Day One: Evening

[Burter]

Day One
6:00 PM - Midnight

With the sun starting to set and night threatening to fall upon the island, the survivors take solace in the fact they've almost beaten the first 24 hours.

"Don't sleep on me yet, folks, I've still got an update for ya! After I'm done, you can tuck yourselves in - if you trust your friends to watch you sleep, that is.

Here is the death list:

#08 Gokua
#17 Minoshia
#36 Bulma
#45 Krug

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

I3
F9

Also, D4 is no longer a danger zone!

That's it! Good luck, all! Only six hours to go and you'll have survived 24 hours on this survival tournament!

This is Karl, over and out!"

[Paragus]

The sun was finally beginning to set on Dante. The saiyan elite playfully poked the soil with a twig he found. It wouldnt be long before complete darkness and then the real hunters would come out. The group had decided to settle down for a little bit before going back on the move. A growling noise bellowed from his stomach.

The saiyan reached down next to him and pulled a piece of bread from his bag. It was hard around the edges, but the core of the loaf was soft. Sitting on the rock across from him was Yamu, who was twirling ?Kari? around on the floor. Jeice was to his left, he was taking a close examination of his saiba seed.

A couple of crumbs fell down on the elders lap, but he quickly brushed them away. Never had a piece of bread ever tasted so good, but the party in his mouth was quickly interrupted by a voice everyone dreads to hear.

"Don't sleep on me yet, folks, I've still got an update for ya! After I'm done, you can tuck yourselves in - if you trust your friends to watch you sleep, that is.?

Jeice suddenly looked up to the sky and awaited what else he had to say. The saiyan lightly chomped on his bread so, not really caring what the host of the deadly game had to say. The veiny headed warrior chucked a rock into the ground.

?I hate this guy.? He mumbled holding Kari in front of his face.

?Here is the death list.?

#08 Gokua
#17 Minoshia

A cringe came across Yamu?s face when Minoshia echoed throughout the island. A flood of painful visions raced through the saiyans mind. He reached down and grabbed his arm remembering what the powerful Konat had done to him.

#36 Bulma
#45 Krug

Bulma. There was an awkward silence in the trio. Her machine gun rested across the saiyans lap. Though they avenged her death, he couldnt help but feel unsatisfied with it. Para lifted the machine gun and posed as if he was aiming it at someone.

?Next person I take out with this thing will be for Bulma.?

The one-eyed saiyan?s comrades had no problem with that.

[Retane]

As the sun set, the namekian removed his mask. Tapion, who had eyed him suspicously, noticed the wicked fiery eyes from before. The mercenary turned towards his freind, his visage remaining hard. The konat saw the killer instict in his eyes and gave a nod, understanding all too well what the merc desired.

It was then that both the warriors haulted, hearing the loudspeakers of Karl's quarterly announcements.The words were ignored till the deaths and dead zones came up. Retane and Tapion alike wondered if Pikkon's name would be elimated. It never came up. Instead they heard Gokua, Tapion's kill, Minoshia, Bulma, and Krug. The mercenary gave a smirk to the fact that the duo had killed three in one day so far.

His smile quickly faded as his mind clicked to the mention of Minoshia and Bulma. Bulma, he hadn't got a chance to meet her on the feild. It saddened the assassin as he wished to sink a nail deep into her throat, remembering her jaw yapping from the previous year. Then there was Minoshia, his comrades brother. The very person Retane had shown loyalty when he was advised to ally with the strong Konat.

Mino was dead? The mercenary knew he had to take out at least one or both of the others mentioned and injured more. Minoshia was wicked like that.

Retane snarled, staring ahead, the elvish alien second and the weak Lone, taking the rear. If Mino was defeated so early one, what chance did the assassin have? The only advantage Retane could find was the night and his Shadow Blanket. Together, he and the darkness could survive. But he only had twleve hours of it before he was again vulnerable. He grit his pearly whites, curled his teeth, and strode on, desperate to make good time towards his destination.

Mino had died. Retane would be sure, himself and Tapion survived.

[Celipa]

Celipa sat adjacent to her small blue friend, her legs crossed on the soft island grass. Their packs rested on either side of them and the two chatted quietly despite the risk of intruders at any moment. Her ki shotgun was resting securely in her lap, should something happen.

"So then, bam, the shotgun rips her face apart. She tumbled down the hill, and I haven't seen her since!" Celipa mimed a shotgun blast with her hands as she talked, giggling at the end of her summary.

There was a pause, and then... "I shot up a blonde chick," Bujin stated simply. His eyes shifted before he continued, "And she bashed my head in."

Cel grimaced in response, fiddling with her shotgun a bit as her friend talked.

"No, I don't know how I'll bandage it up," he said aloud. "...that wouldn't work."

Celipa looked up from her shotgun-fiddlings and stared at Bujin with a raised eyebrow. Her glance shifted to both their left and right sides, and no one else appeared to be there, that she could see.

"Um...right," she said, a bit confused. "So, how're your rations looking?"

He shrugged. "The same as they did when I got them."

Not what I meant...

Bujin grunted, and then shrugged again before mumbling, "Shut up Nancy."

Cel averted her eyes, and then rose to her feet, shotgun in hand. She bent over and scooped up her pack from the ground as well, and slid one strap onto her shoulder.

"We should get moving," she stated, letting out a small yawn. "It's getting dark, and it's not going to be safe here for much longer. We should probably find a shelter or something."

[Burter]

Face to Face

Bardock

Zangya, Garlic Jr

It was appropriate that Zangya had chosen the cemetary to have her great feast. After all, death had haunted her practically all her life, so why shouldn't she embrace those that had fallen to it? It was her little way (albeit unintended) of toasting to her survival.

