Dante's Abyss Finale 2008

[Burter]

Finale

"Hello little warriors, it is now noon and all of you are near or at the temple. On your trip there, three people have fallen and we are down to six. The three gone are:

#03 Violet
#21 Orion
#25 Hellfighter 17

Good luck, everybody. Put on a great show and give it your all! This is your moment! This is your time! Make this the stuff of legends!"

[Burter]

Finale: Part 1

Aero, Android 18, Bardock, Burter, Kirano, Reijin

They hadn't even gotten to the stairs of the temple when trouble began to brew. The only alliance left in the game consisted of two unlikely friends: The optimistic Aero and the murderous Kirano. One had thrived in the strategy of the game, while the other fell into the darkest pits of the Abyss.

Kirano stopped walking as the two headed right next to the path leading into the main entrance of the temple gates. Trees were surrounding them, giving them great cover as they stalked the path. "This is it," he declared.

Aero turned, confused, limping on his sore thigh. "What? What's it?"

He began to get 'that look' in his eyes, as if he were smiling without moving his lips. His dirtied blonde hair rustled in the wind as it passed under the treetops. "I think we're done here, Aero. I think our partnership is at an end."

The blue-haired man raised an eyebrow and gripped the handle of his weapon, feeling the tension suddenly fill the field. Kirano raised his pistol up at his former partner, and just as quick, Aero had his shotgun poised against the man. "I always knew you were a little off," Aero declared.

"We both knew what we were expecting coming into this alliance," Kirano responded. "I got mine. You got your's. But the benefits are over. It's end game."

"Then bring it!"

At Aero's urging, the bullets fired. Kirano backflipped in the air after firing two shots, dodging the shotgun shell by planting his feet on the tree behind him and leaping off. As he fired two more bullets, he noticed Aero spinning in the air, almost horizontally in the air before landing perfectly on the ground like Kirano.

The two lept forward at each other. Aero blasted the shotgun twice, both times causing Kirano to spin, each time in different directions. Aero managed to get close thanks to the distraction, only to get pegged with the butt of Kirano's pistol. Once he hit the ground, Aero's foot came up and smashed Kirano in the stomach.

Again, the shotgun came up and the pistol came down. They were held there, by one hand each, locked close to see who would shoot first.

Suddenly, something yanked them sideways. The weapons flew out of the two warriors' hands and landed in two blue palms.

Burter stood there with the scythe on his back, holding the shotgun in one scaly grip, and the pistol in the other. "Sorry to break this up," came the hiss from the grinning Abyss veteran, "But the warm-up is over."

As the two guns came down, both fighters followed their immediate instinct. Aero ran to the side to retreat, leaping on his bad leg and letting out a grunt. As he rolled, he could hear the shots of the shotgun blasting on either side of his body, causing dirt to rise up. However, regardless of how he tried, Burter couldn't stop Aero from rolling away.

The pistol fired at Kirano, but the blonde man wasn't to be scared off. His first reaction was to leap forward, throwing his feet in front of him and his head back to dodge the bullets. He managed to kick Burt in the chest, sending him stumbling, and then grabbing the shotgun as he landed on his feet.

Kirano fired the shotgun and blasted the blue scales off of the bone to Burter's right arm. The blue bone was barely holding on, sending shocks of pain into Burter's brain. He hissed, firing the pistol at point blank range, pegging Kirano several times with his own weapon.

"Nice shot," Burter complimented. "But you failed. You should have gone for the head."

At that moment, blood spurted out of the side of Burter's skull. His head cocked as if slapped, and then his huge, muscled body leaned to the side, slamming onto the dirty ground.

From behind the scope of the sniper rifle, Eighteen recocked the weapon. "Thanks for the advice, old friend," she mused into the gun.

#24 Burter DEAD

05 Remain

[Burter]

Finale: Part 2

Aero, Android 18, Bardock, Kirano, Reijin

Reijin was waiting on the steps when Aero ran up to the entrance of the temple. He paused as he saw the saiyan standing there, holding his pitchfork and his gun in both hands. Even as badass as he looked, he couldn't hide the fact he had blood all over his bruised and beaten body. Aero gripped the only weapon he had left: his binoculars.

