopping most other conscious thought.

"Uhh...Right, okay," He answered nervously, starting to become a little weirded out.

Silver was a good man!

"Shut up!" Was what he whispered under his breath, and the rest of his group were starting to question their Namekian party members mental wellness.

Silver was a good man!

"He was a weakling, and dealt with as such!" The slug like alien answered himself, turning away from the others. He didn't know why he was arguing with himself...Something was going on.

The phrase kept repeating itself, and it echoed inside his very mind and soul. He couldn't stand it, the pressure of the message was starting to take it's toll on him. Piccolo Daimouns knees buckled, and he fell quickly to all fours.

"Sh...Shut the hell up!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs this time. His determination wasn't enough to stop the surprise attack of the repressed part of his brain. Slowly, the phrase stopped, but Piccolo Daimoun had undergone another change...Too great changes in a day.

The jade Namekian was perplexed at this point...He couldn't remember anything happening since he had hit that tree, the Namekian one. All he knew was that he had just taken control of his body once more?He was under the distinct impression that he had been possessed again.

He tried as hard as he could, but all he knew was that he had done something terrible...A cloud of dread hung over his head, one that would not leave him.

"Piccolo...?" Koola asked, walking sluggishly and carefully up to the elder Namekians side.

"Ha! The bastard snapped..." Blue laughed, turning his back on the three of his companions.

"Who are you?" He asked, climbing back onto his feet.

"Uhh...What?" He asked, taking in the strange question that the Namekian had asked.

"Uhh, forget about it..." Piccolo Daimoun slowly said, suddenly hit with a few past memories, "I think I want to find the kid who broke my arm, and repay him for it!"

Another phrase was now being whispered in his head, one barely audible to him, 'Kill the boy'

Smiling, the returning version of Piccolo Daimoun had no idea that he was simply a puppet to be controlled.

(Ooc: A little longer then I intended, but I couldn't condense it down anymore.)

[Retane]

FACE TO FACE: Retane and Android 20

Before Retane could react, a new advisary was upon him. At first glance it looked like the human from the night before. Had he been trailed this whole itme sice their first encounter? The Namek turned heel and toe and litterally started to haul ass. Quickly he learned he wasn't fast enough to get away from his foe's powerful, projectile launcher.

He had to at least attempt to diverty the initial blast. Coming to a swift stop the mercenary turned and knelt low to the ground reaching for his deck of cards.They hadn't failed him yet, they wouldn't fail him now. To his surprise, the human shared the same facial expression as himself.

What is he doing? Wait though he looks similiar to the one from earlier, they aren't the same. Perhaps then there is a chance for an ally.

"I don't wish to see one of die this moment", Retane picked his words carefully. "But perhaps though we could allign ourselves together, and see that the others are eliminated before ourselves. After all", he continued as he saw that his picked works would allow him a better chance of survival, "we have three choices; Fight, in which one of us will get hurt or die or both; Go our seperate ways, and risk the hazards of this tournament alone, one hazard happens to be a Rocket Launcher by someone that looks similiar to yourself; or we can become allies. The choice is up to you. However, there is some bread over there, no matter what your choice. I don't eat it so perhaps you could beneifit from it's use. I am Retane."

"Twenty", came the offer," Android Twenty."

"So do we have ourselves an allaince then Twenty?"

(OOC: Ut oh! The underdog's getting frineds! RUN for your lives! hehe)

[Raditzu]

?This is boring!? the long-haired wonder hissed at his father.

?Yeah, but no one?s head?s been shot off, eh?? Bardock replied with a smirk to his son.

With a muted grumbled, Rad glowered at a snake slithering across the ground. He had told his father of his previous experiences with decapitation, and it was still a bit of a sore spot with him. Unluckily for that little snake, Rad was sure a spot of random violence would help ease his grievances. A sickening crunch filled the dense foliage, causing both Bra and Bardock to snap their heads towards the bulky saiyan behind them. Rad simply grinned and shrugged while he wiped bits of snake brain off of his boot. His irritation at their slow progression had been lifted and he fell back into line behind Bardock and Bra.

Their movements had been decided by Bardock, as he proclaimed age had its privileges. Rad simply smirked, saying he wouldn?t be able to keep up with them otherwise, which prompted a quick smack upside Rad?s head. After consulting their maps for a few minutes, they had decided that moving west would be the best idea. Well? Bardock and Bra did, Rad was busy trying to sneak bread out of Bra?s supplies (unsuccessfully). If people wanted to act like they were in charge that was fine with Rad. He was here to have fun, and sitting hunched over a map was not his idea of a good time.

?Man, I sure miss that Grimshaw guy,? Rad said to Bra as they continued forward. ?I mean? he was kind old, but he sure knew how to keep things lively. You ever seen a toaster turn into a 20-foot tall squirrel before that??

?Well?? Bra considered this for a moment. ?No, actually.?

The Princess fell silent with only that said, causing Rad?s face to distort with disappointment. Even without the blatantly irritating announcement by Jak, it would have been obvious that time passing even faster than anyone could have anticipated. The early morning light struggled to break through the dense canopy above them as they continued their little trek forward, casting an eerie glow across the three warriors. It was, with great relief to Raditzu when they burst through the forest into a clearing. A small body of water stood before them, a welcome change from the repetitive forest. According to Bardock, who had scanned his map into his scouter, they had slightly overshot their destination, but that wouldn?t hurt anything.

