Dante's Abyss 2007 Sign-Ups

[Burter]

On every planet in the North Quadrant, sign-ups have been opened. An attendant will take your name and personal information, then take some pictures and ask you to show some of your fighting abilities. These pictures and videos will used to show the viewers who is participating.

Your character will be told that only 44 will compete, on an island on the planet Dante, and that's it. The rest will be disclosed until later

The viewers will have a large say in who is selected, so impress them!

After you've signed up, the attendant will direct you to the nearest tele-tube, which will whisk you away to the meeting grounds for DA.

At the meeting grounds, roleplay your character roaming in the specified areas. Make sure you talk to people and use the discussion forum to arrange a meeting. On the 21st, sign-ups close and we'll move into the next phase.

Your roleplay to sign-up must be at least 300 words, like any other roleplay. Don't over-do it because I don't want to read 10849275 pages this early. Put the planet you signed-up from in the roleplay, just for the sake of logic.

If you're dead, you can't sign-up. The exception being those on King Kai, as the Kai can put in a good word for you and have you revived, and then returned at the end of the game.




Once you sign-up, you are stuck in the Pre-Show DA Forums until the end of the 21st. Get all your situations handled before you join, because there is still TWO weeks left!

Once you sign up, you can begin posting in the waiting threads

[Olibu]

?State your name?

?Olibu?

?Age?

???

?Sir, I?m going to need your age?

???

?Fine, we?ll come back to that; any previous experience??

?I believe I competed in last year?s tournament, yes.?

?Last year?s?? The man sitting behind the desk looked up for the first time. The man didn?t seem to notice anything familiar about the man at first, but when he laid his eyes on Olibu?s red baseball cap the man gasped. ?I remember you! You really let that ninja have it, man, you know your one of my favorites from last year!?

?Why, thank you. I didn?t know this had such a following.?

The man stared at the fighter with an odd look, ?You didn?t? This is a television show, how could you not know??

?Television??

?Yea, you know, TV! Well never mind that, you have a tape for us??

???

?Oh who am I kidding, you don?t need a tape, you?re a regular?

???

?Just stand right there, we need some photos? The man said as he raised his camera and began to take a few pictures. Immediately Olibu became alarmed from all of the flashing lights and fell into a defensive stance, however, he soon recalled the same thing happening at last year sign ups. He allowed himself to ease before making a fool of himself.

?Nice poses, now head on over to the tubes.?

Flash Back:

"I?ve had it with your slump, its time you came out of it."

?I don?t think so Kai; I?ll never fight another day in my life."

?Now look, I know what you?ve been through. And I know it?s hard, but you have to get over it. Olibu, you are like a son to me and I hate to see you like this. You?re only friends in the universe are a monkey, a blue man, and an overgrown grasshopper. You use to be one of the greatest heroes that ever lived; now you?re some old hack who hides from the world with your old instructor.?

?Kai??

?Kai nothing! Dante?s Abyss put you in this slump and Dante?s Abyss will bring you out of it.? With that the blue master placed his palm onto Olibu?s shoulder and the blonde fighter disappeared, transported to a sign up post on Earth.

[Celipa]

"Ce...li...pa," Celipa sounded out as she jotted her name down on a piece of paper. "Yup!"

She passed the slip of paper to the lady behind the sign-up desk who stared at the paper and then up at Celipa, then back to the paper again.

"Do you, um, have a last name?" the lady asked.

Celipa blinked, then zoned out a second. Did she have a last name? Did any saiyan have a last name? She had thought it was just kind of...a rule, that most saiyans didn't have last names. Plus, this sign-up station was on Vegeta-sei. The signey-uppey lady must've been from Earth, she figured.

"I'm not sure!" Celipa stated with a smile.

The lady looked down to the paper and shrugged.

"I guess that's fine...can you show me a move, or something?"

The saiyan's eyes lit up, her urge to show off flaring up like a fire, the lady's prompting the logs that fueled it. A red aura began to flare up around her.

"I call it...KAIOKEN!" she bellowed, the aura erupting into full lively force around her.

The woman behind the desk's jaw dropped, as her hair began shifting gently out of the sheer ferocity of the saiyaness' power. She picked up a digital camera off her desk, still half in shock, and took a quick picture.

"Ok, and THIS, is a Kamehameha!"

Celipa cupped her hands together, and brought them to her side. A blue ball of energy suddenly pulsed to life within them, its vibrant blue colors swirling and mixing within its confines.

"No no, really, that's fine!" the lady began, gesticulating wildly as she tried to stop what could potentially be a disaster.

"KA..ME...HA...ME.."

The ball fluctuated within her hands, growing much larger - just like the grin on her face.

"HAAAA!"

Her rough saiyan hands flew upwards above her head, her wrists still together, and she tipped her head back to watch her child erupt from her hands in the form of a massive blue beam. It forced up through the roof, and into the sky as debris that almost fell down onto their heads got obliterated by its fiery power. As it faded, Celipa lowered her hands. The blast could still be seen tearing into the sky at a straight ninety-degree angle.

"And that should be all I need to show you!" Celipa chimed with another cheerful flash of her white teeth.

The lady stood up, her hair ruffled and her face looking more stressed out than when Celipa had come in.

"Alright...right this way, ma'am..."

She walked robotically in front of the saiyan, who followed behind her into a room behind the sign-up desk. It contained a row of tubes adjacent to each wall and the official gestured to one of them.

"Get in. It'll take you to the waiting area."

Celipa waved happily and stepped through the door as it hissed open. Similarly, it hissed closed and in a zap of electricity she was gone.

[Android-18]

Delicately, as if the leaflet of paper were something precious, and important, a slender finger slid down its length. Pointless lines for information that was hardly needed, and of course very little details on the actual event. For the moment there was hardly a soul passing the building, although statements of the event were well presented. In due time there would be many warriors bumping and shoving to enter the contest. The finger stopped upon the last line, and then moved to grip the document by the edge. Close scrutiny of the fine print revealed the same details as last year, only 44 people would make it in.

?Once again, this tournament never ceases to amaze me.? She puckered her lips upon ending her statement. Her agile hand snatched up the pen that sat idly on the desk, the woman behind the desk had been watching, but said nothing. Being an attendant to the registrants meant the possibility of harassment, or injury. There was no telling what this fighter could be triggered by.

The sound of the pen scratching upon the paper was all that could be heard. It would pause momentarily, and then continue. It would probably decrease her chances of entering if she skipped a question or two. Her head shook from side to side, and she answered as best she could. What good would knowing her birth date be? And at that thought, she wondered if creating her own birthday would be appropriate. She deserved cake too.

?All done,? she pushed upon the thin slip of paper so that it slid across the desk. Her palms proceeded to press downward against the cool surface of the reception desk and watched intently.

?Eighteen?? the woman repeated her name, as it was written.

?Yes?? The android replied, as if being called upon.

?That?s your name?? a nod was given in response to this. ?Well?I guess I?m not surprised,? she seemed to be loosing her ridged posture, considering the applicants warm eyes. ?Well, everything seems to be in order. We?ll just need some photos and footage of you with any special attacks you?d like to share.?

Eighteen straightened from leaning on the counter. The woman guided her toward the back where equipment had been set up, and lights flared. ?Just be yourself,? she retrieved the camera and held it to her face.

Flashes of light ensued, and the girl tried to force a smile that ended up being a crooked mess. She felt flustered, but soon the flashing stopped and the woman took to holding a camera.

Now Eighteen never really used her abilities much in battle. The only one she could think of using was her split form. She let her power raise slightly, but not enough to cause a ruckus in the room. A moment passed, and she narrowed her eyes, before her body began to glow. Two more of the androids materialized beside her, and the woman, stunned, recorded it all. Together the three androids began to charge a Kamehameha in their cupped hands. At this point an unnatural wind began to kick up within the room. Equipment rattled, and clothing flapped, while the three fighter?s energy spheres glowed with luminous power.

As quickly as the maelstrom had been initiated, it all died down. The three blondes became one, and she wiped her brow before grinning. ?I?d have let that go but I wouldn?t have the money to fix this building.? She gazed toward the ceiling, seemingly losing interest.

?Well?That was enough, anyway.? The attendant patted down her wind-touched hair and set the camera down. ?This way, you?re welcome to travel to the waiting complex now.? The teletubes were further back, and weren?t surprising. It was the typical travel choice for these kinds of events. Surprisingly the android didn?t consider who she may meet; rather, she considered what kind of food she might get her hands on. With that thought (and thoughts of a birthday) the female fighter stepped into the tube and disappeared.

[Raditzu]

?Wow? can you believe that, babe??

?I? no??

For the fourth time in the last minute, a low whistle escaped the mouth of the long-haired wonder Raditzu, as he nodded in satisfaction. To his immediate left stood Android 18, and to his right stood a gaggle of people going on about their everyday lives. Many people stopped to look at Rad and 18, and a few even pointed. For the most part, though, the hustle and bustle of Kajin Rala?s largest city went undisturbed by the two super powered warriors.

Raditzu, however, really didn?t care about anyone else at the moment. His eyes were locked firmly upon the magnificent structure before him. He had traveled across most of the galaxy to find Kajin Rala, and the reason for that was standing tall and proud before him. It was beautiful enough to make the saiyan cry? but he held back, because tears that manly can flood the streets when left unchecked. As Rad sniffed back the latest build up of ocular moisture, he looked over at 18. The android blinked several times before taking her gaze off the building in front of them. The words she spoke seemed filled with an almost genuine confusion.