"You again," Reijin declared. "So you made it this far."

Aero was already transforming. His body began to thin down slightly, the blue hair being topped with blue whispers on his face and a pointier nose. Claws formed around the binocular straps while he crouched down in the middle of a green aura.

"But you've hit a roadblock!" Reijin shouted, letting out his saiyan lust for battle. His hair spiked high in the air as he transformed into the first level of super saiyan. Gold topped his beaten figure as muscles grew into the arm that raised up the gun. "This is as far as you go in the game!"

A blast came from a gun, but it wasn't Reijin's. Kirano was seen from the path leading up to the stairs, holding his shotgun. The saiyan hadn't been effected by the shot aimed at him, but he still paused, tense as a reaction.

Aero looked back, surprised. He had been ready to die there. "You came back."

Kirano grunted. He didn't want to publicly admit that he had in fact been worried about how his partner was doing. He walked up to his wounded friend, handing over the shotgun and keeping his pistol. "Don't mention. Really. Don't. Ever."

Reijin suddenly let out a roar as his eyes began to flare up, showing the saiyan emotion of rage. He had gone too far in this game to suddenly give up. He was going to go balls to the walls, guns blazing. He lept forward down the stairs, ignoring the brutal pain his legs were putting him in. Sparks began to fly as he went higher and higher into the second level of his super saiyan state.

"Hey," Aero said, "I know you don't care about me, Kirano. I'm not stupid. But thanks for being here anyway."

Kirano smirked and held up his pistol, gripping it with both hands. "We're in this to the end. Now shut up and shoot!"

Reijin was like a feral cat, growling in mid-jump as both legs hit the men. He spun around in mid-air, kicking Kirano to the side and then stabbing Aero right in the stomach with his pitchfork. As Kirano hit the ground, Aero clawed his hands into the arm of Reijin, tearing into his skin.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Aero's eyes were bulging as Reijin released the pitchfork from inside him. He hit the ground off of the path. Reijin looked up to find his rival in the Abyss, the former champion of Dante's Abyss. Former, because this year, Reijin thought, would be his. "Do you really want to start this now?" Reijin asked. "Are you ready to face me for real?"

Bardock's golden aura was shining just as bright and sparking just as fierce as Reijin's. Unlike his rival, however, he was remaining calm under the pressure. "Come get some."

Just as Reijin was about to answer, he felt a twinge at his side. He gripped the bullet-wound on his thigh, feeling the blood oozing out. Then he looked down at Kirano, who was up against a tree, aiming his pistol with both hands.

Reijin raised up his machine gun with his opposite hand and pulled the trigger. He held it down for five seconds, spraying Kirano's torso with ki energy and lead, blasting him until his eyes were bright white.

Kirano refused to sit down and pretend he was lesser then anyone else. He had earned Reijin's attention, and paid for it. But now, Reijin had bigger fish to fry. He looked up at Bardock, who remained fully charged up the stairs.

Reijin lept up the steps, limping as he ran but still running regardless. This was it. Pitchfork vs Axe. Nail Gun vs Machine Gun. Super Saiyan vs Super Saiyan.

Then Reijin saw it. Out of the corner of his head, a beautiful blonde head on the balcony of the temple, hidden behind a long, metallic gun. He tried to duck in mid-run, but it was too late. The bullet hit his neck, blasting out of the other side. He stumbled forward, and then paused. Bardock was already in a defensive stance, but he could no longer hear what Bardock was shouting.

Everything went in slow motion. He could see Aero limping past him up the stairs. He could see Bardock running backwards into the temple. He could see Android Eighteen throwing her gun down. Then he lost his balance, falling back onto the stairs.

The saiyan's corpse rolled down the stairs, until it landed with a hard, sickening thud on the dirty ground below.

Then it began to rain.

[SIZE="4"]#16 Kirano DEAD
#06 Reijin DEAD

03 Remain[/SIZE]

[Burter]

Finale: Part 3

Aero, Android 18, Bardock

The sniper rifle went off again as Reijin held his bullet wound. Aero barely avoided it, running clear up the stairs and not even noticing the saiyan rolling down the steps. He could see Eighteen on the balcony now, kicking himself he didn't notice sooner. She was throwing her sniper down and picking up her own gun, moving inside the building.