Garlic was ready for a meal, so when his Ader-jin partner pulled out the slap of meat and set it upon the tombstone, he was already prepared. "Finally," he grinned, "No more bread and potatoes."

Zangya just smirked. This was definetly better then sitting around alone in the wild. In a beautiful cemetary in front of a sparkling fountain. Of course, the reddened water turned the mood down a bit, but it was a minor passing. In fact, Garlic rathered liked it.

The blood that was in the fountain belonged to Bardock.

And Bardock was back.

He stood behind Zangya, a light aura flashing over him. Only a single rip in his armor dented the perfect image. Half of his face was burned terribly, and he had sunglasses over both eyes. Garlic Jr noticed him first, and did the first thing his goblin mind could process for him.

He yelped, and then he told his good friend "Goodbye!" For Garlic Jr was all for a bloody bout, but only when the odds were in his favor.

Zangya blinked as Garlic turned and headed around the fountain. After a moment, she caught on and turned around, pulling her ki pistol out from her waistband. Bardock stopped his advance on her as she waved it his face, right at his forehead. "Nice try," she complimented. Half of her face was missing, but you could tell she was smirking.

"I haven't tried yet," Bardock responded.

That was when he backflipped, kicking the gun from her hand in two seconds and knocking it up. He landed perfectly fine, right on his feet, and caught the pistol. A second later, before Zangya could react, it was at her head. "What the...?"

The saiyan couldn't help but smirk at his own athletic ability. "Nice try," he consoled. Then he shot her in the head.

Garlic Jr struggled all the while as he watched her hit the ground. Part of him wanted to fight. He NEEDED to fight. It was what the goblin yearned for. He didn't really mind that Zangya had fallen (though she was a rather big help). The other part of him knew that Bardock would be difficult to bring down. Was it worth the risk.

A shot hit him in the shoulder, cutting into the shoulder. He grunted in pain, holding it. When he looked up, Bardock was staring at him, pistol in hand.

The decision had been made for him. With a quick fire of potatoes, he ran for it. Once the spud knocked Bardock in the head, he had no chance of catching the quick-footed goblin.

#19 Zangya DEAD

36 Remain

Garlic Jr has been shot in the shoulder/chest area. Minor injury

Bardock has the ki pistol.

[Orion]

Night fell. The afternoon sun dipped beneath the horizon, allowing the stars to shine as beacons through the resulting darkness. The damp environment had lost some of its moisture during the pause in rain, but most of it remained as the moon took its celestial position. It was serene, peaceful... and with a lack of combat that was really starting to grate on the prince's nerves. Crickets chirped ceaselessly, adding to the background of Koola's narration.

"Since teaming up with my father," the younger Icer began, accepting that Cold would eventually hear him talking to himself, "the 'adventure' of Dante's Abyss has remained as stale and stagnant as the moment I arrived. The promises of televised murder and intergalatic acclaim have been marred by my inability to locate anything to fight."

"Would you stop that?" Cold interjected, clearly agitated. "Someone'll hear you, and then we've lost the edge of surprise."

Again, Koola grew quiet, but not before thinking some derogatory thoughts about his father. "Yeah, yeah, all right. We're supposed to be hunting, anyway."

Thanks to the prince's easily stirred anger, his earlier conflicting emotions about King Cold were dulled. He was still telling him what to do, and whether he was right or wrong, Koola never appreciated it. He was grateful from the momentary reprieve, focusing upon the task of staying stealthy and finding prey.

Suddenly, the high pitched voice reeking of homosexuality saturated the still night calm.

"Don't sleep on me yet, folks, I've still got an update for ya! After I'm done, you can tuck yourselves in - if you trust your friends to watch you sleep, that is." Karl announced the routine updates for the tournament, listing several names of dead people that Koola had never heard of before, and the current danger zones. He finished up with a quick goodbye, and the haunting quiet grasped the dark once more.

"He says there's other people," Koola said aloud. "Plus they're dying. Maybe we're just doing an ordinary job of finding them."

"Maybe he's trying to make us turn on each other," Cold stated the scary possibility.

"What? Why?" the prince asked.

"Think about it. The king and prince of the Cold Dynasty, brought into a bond to survive, then learning that they must kill each other! You don't think all those measely races we've conquered through the decades wouldn't pay through the nose to see that?!"

"You're sounding awfully paranoid, dad."

Cold stayed silent for a moment. "Hmm. Perhaps you're right."

But Koola wasn't so sure that he was. His father had sown the seeds of doubt, and the prince was quite willing to water them. Could this entire scenario be a enormous farce to end the two oldest members of the Cold family? More importantly, could this be the work of Frieza to gain the crown for himself?

The Icer prince retreated into his head as they continued their march. Cold didn't notice in the night, believing that his son was as alert as he.

Unintentionally, the king stood upon a small twig, snapping it simply beneath his girth.

Koola overreacted, unprepared for the sound. "Ah! What the hell?!" He emphatically spun around, his father catching his tail before it slammed against his ribcage.

"Whoa, settle down. It was me stepping on a stick. What's the matter with you?"

"Uh... nothing."

Koola rubbed his temples. The psychological aspect of this island would take far more endurance than the physical ever could.

[Raspberry]

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

I3
F9

That's it! Good luck, all! Only six hours to go and you'll have survived 24 hours on this survival tournament!

This is Karl, over and out!"

?Oh Shit, check it out I?m on a danger zone I better move,? Raspberry announced to himself.

The reptile did notice that again a few were dead. He thought all the time how great it felt to still be alive, it gave him a feeling that there were butterflies in his stomach. Then he started to move away from the danger zone to keep him alive for a little longer or maybe for a long time, nothing was sure in this game.

Moving was nothing he had been walking the whole day to different directions all the time, he was getting all tired and sweaty. He opened his survival bag and took out a bottle of water and took a mouthful of water. The grotor-jin did not put the bottle back in his survival bag he held it in his hand, not only cause of that he was thirsty he just wanted to drink something.

