[?] Raditzu

[Burter]

Raditzu let out a grunt as he landed hard on the ground, face first.

"Ow," he commented as he rolled onto his back. He noted the cabin in front of him, and the bleak area around him. "I think you guys messed up the teleportation," he said aloud, "This isn't an all-you-can-eat waffle diner."

[Raditzu]

"This is whatcha get for not reading the fine print," the saiyan grumbled. In his hand he clutched a crumpled ad for a free buffet.

Flashback!

"Hey, babe, you gonna answer the door?"

With a satisfied yawn, the long-haired wonder returned his recliner's seatback to its full, upright, and locked position. Just moments ago he had been taking a pretty serious nap, when the harsh chime of a doorbell interupted his slumber. Both he and Android 18 had been taking a bit of R&R in an HQ on Earth, though the latter had began to complain about being bored. Though could definitely sympathize with the complaint, this was the first "vacation" he had enjoyed in a long while. Though the word "vacation" might not be the most appropriate, since Rad was unemployed in most people's eyes.

The only caveat to this was the random interruptions they would recieve. A wrong address, or solicitors, or Jehova's Witnesses, or anything else. The real problem occured when Raditzu himself would answer the door. On multiple occasions, his likeness had been immediatly recognized as the one who had recently participated in the Dante's Abyss tournament. Though had hoped any publicity from that event would have died down, he had been sorely mistaken. After his showing in DA, a couple of fanatics had dug up old footage of Raditzu participating in various tournaments, and even some of his days with the Vegeta Military. Needless to say, the warrior was more than a little surprised when he turned on the TV one day and saw himself, but half as old and in fatigues.

One of those that had recognized him (thankfully it had just been the pizza boy), had forced his way into the HeadQuarters and started looking around everywhere. The poking around didn't mind Raditzu so much as the constant questioning did. The saiya-jin had a bit of fun playing along and telling these fantastic stories that nobody in their right mind should have believed, but when it became obvious that this particular delivery boy was a complete moron, Rad had to ask him to leave. After the ensuing argument about Raditzu being an idol and how he should share his mastery over the martial arts with anyone who wanted to learn, 18 got fed up and threw him out a nearby window. That was when they agreed that Rad should avoid answering the door.

"Hey! Eighteen!" With a grumble and a tch, Rad pulled himself from his chair wandering around the HQ, periodically calling for his significant other. He grinned when he heard and answering 'I'm in here!'

"You gonna answer the door?" Rad asked, trying not to get his hair wet.

"Raditzu... I'm in the shower."

"What's the problem?"

"Being naked and wet, I think?"

"Oh yeah... like someone's gonna complain about a naked woman answering a door."

Though she turned her back to the long-haired saiyan, he could hear her roll her eyes.

"Well what if its a woman?"

"Maybe she's a lesbian." Rad tapped his chin. "And that could only get better."

"Yeah, you wish." 18 turned toward Rad (eliciting quite the grin) and pointed to the bathroom door. "Go on. It won't kill you to answer the door."

[/Flashback]

"Won't kill me, eh?"

Rad crumbled the ad into a ball and threw it over his shoulder. There was nothing around him, save the small cabin he had been dropped in front of. If nothing else, there might be some food in the cabin, the warrior told himself. Thinking he had been headed towards a waffle buffet had gotten his apatite working overtime. He would figure out what to do about this unexpected situation after he had searched for food.

OOC:

Dante's Abyss: +1 Raditzu

[Burter]

OCB:

Koola has entered the area

[Uno]

Koola and his companion breathed heavily and sat down. They had been running for a few days, trying to elude the Outcast army. The changeling duo believed they had gone far enough and that they wouldn?t care that bad to retrieve him to go this far. Once Flemings took a large gulp of his water, he turned to his master.

?Sir...why did they turn on us? Why did General Super Buu attack you? What?s going on??

Koola paused for a moment to think about all that has happened. He couldn?t tell im the truth, so he came up with a lie.

?Well, I wanted to see the sites. You know, see some of the interesting things this island, or whatever it is, had to offer. That?s all.?

The cunning prince knew that someone like Flemings wouldn?t understand the Koorsala situation, and he didn?t feel like explaining it to him. He would have to let him believe he did something rash and stupid. But, he knew it wasn?t Koorsala that started this mess, it was...

?Sir, are you serious? That?s why they came after us? You disobeyed an order, JUST to see some locations??

?Basicly.? Koola smugly replyed. ?I didn?t expect them to over react though...but the past is the past, and we as mere mortals can?t change it. I suggest you find us some food, we spent it up running away...?

Flemings stopped him for a moment. ?Sir! Look around! How can I find food out here?!??

The cooky changeling prince did as Flemings suggested and took a look. He was in the middle of a barren wasteland. Everything was grey. The ground, the dead trees, the clouds, and even the gigantic holes that would normally be filled with water anywhere else where grey. This place made Hell look like a 5-star hotel. Out of all the places he could have ran away to, he had to pick this place.

?Uh...? Koola said to himself, dumfounded by the fact that they were inevitably screwed over. They only hade enough food and water to last them about 2-3 days. They?d have to run to another army just to survive. Not only that, Koola knew he was not in his full power, after his scuffle between himself and Buu. He wasn?t even much stronger that Flemings at that point.

Then, they heard something a few yards away. At first, they thought that it was just a figment of their imagination, and that nothing could possibly live out here. But they heard the noise again. Something, or someone, was nearby.

?Shush!? Koola said softly. ?Keep quiet.? They heard the noise again. ?Let?s see what is making that sound...? Flemings nodded and they both hunched down and slowly skidded toward the sound.

As they drew closer, they could hear soft grunts like ?Ha!? and ?Waa!?. Near a small group of dead trees, and tall silhouette could be seen making strange movements. ?Ha!? The duo crept closer, trying not to be seen. ?Chaw!? They finally reached the bark of the decaying tree, and looked over to see...

ooc: You can post me finding you and whatever. I didn?t want to go into detail of seeing you posing, because I thought only you could portray it correctly.

[Raditzu]

"And... big finish!"