Aero felt outmatched. He knew no matter what happened, there was no way he could beat either of the remaining warriors in a straight up fight, so the best thing to do was hope they collide and kill each other off. He gripped his wound, feeling his organs and intestines threaten to spill out of the open pitchfork wound. "Fuck," he whispered as he made it inside, "Damn."

He leaned up against the wall of the opening hall. The temple seemed to be a series of halls and stairs, with a huge circular room in the center. He took a moment to catch his breath, because that was all he got.

In front of the feline-human hybrid, Bardock was standing on the other end of the hall, aiming his nail gun. Aero quickly bounded towards the stairs, dodging the nails as he struggled to hold his guts inside his body.

Aero made it upstairs, dragging his shotgun with his free hand. He made it into the second floor hallway, turning to look down the hall for a place to hide. Instead, he found a tall, beautiful woman with a pistol in one hand and three shurikens in the other. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!"

The pistol blew off three times, all of them missing as Aero ran to the side, slamming against the wall behind a small pillar. He aimed his shotgun with one hand, shooting it just to distract her as he figured out a way to hide. He noticed another staircase going up.

Eighteen fired off more shots as Aero stumbled across the hall. Using his feline reactions, he kicked his sore leg up and jumped up the stairs, being closely tailed by the woman. "Oh no you don't!" She shouted, shooting up at him.

Aero got to the rooftop entrance and turned around, firing his last shotgun shell in the gun. Eighteen ducked, barely avoiding getting her head blown off. She then saw the stormy weather outside as Aero opened the door and fell out.

He quickly looked around to assess his surroundings. Aero opened the gun cannister as he hid behind the platform where the door was, reloading the gun. He could see the bright aura of Bardock as he came up the opposite stairs. This was it: his chance to get them to fight!

Suddenly, he felt a shot right next to him, blasting the cement. Eighteen missed again, causing Aero to run for it, leaping over a small generator on the rainy roof.

As his feet landed, his luck ran out. A nail pierced into his leg.

A bullet from the woman's pistol hit his back.

And a nail lodged into his brain, ending the man's ridiculously lucky run for the title of DA Champion.

And leaving two fighting for it.

[SIZE="4"]#08 Aero DEAD

02 Remain[/SIZE]

[Burter]

Finale: Part 4

Android 18, Bardock

There was history here.

Two years ago in Dante's Abyss, Bardock and Eighteen traveled in the same group, but when it came down to the sudden free for all of Ragnarok Black, she had been on the receiving end of Bardock's gun toting abilities. He went on to die moments later.

The next year, she fought him again after misusing her GPS device, and once again, the hunter and future champion of Dante's Abyss had bested her and killed her off. This time, he went on to win the entire competition.

She lost her memory that day. Here it was, a year later and for the third time, they were facing off. The rain was pouring on the roof of the temple as Eighteen gripped her pistol, her blonde hair sopping wet over her cute, adorable face. Bardock was like a super soldier, holding his nail gun and topped with the rocket launcher on his back, axe at his belt and ki proof vest over his shirt.

Something felt oddly familiar, but now wasn't the time to ponder it. Eighteen looked at the saiyan soldier with the old face and fired her freshly reloaded pistol.

Immediately, the moment was broken. The action had begun.

Bardock lept over the generator as he fired back in retaliation. Eighteen crouched and unloaded the entire round of her pistol, firing through the rain and nailing the saiyan head-on. The vest kept him protected as he ran forward, springing her with nails.

Eighteen quickly ran to the side and jumped on a platform, using it to launch at Bardock as she simultaneously reloaded her gun. She spun around to avoid the last nail and slammed her foot against his chin.

This time, it was her turn to take the offensive. Bardock threw the wasted nail gun to the side and back flipped to avoid the pistol shots, moving like an acrobat despite his age and fighting style. Thinking quick, he held up his axe and used the blade and his vest to deflect the bullets as Eighteen finally ran out of bullets.

The guns were useless. They were out of ammunition.

Bardock swung his axe forward, but Eighteen ducked and moved to the other side of him. He spun around and smirked, calling over the rain. "It always comes down to this, huh? Who would have guessed we'd be the final two?"

