Day Four: Morning

[Burter]

Day Four
6:00 AM - Noon

"We've officially passed the Top 20 and I'm proud of all of you! The game is going longer then it did last year and the ratings are soaring! Plenty of underdogs and powerhouses still around! Keep it up! Here are the fallen:

#27 Retane
#39 Super Buu

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!

B2
B3
I5

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"


Notes:

-It's lightly raining

-Remember to rp at least once every four days...

[Kami]

It's raining again... A light mist drifted through the wind, some of it making it's way to the Namek's face. The old building had spots for cover, and spots that did little to cover much of anything. He got up and pushed the couch back a bit, into a dryer more seculded corner or the room. It made a quiet shuffle as it slide across the floor, then Kami set himself back down again. His back was still a mess, the pain came and went, and he still had a little bit of rum left in his bag. He'd stopped drinking it, mostly because he knew it wasn't going to do his Namekian physique any good.

He found solace in meditation, keeping himself aware and alert in his surroundings while blocking out any pain from his injuries. He was a little dejected at the fact that his back was hurt so badly, and yet he still didn't feel like he'd had the fight he came to this tournament to have. He never liked working in huge groups much anyways, especially when the situation is as chaotic as the one he was in now.

The sunlight catching sheets of misty rain slowly parading through the air let him know what time it was and that he had survived another day. He remained in the shade of the building, biding his time until he would make his move and strike. He paused from his meditation to take a look at the map within his survival bag. He noted the new danger zones and the apparent pattern with which they seemed to be taking.

Same as before...trying to funnel everyone in for the big finish...stupid bastard... He didn't care about the ratings on his screens, or the merchandice or the fame or glory. He needed a test, he needed to let himself know that he wasn't "too old" or washed up. Broken back or not, this was his last shot to prove to himself what kind of fighter he really was, and he hoped that he could meet his own lofty expecations. Slowly he rolled the map back up and closed his eyes once more, allowing his other senses to take over and his mind to rest at ease.

[Vegeta]

Vegeta continued to drag himself away from the scene of the fight. Two huge superpowered groups clashed and he was feeling a little worse for the wear. He had been blown a few hundred yards away and managed to get up and run before collapsing again. The fight had been ugly, one of the worst in recent memory. The Saiyan prince popped the lid on his medical case and began searching for something to use on his various wounds. ?Damnit!? He cursed, as a sharp edge lightly cut his hand. ?Where did Bra end up?? The prince sighed, his daughter seemed to have a better understanding of the contents of this medical case then he did. He grabbed at the first vial that rolled into view, popped the top right off and poured the liquid into his open wound. His teeth clenched as the caustic fluid ran into his wound, searing the flesh as it went. Blood dripped from his mouth as he nearly bit a hole through his lip, he quickly grabbed a different vial and poured it on in an attempt to wash out the previous liquid. The antibiotic wash soon soothed the burning pain in his abdomen leaving a refreshing mint scent in the air. He took the roll of bandage and wrapped himself up again. The medical kit was quickly becoming very light, but at least it was of solid design. Maybe once empty he could whack someone atop their head. He folded up his cardboard box and stuffed it into his bag, he wasn?t sure what use it could serve now but it didn?t make sense to waste such a great box. His first step caused him to wince with pain, the prince felt more like his father again. Old and useless.

?Now? which way did those damned kids go!?

OOC: Apologies about the lack of postage. Things came up.

[Android 17]

The battle was over, and for one reason or another, Seventeen was still alive and ticking. It had been a four hours since the changelings had departed from the scene of the battle. Although they had been gone for the few hours, the mark that King Cold and Koola had left upon the android would resonate for days to come. With a grunt, the machine-hybrid sat up off the ground and looked down at the reopened wound in his abdomen.

?I hate changelings,? the cyborg muttered as he gazed upon the injury. Unlike the previous wound, the shock rifle?s discharge had instantly charred and cauterized the tissue. Aside from a few erratic sparks every few seconds and the fact that his first aid job was now undone, Seventeen honestly didn?t feel too downtrodden about the situation. If anything, he was a bit jolly about how he had managed to cripple two opponents all by his lonesome.

?Every battle has its cost, Seventeen,? the voice shook the android from his daze, and with a swift motion of his head, he turned his attention toward the direction of the voice. A few yards away, his puttalin-forged ally stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest and his foot tapping impatiently on the ground. From the expression on his face, it was easy to see that something was vexing the monster.

?What?s that supposed to mean?? Seventeen declared, gritting the bloody fragments of his teeth together as he stood up off the ground. ?Last I checked I?m still alive and kicking. All I need to do is find yet another means to patch up this wound, and everything will be golden,? the android concluded, flashing a bloody smile at his former brother-in-arms.

