Day Five: Morning

[Burter]

Day Five
Midnight - 6:00 AM

"We're winding down folks and a lot of you are getting VERY lazy! Tsk tsk! No one died recently and it's reflecting!

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!

I10

That's it! Good luck, all!

This is Karl, over and out!"


Notes:

-Even if you can't find time to write, at least fucking move so you can get killed off and stop wasting our time, you inactive people >=O

-I'm just gonna waste you inactive people today if you don't move on your own. Not kidding. The people who actually care certainly won't mind. Following two people are at risk to get wasted today: Bujin, Kakarot

[Burter]

Face to Face

Bujin

Kami

Five days. It had been five goddamn days since he had been thrown on the island. As if he wasn't fucked up enough, now he had to deal with the fact that he was without food, water, and a map. In short, Bujin was fucked. He had nothing. He was wasted.

When Kami stumbled upon him, all he could feel was pity. The blue withered alien was literally crawling, just going as far in one direction as he could go. There was no real chance for him anymore. He had pretty much given up.

"Damn," the namek sighed. He recognized the beaten warrior from the large fight he had gotten into before. "Talk about a shame."

The namek raised up his pistol, sighing.

#07 Bujin DEAD

12 Remain

Kami can take the ki machine gun

[Burter]

Face to Face

Bardock

Kakarot

Bardock looked down at his GPS device, using his fingers to hit the buttons on it. After a couple days, the saiyan had finally learned how to zoom in and out and what the dots on it meant. It led him here, to this spot, where he would run into one of those dots.

The dot he was tracking had been moving in one direction since it started it's trek. He had calculated where he had to be in order for him to get into the figure's path. Once he was there, all he had to do was stand on the rock and wait.

"Heh," he muttered to himself as he saw who was coming forth. It was a blood-soaked saiyan with an eerie walk. His look resembled Bardock himself, which was what sparked his interest. There was only other person who looked like him.

Bardock landed in front of his son. "Kakarot."

The younger saiyan halted. His eyes were open, but the pupils were gone. He had lost his eyesight days ago in a vicious encounter with the saiyan, Reijin. Now he was just stumbling along, using his foresight in hopes of keeping himself protected. "Who's that?" He asked aloud. "Rad?"

"Close," the man said. "You blind, now?"

"Oh," Kakarot heard. "Dad. Hiya."

Bardock stretched for a moment as he prepared to fight. He certainly wasn't going to let the oppurtunity pass just because this was his son. "Don't take offense to this," he told the boy. "But I need to take you down if I wanna win this tournament."

The man formally known as Goku tensed, but he kept a cool head. Bardock lunged forward, throwing a fist at his son. Surprisingly, Kakarot was able to sense the incoming punch and twisted his torso so he dodged it. Unfortunetly, Bardock's speed was enough to turn him and slam into his chest with his foot.

Kakarot backflipped, landing on his feet. Bardock was too fast to allow him any offense, but the saiyan's sixth sense was enough to help him dodge the incoming strikes.

Finally, Bardock kicked the metal box hanging from Kak's belt, already realizing it was a weapon. The saiyans raced for it, but Kakarot's blindness hindered him. He landed on his back as Bar grabbed the flamethrower.

The weapon was held up in front of Kakarot's face. For a moment, he could see the determination in Bardock's eyes. He didn't even care he was killing his own son. He was going to murder him and he didn't even care.

It was the kind of father he was going to be. He hated it.

Then the fire came out of the gun, roasting the saiyan's skull.

#38 Kakarot DEAD

11 Remain

Bardock can grab the flamethrower

[Kami]

Kami let out another quiet sigh. He'd taken out one of the other fighters, but it was hardly a fight. The little fighter was a wreck from the earlier large scale scuffle that had occured and was not the fight the Namekian had been looking for. Although a complete mess, the blue colored fighter had been dragging along a ki machine gun which Kami made sure to get a hand on and drag along with his own belongings. He held tight to it with one hand, hoping maybe it would keep away the trouble makers until he could find a fight worthy of his time.


He still didn't feel vindicated for his entrance into the tournament, and at least he still had a chance to prove that he really was one of the best - if not the best fighter on that condemned island.