She squinted a moment. "Where do I know you from?"

"Your nightmares!"

Bardock caught her with the axe just as she had a slight memory pulse, cutting her in the arm. She brought her hand up, uppercutting him with her brass knuckles, cracking the saiyan's jaw and sending him against the nearby generator.

The man used his leg to trip the woman, bringing his axe down upon her face. She raised her wrist, using it to stop the blade just before it pierced her head. She then pushed up and kicked to her feet, bringing the brass knucks down upon Bardock's face.

The super saiyan refused to give up, knowing he had already beaten both her and this game before. She was the only obstacle left and he was one strike of his axe away from victory. He quickly stood up after shoving her backwards, looking up with rage behind the golden glow and electric sparks of Super Saiyan 2.

He used his axe to deflect the throwing stars, then grabbed at his rocket launcher.

Eighteen quickly grabbed her last throwing star and prepared to jump as Bardock unlocked the safety on his bazooka. He aimed carefully, wanting to catch it right under her, enough to throw her off balance for the kill. He pulled the trigger.

The shuriken spun across the air and cut right in the launching missle, slicing it open and detonating the ki locked within it. Bardock turned to the side just as the explosion erupted, right in his face. It covered his head, collared neck, torso, pelvis and finally his legs, blowing out within a five foot radius. Eighteen slid back as the debris flew her way.

She quickly moved forward and grabbing at one of the throwing stars laying around. She could see Bardock moving, despite what had occured. The explosion had blown up right in his face but he still kept moving...kept trying to survive. "I win," she declared, stepping in front of him.

He looked up and rolled onto his back, revealing the shotgun he had picked up from next to Aero's corpse. He squeezed the trigger, blowing out the woman's belly and side. Her eyes bulged for a moment.

He had a shotgun. It was raining. Her wires had been exposed to the water.

Just like right now.

The rain caused sparks to ignite inside her torso, triggering her shaking and shivering. She recalled the relationship issues she had with Raditzu. The jealousy she felt to those who spent more time with him. She remembered the woman she used to be, and the woman she was now.

She had outgrown that weak, feeble robotic woman.

"Never again!" She shouted as the thunder behind her struck. Bardock watched in axe as her her hand came down past the shotgun, slashing the star right into his exposed neck. It jolted all the way inside his throat, causing blood to spurt.

She landed right next to him, unconscience. She had wrestled with the past and won. She knew who she used to be, but it didn't change who she was, right then and there.

Bardock wrestled with the future. They both laid there, dying, but he still felt like he had won. He had learned the value of friendship and teamwork, and felt the sadness of loss in the Abyss.

They had both come far. They had both lost, and won.

One body stopped moving all together as the rain stopped. As the sparks stopped flying around both bodies, Eighteen stirred and opened her eyes.

She was the only one.

[SIZE="4"]#07 Bardock DEAD

01 Remain[/SIZE]

[Burter]

Finale: Part 5

Android 18

Twenty-nine people were murdered for the entertainment of others. Sure, they weren't really dead, but people had been allowed to sit at their computers and television sets, watching as people suffered for their amusement. Someone was beaten to death. Many had been shot or blown up. Every single person in the game was put through hell.

Yet people still watched, despite all of the disturbing images. Eighteen stood on the edge of the roof, noting the two bodies behind her. Down on the ground in front of her, three stories below were two bodies at the foot of the stairs coming up into the temple. There was another body just off of the temple path. Countless more littered the island.

It had been four and a half days of what seemed like a long waiting game. There had been hunting and hiding, but in between all of the down time was constant battles and brutal murders.

Yet there was a winner. A light at the end of the storm. Android Eighteen was the first woman to win Dante's Abyss, and the female fan base couldn't have been more happier.

"Congratulations, Android Eighteen!" The annoying voice on the intercoms came. The closest one was right next to the temple. "You are the official winner of Dante's Abyss 2008! We will be teleporting you back in about five minutes for your post-game interview!"

Five whole minutes. What to do with five whole minutes?

Eighteen sat down and let out a sigh, pulling out her cards from her pockets. She imagined there was a long-haired opponent in front of as she began to deal the cards. "Okay, you dummy. Go fish."