?I guess we could start hea??

Bardock was interrupted as a body came tumbling out of the woods about 30 feet from where Bra, Bardock and Raditzu were standing. All three saiyans sunk into a fighting stance, waiting to see what, exactly would happen. Predictably, Raditzu was the first to make a move. He rush his target, his feet gliding across the grassy floor with a surprising amount of grace. Bra and Bardock watched, prepared to back up their long-haired companion, but his first strike assured them that would not be necessary. Throw his arms to his side, Rad reached his opponent in record time, and, before they had a chance to react, had thrown his arms forward, wrapping them in a giant hug.

?Hey, babe. I was wondering where you went.?

OOC: Got cut short. ='(

[Ruhiel]

Clear. came the telepathic message from Gero.

Are you sure? I could've sworn I heard something moving just up ahead.
Android 20 replied mentally to the doctor, his back pressed hard against a tree as he remained perfectly still.

I promise you. There's nothing up here. I'm standing right where you said you heard the noise, and there's nothing out here. Gero answered.

Alright... Twenty muttered telepathically, and eased away from the tree.

Crouching low to the ground, he continued to slink forward, until he unwittingly passed right through Gero's invisible and matterless Astral Projection of himself.

You look ridiculous. Where are you taking us exactly? Gero chuckled, as his invisible and undetectable projection paced nonchalantly alongside the android.

Hey, I can guarantee that you'd be crawling along too if you'd just been ambushed. And I'm looking for Krillin. He's the only friend we've got out here as far as we know. And hold on, why is it that you can see me? You're supposed to be scouting up ahead! Android 20 retorted.

You sure are uptight. What happened to "I'm unstoppable?" Gero haughtily responded.

Who's said I'm not? I'm just... practicing my stealth skills.

Ha! Whatever you say. I can hear your thoughts, so I know that's a lie. But I won't say anymore, so carry on. I'll go back ahead like you said oh unstoppable one.

Android 20 had been travelling for a long time. After escaping from the ambush he had fallen into, Twenty had immediately started heading away from that location. He didn't know where he was going, or how he had even the slightest chance of running into the bald human, Krillin, out on this island.

He had restrained himself thus far concerning his food rations. He calculated that based on the amount of bread and water they had been given, it was only enough to last him comfortably for two days. While normally the android would not need food or water to sustain himself, as he was purely mechanical, something about that damned collar made him more human-like. He now had to deal with occasional spasms of hunger or thirst. It wasn't very bad at the moment, and he didn't expect it to be, with the exception of thirst. Water was going to be a problem. His databanks told him that he could go many, many days without food, as the average human was capable of this. However, he could only last a matter of one to two days without water. He wondered inwardly how such a race that relied so heavily on fuel supplies that were not easily renewable or powerful could have survived this long. Regardless, he now found himself in the shoes of a human, and intended to make the best of it. He would eat only small amounts at specific intervals, and drink only a certain amount at certain intervals as well. Unless he found more food or water, his body was going to be feeling the strain of hunger and thirst within a few hours.

Twenty! Something is up ahead! I'm about five hundred meters ahead of your position, but don't doing anything that is likely to get us noticed! Gero suddenly hissed telepathically to Twenty.

Reacting immediately, Twenty flung himself to the ground as quietly as possible, and lay there silently. Everything was so quiet around here. The sun was barely rising on the horizon, but there was no ambient noise to banish the pure silence that had fallen over the area. That was, it was silent up until the point that a black shadow seemed to fall upon the area, bathing everything in a false darkness.

Gero, what the hell is going on up there? The sun just rose and apparently just set again in a matter of seconds! Did someone get us with a time-warping technique? Android 20 whispered telepathically, as he tried to analyze the darkness that had fallen. Wait a minute... this isn't real darkness... this is ki-induced! Shit! Gero, whoever created this darkness might be able to track us with it!

Calm down, Twenty. There's nothing to be concerned about. Someone up ahead just killed someone. It was a back-stab based on the dialogue between the two. Without a scouter, I can't get a read on how powerful the one that murdered the other is, but I can tell he's a namekian, and he's the one who created the darkness. Gero answered calmly.

A back-stab? And it worked? That's clever. Low and dishonorable, but clever. I'd like to meet this namekian. If he proves hostile, then I'll simply have to kill him. But I could use company, and this namekian seems to understand how the game of life works. Twenty answered, thinking to himself somewhat at the same time.

Android 20 lifted himself from the ground, and began to walk forward silently through the trees. He needed a reading from his scouter to judge how to react in this instance, and he needed the namekian to be unaware when he did so. The gap of five hundred meters rapidly closed, and as it did, Twenty's audio sensors began to detect the tell-tale rustlings of someone up ahead. Reaching into his survival bag, he pulled out his standard green scouter, and placed it over his left eye. Easing out from behind one of the trees he was hidden behind, Twenty finally saw the namekian Gero was talking about. A very large saiyan lay on the ground, evidently dead, and a pool of blood was gathering around his jugular region. He recognized this saiyan, or thought he did, as the one who had murdered Krillin in the first Dante's Abyss, but he couldn't be sure, so he felt no feeling one way or another to the dead saiyan.

His attention turned to the namekian, who was looking around cautiously, seeming to have heard Twenty's approach somewhat. Twenty quietly pressed a button on his scouter, and it sprung to life, beeping as it read his energy level. Twenty covered the beeping portion of the device hurriedly in an attempt to silence it, but it was too late, the namekian had heard him. But the android now knew what power the namekian wielded, and he was no longer concerned.