He wished he had run into better circumstances throughout the entire tournamnet. He ended up in a big group, which turned out to be a big mistake. He had avoided groups for a couple days but it was getting to be boring and not a true test of his skills. At least this way, hurt or not, he was out searching for a fight. There was another search going on at the same time, deep within. He needed to find if he reallly did have the will power, determination and drive to continue on with the tournament. To continue on with the mentallity of winning as well, not just to survive. He was going to turn this whole thing on his ass, and in the end, stand tall, literally or otherwise, above the rest.

His confidence was once shattered and blown away by the wind. He had become complacient and dull. No longer, he was here to prove to nobody other than himself that he is a warrior, an incredible warrior, and nothing else mattered. It was all just a matter of time before he had a chance.


OOC: Yeah, I'm taking the ki machine gun

[Bardock]

OOC: I'm taking the flamethrower.


IC:
Bardock fiddled with the flamethrower for a moment or two, making sure that he knew exactly how it worked. This was by far better than a ki pistol, and much more fun to fire. He shouldered the weapon and tested how quickly he could ready it for aim. When he was satisfied that he could be blowtorch-ready in an instant, he checked his other armaments. He?d taken up quite a collection.

His pistol was at a dissatisfying low, and he hadn?t bothered to check for extra energy clips from Zangya. The fighter changed the settings and ejected the ki capsule and lightly unscrewed the tip, just enough so that he could accomplish what he needed. He placed three fingers around the loosened joint, and focused his own energy into the very ends of his digits. It was an old army trick, and although it wasn?t as effective as the super concentrated ki bullets, there was enough left of the original charge to make it stronger than Bardock?s regular attacks. Enough to pierce flesh. When the clip was pumped to full capacity, he fixed the joint and popped it back into the pistol, switching from ?stun? back to ?kill.? The gun was holstered and at the ready.

Bar checked his GPS. Still functioning. Eleven blips left. One more besides his own kill had gone off the radar. The finale was close at hand. The saiyan shivered, almost feeling the heat of the battle already. Rummaging through his bag, he grabbed a can of booze, popped the top, and began drinking. He noticed his original weapon, which fortunately there?d been no use for yet. He was thankful he?d managed to save it, because very soon there would possibly be a dire need. It was his ace in the hole should everything go to shit.

With everything all checked and ready to go, he glanced around. Kakarot?s torched body was still there. Bardock had almost forgotten about him. He cocked a brow and made a face.

Nothing personal, kid, he thought, taking a gulp of his drink and then pouring some out on the ground by his son?s corpse. He had been pretty fucked up as it were.

GrrrRRRRrrOOOOooooooooWWWWWRRRRRrrrrr.

Oh yeah, he was still hungry, too.

Kak?s bag wasn?t too far away.

?Bread?? Bardock grimaced. Well, beggars and whatnot. He scarfed what remained of the food supply.

Now there was nothing to do but move on. The one-eyed wanderer slugged down the rest of his booze and tossed the can. His thoughts were consumed by the idea that the finale was coming up. It was an opportunity that he?d missed last year, but not again. He was as excited as a kid and Christmas, and was almost on the verge of peeing himself. The weaklings had been weeded out, and the strongest would all be going head-to-head.

But he was still hungry. Playing with his flamethrower as if it were a new toy, he slowly navigated his way onward. What to eat?

Hmm. He kind of felt like squirrel.

[Yamu]

Yamu felt a little lonely as the sun climbed overhead, he pulled out his map to see who was left on the island. Not a single name left there could he trust to align with at that moment. The veiny titan would not have minded an enemy right then. Might not have killed them either?just wound them a little, immobilize them just for the company. Just something to do would have been wonderful.

Something to sharpen his edge.

The hairless human found a hill that broke through above the trees, he really had no other direction so he decided to climb the low rise of earth and survey the surroundings. The mound stood high enough that he could see two of the shorelines that ringed the island.

Tall grass drifted against his thighs as he listened to the persistent breeze that carried that he thought might carry a hint of salt had his sense of smell not been lost with the acid burns that marred his face.

The Endgame was approaching. Yamu could feel it in the island. His new role as a shaman had tuned his body to the moods of the natural world around him. The island was bracing itself, the land was drawing itself up to resist the inevitable damage that the Finals would produce.