?Did you forget something?? The golem sighed?his arms flopping down to his sides like pink noodles. Cocking his head, the cybernetic warrior first analyzed the surroundings and then took a gander over at his partner. It took the android a little under a second to notice that Super Buu had both of his legs once again!

?You?re all patched up, buddy!? Seventeen decreed, raising his hands toward the morning sky in a display of jubilation. A moment later, Buu interrupted the android?s moment of glee with a heartless frown and a slight shaking of his index finger. Dropping his hands back down to his sides, Seventeen twisted his lips up in an expression of confusion as his friend let out an overdramatic sigh.

?Tsk, tsk, tsk,? Super Buu murmured, shaking his head in response to his friends idiocy. With one overemotional step, the bubblegum-colored monster moved to the right and revealed something that washed away any semblance the android had of a pyrrhic victory. The cyborg arched one of his eyebrows as he tried to absorb what he was looking at?the legless, inert form of Super Buu lying up against a bloodstained tree.

?Wait a moment,? the android responded, waving his finger at the motionless construct. ?How the heck are you in two places at once?? Seventeen asked, turning his attention to the frowning, flawless Buu who was standing a few feet from what was apparently his own corpse.

?I?m fucking dead, you nimrod!? The corpse screamed, pushing off the tree and pointing to the wound that had cost him his life. With a yelp, the raven-haired took a step away from the two golems and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, Seventeen carefully opened his weary eyes and let out a relieved sigh when all he saw was the once again motionless corpse of his fallen comrade.

?I?m sorry, Super Buu,? he muttered beneath his breath as he walked over and kneeled down next to his friend?s body. For an entire minute, the android did nothing but remain at his ally?s side and hang his head in somber respect. Once he had paid his respects, Seventeen collected Buu?s survival bag and began to evacuate the scene.

?Graverobber,? a voice seethed. Ignoring the angry tone of his dead friend, the raven-haired warrior shuddered in fear and retreated from the scene with the utmost haste. Even though he could feel the hate-filled glare of Super Buu?s burning a hole into his very soul, the android didn?t dare turn around. He kept limping forward into the unknown as a fresh rain began to descend from the violet skies.

[Orion]

"Ahhh! Fuck fuck fuck fuck! Fuck it!"

Koola's sense of adrenaline had finally worn off as the rain lightly descended from the sky again. The full brunt of the pain delivered to his thigh ran rampant through his mind. He so desperately wanted to cover the wound with his hands, to rub the bloody area tenderly to alleviate the suffering, but touch it would send a further shock through it. No plan he came up with would end the torment, and by the way his leg hung on by a few precarious tendons made it illogical to walk. So he merely sat there, bitching and complaining while his ignorant father was lost in thought.

"Dammit!" the prince continued. "What the hell am I gonna do now?! Sure, you don't have an arm, but I don't have a fucking leg! How am I supposed to walk without a fucking leg?!"

Cold suddenly blinked his eyes in succession, being pulled out of his introspection by his son's consistent wailing. He looked at his child with a countenance of disgust.

"Oh, quit complaining!" the emperor snapped. "You're lucky that shotgun caught you in the thigh and not the head! Besides, now you know what I've been dealing with these past few days. Maybe you'll be a bit more sympathetic towards me in the future."

"I don't hear any fucking sympathy from you!"

"Oh, for crying out loud." Cold snatched up the shock rifle and jammed it into the wound of his son. "Just grit your teeth, will you? You're losing a lot of blood." Without another word, the elder changeling squoze the trigger, sending a searing electrical jolt through Koola's raw stub. The prince roared in agony, and in a few moments, the king removed the barrel of the gun. For those few seconds of intense physical anguish, the blown apart thigh was cauterised, no longer leaking blood.

"There. Isn't that better?" Cold remarked at his handiwork.

Koola's respiration rate had increased, his hands were balled tightly, his face was bathed in a cold sweat. "Yes, much better," he growled through bared teeth.

The horned dictator was a master of empathy; he knew his son wasn't happy. There was one thing he could do to take his mind from his disability.

"Remember that fight we were just in?"

"Remember it?! How old do you think I am? That shotgun didn't blow away the memory part of my brain!"

"Come on, it was cool, wasn't it?" Cold persuaded. "It's what you've been bitching about this entire time we've been here! Remember?" Cold did a whiny impersonation of Koola's voice. "'Oh, there's no one to kill! I'm bored!' Remember? Then you get what you want, and you're still not happy."

The prince looked at the ground for a moment, then looked up with a grin. "Remember that part when I saved your life? You like, 'help!' And that black haired kid was about to shoot you, and then I was like, 'take this!' and I shot him! And he ran away!" Koola nodded his head in enthusiasm. "Yeah, that was wicked. Oh, and when you said your tough guy phrase? I got goosebumps."

"When?" Cold asked, but well aware of what incident his son referred to.