But then the namekian began to run. Very quickly. As if he were fleeing Twenty. The feeling did some to raise Twenty's already overlarge ego, if only for a moment. But then he realized that there were two more likely explanations for the namekian's actions. One, that because he murdered his saiyan 'friend,' he thought that Twenty was another 'friend' who had seen him do it, and didn't want to get killed. Two, he was a coward. If it was the second, then Twenty wanted nothing to do with the namekian. But he needed to know first, so he had to make the warrior stop running.

The android came out from behind his hiding place, and raised one mechanical arm, aiming just ahead of the green-hued organic. With a quick thrust of power, a sharp blast of golden energy exploded forward towards the namekian. But the fleshy warrior quickly stopped, and spun around upon seeing the blast closing in on him, and pulled out... a deck of cards. Twenty had to suppress a laugh to keep his face straight.

As Twenty's shot exploded harmlessly a fair distance behind the green warrior, and the two were left staring at one another. And then, the namekian began to speak. It was almost funny to Twenty, that the namekian instantly turned to the thought of an alliance with him. Under normal circumstances, the android would have laughed and killed whoever thought of such a proposal, but this namekian was different, as were the circumstances. He felt no reason to end the namekian's life for some reason, which was something he had never felt in a tournament such as this, except towards his fellow Ghost Marines. That, and Gero was terrible company to have along. When the namekian asked for his opinion of an alliance, the android smiled, and gave his response.

"I suppose a mutual defensive pact would be agreeable, 'Retane.'" Twenty answered, and then made a semi-serious joke. "But I hope you're smart enough not to try what you did to that saiyan there to me."

OOC: Had to end it. Length was getting out of hand.

[Belle Hibiki]

He's going to go make some wine? Well I'm not drinking it!

Kid Buu scowled after his taller counterpart. On his soft face the effect was somewhat diminished, a gentle sloping downward of his brows and the merest tightening of the lines around his mouth, but it was enough to show his displeasure. He was at the back of their little line, wary of having any of them at his back. It wasn't as if he was necessarily mistrustful of them, he reasoned with himself, but that he was just being cautious. The cake that he ate in synchronous with Super Buu tasted slightly bitter in his mouth as the icing melted. He lit, puffed, and then quickly put out his next cigarette, nervously twitching. What was wrong with him?!

"Hey, Kibbles!" Super Buu called to him. "Are you just going to light up all day, or are you going to have some of this?! It's great!" Supes lifted one of the Henka'd rock-bottles and poured a steady stream of darkling ruby pinot down his throat. He licked the head of the bottle for emphasis. "C'mooon, you know you want a drink!"

Poison? "Would you keep it down?!" Kid hissed. "Are you trying to get us killed...?!" He stopped. "Kibbles?"

"Yeah well, even though I named you Kid Buu, I'm not gonna go through the fucking trouble of saying that all the time. Kid Buu. Kay-Bee. Kibbles," Super Buu explained with just the suggestion of mockery - or praise, Kid Buu couldn't tell which. Super Buu stuck out his fingers from pinky to middle finger as he listed off the variations. "It's brilliant!"

A sudden anger flamed up from within him. "Oh yeah?! Well if I'm kibbles then you're... you're... Pea Soup," he shouted, pointing a stubby finger matter of factly at Super Buu. Soup, yes. He would be just like soup, disgusting, slippery dishes they were, always tasting completely different from how they looked. Deceiving.

"Ahaha! AHAHA! Pee, that's great," Soups chuckled. He waved his bottle at him and nodded his head before he turned back to the others. "Hey guys! Listen up. My new name is Supes, okay? Like the Super Man. Kibbles came up with it. Ain't he great?"

"No, no!" Kibbles shouted as everyone started to nod their heads in agreement and smile slightly at the taller majin. "Not SUPES! Soup! Pea soup! Terrible! BAD! I-" He stopped. "Are any of you even listening to a word I'm saying?! God! I need a martini... No, not NOW Supes!"

Suddenly, the prospect of being alone and terrified was infinitely more appealing.

[Whompt]

"What a bunch of loser?s I?m stuck with," Blue thought as he glanced back at his travelling companions. "The green guy?s a schizo, and that retarded comment just dropped the purple one down a few notches on the old respect-o-meter." Letting out a soft sigh, the human fighter looked at Bujin. "The only one who?s worth a damn is that little blue guy, and that?s just cuz he?s got some power behind him."

The more he thought about it, the more Blue wanted that power for himself. One day, it would be his, and his need for this ragtag bunch of simpletons would be at its end. Until then, they?d serve as a meat-shield and possibly a few chuckles.

The sun was beginning to rise and with it came that famous jungle heat. Already, Roy?s skin was beginning to glisten and his temper to shorten. Walking right up to the green fighter, the red-haired human regarded him with a cold stare. ?I don?t really care how crazy you are, but if you have another episode like that I?m out of here. Understand? All it does is bring attention to us, unwanted attention, and put us all at risk.?

Receiving a blank stare in response, Blue shook his head. He honestly didn?t care if Piccolo Daimoun remembered or not. The Namekian just better not let it happen again. Turning his attention away from the disturbed individual and to Koola, the sword-wielding fighter continued his tirade. ?And you! The last thing we want to do is wander around aimlessly and hope to find someone we can beat.? Gritting his teeth, Roy looked towards the sky. ?God, grant this man some intelligence!?

