The Reality Vortex: Red Reputations

[ShineCero]

Before them, as Vegetto and Bernkastel expressed visibly confusion upon Gogeta’s question, Spina’s eyes shifted to focus on his left arm for a moment. Despite opening and closing his left palm a few times, the old Saiyan noticed that in general, everything appears to be working as intended. It is truly his left arm, but he does not quite get the “feeling” of his left arm. As if it was merely a brand-new thing that latched onto his body, like an invader that had no place on his body.

A wry smile and eyes of savagery, Spina returned his sights back to the group, as the menacing intensity from his “energy” was gushing outwards from his body. “Don’t have regrets now, Gogeta. You defeated me, and that led to my death. Something that I long for when I faced an opponent after giving my all.” Spina’s eyes sharpened. “A great battle equals a great death; a great feeling you get that you die with glory.” The wry smile dropped to a frown and his red eyes widened. “Yet, I felt absolutely nothing when I experience death. Even as my organs failed, my conscious drifting to nothingness, my skin turning pale, losing vision and barely gasping for air—I did not feel anything in the slightest. That was death for me. A forgettable, underwhelming experience after giving my all.” His eyes shifted to Avalon, urging him to back away a bit.

As Lucifer alluded to last night, Spina had truly died against his battle with Gogeta. Yet, something had completely prevented his body from turning into a Vortex Coin, and instead, fueled him with a different energy to keep him going. As opposed to some characters, whom had experience with dealing different types of energy; it a little similar to them in nature, but it cannot be detected nor picked up by any means, aside from an menacing pressure. An unusual phenomenon—which sparks the curiosity of Lucifer as he had listened in on Spina’s statements on what he had experienced. After Zenta approached the angel on a private conversation, Lucifer’s face contorted into a sinister smile even more. Zenta was correct that his interests are currently peaking high. With the Red King, Vegetto, and now Spina’s situation, Lucifer is on cloud nine with a wave of new potential information that he can gathered.

“Perhaps my father was a fool then.” Spina said. “But it is a learning experience, Gogeta. These new scars on my body from that battle will be a constant reminder of how disappointing death was, and how foolish I was for wanting to believe that my father’s words were of any value. He died a foolish death by that pathetic prince, and just as I experienced—it was an empty void that awaits him afterwards. All the battles up to this point was thrown out the wayside, all for nothing.” Spina gripped his left hand so hard, it pierces through his left hand, causing it to bleed. “Whatever happen to me… I was given a second wind, and I intent on using it to its fullest, even if I have to damn the world to do so.” He said in a vicious and malicious tone.

“Worried not, I shall not die so easily again.” Spina turned to both Bernkastel and Vegetto, lowering his left arm as blood dripped on the tiles, with his eyes of damnation staring at them. Speaking towards Gogeta’s question, he let out one last comment. “What I am now, I’m glad. That means I can crush my enemies with my bare hands, as my frustration boils away intensity, and nothing can restrict me... Like I said, Gogeta, freedom. I can’t wait… until I make those Xy’phers scream in fear.” Spina’s grin split his face, showcasing his fangs and his red eyes sharpened again. “Now, I am feeling hungry. Perhaps, one would like a battle? That would sustain my hunger for now. How about it, Bernkastel?"

 

[~ Z ~]

"It's not that simple, Berserk," Avalon said as he showed her the scroll. There were many things written. "It seems that my scroll is able to write a truth I am aware of. So for example, if I write down something like this..." Avalon scribbled down 'Berserk has blue hair.' before showing it to the Powerpunk. Within a few seconds, the ink started to disappear and the sentence faded away. "It disappears! See, I know you don't have blue hair, so if I wrote it down, it'll be a lie. It does have a bit of a drawback tho'. I wrote down that Cuki was one of the captured Breakers, despite not knowing, and it disappeared too. I'm not sure if it's a lie or if it's because I don't know... It could also be other factors that I'm not aware of."

Avalon pondered over his theory before unrolling more of his scroll and glancing at his theories of Spina as he backed away from him, inching closer to Berserk. One caught his attention in particular. He wrote a statement that said 'Spina is not dead.' and the sentence suddenly disappeared as he looked over it. Yet, the sentence he wrote earlier, 'Spina will awaken.' was still present. His eyes widen before looking between his scroll and Spina. The Saiyan did mention that he died thanks to Gogeta's actions but he could not understand the contradiction.

