Day Two: Evening

[Burter]

Day Two
6:00 PM - Midnight

"We're going to need you all to pick it up, my warriors! Ratings have begun to decline do the lack of action. There hasn't been a death in over six hours!

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!

J6

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"

[Yamu]

The sun slowly sank over the horizon for the second time in the Abyss. Dante was the only place Yamu had seen that had ugly sunsets. As the bloated star sank there was no spectrum of colors to please the eye, just a blood red smear, an arterial spray splashing across the once pure blue sky. It doused the entire woods in a murky maroon as the sun refused to set all the way.

The warriors trekked on under the dark red light that slanted through the trees where it could. He ran his fingers along the smooth grain of Kari to comfort himself. She had made it further then he hoped?but then again it was because he had not seen much action either. But, no action beat killing himself?

A ki blast smashed into Yamu?s midsection and smashed his back into a tree. Two warriors flooded in from the side, ?Fuck?it had to be?? The flowing mane behind the lead warrior meant it could be none other then Raditzu. Yamu lay stunned against a tree, unable to move but forced to watch the ensuing struggle.

A familiar android leapt behind the grinning Saiya-Jin. He did not know if it was Android or Hellfighter, but both were friends and it saddened him that the moment of truth had come this quickly.

The reigning champion turned towards Celipa and Bujin at the back of the group and began raining punches like hailstones, enough that it took the pair of them to block the hellish onslaught, using their weapons as shields.

Seventeen jumped kicked off a tree and fired himself at Yamu?s first allies, Jeice and Paragus. S-man jumped into the way, claws first, but the raven haired youth twisted mid-air and knocked the green growth away. He flung his hand forward, using his metal binding technique to throw his opponents weapons to the side.

Paragus moaned, in a mix of frustration and fear as he once again was not allowed to shoot the gun in combat. Jeice just smiled, his weapon was glass. With a Wilhelm Scream he dashed to meet the oncoming Android Bullet.

Tired of being on the defensive Celipa spun her ruggedly built shotgun and used it as a goad, smashing Raditzu in his left thigh as Bujin lowered his rifle to fire.

The Arlian Guardian slowly regained feeling in his hands and feet as the stun from smashing the tree so hard slowly faded. He was not surprised the two power houses had thought any five fighters would be easy game, but nine opponents was a whole different story. Five Yamu?s pulled themselves off the tree, two headed for Rad the other three swarming Seventeen as he fended off wild slashes from a shard of mirror and saibamen claws.

Raditzu jumped back, electricity arcing across his fingers with a witch?s cackle as he decided which of the gun toting pair would get it first.

*beep*beep*BEEP*

Everyone who was wearing a scouter suddenly felt it go off, louder then they had ever felt. All eleven warriors turned towards the fast moving signal. Six powerlevels streaked across, a party moving fast, a strong party moving fast.

The five Yamus went from a strike force to a police force. As the others moved to resume their respective fights, they all found a wall of flesh between them. ?Stop.? Rang out the five voices in unison. Slowly the Yamus merged back together, to form a singular life form again. ?We all felt that?anybody here feel confident in fighting six people in groups of twos or threes? None of us are going to be able to take on that alone, it would be suicide.?

Eyes darted from each other suspiciously. Everyone knew most of them were going down?not everyone could win but all the fighters preferred to go down swinging then in their sleep. Raditzu had rarely met a fighter with as much mass as he, and he stared at the fighter he vaguely remembered from the previous competition. ?You?ve gotten stronger.? He said simply, looking over at his artificial companion.

The youthful automaton cocked his head, ?I guess I won?t have to kill you yet, Yamu.? He said with a smile.

The long haired Saiya-Jin stepped forward, ?We take them out, then we are going our separate ways, agreed??

?I wouldn?t have it any other way.? He walked back over the Seventeen and the two talked privately, not completely happy with the abrupt change in the game.

Paragus and Jeice were the first to reach Yamu after the agreement. Paragus spoke for the two, ?Can we trust them, Yams? I mean?the big one?he has the look of death in his eyes!?

Jeice spoke up, ?And the other one?fast as a snake they could turn on us and we would be dead before we knew it!?