A stylish spin. Feet planted a shoulder's width apart. Left hand balled into a fist, resting just above his hip. Right arm extended forward, perfectly parallel to the ground. Right hand forming a thumb's up that was both enthusiastic and possessing a quality that could only be described as "majestic." Head turned upward, and slightly to the side. Left eyebrow cocked, and top it all off with a trademark grin. He was so good he almost scared himself.

"So," Rad dropped the pose after several seconds of holding it and turned toward the new-comers, "you guys enjoy the show?"

The saiya-jin was filled with mixed feelings about the changelings that had found him. He wasn't sure whether to pound them senseless right then and there (a saiyan's bloodlust could only be held back for so long) or pretend to be all nice and friendly and wait until they weren't suspecting the beating. He would have pondered on this for a while had he not suddenly, and with a surprisingly violent exclamation, realized that one of the changelings was none other than Koola. His normal grin twisted into a sadistic sneer and his tail twitched uncontrollably.

"Well well well... never thought I'd see you 'round here, Koola," Rad mused to himself.

It had been a while since Raditzu had had any intetaction with the changeling prince, but the saiyan wasn't about to forget someone who had had more than a slight hand in past events. It was too bad 18 wasn't there to see the changeling in his current state -- she would have enjoyed tearing him apart. Despite past difference, though, Rad himself had never really hated the changeling. He had always considered theirs as something of a professional rivalry.

"And who's your new friend here? I thought you'd still be licking Vegeta's boots." Rad chuckled to himself. "Have a falling out?"

[Uno]

Flemings turned to his master. ?Sir?? He asked. ?Do you know this man??

Koola looked again at the man with long, black hair, and drew a blank. As far as he could tell, he has never seen him in his entire life. The furry tail twitching uncontrollably show to him that he was of the Saiyan race. Even though he hadn?t spoken a word to him yet, Koola could tell that he seemed like the saiyan knew him from somewhere before.

It?s odd, Koola thought, that I can?t recall him, even though he seems to recall me. Now that I think of it, I can?t recall a lot of things from before a few years, or even a few months. Am I suffering from amnesia? What could be wrong with me?

He remembered that time was slowly ticking away, and he hadn?t answered his comrade yet. He recalled how they first met, and how he met several others. Silver, Cargo, Koorsala. He even remembered an old client from long ago, Master Hu. Now that he thought of it, he couldn?t remember anything after he defeated the evil Ho. But, he thought again, if that?s the case, then maybe...

?Sir?? The lesser changeling of the two spoke up again, with a somewhat irritated tone. Koola looked up at Flemings again, and began to reply.

?I?m not sure we should be trusting him right now.? The changeling prince acknowledged. ?He looks to be trouble.?

The saiyan began to walk forward, with a slight smug on his face. Koola motioned to his associate to stand up. They slowly eased up, trying not to make any sudden moves. After reaching a full, upright position, the changeling duo walked forward, trying not to show any fear, nervousness, or just all out confusion.

?Long time, no see, eh?? The man spoke out, reaching out his hand. The duo froze, thinking that it was a trap. Koola looked over him carefully, taking in every millisecond of detail he could find off him. He saw that he had no signs of anything surprising or out of the ordinary. Against his better judgement, he held out his hand and latched onto his. He had a very strong grip.

?Hello, my name is Koola. Have we met before??

ooc: Yeah...Koola doesn't remember who you are, or what past you had with him. So...good luck with that!

[Burter]

Tapion's unit has arrived at the cabin

[Raditzu]

"... have we met before?" Raditzu repeated. "What kind of a question is that?"

Given Koola's propensity for screwing with people, Rad brushed off the nonsensical question and pushed past the two changelings. It didn't look like he was here for a fight, so the saiya-jin wasn't worried about lowering his guard -- "lowering" being a somewhat relative term, as Rad had learned long ago never to fully take his eyes off a changeling. With a spring in his step and a rumble in his stomach, Rad worked his way back towards his cabin. Not that there was too much to work around: aside from a occasional dead tree, there was really nothing in this wasteland. The ground was parched and cracking, and the wind was dry and stale. That someone as vibrant and charsimatic as he had been dumped somewhere so barrne and lifless was a fact that Raditzu would not quickly forgive. And all that aside, it was boring as hell.

"So what'er ya doin' here, anyway?" Rad asked over his shoulder. Koola and his companion had hesitantly followed the saiyan warrior. "Just in for the sights?" Rad looked around and shook his head. "I don't suppose you brought any syrup with ya. They didn't put nearly enough in my cabin."

The cabin, though the only place Rad had to relax or rest, had come to be a place he regarded with nothing more than loathing. It had been well over a week (Rad had lost track) since he had been introduced to this lovely landscape and he had thoroughly exhausted all avenues of entertainment availible to him. His saiyan blood was starting burn as his lust for violence built up unchecked. It wouldn't take too much, really. A fight, a spar, even a race around the world would be enough, but there was nothing to hit, and no one to challenge. Koola's sudden appearance had given him such hope. Maybe a random kick to the genital-free groin would liven things up. At the very least, Koola wouldn't be expecting it.

Rad reached the cabin, and was about to position himself within foot's reach of Koola when something very forcibly piqued his interest. It wasn't like the flickering ki of Koola as he had randomly approached Raditzu. What had caught the attention of his sixth-sense was a solid mass of life-force, pressing forward purposefully and persistently. Koola's nut-shot would have to wait.

With a leap of casual ease, Rad placed himself atop the cabin and peered into the distance. It was barely within eyeshot, but it was there. A group of people. An army? A platoon? From where he stood, and the limitations his collar placed upon his ki sense, it was impossible for Rad to tell how many people were approahced, nor whether they held back any potential power. If they were as strong as they initally appeared, it would prove a worthwhile distraction to just charge straight towards them. Rad also considered simply trying to screw with their heads. The cabin upon which he stood, "gilded" with cheesy faux-log siding, would no-doubt cause an interesting reaction if dropped in the middle of the oncoming group.

But any of that would require effort, and Raditzu's appetite had imbued him with a lethargy capable of overpowering his lust for combat. If any skull-cracking was going to take place, it would be after a hearty meal.