?Umm... Like where the fuck am I?? The reptilian survivor wondered as he took his map and compass.

?North is that way, hmm... ah I?m here,? He said as he pointed at the map.

Raspberry started to move further, he drank the whole bottle and placed it in his bag.

?No need to screw up the forests... Sad that people throw trash in the nature!?

He wanted to get to action against someone, maybe not to the death but at least a little fight. Only because the walking was getting on his nerves. He took out the compass again and noticed that he was walking to the wrong direction all the time, the reptilian was really looking forward to go to the location he normally wanted too but he was dumb enough to move to the wrong direction.

?Damn sure that I am not going to move back it took time like hell to get here, I should probably stay here for a while, I don?t want anyone to attack me at least at the moment I am a bit tired...? He thought feeling furious and was feeling incredibly tired.

?I surely liked flying more!? He growled.

[Yamu]

?Now, see the left side over here is the best side?we are totally going to win this!? The left side of the room cheered as their MC bragged in their behalf.

?The left side?? The other half of the MC duo mocked with over emphasized gestures. ?Me and the right side are going to blow the roof off this place!?

The giant screen behind the entertainment duo filled an entire wall of the auditorium where a good number of Arlo had gathered to watc Dante?s Abyss. Whenever the show hit a lull these two Arlians would rush out to keep the masses entertained until the action resumed. The last thing the promoters needed was a bored crowd.

There were no Arlians in Dante?s Abyss this year, in fact there had NEVER been an Arlian in Dante?s Abyss. But, this time, the insectoid planet had a champion to root for?Yamu the Conqueror. A renewed enthusiasm for the show exploded all over the red sphere as people urged their noble and Guardian onward.

?Noooww, left side! We have to give the biggest ?YAH? we can, because we don?t want to lose to the right side!? The first MC encouraged, getting right onto the edge of the stage.

?Right side, are you going to let the Left beat you? I want them to hear you ?MOO? in Hivoc!? He shouted with robust enthusiasm.

Together they chimed, ?1-2-3!?

?YAH!?

?MOO!?

?YAH!?

?MOO!

?C?mon people, show him some encouragement! We want him in the FINALS!?

?YAH!

?MOO!




The ebony eyed Earthling began feeling good again as the sun slowly gave way to the whims of the moon. Minosha as already beginning to fade, and the realization that he was not as bad off as he would like to think brought the smile he had that morning back to his face. He even felt good enough to use Kaioken again, and Kari was itching for blood more then he was. The night certainly brought new dangers, but Yamu was ready to face them.

He had been nervous at first about his party, last year he had traveled with some old friends as well as the new ones and it had given him a sense of security. This year he had put his life into the hands of strangers. He felt different as the first day drew to a close, he could rely on Jeice and Paragus, he could depend on them. Dare he say it, they were friends.

?I?ll take the first watch, guys.? Yamu told them as they sat their packs down in a tight thicket of trees, it would be hard for someone to attack from a distance with the cover the tree provided. ?You both got banged up pretty hard today, get some rest.?

They both looked thankful as they broke out what little was left of their food. Paragus laughed bitterly, ?We are going to have to kill someone else soon?I don?t do well without breakfast.?

[Burter]

Face to Face

Jeice, Yamu, Paragus

Metal Koola

Burter

The metallic form of a certain changling prince watched quietly from the shadows of a few trees as three figures made their way up the hill. The night was gaining on the day, starting to cloud the sky up and darken it. He recognized at least one figure. A figure he had literally been to Hell and back with. Yamu.

The changling curled his lips into a smirk as he anticipated the moment. He would finally kill the bastard with own hands, and he would reign victorious. As was rightfully so for an Icer prince. "I'll kill you yet, Yamu," he whispered to himself.

"No, you won't," came a defiant hiss. The metal form spun around to come face to face with an equally tall, scaly reptilian. Burter jolted his staff forward, slamming into the collar around Koola's neck.

Before either could respond, the collar beeped and a moment later, exploded in a flurry of fire and blood. With his throat sprayed amongst the ground, the prince fell backwards down the hill.

Yamu stopped his trio suddenly as the body rolled. "Hold up," he told Paragus and Jeice. "That explosion was him. Someone did that."

"That means they're up there," Paragus reasoned. "Let's go."

"Indeed," Yamu agreed. He broke into a run up the hill, his bulky figure being followed by his red-skinned and elderly friends. He paused to look at the rolling body of Metal Koola before continuing.

Up top, they found nothing. "Look!" Jeice said, pointing. "Up there!"

Yamu looked up just in time to see a flash of blue and gold with a familar set of scales of for a back. His eyes widened at the sight, and a moment later it was gone to a higher hill. "Him," he said aloud. "That was..."

Jeice and Paragus looked at each other oddly. They didn't get what Yamu was thinking. They didn't understand that he just realized that winning the game meant killing someone he thought was long dead. It was the first time Yamu seriously realized that if he wanted to survive, those around him, including the person he just saw, would have to die.

And it didn't make him feel very good. Because he still wanted to win. Bad.

#32 Metal Koola DEAD

35 Remain

[Deo]

"STOP PICKING AT MY HEAD!" Kollifum snapped, reaching both hands up to grab at the little monkey who'd been clinging to his shoulder in an attempt to pick some sort of invisible lice from his locks. "I JUST HAD A SHOWER YE-....TW-.........ok, so it was a while ago. BUTIDONTHAVELICE!"He barked, swatting his hands at the little primate, who now hung from the mane of his long black hair.

Things were quiet, aside from the chitters of his new companion, and his own footsteps and hollering, there wasn't much else, and it made him uncomfortable. He'd traveled a good distance from his original position, and so far he'd yet to run into a conflict with another fighter.