Yamu sighed, ?It is a risk?but I?d rather have a shot with them two, then be run over by whoever was in that other group. We have to at least chance it.? He looked over where Celipa and Bujin had their heads together. ?Are you two still with us??

Celipa walked over, ?I?d rather be in this group then against it?we?ll tag along. I just hope you know what you?re doing.?

So do I?at least I won?t have to turn on my friends yet?

[Burter]

Face to Face

Kollifum

Super Buu

It had a few hours since Super Buu's epic confrontation with the cardboard box. He was now riding his bike over some hilly terrain, keeping his sword strapped to his back. Considering the sun was now down and nighttime was over him, he was expecting the real creepy warriors to come out and fight.

On the topic of really creepy warriors, Kollifum lurked nearby, as if anticipating someone's arrival. His weapon was already aimed out as the bicycle came into view. There was no question that the game, after almost 48 hours, was about to truly begin for the saiyan warrior.

Within a few seconds, the shotgun blast rang out through the island.

The front wheel of Buu's bike shattering under the ki's pressure, causing him to spill forward. Moving quick, he lept off and landed on his feet after cartwheeling. It took hiim a moment to process what had happened as the bike hit the ground. Then he was angry. "What the FUCK? Who just killed my bike!?"

Kollifum stepped out from his bush-covered hiding spot, pumping the shotgun and raising it.

Buu blinked as his question was answered. "Oh."

He literally flipped backwards as another shot rang out from the stern saiyan. The ki bullet flew over Supes' head as he flipped, then landed perfectly back on his feet. Grabbing his sword and unsheating it, he launched forward to strike.

"Whoa!" Kol grunted as he side stepped, avoiding getting cut. He pumped the gun again, raising up without any silly taunts.

This time, the shotgun's blast cut into Super Buu's right thigh, cutting off most of his gooey-ness running in that area. "Agh!" He yelped, "Son of a--" But was cut off by the sudden thwack he got from Kollifum's shotgun butt, sending him sideways.

Getting himself back on track (or as well as he could with half of his thigh), Buu used his glowing sword to strike at the saiyan opponent, but missed thanks to the quick dodging.

"Damn gun," pink warrior growled. "I can take you. I faced a cardboard box earlier. You're nothing compared to him!"

Kollifum blinked in confusion as he pumped and raised the shotgun. He was not amused.

That was when, without warning, a stream of electricity shot from Buu's fingertips. The saiyan yelped in response as he dropped the gun from the shock. Super then raised his sword and lunged forward. "For bicycle!" He shouted in his cry for vengance.

The blade cut into Kollifum's chest, through his heart and out the other side. His story in the Abyss cut short, the saiyan fell backwards and out of the game.

#35 Kollifum DEAD

30 Remain

Super Buu's thigh has been blasted. He'll be limping the rest of the game. Major injury

The bicycle is destroyed

Buu can take the Ki Shotgun

[Super Buu]

Buu snickered as he dragged himself along the floor. Not even the excruciating pain in his thigh could take away the euphoria of having attained another kill. Had the cameras got that shot where he was shooting lightning from his fingertips?! He?d fried that motherfucker good!

Another stabbing pain forced Buu to look down at his wound. Immediately his expression of nonchalance was replaced by wide-eyed shock. Okay, so he hadn?t expected it to be that bad.

Purple blood was oozing from the broken remains of his thigh. In this competition, his body was much more fragile, more intimately connected with his inner organs. The slightest damage to his outer body and he bled, much like a mortal race would. Any other time, it would take a lot more to hurt him so badly his internal workings leaked out of their own dimension.

Rolling over and letting his bag slide off his back, Buu snatched at the medikit, dragging it out into plain view. He had no knowledge of first aid; why would he when he could regenerate? So he reached for the manual, grimacing all the while. ?Suturing 101 ??? The warrior sighed.

Bandaging up the hole as best he could, Buu got to his feet wobbily. ?Good as--OUCH!? He winced and adjusted the weight back onto his intact leg.

One thing he could repair was that bicycle. The golem smirked, raising his palm out to the broken remains before realising ? he couldn?t ride the thing in his current state. He growled, and then an idea hit him. The metal began to melt away from the bicycle?s frame, twining up into the form of a crutch before hovering under Buu?s arm.