[Uno]

Koola looked around again, trying to keep himself awake. After the saiyan named Raditzu surprisingly ran his foot into his genital-free crotch with all his might, sending the changeling into the air, eventually falling onto a near-dead maple tree, releasing about a full gallon or syrup onto his person, which Raditzu salvaged and presumed to eat his whole fifty waffle meal, and finally setout to cause trouble to what he said was a small group of men not too far away from there current location, leaving him and Flemings with the cabin and nothing to do, Koola was bored to death.

His wounds from his earlier fight with Buu had healed, but the changeling duo had sense ran out of food. Raditzu had plenty of waffles in the cabin, but said that he?d kill anyone who tampered with something he held to his heart the most. Koola thought it was too troublesome to deal with an angry saiyan, so he sat on the roof of the cabin, starving.

He looked up and stared at the gray clouds, trying to forget his hunger. He began thinking that the clouds were marshmallows and pretended to shove one in his mouth, but quickly spat it out because it was gray and moldy. "Nothing in this hellhole is edible." Koola thought. Then, he looked over at his assistant.

He was busy setting up a fire with the dry bark of the dead trees and igniting them by blasting them with a small Ki blast. However, the wood was too dry and burnt up too fast to be of use. He more wood Flemings put in a pile, the faster it went out. After several tries, he sighed and walked away.

Koola knew what was going to happen. They?d stay with Rad til he ran out of syrup. He would then kill Koola and friend and use his blood as syrup. Then, the saiyan would run out of food completely, invade the other armies and kill them, and steal their waffles, until he is the last man standing, and wins the whole game. He was good for protection incase of attack, but he knew that either others would come, or he?d be killed by his recklessness. He did not for either to happen.

?Flemings!? The changeling prince ordered, ?Pack up, we?re leaving.? Flemings looked up at him, and gave him a disbelieving stare. ?Didn?t you hear me? We?re moving out!?

He jumped from he rooftop vantage point, struck his arm out forward, finger extended, and covered his eyes with his other hand. He spun around wildly with his finger still out, then suddenly stopped. ?We?re moving out that way!? Yelled Koola, as he began marching in that direction, head held high. Flemings sighed, and followed close behind him.

ooc: Koola?s moving out!

[Burter]

Koola has left

A-17, KB and their unit has arrived

Rad is going to have to decide who he goes with, if anyone

[Burter]

Minoshia has arrived

You guys need to do some roleplaying, and Raditzu needs to decide what he's doing

[Android 17]

Seventeen let out a heavy sigh as he led his men over yet another prominence. After a few days, his battalion was experiencing a complete and utter lack of luck. There was nothing but endless plains for as far as the naked eye could see, and the android was running out of things to tell to his men to keep them preoccupied. Hours had become days in an almost insane span of time, and hope was beginning to dwindle for the android.

?Do you think we?re going to wander this nightmare for the rest of this awful war?? Paige asked, shuffling nervously as the slight chill of the night air pierced her taut, revealing outfit. Seventeen glanced over at the woman and shrugged his shoulders?it hurt the machine-hybrid on so many levels to be so unable to answer the woman?s question. After all, he was supposed to be able to support her and protect her, and the entire situation was like a giant slap in his face.

?There has to be some sort of exit to these plains,? Seventeen whispered after an awkward silence. ?I know the people behind this games creation are a bit sadistic, but I don?t think they?d create an infinite loop in order to trap people. That?d make things boring and detrimental to the show?s ratings,? the machine-hybrid snickered at his analysis. Despite the validity of the statement, it also showed how dispensable everyone in the ?contest? was to the bigwigs behind Conquest?s creation.

?There?s an encampment on the horizon, Commander!? One of the snipers decreed, his tone conveying an overabundance of glee. Within seconds, the news spread throughout the columns and everyone was teeming with happiness; however, their leader remained as apathetic to the news as possible. There was no telling what his battalion was going to find at the encampment: Friend?or foe?

With a wave of his hand, Seventeen relayed the message back to his boys for them to be silent. A moment pervaded as the noise died down, and once he was content, the machine-hybrid smiled and led his soldiers down the hill. Like a wave, the Outcasts poured down the knoll and bunched up near the front of the small cabin. As far as Seventeen could initially perceive, the only being in the region was a lone saiya-jin.

?Hmm?? The monkey-hybrid said?his identity apparent to the cyborg long before his central processor took the time to process the information. Although they had never actually carried a conversation, Raditzu was someone that the Seventeen knew in-depth. The long-haired warrior had been present at many events along with the android dating all the way back to the war with the CIA many moons prior.

?Raditzu,? Seventeen muttered, the saiya-jin arching an eyebrow at the acknowledgement of his name. The android sighed, but the fact that his identity was unknown to such a famous person didn?t surprise him very much. ?My name is Seventeen and I am the Commander of one the three remaining factions participating in this war?the Outcasts. If you?d be interested, you could fight alongside my men and I and crack some of those stuck-up bastards? skulls,? Seventeen extended his hand toward the motionless saiya-jin, but then a cold shiver ran down his spine.

?Ehh,? Raditzu remarked, staring down at the cybernetic warrior?s outstretched hand. It was at that moment that the android?s sixth sense picked up a familiar source of energy?one that Seventeen would never forget until he ceased to exist.

?Minoshia,? the cyborg growled. The very mention of the monster triggered the usually collected android to feel his internal temperatures swell. Clenching his fingers, the cyborg bowed slightly to Raditzu in an attempt to keep his composure when addressing the saiya-jin warrior. ?I will let you dwell on your decision, sir, but for now I have business to attend to.?

Ordering his men around the freelancer, Seventeen marched forward until the opposing force came into his view. At their helm was the self-proclaimed ?Dark Prince? with a smug expression plastered across his vile countenance. The konat had once fought alongside the android in an effort to stave of an invasion, but his murder of an innocent child had severed the ties between Seventeen and the tyrant. Their last encounter had shaken one of Dante?s continents to its core and left the machine-hybrid as nothing more than a charred crater.

