The Reality Vortex: Red Reputations

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May thinks wend looking at the reporters posters "Well I think of it I should check if they pay the bill for this month."  May checks a data pad she has and thinks "good they did."

May asks in a professional and chilling tone Brainstorm "You did set an appointment or at least contacted them before we came hear?" Part May all reedy knows the answer. 

May thinks looking at the guards "at least these men know how to be some what Professional."
 
Berserk floated along the sidewalk trailing behind Spawn and Bage, eyeing the numerous posters in curiosity. Atomic Flare's posters were the most eye-catching to her, but that was most likely because she happened to be wearing Berserk's favorite color. However, she found the overabundance of merchandise a bit excessive since it bordered on being cultlike worship in her eyes. It was just weird! And even though this new girl was following along for the time being, Berserk also found her level of devotion too much.

Bernkastel glanced over at Brainstorm in response to the sudden question. Despite being involuntarily bothered about the idea of the Castle becoming a tourist attraction, the Witch decided to answer her in earnest.

"It's not surprising you haven't found it; the castle was destroyed in the battle as collateral damage," Bern explained in a flat tone. "I remember seeing stars just through the window of that floor so I suppose the Castle really was that large. What you all saw in this new reality was the second half of the battle where we were on some hunk of space rock. If our regeneration was nullified by then, the building was likely erased. Or sucked into a black hole-- I don't really remember."

After she answered, Berserk tapped onto her shoulder from behind.

"Don't you think it's a little, ah... strange?" The Powerpunk gestured towards Emilyn while she was busy giving Gogeta her fanart of him, chattering away as a fangirl would. "I mean, I can see why she's a fan of Gogeta all things considered since he's mostly cool and all. But isn't she gettin' a little too close to him for your comfort?"

Bernkastel stared blankly at Berserk as she walked, looking unsure of what to say. "... I don't follow."

"Well, considerin' what happened back at the forest... I mean think about it, she drew stuff for the guy! Doesn't it make ya feel like a jealous ex?"

Bern blinked several times as she fidgeted with her hair, trying to decipher what Berserk was implying. "...Am I supposed to? Why would I?" she stopped, narrowing her eyes before trying to correct Berserk's assumption. "W-wait a minute-- it's not-- look, he and I are just-- er, were just buddies. It's complicated. But I don't see how that should bother me, she's just a 'fandom' person. Seems like that's the culture here."

Berserk's ribbons drooped a bit. "Oh, I just thought you were... uh, nevermind. Wonder where Avalon went?" The punk tucked her arms behind her back, eyeing Vegetto and Bern before whistling to herself to play it cool. 

The Witch turned her gaze towards Vegetto.

"You should know better than to let a civilian get this close to us, today of all times. Even if she did do us a favor with the brats." Despite Brainstorm's assurance Emilyn wouldn't be within such proximity for too long, Bern didn't like the implied personal responsibility being given unto them based on Vegetto's personal choice. She didn't know his exact motive but since he was a public hero, he was likely used to such things while Bern was barely able to interact normally with total strangers. Once they were stopped by the guard, Bern silenced herself, bowing slightly as she gestured outward for Vegetto to step forth. Though from the look in her eyes she did it with an air of sarcasm.
 
In stark contrast to Emilyn's enthusiasm as she greeted Lucifer, Vegetto only glared down the angel with an intense and hateful stare. He slowly straightened himself out as the group walked, glancing around for a moment until he saw the girl rushing up to Gogeta. The Potara fusion looked on with a concerned and slightly perplexed stare; the immense adoration for Gogeta seemingly a strange thing to have when she was already a fan of Vegetto's actions in his eyes.

Gogeta raised his right eyebrow and glanced down to Emilyn as she approached, having crumpled up the picture of Vortexman he took and tossed it on the street as litter. He kept a mostly blank and confused stare at her actions despite the cute ambiance behind the notions. The fusion reached down and took the drawing with his right hand, looking over the work for a brief moment. Gogeta kept his confused expression; his tone indicating his uneasiness at the girl's behavior in his confusion of why she was acting the way she was.