Supes snorted. If he could have seen himself doing this before the competition, he would have laughed. But then again, recreating the left half of his body using metal was sort of like a crutch too. Sort of, but not the kind of thing you?d see an aged mortal relying on. Oh well ? it wasn?t like anyone was gonna see him and live to tell the tale.

It was then that the flash of a camera lens caught the construct?s eye. ?Son of a bitch,? growled Buu, picking up the shotgun and cocking it. With a loud boom, the nosy device went up in smoke. Supes cackled, patting his new weapon with glee.

?I think we?re going to get along very well.?


OOC: Would have done a longer one, but I've got to get working on this project. I think my posts are getting too short.

[Android 17]

Although they were now traveling in a much larger party consisting of a bunch of faces familiar to the android, Seventeen and his saiya-jin ally had made an effort to keep themselves distanced from the other warriors. It wasn?t because of anything they had against the others, but in the end, the two just didn?t favor moving in tandem with such numbers.

Traveling a few yards away from the bulk of the conglomeration, the two allies kept silent as they slowly made their way through a relatively thin patch of trees. Every few moments, they would glance over at Yamu and his company to ensure that the bald humanoid was still in the same location. Although the machine-hybrid had nothing against the brawler who had helped him unlock Kaioken, the fact that this was Dante?s Abyss meant he could trust no one.

With that thought in mind, the cybernetic warrior glanced over at his saiya-jin partner. In his gut, Seventeen knew that he would eventually have to deal with the notion of a face-off with the long-haired powerhouse, but for the moment, Raditzu was currently the only person he was going to bother instilling with any of his trust. As if he could feel the android staring at him, the monkey-hybrid glanced over at his partner and flashed him a faint smirk.

?You trust these guys, Rad?? Seventeen asked, motioning with his head toward the group of warriors being led down the nearby path by the bald, vein-covered Yamu. Turning his eyes back to the saiya-jin superstar, the android twisted his lips up into an uneasy expression of doubt.

?You honestly can?t trust anyone in this game,? Raditzu replied. The machine-hybrid, having dealt with the treachery characteristic of Dante?s Abyss in last year?s game, simply nodded his head. Turning his attention back to the makeshift pathway that his partner and he were forging through the forest, Seventeen pulled another piece of paper out of his pocket and placed it in his bag.

Pulling a fresh blunt from his copious supply, the machine-hybrid light up and took a long drag. After a few beats, the cybernetic warrior exhaled the smoke and proceeded to sigh shortly thereafter. The depressing noise caught the attention of the saiya-jin?who turned his attention to his awkwardly dressed partner.

?Remember the question you asked me earlier?? Seventeen inquired; his voice almost a whisper in the night air. ?About killing people?? Once the question had left the android?s mouth, the scene fell silent as his long-haired partner contemplated how to respond.

?Yea,? Raditzu replied nonchalantly after a few beats.

?I don?t remember,? the cyborg said, glimpsing over at his superpowered ally.

?Hmm?? The saiya-jin asked as the two made their way over a small, mud-covered prominence.

?I don?t remember the first person I killed, or at least?I can?t remember,? Seventeen sighed, taking another long drag on his blunt and turning his eyes to the moon that hung ominously overhead. ?Hell, I don?t even remember the first two decades of my existence. I didn?t start living my life until a little under two years ago, and even in that time, I haven?t found out the slightest clue as to who I am or why I am,? the android paused to take another hit from the overstuffed marijuana cigarette.

?Strange,? Raditzu responded as the two casually jumped over a chasm.

?I used to have these dreams about doctors, a sibling, and a family, but I don?t even have those anymore. Then when I actually had the chance to find out about myself, I turned the other way and ran off to star in a reality television show,? the cyborg uttered, coughing a few times as the two ducked underneath a series of low hanging branches.

?You ever think you?re better off not knowing?? The long-haired powerhouse shot back. ?Did you ever think that maybe you?ll unearth something that was better of remaining buried in the past? There?s always a chance that the horror of what you discover will overshadow the dread of never knowing.?