"When that kid said, 'It's just business.' And then you said, 'you're right. You're fired.' And then I shot him! So cool."

Satisfied that his offspring's erratic mood swings had stabilised, Cold moved to the next productive area of discussion. "We better get moving. We're sitting ducks if we stay here."

"Is that a crack about my leg?"

Cold chuckled. "You don't know when to stop, do you?" He spotted the shotgun laying next to Koola. "Are you taking that with you?"

"Yep," he replied. "I need better defense now." Finally finished with complaining, Koola devised a way to mobilise. Pushing his tail against the ground, he brought himself to his only working foot. Grabbing the shotgun, he slammed its barrel into the ground, propping himself with it like a crutch. Koola started moving forward, using his remaining leg and shotgun like a set of crutches, and his tail akin to a working limb. Cold couldn't help but smirk at the amusing sight.

"Very inventive," the Icer father commented. They moved for the horizon, the gentle raindrops soothing their heated bodies.

"Oh, and you transformed," Koola recalled. "That was cool. Have you been hiding that from me, or did you just learn it then?"

OOC: If it's cool with Cold (no pun intended), I'd like to take the shotgun. Mostly as walking equipment.

[Yamu]

The sun rose over Dante for a fourth time and again the fighter known as Yamu was questioning himself. A light rain trickled over the pair as they stalked the woods, looking for competitors that needed to be eliminated. The rain started as just a mist, but soon the Arlian Guardian?s cloak was soaked through and began to cling to him from the light rain.

His fingers worked Kari like a worry stone, giving the handle a smooth finish under the polish of his sweat and friction. His prized weapon felt like it was vibrating within his hands, feeling the burden of Atonement and the need to achieve it. The ebony eyed Earthling was not worried about the game, just unsure of himself. He thought he could strike his former Pitch Black comrades down if it came to that?but he did not know. The moment of truth, that eventual collision of himself and someone he cared about, scared him. Could he pull the trigger? Strike the blow? Look into someone?s eyes he cared about and slay them in cold blood. He thought he could. He hoped he could. He did not know.

?Yamu?you?ve got that hollow look again.? The hairless human looked up startled. He had not noticed Jeice had stopped and had turned to face him. He had not even noticed he had stopped walking either. ?Thinking about the future again, huh??

Yamu nodded, when he opened his mouth to speak he was taken aback by a jolt of pain. Spots flew across his vision as he looked to where he had been standing, an after image of Jeice lingered the butt of his machine gun kicked up to where Yamu?s chin had been.

The red skinned fighter had already moved, swinging the gun like a club to smash him in the head. Yamu ducked and spun horizontal to the ground through the air under the blow. ?RED! What the FUCK has gotten into you??

?You have to get your head in this game?you?ve been floating in an out of it since Day Two. You will face one of your friends and YOU will kill them, because you are that damn good. Face it now or neither of us will make it to Day Five? He lifted the fearsome firearm and aimed directly atYamu?s head. ?I know you can do it, now you have to.? The hellish roar of the gun shook the island awake and Jeice?s whole body as a splatter of energy laced bullets cut through the air, the heat from the rounds hissing as it evaporated the rain drops they passed through.

Yamu poured all his speed into running backwards, a pale streak that put a wall of trees between him and the bullets. ?Why are you doing this, Jeice??

The gloved warrior slowly turned, scoping the endless mass of trees that Yamu could be hiding in. ?I would rather go it alone, then be depending on someone that might falter.? He grinned, ?This is, admittedly, a drastic approach, but we don?t have time to go about it gently. I need you to be ready to win at all costs. If you can kill me, then you can kill anyone in this game.?

The human?s voice seem to come from every direction around Jeice, ?So I have to kill YOU, to convince you I?m dependable in a fight??

?You had better find SOME way to stop these bullets, Yamu.? He fired a round into a bush that shook, but it only hit a rabbit exploding the furry beast.

?You?ve lost your mind!?

?You?ve lost your balls.?

Yamu flew out of the sky like an orangutan, screaming just as loud, from just to Jeice?s left, a massive arm clothes-lining the slender warrior and knocking him into a tree. The Ki Machine Gun flew from his hands as they both lay sprawled on the ground.

The two scrambled back to their feet, slipping on the wet leaves that covered the forest floor. Jeice could see he would not reach the gun in time, Yamu was already on his feet and running him down. Jeice slipped the shard of mirror from his glove and flung it at point blank range right at Yamu?s throat. The veiny juggernaut knocked it away with the butt of Kari, looping the nail studded bat over his head to bring it in for a to-the-bleachers swing. He halted the spikes that lined the head just millimeters from Jeice?s face. If he had not, Jeice?s head would have sailed to the shore line.