"Uhh...thanks?"

The immense battle with Ultraman being depicted so vividly spurred his memory further, his eyes immediately narrowing at the depiction. He folded up the drawing very neatly into a small little card shape size, tucking it into his vest while he walked forward without much to add to the conversation.

Vegetto broke out into a small smirk once Emilyn asked about Zenta, his head still forward.

"He's well mannered, like my old mentor, but mysterious is a good way to put it. I fought him once in a close battle, you know."

However, Vegetto's attention went to the side in listening on to Berserk and Bernkastel's discussion about Emilyn's behavior towards Gogeta. His expression immediately soured from the pride he displayed seconds earlier; each passing sentence prompting utter disgust and visible frustration in Vegetto's expression. The mere thought and existence of the Blue Devils alone seemed to irk the man to no end, and the two's unlikely friendship let alone the prospect of anything beyond such fueled an innate rage due to Bernkastel being involved with what should practically be an identical clone to Vegetto. The connection was like an extension of himself to a degree; prompting such an emotional response from the otherwise sociopathic Potara fusion.

Vegetto glared back at Bernkastel when prompted by her scolding, but his emotional turmoil vanished from his face as soon as she spoke. The stoic poker face returned in the chastising and condescending glare he held, scoffing lightly at the witch.

"It's better to encourage fandom, she helps put the Breakers in a positive light. There's more than enough power here to protect her, but I get that you're not used to helping other people. If you actually cared to use some of your magic for anyone other than yourself, you'd get that. Selfish witch."

Vegetto crossed his arms once the group was before the guards, holding a proud expression and ignoring Bernkastel's sarcastic servantile gesture while Gogeta stood with a stare of indifference as he glanced around the building. Cayde promptly turned on his heel, waving at May and walking towards the opposite building.

"That's our queue, May. Let's get going."

"Hang on, why don't you take Emilyn with you?"

Cayde blinked, raising a mechanical eyebrow at Vegetto who waved Emilyn on towards the two.

"Huh?"

"Let her watch. I'm sure she'd enjoy seeing us defend the city if the Xy'phers attacked the front gates."

Cayde frowned, an uneasy expression on the burden being placed on him forming on his face. Yet he didn't immediately protest, and instead, turned to May in wanting to see her response to the idea first.
 
“Damn, so much for that.” Brainstorm expressed disappointment that Doom’s Castle was no longer available. “That’s fine. I’m sure I can find another way—” Her ears perked at the demand of the guard to halt. “Huh? Guards?”

Brainstorm was visibly annoyed and didn’t help that May scolded her for not letting them know ahead of time. “Didn’t think I needed too. There weren’t guards the last time I came here for work. What’s the hell is that President doing?” Expressing frustration that some guard would draw their weapons at her, Brainstorm approached the guard and forcibly lowered his weapon for him. “Put that away and step aside. I’m here for official business with the President, and the Detectives, Vegetto and the Breakers are needed. So, unless you want to eat crumbs for the rest of your life here, I suggest you get out of our way.”

Without waiting for answer from the guard, Brainstorm shove him away and signal the others to come in. “Don’t know what you were told, but I don’t like being stop when I’m doing actively doing something.”

“Like she said, we’re here on official business. We have information regarding the enemy that needs to be share towards several cities. We’re pressed for time here, though.” Detective Spawn returned his glare back to the Breakers. “Right, so this is where we split. Bage, you take Gogeta, Berserk, Avalon, Jize, Bara and Lucifer to take your positions in the middle of the city. Once we talk to the president, I’ll giveyou the go ahead to spike your energy. May, go along with Cayde and ensure that no enemies are coming under our radar.” He was silent about Emilyn. Much like Bage, it was out of nowhere that this girl just latches onto us for the ride. “I don’t care what you do but stay out of our way. We don’t have the time nor effort to babysit someone.” Effectively, Spawn shot down the suggestion Vegetto had about giving her the time to watch. If things were to transpire, it would only put her in danger from his perspective. “The rest will be with me, so you can make your first impression here.”