?Who in their right minds would make a statue of you??

?A giant statue, thank you very much.?

To most people, the thought that the woman they loved wouldn?t be able to understand how mind-numbingly awesome they are is something that would certainly put a cramp in their style. But not to Rad. Not right now. Any and all doubts about himself had been washed away as the gloriously sculpted statue had come into view over the horizon.

?Too bad they didn?t just four statues of you. Get rid of these other guys.? 18?s teasing sarcasm fell upon deaf ears.

?That?s exactly what I was thinking!?

With a grin a mile wide, Rad wrapped an arm around 18?s shoulder and squeezed her tight. For Raditzu there was no possible way the moment could get any better. But he knew that 18 was missing out on something he had been waiting for just the right minute to express.

?I have a surprise for ya, babe.? Said the long-haired warrior as he grinned down at 18.

?Oh??

?Here. Take this.?

Raditzu extended his free hand. Within it was a carefully folded piece of paper. Efforts had obviously been taken to fold the paper into some semblance of a crane. When the android asked about it (trying hard not to laugh at the saiyan by her side) Rad simple cleared his throat and looked away.

?What is this?? the android asked as she slowly unfolded it.

?You?ll see?? a hint of excitement slithered its way into the saiyan?s voice.

As 18 unfurled the piece of paper to its original size, Rad leaned over and read it along with her. It was a poster that he had taken off of a nearby building, but that wasn?t really important: the important part was what was on the poster. Most prominently was a man named Karl Jak. Scattered across the rest of the posters were scenes of various fights, some with people that 18 and Rad recognized, but right under Karl, with a shotgun in hand, was Raditzu with a bloody grimace on his face.

?There?s going to be another Dante?s Abyss soon!? Rad practically shouted. Though the giant ?Dante?s Abyss? coming soon!? that was printed on the posted made that evident.

?That?s the surprise??

?Well? yeah! Just think of how great it will be!? Before his partner could respond, Rad turned and pointed a finger to a building about thirty feet away. ?They?re taking sign-ups right there, too. We can sign up right now.?

Rad crossed the thirty feet to the building and then the ten feet from the front door to a receptionist?s desk. With a vigorous ?ha? Rad slammed a palm on the desk and shot a world-class grin at the startled woman on the other side of the desk. The fact that 18 had entered the building and was now standing behind Rad went pretty unnoticed.

?I?m gonna sign up for Dante?s Abyss,? the saiya-jin told the receptionist.

?Well? then you?ve come to the right place.? The woman seemed to materialize a piece of paper and a pen. She was very obviously still trying to decide how big of an idiot the man standing before her was. ?I just need some information. What?s your name??

?Hahahaha? good one.? Rad made a show of laughing. ?I think you know who I am.?

A long pause.

?Seriously, sir? what?s your name??

?Wha? you?re not joking?? The woman didn?t even have to shake her head. ?Look! Right behind you!?

On the wall behind the receptionist was a copy of the exact poster Rad had shown to 18. The saiyan took a half step forward, grimaced, and positioned his hand so it looked like he was holding a shotgun. The woman only stared at him.

?That?s me! On the poster!?

?That?s the man who won the tournament last year.? The receptionist spoke slowly, the same way one would lecture an eight-year-old.

?I know! I?m that man!?

?Ok, sir. Whatever you say. Now what is your? er? that man?s name??

The receptionist was very lucky that use of power was strictly prohibited on Kajin Rala. Otherwise she would have been a small crater.

?Tch? name?s Raditzu.?

?Very good. Age??

?Uhhh?? Rad turned around and looked at 18, who he had noticed when mimicking his pose in the poster. The blonde simply shrugged her shoulders. ?How about?uh? 52.?

?Alright. Race and planet of origin??

?I?m a Saiyan from Planet Vegeta.?

?Preferred fighting style??

?Style? Iunno? I just hit people. They usually fall down.?

?I see?? the woman held her pen paused over the form for several second before just writing down ?hitting people? and handing the form to Raditzu. ?Now if you?ll just hand that form to the? large (it seemed to have just hit her that Raditzu wasn?t small himself) man through that (the woman pointed to her right) doorway you can continue with the practical portion of your application.?

?Tch? fine.?

With a swipe of his hand the long-haired warrior took the form and left behind the cheery disposition he had entered the building with. The door he pushed open was very clearly labeled ?practical applicants? and bore a small window with which an on-looker could see what looked like a small martial arts studio. The floors and one wall were covered with mats and various striking dummies and pads littered the room.

Immediately to his right as he entered, Rad was met by the ?large man? the receptionist had mentioned. The man was a couple inches taller than Raditzu, but carried significantly less mass. He wore a white training gi with a small name-tag on it that read ?Hi! My name is Gene!?

?Your application, please.? Gene took the form from Raditzu and scanned it quickly. The man seemed to a double-take at the top of the form, then looked over Raditzu several times. ?You?re the man from Dante?s Abyss last year.?

?Thank you!? Rad had to hold back from hugging Gene.

?Well, we just need you to show us a few moves so we can get some pictures and videos and stuff. You obviously are well trained in?? Gene scanned the ?fighting style? section of the application, ?uh? hitting people? but we need some shots of all the applicants. We?ve been given permission by the Kajin Rala council to allow minor shows of power, so give us something flashy.?

Until just then Raditzu hadn?t noticed the camera equipment set up in the far corner of the room. There were two men, one handling a video camera and the other taking photos. Whatever kind of equipment they were using, it looked fancy and expensive. Definitely not something to accidentally run into.

?I think I can do flashy.? The saiyan snapped his fingers.

At the waist of the long-haired wonder, a sword hilt formed, dangling from his tail of all things. Rad snatched it up and brandished it towards the cameras. The two camera looked on, not sure whether to be filming a big guy with an empty hilt; until a massive blade erupted from Rad?s Empty Maw. The single-edged blade was over a foot in width and would stand as tall as either of the two men filming, but Raditzu wielded it as though it were made of nothing more than plastic.

With an amount of grace that belied his massive frame, Rad deftly swung the sword about the room, cleaving invisible enemies into tiny pieces. With a flourish, the warrior spun towards the cameramen and extended his arm, and the blade, straight towards them. With his free hand he snapped his fingers again.

As though suddenly given a life of its own, the blade quivered and pulsated for a moment before peeling back upon itself. Metal flowed unerringly back down the length of the blade and coated the arm that held it. In a mere moment the saiyan had abandoned his Steel Fang to show off his Strong Arm.

All along the outside of Rad?s Strong Arm, small vents opened to exhaust ki and propel him across the room. His katchin fist collided with the mats along the padded wall and with a great deal of satisfaction Rad heard someone whistle at the display. Raditzu turned and cocked his fist to continue his little show when Gene waved at him.

?That?s great, Raditzu. Go through those doors and step into the tele-tube.?

With a nod, Rad peeled off his Strong Arm and proceeded towards the doors Gene had indicated. As he pulled them open, he heard Gene?s voice again.

?And good luck, man.?

OOC: Sorry about the length.

^_^;;

[Grandpa Gohan]

[[Continued from here: A new journey begins! Spirit-ken training!]]

The elderly man readied himself in a stance unfamiliar to anyone that knew him. His knees were bent as were his elbows. His hands were flat and un-fisted. His eyes had a certain twinkle in them that they hadn?t had in far too long of a time. The aged human?s expression was calm; he also carried a small smile across his face. A warm aura encompassed his entire persona, and yet he had made no effort to call upon any power he had.

The large musty ogre gave a chuckle as he looked down upon time worn warrior. ?So, you think you can really take me then? Your funeral, old man.? Gramps was done giving any kind of responses and just shrugged off what he had said. Gohan waited.

The bartender looked on, unaware of the destruction that would befall his bar. He was curious as to Grandpa Gohans fighting ability though, and wondered if he would put up a better fight than the kids had, so far, he had.

As if fallowing the same train of thought, both the fighters vanished from sight. The elderly man behind the bar looked around, and saw nothing. Then, directly in front of him in mid air the two warriors connected, the old fighter?s knee was firmly implanted in the forearm of the large green humanoid. He winced slightly from the power of the elderly man, and just as quickly as they had appeared, they had disappeared again. Large booms erupted around the room, stand alone chairs and tables were quickly destroyed from the shockwaves that were volleyed back and forth between the two warriors.

A large boom rattled over the head of the bartender, the green fighter had managed to land a swift and powerful blow to the stout mans gut, sending him into the far wall. Part of the wall crumbled down upon Gramps as he impacted it. There was no movement. The pub owner shook his head as if he had suffered the defeat himself.

?Stupid old man, He could never beat me. He did give me more of a fight than those wretched kids however.? He laughed in victory.

The hulking jade humanoid turned to the bartender; giving him a good look over. He obviously wasn?t the person that he was looking for, more so of a person that knew the whereabouts of the person that he was seeking. He walked over to the long table that was the bar and looked deep into the eyes of the old human.

?Where?s Jyukin?? he questioned.

?Come again??

?Don?t play stupid with me; you know exactly who I?m talking about!? It was clear in his voice that he was quite agitated with the whole situation.

???

The warriors are was quick to grab at the bartenders collar and lift him off his knees. ?Tell me!? he shook him as he roared out in complaint.

A rock fell from the pile. Then another. Soon enough old man Gohan had dug himself out of the debris. He simply brushed himself off, not overly concerned about the brute that had just knocked him into a wall. After a moment of cleaning himself up he shot a glance at the ogre.