Yet this abominable murderer still breaths? Seventeen frowned, his mind already made up about what to do with the current scenario.

?Retribution,? the Commander of the Outcasts screamed, raising his fists into the air. His men followed suit as their adrenaline began to skyrocket in response to the looming prospect of sinking their teeth into a skirmish fueled their thoughts. War would soon be upon the Unforgiving Plains, and not a soul would remain unaltered by the events to transpire.

OOC: War. It's as simple as that audience.

[Burter]

Battle Statistics

Android 17, Kid Buu, Wart (NPC) vs Minoshia



Outcasts: 550 Combat Soldiers

Dante: 45 Combat Soldiers



The area is a barren wasteland. There is a single cabin, inhabited by Raditzu, in the middle.

[Raditzu]

"You guys better not hurt my cabin!" Rad yelled after the departing android.

The long-haired saiyan decided that he might as well sit back and enjoy the sights. The most eventful thing that had happened up to this point was finding a little critter that looked identical to Pinchy. Without a doubt Android 17 looked as though he would have an advantage over his opponent. In the back of his mind, Rad wished luck to the approaching underdogs: a one-sided fight is no fun at all to watch.

The specticale had yet to begin and Rad's stomach was very forcibly informing him that it had been too long since he had last eaten. With a sigh he leapt off of the cabin's peaked roof, landing on the with a grace that betrayed his brutish appearance. The door had been left open and was swinging back and forth ever so slight under the hand of a dry breeze. Pushing past it, Rad looked around the cabin with a frown. Most of his food had been eaten, and what was left had been attacked by a variety of critters and bugs. The warrior's anger at his lack of provisions was about to push past the boiling point when he came upon a small plate of tacos tucked behind his cot. He must have hid them there in case of just such an emergency. With a wide grin, the saiyan dropped the plate onto a nearby table and took a seat.

Though Rad finished off his unfortunate foodstuffs quickly, he sat staring at the empty plate for several minutes. On either side of his plate was an envelope. The one on his left had been when he firsted entered the cabin. The one on the right was a more... recent arrival. Rad's left hand snatched up an envelope and his right ripped it open. Inside was a letter from the producers of Dante's Abyss: Conquest. It gave some very vague details about the competition and informed Raditzu of the role they wanted him to play in it. It was straight-forward and carried a tone of condescention that irritated Raditzu to no end. When he finished scanning the letter -- for what to be the hundredth time -- he crumpled it up and tossed it over his shoulder.

The long-haired wonder let his eyes rest on the remaining envelope for several seconds before picking it up. He knew exactly what it said, word for word, but scanned through it again anyway. His face twisted into something of a frown as he half-turned in his chair to look out the window. The letter slipped from his hand, landing on the now-empty plate, as Raditzu stood up from the table and turned toward the door. He looked around the cabin for what he hoped would be the last time and pulled the door open. With nothing more than a shake of his head and a well-placed "tch" the saiya-jin let the door slam behind him.

[Minoshia]

Still fuming over the death of his sole companion, the Konatsa-jin bee lined aggressively towards the cabin he had been searching for. An old friend resided inside, a previous ally of the young princes. He had been quite sure his messenger had completed his task, he had asked for only the most competent troops for this mission and he had complete faith they would each carry out their tasks to the fullest.

The barren wasteland was a magnet for heat and despair, sunlight burned on the back of his neck, and surely his troops were feeling the same agony. The unforgiving plains were about to be flooded with blood, for as the young prince charged headlong in the direction of the cabin, another forced charged back at him. He could feel no ki signature that rose above the rest, no sign of any commander. The dark one was not a fool however, he identified the commander immediately as an android, and there was only one droid in this universe that would attack him in such a quick and irrational manner. Though before making any sort of hypothesis on the origins of the being, he patiently waited to see the face of his attacker.

The force was massive, more than ten times the size of his own unit, though for once the Konat wasn?t truly concerned with living or dying. Only two thoughts occupied his small brain, The Dante Force that stood behind him, waging their own battles, and of course the massive amount of blood he could shed given the opportunity. An all out battle would satisfy his personal tastes of inflicting mass death to the Outcast troops, but it wouldn?t benefit Dante as a force. Apparently, the Konat?s possessed mind was broken on the subject of what to do. Immediately he turned to his troops behind him, sprinting backwards, not paying attention to the army before him.

?Spread out! Fall back and avoid confrontation!? The Konat screeched, and immediately his troops through their feet into the ground and began to hustle in the opposite direction, fanning out and falling back to their original position.

Now the dark prince turned back towards the army, looking his adversary in the eye. The onyx haired droid was who he had expected, Seventeen. The Android had more or less killed himself in a failed attempt to destroy the Konat; it was quite pathetic when the Konat thought about it.

Minoshia began to sprint to the side, pressing his fingers against his forehead engaging his body in the semi-painful ?Light Runner? technique. He felt the liquidation of his energy wrap around him as sunlight pierced upon his torso. His pace began to quicken, and soon he was on a sprint that could rival the speed of his own flight. He arched to the side, hoping to loop all the way around the Outcasts tight force and close in on the cabin from the opposite side.

It seemed he wasn?t as sneaky as he thought, the army before him began to fire bullets in his general direction. Quickly Minoshia lifted his arms purely on instinctual reaction, and in return, the demon in his mind granted him a shield. A large wall of fire formed before him, a result of a random spark from one of the bullets allowed him to manipulate the flame and create his massive wall. Moving at ridiculous speeds the Konat seemed to complete his mission as he closed in on the cabin. He wouldn?t have much time to plead his case to the long haired saiyan, as the Outcast army turned to face him once more, or at least some of them.

Slowing to a stop, Minoshia almost slammed into the door of the cabin, as it swung open rather quickly. Whipping his body to the side, the Konat fell to the ground in front of the saiyan warrior who emerged from the cabin. Quickly jumping in the air, Minoshia bowed deep before the powerful saiyan create.

?Raditzu. I assume you received my letter??