Once again, the Detective turned to Gogeta. “Originally, making you come to this mission was painful, but if I had let you say behind, you’ll be an idiot and come anyways. Remember, I’ve masked my energy within you, so don’t do anything that will force my hand. If needed, I’ll coined you the moment there is even a glimpse of a spike that will endanger the mission and lives. This goes for the rest of you. Bage, make sure these idiots don’t do anything rash. I’ll alert you once we’re done with the President and commence the final phase of this plan.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Lucifer responded. “Vegetto is leading the pack and even got a good fan that will give us a good review of our actions. I’m sure his mighty wit and prowess will ensure that all things will naturally be good for us. Nothing gets past him, so if he wants Emilyn will watch us, I see no downside to this.” His devilish smile appeared with a light cackle. “I have a good feeling about this.”

“Tch. Shut up.” Adjusting himself again to make sure Spina doesn’t slip off, Detective Spawn face the guard once more. “Don’t make this more trouble than its worth. Step aside.” He headed inside the RNN.
 
Brachi got ready to follow, while Bara and Jize went to where Bage was, although Bara first gave Brachi a hug, something she usually does.

"I'll be fine, Bara. You take care of yourself." Brachi said, giving Bara a pat on the head, making the Majin smile before Brachi went inside the building.

Jize also smiled at this, before turning to Bage.

"Lead the way." She said, nodding.
 
"Right." Bage nodded to Detective Spawn and turned to his group, gesturing for them to follow him. He sighed slightly at Spawn's mention to make sure they didn't cause any trouble. No promises... He thought. The junior detective walked with purpose, glancing back to make sure his group was following. He looked over at Emilyn, a bit off-put by her joining his group on the soon-to-be battlefield. But he decided against it for now. Once they were a good distance away from the RNN, he spoke up.

"Alright. I understand it will be painful to sit and wait until the signal, but please try to refrain from engaging with the citizens in any way that will bring unnecessary attention to us." Bage's eyes landed on Gogeta specifically as he mentioned the citizens, then turned back to make sure he was following the right path. "Our job is to remain hidden. All the attention will be on use when the fighting starts, so just keep your heads down and absolutely no fights, regardless if anyone tries to start something. it's only for a little while."

Bage chuckled to himself before adding a final note, "Trust me. This will be the easy part."

Shortly after finishing his sentence, the group would find themselves in a giant plaza that seemed to be in a direct path to the RNN, it was a short distance away, but enough that the group could almost the entire length of the building. It was a pretty lively plaza, with a fancy-looking fountain in the middle. Reflection citizens were enjoying the day, some sitting and chatting at small shop fronts while others walked their pets or played near the fountain with their superhero merchandise and costumes. To Bage's relief, there was a lot less "Superhero" obsession here. He was hopeful it would curb any negative feelings Gogeta had at the moment. 

"Alright, seems like we've made it. Stay close and act casual." Bage instructed, finding an empty bench to sit at to keep any unwanted eyes on the group.
 
As the guard listened to Brainstorm, he felt slightly embarrassed to have put stress on the hero. He moved to the side and alerted the others through his radio of Brainstorm's arrival. More guards came in and made sure to leave a path open for Brainstorm, May, Spawn, and Vegetto as well as keep others out of their way. The path they made was to an elevator that lead directly to the President's office.

"Errm, we have alerted the President of your arrival, Brainstorm." One guard said nervously due to the Breakers being nearby. "His personal guards will be up there waiting as well. Please take the private elevator."

"Now then, I believe this is where the interesting part of the mission begins," Zenta chuckled under his breath. "Please, let us be on our best behavior for at least 5 minutes..."

"Alright, don't forget to tell them everythin'!" Avalon added and was ready to head off with Bage before stopping in his tracks and rushing over to Zenta. "Wait! Zenta! Hang on! Take this with you." The ninja held up his scroll and tossed it into the air before it poofed into smoke, allowing a second one to drop. It was thinner than normal. He plopped it in Zenta's hand. "Take that to the President! I think everyone should know about a... certain person..."