It was in the air he breathed and the land beneath his feet, Dante was preparing itself.

Yamu would have to prepare himself to.

He was the katana.

He had to sharpen his edge.

A red flame licked across his right arm, then a second danced across his neck. Kaioken was like a drug to Yamu. Power was an intoxicant and the crimson flames that began to flare up over his body infused every cell with exponential strength. It was a full body orgasm, embracing the inner strength and rising raw power to its full potential was better then any narcotic. The ebony eyed Earthling raised his power slowly, letting the heat rise at a steady pace instead of the explosion he created during a fight. He let the power build, feeling the rise in power drip into every blood cell, down every fingertip, into the center of every bone.

Yamu?s eyes flashed red, blotting out the sun and dying the grass in a blood red hue, and he became only a red smear to the cameras as he seemed to shoot into every direction at once, his ki sand covered fist cutting through the air it went through, parting the gaseous molecules, exploding the atoms. A cacophony of sonic booms shattered the island?s tranquility as the sound waves from the explosions of the parted air finally reached his eardrums. Yamu spun through the air again firing a shots from his ki machine gun from dozens of different directions, then dropping the automatic rifle back to the ground below.

The bullets were slower the then giant earthling and he beat the volley of shots back to the center of the hill. As the self inflicted attack neared him, he spun, throwing the sand off of his arm and using the ki infused grains as a shield, the energy sand-storm deflecting most of the oncoming projectiles.

As the rest bore down on him Yamu sneered as he let the rush of Kaioken overwhelm him, over take him, command him. He gave into the climax, let the artificial rush bring a gasp from his mouth as red flames dashed out all around him. He gave into the seductive lure of power and his energy exploded tossing the rest of the ki bullets to the side.

The hairless human forced himself to breath lightly as he ever so slowly let the crimson glow leave his body. It felt like loosing hope to let go of the might technique but he knew he had to. Fatigue began to settle in from his overexerted body but he fought that down as well. The ki sand swirled like a swarm of locus and gathered over his useless arm giving it mobility once again.

In another flash of his now pitch black aura Yamu caught the ki machine gun before it hit the ground.

Kaioken made him lighting, and he would be gone before the thunder could hit his enemies.

If there were no enemies to face he would have to train by himself. He would not sit on the sidelines. Dante?s Abyss was his game this year. He would be ready.

[Yamu]

Yamu walked, for every punch he had thrown in Dante?s Abyss it seemed he had walked a mile to get to it. He was not only wrapped in his cloak but in an intense feeling of being alone. It was not that he was scared or home sick, but the deafening tranquility of the island served as a perpetual reminder that he was totally and completely isolated from the world, his fiends, and his semblance of family.

Even an enemy would have been a welcome sight, banter with a worthy foe was still company?until one of them killed the other that is. He almost wished Burter was there to talk to?

No. The path is strait and the goal is near?this is not a time to veer off course! His hands rubbed Kari for comfort, an act that had become somewhat of a tick, a way to remind himself of why he had sacrificed himself into the Abyss. I will follow the course set out?and that means I can not encounter Big Blue just yet?

He realized he did have one companion left of sorts. A companion that followed each of the survivors left whether they knew it or not.

Death.

The Reaper was in constant presence here on Dante. Every shadow appeared to be his flowing black cloak. Every leaf felt like a scythe softly dragging across the back of his neck. Every breeze carried a callous chuckle of one who knew everything and gave nothing away. Every sun set was a blood red eye promising death the next day and every moon rise was a glossy empty disc promising that you would not make it that far.

Yes?Yamu had one companion left, a dangerous essence that as he thought about it, began to feel oppressive. The air suddenly smelled a little bitter, more stale then an untamed wilderness should. The midday breeze felt cold, like the sweat from a nightmare, and even the clouds seem to loam instead of drift idly though the sky.

Yes, the Abyss was Death?s domain, a domain with which veiny titan marched through defiantly.

The first part to defeating any enemy or trap is knowing it is there.

Death was here?but the Arlian Guardian knew he was there. The hairless human could use that?focus that, channel that. Death was here, all Yamu had to so was use it before his opponent.