His exasperated stare back on the alien, Blue continued. ?Use some strategy, before you get us all killed. I suggest we all sit low for awhile and wait for the blue guy to rest up. Then we should find a place to hide out til dark. Hopefully the other contestants will be sleeping and we can move up and slaughter em while they snooze? Understand??

Opening his mouth, the purple changling went to answer Blue, but was cut off by a cold glare. ?Honestly, do whatever the hell you want. But if it involves rushing off to your deaths, leave me out of it.? Turning his back on them once more, the blue-eyed asshole stalked off into the wood line. ?I?ll be right over here, if you have anything smart to say.?

EDIT: Quotation marks make the thoughts easier to read.

[Violet]

OOC: Had to make it long to include everything that needed to be included...just read, it's awesome. ^_^




The water was cool and refreshing, sliding down the back of her throat as she gathered handfuls into her mouth. It wasn?t Dew, but it was certainly better than that bottled crap she had in her bag. She stood from her hunched position and wiped the driblets away from her mouth.

"Ahem! Wake up, my little warriors!" The voice crackled from some loudspeaker situated in the distance, the metallic rattle almost earsplittingly annoying. If anyone was still asleep after that, she would have to admire them for their adamance.

Her group remained silent, all save for the sound of eating and slurping down water, or, as the Buus were doing, chomping on heaps of sweets, which to her chagrin, they wouldn?t share. Greedy bastards. She edged over to a pile near Super, sliding down to her haunches while he was distracted by the loudspeaker and managing to pilfer a small piece of butterscotch taffy.

"I hope everybody is adjusting to island life well! It's now 6 AM in the morning!?

?Six AM already?? Sixteen questioned to nobody in particular. Seventeen shrugged his shoulders.

?I'm a bit disappointed that only two people have fallen in the starting hours of the competition! I hope you guys can pick up the pace!? Karl continued.

?What a slave driving bastard.? Jackie commented tersely, listening intently on the information booming through the area.

?The fallen warriors are:

#10 Panbuukin
#41 Piccolo?

?Piccolo?? Seventeen?s brows raised in curiosity. Perhaps their lost clan mate was found after all. It had been months since he had last seen the Namekian warrior, his ally and best friend. Weird how the jade warrior managed to be in the same place at the same time as the android.

?Shh!? Violet admonished, waiving her hand to silence the man.

?And now, it's time to announce the new forbidden zones! These zones will be activated in six hours, at the noon update! If you're in one of these spots at noon...BOOM! Hehe!

D-8
F-7
G-1

That's it! Good luck, my warriors! We've had great ratings so far, and the personal collar camera sales have shot through the roof! Keep making this a successfull tournament, sweeties!

This is Karl, over and out!"

The announcement faded away into the muted silence that encompassed the group, just a memory now.

Seventeen bolted to his feet, a smile plastered on his face. ?Piccolo was here!? He exclaimed, the exuberance in his voice was cut short as the dark haired woman huffed angrily.

?Piccolo is no more.? She said, the anger changing her icy blues into a fiery indigo.

Curious, the group turned to face her, waiting for an explanation to her strange declaration. ?Oh? How come? They said-?

?No. It must be the real Piccolo.? She said, contemplating on the possibility of catching up to the true Namekian, to find out what he knew, and how the android she was aquainted with came to be in possession of his identity.

?The?what the hell are you talking about?? Seventeen said, slightly miffed that the woman would talk so brazenly about his ally.

Violet sighed and rose to her feet once more, brushing the bits of dirt and grass away from her leather clad rump. ?It was bound to come out sometime?? She began. The memories of the past came flitting through her head, and she held back the urge to spill everything that had transpired between herself and Thirteen. Even that dream last night, which she was praying to be only that, a dream, and not real. The implications the child was speaking of was impossible?it couldn?t be true.

?Spill already!? raged the android, stepping closer to the woman. He was close to throttling the information on the former clanmate out of her by force if she didn?t continue.

?When we split after the Red Stallions invasion, Piccolo and myself trained in the forest for weeks. He helped me unlock a power deep inside my soul that I thought never existed. He even helped control the raging demons that threatened to turn me back to the former monster I was many years ago?something that I was afraid of.? She darted her eyes away from her comrade, the truth would hurt the android, and that was something she wanted to avoid, but there was no going around it.

?What happened, woman!?

?I left for Vegetasei directly after the BAS tournament; it was supposed to be a vacation?? Her voice began to crack, the very seeds of tears lining her clear, azure eyes. She could remember calling upon Piccolo, throwing herself into his arms and embracing the Namek for dear life. She had thought she had been reunited with her brother, but when his body shifted under hers, the familiar stern face melting away into some stranger, all the love fell away from her. She would have forgiven him, if only he would have told her sooner; but the android?s intentions were made as clear as the Red Ribbon insignia on his vest.

?He isn?t who you think he is, anymore, Seventeen. He never was. He used us all.? She choked back the sobs that threatened to tear from her throat, she had to tell them?she had to! ?He is an android, like you, Seventeen. He had managed to hide his true form under the guise of a gentle, trusting Namekian.? She couldn?t hold back any longer. Silver tears tracked down her cheeks, her voice low, hurt. ?He?s abandoned us all. No longer is he a brother of Civil Unrest. Only a traitor??