?It?s just,? the android started, pausing to collect his thoughts. ?I?m going to be someone?s dad soon, and for some reason, I don?t think I?m ready in the least bit. I want to be able to instill my kid with some semblance of values, but how can I do that when it feels like I?m running from myself??

?I think you?re stressing yourself out too much,? the saiya-jin laughed, patting the cybernetic warrior on the back. ?You?re starting to seriously embody the whole outfit you?re wearing, and if we?re going to deal with the other group out there, we can?t have you all despondent and mopey, ?kay?? Raditzu responded, smiling faintly at his lethargic partner.

?I suppose you?re right,? Seventeen said, nodding affirmatively as he took a hit from his blunt. As he exhaled, the android smiled at his partner and turned his attention to the group traveling just a handful of yards from his position. ?I got to remember to enjoy myself, or this whole game will be for naught,? the machine-hybrid uttered, taking another drag as he and his saiya-jin ally took a moment to chuck a massive boulder from their path.

?That?s the spirit,? Raditzu replied as his cybernetic traveling partner continued to take the edge off with a rapid succession of hits from his blunt.

With his characteristic smirk returned to his pallid visage, the cyborg discarded the charred remains of the marijuana cigarette and began to sing beneath his breath.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Bardock, Bra, Jack Sparrow, Kami, Reijin, Vegeta

Cell Jr

Bra led the group along a small dirt path to the east. She was moping about the lack of discussion she had with her father thus far that day. She hadn't told anyone except Reijin, but Day Two in DA was actually her birthday. Her own father didn't even remember it. She had a reptilian friend who knew it...but Vegeta had no idea.

"Hold here," Kami said from behind her. Jack Sparrow stopped behind him, then the saiyan trio behind him. Bra halted to look.

Next to the trail was a moving box, only going a couple feet a time. A moving cardboard box in a thick forest.

"Now, I've had a few bottles o' rum tonight," Captain Jack explained. "So forgive me for asking, but that is a box, right? A cardboard box? Moving?"

"Aye," Kami responded in his best pirate immitation.

Jack shot him a look. "You should stop trying, mate. It doesn't suit you."

"Aw," the namekian smirked, "But I tried so hard."

"Anyway," Reijin stepped forward towards the box with Vegeta. "I hate to interupt the lover's quarrel here, but if you don't mind, I'd like to find out why there's a moving box here."

Vegeta took the lead and moved towards the box, that continued it's advance to the west. Without much hesitation, he simply kicked the box so it flipped over, exposing a small blue creature that fell back into the box. "Oof!" He grunted.

"As I thought," the saiyan prince announced, "A fighter." He set his hand right in front of Cell Jr's pale face, lighting it up with a flash of ki. "How fitting."

"Whoa!" CJ immediately backed up, rolling the box over and dodging the blast, which ripped a bit of his box up. "Man, why are you so hostile!?"

Veggie growled. The other five fighters just watched, rather amused as Vegeta proceeded to leap forward and kick the box into a tree so it would produce Cell Jr again, this time rolling him out.

CJ looked up, ready to shout and fight to the end. Or he would have, if Veggie's hand hadn't crushed his head, splattering blood and brains over the ground.

Jack Sparrow, as if he hadn't just witnessed a murder, moved to the box. "This is a mighty fine box here."

Vegeta swiped the cardboard up defensively and stared at Jack. "My box."

#06 Cell Jr DEAD

29 Remain

Vegeta has the cardboard box

[Kami]

Kami, still a little dejected from his failure to be much of a pirate, carried on moving without spending much time dwelling on the former bug like fighter Vegeta had so swiftly rid the tournament of. The old Namek wasn't sure how much longer this group would stay together before it began to tear itself apart, as so many large groups ended up doing. He hoped his cunning pirate friend was still on his side and thinking the same thing.

Jack strolled alongside Kami "I really did want that box...savvy?" Kami nodded his head, this was probably the best clue he was going to get from the pirate as to his intentions and it didn't yield much of anything. He saw the young cyan haired girl look over her shoulder and Kami gave her a slow nod, acknowledging the young half-sayjin fighter.

"Quite the dame, wouldn't you say?" Jack said, in between rum burps. Kami shot him a stern look. While he knew the girl's father was walking along with them, he couldn't help but feel a need to look out for her, as she had done for him in the past. He also just generally liked the kid and had her best interests at heart.