The two panted heavily, they had pushed everything they had into their speed, anyone watching would have just seen twin blurs that lasted only seconds. Jeice smiled, his hair stained red from earlier made his grinning face a haunting reminder of the toll Dante?s Abyss took on its participants, ?It is that easy, Yamu.?

It is that easy, Yamu.

Jeice kipped up to his feet and gathered up his weapons as Yamu stood there, Kari frozen in midair where Jeice?s head had been. ?It shouldn?t be that easy.?

Jeice paused from tucking his shiv back into his glove for a beat as he thought, ?It is just the way it is, Yamu. Stop looking on the negative?at least you have it in you to win.?

Yamu did not like that he had it in him. But he now knew it was and he knew he could do what he needed to make it to the finals. At that moment he did not like that either. He just hoped self loathing was an easier medicine to take then doubt. The Arlian Guardian bared his teeth in frustration then tossed his head back and roared. He eyes glimmered like lit coals as he turned to his partner, ?I need to go hurt something, Red?now??

[King Cold444]

CDBZ

"I'm still hiding it." Cold stated, gasping deeply and clutching his chest. They'd long left the battlefield, but the scars remained. In this case he was exhausted and figured a quick stop would do them more good than their other rested paces. The light rain would do them more good than harm, washing away the stench of the dead and dousing him in a cooldown.

He sat in the heart of the trail, Koola noticing after a few of his steps went unfollowed. The younger icer was in worse condition than KC, if you left the King to decide.

"Why'd you stop? You heard something?" Koola slunk low to the ground, balancing with his tail and his weapon at the ready. He'd learned well enough to stay on his toes at the slightest inclination. Cold was proud.

"We're gonna stop here." Cold declared, shifting downwards and taking a whiff of the deathly still air. It was unnerving to know that there were others--just as he and Koola were, travelling the desolate isle in hopes of survival.

Some played to win, Cold knew better than to misjudge. There had to be some among them who hunted ceaselessly and had taken what they could. It would be a longshot if Cold was to emerge victorious over the lot of them, but he'd do it--it wasn't impossible--he just had to keep his gleefully ballooned ego under wraps. Especially with what enigmatic displays of his own potential he'd shown his enemies.

"We're gonna have to do this," KC grunted. Koola limped over to him and Cold stood at his full height once again, for dramatic effect. "We're gonna have to conquer the Abyss... wait, weren't we here already?"

"Maybe." Koola shrugged and fell into one of Cold's usual slump. Cold followed suit, his scrutiny falling on Koola's leg.

"We need to get a leg up on how we're gonna do this?" Cold paused, lost in consideration. "Pun intended."

"Whatever armor-all." Koola snapped back. This would be the start of something great, Cold hoped.

[Jeice]

A sadistic grin of approval stretched across the red fighter?s face as his companion uttered the words with the passion of a true warrior. He had just proved two things, the bald human would kill the next unlucky son of a bitch they came in contact with even if they were friends, and he also proved that Yamu would kill him if necessary. Jeice wasn?t worried at the moment, there was no need for either of the two make a betraying move, perhaps a drastic move but not a betraying one. It had been four days together and no thought of mutiny had ever seemed to of crossed the two warrior?s minds.

Sure, there was the voice in the back of both their heads continuously reminding them that the time may come when they would have to fight each other, but that time wouldn?t be coming for a while. Jeice was still unsure of himself. Even though his partner had just shown him that he would do what he needed to do, he was unsure if he would actually make a move to kill his bald friend. The only thing that was certain was that the game was an experience of a lifetime.

?That?s what I wanted to hear from you Yamu.? Jeice replied to his friends demand. ?Let?s go find someone; I?ll unload a round on their ass while you swat them in the face with Kari?sound good??

?Sounds good, Red.? The human replied shooting back a grin of his own.

Jeice had the intentions of a primitive beast. He wanted to literally tear the next person he saw apart. He certainly was motivated and had the heart to back it up, but he knew that some of the people out there were in a league of their own, doubts of his physical ability lingered in the back of his mind. It didn?t matter. He was in an animalistic state of mind, bloodthirsty, and the only thing he wanted to do was quench his thirst.

It didn?t matter who they would run into, it could be one of the opposing saiyan warrior?s from the previous brawl he was in, and he had no intention of running. Again, as if he was living up to a false sense of pride he felt compelled to fight like a man, giving it his all on the battlefield, then running and getting shot in the back like a coward. His finger sensually caressed the trigger of the automatic weapon as if he was trying to seduce it, repeatedly running from the tip of the bottom to where it met the base of the gun. His hand shifted from side to side focusing the barrel in different directions, his eyes following it trying to find a reason to pull the trigger.

?I got an itchy trigger finger, Yamu.? The white haired alien remarked as he looked at his gun.

?Don?t worry?someone will run into us sometime, and when they do?they won?t have a chance of escaping our clutches.? The vein covered human responded as he looked down at his bat, the nails starting to rust from being exposed in the rain.