She could feel the tension pulsing around her, hanging on her words as if they were a lifeline. Darting her head to the side, trying to avoid their cold, angry eyes, she added; ?He claims he loves me, more than a sister, more than just friends?but it was just too convenient when I joined Civil Unrest, and it just so happened to be his M. O. to take me out for some BULLSHIT that happened almost a decade ago!? Her voice rose in rage, a faint sparkle of aura swirling around her feet.

?If only I hadn?t joined you guys?if only I had just stayed home that day?you would still have your brother?I have ruined everything?? Not wanting to be surrounded by her clan mates any longer, she ran.

The forest met her swiftly moving feet; vines, roots, small saplings, all of it was burned away as the woman?s energy blazed like fire around her. Deeper into the shadows of the forest she ran, until finally, she fell to her knees in a pile of dead leaves, allowing the sobs to take its course on her fatigued body. Her arms wrapped around her thin frame, hugging herself in a vain attempt at comfort.

His smirking face moved before her mind?s eye, the words that shot an arrow through her heart echoing in the depths of her head.

"If it were that easy," choked out Thirteen. "To come out straight and say what it is that is creating this rift between the two of us, don't you think I would just say it? It's not like I know how to change who and what I am, if I could, I would. I was created to kill the woman Buukin, and nothing more and yet, I find...I find myself in love with her. There, I said it. I love her, not only as a sister, but with a deeper affection than I have ever felt. I am nothing but an artificial humanoid, built merely for death and destruction, and yet she has fondled my heart and carved her face into my mind. There is no escaping it, it hurts when I breath. I see her in my sleep. I'm drowning in emotion and it's all thanks to her and this, this love that I feel."

And yet, she found it all too easy to hate the android with a seething passion. His words were nothing more than that?words; she could never bring herself to love him back again, never. He had already done the damage of shredding what remained of her cold, black heart into tatters, falling to the ground and flittering away with an uncaring breeze.

The only thing that hurt her now, was seeing the pain that etched itself across Seventeen?s face. She couldn?t save him from that, he had to know. Now, she wished she could take it all back?ignorance was always bliss.


OOC: Super Emo's! Away!!!!

[Piccolo Daimoun]

Something was going on inside his head, and he didn't know what. It felt the same as being possessed, and he wasn't sure if that was the case...The only difference was, being possessed just put you in the back seat...You could remember what you were doing while you haunted someone's soul...

Shaking his head, he couldn't get the voice out of his very mind. Grunting as he started to feel a headache coming on, he turned to see Blue walking off, after his damn episode. He had heard his rage filled voice, but didn't give a damn about it. If the guy wanted to have a tantrum, then let him go off and sulk...

Emotions betray you.

His eyes widened as he heard a voice inside his head, which was similar, if not identical, to his own. Starring at the ground as he tried to get a homing on this ghost inside his mind, he tried to concentrate on it...

The sounds were weak, and radiated with a dull echo inside his skull, Use his pride, his anger, for yourself. And when he becomes useless, discard of him.

"No, I'm not like that..." The jade Namekian uttered quietly to himself, trying to reassure his own mind. He couldn't bring himself to do the things that were the very essence of what he hated...He would not become a fallen warrior.

Yes you are...I know you are, and you will do what I say, The voice tried to persuade, but was met with a heated response.

Shutup! I will not USE people for my own needs!

"Then you're just going to let people like Guru walk all over the both of us?

The question posed was a conundrum to him, a horrible moral dilemma that tested his very core. He hated Guru, and he didn't want to be controlled by others...He wanted to help people, and the slug like alien knew he couldn't do that while under some old fogies finger...But did the end justify the means?

Not answering, he moved in Blue's direction, and was met with an incredibly icy tone, "What do you want?" He hissed out, glaring at him with his head tilted towards his chest slightly.

"I was thinking about it, and if you won't help the three of us fight," He paused for a short moment, swallowing and halting his words for dramatic effect, "Then we could just leave you here...I mean, you're going to hold us back."

"What!?" Blue exclaimed darkly, looking with loathe towards Piccolo Daimoun, "Listen here, if anyone's holding anyone back, it's you holding me back! Got it?"

"If that's what you think...I mean, an opinions not a privilege...I guess that explains why you still have one," He turned at these last words, walking away from Blue.

"Don't turn your back on me, you green sonuvabitch!" the sapphire-named man snarled as he stalked towards the namekian warrior. "You can take your holier-than-thou talk and shove it straight up your ass, understand? I can handle anything y'all pussies can, and ya know what? I'd do it better. So either shut your cum-trap or tell me what you're really after."

"I want to see if you're expendable or not," He ended with a dark smile, walking back to the rest of the group. He knew his final words were the icing on the cake to piss off Blue.

[Metal Koola]

MK Was furious. Not even 6 hours into this whole tournament, and he was already injured. That damn ninja was going to pay, but right now, all he worried about was getting himself fixed up. This of course meant that whoever he came across with a med pack, depending on their strength, would either become friend or foe. Metal Koola had the best weapon in this whole little game, and if someone had a med pack, and they teamed up... there was little that could stop them. He only hoped that the person he came across was either weak, or willing to group.