"No Jack. Not this one." a very serious tone scorched across the Namek's lips. The pirate simply help up his hands as if to say 'I give' and the duo continued on with the rest of the crowd.

"Any plans for the box Vegeta?" Kami hollered from the back. The Sayjin prince looked over his shoulder.

"None that involve anyone taking it from me." Kami almost laughed, wondering if this was an attempt at a joke, but decided it wouldn't be wise to laugh at the short tempered Sayjin. Bardock looked back at the Namekian as well. Kami didn't really know this fighter at all, but was curious to know why he was with the rest of them. Jack pipped up again.

"Is the rum gone?" he said, looking through his bag. There was a clanking of bottles and then a triunphant yell. "Nope! Still here!"

[Raditzu]

Bujin, Paragus, Celipa, Yamu, and Jeice. Rad had been somewhat less than impressed with the fighting abilities of the group he had just joined up with. If all it took were himself and 17, without exerting anything close to their full power, to put them on the defensive... well... at least they could still stop bullets. Despite his misgivings, Rad had to agree with Yamu: if their scouters had been accurate, it wouldn't be particularly wise to try playing the hero -- no matter how good Rad was at it. But all this pontificating was getting on Rad's nerves. He glanced over at 17 and decided to change his topic of thought.

"Gotta say," the saiyan started. "I'm almost jealous."

"What's that?" 17 slowly turned his head towards Rad.

"Not being to remember, 'n all that. Its not like I regret anything I've done." The saiyan paused to chuckle softly. "There are just night when I'd prefer not to remember what it felt like to snap someone's neck."

Normally such a statement would be accompanied by a change of tone, or at least some kind of shift in mannerisms. Raditzu didn't miss a beat. How he justified or rationalized or dealt with what he had done over his years of fighting was probably a mystery even to himself, but it definitely worked.

"But whatever, its not really a big deal." Rad pushed an overgrown branch out of his way. "Just gotta keep on keepin' on."

17 merely grunted in reply as the two warriros trailed the rest of their make-shift alliance. After several moments of silence, the android opened his mouth to say something, but he was quickly cut off as Raditzu lept into some foliage.

"Check it out!"

The long-haired warrior burst back onto the rough trail they had been following with his hand extended. In his palm, struggling on its back, was a small scorpion. 17 stared at the little scorpion for several seconds before looking back up to Rad, who was grinning as only an idiot could grin.

"Its a scorpion..."

"What?! Its not just any scorpion..." as Rad spoke, the little creature managed to get its footing back. The grin instantly faded from Rad's face. "Nevermind." With a sigh, Rad tossed the bug over his shoulder and continued his unannounced search.

[Jeice]

The sky began to darken, letting the red warrior know he had made it to the second night. He knew very well that it could be his last. The addition of the two new warriors didn?t sit well with him, the long haired saiyan and the robot. He didn?t know a thing about these newcomers or their intentions, which worried him. He knew what the game did to people?s heads, at least what it did to his. How it made damn near impossible to trust anyone, even those who you have known for a while. The calming noise of chirping crickets filled the air as it drew closer to night.

It was impossible for anyone to be in a relaxed state of mind when thoughts of the person you were walking with could be planning on killing you. Jeice knew that he would have to keep an eye on each of the newcomers. If they made a simple notion of betrayal, he wouldn?t hesitate to slit their throats from ear to ear. Brutal, some may suggest, but it was the mentality he would need to carry with him if he planned on surviving. He knew the chances of winning the game were slim, but if was going to go he planned on going out with a bang, on really tearing someone apart before he met his demise.

?Yamu.? The red fighter called out.

The bald human stopped walking and let Jeice catch up to him. ?Yeah??

?Do you?trust these guys?? Jeice inquired with a whisper.

?Well.? Yamu answer as he scanned through the group. ?At this point I don?t have much of a choice, but like I told you earlier stay alert. I don?t know what they could be planning behind our backs. I?m not saying they will, I?m just saying watch out for it.? The warrior answered in a monotone voice.