The ebony eyed Earthling knew it was bizarre?but he took comfort in that. As bleak and abandoned as he may feel, he could never truly be alone. He was a warrior, a fighter, a soldier, and now a Guardian. Death was a comrade he could not get rid of if he wanted to. He Reaper would follow him until he claimed him, because danger was a daily matter of fact for Yamu.

All it took now was using the knowledge of his formerly unknown comrade to his advantage. Because Death was a more fickle ally then any of the living.

[Android 17]

?Uhh,? Paige uttered, mumbling incoherently beneath her breath as she fought to formulate a response. ?Good,? she finally remarked?a nervous expression on her face as she waited for the android to reply.

?Awesome!? Seventeen retorted, smiling from ear to ear as the two ventured down the pathway. ?Did we ever think of a name?? He asked; peaking over at Paige as the two descended a small hill.

?No?? The woman asked as the two came to a pause in front of a large, gnarled tree. In front of them, the path split off into two directions.

?I thought you wanted to name the child after your grandmother?? Seventeen inquired, staring up at the mighty tree that loomed over their heads. At best, they were insignificant compared to the centuries old tree. ?What was her name again, Paige?? The raven-haired warrior questioned, pulling a canteen of water from his survival bag and taking a hearty swig of the soothing liquid

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence as the android activated the ki sword and began to carve something into the tree. After waiting another beat or so, he temporarily stopped what he was doing and turned around to face his girlfriend. Arching his eyebrow, he began to tap his left boot on the ground as he waited for the woman to respond to his question.

?I?I don?t remember,? Paige finally got out?the expression on her face a mixture of horror and confusion.

?How can you not remember your grandmother?s own name?? Seventeen asked before turning around to continue his ongoing project.

?I?m sorry,? the woman shot back, gulping as she tried to steer the conversation away from her bizarre lack of knowledge. ?You have any ideas??

?Of course!? Seventeen responded, grunting a few times as he tried to manipulate the sword into a more efficient carving tool.

?What?s that?? Paige asked, moving her head in an effort to peak at what her boyfriend was writing on the enormous tree.

?Alexander,? the cybernetic warrior replied.

?Alexander?? The former whitelighter questioned. ?That?s a lame name.?

?So?? Seventeen uttered. ?All the coolest people are named that. I don?t know why, but I also feel a connection with it, you know? Something that is all spiritual and mystical,?

?Maybe you just want to have a Mary Sue character?? A strange voice interjected, drawing the android?s attention over to a nearby patch of trees. With a grin on his face, Raditzu hung from a branch.

?What?s that supposed to mean?? Seventeen asked, much to the chagrin of Paige, who once again saw nothing but trees and emptiness.

?Just watch out for the fourth wall, Seventeen,? the monkey-hybrid warned.

?The fourth what?? The android asked, but before he got a response, the long-haired warrior once again vanished into nothingness, body first and beaming grin second. Once he was all gone, his disembodied giggle resounded through the forest. Shrugging his shoulders, the machine-hybrid deactivated the sword and called a very confused Paige over to his side. ?I wrote a poem?it?s sort of inspired by all the carnage.?

?Really?? Paige asked, leaning toward the barely coherent burn marks engraved into the tree?s trunk. With a low voice, Seventeen recited the poem for her.

?Apocalyptic vision, Bleed into my brain,
burning cities chill and die in a radioactive rain.
Neighbors are burning, family?s breath their last,
life turns to dust, existence into ash.

Will I be him or will I see sunrise again,
will the sunset forever, when death seeps into my skin.

As I close my eyes with darkness?death is all I see.?

Paige arched an eyebrow at the poem, and then noticed the line inscribed a few inches beneath the writing.

?Seventeen & Paige 4Ever <3 <3.?

[Burter]

Face to Face

Burter

Raditzu

"You look like shit."

The long-haired saiyan known as Raditzu certainly had better days. With his head bashed in, organs threatening to come out of a hole in his stomach, hair missing and blood covering his body, the saiyan turned around to see who had spoken to him. His normal grin was replaced by a scowl when he saw who was there. "Burter."