He bent his fingers, trying to fix them himself, but it was no luck. The fucker running this game had taken away the changeling's ability to heal himself, and it was really starting to piss him off. How could someone be this powerful? It was absurd! He got up from the bed and walked to the door. It was time to find other people. As he exited, Murasaki was nowhere in sight. The battered man was probably off crawling to his death. MK only hoped he'd get to be the one to finish him off, but the way things were looking, someone would probably get to the boy long before he had a chance.

"Ugh... I need to kill something!" He screamed to himself. He had already forgotten about his injury, as his fingers seemed to just rest on the trigger of the gun. They were settled, and the gun was acting as a bit of a brace for them. It was a perfect symbiotic relationship; of course, assuming the gun liked to be held, which MK was sure it did. He scanned the area and made a blind decision about where to head, taking off at a faster than average speed looking for a weakened opponent, preferably Murasaki, who he could take out easily. After that, he would need to find that med pack... but he should be ok until then.

[The Terminator]

Sixteen brushed a lock of ginger hair from his face, dipping his other hand into the stream and feeling the icy liquid. He scooped some water from the brook with his hands and sloshed it onto his face, now fully awake. He took a seat at the water?s edge, tossing a stick into the current and watching it flow down the river. The stick suddenly glowed a pink color, transforming into a cork before his eyes. The synthetic humanoid rolled his eyes as the tall magical golem name Super Buu picked the item from the river and corked a bottle.

?I should save some of this for later...hehe.? The Majin warrior said to himself, placing the bottle next to him and conjuring another receptacle with which to hold the alcohol. As he brought his second bottle into the stream, he caught the gaze of the synthetic human. He held the bottle out for Sixteen to grasp, the latter shaking his head. Buu shrugged and went back to his drinking. The intoxicating substance brought back bad memories, even if it wasn?t the hard stuff. Alcohol had ruined his life more than once.

"Ahem! Wake up, my little warriors!" a piercing voice declared. Sixteen winced and looked around for any sign of where it was coming from. Finding none, he calmed down. Whether he could find the source or not, Sixteen was damn sure that anyone who was asleep was awake now.

"I hope everybody is adjusting to island life well! It's now 6 AM in the morning!? The high-pitched voice pierced the air again.

?Six AM already?? The mohawked android blurted out. His fellow android beside him shrugged.

?I'm a bit disappointed that only two people have fallen in the starting hours of the competition! I hope you guys can pick up the pace!? The whiney voice continued.

What a prick. Sixteen thought. The old man who had recently joined the party voiced a similar opinion.

?The fallen warriors are:

#10 Panbuukin
#41 Piccolo?

Piccolo? The android thought, bewildered.

?Piccolo?? Seventeen voiced the larger android?s thoughts. Sixteen knew that he and the jade namekian had been very close, poking fun at one another during the battles of the Red Stallion invasion. He wondered how his raven-haired leader would handle the news of his death. The lavender-haired woman silenced the android as Karl Jax spoke up again.

?And now, it's time to announce the new forbidden zones! These zones will be activated in six hours, at the noon update! If you're in one of these spots at noon...BOOM! Hehe!

D-8
F-7
G-1

That's it! Good luck, my warriors! We've had great ratings so far, and the personal collar camera sales have shot through the roof! Keep making this a successful tournament, sweeties!

This is Karl, over and out!"

Sixteen was again reminded of the metallic restraint on his neck. It was this infernal contraption that had kept him from using his scouter some hours ago, and it would seem his flight was also gone for the time being. I hate technology. He said to himself, chuckling at the irony of the statement.

?Piccolo was here!? Seventeen blurted out, scampering to his feet.

?Piccolo is no more.? The purple-haired vixen spoke bitterly.

Michael turned to face the woman, wearing a blank expression. ?Oh? How come? They said-?

?No. It must be the real Piccolo.? The woman responded enigmatically, rubbing her chin. The synthetic humanoid gritted his teeth. He never liked people knowing things he didn?t.

?The?what the hell are you talking about?? Seventeen piped in to Sixteen?s right, slightly annoyed by the woman?s bizarre comment.

Mike could only watch with a mix of bewilderment and interest as she recounted her tale. Piccolo had not been who he had supposedly been. He had fooled them all into thinking he was the wise namekian warrior he had said he was, only to be an android, much like Sixteen and Seventeen.

If only I hadn?t joined you guys?if only I had just stayed home that day?you would still have your brother?I have ruined everything?? The saddened female warrior turned and dashed into the wilderness, tears falling from her cheeks. Michael?s brow raised in surprise, exchanging a look of bewilderment with Puar and the newcomer, Jackie Chun. Seventeen wore a look of shock, frozen. For a moment no one moved, the Majin Super Buu soon dashing into the wilderness after her, leaving the android with his fellow android, the reamining Majin warrior, the feline and the old man.

?What...?? Sixteen began, faltering. He simply could not believe this. Piccolo had won his way into their hearts, the android had even almost idolized the jade alien. He was...a traitor?

?Nothing we can do.? Kid Buu spoke somberly, referring to the duo of warriors in the forest. ?Let those two work it out.?

Sixteen found no other option, taking his seat at the brookside and splashing some water onto his blood stained shoulder whilst he awaited the return of his fellow alliance members.


(OOC: Half-way decent, I suppose.)

[Whompt]

Blue-eyes drilling holes into the Namekian?s back, Blue?s mind burned with the image of that insolent smirk. ?That bastard! No one talks to me like that! No one! He?s gonna pay for this, oh yes?? His whole body trembled from barely controlled rage, his vision turning red and tunneling until all he saw was that green-skinned piss-of-shit.