Jeice didn?t mind the rain; it was a refreshing difference to the unforgiving sun that usually covered the island. His head tilted back to let the light drop sprinkle across his face. He was ready for anything.

[Yamu]

I've been living my life in a cage
Freedom spits in my face
It was such a disgrace
And I was lonely
And feeling empty
Desperate

Yamu and Jeice took off through the woods like a bloodthirsty pack. A pack of two, yes, but a pack none the less. The Hounds of Hell had been unleashed upon the island, and these Dogs of War were out for blood.

Each had already eliminated another fighter and had injured others. The pair knew what it would take to win and now both were more then willing to pay the price for what victory would give them.

The fact that only one of them would win seemed secondary now.

I had my head in a noose
I had nothing to loose
Had enough of abuse
And now I'm dangerous
Hateful, contagious
It haunts us

For so long the Arlian Guardian had kept himself in constant check. Blocking off in his mind what he was capable of. Yamu wanted to see himself as a good man and that meant forcing himself to forget his childhood. He had been kidnapped as a child and forced to fight in the slave Pits of Master Muya. There he had killed countless aliens and eventually his best friend in a fight that unlocked the Ki abilities within him.

It was with these new powers that he had destroyed the salve pits and escaped. But, yo get those powers he had had to value his own life over that of the only person who had cared for him. Since that day when the price of freedom had been his friend?s life Yamu had kept himself in check. Some things cost too much?sometimes what you wanted came at too high a price. Since that day Yamu had kept himself in check. To keep himself from doing the wrong thing even for the right reasons because a good man would not do that. Kaioken had unlocked the strength he had repressed after that day, afraid of what he would do to get the things he wanted. Kaioken had unlocked the strength but his mind still held the blocks to keep from using it to its full advantage.

Sometimes what you wanted came at too high a price.

I'm angry (I'm angry)
I'm raging (I'm raging)
I'm breaking through the pain

Dante had unlocked the pale behemoth. No?not unlocked, broken. The path was strait and wide, the goal was within sight. Yamu just had to barrel through the obstacles that stood between him and what he wanted. Barrel through his friends as well as his enemies, barrel through to the Finals, and eventually match his barrel to Burter.

To gain his freedom he had killed First. To win Dante he would have to kill Big Blue.

Dante had unlocked the drive Yamu had repressed. Not just Dante?Karl, Jeice, Burter, Minosha, Paragus, Bulma, Reijin?the walls so painstakingly built in his mind, the cage to keep the beast in, the prison to hold the monster that was Yamu in check were shattered.

Yamu was no longer looking for a fight. The Arlian Guardian wanted a kill.

The monster's loose
And now you know the truth
Tell me can you feel it
As you hit the wall

Jeice kept pace with the cold eyed brute as they tore through the woods, the machine gun was an unwieldy weapon to keep at a ready the whole time but the white haired warrior refused to tuck it into his sack or sling it around his back. Yamu might just now be getting into the game, but Jeice had entered knowing the cost and the rewards and if he was going to be someone else?s payment for the Finals?he was going to be a costly one.

It was not rage that fueled Yamu as they broke out of the forest for what seemed like the first time in an eternity. Rage was wild?rage was untamed and unfocused. The force that inhabited Yamu was not distracted it was centered. Rage was hot and passionate. The force that drove Yamu was not fervent it was cold.

Their four feet hit wet sand along the shores of a lake, the surface they now dashed over was more unrelenting then usual, a muddy slush due to the perpetual drizzle that came with the sun that morning. The terrain did not stop nor slow them. They trampled over it, mastered it, just like they would plow through any moving thing that came within striking distance.

The monster's loose
This game is win or loose
Sometimes you gotta' do it
And show the world you want it all

Jeice flanked Yamu now that the open terrain allowed it, running alongside the purpose driven human. Jeice looked behind them, the tree line was already a faint dark smear on the other side of the lake. He looked up at the towering Earthling that seemed to destroy nature as they ran.

And Jeice laughed.

Feeling the caress of Kari?s nails across the side of his face had invigorated his perception of himself and his ally.

They were bad asses in a game dominated by huge personalities. Somehow?he felt above the others now. They were fighting, they were winning and loosing the same as he was, but they were doing it over fighting.

Jeice was killing.

I've walked a slippery road
Felt a twitch in my soul
Through the wind and the cold
With no protection
Just one direction
Destruction

On one level Yamu felt the change in terrain, he sensed the shift as open air let rain fall openly upon him but it just did not matter. It was not a threat, it would not effect him.

Jeice had flanked Yamu now that the open terrain allowed it, and was running alongside the purpose driven human. The veiny human could already tell they had run half the length of the lake already without looking back. His tree trunk legs smashed into the sand, forming craters that made it look more like a meteor shower had rained down upon the shore line then a man running. Yamu looked down at his assassin deadly partner running along side him.