The reptile was in much better physical condition then Rad was. He only had a slight arm injury from the very first hour of the game, but it had long since healed after five days. If there was ever someone capable enough to eliminate the DA champ, right now it was Burter. "Here I was picturing you posing your way around the island."

Despite his foul mood, Rad couldn't help but throw out a smartass comment. "I don't need to pose to look good."

"Yea, you're the smashing image of a champion in victory right," Burter retorted. "The intestines spilling out from your gut is a nice touch."

"Tch. And I suppose you've just been camping out," Rad moved to keep himself in a defensive position. He kept himself steady on both legs, ready in case he needed to be.

Burter chuckled. He had to admit that it was quite nice to see Raditzu in anything but a good mood. His constant smiling annoyed the reptilian, but there was no hint of one now. "I've had a couple scuffles," he admitted. "Which I think has worked in my favor, because now you're fucked up and you can't beat me."

"Think so?" Rad asked seriously.

"Absolutely," hissed Burter. "Which means I'll dispatch the champion, and that puts me in the best position to win this tournament."

The saiyan was already annoyed with this notion. "It's ironic that you called me arrogant," Rad accused. "But okay. You want to try and take me down? I'm ready for it." He flashed his ki around him, exploding into a churray of light. "I WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!"

This was a completely new Raditzu that Burter had never met. Rad wasn't here for jokes anymore. It was about fighting until the very last breath.

Burter took a breath as he called forth some ki. Rad didn't halt at the first level of super saiyan. The sparked began to jolt around him as he ascended further and further up into the thousand millions of power levels. Burter could see that despite his injuries, Rad was not going to go down easy.

The reptilian took a breath. All cameras were on him. "KaioKEN!" He shouted, letting his own power shoot out. With every second that passed, his muscle-mass grew and he became stronger and stronger, feeling the energy jolts vibrate inside him. The grass around two warriors fought against the winds that their very presence created. The planet itself found it difficult to stay together.

Raditzu and Burter. Two best friends. Two rivals. A super saiyan and a super reptilian. Locked in a battle to the death at the lowest point of the Abyss.

The two lunged forward at the same time. Raditzu ducked under the punch thrown at him and knocked his friend in the gut. Burter grunted, flipping sideways and then landing on his feet. Using his speed, Burt managed to knock Rad back with his wrists.

Rad kept up his stance and returned to the offense. Neither was going to let up. It was too late in the game for anyone to give up now.

After a few minutes, Burter was thrown into a rock. It was becoming more and more obvious that there would be no defeating Raditzu in the state he was in. If anything, he was even more dangerous then before. The reptilian pulled his long staff from his back, preparing to strike again.

He swung the staff at Rad. The saiyan leaned back, barely avoiding getting smacked with the end. With Burter's torso exposed, the sayian jolted forward.

"Hrk!" Burter grunted as the fist smashed into his torso and out of his back. His eyes bulged as he felt the sheer power of the limb blast through him. And that was it. It was all over. His last ditch effort to win the game had failed.

Raditzu looked at his friend as he yanked his arm out. "They'll remember you," he promised. "That's all you need to know."

Burt wanted to say something witty, but he lost the time. His body gave out and he fell sideways, thudding off the rock. Dead before he hit the ground.

They would remember this fight. Raditzu knew it. Burter knew it. The fans of Dante's Abyss would remember the name of both of these men for years to come.

In his mind, Raditzu had won the game all over again, because there would no forgetting him. Ever.

#11 Burter DEAD

10 Remain

Raditzu can take the long staff

[Bra]

Great. Sleep. That was just great for Bra. Sleep, a welcoming, warm embrace of willing unconsciousness that made everyone feel better once it was time for the slumber to end, and for the new day to break. Too bad it was all horseshit.

?Welcome ba-?

?Shove it, bitch.? was the princess? ever-so-tactful response. Exosus was actually taken aback for a moment as Bra trudged through the eerie citadel which had formed inside of her own subconscious. To think, she was being tortured in her own mind. What kind of cruel joke could it have been to give a creature enough intelligence to create an imagination actually able to harm itself?

?How rude. Did somebody fall asleep on the wrong side of the bed?? wondered the cloaked imposter.