And as suddenly as it happened, the anger left, and Blue took in a deep breath. Allowing himself a smile, he decided not to let the antennaed fighter get under his skin. These people were nothing more than fodder, after all. ?[i]Fodder that backtalk,[i] Roy thought with a grimace. Turning on his heel, the ex-military commander stormed into the wood line. ?I?ll be back, douche bags. Leave without me and you?ll regret it.?

Ducking branches and kicking through the thick underbrush, Blue resolved to never again lose his cool in front of those retards. They weren?t worthy of such an event. So, once he?d moved a sufficient distance into the trees, the rage-filled human began to take out his aggression on his surroundings. Very soon, he was standing knee-high in smoldering wood and mud. Without bothering to clean up, Roy headed back to camp.

Luckily for his companions, they hadn?t gone anywhere. Currently talking about some bullshit or another, Blue paid them no mind as he took up his traditional place outside their gaggle-fuck. A few words caught his discriminating ear, something about wanting to move on to another area. As far as he was concerned, the blue-eyed jackass didn?t care where they went. Not anymore. He?d show Piccolo Daimoun just how ?expendable? he was.

And once the Namekian?s usefulness was at its end, that?s when Blue would deal with him. ?Well, if we?re going somewhere, let?s get a move on!? the lone human spoke, ?We ain?t winning this bitch by just sitting around.? It was funny just how fast his mind had changed. Damn that green bastard!

[Super Buu]

?If only I hadn?t joined you guys?if only I had just stayed home that day?you would still have your brother?I have ruined everything??

With that, Violet ran, leaving the rest of the troupe in stunned silence. Nobody seemed to know what to say, so Super broke the ice.

?Oh jeez ?? he sighed heavily, his wide shoulders slumping. He started to jog after her, giant body carrying itself with an easy speed. He turned round, his hand outstretched as a ?stop? sign to the others who were getting ready to follow. ?Stay here!? he ordered. ?Don?t move from this spot. I?ll be right back!? With that he turned and sprinted, following his charge into the depths of the forest.

He slowed down as trees engulfed his position. ?Violet!? he yelled, a mixed look of concern and anger etched across his face. For all he knew he could already have run past her, or she could have gone away. The island was a big place for someone to hide. ?Damn it, Violet, why did you choose now to have your period??

Growling, he sat down and despaired, bent over with his hands gripping the back of his head. He stood up and roared suddenly. ?ARGH! She could be anywhere!? He stamped the ground with his brown boots, raving. ?This is all my fault! I should have kept a better eye on her. She?s only a fucking human, she?ll get herself killed!?

As he shut up for a second to think about his next course of action, Buu?s ears - or, hearing receptors - perked up. A sound, like someone crying, was coming from nearby. ?There it is again!? he whispered, as another sob racked the air. Raising his voice, he bellowed, ?VIOLET! It?s me, Buu!? He paused. ?The cooler one!?

A pause. Then, a faint call; ?please ? don?t come after me.? A rustling through the brushes indicated someone getting up and moving.

The words only filled Super Buu with a stronger desperation, as he trampled through the dense undergrowth, nearly tripping on wayward vines and having to push away hanging branches with his hands. ?Violet!? he called again, hearing movement up ahead. ?Slow down!? He growled in pain as a branch whipped into his eye before rushing onward, hands in front of his face.

Ahead, the girl ran, tears streaming from her face. She couldn?t deal with anyone else right now, she just wanted to be alone. Unfortunately, however, her pursuer was determined. A hand reached from behind, snatching at her arm and catching her off-guard. He gasped, ?let go of me!? before spinning and detaching the appendage. She made it about a foot before she was caught again, this time in a firmer grip.

?Slow the ? fuck down ?? panted Buu, looking badly like he needed a rest. One of his eyes was bloodshot, as if it had been hit by something. Then, seeing that the girl had finally stopped trying to run, asked, ?what?s the matter with you people??

Violet just turned away, apparently unwilling - or unable - to talk.

?Listen,? the monster began, ?I?m not an expert on human emotion. I never really knew Piccolo ? or whatever his name is now. But I can tell you?re upset, otherwise you wouldn?t be running off into the forest like this. What I?m saying is ?? he paused, squirming with discomfort, ?maybe it would be better if you ? talked about it??

[Bardock]

As the two embraced, Bardock shook his head and turned away. He wasn?t too good at the whole ?happy reunion? thing. It seemed a little misplaced to him, as well; good for them and all, but this was still Dante?s Abyss, the farthest thing from chipper smiles and rainbows. He pointed his finger at the ground, and a spherical blast of ki shot from the tip, charring the spot with a circular scorch mark.

?We?ll make camp here for the day. Try to do something useful while I?m gone,? he barked. The saiyan had the leader pants on, so he figured he?d make the most of it. Bardock tightened the shoulder strap on his bag, throwing a meaningful glare in Raditzu?s direction. With that, he marched off into the wilderness.