Good luck never lasted too long, and if it did, it usually meant when the bad luck came around, it came around hard and fast. Especially with the way these dead zones were popping up, it was bound to funnel people into the same areas and force a confrontation. Alliances, power houses, unknown weaponry, it was like playing chess blind folded, and every time you lost a piece you played a game of Russian roulette.

Drumming his hands on the shotgun at his side, he adjusted the sight of the scouter, and took a moment to scan the immediate area. Not much around save for himself and his partner, and with the death counts rising, he was obviously in the clear, full stamina, no one even had the slightest idea where he was.

He could just hold out until the end, and take out the beaten down survivors. It wasn't pretty, but hey, neither was exploding like an overly ripe tomato. Survival versus sportsmanship? Survival would always come out on top, even if it was just fake survival that was always guaranteed, what with auto-respawn.

"Don't sleep on me yet, folks, I've still got an update for ya! After I'm done, you can tuck yourselves in - if you trust your friends to watch you sleep, that is.

Here is the death list:

#08 Gokua
#17 Minoshia
#36 Bulma
#45 Krug

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

I3
F9

Also, D4 is no longer a danger zone!

That's it! Good luck, all! Only six hours to go and you'll have survived 24 hours on this survival tournament!

This is Karl, over and out!"

The voice crackled out, and Kol grunted. "...I'm really getting sick of having the Village People's intergalactic counterpart yelling in my ear every couple of hours." He grimaced, looking up to his under-evolved companion.

Raditzu promptly had his big toe shoved up his nose. After a moment, he popped it out, and shoved the aforementioned digit into his mouth. Nasal candy...mmmmm. Tasted like victory.

"...........that's really attractive Rad." He mumbled, placing his hand over his mouth. There was a good chance that many people would be sleeping about now, but there was an equal chance that many would be trying to take advantage of that idea. Going out on little night time prowls.

What was the best way to be in a situation to catch a hunter and the hunted equally unaware? Well, aside from teaching the monkey how to use the shotgun. "....hm...Nah." That would probably just end up being worth one poorly aimed shot, a dead monkey and the enemy getting his shotgun.

Instead, he just did what he did last time, with a little twist. Positioning himself in the protective foliage of a large tree, he tossed several dozen branches all over the ground in the surrounding area. Dry branches, if one was stepped on, they'd make a very apparent snap, and give away the position of any approaching enemy, while still leaving Kol hidden in his little hide away.

Not perfect, but it would do, and allow him to rest. Shotgun placed across his torso, small monkey curled atop his head, he took this moment to enjoy a drink, and another mouthful of bread.

[Jeice]

Jeice found himself growing weary as the night sky began to consume the day. It hadn?t even been a full day and he witnessed three deaths, it showed that the island lived up to its reputation. His steps became heavy as the muscles in his legs suffered from fatigue, due to the long walking they had been doing. He reached to his side and pulled out the small seed. Curiosity crept into his mind as he examined it, he had no idea what could possibly come from a small seed that would help them win this game, but he was anxious to find out.

With his other hand, he extended his index finger and quickly drove it into the ground, forming a perfectly round hole. The red warrior then cautiously dropped the seed into the hole and covered it with dirt. He returned to an upright position and anticipated what would spring from the ground.

?Hey, guys.? He called for his two companions to stop walking. ?I planted that seed.?

The bald warrior and the one eyed saiyan slowly approached the site where the seed had been buried. Within seconds small beams of light flashed from the ground, followed by a gray mist. As the mist cleared a small, green, almost Martian looking creature stood hunched over. It had an abnormally large head and sharp claws and didn?t seem to speak a language that any of the three fighters could understand.

?What?is it?? Jeice inquired as he stared at the creature who was examining the area.

?It?s a saibaman. It?s good you hatched it, now it can stand guard as we sleep. If anyone comes near us it?ll attack them.? Yamu explained as he too stared at the creature.

?We should keep moving.? Paragus said as he turned back to the path they were headed.

Jeice was confused. He didn?t understand how something that was intelligent could just spring from the ground, though it didn?t seem intelligent it would know who to attack and not to attack. Regardless, he was glad that it was on his side, at least now he would be able to get better sleep. As he followed his group the small green alien followed him. His hand reached into his bag once more and pulled out his canteen. He fingers slide across the lid, quickly popping it off. His lips curled out, waiting for the cold liquid to refresh them.

The cold water woke him up, but not enough to continue moving for the rest of the night. They would have to find a place to get some rest soon, or he would suffer from sleep deprivation the next day.


(OOC: We now have the Saibaman out and walking with us.)

[Android 17]

Seventeen and Raditzu had only been wandering the world outside the school for about a half an hour when the ever delightful voice of Karl Jak invaded their serenity through a hidden speaker. As he did at ever six hour interval, the effeminate host of the very brutal game announced his presence with another witty remark. Like he had done with most quarterly updates, the android ignored the man?s aggravating comments and unnecessary rambling.

?Here is the death list!? The host announced?piquing the attention of the android and his new ally. ?Gokua, Minoshia, Bulma, and Krug,? the mention of Seventeen?s longtime rival brought the cyborg to a definitive halt. With his mouth slightly ajar, the onyx-haired warrior turned his attention to the speaker mounted on the nearby wall of the corridor.

?Shit,? Seventeen uttered. The remark caused his newfound partner to stop suddenly and turn to face the bewildered machine-hybrid.

?Someone you know get murdered?? The saiya-jin asked, glancing over his shoulder at his partially synthetic ally. The android shrugged his shoulders as he tried to figure out how to express the emotions coursing through him.

?Minoshia and I weren?t really friends?we were actually quite the opposite,? Seventeen uttered with an uncharacteristic harshness to his voice. ?I abhor that little bastard with every fiber of my being,? the android added?a smirk forming across his visage as the thought ran its course through his mind. ?But I did respect him,? the machine-hybrid punctuated the remark by nodding his head slightly.