And Yamu smiled.

Feeling the caress of Kari?s nails scratch across the side of his ally?s face had given him the spark of ferocity he needed for Dante?s Abyss.

They were killers in a game created for fighters. It made him feel like he was elevated above the others now. The others were fighting, they were winning and loosing the same as he was, but they were doing it over fighting.

Yamu was obliterating.

I've paid for all my mistakes
Taking all I can take
Until I'm ready to break
I'm feeling vicious
And so outrageous
It breaks us

I'm leaving
Still breathing
I'm tearing through these chains

The walls were gone and Yamu did not know what it would take to reign himself in after this was all over. He could not live like this after Dante. He just did not care right then. He was swept into the Abyss. He embraced the killer, the murderer, the survivor that had always been there. Kaioken was no longer hampered. The veiny titan fully embraced the crimson flames within him and was prepared to unleash them to their full force.

A Yamu never seen was now unleashed upon the island.

The monster was loose.

The monster's loose
This game is win or loose
Sometimes you gotta' do it
And show the world you want it all

OOC: Music and Lyrics by Desmond Child,Nikki Sixx, and John '5' Lowery as performed by Meatloaf. Arranged for post by Yamu.

[Android 17]

Seventeen stumbled down a crude walkway as he compelled his beleaguered body to continue onward. In the last few minutes, he had been relatively alone as he traversed the path, and with that somewhat positive thought in hid mind, he permitted his legs to give way underneath him. With a grunt, the android collapsed onto his hands and knees?his tangled, unkempt hair falling into his face as his head reeled forward.

?It hurts?doesn?t it?? The sound of the angry, seething voice elicited a weak sigh from the grounded cyborg. Lifting his head up, Seventeen arched his eyebrow when he realized the identity of his newest visitor.

?Minoshia?? The raven-haired warrior inquired, eyeing the mangled, almost indiscernible appearance of the konat warrior. Only the Dark Prince?s characteristic voice betrayed his identity, as the rest of his physical traits were mutilated and burnt beyond recognition.

?In the flesh,? the prince hissed, taking a step forward and drilling his charred, broken foot into the android?s throat. With a guttural scream, Seventeen was thrown onto his back by the sheer force of the angry warrior?s strike. Before the machine-hybrid had a chance to react, the monstrosity known as Minoshia pounced upon him and drew a pair of binoculars from seemingly nowhere. ?It?s time I get my revenge for what you did to me last year!? The Dark Prince snickered.

?Get off of him,? a voice interjected?causing Minoshia to lift up his head and glance at something behind the fallen android?s plane of sight. A moment later, a yo-yo connected with the konat?s head and sundered his skull. As the child?s plaything ripped through Minoshia?s already mutilated head, the Dark Prince let out a scream and suddenly vanished from existence.

?I?ll be back for you,? the disembodied voice of the prince hissed, fading into nothingness as the yo-yo retracted back out of the android?s plane of view. Moving as quickly as his weary bones would allow him, Seventeen pushed off the ground and pivoted around the face the newcomer who had vanquished the machine-hybrid?s would-be murderer. With an almost theatrical groan, the cyborg let his jaw drop as Raditzu showed off his yo-yoing talents.

?Damn I love myself,? the long-haired warrior uttered?pulling his yo-yo back into his burly fist and then stuffing it into his pocket. With a smirk, the monkey-hybrid began to perform a series of stretches designed to accentuate his copious muscle mass as the android attempted to process the intensity of the situation.

?What the hell are you doing here?? Seventeen demanded, staggering away from the superpowered newcomer. Unable to deal with the situation at hand, the cybernetic warrior reached into his survival bag and pulled out a small cylinder of metal. After taking Super Buu?s duffel bag, the machine-hybrid had dumped its contents into his own pouch, and one of the most interesting items he had found was the piece of steel now clenched between his fingers.

?I?m not really here,? Raditzu declared with an overly flamboyant tone as he thrust a finger toward his former traveling partner. ?I?m just a hallucination brought on by how fucked up your shit?s gotten lately,? the saiya-jin concluded, flashing a broad smile toward the bewildered android.

?Someone?s messing with me,? Seventeen whispered, taking a step away from the saiya-jin. With a crazed look in his eyes, the android began to look to and fro for any signs of potential perpetrators or equipment with which someone could pull off all the illusions. When the machine-hybrid saw nothing, he quickly pivoted in an effort to escape the insanity; however, Raditzu was somehow standing right in front of him the moment he spun around.

?You can?t run away from this, Seventeen,? the monkey-hybrid grinned, waving his index finger in front of the android?s face. ?If you thought the first four days of this show were hell then I?m afraid you?re gravelly mistaken. It?s time for the real fun to begin, my friend,? the saiya-jin decreed cheerfully as his body began to fade. The long-haired superstar continued to slowly vanish until nothing remained but his sparkling, wide grin.