?What?s your name sonny?? he questioned.

?Ahaha! I gotta hand it to you Gramps, Your not as frail as you look!? he responded.

?Ill tells you my name, but you won?t be knowing it for long, since you?re standing in your grave!?

He was not impressed in the least. ?So tell me, already.? His voice was cold and stern, yet it carried the softness of the old man that he was.

?Jiah Hokai?

?Well, I might as well introduce myself as well. Son Gohan-jiisan?

?I don?t care about your name; you?re the one who?s going to die here, not me.? He retorted as if offended by Gohan extending his name.

?Well, lets get this show on the road then.?

?Lets.?

Not waiting for any sign of an opening this time, Grandfather Gohan rushed Jiah. Just as he was upon the emerald combatant he came to almost a complete halt. He used the momentum from running on his last step to plant his hands into his foe?s stomach. Jiah almost doubled over from the unexpected pain. Before he had time to back up however, the old man was already going for a follow up attack. He had planted his hands into the jade fighter?s stomach so that his hands connected at the wrists.

Jiah looked down at the old man as a white light appeared where his hands were planted.

?Masenko? was the only thing he muttered. The light grew exponentially before shooting out of the old mans hands; the beam shot him to the other side of the bar. The beam illuminated the bar and covered Jiah in its light, making him fade from sight.

As the beam hit the wall it exploded, bringing down almost the entire wall.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Weeks Later
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

?Ladies and gentlemen, fights from all over! Syntech is proud to present to you the second annual Dante?s Abyss!?

Gohan looked about, shocked and amazed. ?Another DA? So soon?? he thought to himself. Memories of Conquest flooded him, Pigero?s death from the mighty explosion, his own ?death? when he fought against the small bug leader of the Outcast Forces, Cell Junior. His fight against Justinian with the help of King Cold.

?Maybe I should sign up again?? he questioned himself. ?I might be able to see some of the old Dante Forces.?

Almost immediately he had made up his mind and quickly made his way to the sign up station. Much to his surprise, and relief, it was not the woman who had taken him though the sign-ups the previous competition. The attended was a young woman, long dark hair, dark eyes, tan complexion; most dudes would have killed to date her.

?Name?? he asked, her voice was soft and innocent, only adding to her beauty.

?Son Gohan-jiisan, you should have me on file, I had participated in Dante?s Abyss: Conquest.? He replied.
She moved the mouse around and clicked a few types and hit a couple keys on the keyboard before she responded. ?Yep, we have you on file, have you learned any fighting techniques since you last participated in DA??

?I can?t say that I have.?

?Well okay then, I have all the information I need, now you just need to step through he teleportation tube on your left, and you will be transported to the arena.?

?Thank you.? He smiled and left for the teleportation tube. It was time to get this show on the road.

((Edit: Wondering if the last half of this post could be fluid time? I was supposed to res KC and I totally spaced it ;()

[Warako]

Mr. Cell Junior awoken to a platform practically identical to that of which he joined Dante?s Abyss: Conquest, the only difference this one had was the gigantic tent which stood overtop it, shielding the objects and people below it from the rain punching it?s way through the tree leaves high above the planet?s surface.

?This can?t be Planet Dante is it??

Cell Junior recalled his final moments he experienced in Dante?s Abyss Conquest.

Captain Grandpa Gohan of Dante and himself free falling towards the devastated castle floor of Sanguine.

At the very moment his body was to strike the floor, Cell Junior awoken from his daydream as he sat up from the rain soaked grassy floor in which he laid. The freckled creature perked his head up despite having a fine view to scan the area around him, in particular, the ground in which he sat.

?There?s no concrete rubble, what gives?? pondered the winged creature as he rolled over to his stomach to press himself up to his feet. ?Something?s wrong here, I?m sure that Broccoli fellow had something to do with this,? growled CJ as he clutched his fist in anger.

As his blood boiled over in anger at the very thought that Broccoli was up to something, the Outcast Commander marched towards the perched tent and made his presence known as he brought his clutched fist downwards against the white concrete in irritation. ?What?s going on here? Where is Commander Broccoli of Dante at?? barked the little winged creature as he finished his downward punch, breaking a piece of the concrete platform off.

The employee?s of Dante?s Abyss were puzzled at the same time frightened at the sight of a little winged creature who broke a piece of their platform away with his bare hands. ?Broccoli of Dante?? repeated one of the male attendants whose hands tightened over his clipboard, which began to rattle as he attempted to hide his nervousness

?Yes Broccoli, I know you?re working for him!? snapped the cerulean-shelled creature that now stood on the platform as he approached the human who backed away until he bumped into the table behind him.

?I work for? Karl Jak,? muttered the man who raised the clipboard up towards his face, as if hiding behind that would stop the present danger in front of his eyes.

?Karl Jak! Who the hell is that?? questioned the monster child who kept his fixation on the man before his eyes.

?The host,? screamed the man from behind his clipboard.

Cell Junior pondered the name as he attempted to recall the name in his brain unfortunately nothing came up. ?Since when did Dante?s Abyss: Conquest get a host??

The man breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly lowered the clipboard from his face, ?This is Dante?s Abyss 2007, Conquest portion has long since ended.?

?Ended?? squealed CJ as he looked around, ?What is this place than and why are you here??

?This is Planet Arlia sir, and we?re taking sign ups for Dante?s Abyss 2007, speaking of which, would you like you sign up??

?Arlia?? muttered the creature as he turned from the human and began to baby step away in thought. ?Never heard of it, but will Broccoli be signing up??

The man hesitated as he looked at his blank sheet of zero signups off of Arlia at the time being, ?I believe so, would you like me to sign you up??

?Please do,? smirked the monster as he turned back to the human, ?Should I just jump in the teletube over there??

?After you fill out this paperwork sir,? stated the man as he handed the clipboard over to the child in front of him along with a pen.

With a few quick scribbles and what not, the monster finished it off.

X Mr. Cell Junior

?Here,? said CJ as he handed it back over and headed for the teletube. As he stepped into the teletube, flashes of white light sparkled from the corner of his eye, with a quick spin; the winged creature spotted the man with the camera. ?More pictures of me, don?t they have my old ones? pondered Cell Jr. as he was off.

[Bujin]

(OOC: Continued from here.)

The voices came and went.

Throughout the forty-or-so minutes that Bujin had been in the jail cell, the voices of the pair sounded with inconsistent timing. Sometimes it was just the male voice, and sometimes it was just the female voice. Either way, the sudden confusion that had amassed in his mind began to make him dizzy. The voices would talk about the weather, or about the room they were in, and sometimes even about Bujin?s personal life. Never, however, did they once talk about themselves. The certain unconfident tones in their voices made Bujin convinced that they didn?t even know much about themselves, and were probably just in his mind.

The dizziness remained, and would often give way to different shapes and colors. The hearts and stars that were plastered on the walls began to move violently and in no particular pattern. Other times he would see openings in the bars that weren?t there. He knew this simply because he ran into them several times, and the knot in his head told him to simply stay in one place until the dizziness ended.

Forty minutes he waited, and nothing happened.

The ringing that was prevalent in his head slowed to a low buzz as the shadow of an oncoming person was cast on the wall that he could see through the window of the door outside of his cell. As the figure began to unlock the door, the buzzing stopped, and the voices ceased to exist. As what turned out to be a scrawny man came through the door, Bujin sighed with much-needed relief. The man slowly walked to the middle of the hallway, turned toward the small blue man inside the jail cell, and rubbed his hands in the awkward silence that ensued.

?So?? the thin man said, straightening his tie after running his fingers through his silver hair, ?How?s the bump on your head??

?Hurts,? Bujin smiled, ?That?s what tends to happen when someone clubs someone on the head.?

?Yes, well?? the old man sighed, and straightened his tie again, ?They thought you stole my wife.?

?So you?re Mr. Velveteen. Gotta say, that?s an awfully?weird name,? Bujin stated with raised eyebrows.

?Let?s not waste more of each other?s time,? Velveteen started, suddenly sounding angry ?I know you didn?t do a damned thing. And honestly? I don?t care. You?re now here for my personal entertainment, whether you want to be or not. Normally, I?d place you in a tournament of my own design, but??

?But?what?? Bujin asked as the thin man paused momentarily.

?But?I want to make things interesting. You?re much stronger than you appear, so I want you to take place in something?bigger.?

***

Hours later, Bujin found himself standing in line waiting to speak to a receptionist of some sort. The ?game? that the old man had spoken about was something very familiar, and yet very different. Bujin vaguely recalled entering something with the same name ? Dante?s Abyss ? but he remembered the game being much different. In any case, he was here to work for his freedom, or so the man-with-a-stupid-name told him. The line was long for something that was so involved with death, but it slowly began to thin with time. Suddenly, as Bujin found himself a few people away from the receptionist, he once again found an annoyance in his mind.

Wow, this looks exciting, the female voice perked up, You?ll have fun. Don?t look like such a downer.

?I?m not a downer,? Bujin whined, causing some of the people around him to stare at him awkwardly. Shrugging, the blue man continued, ?You know, I don?t even know your name.?

?name? she asked, sounding genuinely confused. Bujin laughed softly.

?You know, something people call you when they refer to you,? Bujin explained, surprisingly finding himself getting used to the voice.

Oh?oh! That. I don?t have one, I guess, she said apathetically.