There?s got to be some serious shit going down in this competition if Minoshia got taken out in the first eighteen hours... The onyx-haired warrior pondered as Karl Jack finished his transmission. Once the overly feminine host was done, the hidden speakers around the duo went dead, and the saiya-jin and machine-hybrid were left to their own affairs. Turning his attention back to his partner, the android tilted his head slightly when he noticed that Raditzu was starting off into the distance.

?Rad?? The cyborg inquired. Twitching slightly as if he had been daydreaming throughout the android?s entire confession, the long-haired pivoted around to face his newfound partner.

?I?m sorry?were you saying something?? The saiya-jin asked, arching one of his eyebrows. With an astonished sigh, Seventeen let his shoulders slump forward as he fought against the urge to topple over backwards like many bewildered anime characters before him.

?It was nothing,? the android said with a faint smirk as he fixed the position of his survival bag. Nodding his head in acknowledgment of the cyborg?s remark, the long-haired superstar turned back around to face the path laid out in front of him and the machine-hybrid. As Raditzu resumed his forward march, the android took a moment to fix the position of his glasses. Once he was certain he didn?t look as stupid, Seventeen fished around in his duffel bag and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

Zipping the bag shut with his other hand, the android placed the pen behind the top part of his ear. Dashing forward so he didn?t fall too far behind Raditzu, the machine-hybrid placed the scrap of paper on top of his survival bag and turned his thoughts inwardly. For one reason or another, Seventeen was in the mood to write some depressing and angst-ridden poetry.

[Bra]

The battle between Reijin and Goku had been a pitched one. The cyan haired empress, however, appeared fairly confident about the outcome. That is, until her father intervened. She assumed his surprise attack would swiftly cut down the much more foolish Kakarot, but something went awry, and the prince fell, a sickening blow struck to his ribs.

Bra had rushed to his aid, ignoring Reijin and the enemy as they returned to combat. She hardly noticed the rush of liquid splash onto Goku?s face, but his shrieks of agony pierced through the very air about them. He screamed, clutching at his face, as a final flash attack propelled him off into the distance. His ki fell so low, and so swiftly, that the primitive scouters given to them by the Dante?s Abyss administration could no longer track it.

?Damn, Rei...? the girl breathed, utterly shocked at how capably he had dispatched Kakarot. The earthling saiyan was, granted, rather stupid, but he was very powerful. To annihilate him so quickly was breathtaking.

?Hm?? the younger pure-blood inquired, having only faintly heard the princess. Bra seemed startled by the fact he had remained in earshot, and could only offer a nervous laugh and a shake of her head as a response.

?Never mind.? she managed, prompting Reijin to raise an eyebrow.

?You?re not still making fun of me for that doll, are you?? he demanded, seemingly flustered by the very thought of him being defeated in a battle of wits. It didn?t appear to matter that the victory or loss of that battle was virtually meaningless.

?No. But I still can?t believe you fell for it. Even after I told you it was bullshit!? the girl snickered.

?I thought you were lying!? protested the raven haired youth.

?You thought wrong,? came the retort. ?Don?t worry about it. It?s not like anything happened. Besides, if we?re gonna get anywhere in this tournament, we can?t be arguing all the time, you know??

?Hmph.? was the reply. Bra laughed it off; he was headstrong, but he was a good friend. She did, however, harbor the fear that she would be betrayed once again. At least with Raditzu, one could almost shrug it off, as he was an idiot on his best day. With Reijin, however, everything would be a cold, calculated strategy.

?Look over there,? Vegeta interjected, pointing to a little, desolate-looking house - rather, a hovel - poking up through the looming darkness. ?We can use that for shelter for the night. It?s foolish to stomp around without rest.?

The others nodded in agreement, and the trio quickly made their way across the distance to the little stone-and-wood home. It had but one window, and a door made of rotting wood. The prince pushed it open and stepped inside.

The interior wasn?t a whole lot to look at, either. There was a single bed, an old wooden spool meant for carrying cable which had been turned into a table, two chairs, and a padded chair next to a small night table.

There was no bathroom in the building - a huge minus in Bra?s eyes - nor a kitchen - that didn?t matter so much; Bra couldn?t cook anyhow - but it seemed fairly well-insulated, which was, at the very least, a small comfort for the three.

A peeling poster was tacked onto the wall, an advertisement poster of some sort. It seemed painfully old, denoting an image of a man with a chainsaw for a hand. In his one remaining hand, he held a shotgun, but the title for the movie had long since been torn from the picture.

?Well... I suppose you can have the bed.? Reijin gestured, his eyes fixated on the hybrid. Bra rolled her eyes at the thought.

?What? Just ?cause I?m a girl? I can?t deal with sleeping on the floor?? the princess teased. ?But that?s fine. Dad?s the one with the fucked ribs, he can have the bed.?

?No, I?m fine, Bra-?

?Dad, you took a savage hit. And we didn?t. If it was either of us, you?d want us to have the bed. So you?re gonna have it.? the cyan haired halfling interrupted. Vegeta growled, but took a seat on the paper-thin mattress.

Reijin pulled up a chair at the table, and Bra decided to sit across from him. The two just sat there, staring through one another, as if both suddenly became preoccupied by some unseen force.

?I call that comfy chair!? the princess exclaimed.

?Wh-?!? was Reijin?s only rebuttal. Shrugging it off, he continued. ?So, I think we need to work out a strategy for our efforts tomorrow. No sense in ?flying blind?, even if we can?t actually fly anymore.?

?Yeah, cool. What do you think we should do?? Bra replied.

?I think this should be decided by all of us.? Vegeta sharply interjected.