When he?d gone far enough, he checked back to see if the others were out of sight. Receiving positive feedback, he relieved himself, cursing discretion. An island would have been a dog?s paradise, and yet he was scurrying off to find a tree somewhere out of view. After all was said and done, he zipped up and moved forward. It was strange, but the bodily function spurred on a new train of thought. He was a lone wolf at heart, so why was he teaming up? The answer came quickly and simply: survival. He stood a better chance in a group than by himself and running into a group. Bar was confident about his skills and all, but he wasn?t as stupid as people thought him to be. Hell, even he surprised himself sometimes at what ran through his mind. Still, a larger party had its setbacks. The saiyan thought about all the carnage and mayhem he could have caused by himself. Then again, he thought about all the carnage and mayhem that could have been caused against him. It was play to win, no matter how you looked at it. He tried to keep the bigger picture in mind, and knew that the others would (or eventually would) as well. If it came down to the very end, the flames were coming out. Until that time came, they were a unit, a well-oiled machine. Bardock would ensure their safety until it no longer became his responsibility. He owed it to his two companions for giving them his word, and to Bra, if only because he was raised on ?for king and country.? But that didn?t mean he had to be nice about it. If there was one thing he was not, it was ?nice guy.? Damn heroes. He hated them with every fiber of his being.

?Fuck,? he swore aloud. No particular reason, the fighter just liked the sound of the word. ?Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.?

The day was getting hotter. Bardock reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and took a conservative swig. Ugh. It was warm. Holding back his distaste, the fighter drank again, more deeply this time. Putting the liquid away, he decided he?d been messing around long enough. The evolved ape jumped into the air without the assistance of energy, still managing an amazing vertical distance. He landed on a tree, and sprung forward, moving his arms like whirlwinds. He bounded off two more wooden monoliths, his upper appendages now laden with branches. Task complete, Bardock tromped back to camp, a scowl on his face. He didn?t have much to scowl about, that?s just how he looked half the time.

Bar dumped the branches near the scorch mark and used his energy to further dig a fire pit. Placing the wooden limbs in a successful arrangement, he left the pit as is. It was the middle of the day, and a fire was not needed until the temperature began to drop. There was also no need for shelter, as they would not be here long enough to require one. The fighter plopped back, sitting comfortably. He elected to eat the bread first, ripping off an end with his teeth and chewing noisily and animalistically with no manner to who was watching. Bardock glanced over the paper map, inspecting nearby landmarks and contemplating their next move.

[Celipa]

Contemplating, Puar sat ? silent. In the background, he could hear Sixteen splashing water from the brook?but all else was silent.

?I?ve got it!? Puar chimed. ?She?s talking about Thirteen!?

Sixteen?s splashing stopped, as the hulking android turned to look at his feline friend. Seventeen?s already emotional face took a slightly more confused tone, as he turned to Puar as well. Kid Buu sat silently, puffing on another cigarette.

?That?s where I met Violet?on planet Vegeta. She and I traveled with a saiyan, and an android?but she held a grudge against the android, and I didn?t know why. Until now. That?s who she was just talking about?? Puar trailed off.

Everyone fell silent, and then returned to their business, allowing thought to once again become the dominating speech between them. Puar, disliking the solemnity of the situation, decided to fish by the brook. Taking a spot on the bank, the sky blue feline eyed the flowing water in front of him; awaiting a fish of some sort. The opportunity didn?t arrive.

Sitting idly by the water, Puar spotted no fishes. Apparently it wasn?t fish season. With a shrug of his cat-shoulders, Puar walked over to Sixteen; who was still washing out his wound.

?What do you think is gonna happen, Red?? questioned Puar, in his high-pitched voice.

?I?m not quite sure,? replied Sixteen with a shrug. ?They?ll be back?I?m sure of it. But, I don?t know how this is going to affect our group dynamics.?

Puar nodded, and silence fell over the two once more. With a hop, Puar landed on Sixteen?s large shoulder ? the good one, not the injured one. Perching himself in a comfortable position, Puar sat, awaiting the return of his alliance-mates.

[Kami]

The group continued moving along. Every now and then Kami would look over his shoulder to check on the the rest of the group. After Thirteen had a little trouble standing on his own he decided it wouldn't hurt to make sure everyone was keeping up. It also wasn't a bad idea to watch his own ass and make sure nobody was going to jump him. He looked over at Trunks who was still relativly quiet after his talk with the Android.

Garlic Jr. trotted up alongside Kami. The Namek looked down to the little goblin, and he spoke up "Getting tired of running in the back?"

Garlic shrugged his shoulders, "Someone has to do it...but I was wondering how you managed to do any damage with the hairbrush you've got in your bag. I noticed it earlier." The Namek smiled, he was well aware that his given weapon for the tournament was among the least effective thing he could have possibly been given. He didn't even have any hair.

"It's all about how you use it." he ran a hand across his bald head, "I obviously have to practical use for it, so I find other more abstract ways of using it. If you punch someone hard enough with anything it'll hurt like hell." Kami checked behind him once again. "How're you guys holding up? I don't want my team falling apart!" The guys behind him gave a reaffirming nod, letting the Namek know things were fine.

The small band of warriors carried on, keeping an eye out for possible targets or threats. Kami checked his scouter like Trunks had earlier and was anoyed by the range of the device. "I'd sure like to use my ki sense right now. We'd be picking off people left and right."

Trunks grunted in agreement, still deep in thought while keeping his head on a swivel to avoid being blindsided. Kami gave him a firm pat on the back but said nothing, figuring the action said enough. He wasn't sure why but these fighters pleased him, while all very different they seemed to form a solid team together. Their differences possibly being their strongest asset in the long run.