Jeice knew he would have to suffer through another night without much sleep. He didn?t want to leave himself in a defenseless state; anyone could come along and snatch the life from him. But he also knew another night without sleep would take its toll on him in the morning. Then it hit him, he would be able to get the amount of sleep he needed as long as his saibaman would be able to keep watch. It turned out the little green alien would prove itself useful early on.

[Bardock]

How do I get myself into this shit? Bardock wondered, staring at his device. A disturbingly large number of red dots had collaborated into one spot. It was practically an army. He?d never been one to run from a fight, but now might have been a good time to flee to the farthest corner of the map and wait out what was inevitably going to be a bloody war. The GPS now made him both a worthy ally and a dangerous foe. But he?d made it perfectly clear that if he was backstabbed or attacked, his first and foremost action would be to destroy the trinket.

The group had found a straggler, which provided mild entertainment for their trek.

Marking off his map, he stowed the tracking apparatus.

Things had taken an interesting twist. He surveyed his party, which was looking more and more rag-tag by the minute. Vegeta clamored over some box, Bra was ignoring just about everyone, Reijin was conversing, the namek was stoic, and the fairy pirate was happily drinking himself into a stupor.

The general silence remained broken as Jack hummed a few bars to a song, and supplied slurred words when he knew them in large outbursts. The saiyan hung back a bit. A little rum might do him some good.

?My rum!? Jack barked as if sensing Bardock?s intentions. He slid away, muttering something about traitorous scallywags.

So much for alcohol.

?Not good,? Bardock mentioned to Reijin, showing his newly scribbled map.

?Someone?s spearheading a movement,? the young saiya-jin observed. ?We would do well to move in greater numbers.?

?Sun?s down,? the roughneck nodded to the sky. ?Nothing?s going to happen tonight.?

Reijin nodded, pausing in thought. No matter the reason for their paths crossing, they were both now committed to something bigger than an exchange of the valued. No, this was something epic.

Are you in there, Raditzu? Bardock wondered, knowing how people seemed to gravitate towards his son. Or you, Kakarot?

The fighter grabbed a bottle of water and chugged the refreshing liquid.

?Looks like this?ll be your birthday present,? the old soldier chuckled as he slapped Rei on the back. He glanced over his shoulder at Bra, then at Vegeta who was still enamored with his box.

Best leave things be. That?s what got him into trouble last year.

[Android 17]

Brushing aside the eccentricities of his traveling partner, Seventeen continued down the crude path?his mind distant and his eyes empty. Reaching into his duffel bag with his right arm, the android started to fish around amidst the cans of food and bottles of water given to him at the start of the game. After a few moments of rooting through his belongings, the machine-hybrid furrowed his brow and began to frown.

Almost immediately, he stepped up his degree of fervor; however, despite the android?s hopes, the horror of the situation was slowly becoming evident. With a terrified scowl on his face, Seventeen came to a sudden pause and pulled a single item from his survival bag?an empty plastic bag. Lifting the transparent, ruffled pouch to his face, the machine-hybrid?s scowl gave way to a frown as he stared at the miniscule fragments of green and brown that dotted the bag?s interior.

?This is?? the cybernetic warrior began, his voice quavering as his right arm began to tremble. ?The worst thing that could ever happen to me. Ever!? Seventeen shouted, garnering the attention of not only his saiya-jin ally but also the group traveling a ways ahead of them.

?What?s the matter, Seventeen?? The long-haired superpower inquired, arching one of his eyebrows as he took a step toward his partner. Despite having become accustomed to his ally?s bizarre antics and personality over the course of the last twenty-four hours, Raditzu was nevertheless taken aback by the machine-hybrid?s current demeanor.

Trembling all over, the cyborg crumpled the empty bag in his fist and heaved it toward a nearby tree. Unfortunately for the devastated android, the relatively light bag merely fluttered a small distance and came to a rest only a few feet away from his current position. Throwing his hand forward, Seventeen obliterated the empty bag of pot with a massive discharge of energy.

Taking a step back as the rest of the group drew closer to figure out the basis of the drama, Raditzu watched as a few nearby trees toppled over following the outburst of his partner. Lifting his forearm, the saiya-jin closed his mouth as a wave of debris washed over him and the rest of the traveling party. Unfortunately for the rest of the group, they were not as observant as the long-haired warrior had been.