God, my imagination sucks, Bujin thought.

?Okay,? Bujin began with a finger on his chin, subconsciously progressing through the line until it was his turn, ?I?ll call you Rae.?

?Excuse me?? the receptionist inquired with a cocked eyebrow. Bujin widened his eyes and looked down at the woman?s face, and chuckled nervously.

?Haha?nothing,? he grinned sheepishly, but quickly dropping it as he tried to climb out of the metaphorical hole he had dug for himself, ?Uhh?I?m here to sign up for Dante?s Abyss.?

?O?kay,? she nodded, ?First, what?s your name??

Bujin! Rae answered excitedly. Bujin snarled.

?I know!? Bujin shouted.

?What??

?What? Oh?uhh?Bujin. My name?Bujin?? his voice trailed off as she rolled her eyes and scribbled something down on a pad of paper.

?Okay?age??

Uhh?19? 20? Bujin heard Rae guess softly.

?21,? the blue man answered, flashing another grin.

?Okay?show me something cool,? she continued, looking up with a bored facial expression.

?Uhh?okay??

Bujin clicked his tongue and thought about what he could show her. Finally, the thought occurred, and he lifted a hand slowly into the air. Gathering his energy into his hand, he created a sharp blade around it. As he stared at the crimson blade, he began to chuckle and turn to slice the air. After a show of speed and accuracy, he made it disappear, and he gave the receptionist yet another cheesy smile.

That was awesome! Do it again! Rae cheered.

?Yeah?that?s my favorite one,? Bujin nodded in satisfaction of himself, ?I also do this thing where I practically throw up an energy beam, but?well, it?s gross and we?ve only just met.?

?Right?well, based on your?somewhat peculiar actions, I filled out the rest. Does this look right?? the woman held out an important piece of paper. Snatching it, Bujin read over it. Twice.

?Yeah, that?s about it. You?re good at this,? Bujin laughed.

?Yeah, yeah. Go away,? she said as she waved on the next person in line, ?Go through the tele-tube and await the start of the game.?

So Bujin did. The door slowly creaked open, and practically screamed for Bujin to go through. So, with a hesitant step and a deep breath, Bujin vanished into the void, unaware of what he could possibly expect.

[Aero]

Bam. A blue fist slammed against the redwood desk with moderate force?enough to catch the attention of the teenager on the opposite side, who was turned around playing with his face.

?Oh shit!? The boy was startled, and almost collapsed, chair and all. He turned around. His face was diseased with blemishes from his forehead to his chin. His hair was a golden-boy blond color and his eyes were hazel; dark green at the time, due to the season. His skin was a light vanilla color of gentle tone. ?Can I help you?? he asked, ignoring the shocking color of the man on the other side of the expensive desk.

?I?m signing up.?

?All right, well let me get in this computer. . .? He placed a open palm on the keyboard to the computer he was provided with. His hand gently glided across the keyboard in great elegance as he opened the program that kept information on the people signing up. ?Name??

?Gokua,? the warrior replied with an emotionless, deep voice.

The boy typed in the name easily. ?Now, may I get your age sir??

?Why is that important??

?It?s strictly for statistics,? he quickly replied, almost cutting the blue swordsman off. ?So. . . age??

?I?ll decline.?

?Okay. . . height? Weight?? He had one hand on the keyboard and the other on the redwood desk. He snorted, as if he had a cold, but he didn?t; his mucus was dry. The snort was violent, and pulled the snot to the midpoint of his sinuses, almost clogging them. Gokua was disgusted. ?So, can I get this information?? he asked; his voice altered from the snort, like someone that tried to talk without using their tongue.

?Height?? Gokua looked at his sculpted physique. ?Five eleven, one hundred and eighty pounds.?

The teenager?s hand glided across the keyboard again. It was beginning to agitate the swordsman. Those scrawny fingers rapidly pressing each key, like someone repeatedly dropping pens onto a naked table.

?Were those also for statistics??

?Of course not. They?re for everyone to know, silly,? the tenant replied as he opened up one of the drawers, slipping his hand in and pulling out a camera. It was an expensive camera, evident by the name CANON on the side. ?Now, I need to take some pictures of you.?

Gokua said nothing. He simply stood still.

The teenager brought the camera to his face and placed his finger on the button at the top. A moment passed. The teenager then snapped a picture of the alien. And another. And another.

?All right, that?s done,? the teenager said as he placed the camera back into its rightful drawer. ?Now, lastly,? he said, ?I need a sample of your fighting abilities.?

The alien arched a brow. ?Seriously??

?Seriously.?

Gokua glanced at the wall to his right; inches away from him. ?Okay.? Abruptly, he slammed his right fist into the wall. The fortifications structured within the wall?to protect the public from bombs?crumbled. His fist was implanted in the wall. The unique olive and beige dandelion style wallpaper was ruined. ?That enough??

The teenager was speechless, untrained for such a reaction. He did not know what to do, so he elected to do nothing. A good choice. He stayed put and simply continued the process he had been instructed to proceed with weeks beforehand.

?All right, that is it, Mr. Gokua.? That irritating sound caused by his violent snorting was still hovering over his voice. ?Oh yeah, before I forget,? he mentioned, ?Only forty-four people are going to be permitted to compete in this competition, so you?re not guaranteed to be placed on the island.?

?Okay. That it??

?Yes, Gokua sir.? He turned his chair around and got up. ?Please, allow me to direct you towards the tele-tubes, which will safely transfer you to the waiting bay.? The boy walked over to the left side of the room, where twenty or so doors were immediately side-by-side. Gokua followed. The teenager walked over to number 17. ?Please, enter here.? The double-doors electronically opened?not inward nor outward, but into the doorway itself?and the swordsman walked in. ?Oh, before I forget, you cannot bring that weapon with you.?

?. . . What??

?Sorry, but that?s a rule. Please hand it over.? He outstretched his fragile vanilla-skinned hand.

?Fine.? Though reluctantly, he unsheathed his rapier and handed it over. ?See you later Dictator. ?

?The sheath. . .?

?I?m keeping it.?

?Okay, your choice.?

The doors swiftly shut, and he was sent to the waiting bay, with greater speed than a fresh Ferrari.




-----------------------------
OOC: Really didn't plan to make it this long. My apologies.

[Tobias]

?Say cheese and crackers!? Garlic's mouth twitched. If it was more of a grimace than a smile the cameraman didn't care, he took what he could get. With a finger digging into his voluminous mustaches he set his camera aside and scanned for his other equipment. Garlic ran a hand over his damp scalp and examined the sweat on his palm. He hoped that wherever the fuck Dante's Abyss was this year it would be a little more tepid.

?If you don't mind me saying so, sir,? the cameraman voiced while setting up a tripod, ?You have a good look about you for crowd pleasing. Unique, noticeable. You stand out.? The demon grunted a noncommittal response. He certainly was going to please the crowd this year; there was to be no more of that grumpy goblin shit, not matter how he actually felt, but to the hells with this man if he thought he was going to waste one ounce of his charm on him. The little red light on his camera switched green. And it was on. His frown curled into a roguish grin, his slouch straightened into a relaxed pose.

?Show me your stuff.?

Slowing down just enough to let the camera catch his movements he flowed into a practiced sequence of kicks, flips and punches. It was faster, smoother, and just damn better than any average martial artist could muster, but he was just warming up. He did a flip and landed with a length of focused ki in his hand. Now his sword weaved into his graceful dance of death, cutting down invisible foes by the dozens. He let his blade lengthen retract and whip with his movements and then let it disappear.

?Alright then I'll...? Garlic cut the human short with a chop of his hand.

?Did you want to see my moves or watch me dance?? The man simply turned the camera back on and started filming. Garlic looked straight into the camera and offered it the cockiest sneer he could muster.

?That... was shit. I could do as much when I was three.? He extended his arm to the camera. ?See this hand? It can move thirty times as fast as that,? He flipped it palm up and let a ball of green ki form. ?, and can make one of these for each movement.? The goblin flicked his wrist and then clenched his tiny fingers into a fist. A swarm of small shimmering orbs halted in front of the camera lens. To untrained eyes they simply appeared. ?Those are just pests separately. But as one,? at his command they swirled in a kaleidoscope of motion to form one large sphere, ?they are wounding. Half a minute later I could level a city with the sheer volume of these.? He let the ball melt put of existence and turned away from the camera.

?But I wouldn't even need that long.? He whispered over his shoulder. With an abrupt jerk he was spun back around, a manic glare form his eyes and a wicked grin curling his mouth. His hands were cupped together and channeling enough energy that the room began to rattle. ?Ga-rikku Sen. Garlic Beam. It means death.? He let out a bark of a laugh and relaxed his arms. ?I will end it there before the cameraman pisses himself.? The ki was cut and everything settled. The green light turned red.

"Well... that, uh..." The cameraman let out a small cough. He was shaking a little as he wrote down the power level he recorded on a sheet. Those jagged lines formed a number than made his stomach do a little flip. Not because he was afraid, not even in awe. He was excited. There was so much energy in that room it vibrated to his bones. With a tug on his whiskers he bowed to the little man. So much energy... and this Garlic Junior wasn't even the strongest yet to sign up. By the Kami this was going to be a good year.

[Whompt]

Lightning flashed, a jagged line drawn across the darkened sky illuminating the world below. Krakow! The resounding crash of thunder filled the forest, announcing the coming storm as men milled about the small factory nestled within. They scurried here and there, eager to fill a waiting truck with the final shipment of body armor for the day. Armtech, a military contract company, had been tasked with making these beauties for the world?s armed forces, and this complex was but one of hundreds that manufactured the high-tech gear.