[Android 17]

Seventeen threw up his hands as the monster known as Minoshia surged passed him in a blur of white and yellow light. The cyborg?s hair whipped wildly as he spun around and watched as the konat prince vanished inside Raditzu?s cabin. Several of the onyx-haired commander?s soldiers spun around and moved to fire upon the warrior, but a wave of the android?s hand was enough to quell their impulses.

Nevertheless, a cadre of bullets rocketed forth from a few of the soldier?s guns. One of the more accurate projectiles tore through the air and seemed to explode upon reaching the konat. Unfortunately for anyone save Minoshia, the bullet acted as a catalyst to ignite a solitary spark. A wall of fire erupted as the tyrant sped forth unimpeded?it was a most cunning and fortunate display.

?Halt your actions,? Seventeen boomed, lifting his hand so that all of the troops could identify him. ?Deal with his soldiers and let none of them escape this hell!? The machine-hybrid added, wrenching the Power Sword free from its leather scabbard and thrusting the elegant blade toward the sky. With his remaining hand, the bony android tore away the unsavory trench coat that he had worn since the war?s commencement.

As the heavy, leather garment fluttered to the barren, desolate ground, a chorus of war cries filled the Unforgiving Plains. The sound of guns and swords being drawn echoed up to the nightmarish overcast as the Dante Forces scattered. With their numbers, the outnumbered soldiers serving beneath Minoshia knew that they had to do everything in their power to avoid being clumped together.

?Attack!? The Commander of the Outcasts screamed, stabbing his sword toward the fragmenting amalgamation of men and woman that comprised the opposing force. His men, their palates insatiable following such an arduous and seemingly unending trek, unleashed a unified war cry that transcended the multitude of genders, races, and species compiled beneath Seventeen?s banner.

It brought a genuine smile to the android?s visage to see that his hard work and dedication in attempting to organize his soldiers was meriting results. Nevertheless, the battle between the two factions? troops was not the principle purpose for the engagement. On the other hand, Seventeen?s attention diverted from the m?l?e to the cabin that housed the saiya-jin Raditzu.

In what seemed to be a show of ignorance toward his men, Minoshia had abandoned them in an effort to get at the long-haired warrior that inhabited the Unforgiving Plains. The monster?s actions shouldn?t have perturbed the android as much as they did, but despite knowing fully well what Minoshia was capable of doing, Seventeen couldn?t help but find himself wrought by waves of immense loathing and frustration.

?It has to end,? the cyborg muttered beneath his breath as an invisible aura began to whip up the dirt and stone at his feet. ?I can?t allow him to hurt any more innocents!? Seventeen screamed?his body eclipsed by a flash of azure energy as his internal systems ascended once more beyond their basic threshold. A split-second after the ascension, the flair subsided to nothing more than a light breeze beneath the android?s ebony locks and a shift in Seventeen?s eye coloration from charcoal to a deep blue.

?Don?t go!? A voice yelled amid the chaos of the crossfire. As the machine-hybrid was moving toward the cabin, a green hand clenched down around his right wrist.

?I have to prevent that murderer from escaping and committing more atrocities, Paige,? Seventeen replied, his tone as cold as the stare upon his pallid countenance. ?Someone has to end his tyranny, or he is just going to continue his senseless, malicious rampage,? the android added, softly prying the woman?s hand away from his wrist.

?It?s because of him that I lost you before, Seventeen,? the former whitelighter pleaded. ?I don?t want to risk losing you again.?

?Enough,? the machine-hybrid said, glancing over his shoulder to address the woman directly. ?I want to know that you?re safe, and the only way I will be sure of that is if I know you?re only going to be dealing with soldiers. This is my demon that needs exorcized?not yours. Now I beseech you to let me do this one thing,? Seventeen added, the words eliciting a sigh from the jade-skinned woman and causing her to sag her shoulders in defeat.

With a faint smile upon his visage, Seventeen vanished in a swirl of lights and reappeared within the cabin of the saiya-jin Raditzu. Minoshia was standing there, his mouth ajar as if he had just finished speaking. The Dark Prince turned his head and glared smugly at the cybernetic warrior.

?I am sorry to impede upon your habitation, Raditzu,? Seventeen replied, lowering his head out of respect for the warrior. ?I have business to take care of that involves this warrior, and I?d like for him to depart from your abode. The last thing I?m sure that anyone wants to happen is for your home to be torn asunder in any crossfire,? the android?s words elicited a malicious smile from the konat?s visage.

Minoshia advanced a lone step toward his cybernetic adversary, and with a frown on his face, Seventeen lunged at the mohawked tyrant. The two rivals vanished in a swirl of blue and white lights?leaving a very befuddled Raditzu alone in the cabin once more. A few yards outside the structure, the android and konat opponents rematerialized and plunged to the ground. With a spring in his step, the onyx-haired warrior regained his composure and turned to face his former ally.

?This ends,? Seventeen grumbled. ?This time you won?t have the pleasure to assaulting someone with a shotgun wound in his gut!? There was another moment of composure following the remark, and then the two warriors were upon one another with the utmost haste.

[Minoshia]

?And this time you won?t have a rocket launcher.? The Konatsa-jin shot back with a bitter taste of hate filtering through his lips. The brief moment of composure and calm ended quickly when the two pushed off their plant foot and launched at the other, both with fists cocked back. Each hurled the set of knuckles like a bullet launched from a rifle, firing their attacks with hate in their minds and cruel intent in their hearts.

The child of prophecy overshot his attack, letting his arm swing wildly over the far shoulder of the onyx haired droid. His stomach was immediately drilled with the fist of the machine, who took advantage of the prince?s misfire. Doubling over with immediate pain, Minoshia found the patella of Seventeen thrusting into his chin, launching him backwards in a large arch. Quickly all the momentum gained by the Mohawk adorned warrior had evaporated.

He slid backwards on his rear, quickly flipping himself back into the air with ease and landing on his feet in a fighting stance. Lifting his head quickly he saw a blaze of light approaching him from the other side of the small battlefield. The energy tore against his sternum, exploding on his chest and tearing his light clothing. Minoshia?s torso was forced backwards, while his feet tried to stay in place. What resulted was a semi-arching fall, causing him to land on the back of his skull.