[SIZE="4"]#05 Android 18 WINNER

00 Remain[/SIZE]

[Android-18]

Overwhelmed, that’s the only word that could come to mind. She felt hot, and smothered in this room. Camera’s zoomed in on her, and lights blazed against her like the sun. She squinted, looked about, scared out of her mind. Was this what happened when you won Dante’s Abyss? She gripped the leather arms of her chair with her inhuman strength, gritting her teeth like some frightened animal. He sat beside her like some King of reality Television. His legs crossed, slicked hair, cheesy million dollar smile. Karl Jak sat beside his new champion, fingers clasped, soaking in all the praise around him and the girl. It was a fantastic result, with her being a woman champion he would get even more viewers!

“What…am I supposed to say?” she asked under her breathe. The flashing of cameras was more than annoying, but she barely moved from her seat. She had no idea what she was doing here in the first place. One moment she was falling out of the wet tube holding her perfect body in stasis, while people in suits rushed in to take her for publicity protocol. She had been given nothing but a fluffy white robe; she did not feel very sexy at the moment.

“Answer their questions; this is an interview for the public, and smile, won’t you?” he replied, looking at her like she was off her rocker. His grin disappeared and reappeared as fast as her Saiya-Jin companion could move, and that was saying something.

“Android! Android! Over here!” a voice shouted. The room held a group of reporters; most of them had recorders and camera men. “How does it feel to be the first woman to win Dante’s Abyss?” he asked, eyeing her excitedly.

“I feel like I do every day, happy, a little cold, hungry.” She replied, listing the feelings off on one hand. “Am I supposed to feel different?” she turned to Karl. He seemed flustered and directed the reporters to himself.

“I think what my beautiful victor is trying to say is that a woman doesn’t need to change herself to conquer a man’s game. She went in it as herself, and emerged just the same. She leaned forward, trying to interrupt. The man wouldn’t have that, she wasn’t responding like he had hoped she would. “Eighteen is proud to be the winner, giving power to woman all around the globe and throughout the universe. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for a private interview.” He rose and gripped the girl about the wrist; she complied, following him without complaint.

“That’s not what I was trying to say,” she said as they walked down a corridor.

“Well, they don’t want to hear boring rambling. You have to be excited, and show your strength, and be…well, a winner.” He said in an exasperated tone. “Anyway, we’ll do an interview and fluff it up if it isn’t to our liking.” She entered the room he led her to, a woman with a notepad sat with a camera; she tapped the pen lightly in wait.

Android Eighteen knew her, she had been the one to take her footage and sign her up. She didn’t feel comfortable at all here, especially in a bathrobe.

“Let’s get this over with. I want to say, off the record, I didn’t think you’d win at all, I lost a lot of money because you won.” She looked at the blond briefly and then at her notepad. “Why did you join Dante’s Abyss?” the first question was asked.

“To retain my lost memories.” Eighteen replied, and she crossed one leg over the other.

“How did it feel to finally get revenge on Bardock?” the second question came, not missing a beat.

“Exhilarating.” Her reply was quick and to the point.

“Why do you think you won this year? You lost in the pervious years, you did worse last year than you did your first time.” She looked up at her, a sly look in her eyes. The android didn’t answer straight away.

“I won because I didn’t want to win. I made it to the end, looking for nothing but myself, and I found what I needed. There was no strategy, and there was no deceit. I played it without playing, and I guess I won because I was lucky. Too bad, huh?” she stood up and headed for the door.

“Wait, we aren’t done yet!” Karl called, reaching toward her.

“I am! Toodles!.” She grinned, looking as cute as ever as she slipped out of the door and toward the stasis room. Her clothing was there, as neat and clean as when she had arrived. “I didn’t think winning would be so annoying, sheesh.” She pulled everything on and headed out, she was quick to avoid any of the officals and especially any reporters.

“Food, shower, clean clothing, and Saiya-Jin,” she said to herself as she exited the building. She accessed the scouter within her brain, seeking out his digits, calling out his name.

“Raditzu. I remember, I remember it all. I’m coming home.” Her words came out softly, to him alone. Her eyes gazed toward the cloudless sky, whilst the sun bathed her. She was the winner, not only of Dante’s Abyss, but of herself.