?Yeah, I?m rude. Heaven forbid I could sleep one fucking night without you harassing me for the entire time,? Bra retorted, her voice dripping with venom. ?But obviously I?m in the wrong here.?

?I?m glad you see it my way.? Exosus smirked, bemused at the heiress? predictable, angered reaction. A blast of ki thundered past the robed sorceress, who simply sidestepped the mighty wave of energy, allowing it to crash into the wall behind her with a raucous explosion.

The wall was completely fine, not even singed by the incredible surge of ki. Bra hissed through clenched teeth, and finally locked eyes with the augurer. ?So, what the hell am I here for now? No bullshit, just get to the point.?

?The point? Honey, there is no point. In fact, I didn?t even call you here this time,? Exosus playfully cocked her head to one side. ?You would have had to be aware that you ordered this meeting. Evidently, you want something from me.?

?Just shut up. Let me sleep in peace, okay?!? the cyan haired girl growled.

?Have it your way. But I won?t just come running every time you decide you need help. I mean, you expect do win DA and defeat the changelings, but you won?t even accept the help you yourself have been asking for? Please,? Exosus rolled her eyes. ?Wakey wakey.?

?Hm?!? she shuddered, swiftly hauling herself to her feet. Reijin, who had apparently awakened before her, simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow. ?Uh... hi.? Bra sheepishly greeted, throwing her backpack over her shoulder.

?Another nightmare, I?m guessing?? the raven haired warrior inquired as he thoughtfully sipped at his water canteen. He?d been wise enough to fill that whilst filling all the water balloons earlier.

?Uh... no, it was nothing,? the halfling giggled, toying with her hair. ?I was just getting chilly, I guess.?

?Uh huh,? Reijin nodded, knowing full well the girl was lying through her teeth. Still, he didn?t feel like causing any conflict so early in the morning. ?So, I suggest we go this way,? he pointed down a rocky trail. ?I?ve been getting sort of antsy for a fight. You know, so late in Dante?s Abyss and everything... I think we ought to find someone, and kill someone.?

A soft, blue hue flashed over Bra?s eyes, though Reijin couldn?t see it, as the empress had been looking away. ?Yes,? she replied, in a tone much colder, and softer than usual. ?That would be a great way to start off the day.?

?Good. We?ll have to stay on our guard; if we?re the ones traveling, it means that they might be waiting for us.? the Gaean trainee warned.

?I know how these things work,? Bra cooly replied, hefting her shotgun over her shoulder. ?Besides, I?m a super saiyan dark magician with a very, very fun little weapon, here. I think I would enjoy an ambush,? the girl threw her head over her shoulder, giving Reijin a glimpse of her eerie, ice-blue irises. Her voice grew dark and her mouth twisted into a sneer. ?It might give us a chance to practice target shooting.?

?Bra, I...? Reijin took a deep breath. ?I?ve been meaning to tell you for a while now. There was an announcement. I can?t remember if you were asleep or just not able to hear it...?

?What? People died? Hopefully somebody strong,? Bra smirked. ?It just means we have to do less work, Rei.?

?No. It doesn?t!? insisted the pure-blood. He paused, mulling things over in his head. ?Your father died, Bra. Karl Jak announced it a while earlier.?

The chilling glow over the girl?s eyes seemed to snap, fading away into nothingness. The demi saiyan merely stared at Reijin for a long while, and mist started forming over her eyes. The older warrior bit his lip; Bra was far more sensitive than she portrayed herself.

The icy glow returned to her eyes, however, and the misty sheen seemed to vanish. ?That?s a shame,? the cyan haired girl said with a frown. A slight twitch manifested beneath the girl?s right eye as she tried to stifle a scowl. ?But I?ll hunt and kill whoever did it to him. They will suffer for what feels like a hundred eternities, Reijin. I will flay the skin from their flesh and the flesh from their bones, and I will scrape their bones dry. And still, they won?t have suffered enough.? her comrade blinked. The girl had spoken with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

?Bra, you okay?? Reijin questioned.

?Absolutely, why?? the girl paused. ?...I?m fine, really. Let?s go, didn?t you want to??

"I did,? Reijin replied, shrugging it off. ?Let's go.?

[Orion]

"Hey dad," Koola spoke as the two slightly revitalised Icers travelled, "something weird happened to me back there."