In his rage, the android charged towards the fallen warrior, swinging a kick at his exposed ribs. Gaining his composure more rapidly then Seventeen had predicted, the Konat grabbed the flying foot of his adversary and ripped it up with him as he jolted himself back to his feet. Rather then falling, the machine flipped him backwards and landed on his feet within melee range of the surprised warrior. The two immediately reached back and hurled fists charged with energy at the other. Knuckles collided in mid flight, sparks of energy erupted around the flesh and metal as their auras collided in hate filled collision.

Prince and Commander, locked in eternal hatred, swung rapidly at each other, parrying each other?s strikes and attempting a counter of their own. The Android broke through first, slamming a fist into the jaw of the exposed Konat. Stumbling backwards, Minoshia caught a rock and fell onto his side, the blood that filled his mouth squirted onto the ground beside him. Pushing his palms against the ground, he forced his body onto its feet and stood tall against the setting sun behind him. Blood dripped down his chin slowly, something was missing still, and he couldn?t find him. He couldn?t find his true self, floating around in his mind somewhere, looking to come out. Where was he when he needed him?

Forgetting what he didn?t have, he focused on the advantages presented to him. Charging His massive bloody aura, he let his Kaioken rip around his body, flowing like water in the calm air around him. Digging his feet into the ground he charged the droid, his mind focusing on a small army logo in the center of his chest. The machine had other plans, however, as he charged up his own attack, preparing to attack the coming prince.

Seventeen hurled his fist at the head of the charging Konat, aiming for a knockout blow. Minoshia ducked under the knuckles of fury, his knees bent he was almost squatting below the exposed body of the Android. Launching skywards, he landed his fist into the chin of his opposition, launching him backwards and onto his own back. Minoshia stood alone, basking in pride under the hot sun; he had landed his first true offensive strike of the battle. His chest heaved up and down, not from fatigue, but from the pure adrenaline that ran through his veins.

?For Dante!? Minoshia bellowed, launching his fist into the air. A door creaked behind him, and the prince turned around to see the longhaired saiyan emerging from the cabin once more. The prince nodded his head to Raditzu, with only one question buzzing through his mind. Was the saiyan an enemy, or an ally?

[Android 17]

Hate was an emotion that the android was ill accustomed to feeling. It felt like a torrent of fire and power surging through his blood vessels and cybernetic wiring?fueling his fists and numbing his mind and body to the potentially fatal ramifications of the situation. Seventeen grimaced as he lay on the ground and gazed into the bleak clouds that hung above the battlefield.

The sun had descended passed the gray overcast and was now bathing the Unforgiving Plains in a bloody hue. Minoshia was perched above the fallen android and basking in his momentary victory against his cybernetic opposition. Seventeen scoffed, wincing slightly as he pulled himself from the ground and brushed the dust and dried earth from his armor. The cyborg returned the konat?s hateful glare and smiled slightly at the mohawked warrior.

Minoshia frowned?his mind unable to fathom such behavior from a man who had just been beaten down and thrown to the ground. Was that the slightest traces of an ego showing through the android?s usually placid fa?ade or were the insane odds placed against him finally causing Seventeen?s sanity to falter? Either way the tale was woven, it was obvious from the demeanor of the two warriors that only one of them was going to depart the Unforgiving Plains of their own accord.

A door opened behind the Dark Prince, and with a slight nod of this head, the young konat acknowledged the presence of the saiya-jin Raditzu. The monkey-hybrid bore an indifferent look upon his visage as he merely reclined against the door of his abode to watch the fight unfold. Seventeen glanced over at the long-haired warrior as he brushed one of his spiked, ebony locks back over his shoulder and resigned to his continued apathy toward the war.

The android cocked his head to the side and spit up a fusion of blood and saliva from his maw?the fruits of Minoshia?s successful strike a few moments prior. With fresh frustration flowing through his veins, Seventeen summoned up a small sphere of azure ki into the confines of his dirtied palm. Clenching his fingers tightly around the diminutive glove, the android watched as a limp cable of energy sprung forth.

Seventeen smiled as his face was illuminated by the dreamy, azure glow of the weapon, but the machine-hybrid knew to waste such precious time fondling over pretty lights would be the death of him. Reacting almost immediately, the onyx-haired warrior reeled the weapon back and lashed out at Minoshia with it. The konat royalty grimaced?throwing up a hand to prevent the ki whip from harming his visage.

The defensive gambit was a success, and sure enough, the rope merely struck Minoshia?s forearm and looped around a few times. His pupils dilating as torrents of adrenaline continued to cascade through his body, Seventeen crafted another energy and whip and once again moved to flog the general. With one of his arms still wrapped up by the other whip, Minoshia moved his free appendage to intercept the second whip.

By the time the Dark Prince deduced what had just transpired, Seventeen threw all his strength into a desperate effort to yank the warrior from his standing position. While the force wasn?t enough to topple Minoshia, it still contained enough of a surprise factor to successfully fragment the konat?s previously impeccable balance.

Casting aside his now useless weapons, the machine-hybrid dashed forward and slammed his fists into his adversary?s neck. A grunt escaped the maw of the tyrannical, black-hearted warrior as he reeled back from the painful, sudden strike. Seventeen immediately came to a halt when he saw his opponent recede a few steps, but just as Minoshia had brushed off the relatively meager attack, he looked over to see his adversary vaporize amid a deluge of white and blue light.

Anger consumed the form of the wrathful prince as he scanned the area before him for his elusive nemesis. Seventeen reemerged on the visible plane behind the konat, and with an uncharacteristic scowl upon his face, the android jumped into the air and delivered a spinning kick to the unaware general. The surprise attack sent Minoshia to his knees, but the Dark Prince lingered for but a moment before the crimson aura blanketing his form surged to life.

Climbing from the barren ground, the Dante general turned to face his rival?his eyes burning with an intense hatred. Seventeen would have normally resorted to some sort of sardonic comment to lighten the mood, but even someone as carefree as the android understood that this was a situation where sarcasm and humor were nothing but a waste of breath. The only language Minoshia communicated with was fists, kicks, and bloodshed.