?Yes, of course.? hissed the raven haired youth.

?So... any ideas, then?? the girl insisted.

[Bardock]

The little goblin got away, Bardock growled as he hefted the body over his shoulder. The ader?s blood spilled onto his chest and dribbled down his shoulder to his back. He paid it no mind, strolling the wrought iron gate as if he were hefting a sack of flour. Once there, he carefully slipped her arms and legs through the bars, so she hung there as a macabre display, a sickened little twist of ?Bardock was here.? In his own tradition, Bar pulled off his bandana, wiped some of the blood from her mangled face, and then tied it back on his forehead.

With that, he headed back towards the fountain. The sun was setting, and the tinted shades over his eyes were beginning to hinder his night vision. Bardock removed them and replaced it with the scouter from his bag, setting it up for proximity security. With a smirk, he retrieved the pistol and spun it around a few times with his shooting hand, holstering it in his belt.

?Least I got one,? he grumbled, gathering his things. Two had now slipped from his fingers, albeit with injuries. Fortunately, there was a tree nearby and he hopped onto a branch, clutching his bag to his chest. One hand held onto the strap of his duffel, and the other to the handle of his newly acquired ki pistol. The soldier knocked his head back, yawned, and stared out into the horizon of the setting sun.

?Potatoes?really?what the hell??

His mind wandered off to other things. Like the fact that he had to piss like a racehorse. Not wanting to get off his perch, he merely leaned over to the side and sprayed away. Much better.

Alone with his thoughts and feeling contemplative, he wandered what had drawn him back to this desolate location. Two paths were cut off: a danger zone sitting next door, and the water to his back. That left only two places from whence an attack could come. But no. It had to be more than that. Maybe the dead felt a pull to the dead, as he was exactly that, one way or another.

His spirit was dying. Slowly but surely, throughout the past few months, he was slipping farther and farther away. Losing purpose. Lacking motivation. Leaving everything.

He hadn?t felt like himself for a long time. The rush when he was in battle was as strong as it ever was. He lived for those few and far between moments. They kept him going. But it just didn?t seem like enough anymore. King Kai said he could teach the roughneck; show him back to the path from which he had wandered away.

?What?s the point of coming back from this?? he wondered aloud.

The sun dipped below the ground, and a chill was beginning to pervade the encroaching night.

With dirty fingers, he closed the lid over his left eye. Of its own accord, it peeled back open. Annoyed, he tried again. The eyelid opened. It was stuck. Just like everything else in his existence.

He couldn?t look to others for salvation, and he couldn?t find it in himself.

Well, there was always tomorrow. Another fight, another fix. His drug. His antidote.

Nearby in the tall grass, the crickets played him their song.

[Yamu]

OOC: Comes before Jeice's post.*

Yamu dropped to his knees, starring up the hillside. ?Big Blue?...it can?t?you??

Jeice ran up peering onto the crest of the hill after the massive gladiator, ?What did you see, Yamu??

?A ghost??



Images shot like bullets through Yamu?s head. Burter, his old friend, perhaps the only man he truly admired, smashing through the crust of the Earth, rippling the ground beneath the veiny human?s own feet.

His memory skipped to when he leapt to his friends and leaders aid only to have an azure arm fling out at him. ?Don?t.?

Skip. Brim launched an assault on the downed warrior, adding insult and injury on top of injury.

Skip. Brim issued his grim proclamation of the reptile?s fate, just loud enough for the entire group to hear.

Skip. Burter was hugging his namesake, whispering something for their ears alone.

Skip. Yamu clasped his friend?s hand for what he thought would be the last time.

Skip. Big Blue burned through the air in a hot aura of Kaioken like a holy comet being shot into the heavens for the first time.

Skip. Nothing but an explosion, it was soundless as it replayed in his mind, just an explosion, terrible and magnificent at the same time, lighting the sky brighter then the sun.



Kari nearly slipped off his fingertips. He never had time to think it about it last year?he joined Pitch Black and Ragnarok to sweep the island clean as a team. That was the plan. He had misread the map, well that was old history. It never occurred to him what happened when the other opponents were gone, he had left to early last time?



Skip. Yamu stood next to Bardock, Bebi, and Burter Jr. once again. All eight eyes fixed on the same spot, only instead of Brim in the air, it was Yamu brandishing his bat behind his head like he was aiming for the bleachers.

Skip. Yamu clasped his friend?s hand for what he thought would be the last time.

Skip. This time the explosion was not caused by Brim?s energy attack but by Yamu swinging Kari into Burter?s collar, causing the massive detonation that covered the sky.


Kari slipped, and began a slow roll down the gradual slope of the hill. Jeice sighed and began to let gravity carry him down the hill in a half-run half skip to retrieve his friend?s prized weapon.

The Arlian Guardian could sense them behind him. His allies, one was already dead and it was impossible for the three of them to win. The cruelty of the game went far beyond watching a friend die, it came when you killed a friend.



Skip. Yamu stood next to Bulma, Paragus, and Jeice once again. All seven eyes fixed on the same spot, only instead of Brim floating in the air it was Yamu, his mouth glowing like a star going nova.

Skip. Yamu was in the air, looking down on his three allies. He opened his mouth pouring forth a gigantic beam of ki known as the Eraser Cannon. A massive ebony dragon reigning death from above it washed over his three friends in a flash of light and a symphony of screams.




Yamu lurched forward, chest heaving since he could not cry. His fingers dug into the ground still soft from the day?s earlier rain. He looked back to the top of the hill, his mind repeated the flash of blue and gold over and over again as if Burter was leaving him repeatedly. Forever. Again.




Skip. Yamu was hugging Kari Nor, the human girl he had befriended on Arlia, whispering something for their ears alone.

Skip. Yamu burned through the air in a hot aura of Kaioken like a holy comet being shot into the heavens for the first time.