Hunkered into their orange parkas, security guards roamed aimlessly inside the fence, their thoughts more concerned with their wives and children than on watching the forest around them. Theirs was a cushy job, no one knew this factory existed and nothing interesting ever happened aside from the random squirrel hitting the electrified fence. Two passed, exchanging a friendly nod and a small hello. All this was seen by a single man lying low in the wood line, hidden within a pile of wet foliage. Similar nigh-invisible mounds were around him, each marking the location of another seasoned soldier.

They were five all together, three human men, a sensual female, and a hulking Namekian. Their varying skills would all come in handy during the following raid and capture of the truck. Unfortunately, this mission would never be completed. As the leader leveled the sight of his scope towards the nearest guard he heard something. The sound of a snapping twig chilled him to the bone, more so than the frosty air ever could. Before he could roll onto his back, it was over. Thook-thook-thook-thook. The silenced weapons of the intruders had done their dirty work; his soldiers had been forever silenced and the blonde man found himself staring down the deadly barrel of a rifle.

?Conroy Alan Blue,? the masked man spoke, his tone making evident his hidden grin. ?Commander Red would like to extend his greetings, and his deep disappointment in how you turned out. It?s our hope that your successor will be a marked improvement in the formula.?

Blue closed his eyes and sighed. So this was it, huh? So be it. The blonde man heard that Hell was lovely this time of year. A gunshot rang out and his thoughts fled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eyes opening, Blue groaned as he rose from bed. His alarm screech out its call as the man rubbed his temples. Every night it was the same nightmare, and the soldier was beginning to get worried. Surely Commander Red would never kill him, not the most skilled warrior in the Red Ribbon Army?s employ. It was all so confusing. Slapping the annoying buzzer, Conroy put the dream behind him as he readied himself for another day on the job.

Blue was just exiting his small bathroom, still wet and naked from his shower, when a knock came at the door.

?Come in,? he said, wrapping a towel around his waist as his visitor entered. There was no introduction as none was necessary. The man before him was nameless, referring to himself simply as the Taskmaster. Blue scowled, still perturbed that the asshole had the audacity to think himself better than Conroy. But, he kept his irritation hidden besides the small visual clue. The masked man was under the direct command of Red and it was he that gave Blue his orders. Just as always, the intruder simply dropped an envelope on his underling?s bed and exited, leaving the General to look over the papers alone.

?Hmph? Who do they think I am? Signing me up for some bullshit tournament to test my ?skills???

Reading through the paperwork, it seemed that everything had been taken care of at least. All the relevant information had been submitted and even a video of his last training exercise against the lower enlisted. A hundred to one odds weren?t much of a challenge, not to the man who?d risen to the heights of his order?s rank in less than a decade. Blue sighed, and dressed himself. It was definitely going to be a long day.

(OOC: Good enough?)

[Bardock]

Never accustomed to teleporting, Bardock strangely found himself on the face of his homeworld, planet Vegeta. His dark eyes gazed up. The halo around his head had vanished. King Kai had made all the necessary arrangements: Bardock was in. The saiyan allowed himself a smirk as he walked into the sign ups building. It was d?j? vu all over again. This time he had no patience. He roughly shouldered past every single contestant wannabe in the line amidst a chorus of angry protests.

?Welcome to sign-ups. We?re going to have to go through a short registration process in order to submit your application. Only forty-four contestants will be admitted to compete. They will be transported to an island on the planet Dante. That is all we may disclose at this time,? the staff informed.

It was word-for-word the shpeel he had received last year.

?I?m not going through this formality shit again,? he announced.

The attendant glanced up. A few seconds of registry, and?

?Hmm?your face looks kind of familiar?but I can?t really place it?? he mused. The attendant leaned forward with a look of concentration. ?Were you one of our summer interns??

Bardock reached out and grabbed the attendant?s tie, yanking him forward. A pair of DA security goons in dark shades thundered forward, making their presence known.

?I?m going to have to ask you to restrain yourself, sir,? the attendant choked. The saiyan released him.

?Here, let me help you,? the brawler sneered as he shoved the official right through his seat, busting the chair in two. The scrawny worker popped up like a daisy and his fingers immediately flew to the keyboard perched before his computer.

?Let me just check our records?? the official replied hastily, kneeling over his broken furniture. A registry of last year?s contestants scrolled down the screen. He slammed the enter button when the icon passed over the saiya-jin?s face. ?Number fourteen, saiyan, Bardock. Eliminated, thirteenth place. Powerlevel approximately two million. Weapon, teddy bear. Kills: number thirty-two Android 16, number four Hasky, number twenty-eight Selipa, number fifteen Android 18. Death: number eighteen Raditzu, winner.?

Bardock smiled sourly. ?That?s me.?

?Fourteenth place, huh? That sucks. Not even top ten. Your pre-show popularity was 85, too,? the official remarked.

Bardock raised an arm as if to strike. The attendant immediately flinched, shielding himself. ?Don?thitme!?

A moment passed. The attendant ventured out of the protection of his arms. He gestured with a finger to the teleporter. ?Just, uh, just go on through, hehheh. I?ll, uh, I?ll take care of everything.?

Bardock did just that. He stood firmly onto the teleporter, determination filling his face.

He was a survivor once.

He would be again.



OOC: It's on like Donkey Kong my friends.

[Old Zangya]

This post is continued from Curiosity Killed the Cat

* * *

The Ader slowly walked triumphantly up to the desk, and then slammed her hands on it. The cardboard collapsed under the force of her entrance, causing everything on it to fall to the red earth with it. Quirking her eyebrow in delight, Zangya kneeled down and grasped a few forms.

?Oh, thank you,? said the lady behind the desk as she took the forms from Zangya?s arms. Drat. That ruined her chances of getting to know the competition before making the decision to sign-up. The fiery-haired, green-skinned Ader simply sighed at her early defeat, and knew that her sleight of hand would have to get even better to trick the rest of the contenders in this competition?and so, Zangya smacked her lips impatiently as she tried to think of something to say to the person she?d just tried to pull the wool over. Luckily, she was given a boost: ?So, did you want to sign up?? the receptionist asked her.

?Eh?? Zangya said, breaking away from her thoughts. ?Oh, yes, please,? she told her, and the receptionist handed over a clipboard with a blank form and a pen. Looking over the sign-up sheet, Zangya took slow steps as she pondered her answers, slowly but surely taking her pacing inside. As she entered, she paid no mind to the several eyes that turned to her, the eyes that were still there from her ?visit? just recently?including the eyes of the bartender, who was currently sitting on a stool behind the counter nursing his shoulder would with a wet rag to stop the bleeding. Sitting in a booth, the orange-haired thief looked over the first slot: ?Name?. Zangya, of course. ?Age?. Twenty. ?Race?. Why was that important? But she complied anyways: Ader.

?Hey,? said a voice from above, ?You want anything??

Zangya never looked up. ?Just a glass of moon-juice, if you would,? she ordered, but her thoughts were soon interrupted by a small drop of red liquid that dripped onto her form. Looking up in horror, she saw the bartender standing above her. And he looked angry. Zangya leaped up from her seat as he thrashed into it, and then leaped up onto his back. The green-skinned woman pulled her crescent-shaped knife from its sheath and raised it high, but then, suddenly, the Saiya-jin turned, and reached out and grasped her by the neck. Whipping around yet again, the bartender tossed Zangya out the window, sending glass everywhere across the outside pavement. The Dante?s Abyss receptionist ducked in cover as her stand was knocked into a frizz again, and then looked over at Zangya. The woman stood, and then watched as her clipboard and pen were tossed to her feet.

?And don?t you come back!? he yelled to her from inside. But then, the bartender made a fatal mistake, and turned his back on the alien assassin.

?I don?t plan to,? she whispered under her breath. The alien stretched her arms out their full length, and then pressed her wrists together and cupped her hands. A medium-sized green orb of chi appeared in the cup of her palms and Zangya?s expression grew morbid and furious. ?TRAP SHOOTER!? she yelled in anger, and then the orb split into many smaller orbs of the chi energy and flew mindlessly towards the bartender?s bare back. Most of them dug into his spine and he doubled over in pain, and then collapsed to his knees, panting as he attempted to push the several burning holes in his back out of his mind. Soon, the man had turned and was sitting on his bottom now, and had slid up so he was leaning against the front of the bar. ?I don?t think you plan to either, do you now?? she remarked cockily.

?You,? he said, ?You?re a??

?Yeah?? she taunted, ?I?m a what??

?A monster!? he yelled.

?I?m a monster, huh?? she asked him. He did not reply. ?Well, if I?m a monster, then you?re dead,? she said, aiming her palm at him and then blasting him with another orb of green chi. When the emerald dust cleared from around him, his eyes were closed and he was breathing no more. Zangya pushed her hair over her shoulders so it hung loosely down her back. ?Guess I?m a monster,? she said, picking up the clipboard and pen.

?That may be a good thing,? came the squeaky, pleasant voice of the receptionist. ?Dante?s Abyss is looking for some real monsters this season. Fill out your form and I?ll see what I can do?as for demonstrating your abilities for me, I think we?ve covered that section.?