What's goin' on..? Avalon thought to himself as he stared at Spina. Was Lucifer right about Spina dying? So... if he died, how come he didn't turn to a coin? I thought that's how it usually worked if someone died. Spina is saying weird things too. Is this... really him? Avalon cleared his throat. "Uhh, maybe I need to study my clan's scroll some more..."

Avalon tilted his head at how Spina was acting and he felt a cold shiver go up to his spine. He leaned closer to Berserk while pulling the scroll to hide both their faces from view, occasionally peeking at Spina.

"Hey, I'unno about you, but I think Boss is actin' kinda weird," He whispered. "I don't remember him talkin' like this. He's usually not this grumpy. You think it might be somethin' else? Something just feels.. off."

Zenta tensed slightly when Spina's energy spiked. All he could see with his unique vision were hundreds of white lines wildly swirling about in a black void. He had never seen anything like that in all his time alive. To him, Spina literally looked like scribbles. He was unaware of this type of energy and by merely sensing the power coming from him, he felt his fur bristle. However, once Spina asked Bernkastel to fight, the beast instinctively grew somewhat defensive and took a step forward in front of Bernkastel. For a moment, his hand clenched into a tight fist and letting his tails twitch anxiously behind him before releasing a sharp breath, and moved a few steps to Bernkastel's side. It was clear from the Witch's view that Zenta was restless about something.

"I am impressed you are up and ready to fight so quickly, Spina. As eager as you are to fight, you should keep that excitement solely to Xy'phers for now," Zenta said to Spina before turning to Bernkastel and lowering his head. "I suggest we do not fight each other again, at least not at a time like this. However, the choice remains yours, Lady Bernkastel." There was a small pause in his words as his tails flicked nervously. "Just be careful, my Lady..."

Spoiler: How Zenta sees Spina just inverted

 

[Z-Fighter]

"I say we should all take a good rest first," Brachi said, although she was concerned about Spina's sudden change of tone, she remained quiet about it as she figured it could likely be because he brought himself back from being dead first, yet she didn't know what exactly caused it, "perhaps it will help you in getting your full strength back, as well as ours."

"Are you so certain?" Jize asked.

"I just want to be back at full strength if we are to show that Red Dictator that his reign is over and free whoever he has captured," Brachi retorted, "besides, since Spina is a Saiyan, given what has happened to him just now should have increased his strength magnificently if he gets back to full power."

Brachi still believed that people with Saiyan blood, herself included, could tap into the Zenkai, a Saiyan's natural ability to become stronger after recovering from near-death experiences and battles, and figured that this increased strength could give the Breakers a better chance of withstanding any forthcoming assault by whatever they would be facing. All she had to do was to work on contingency plans in order to make sure the battles would be in their favor this time, as she was tired of mind games.

"And I swear by all that is holy, the next time someone tries to mess with my head or with my friends' heads again like that Roya did, will be on the receiving end of a beating so fierce, it will mess with THEIR heads. See how they like THAT for a change." She silently muttered at that.

 

[LoopyPanda]

"Now that I think of it, yeah..." Berserk whispered back to Avalon. She rubbed her chin and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to make sense of the odd behavior displayed by the scroll. "But he always looks grumpy. This seems kinda different but I can't put my finger on it... this is just weird though. We all know he's right there so why would it fade?..." Her eyes squinted as she re-examined the scroll's writings again. "Keep writing stuff in it, it ought to show us some sorta clue in how it works."

"What's this? You just woke up and the first thing you want to do is fight?" Bernkastel looked unamused, still perplexed at this sudden insistence coming from Spina. "But that's no fun for me if you've reached that mentality after just one death. It's boring..." She fell silent when Zenta suddenly stepped in front of her, puzzled at his odd reaction. When she heard the input from him and Brachi, Bern looked deep in thought with eyebrows knitted together, as she raised a hand to trace a finger across her nose; although no bandaid was there anymore, the memory came forth anyway.