For the first time in a long time, Seventeen had lost complete track of his inhibitions. The man was consumed by his loathing of the murderer situated but a few feet from his location. Minoshia trembled as he stood in the same location?like his opponent he was being charmed by the euphoric sensation of augmented adrenal levels.

The Dark Prince and the Commander of the Outcasts spent one final moment dwelling in their mutual vice toward one another, and then the once again lunged at each other?s throats. This time the konat came out on top, and with a barrage of swift jabs, he punished the android?s ribcage.

As Seventeen faltered beneath the unyielding onslaught, he clenched his fist together. An icy blue glow hummed to life around his skeletal fist, and with a violent outburst, the machine-hybrid slammed the ki-infused gauntlet into the konat?s cheek. The vigor of the blow proved enough force to interrupt the brutal beat down. As Minoshia lurched away, a hand clasped over his injured cheekbone, Seventeen pressed the attack.

[Minoshia]

Every punch brandished the skin of the abnormally undetermined child prodigy. He felt nothing but pain; there was no anger, no burning lust to kill. The hate that usually filled his every breath and action seemed to have transferred to his opponent, the menacing robotic warrior who continually pressed towards him. His foe surged with a fiery hate that ravaged through his veins, filling his normally calm eyes. Onyx hair billowed freely in the power of his aura, whipping around with no rhythmical pattern. His power was incredible; rocks rose and shattered in a whirlwind around his mechanical structure, shaking the foundation of the planet.

The Android pressed forward, and the timid child fell back, his toe picking against a small rock he sent himself tumbling into the tough surface of the plains beneath him. Seventeen stopped marching forward, and chuckled slightly at the image of the tyrannical dark prince, lying on his back, with fear on his face. He looked like a lost child, with no recollection of anything he had done in his life. He didn?t wait for Minoshia to get back up, charging energy in both palms he lifted the balls of sheer power above his head. Electricity and particles swirled around the orbs; they?re off blue hue catching the attention of the fallen soldier, who couldn?t move to defend himself.

?Revenge at last.? Seventeen mumbled from the corner of his mouth, hesitating a moment to wait for the catchy response he would receive from the Konatsa-jin he knew from the past. When no response came, he didn?t think twice before hurling the balls of energy into the torso of his long time hated foe.

The orbs collided into his chest, exploding against this already wounded sternum and ribcage. From the perspective of the Android, it was like the most beautiful fireworks show. The energy balls twirled like ballerinas in the air, circling around each other before finding a common target. The large explosion that occurred confined itself to the areas over the body of the victim, fiery energy tearing open against the already wounded boy. Burning ribbed against his skin, his flesh curled back as it separated, and shriveling like an over dried plum. Blood poured from the wound as the fire died away, only smoke and charcoal remained, with the hint of laughter in the background. Trying to dull the burning sensation in his chest, Minoshia rolled onto his stomach, letting the wounds cool in the desolate sand.

Blood surged up his esophagus, bubbling along the way through minute circlets of air and other chemicals that filtered through his body. Teeth clenched closed like the gates of heaven themselves; the blood rushed into his mouth and pushed out his cheeks. Eventually the pressure welled up and became too great a force for the puny muscles of the Konatsa-jin warrior. Lips forced open, the prince tried to keep his teeth closed, unsuccessfully. The blood forced his mouth to reach a new definition of ?open? as it surged, a fusion of blood, spit and vomit, powering from his throat onto the ground in front of him. Unable to muster the will to move his head to the side, the injured cheekbone slapped disgustingly in the muck that lay on the ground.

The warrior didn?t think of death, he didn?t think of slaughter, his mind remained focused on the one companion he had obtained in a long time. Bulma, the cyan haired human. The image of the prince of saiyans thrusting his fist through his own wife?s skull, destroying her brain and her life. Minoshia had never gotten the chance to say goodbye and it haunted him ever since. His inability to protect those close to him had darkened his life throughout his personal history. His eyes were closed now, watching the movie repeat in his mind, the brutal slaying of his friend. She had unleashed a fiery fuel in her final moments, much like the prince of darkness used to be able to do. Whatever fire he had inside him had been missing the length of this fight, possibly because he hadn?t called for his demon, but maybe it had left him altogether. So what now, give up and roll over? Let him kill us and gut us like a pig? No, that wasn?t his way, that wasn?t his style. Fuck it that just wasn?t him.

Lifting his head from his own exported mucus, Minoshia pressed his palms against the ground and lifted his body into the air. This fight, it wasn?t about his demons, it wasn?t about his past. It was about right now, it all came down to the few chances he had left. He had been relying too long on his curse from the underworld, it had been his rise to power, and it had been his rock to lean on. For whatever reason, it was gone now. The crutch was gone, but the spirit remained, the fighting will of a warrior never died easily, and thus was the case with the Konat.

Driving his toes into the ground and bending his knees, a rippling aura tore around his body and shredding the foggy sand that had surrounded his crater. Elbows dug into his ribs, and his muscles tensed. His neck exploded in a fiery tension, his eyes remaining closed adorning his wrinkled face of fury. Red fire exploded around his body. The spirit remained, with or without his demons, it didn?t matter. His past genocides, slaughters, and conquests meant nothing. Whether you were a saint or a demon, when you faced adversity, did it really make a difference?

His eyes opened, a silver streak slashed down his left field of vision. His eyes were black, with a dancing red fire hopping around like they always had. The signs of the demon had returned, but where was the beast itself? Where was his savior? That was when Minoshia had his first epiphany. Everything in his life had led him to this moment, since the first time he died, to the first time he breathed, every had led up to this moment. The demon was a tool, to prepare him, a hallucination, and a fake realization of his own evil. The demon was nothing, it didn?t exist.

?I am the Demon? I am the Darkness.? The words leaked from his mouth like poison, and his eyes darted towards his foe. No longer a soldier of Hell, he was a soldier of himself. He was the Prince of Darkness, he was the darkness, and he committed all the acts of his past, not some hallucination.