?What are you?? Seventeen demanded with a voice reminiscent of a panicky child.

?Don?t worry about a thing, little pal,? the mouth spoke, prompting the android to activated the ki sword. ?I?ll watch your back as you descend into the bowels of your little hell,? before the android had a chance to respond to the remark, the free-floating, bodiless smile vanished into nothingness. With a sigh, Seventeen deactivated the ki sword and slid it into the pocket of his blue jeans.

It was going to be a very long day.

[Bra]

OOC: A bit of a warning. There's a little piece in here that gets really gory and kind of screwed up, I guess. Don't read it if you think it'll bother you.

- - - - -

Bra didn?t really want to sleep. In fact, she was actually somewhat nervous concerning Exosus? increasing earnest in which she tried to persuade the princess. The violence might not have been real, but what would happen if she was killed in her own dream? Would she wake up, or was her doppelganger powerful enough to destroy her mind?

Despite all that, the cyan haired girl was exhausted. While she would have liked to stay awake for the rest of the competition, her body simply wouldn?t let her, especially with the assurance that Reijin would watch over her. She couldn?t at all figure out why, but for some reason, she trusted him.

?There you are!!? came an excited voice. Bra cringed; she knew who it was. ?I was hoping you?d return soon.?

Grabbing a handful of fabric from the back of the heiress? top, Exosus hauled the girl to her feet. A sadistic grin was played across the robed imitation of Bra, and immediately the original knew something had changed.

?I?ve got something to show you!? Exosus announced, before her eyes suddenly grew dark. ?Over here!? she waved her arm, launching the real halfling across the room and through a doorway which had appeared from nowhere in the opposite wall.

Bra slammed into the floor of the pitch black room beyond the entrance with a mighty crash, and tumbled to a halt as Exosus appeared before her. Motioning up above, a series of blue-tinted torches ignited, illuminating the room, and revealing yet another iteration of Bra, this one hanging from the ceiling by shackles around her wrists.

The imprisoned girl was beaten and bloody. Her hands had been crushed, rendered absolutely useless, and her legs had been sadistically cut off. It was obvious the blade which had removed the limbs wasn?t very sharp, as the cuts were abhorrently ragged. Strips of flesh and sinew hung haphazardly about. Gashes ran up and down her front and back, and across her face. An enormous pool of blood had formed beneath, a pool which the original Bra suddenly realized she was lying in.

?That?s...? her eyes widened as an inkling of realization set in. ?That?s Hope, isn?t it?!? she exclaimed. Hope was like Exosus, real-but-not-real. She was a reflection of the more optimistic facets of Bra?s personality, and came into existence each time she used her body split technique. To see her here, in her subconscious, was a first. To see her in such a sad state was... nauseating. It was like looking through some twisted mirror.

?What the fuck?! What the hell did you do to her?!? Bra demanded, leaping to her feet.

?Isn?t it obvious?? Exosus retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

?Wh-Why?! What did she ever do to you?!? the demi saiyan demanded.

?Oh. That. Well,? the robed girl acted as though nothing at all seemed out of place. ?Well, I don?t really have anything against her, per se. I mean, she is annoying. Really, really annoying, but the reason I did this... well,? she paused to chuckle slightly. ?Was to show you what I?d do to you the next time you fell asleep. Unless you decided to cooperate.?

?Oh, this is bullshit!? Bra retorted. ?I haven?t even used dark magic in like forever. You?ve got nothing on me, you screwed up bitch.?

?Really? I?ve got nothing on you? Then how do you explain me doing this to Hope? She?s every bit as strong as you, isn?t she?? Exosus smirked.

?She can?t fight as good as I can. She doesn?t get that people like you are out there and need to die,? the empress cringed as a weak, desperate groan escaped from the mutilated Hope. ?You better be able to fix her.?

?Oh, sure, I can fix that. But first, let?s cut to the chase, huh? I want more power, and this time, I?m not letting you leave ?till I get it. Unless you want me to make things worse for poor little Hope-less over there.? Exosus sniggered at her incredibly lame joke.

?How much more?? Bra queried, her eyes showing more concern for Hope than they should have. Real or not, Hope was part of what made Bra Bra. If that part of her was destroyed, she would be a different person.

?About twice as much as I have now. It works out to... say... twenty per cent or so. Sort of. It?s hard to put this stuff to numbers, you understand.? Exosus idly rambled.

?If I agree to this, you?ll never bother me or her over this shit ever again?? the cyan haired girl narrowed her eyes. ?Ever??