"That's true, but we don't know how long this place will be safe from the Xy'phers," Berserk chimed in. "We can't get rusty at all. Or let our guard down just yet... that or until this magic scroll thing proves it's true, whichever comes first."

Bernkastel broke out into a creepy giggle as she haughtily put her hands on her hips. "Come now Zenta, don't underestimate the Witch of Miracles! It's important I stay in top shape too-- I can't have the rug pulled out from underneath me a second time. In fact, I'll be quite honored to do it! It simply means I'm most suited to put Spina to the test now that he's two-handed." She tauntingly smirked towards Vegetto, as if to rub it in that he wouldn't get the chance. "Knowing you, you've got some place around here set up to do your sparring and whatnot, don't you? If Brachi is right then I won't have to worry about playing too roughly. Heeheehee."

 

[Vegetto]

Gogeta kept his frown throughout the entire explanation from Spina, his expression dropping in shame slightly. However, the fusion felt no remorse for his actions leading to Spina's death. The shame that boiled within the fusion's mind mounted purely from the similarity he felt in the ominous words spoken by Spina. As his suspicions were practically confirmed, the second wind given to Spina was unnatural. The older Saiyan proclaimed he had died; the natural coin process a result that should have happened.

Yet the man proclaimed a force beyond such natural cause gave him redemption, sharing an odd similarity to the power promised to Gogeta by Vegetto Black. Gogeta's frowned deepened as he listened on to Spina's proclamation of freedom and capability to destroy anything in his way. His expression purely dropped because of the fact that the fusion himself would've proclaimed the same words not even three days ago. Yet at the end of his salvation and victory, Gogeta remembered the empty void of unending night and rain stretched before him as his prize for defeating Spina and being free from the control of the Breakers.

That's not freedom...we're still...slaves to instinct....

His thought pattern was broken, however, noticing Bernkastel haughtily chiming in with a desire to face Spina. Gogeta's worried expression deepened, his head turning towards the witch and leaning forward to whisper near her with a tone that matched his heavy frown.

"Please don't fight him."

---

Vegetto's eyes glanced between Spina and Gogeta as the latter recounted the story, the smirk finally vanishing at the ominous threat of destruction and rise of the older Saiyan's pressure around the group. The similarity to Gogeta's stint under Vegetto Black was not lost on the Potara fusion, but the discrepancy in the manner was in Vegetto's lack of knowledge behind whoever mind controlled Gogeta. A strange sense of domination and victory also drove Spina, and in Vegetto's mind, he rationalized a potential strange power or entity in charge of simply rebuilding the man over direct mind control.

However, Vegetto remained mostly silent, studying Spina intently for a moment until Bernkastel spoke. His eyes sharpened, his arms firmly crossed his chest as he glared back down to the Witch but before he could speak, Cayde poked his head out with a near sarcastic tone.

"Ok guys, we do have a training ground. But you know...you guys kinda live up to your name. I mean...the last time one of you got drunk, half of Reality Metropolis was flattened. And well, every other fight? Places got burned down."

The android brought his hands down towards the ground as if to calm down everyone with his motions.

"So why don't we all just, eat some breakfast and talk like normal friends, ah?"

Vegetto spoke immediately after Cayde finished, nearly changing the subject while he glared Bernkastel down; not a single moment of levity throughout Cayde's proposal.

"No Cayde, they don't get to use the training grounds. If you want to fight, go ahead: go out on the street and start blasting away at each other. Then when everything's on fire and the people left alive start hating you even more, come back and blame me for not pampering you with a safe battleground. I'm sure it'll all make sense in your head, even if it's all your fault for not controlling yourself."

He broke out into a small, cocky smirk in glancing between Bernkastel and Spina while nodding towards Gogeta, who shrunk a bit at the attention given.

"Go ahead and prove to everyone here that you're no better than the one you blame for all your problems. They all seem eager to kiss your feet; maybe this might wake them up and show everyone just how much of a fraud you are."

Cayde frowned; the exact problem of Vegetto's mentality in needing to be right rearing its head once more due to the taunting from Bernkastel successfully stoking his ego on the situation. The android went silent, glancing between everyone like a defeated mediator, unsure of what to expect next.