Cold kept his attention to the road. "Weird how?"

"It's kinda hard to explain. It just happened. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Well, what is it?"

Koola suddenly became hesitant. Would his father even understand, or try to understand, what he was about to say? Was it worth putting his pride on the line? His mind raced for alternatives.

"Ah....uh...." was the most intelligible stall the changeling prince could muster.

"Come on," King Cold prompted. "Stop stalling."

There was no way out. Their new relationship was opening up lines of communication that Koola had never dreamed of before; perhaps it was time to open another.

The regal Icer took a deep breath. "Well... I had this... vision." He paused for effect, noticing that Cold was paying closer attention now. "Before, when I was in the dirt... well, it could've been a hallucination."

"Just say it," the horned emperor stated bluntly.

"When I was on the ground, I was... taken away. I wasn't on Dante anymore. It was a paradise; with a clean river racing by, green vegetation everywhere, wildlife passing through..."

"Sounds like a waste."

"What?" Koola asked.

"Wherever you went. It sounds like a prime place for expansion. Too bad it's probably not real."

"Yeah," the changeling replied, hoarding his love of nature to himself. "Anyway, while I was standing by the stream, this woman came out of it." He checked his father's countenance; it hadn't changed. Koola wondered if it was wise to mention the species of this particular female. He decided to keep it as a lie of omission.

"She was..." Again, his attempt to express himself truthfully was met by a wall of resistance, but Cold didn't know this woman was a human, "wearing this skimpy bikini. She looked really hot."

Cold nodded and grinned. "Oh yeah."

"Anyway, she walked up to me and kissed me. But the weirdest part was, it felt so... natural."

"What? Was that your first kiss?" the dictator poked. "You're in your thirties and your first kiss was from an imaginary female?"

"No, that's not what was so weird," Koola corrected without thinking.

"Then what?" Cold inquired.

"It was because she's a..." His brows arched when he realised he was about to say 'human'. Crap! What could he substitute in there to save face?

"She's a what? Don't leave me in suspense."

"Uh... it was because..." Koola's brain groped for ideas. What the hell was he going to say? "She's a..." His eyes scanned the immediate area, as if an answer could be found in his surroundings. They rested upon his shotgun.

"Shotgun!"

"What?"

Koola's thoughts congealed in a blurred hurry. "Yes! I mean, no! She was a shotgun... uh... wedding! Yeah! I was forced to get married by force." The prince sighed in relief.

King Cold chuckled. "That is weird. You, getting married?! Or anyone forcing you to?" He laughed again.

Koola giggled nervously. "Yeah. Weird, huh?"

He was a little annoyed at himself for chickening out. There was a chance for real connection with his father, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. Then again, after the tournament, there would be plenty of time for explanations.

He hoped.

[Burter]

Face to Face

Koola, King Cold

Reijin, Bra

There was an akward moment between the two changlings as the story ended. Koola had backed out of telling the truth about a dream he had, and King Cold was none the wiser. While the elder of the two was quite content at the moment, Koola remained nervous and unsure of his position and his relationship with his father.

Things were quiet, but they were unstable. The two had been in the game for five days now, and it was starting to become tiresome. Just two changlings waiting for the shit to hit the fan.

And it did. Hard.

When Bra the Vegeta-Sei Princess saw changlings, she didn't even let her partner know. She just raised her gun on instinct with completely hostile intentions, and opened fire.

The top of the boulder Cold was leaning on exploded in a churray of gravel. "Shit!" He shouted, rolling off of it and onto the ground as he grabbed his rifle. "Incoming!"

Koola snapped out of his gaze, reaching for his own gun. With one of his legs almost completely unusable, he could only move on his good leg to hide behind one of the other boulders on the battlefield. "How many?"

"Two," Cold answered as he saw the two coming at them. "Saiyans! On your side!"

The younger changling pumped his shotgun and slid out of his hiding spot. Bra and Reijin both stopped, not realizing that a second opponent was waiting for them. "Head's up!" Rei shouted. "Another!"

"Fuck!" Bra grunted as she and Reijin lept in opposite directions. The shotgun blasted into the hill behind them, missing them both. Bra raised up, holding her shotgun with her good arm. Koola had to pump his shotgun, losing time. "Fucking changling!"