?Alright,? Zangya said, her scowl flipping into a frown, ?Thanks.? Looking back at her clipboard, she climbed through the hole in the window, sat in her booth, and continued her thinking. ?Preferred fighting style,? she read. And then, after reading it, she tapped the pen to her chin repeatedly, attempting to think of her personal answer to that question. ?Let?s see?cunning if I?m in the mood, forceful if I?m not.? She wrote what she had just said and then moved on to the next field on the form. ?Planet of birth? Hmmm??

* * *

Approximately ten minutes later?

Zangya smiled down at her completed form, and then nodded in excitement and satisfaction. Sliding out of the booth seat, she carried the clipboard out with her, sticking the pen behind her ear. However, as she exited, she was met with a slightly grim scene. There was someone new at the receptionist?s desk?a man this time, and he looked slightly more serious and ?by-the-book? than the bouncy blonde that had been there previously. Cautiously, the Ader handed over her form to him, taking a step back when she did so.

?Alright, show me what you?ve got,? he said, looking over her form, ?Miss?Zangya.?

?I already showed the previous receptionist. She said I was fine,? Zangya told the new man.

?Laura? Oh, well. She?s not here right now. Isaac is. So show Isaac what you?ve got, little lady,? Isaac mocked her.

?Oh, really, Isaac?? she said. ?Is?that?so??

?Yes?it?is.?

?And now he?s mocking me,? she laughed, ?Don?t you dare mock me, pretty boy.? Zangya?s expression grew slightly angry again, and she stepped forward, this time lightly placing her hands on the desk and putting her face inches away from his. He seemed to not be afraid.

?I will mock you if I see fit,? he taunted.

?Ah,? she said, ?And now I see where you stand as far as how long you?re going to live. About fifteen more seconds.?

?Really?? he asked her sarcastically. ?Try me.?

And the last thing Zangya said to him was just a mumble, as Zangya?s cold, green eyes stared right into his hazel pupils. ?Lady?s Vision,? she whispered, and her eyes locked in their target?Isaac?and then small, green beams of chi emerged from them, and suddenly, there was a large explosion of green energy, and Zangya backed off as his now headless body rolled from its chair onto the floor. Nearby, Laura had just started walking off, and was now looking in horror at Isaac?s dead body.

?Guess your shift is back on, Laura,? Zangya spat coldly. The blonde woman walked over and looked over Zangya?s sheet.

?You?re good. Head on over to that teletube,? she said, not making eye contact and her voice getting slightly shaky with fear. Zangya began her stride towards the seemingly ?portable? teletube that was nearby. The shaky voice of Laura piped up again. ?Oh, and thank you for signing up for Dante?s Abyss 2007 and remember,? she gulped, ?It?s not about killing, it?s about not dying.?

Zangya smirked as she walked into the teletube. ?Right,? she answered. And then the door slid closed, and she was gone.

OOC: Sorry about the length. I had a lot of ideas for this one.

[Bra]

OOC: Continued from ?Reticence? on Earth-Sei.

The cyan haired princess had to admit; having been whisked thousands of years into the past and back didn?t make her feel nearly as accomplished as she assumed it should have. Still, she was home; both in the sense of time and space.

Even so, life - at least for Bra - was hardly about to stand still. Even from the sanctity of the Capsule Corporation compound she had just hardly set foot upon, she could hear a burgeoning crowd in the distance.

Loud rabble filtered over the traffic and bustle of the enormous city, catching the girl?s ear. Normally, the girl would have sincerely considered simply going home and getting some sleep, but the gentle pull of Exosus? limited power insisted - demanded - that she go investigate.

With a rather uninviting half-scowl, the girl took to the skies, and gently coasted up over the pair of city blocks between the Briefs mansion and a square which was absolutely infested with dozens of high-powered ki signatures.

Immediately, she saw it. ?Dante?s Abyss?. Ugh. The demi saiyan floated down toward a sign-up desk. She hated Dante?s Abyss. Absolutely hated it! But the newly-empowered Exosus exerted her will, bringing her closer and closer to the desk.

Subconscious messages skittered through the heiress? mind: proving herself, making a show of force, using the interplanetary celebrity of the event to make her message known; she would defeat all of her foes in this false battle of titans, and then when they were crippled with fear, Bra would annihilate the Changelings with the aid of the saiyan military, and perhaps even use some of Dante?s Abyss? fans or resources in her favor.

The festering hatred for those pale-skinned oppressors was enough for teal haired hybrid to push her way to the front of the line. The clerk - a slightly overweight, goateed man wearing glasses - offered her a sidelong glance before returning to his paperwork.

?I?m signing up. DA, right?? Bra inquired.

?Huh?? the man looked up. He raised an eyebrow. ?Uh, you??

Gritting her teeth, the princess grasped the clerk by his collar and hefted him up out of his chair. Bra raised her fist level with the clerk?s face. Ethereal flames leapt off her elegant, gloved hand, and immediately the desk jockey burst into a cold sweat.

?Okay, okay, okay! Just... okay. Your name, and some personal information, p-please!? exclaimed the clerk. The beautiful empress released him, dumping him back into his chair.

?I?m Princess Bra Briefs, of the Vegeta Dynasty, ruling family of Vegeta-Sei. I?m seventeen, was a super saiyan by the age of eleven, and I?m a whole hell of a lot stronger now than I was back then.? retorted the halfling with an uncharacteristic smirk of arrogance.

?Okay, any special techniques you have that might set you apart from the average fighter?? replied the clerk, whose name tag read that his name was Raymond.

?Nothing too special. This one?s kinda neat, though.? Bra replied, throwing her hands into the air. The very sky itself darkened a significant degree for a moment, before all returned to normal. The husky Raymond already seemed to be scribbling something down.

?The Genki Dama. Yes, we?ve seen this before; certainly not original, but very powerf-wha??

A hole tore through the air itself above the cyan haired warrior?s hands. The two-dimensional abyss widened, and from the hellish whirlwind of shrieking and black and purple leapt a hideous, two tailed, four-legged monstrosity, lacking eyes and a nose, but endowed with dozens of deadly teeth.

The monstrosity hissed menacingly, before unleashing a deadly pillar of energy into the sky. Smoke gently drifted from the creature?s translucent body, as light bent and twisted through it?s muscles and out the other side.

?Wh-what the hell is that?!? exclaimed Raymond.

?Shadow monster thing. His name?s Snowball.? replied Bra.

?Snowball??

?Yeah.? the empress repeated, completely deadpan.

?Well... that certainly is... new. Alright, cool. Just come over here, I gotta take a couple file photos. Promotional stock, mostly. Bring the fans in and stuff.?

Rolling her eyes, the half-blooded noble followed the heavy-set clerk over to a camera, and stood, with most of her weight on one foot, very much like the famous statue of David she had seen once a long time ago, her variation, however, was that she?d decided to cross her arms, rather than leave them dangling by her sides.

The flash went off, and Raymond offered a thumbs up, evidently satisfied with the picture he had taken. Bra had already taken to the teleportation platform, when the clerk so astutely informed her that she was, indeed, to head to the teleportation platform.

If incompetence were punishable by death, she mused, there would be very few people left for her to interact with. Lately, she had been wondering more and more about wether or not that would be a bad thing.

Shrugging it off, she stepped into the teleportation field, was split into atoms, and vanished.

[Orion]

OOC: Follow up to "Retribution" on Earth.

"Wow man. Dante's Abyss. I'm so gonna do that next year."

"As if. Did you see that guy walk in before? That little short green guy? He was a full on pro, even if he was an ugly midget. You're just a kid."

A large congregation of people were outside one of the many signup sites stationed all over the planet Earth. Although it was a surprising statistic, Earth was one of the most fruitful planets for the competition to pick its contestants, despite being inhabited by an inferior, non-warrior race. Every sign up always brought out the tough, the brave, the powerful, the sturdy. And with those entrants came the buzzing, excitable crowds, hoping to vicariously experience the excitement of the death tournament.

Two teenage kids were walking through the mass of people. Trent was a martial artist in training, while his other level headed friend Jayden took his head out of the clouds.

"I don't wanna burn your dreams or nothin', but don't you think you need to wait a little longer?"

Trent felt a surge of arrogance, and he seized it. "Oh sure! I bet that little midget was just a trick to scare of the 'weaklings.' Really, how powerful could the real fighters be?"

A powerful flare of light went off in the two teenagers' path like a flashbang. They fell to the ground, their lips quivering from shock. After the cloak of brightness faded, they saw a bewildered violet alien with a long tail standing before them. Their eyes widened.

"What the fuck?!" Koola swore, his surroundings suddenly changed. Humans were all around him. There was no village, no stupid robot... no Kerela. Where the hell was he?

His angry glance focused upon the two teens who were staring in awe at him. If there was a resounding horn that went off when Koola truly lost all vestiges of his serenity, it would've be deafening everyone in a seventy kilometre radius right then.

"What the hell are you looking at, punks!?" the changeling scathed at them. "Haven't you ever seen a furious icer before?!"

Without a word, Trent and Jayden scurried to their feet and forced their way in the opposite direction, screaming the entire way. They pulled some concerned and confused looks, but not nearly as many as Koola himself was receiving. A guttural growl came from his throat. He hated the gawking monkeys with noxious contempt usually, but right now he was prepared to do in the entire planet.

And that's when his eyes caught it: Dante's Abyss. Bells rung in his mind. That was familiar to him. He couldn't recall much, but he was sure he had participated in one of those before.