"What person?" Zenta asked as he held the smaller scroll.

"That's personal, so don't worry about it." Avalon said, trying to brush it off. "Just make sure that this info gets all over the news! Once this spreads, I'll be able to sleep easier for a while." He then pushed Zenta and Bernkastel closer to Brainstorm and Spawn, greeting them off as the mission. "Don't screw this up, guys!"

Avalon turned around and fist bumped the air, whispering 'yes!' under his breath, and feeling successful in something that seemed so trivial. Upbeat and relaxed, the elf felt a large weight leave his shoulders as he confidently walked towards Berserk. For a moment, he glanced towards Vegetto and gave him a cocky smile instead of his usual sour expression. Putting his chin up in a 'seeming victory', he scoffed before turning away from the fusion.

The Beast fiddled with the scroll, spinning it between his fingers, shrugging at whatever it may hold inside. "Very well..?"



Emilyn, overjoyed by Vegetto allowing her to watch the fight from somewhere safe. She felt part of the group already. Even when some of the others protested, she remained quiet, listening to their concerns and understood why they felt that way. In a way, she also worried if she would get in the way but trusted Vegetto's word, and it showed. She nervously turned to Cayde and May, bowing her head to the two and giving them a smile to at least show she's willing to listen to what they say, even if she didn't understand their plan.

"I know I'm just a civilian, but I promise I won't get in your way. I'll listen to your commands, won't touch anything, and move if I need to! In fact, I'll text my friends so they can leave the area so there can be fewer people getting involved." She pleaded with Cayde. "I just want to watch the fight and see how awesome Mr. Vegetto-sir and the Breakers are! I won't even say a word so you and May don't get distracted. Pretty please Mr. Cayde! Pleeeeease!"



Avalon made his way next to Berserk and Lucifer while following Bage to the plaza, where things were very calm compared to the crowded streets they were on. It was a bit of a relief for him, since he was still a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the city. The citizens in the park were wary of the Breakers and kept their distance from them, but continued on with their lives.

"Hope you guys are ready to kick some Xy'pher butt," Avalon seemed prepared. "I haven't seen one around tho'. You think the Task Force took 'em out before we did?" He glanced at his scroll, pondering the information he got from his canary. He remained silent for a moment and sighed. "Whelp, all we can do now is wait and wait for Spawn's signal... I just hope the others don't mess this up."
 
May says professional tone "Brainstorm I trust you and the deceives can deal with things on this end. I have things to do on my end." May starts to move with Cayde with no wasted movements. 

May says to Cayed once she cot up "I was wondering wend our part was going begin." May thinks "Good we can start with the real work."
 
In response to Vegetto's condescending response towards her, Bernkastel's eyes briefly widened before immediately narrowing into a hateful glare of contempt. "What?" she venomously spat through gritted teeth. Her face contorted with clear upset, she was cut off by the Detectives and Brainstorm advancing the plan. Realizing this would be where the group split up and left her stuck with him. Bern forced herself to lighten up the grip she had on Zenta's hand as it tightened considerably in her moment of seething.

"Stupid man-thing," she hatefully muttered under her breath towards the Potara fusion.

Berserk crossed her hands behind her head and floated over to Bage. "Guess it's time! See you guys later-- or not. Depends on how it all goes from here on out, so break a leg out there!" she gave Spawn's group a thumbs-up.

Upon Avalon approaching Zenta to give him the smaller scroll, Bern glanced over at it with a somewhat curious look peering through her grumpy expression. "Well, if he made it from the scroll that doesn't tell lies, then it'll surely help us make our case with the President," she cracked a smile. "How thoughtful."

----

"Givin' em a hand with their side of the job. Well, ain't that nice of you?" Berserk said when Avalon moved back over to their group. She reclined in midair and crossed one leg over the other. "I don't do diplomacy stuff, let alone deal with suits, so better them than us-- our part is gonna be way more fun! Ooh, I'm so excited!! We're gonna be at the top of our game this time around. And everyone's gonna see how badass we are! I can't wait!"
 