Skip. His team, Bulma, Jeice, and Paragus hung in the sky like ornaments of judgment waiting for him to advance. They blasted a tri colored beam of ki that smoked him out of the air without so much as a flash. Vengeance was granted, and Faith restored.

Skip. Yamu watched himself be incinerated from his usual spot on the ground with none of the grandeur the Fates had awarded Burter. BJ clung to his hand. ?It?ll be ok, Little Blue.?

?How do you know?? Kari clung to his other. Her soft blue eyes pleaded.

?It always has?I don?t know why?? He stammered, looking in vain for the right thing to say.

Skip. Burter placed his hands on Yamu?s shoulders. ?Don?t.?



Yamu rose to his feet, his eyes not leaving the top of the hill. ?What happens in the Finals, guys??

Paragus and Jeice looked at each other and chuckled. The elder Saiya-Jin spoke first. ?That?s what brought Yamu to his knees? What might happen in the end??

Jeice chuckled as he slapped the handle of Kari back into Yamu?s hands. ?I?ll be surprised if we all make it to that point. Hell, two of us are already banged up. If we are?by some phenomenal chance all there, we fight like men with no hard feelings.?

Yamu held onto the club but didn?t look at it, his eyes still hoping for Burter to return. ?I don?t want to hurt you?or anyone I care about.?

This brought a full on laugh from the pair, ?Look here, boy,? Paragus said running a finger over the scar the blotted out his eye, ?I know pain. A little hurt don?t scare me.?

Jeice ran a hand over his own scratches from earlier in the day. ?We?re fighters Yamu, not kids. We know what we signed up for. Now get your head in the game?you?ve been out of it ever since Bulma.?

Paragus spoke as they both walked up beside Yamu, ?We?re a team. Stop carrying this load?we can handle ourselves, and if not, we?ll get a drink afterwards and toast the times we did have on Dante.?

The white haired fighter smiled. ?Look at Kari, Yamu. I found her resting on the corpse of the shiny guy back there.? Yamu lifted her up to see a dark smear across the head. ?She?s finally tasted blood.?

OOC: Longer then usual, but it needed it.

[Tapion]

The sun had long since faded away behind the overcastted caliginous sky above. Midnight was nearing; the end of day one was almost at hand and a long grueling twenty four hours it had been. Looking down at his once olive colored gloves, studying the blood stains which now soiled them, Tapion could only come to one conclusion. He was making for some very entertaining television. After all, throughout all the blood shed, the tears, the deceit, and the death. This was all merely just a game, a deadly one with consequences for which he?d be living with for the rest of his life. But a game none the less.

Quickening his pace slightly to walk parallel with his namekian ally who was leading a few steps ahead, Tapion tapped the green warrior on the shoulder. ?So who do you think killed Mino..?? the question was blunt, no hiding behind word, and no mixing of signals.

Retane hesitated; he was as much in the dark as his ally. ?Could have been anyone?? although his tone strayed not from his normally harsh vocals, he knew the words not to be true. Minoshia, the aptly nick named prince of darkness, was no slouch on the battlefield, and his lust for blood stood second to none. To defeat such a warrior truly spoke volumes about whomever his mysterious murderer was.

?It?s a shame, we could have made one hell of a trio if we found him earlier.? The non-transformer retorted while visions of carnage and death ran through his head. Not the typical visual you?d get when thinking of a long overdue family reunion, but Tapion and Minoshia were hardly the typical portrait of the good old America family either.

Awkwardly, the two warriors fell into silence. Pulling out his still full canteen, Tapion raised the container of water to his lips and took a large mouthful of the warm liquid. While rolling the room temperature water around with his tongue, the non-transformer considered pouring some out for his lost brethren, but as his mind quickly concluded pouring liquor for the dead is respectful, pouring water is just a waste. With that last thought the Konat?s mind tried to block out the memory of his fallen brother, he had no more time for grievance. He had a game to win.

[Retane]

A game. Dantes Abyss was just a game. Retane kept telling himself that, trying to calm his hightened ectasy for the thrill of the hunt and kill. But in his mind, he still believed he had something to prove. The Abyss resembled his life. A life of everyday excitement, where someone always wanted you dead, and you had plans of killing someone. Kill or be killed. That was Retane's life. That was the way of Dantes Abyss.

"Who ever did it", came the deep whisper of the namekian as he broke the long eerie silence, "Killed Minoshia. No matter who it was, or how many. I will not let them kill me!" He spoke through gritted teeth and tightened fists. All Tapion could do was give him a curious look and a simple nod of understanding. And with that, he put on aserious face of his own.

Everyone that had come across the duo, with the exception of Piikon, had died by their merciless hands. Pikkon though, had to be badly injured, far more worst the namekian and the konat to say the least. Retane understood this. But the wannabe namek was still out there. Still alive. The assassin sneered at the fact while he played back the recent events in his mind.

If he saw him again, Pikkon would die!

Retane readhusted his two packs, a short simple coming to his face as he rememberd the andorids head that rested lifeless in one of them. He grabbed his nail gun and replinished his load by setting a fresh set of nails into it's chamber. He turned to Tapion and with a nod, he picked up his pace, Lone still taking up the rear.

"Can you fight in pitch black", questioned the rogue, knowing the satelites on the sides of Tapions head could hear just as good, if not better then his own. Tapion looked at him with a smiling visage, and nodded. "Then our next fight will be done so."

Retane the Devious and Tapion the Ever-So-Sly, truly a team of worthy advisaries against anyone.

And they would prove it.

[Mowgli]

Shadows of darkness gently covered the current campsite that Olibu had chosen, blanketing it?like a mother would do her child. Junior sat quietly, taking small bites of his bread in the attempts to ration it. Unfortunately, as each morsel of wheat entered his mouth his hunger increased. His stomach yearned for more and he could not comply. He hated it.