Following the explosion, there was silence as the dust and debris slowly settled back onto the floor of the forest. Once everyone?s vision was no longer obscured, the monkey-hybrid walked over to his partner and tilted his head at his partner. Seventeen, who was trembling softly, remained quiet for a few more moments before opening his eyes. After another beat, he slowly moved his head and stared over his shoulder at the saiya-jin.

?What was that all about?? Raditzu inquired?a faint smile on his face as he stared at his strange partner.

?I,? the android began, his shoulders convulsing gently as he tried to rationalize the situation. ?Have no more pot,? with that quip, silence fell back into the clearing as the group situated around the android simply look on in awkward disbelief. Those who had met the cyborg prior to the event found themselves in a dilemma as they tried to dissect what had transpired to leave their acquaintance in such an off the wall state of mind.

?Don?t sweat it,? Raditzu replied, snickering softly as he motioned for the rest of the group to keep moving. ?Sooner or later we?re probably going to be fighting, and that will take your mind of this tragic loss,? the saiya-jin concluded.

?Damn,? Seventeen muttered. ?Yea, there is no use dillydallying then.?

?That?s the spirit!? The long-haired powerhouse chuckled. ?Now let?s get a move on so we don?t fall too far behind,? Raditzu concluded, turning away from his partner and continuing down the path they were forging.

With one last fleeting glance at the crater he had blown in the ground, Seventeen sniffled softly?a final requiem for the deceased. A single tear then rolled down his pale, dust-covered visage, and then the machine-hybrid departed from the scene.

[Saz]

Sazuaa grabbed onto his left sleeve and delicately tore the fabric around his shoulder, making himself a makeshift sling for his broken left arm.

Night was coming soon as the sun slowly began to descend over the horizon. The non-transformer had taken up camp in a deserted town for the past twelve or so hours, deciding it would be wiser to keep a low profile and hideout until nightfall. In the state he was in he couldn?t risk getting caught up in a head to head, or worse. He knew his best chances of victory were to sneak up on his foe under the cover of darkness and strike with lethal force, killing his enemy before they had the chance to do so to him.

"Pitiful Saiyan," the alien muttered to himself, a snarl formed on his lips as he pondered over the events that lead to him receiving his injuries. Sazuaa reached into his bag and helped himself to a stale loaf of bread, whilst he continued to seethe over his earlier defeat. It wasn?t just the Saiyan, there was someone else, an unknown being who came to Vegeta?s aid, striking Sazuaa from behind, stunning him and leaving the Saiyan with the easy task of tossing him off the cliff.

Suddenly a muffled sound coming from various megaphones on the island echoed throughout the town. It was time for another announcement.

"We're going to need you all to pick it up, my warriors! Ratings have begun to decline do the lack of action. There hasn't been a death in over six hours! 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!

J6

That's it! Good luck, all! This is Karl, over and out!"

What was going on out there, how could the number of deaths have plummeted so drastically over the past twelve hours. Had everyone just simultaneously decided to hide and try to wait it out until most of the fighters had fallen and there was only one or two left, before making their move. It just didn?t make sense.

Well whatever it was, it was going to have to remain a mystery for now. Darkness was beginning to consume the empty town, it was time for Sazuaa to make his move.

[Bujin]

?Move, move, move,? Bujin commented to Celipa softly as their group steadily increased in numbers. ?That?s all we ever do. Why can?t we kill people lying down??

The female Saiyan chuckled, but kept her pace steady. Bujin sighed and waddled along behind her, slightly disappointed that she completely misunderstood the point of his comment. The blue man hated people, at least when it came to Dante?s Abyss. Why would he bother making any relationship when he would shoot it down days later? The idea didn?t make sense to him, and to be honest, he was starting to re-evaluate his position on everything. He couldn?t leave now, however, because that would be particularly cowardly. Plus, he couldn?t get away from the group without the danger of getting shot in the back ? an added incentive.