The Reality News Network Headquarters

Reality News Network was created within a year after Doom recreated Reality Vortex. Its purpose was to bring forth news towards all the residents, including new ones that eventually will appear, to understand this strange new world. From small- or large-scale battles, yearly tournaments, or updates about the various towns across the entirely of Vortex… it has its all. Although there are plentiful of other news organization, such as Cross’ news station and the sort, the RNN dominated the news cycle.

To match their dominance, once the Breakers paired with Detective Spawn entered the building, they will witness an impressive amount of technology within. There were hundreds of journalists, reporters, and news team running around to implement the next segments of the news. There was an elevator that can go through 10 floors within seconds, but one will never feel like they travel far or give you motion sickness.

There were giant monitors that broadcasts past and current events, so everyone is constantly on the update about the daily news. At the front desk, behind the receptionists, there was a wall called “Dedicated Journalists and Reporters”, highlighting Brainstorm, Stacey and Chad for their dedication and work ethnics.

Of course, Brainstorm was not amused about the number of guards lurking about. “What the hell…” She muttered under her breath as she was forced to follow the pathway made by the guards. “Why so many guards? What does a news station need guards in the first place? Is the leader of the Task Force off his rockers?” She looked around to see anyone she can called out, but with the guards in the way, it was hard to wave at them. “Tsk…”

“Something wrong?” Detective Spawn followed right behind her.

“None. Clearly the president became paranoid or something. I’ll give him a piece of my mind about this. Let’s keep moving.”
Brainstorm led the Breakers to an elevator that will take them directly to the President’s room. As they were heading up; in the glimpse of those seconds, there was a short segment on the monitors on the first floor that showcase the fight against Doctor Doom. “I am Doom!” The first phrase was loud and clear, but the rest got muzzled since they were already departing.

As their elevator stopped, Detective Spawn’s eyes sharpened. “This is the opportunity for you to make a good impression and a good mark for your group. You’re already aware of what’s going on and what we need to forewarn and let them know about our plan. Spina is out cold, and…” Spawn turned at Bernkastel and shook his head. “Your cold demeanor will put him off. So, it come down to Brachi and Vegetto.”

“I say let this big handsome one take the stage to present the case. If the President knows that the Breakers accepted Vegetto, and he’s leading the charge. That’ll undoubtedly make good points on their record.” Brainstorm said, nudging the fusion with her elbow before stepping off the elevator.

“That’s… a good point.” Detective Spawn wasn’t too sure about Vegetto’s attitude. Based on what he saw from him, it’s clear that he’s unhinged at some aspect: especially when Bernkastel, Lucifer and Avalon make any sort of remark. Now that Cayde isn’t here, he wonders if he can even handle that.

Right away, the door to the President’s Room opened and from there, shows a room filled to the brim with monitors that seemingly checked the RNN Headquarters inside out. By the long, marble desk, a man turned around from his hover chair. He was quite chubby, but wears a clean, black suit. His eyes were white, and his slick hair was black. However, the most notable feature was the fact that he had no beard, but he was sporting an impressive mustache. It was gigantic, but it was combed beautifully. Because of its impressive stache, it made the President serious in his demeanor.

“So, the guards were telling the truth… Not only that you are here rather early, Brainstorm, but the Breakers are here as well.” The President stood up. “Hello Breakers, I am President Beard. “What brings you here?”

=====

The Plaza

Lucifer’s eyes shifted to Avalon. “You’re the type that likes to talk and ask meaningless questions, huh?” The angel wasn’t that interested in the battle. “I guess this is what you called “the calm before the storm”, hmm?” He phrased his sentence in a jokingly manner since all they have to do is just wait for the signal from Spawn. “I’m sure the Xy’phers will come running, but” He turned to both Berserk and Avalon. “I’ve heard that you passed out during a training bout from Lilith. You sure you can tackle this many enemies, even at your full strength if they come in full force?”
 
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