 

[ShineCero]

“That’s what I like to hear.” Spina said, contorting his fingers on his left hand until crackling sounds were heard, echoing across the medical bay they all reside in. “Our vicious screams in battle would be delightful.” However, despite Bernkastel’s approval of the fight, Zenta stepping in cause the older Saiyan to sway his attention away from the witch, and towards the beast instead. As Zenta tightened his fists, the pressure emitting from Spina increased around him. Eyes narrowed, accompany with a frown, “Bernkastel made her decision. She can pick the time and show me her fighting spirit as would I. For now, I’ll be fine with smashing the skulls of these Xy’phers.”

The moment Vegetto spoke in length, it, finally, caught Spina’s attention. His head shifted slightly to the direction of Vegetto, Gogeta and Cayde. Yet, the latter two, his eyes of savagery looked past them as if they were of mere “insignificance”, as his attention zeroed in on Vegetto. His eyes widened and broke into a smirk.

“I have a better idea. How about I skewered this city with the flesh of your people, and while you standby basking in the “moment” you enriched yourself in, the people come to realization that you are nothing but all talk when things become dire or too complicated. Just as you fell apart when you let your own wife died and we all saw how absolutely worthless you became.” Spina gripped his left palm tightly. “Or you can have tin can over here bring us some food.”

Based on his interactions with Spina, Lucifer had made some assumptions that something was clearly bugging the old Saiyan. He was indecisive, incapable of holding a decent conversation and clearly unable to make “friends” in the normal sense. He was quite literate, both figurately and metaphorically. And judging the way he treated Cuki and newcomers, he would the last person to comfort anyone with basic decency and care. Yet, despite all these flaws, Lucifer figured that in his heart, Spina is not evil in the truest sense, just a man who most likely never experience the feeling of comrades. Hearing Spina’s commentary up to this point: he’d disowned his own father, thank Gogeta for death, and expressing himself with vicious and malicious intents in his wording with confident and no-second guessing. His unnatural death and change in behavior and movements, Lucifer could not help by smile at the ordeal display in front of them. “Evilness” by Lucifer’s standards, is perhaps something too “vague” to describe him, but instead, a destructive force that carries that body of Spina. It was neither mind control nor “influence” at a certain degree—as if his rage and frustration had become front center with this pressure that shaped up this old Saiyan now.

“If we have to eat ramen, I say we leveled this city right now.” Lucifer was attempting to hold back his laughter at Spina’s response to Vegetto since it was practically over aggressive, different from his usual mannerisms. “That, alone, is enough to tarnish our reputation forever.” Lucifer seen Gogeta’s behavior changed when Spina answered him, indicating to him that something more happened during their battle—something he will seek too later. “Besides, Vegetto, they were just two friends battling it out. You can get sloppy seconds when they are done. I am curious about the Xy’phers since I have a feeling you know a bit more than you let on. Unless your pride will cloud your judgement and instead do something else.”

 

[~ Z ~]

Zenta barely flinched when Spina stared at him but he felt himself tense up either way. The way Spina spoke to Vegetto caused him to frown at how aggressive he had become. However, once Bernkastel made her decision of wanting to fight Spina, all the Beast could do was smile and bow his head to the Witch.

"Oh my, I apologize for my rudeness! Very well, my Lady, I will cheer for the both of you. Though, I suppose I will cheer for you just a little more," Zenta said with tranquility in his voice. He then turned to Spina. "I certainly hope that the murderous aura you have is directed solely on the Xy'phers and not my Lady. After all, I care quite immensely for any person I consider a friend; something I rarely come across with. Be warned, however, if Lady Bernkastel commands it, I will rip you to shreds, ohoho~"

Zenta covered his mouth as he chuckled before turning back to Bernkastel.

"As devoted as I am to serving you, Lady Bernkastel, there are a few things that I must do. Should you fight, please try to keep damages to a minimum, yes?"

With another bow of his head, the beast straightened out and casually trailed to Lucifer's side and scratched the top of Lilith's head. He left his hand out in case she wanted to slither around it. The beast turned his head to Vegetto in regards to Lucifer mentioning the Xy'phers. He wondered if the Fusion knew about the threat and the overall situation the Breakers faced.