Out of both benevolence and gratitude he remained in company with the man that had attempted to help him on two occasions. As time passed though, he couldn?t help but feeling?.bored. His original expectations had sadly been too high. In his mind he imagined nothing but blood covered battlefields, filled with lifeless bodies and savage warriors doing battle. Although at first he was hesitant, something from deep within welcomed it and begged for it.

Due to the fact that those expectations hadn?t even come close to being reached yet; his mind had only one thing to focus on: food. Commonly described as any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. For Junior though, this did something that he found more important, above all the things listed. Food, eating it, kept him?sane.

Time continued to drag and by now, that one bread had been devoured. Not a crumb of its existence remained out side the hybrid?s body. Olibu remained seated, his back leaning against a nearby tree. As always he seemed lifeless. Still victim to the effects of an alcoholic?s worst enemy; a hangover.

One bread.. Thought the saiya-jin; acknowledging the fact that his amount of food had decreased. Then averting his attention to Olibu?s bag he softly muttered. ?Two..?

Repeating this cycle a few times he allowed a smirk to form on his face as he began to contemplate something?evilly delicious.

[Raspberry]

The total event was not about the killing it was about surviving, this was running trough Raspberry?s mind. He was doing well? Not bad at least was he? He had survived pretty far, and he wanted to go further in this Dante Abyss. For him this was a great success at least after that he saw some strong looking warriors. Already ten people had died in the competition, first they were 45 now they are 35. How many will still die before the grotor-jin was going to get killed.

Rasp was still doing his best wandering around all alone on the island, the alien gator was feeling really excited that he could get further in the game maybe to be victorious. Still he had not seen anyone on the island but heard that many people have died, he was going to find someone, and he wanted at least one battle. The reptilian was now not aware of that he did not move with caution, he just walked there thinking about the fame if he could win.

Suddenly something could be heard in the bushes, Raspberry just walked past it without even noticing it, suddenly it came out of the bush quickly going by the reptiles face. The gator man fell on his ass and was really scared, he looked up seeing that it was a small bird.

?Pffft... I knew it all the time that it was a bird, just had to jump on my ass, it was a alert training, yes I definitely am alerted,? He said to himself, as he looked around embarrassed.

?Hopefully no one noticed...?

Now he continued walking but looked in every spot that moved, he was not going to be laughed at. Raspberry was feeling a cold breeze, he got Goosebumps. There was still no one nearby.

?How much further am I got to move? To meet one single person that I could actually kill... Why do I want to kill people is it because to survive or just the blood lust, there was no real reason, maybe he just wanted to kill someone to get it easier to survive.? He thought feeling real confused.

?I'll face myself in the end, when I see if I got the guts to kill someone. I believe I can kill someone actually it can?t be hard.? Raspberry worried even while he had a secure feeling that he could kill.

[Super Buu]

Buu scratched his back absent-mindedly. He didn?t know what it was, but everything was starting to get darker somehow. It had been some time since he had found an opponent. Some time since he?d seen anyone ?

As if on cue, a cough woke up the monster?s ears. He turned, and blinked to see a familiar figure.

?It?s been a while, hasn?t it?? Paige crossed her arms, a smile crossing those pastel lips.

Buu froze up instantly. Every neuron on his brain fired, telling him to move. But his legs felt heavy, as if they had turned to jelly. His wide red pupils turned back to the cloaked figure, and his mouth opened in horror. Don?t ? don?t ? All over, his skin was itching. He could feel something ? metal. Emerging!

?This is for your own good.?

The woman looked up and revealed her glowing eyes. A leathery squint which could pass for a smile slipped across those strangely crinkled features ? and then it happened.

The force of the electricity knocked the monster on his back. His body pulsated, kicking raggedly against the ground. All the while, Paige was changing. Her shapely outline was collapsing on itself, taking the form of a squat creature. Unearthly howls echoed from his stretched lips as he gripped the ground. Burning. Searing. Grinding down his defenses.

?Now kneel,? hissed the toad-like creature. ?KNEEL!?

LIGHT!

Buu gasped awake. He scratched his arms up and down, as if something had been there, before blinking and sitting up.

?Shit ?? the creature mumbled, as he got shakily to his feet. ?Must?ve fallen asleep.? He yawned and shivered in the cold. With a pop, a cloak emerged on his back and he wrapped it around himself.

He?d been dreaming. What was it? The golem furrowed his brows.

Crackle.

Buu turned and slowly looked down at his arm. ?Electricity,? he whispered. A spark was darting up and down his finger, painlessly. It danced in the twilight, humming with sharp intensity.

The golem gasped, and the light went out. ?What was that?? His mind went back to the past day. The electric shock from Paige?s corpse. It had ? sparked something. A memory from his past.

Shocked, over and over. That had been his childhood. For so long, electricity had been the sheriff of his actions. Emotionlessly enforcing the rules made up by the big cheese ? Bibidi. But as the years went by, the sheriff got weaker. Slowly at first, but then his hits felt like tickles. The touch of electricity, once so feared, had now become part of the mundane.

But what was this? Buu stared at his hand again. What he?d done was ... it was impossible. And yet he?d seen it with his own two eyes. What if ? what if ??

Thought became action.

Electricity surged from the monster?s arm. A violent, sizzling arc of lightning bolts that fried the tree in front of him. It stopped. He tried again. This time, like a flash, it appeared and reappeared ? a transient spear from his forearm. His whole body hummed with the force, and he laughed, raising his arms up to the sky.

Lightning flashed once.

?I?ve woken up!?


OOC: When I joined Chubbs, I dreamed about getting Buu to control electricity. A year ago in DA, I got my dream and earned Raikinesis. At long last, it?s finally woken up.