Since Bujin broke camp with Celipa and Yamu?s group, two new people were added. He didn?t understand why, really, but that was his own fault. Bujin didn?t really pay attention to anything that was ever said, but he still had no qualms about getting pissed at the lack of information he was getting. He had also neglected to use his scouter, which made him feel particularly stupid. However, his wander-around-aimlessly tactic was working so far, so it couldn?t be all bad. In short, the blue midget had no idea what was going on. For all he knew, they were about to all turn towards his smallish figure and pull the nearest trigger in sight.

The two new people that were added to the group were the biggest worry in his eyes. One of them had long hair and an eerily familiar face ? like Bujin had seen him somewhere before. The other had an odd look that made the small man kind of depressed for almost no reason. From what Bujin gathered, they were only there momentarily to work for a common goal, but he couldn?t help but feel suspicious. They were, after all, in a position that was separated from the rest of the group. Then again, so was he and Celipa, so his entire doubt was completely based off of a double standard.

You look terrible, Bujin, Rae commented with concern. Bujin examined himself closely, and chuckled lightly.

?Thanks,? he commented to the voice, ignoring the confused glance that Celipa shot at him. He was focused on Rae at the time, but Bujin wondered somewhere in the back of his mind why Celipa didn?t just ask. He was tired of trying to be cautious, but of course, he couldn?t exactly just out-and-tell her. That wasn?t the worst of it, though. The voices themselves were the problem. Since he first got them, he had come to the realization that he had gone insane. In addition, he came to terms with it. However, with two dominating personalities constantly overlapping themselves inside his weakened state of mind, his sense of identity had disappeared.

What was he doing?

[Yamu]

Red sunset faded into grey twilight, Yamu paused a little and dropped back to the two temporary members of his band. He resumed pace once he had caught them and began to talk, ?So, probably stop soon and grab a bite to eat. Everyone is ok with continuing a little further in the dark, make up whatever distance they have gained on us.? The two men nodded but nothing more. ?I suggested two people stay on guard at any time when we do get some sleep, I don?t want anyone feeling unsafe you know??

Raditzu rolled his eyes. He had remembered Yamu as a determined, albeit weak and dimwitted warrior when they had last met, but his den mother antics were beginning to annoy him. Seventeen just shrugged.

?So, Seventeen, did you finish your training on Kai?s?? The ebony eyed Earthling began again.

?Nah?I left a little bit after you did.? The two had never been friends but a respect had been built up between them and the raven haired youth had gotten bored with the endless hiking with nothing to break it up so he decided to keep the conversation going a bit. ?So, Yamu, they must have sensed us if we located them?why do think they haven?t turned to face us yet??

?Scared.? The Saiya-Jin snorted at the comment but Yamu continued. ?Which gives the advantage to us.?

The automaton was intrigued, ?Advantage??

?The Hunter?s Advantage. We?ll all have adrenaline pumping through us when we eventually catch them, on both sides, but we are the predators and they the prey. We are already ready for a fight while they hide from it. We are the Hunters.?

?Hunter?s advantage?that might make a good poem.? He was already looking up into the slowly appearing stars, planning a meter.

Yamu looked back over to the stalwart Saiya-Jin, ?I hope you?ll at least join us for dinner.? The veiny brute double timed it back to the four fighters in the front not expecting a response, catching Bujin and Celipa first. ?How are you two holding up??

?Bujin is debating the merits of killing someone from the prone position.? The female Saiya-Jin said with an almost maternal smile towards her companion.

?I told you she didn?t get it?? the azure shooter muttered, and Yamu decided it was best to leave him alone for the time being.

He finally reached his two closest allies at the front of the column, ?Hey guys, when we stop for dinner I?m going to go off alone for a bit, keep a close eye on everybody will ya? I don?t want any little thing to slip past us.?

Paragus flicked the safety on and off of his gun as if his hands were restless, ?How long, Yams? I really don?t like you bringing these guys in then leaving me to baby sit.?

?I know, Old Man, it is something I just have to do though. I won?t be long and it will bring us a little luck tomorrow.? He gave his friend a pat on the shoulder to reassure him.

?No sweat,? Jeice chuckled, ?We got S-man, it?s like having a pair of eyes everywhere at once.? He had begun developing an almost master pet relationship to his living weapon.

?Good?good?? Yamu knew he had to keep them all together until the job was finished. He looked around at the six fighters he marched with, six friends, six allies he needed, and six obstacles to winning.