"Ignoring Lucifer's crude way of speaking, I do have to ask if you know anything about the Xy'phers prior to finding us in Metropolis. We can help fill in the gaps so you are up to date with the rest of us." Zenta's ears perked slightly as he remembered something. "Oh, yes, we have been looking for some bottles as well. They contain clues regarding the Xy'phers and their King."

Avalon nodded at Berserk and began to write down other things. Two things in specific were 'Spina died in Metropolis.' and 'Spina died in Rouge City.' The first sentence disappeared while the second one stayed. He glanced back and forth between his scroll and Spina. Considering that Spina admitted to dying made him suspicious and he doubted it at first but now it seemed more of a reality. If this was true, how was Spina even standing before them? Considering that he didn't know much about what Lucifer was talking about, he knew this was a new type of territory.

"Says here that Boss died right here in this City. If that's the case, how's he standin' here? I'm seriously confused about this stuff..." Avalon said to himself before slumping his shoulders. "Things just keep getting weirder and weirder... Man, I don't even know what to think anymore. Probably need more sleep... What do you get from all this, Berserk?" He said as he continued to write things down. He then lowered his voice. "You think Lucifer knows anything about this? He seems pretty... excited about Boss's change. Zenta's also getting pretty close with him..."

 

[Panich]

"Whoa, Everyone hold on. You can't seriously be considering sparring immediately after what we all went through yesterday! Spina just confirmed that he died!  I would like to avoid any more deaths or close calls, thank you. Why not instead we all settle down and have a meal together as Cayde suggested?" Bage came forward after hearing everyone stating their opinions on this battle that was supposedly going to occur. "I would feel a whole lot better about this if I wasn't already concerned about Spina's current attitude. I can already see this spiraling out of control, not to mention how easy it would be for the Xy'phers to find us if your battle were to send out a pulse of energy that could be traced back here. For now, I suggest resting for a couple days before trying to get back to any form of training."

He waited for a response from the others, but then turned his head at the mention of the bottles. He had nearly forgotten that the hope of finding the Red king's strengths and weaknesses were in the bottles. For now, he left Zenta to prod Vegetto about anything he knew. He knew the mission took the utmost priority... but he also knew everyone's health both mentally and physically would have to come first. He had learned that lesson from yesterday... And he intended to do better in being a trusted detective for all of them.

 

[LoopyPanda]

"What?" Bernkastel's haughty expression immediately was wiped off of her face, glaring at Gogeta. "How is it fine for you to kill who you please, but not for me to so much as spar? I'll show you I can handle myself fine!" Before she could berate Gogeta verbally any further, however, Bern quieted upon Bage's attempt to be the voice of reason with Cayde. Her irritated expression softened just a bit, crossing her arms with a pout. "If that was a real concern, we would've been ambushed after Lucifer's showing off, wouldn't we? Spina doesn't see it as big a deal as you anyway..."

"Nah, I can't make heads or tails of what this thing is trying to say... doesn't make any sense." Berserk sweated, lowering her voice so only Avalon would hear it. "Yeah. It's weird to see them be so chummy, but then again, he's friends with a witch. Lucifer seems to know a lot, so why don't we ask him? Maybe he can help us figure out how your scroll works... later."

Just as Bage got Bern to reconsider, however, Vegetto's commentary made her bristle in anger, seething audibly under her breath. "It's just like you to run your mouth at me, isn't it?!" she shouted at the fusion indignantly. "As long as you get to gloat about your superiority over me you wouldn't care if I even killed your metallic friend over there, would you?!" Bernkastel clenched her hands until they glowed with magical energy, laughing to herself as Vegetto continued to egg her on. Bern fell silent quickly at Vegetto's last sentence, shifting to a tense look of confusion. "What? What are you saying...?"

I'm a... fraud?

Being called that wouldn't make Bern sway from being petulant and contemptuous but the context of that remark was entirely different coming from Vegetto. She detested his hero status despite the dissonance from his true colors being clear as day to her; he practically reeked of hypocrisy. And yet, he backed her into a corner with only 2 choices-- stand down and let him mock her, or do as he predicted and inflate his ego even more. Either choice would prove his point that she was just as problematic as Gogeta. Only one action was worse off for everyone-- it would cement their reputation as irredeemable. This alone caused her to freeze still.