That was when King Cold stepped in front of his son, holding up his shock rifle with the only arm that was still attached. Koola's face lit up in shock as the shotgun and the shock rifle exploded in unison.

The powerful Icer known as King Cold's chest blew apart in a flurry of blood and organs. His son behind him was covered in his father's insides as he caught him from falling.

Meanwhile, Reijin shoved Bra aside just in time to get shot with the shock rifle. The blast did minimal damage overall, but his left arm became burned at the sudden pulsation.

Bra was already up and ready to fire, but Reijin grabbed her. "We're leaving," he told her.

"What!? Fuck that! I'm killing him!"

Reijin looked back to see Koola's eyes lit up with rage, holding up both his shotgun and his father's shock rifle. "He just lost his father!" Reijin shouted, "We don't want to fuck with a pissed off changling! We leave and we fight later!"

Bra couldn't argue with that logic, mainly because Reijin had already yanked her away at full speed.

They were gone before the crippled Koola could give chase. Instead, he stayed there, cradling the corpse of the man he had recently lied to. He knew it was a fake death. He knew his father lived elsewhere.

That didn't make him feel any better. His father was dead, saving him, and he didn't even get to say goodbye.

The Abyss wins again.

#18 King Cold DEAD

09 Remain

Reijin is burned a bit. Minor injury

Koola can take the shock rifle, but if he takes it and keeps his shotgun, he's going to be very slow due to his injury (but have two good ranged weapons)

[Jinpo]

As I close my eyes with darkness?death is all I see

Seventeen?s poem could not have summed up this brutal game any better. Cadavers littered the island and the Abyss was drawing to a close. The contest had almost been narrowed down to its final ten fighters and the short Namekian child and his head-trip partner were among them. The competition was nearing its end and Cargo was getting excited. All of the weaklings had been killed and only the strong remained. Now was when the good fights would happen. The youngster could barely control himself, but he forced himself to calm down to keep the false pretenses of his relationship intact. The android chose to stop and lay side by side in the dirt to view the oncoming sunrise.

?How about . . . uh . . . Sonny?? Cargo threw out, folding his hands behind his head. As much as he did not want to, the kid tried his best to continue the conversation to make Seventeen feel as comfortable as possible. The cybernetic warrior?s mindset didn?t make it too hard.

Eh . . . it?s too plain . . .? Seventeen responded, turning his gaze away from the horizon to look at his redheaded girlfriend. ?Who the fuck are you??

?Wha?? he uttered, befuddled. ?It?s me, Paige.?

?You are most certainly not Paige!? the enraged robot yelled, ?What the fuck did you do with her?!??

?Shit.? Cargo muttered, under his breath. It was clear that Cargo no longer looked like a attractive human woman to the android. Just a regular Namekian child.

?If you hurt her, I?ll kill you!? Rage flowed from every pore of Seventeen?s body. His power fluctuated as both of his Android upgrades were activated in rapid succession. He yanked the ki sword from his belt and, without a moment?s pause, charged Cargo. The blade wielder exclaimed cries of anger swung his weapon horizontally, aiming to slice his foe in two. Cargo barely avoided this with a nimble leap backwards, however, he was not quick enough to avoid a thunderous follow up kick to the sternum. The small child flew backwards into a large boulder, smashing it into small pebbles. Cargo was in some deep shit.

Cries of ferocity throughout the whole island as Seventeen charged in again. The cyborg reared back his ki weapon while the adolescent fighter stumbled up to his feet. As the irate android entered melee range, Cargo?s eyes met his attacker?s. The android emoted one thing.

Odium. Detestation. Hatred.

Cargo was doomed. There was no escape.

?Honey, honey wake up! The sun is rising.?

Cargo?s eyes snapped open to view his partner over top of him, stroking the top of his head to wake his dearly beloved. The moon had disappeared and the intense rays from the sun were finally peeking over the horizon to signal the morning of a new day. The Namekian started to regain his bearings. The situation was the same as before he had fallen asleep; however, he had received a cruel shock to his system.

?Shit.? he contemplated ?If I want to win this game. I can?t let that happen.?