Desiring to return to the village, but knowing he had no idea what direction it was in, he sighed in resignation and walked to the sign up booths, still holding the mystic staff.

"Give me a vision, you stupid stick."

"Can I help you, sir?" an attendant queried.

"Let me into this." There wasn't a hint of kindness in his icy words.

"OK, I just need some basic details. Name, age, race, abilities?"

The changeling, as he frequently did, changed moods the moment he realised he could flaunt his name. "Koola, prince and heir to the Cold Dynasty. I've been kicking around the universe for 32 years. I am an Icer, or if you want to put me in a more generic context, a changeling. My abilities? Ha!" He rolled his eyes. "Numerous."

"No problem Mr. Koo-"

"Think about who I am, and recorrect that statement."

"No problem, prince Koola?" The Icer nodded affirmingly. "You just need to step onto this teleportation device and you'll be ready. Oh, and I'll need to take this staff with me."

As soon as the human's hand touched it, Koola instinctively pushed him away with it. Unfortunately, he loosened his grip, and the DA subordinate had it.

The changeling took in a deep breath, remembering the ten step program to prevent planet destruction. "I think it would be in everyone's best interests if you gave that back to me."

"Sorry sir, no outside weapons or gadgets."

Koola was about to lash out, but his thoughts reigned him. Why was he so concerned? Why did he want the stick? To get in contact with Kerela? Come on Koola, let it be!

An annoyed sigh left his lips. "Fine."

Without another word, he stood upon the teleporter, vanishing to his new destination.

[King Cold444]

OOC: Resurrected on earth by Koola.

There was an idle rapping, that drove everyones nerves. It pulsed steadily, a sharp rapping, tapping that glided over the silence. No one said anything to the changeling, who effortlessly managed overlook everyone whenever he assumed his fully erect posture. Instead they endured the bane of his frustrations.

"Why do you need my weight again?" he was louder than he needed to be, having separated from the crowd and been whisked off to a quieter wing of the onsite signup center. There was an attendant, who quickly adapted to his socially unaware needs.

"Its for statistics, sir." She grumbled, growing impatient with his outrageous demands despite his previously hypnotic charm. Afterall, he was sitting on an intern who had hunched over and made himself the best damn makeshift chair he could manage to be.

King Cold nodded mechanically, jotting down a lie for his weight and considering shaving an inch or two off of his 'height' of 5'9". Adapting to societies whims and beckoning seemed... well, unreasonable to the former lordship. It was when he'd awoken, disoriented and in an unforeseen union with his son--Coola--that he'd decided to take a more, what he felt was a genuinely laid back demeanor. It was something about the entire atmosphere that dropped an overall gloom on the changelings shoulders; but nothing less should've been expected from the promise of an eternity in Hell.

Now Koola was nowhere to be found and the corporate-able man beneath him seemed to lose his enthusiasm. Cold wondered what Coola had been up to during these times of awkward exchanges and television programming. It wasn't premediated, it just drifted through his ponderings; but he hadn't expected Koola to whisk him from the lust-filled chambers he was within. Hell just did not live up to its Hollywoods portrayal.

"I think I'm just about done," Cold pressed himself up to the intimidating stature that kept his unjust actions as they were. He looked back to their intern, who did his best at flattering his unkempt appearance. "You okay down there, man?"

"Uhmm, yeah. Not a big deal... you needed a chair and, uh... I gave you one." He was sheepish with his response, but Cold hadn't bothered to tempt him into animosity. He was more than aware that picking on the weak usually lead to revolts and pickets.

"You'll get that... attendent... job you always wanted..." he was speaking, but his attention was on the attendant that sat behind her desk. She was a brunette and attractive, from what he could see, but that wasn't why he was staring. With an uncalculated slap atop the desk and a brash roar, he managed to frighten her after the wood (or whatever it was made out of) folded around his hand. "You're gonna take this away from me, right?" King Cold flaunted the application in from of her fear-filled eyes, tauntingly.

She received the paper, still stunned by his ecstatic behavior and began fingering her keyboard with a short-lived, rapid pace.

"Do that again." Cold said, his eyebrows slowly rising.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, seriously concerned for her well-being. "Sir, you're making me nervous.." She fingered the keyboard again, aware of the changeling hovering over her. "King Cold... Cold Dynasty... age is apparently undisclosable... you are not five-foot-nine, a hundred and twenty something pounds... I'm five-foot-nine and a hundred and twenty something pounds..."

"I guess that I wasn't that far off." He shrugged. She rolled her eyes.

"You were in the Dante's Abyss spinoff, Conquest... impress me, show me some moves or something." She said, resting her visage on her hand.

"Some moves?" he took but a moment to ponder, before his hand glided forward and submerged into a riff in mid-air. A clap behind them prompted the attendant to get to her feet and witness the intern picking himself up, holding the side of his face. "That's one."

The entire room then took a deep, sanguine shade as windswept papers began to encircle the focused changeling. Flailing her arms wildly, the attendant somehow managed to break his developing trance before her work became more picking up paperwork than clicking and recruiting fighters.

"Okay, that's it. Just step into the teleporters off to the side, we've got everything we need." She managed, nodding to the photographers who they kept onhand for events such as King Cold.

"You sure they caught my good side?" he called back, as he stepped into the whirring lights. He never did get that answer, but he was asking questions he already knew the answers to.

[Paragus]

OOC: Continued from the finished quest Death and Destruction

It had been three long days since Para?s epic battle with the alien invaders of South City. He was still feeling the effects of the brawl, but was pretty much recovered. The sun was beginning to rise to greet another morning on Planet Earth. The saiyan elite was now making his way through a small town miles away from South City. A small wooden bench caught his eye. He had been walking for a long time, so a rest didn?t seem like a bad idea.

A man perched atop a podium preached across the street. He wielded a large megaphone and spit words of encouragement to all that passed him by.

?Come on down! Worlds strongest fighters unite! Will you be the next Raditzu? Well you wont be if you don?t sign up ?

A sudden feeling came over the aged saiyan. It was a feeling of almost pity, but not for the man across the street, but for himself. He had never really felt this way before. He stood from the bench and looked across the street at the large banner. ?DANTE?S ABYSS ? It read in big bold letters. Para?s mind was racing uncontrollably with crazy thoughts.

?What am I doing? I just wander the streets picking out odd-jobs and risking my life for people I don?t even know. I used to be a proud saiyan commander, ruthless and cunning. I am now a complete nobody.?

A plump woman sat behind the desk at the sign - up booth. Para put his hand down on the oak counter. The woman was busy answering questions for somebody else, but the saiyan didn?t have the patience at the moment. He began to knock on the desk causing cracks to splinter in the wood.

?Nobody knows the name Paragus. I need to make myself known, I need to become the great warrior that I once was.?

?How can I help you.? The lady said trying to stay professional, but was obviously angry.

?I would like to sign-up. My name is Paragus. I am a saiyan from Planet Vegeta.?
?I need to prove that im not just another generic fighter from planet whatever. I am Paragus commander of the imperial arm on Vegeta. I will tear through my competition so they too will know my name. ?

?Ok. Do you have a fighting style.?

The saiyan really didn?t see how that question mattered, but he answered it nonetheless. ?Traditional Saiyan.?

?Well that should do it. Go toward the Tele Pad and Good luck.? She said it with no feeling at all, as if she had already uttered the words a million times today.

? My stage will be the ultimate fighting tournament. A reality show that has captivated audiences world wide. Conquest was with teams, but this time I am alone.....?

A scrawny man leaped in front of the emotionally torn saiyan. ? I need a quick demonstration of your power, Mr. Paragus.?

?Im a saiyan. Isn?t that enough.? Para really wasn?t in the mood to be pestered by 20 questions.

?Please sir it is procedure. Do something cool.?

Para gave a slight chuckle. ?Is that blue care yours?? The saiyan asked about the small car parked across the street.

?Yea. Why??

Para stuck his hand out and extended his fingers vertically. A large ball of white energy shot from his palm and connected with the blue automobile. A huge explosion rang through the town as Para approached the teleportation device.

He ignored the crying employee an stepped into the teletube. The instant transmission device lit up as he placed both feet in the center. He closed his eyes and readied his stomach. With a quick jerk he was whisked off into the wonderful world of Dante?s Abyss.

?And I wouldn?t want it any other way.?

[Burter]

The special staff-only teletube from Namek sent Burter to a familar room in his own personal dojo. The long-legged reptilian stepped off the platform and into his personal space, protected from the main room by three rows of closed curtains. Inside the matted area sat a comfortable, bulky man with a cigar in his hand.

Big Blue nodded politely to the human as he walked forward. "Good to see you again, Mr. Jak," he hissed in greeting. He stopped a few feet away, preferring to stand as usual.

"Glad to see you made it again," Karl Jak smiled broadly at the blue reptile.

Burter nodded again, this time crossing his bulky arms over his chest as he questioned the man's motives. Karl was the one who originally asked Burt to run the dojo, but they were hardly friends. "I wasn't exactly expecting to see you here."

Karl inhaled from his cigar, doing his best to look as good as possible doing it. There was no question, even for the asexual reptilian, that this guy was very gay. "Well, my dear blue friend, I had wanted to discuss something with you."

"I'm listening."

The man shifted in his seat as he took another puff from the oversized cigar. He was very polite about it, as if trying to make it look a certain way. "By my last glance over the recorded power levels, you're listed as one of the strongest beings in the North Quadrant. You, my blue dear, are probably in the top ten."