?Pretty brave for someone in your position to play hardball. Brave... or really stupid,? the clone mused. ?Especially considering I could wipe you out of existence in a heartbeat. But, you?re cooperating, so a deal?s a deal. And you?ve got one... if you agree.?

?Fine, it?s a deal. But I?m not leaving ?till you heal her.? Bra insisted, pointing at Hope. Exosus growled in annoyance, before waving her hand to the imprisoned one. In an instant, she was healed of all her injuries and released from her chains.

?Bye!? the cloaked girl smirked, waving to the princess as everything went dark.

?Huh?!? she exclaimed, slamming her elbow into something that grunted in pain. Suddenly, she crashed onto the ground, along with something - or someone - else.

?Bra, what the hell?? came yet another familiar voice. The sapphire eyed girl found herself in a pile of leaves. Pulling herself up, she brushed herself off, wincing as her broken arm made sure she knew it was still there. Reijin climbed out of the leaves as well, holding a hand to his chest. ?Is there a reason you decided to try and break my ribs??

?What? Oh!! I did?!? Bra exclaimed. ?I?m... sorry, I... was having... a nightmare. I... were you carrying me??

?Well... yeah. You?re not that heavy and I figured you?d sleep easier that way. Plus we?d make some good time if one of us kept going.? Reijin replied, trying his best to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.

?Yeah, okay... I?m sorry, I didn?t mean to hit you,? she stammered. Her face reddened as she worked to change the subject. ?So... we?re practically there, huh??

?Uh, yeah. Half a kilometer out or so,? the raven haired warrior answered, pretending he didn?t see the girl blush. ?I figure there should be some decent supplies out there. Or at least, something more useful than those vines.?

Bra nodded, and they continued to walk. Soon, they found their selves at a pharmacy, which, like everything else on the island, was abandoned, and therefore locked up. The pure-blood rolled his eyes before punching through a window, shattering the fragile glass with the slightest of force.

The duo leapt through the entrance and quickly found some gauze and a splint for the girl. Reijin worked the items into a makeshift cast of sorts, tightly wrapping the gauze around the cyan haired fighter?s slender arm before using a long strip of electrical tape to hold the gauze closed, since it seemed there was little else available.

Finally, Reijin looked around for a moment, and then tore a long piece of cloth from the tail of a left-over doctor?s gown. He fashioned it into a sling, putting Bra?s arm through it before tying it behind her head.

With that done, it was the princess? turn to treat her comrade?s wounds. Though the pure-breed was resistant, he finally allowed her to remove his bandage, which he promptly took from her and pocketed for safe-keeping.

The girl tore a piece from the same doctor?s gown, and then grimaced. Reijin saw the alcohol in her hand, and immediately he knew what was to occur. He simply nodded. Bra poured the liquid freely over his gash, flushing out the dirt and grit which had worked it?s way into the sticky red fluid. The raven haired warrior winced, but made no cries.

Soon, it was over. The hybrid found some antibiotic gel behind the pharmacist?s counter and coated one side of her coat-turned-bandage with it, before carefully wrapping it around Reijin?s head. She, however, used a tiny spark of ki to fuse the fabric to itself, while carefully avoiding the saiyan?s hair or skin for fear of burning him. Finally, the two looked more like medical patients than warriors. Bra smiled to Reijin briefly. ?Let?s go kick some ass.? she grinned.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Spice

Reijin, Bra

The saiyan princess known as Bra carefully stepped out of the medical clinic as the sun almost hit noon. Her comrade remained inside the building to get some supplies into his bag as she moved ahead to keep an eye out. With her arm in a sling, she had minimal movement with her free arm since she was holding the shotgun.

The girl immediately spun as she saw a figure stumble from around the corner of the building. The figure, Spice, remained calm as he lept towards her. "Ha!" He shouted, using the element of surprise

"Fuck!" The saiyan shouted, ducking a punch and then backing up. She raised the gun up at his stomach, holding it still. With a loud grunt, the barrell exploded and blasted into the teal man's mid section, sprawling her backwards.

Spice hit the wall and landed on his feet. Then he grinned.

"What the fuck?" Bra asked aloud, dumbfounded. "That is so fucking not cool."

"Surprise," Spice laughed. "Gonna take more then that to bring me down."

"Good thing I have plenty more." Bra declared, raising up the gun again.

Spice's eyes changed colors as he became more hostile. He growled, preparing to launch forward in a churray of offense. With his secret weapon, there was no way she could stand a chance against him.

That was when Reijin sprayed acid from his neck from behind. You could hear the liquid sizzling into his throat as he gasped, feeling the pain.

Bra's shotgun rang out again as Rei moved to the side. Spice's forehead exploded in a display of blood and bone. The wall behind him was painted with his distorted brain.

"Nice shot," Rei complimented.

"Took you long enough," was the response.

#25 Spice DEAD

18 Remain

Either of you can take the ki proof vest. Decide.