"Um... Veggytoe's married? A low blow from Grandpa..." Berserk looked uncomfortable at the increasing tension, hiding behind a pillar as she whispered stoll. "Does it always get this ugly when the grown-ups are talking? Let's stay outta this one, it's getting too personal."

While Zenta and Spina spoke to Vegetto, Bernkastel withdrew into herself as she placed a hand on her forehead. Various images phased through her mind, among them being her friction with 'Gogeta', the various fights she got into with Cuki and the others, even the insults Hart would hurl at the Breakers. Each memory made her breathing heavier.

"Monster! Get me away from her!" echoed the cries of the little boy she helped in the woods with Bage. Despite Bage's reassurances, the boy continued to look at her in fear. The nervous expressions of Rogue City's bystanders boring into her back.

Once again, what was once pride in being feared had further distorted into a new feeling.

"Don't you prefer the company of monsters, little cat? It suits me and you." Bern could hear the sinister woman's voice from the nightmare, an old memory.

What feeling was this?

"We're not... I'm not... a fraud. I..." Bernkastel muttered to herself, tension in her pose increasing as her expression contorted to a desperate rage. "I'm not like that! I'M NOT LIKE YOU!" She shouted suddenly, dashing off around Zenta and making an aggressive beeline straight for Vegetto.

"Out of my way! Forget the match, I'm going to crush YOU instead, right NOW! DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" Shouting, Bernkastel prepared to throw a punch as she ran. Unlike before when she focused this attack, the magical energy burning bright around her arm was volatile, like a plasma orb out of its container. "DON'T LUMP ME IN WITH YOU!"

 

[Vegetto]

Gogeta and Cayde both immediately widened their eyes at Spina's insult, their heads turning in shock immediately towards Vegetto. The Potara fusion stood with his arms still crossed in front of his chest; the smirk having vanished from his face once again. He stood silently, staring back and glaring at Spina. For a brief moment, a small glint could be seen in his pupils; a slightly indication of emotion and vulnerability seen in it.

He never talked like that before. Spina never cared about this stuff...something is strange here.

But as quickly as it came, the sensation passed, and similar to the dead eyes of Bernkastel, Vegetto stared back at Spina in surprisingly empty response to the scathing, nearly irrefutable taunt. His lips soon rose once more into a cocky smirk; a firm stare of a sociopath boreing back into Spina's.

"That's fine. I'm tired of pretending I care about them anyway. Kill as many as you like: they're just names and faces to me. In the end, I'll still be right and you'll still be the monster that ravaged the city. No matter how many you kill, you'll be the only one with blood on your hands. But I'll take some responsibility; the others were right. When you got here, I thought you were strong and would survive."

Vegetto's eyes looked Spina up and down a couple of times, a low scoff ringing out behind his dual voice and his words seemingly a contradiction to the rising pressure and ominous energy Spina emitted.

"I didn't realize how much weaker you had gotten until now."

His eyes snapped to the side, however, the wailing screech of Bernkastel catching his attention. His scowl returned, quickly raising up his left hand and white fire flowing outwards from around his wrist. The flame like barrier formed around his entire hand within a millisecond; the sonic boom of Bernkastel's fist slamming into his palm to shake the entire building at the foundation. Vegetto's narrowed eyes stared back down into Bernkastel yet for another brief moment, his expression softened. The words spoken had momentarily distracted him; the realization of their similarities cracking through a bit at the small exchange. Yet his pride and anger mounted, just as hers did, in the absolute egotistical denial to be considered similar to Bernkastel, prompting Vegetto to curl his fingers around the witch's tiny fist. The white energy roared to life and exploded upwards, and within a small squeeze, Vegetto shattered the magical energy behind Bernkastel's fist; the flame seemingly vaporizing it entirely.

Vegetto scoffed in tossing Bernkastel back by her arm, releasing her fist. He spoke not a word, but spaced his legs slowly and rose his arms up into a fighting stance. Cayde rushed forward, flailing his arms wildly in mostly moving in front of Vegetto.

"Boss no!! The plan; we talked about this!! Stick to the plan!"