Burter shifted uncomfortably as he listened to the host. "I'm flattered, but I'm not up that strong."

"I'm sure," Karl said, "Well, this year I got a chance to be one of the producers. And I'll be blunt; I want you to play this year. I want to see you in action."

"Thanks, but no thanks," was the response, "I'm sure you have plenty of other strong killers that want to compete. I have some hang-ups when it comes to killing my friends."

"Which is why you should play," Karl paused and took another puff from his smoke stick. "The people that play are usually emotionless. Which is good for a player, but it's already filled it's quota. We need someone who cares. Someone who is going to play to win, but not if it costs his friendships. You're strong. You're talented. You've got friends that are playing."

Burt chuckled. "So, you want someone that isn't an asshole."

"Good way to look at it."

"Okay, sure," Burt shrugged. "I don't mind playing. No promises on being entertaining."

"I have faith," Karl grinned, "I'll keep you informed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get your registered and start sending out information to the viewers on you."

As Karl Jak headed up and out, Burter scanned outside into the dojo. Just a few no-names were hanging around. Nobody that stood half a chance at being in the competition. But he knew who WOULD make it in the competition.

He hated the idea of killing people like his friends. But his pride was almost as bad as a saiyan's. He couldn't just not give it his all. He couldn't let an cocky bastard like Raditzu slide by him. He was going to have to get past Rad, 18, Bra...all of his friends.

Or he'd just die. That could be fun too.

[Bojack]

His scouter swam with a cascade of sporadic nonsense. The data began to compress, compact, and condense, compiling into a vague blob of image. Soon, a face flickered across the emerald quartz; a primal brow and a gruff, black mane. A Saiyan... Bojack's current employer and financial spine during his stay on the planet Vegeta.

"Yeah," Bojack grunted, "it's done."

"How'd it go?"

Bojack surveyed the macabre massacre with a heavy breath. The body of a Saiyan politician lay beheaded in a crumpled mesh of limbs and regal attire. Encircling it was a gentle slope of a massive crater, the lip of which nearly caressed the setting sun. Scattered about were more dismembered Saiyans. Their peasant rags slapped steady against the breeze. Guards... or innocents... he didn't have the time to figure it out.

"This one was quite worthy of my mettle," Bojack said, "I bled gallons. But he bled more."

"Yer quite the merc, Bojack."

"Aye," he said. He spat a sloppy stream of blood and snot. He spasmed and coughed, a gargled cough that drew more blood and snot from the pit of his misery. He spat again. This time his teeth rattled. "I know."

"So what now? You gonna get started on the rest?"

"I'm going to need a few days in a regeneration tank first."

"That can wait."

"No it can't."

...

"A'right," the Saiyan said, "wait there. I'll send somebody to come get ya."

"And what of the zenni?"

"I'm a man of my word. It'll be right here waitin' for ya."

"I have another request."

?

"I need a vacation."

***3 Weeks Later***

"Your name."

"Bojack."

"And how did you find out about Dante's Abyss?"

"My employer. He gave me some time to enjoy on my own."

"Wait, what did you say your name was?"

"Bojack?"

The boy behind the desk nodded, retreated his hands into the giant bureau, and pulled out a manilla folder. It was thick and it sounded of thunder as it was dropped on the desktop. Bojack tilted his head to get a better look.

"What is this?"

"Your rap sheet. Heists, hits, wanted signs, weapons of choice, fears, ambitions... what you had for dinner two months ago, it's all here. I didn't believe there were profiles so thick on you mercs, but I guess I was wrong. Your 'employer' sent it over, so you're pretty much good to go."

Bojack knew of the profiles. When you shop for a murderer, you want to know all the ins and outs. He wondered what nostalgic memories and bloody nightmares awaited him if he were to read it. It was an unofficial memoir of his life and the lives of those he destroyed. He found it rather funny... of all the people he killed and bamboozled and stole from, they all could be summed up in a folder of papers and ink. It comforted him, to think of those men and women and children as nobodies, because then he could hold back the tears. But hey... no regrets, right? He knew what he was doing, and he knew he'd most likely be doing it until he himself was a snippet of a page of a profile of a horrible man that killed for zenni.

"That's about it," the boy said, "just step inside the teletube there. A camera inside will take a picture and send you to the residences for the pre-show."

Bojack walked towards the teletube, it's interior glowing a cyan neon. He slowly stepped onto the platform, and as reality began to transmute into fragments of space, he heard the boy cry after him with a final piece of advice:

"Have fun..."

I plan to...

[Minoshia]

The younger brother nodded towards his counterpart before letting his feet rise slowly off the soft ground. Energy trickled around his body, wrapping him in a cocoon of aerodynamic power. Not waiting for his brother, he darted off in the direction of the nearest major city; with the utmost assurance sign ups would be in the location he was heading. He could feel Tapion?s energy buzzing behind him, it seemed as though he would try his luck in Dante once again this year.

Minoshia could never forget last year?s Dante; it had showed him a lifetime?s worth of pain and perseverance. He had betrayed those close to him, killed a friend, created a rival, and ultimately he had died. In a tournament where death wasn?t real, he had managed to find himself at Grand Kai?s.

Those cowards. His mind immediately leapt to images of those who had once been his allies, the prestigious members of Civil Unrest. Had they confessed what they did to Tapion? None would have needed to die.The dark prince blocked the memory of his brother?s death, not wanting to face it once again. More blood will be shed this year, no one will be safe. Minoshia?s hand began to shake at the thought of slaughtering another, tearing their body limb from limb, letting their blood stain the grounds of Dante once more. He had gone into somewhat of a personal recession since the last Dante, and with the help of him *, the slumber of the demons within was soon to be ended.

His mind completely distracted, the disturbed Konatsa-jin hardly noticed they were flying over the city. He absent-mindedly made his descent towards the streets, unconsciously eyeing a massive kiosk labeled ?Dante?s Abyss 2007?.


They descended mere yards from the sign up table, the line was massive but that didn?t really matter to the two warriors. Eyes shot towards the pair was they landed. Minoshia, the younger, was first to act as he moved towards the man at the front of the line. The amateur warrior had no idea what he was getting himself into, and the Prince saw his actions only as a way of educating him.

With a flick of his wrist, the Konat sent the man spiraling off into a thick concrete wall attached to a local brothel. Replacing the man in line, he looked down at the receptionist with a stone cold glare.

?Sir! You can?t go throwing peo-,? The receptionist began to yell at the dark child, but stopped mid sentence, for absolutely no reason at all. Minoshia had fully intended on letting her finish, it seemed she had something else in mind however.

?Traitor!? A fan screamed from the side of the line, one of the many who had camped overnight to get a good view of Earth?s competitors for the televised reality show of violence and strategy. The receptionists eyes lit up like a bulb, the word had obviously triggered something in her memory.

?You were the child who played last year, Am I right? You placed fourth?? She spoke again, not noting the frustration and anger that loathed in the silent eyes of the Prince. Minoshia grabbed the pen, and placed it in the hand of the receptionist, turning the paper around so it faced her.

?Minoshia.? He stated coldly. She looked immediately confused. Trying to remain calm, the Konatsa-jin pointed at the paper, the blank line that read, ?Name?.

?Minoshia!? She squealed like a young pig. ?I remember you from last year! You were my favorite fighter! So cold and angry, I felt like I could relate! I remember that one time when you were fighting with Android 17 and you managed to survive, it reminded me of the time when I was fee-,? Minoshia lifted his hand as if to silence the babbling imbecile. She obeyed. Good Human The Konat couldn?t help but let a grin come over his face as he thought of the human race, truly an inferior race at that. She obviously got the wrong message from the grin, and leaned over the table, letting her cleavage leak over the top of her V-neck shirt. Minoshia grimaced in disgust.

?You know? I?m not that much older then you, and you?re kind of cute?? She put the end of her index finger into her mouth. The Dark Prince made a grunting noise and walked away from the table towards the door that was labeled ?Video and Photography?, he remembered the process from last year. Behind him, an eager man with an erection sat on the table and winked at the receptionist.

?You know, I was a fan of him too?? The man stated, looking deeply into the eyes of the receptionist, whose gaze still chased after the young Konatsa-jin.


Photography was stupid, that was the only conclusion the dark child of prophecy could make from this session. He stood still, and they snapped pictures of his cold, stone face. They kept asking him to smile, and he kept ignoring them, pushing off the urge to rip their bowels out through their mouth.

?Alright?,? The man looked at his clipboard quickly. ??Minoshia, let?s get some video of your power.?

Wanting to make this quick and painless, Minoshia ignited his aura around him without hesitation. Listing to the primal sounds of amazement from the cameraman, he let his blood red aura boil slightly, before letting his hands slide out in front of him. Orbs of burning flame began to ignite in his palms, licking at his aura in an erotic manner. The flames grew larger as more energy from his aura slid down into his hands.

?Film him.? The Dark prince nodded his head towards the man in the corner, wearing an ?official press? tag around his neck. The man with the video camera turned his body towards the aforementioned man, who looked incredibly confused. The Dark Prince released the flames on the man, who died almost instantly, though he had a few minutes of fame on camera, screaming like a little girl, before his heart melted and he died.
The cameraman looked shocked, Minoshia didn?t fucking care. He walked out the door, chuckling to himself knowing that his application video was him burning a reporter alive. He stepped towards the teletube that would ship him to Dante, and waited for his brother.

Dante, Here I come. You better be ready.