Charging like a warrior poet, Minoshia charged two balls of energy in his hand and rushed forward with reckless abandon. This time it was the android that began to move backwards, amazed with the new strength of the mysterious warrior. The prophecy fulfilled, Evil had a new face, and that face was that of a child.

[Android 17]

?That?s the fire?? Seventeen groaned as his invigorated nemesis shattered his perception of the world with two crimson orbs. The projectiles crackled and hissed as the armor around the android?s chest began to waver as its bearer was hurled across the desolate earth like a rag doll. The raven-haired warrior closed his eyes as the ground embraced him?the force of the impact an unyielding sensation that numbed his mind and shattered the material shrouded around his thoracic cavity.

Earth parted around the cybernetic warrior as the raw power of the konat?s retribution scarred the ground and forced the android farther and farther from the momentarily motionless murderer. Seventeen smiled faintly as the two orbs boring into his chest finally lost their vigor and dissipated. The cyborg?s body went limp as his head fell backwards onto the mound of upturned soil that the android?s frame had unearthed while under the dominion of the pair of ki blasts.

Time lingered as the cyborg fought to stave off his demise at the hands of a vicious, traitorous murderer. Seventeen?s gaze was lost amid the drab overcast as his fingers twitched slightly?the only action he found himself capable of executing as his strength dwindled. A few yards away, Minoshia stood with the same, hateful expression plastered across his countenance. Reflections of the crimson fire burning painlessly upon his body bathed the beast?s face as he silently relished in the defamation of the android.

?It can?t end this way,? Seventeen sobbed, the weakness of his body partitioning his mind and defiling his courage with the venom of doubt. ?I can?t allow myself to fail them all twice,? The machine-hybrid felt the sting of tears upon his dirtied visage as his psyche continued to wallow in his inadequacy?what was he missing?

A message popped up on the android?s internal display to alert him of senseless facts and technological jargon that didn?t concern him. With a pained grumble, the cybernetic warrior ignored the rest of the message and gathered the splintered remnants of his mind. Although he knew he was at a loss when matched up with the malicious konat, Seventeen managed to come to the coherent conclusion that doing nothing was only going to exacerbate the situation.

Summoning up an ephemeral burst of strength, the machine-hybrid peeled his flawed, scrawny body from the mound of earth and stone. His armor broke away amid the liberation process, and with a lethargic grunt, Seventeen wrenched his form completely from his former shackles. A moment later, the physically and mentally decrepit cyborg stumbled forward and threw up a pair of shaky fists.

The mohawked murdered snarled as he lunged upon his adversary. The konat?s sanguine aura surged as Minoshia decimated the onyx-haired man with a solitary blow. The android?s boots once again departed from the earth as he was reduced to nothing more than a plaything for the sadistic child. Blood, saliva, and screams were liberated from the cyborg?s maw as Minoshia tore apart his two shirts and laid into his chest with a fiery abhorrence.

The next thing that Seventeen remembered was the ground?embracing him once more as his only friend in the conflict with the Dark Prince. It was there, sprawled out upon the face of the continent, that the android would linger until Minoshia reinforced his presence with yet another attack in what had become nothing more than a never-ending symphony of gore, hate, and degradation.

The android coughed up more of his blood as his eyes once again shut in an effort to blot out the sight of his own ruin and defeat. With actions still fueled by whatever unseen force that had compelled him onward, Minoshia plucked the weather-beaten cyborg off the ground and threw him to the wayside like an aged toy that no longer captured his attention.

Seventeen opened his eyes in time to watch as his body collided onto the side of a small prominence. The android felt his spine twist and bend in painful angles as his fractured, bloodied form tumbled down the hillside. After what seemed like an eternity of bumps and jolts, the cyborg finally came to a stop near the foot of the knoll?his eyes glazed over as a few sparks of electricity began to leak from the deep wounds that adorned his body.

?I?m sorry Paige,? the broken man stuttered, trying in vain to prevent the blood bubbling up from his throat from inhibiting his ability to speak. ?And I apologize to you guys two, Super Buu and Kid Buu?I failed. I am nothing,? Seventeen added as tears began to forge a path through the blood, grim, and dirt encrusted into the flesh of his pallid visage.

Minoshia had won. The bloodthirsty Prince of Darkness had hurled the android?s body and mind into the abyss. A man who was once an opportunist commander was now nothing more than a glorified corpse prone to the occasional muscle twitch. Death was something that the android was accustomed to, but this was the first time in ages that his mind and soul had died as well. Seventeen clenched a fist as he tried to amass the strength to continue, but something horribly wrong had transpired within him.

Fatal System Error: Rebooting... The machine-hybrid groaned as the words pooped up on his internal display. With a final, weak sigh, the Commander of the Outcasts ceased to draw breath?his eyes rolling back into his head as his clasped fingers went limp. Minoshia, apparent of his nemesis?s now nonexistent life functions, crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the unmoving body of his opponent.

Just as the konat royalty was about to return to the battlefield, a myriad of electrical sparks began to dance across the shattered figure of Seventeen. Minoshia frowned as the android?s eyes opened and his opponent crawled from the bloodied earth of what could have potentially been his grave.

Jolts of electricity surged across the machine-hybrid?s lithe form as the onyx-haired warrior steadied himself in his new standing position. Something was different in his sad, cyan eyes?as if the man inside had departed the mortal coil and left behind a shell of carbon and cybernetics.

?I am Seventeen,? the android spoke, his voice abnormally lethargic and monotone. ?I have nothing to lose, Minoshia, but I will not permit myself to leave this world knowing that I keeled over beneath the wrath of one of your little tantrums. No?it may cost me everything I have, but I cannot allow for you to continue your selfish rampages. I?ve been to the Pit itself to combat their ilk, and I assure you that I do not fear some overpowered child. You may call yourself the darkness, but it is going to take more than that to snuff out this unyielding source of light!? The android punctuated the end of his monologue by slapping a hand over his heart.

?Spare me the righteousness, android,? Minoshia hissed, darting forward as the flames blanketing his body surged to life. Feeding off the generous second wind from his internal systems, Seventeen raised his fists and prepared for the grueling challenge that lie ahead. He was down, but there was no way in hell that he was out just yet.