"Hey!" Bage flinched at Broly's sudden outburst. He moved back from the initial blast and even prepared to retrieve the husk of a Xy'pher himself. But all he could do was watch as the upper body of the former captain slammed into Gravita and demanded Spina battle him.
"Ugh, you've gotta be kidding! He's nothing but a torso and he's still trying to pick a fight?" Bage scoffed in disbelief. However, what came after would leave the Detective speechless. Watching as Xy'pher Broly was crushed down to nothing but a core, Bage stared on in silence with the Breakers and the Xy'phers at the unthinkable act the elite had just committed. If the fight wasn't over before, it certainly was now.
"Hey! Get back here dammit I wasn't finished with you!" Berserk withdrew her blade, getting ready to chase after Broly before seeing a multitude of the deadly projectiles raining down on the Breakers. The one that struck her arm caused a trail of blood to seep out onto the floor, shouting in pain she dropped the blade reflexively to grip her arm.
"Owww... shit. Oh shit, yeah, that's uh... that's a pretty bad one," Berserk cursed, slowly bending over to grab her weapon with the uninjured one. The feeling of cold air made her feel like she really didn't want to take a look. The ribbons in her hair wrapped around it like a makeshift sling.
"Okay, change of plans-- I think his core's good as lost if Lucifer and Lilith can't get to it up there," Berserk reported to Cayde and Vegetto. "We can't say for sure if this Hive is still able to reconnect with the King's network, but she's Eleki's sister... we ought to gather everyone and make our escape soon. The alternative is wiping them all out with her, but she could turn us all into pea-sized mush in a second. It's too dangerous to get close." She seemed at a loss for what to do to help them.
Bernkastel gasped and flinched away from the saw blades zooming past her and Avalon. Hearing Nia's low warning, she looked at him with urgency. "It can be thrown like a spear, it'll still trap her-- you could even throw it for Spina to use on her, but we need to think fast. There's no more time, she'll either be executed or she'll try to take this whole Hive down with us in it."
“This feeling of dread…” Detective Spawn said once the Xy’phers on the stands stopped cheering simultaneously after Gravita killed Xy’pher Broly. Observing her unstable behavior, and the cracking on the black crystals being more apparent, he turned towards the others. “Berserk is right. We need to bail out—fast. Never mind her powers, if that freak explodes, we’re done for.” He raised his head in an attempt to split opened a portal, but it failed. “Shit, the presence of Dark Energy is too much here…” Taking the account of the audience, with the Dark Energy suppressing their abilities, it’ll be very difficult to fight them off unharmed.
When he spotted Lucifer, the Detective shouted at him. “Hey fuckface! We gotta bail—I know you have something in your sleeve to get us out of here.”
“Hmm,” Lucifer pondered. Lilith finally came down, slithering through the rubbles from the massive explosions. There was something in her belly that she swallowed. No doubt that she managed to snag the Broly’s core. “No, I think you guys still have a chance. Let it play it out and see what happens.”
“Tch?!” Detective Spawn was taken aback by his comments. “You damn asshole—”
“Run.” Spina said, interrupting the Detective. He turned his head towards Vegetto briefly. Ever since that incident where they nearly fought each other back at Reflection City, they hardly spoke to each other. He’d simply held a cocky smirk before darting his eyes towards Bernkastel. “Save that for later. We’ll use that for the Red King.” In stylistic movements, until he made a battle pose. “I’ll hold her off. Get out.” A sudden rush of liquid appears out of thin air and engulfed the old Saiyan’s right hand. Seeing that Gravita still wants to battle, it was time to end things. She couldn’t last much longer—she was going to explode. His pupils disappeared as he once again attempted his finishing move.
As Spina rushed to her, Gravita let out a sinister, painful laughter.
"No one is runnin' from my show." She repeated.
Holding her arms up and warping the spacetime around her. The intense gravity was so powerful thanks to Dark Energy, that it forces nearly everyone, including the Xy'phers in the audience, to the ground. The Dark Energy engulfing Gravita's body so much that it tore apart, piece by piece. Those closest to Gravita, like the Breakers, would feel their bodies being crushed. Th Dark Xy'pher then started to show cracks all over her body, each one leaking Dark Energy, similar to how light escapes a person who is about to be Coin'ed. She stood in place, twitching wildly, before slowly walking towards Spina. As her body leaked more Dark Energy, it was obvious that she was moments from exploding.
"Breakers..." Gravita spoke, her voice nothing but a glitchy, gargled mess. "I am... the perfect Xy'pher. I am... beyond petty loyalties, I am... the True Red King." Despite the Xy'phers being pinned on the ground, they let out a scornful hiss. The utter audacity that she put herself above the Red King. The deadly effects of Dark Energy had corrupted her mind to the point that she was no longer a true Xy'pher. She was on the verge of becoming a "Behemoth."
She started to run towards Spina and jumped, reaching her arms out towards him like a child ready to hug their parents. Her body would continue to show more and more cracks, until the Dark Energy oozing from her body would orbit her, spinning faster and faster. It ripped her body to shreds and exposed her core, which was entirely consumed by Dark Energy. Her core was a literal bomb, ready to blow.
"I will die with you..."
Suddenly, her core cracked, and the entire arena was engulfed in a bright light, followed by a tsunami of pure darkness.
.......
.....
...
Moments had passed... before the light finally subsided.
"I finally managed to find you." A mysterious voice spoke out. "Right on time, too."
The gravity lifted from the Breakers and Gravita was nowhere to be found. Instead, they would feel a gentle breeze brush against their bodies, indicating that they were outside. The manor was nowhere in sight, instead, there was a crystallized castle before them. The crystals were all cut to perfection, and it made the castle incredibly beautiful to see. Any ray of light would dance off its walls in a glittering rhythm. All around the massive castle were smaller crystals that formed statues of chariots, knights, and bishops. In front of each statue was a row of pawns defending them. Near the four corners of the main castle were four giant rooks that acted as watchtowers for the never sleeping Xy'phers. Even the ground was entirely made of crystal, eating away at the soil and compressed it to diamond. Finally, right in the center of the castle, at the very top, was a gorgeous crystal flower-crown that oversaw everything. It looked similar to a lotus flower and was just as stunning.
All around the castle were Xy'phers, all with some form of armor on them. They all marched in perfect unison and formation. Some Xy'phers were moving supplies around while others were exchanging information, yet their primary task was the same: defend the castle from any intruders. However, not one batted their eye towards the Breakers, almost as if their appearance was not worth any concern.
There was barely any organic life in the area. No trees, no grass, no wildlife despite being in the middle of seemingly no where. There were hints that the castle was there for a while even before the King had arrived.
Before the Breakers stood a tall and skinny Xy'pher with armor that resembled a Knight. He stood proudly before them with the Xy'phers he rescued from Gravita's blast. He looked familiar to the Breakers, more so to Detective Spawn while he waited patiently for the Breakers to rise to their feet.
"The King is eager to see you, Breakers." The voice spoke again. "He has prepared a dinner for you; so best not have him wait."
"This had better not be a trap..." she thought to herself as she looked around the area, her headtentacle scanning the entire area to at least memorize the exterior of the complex, so she could tell Brachi all about it once they would meet again.
May says as she takes out a shield and slams it down in order to stop her from moving "... she may be going super nova." May gets behind her shield in order to block.
May thinks "this is way you don't use unstable material." As the bearer that was meant to keep the other Xy'phers' out of the combat aerial was broken. May thinks "so need to in prove defenses of the bearer units."
-------------
May says as she gets up "So we were that close oblivion, I don't think the king would wase that energy to prevent our and/or his underlings' deaths." May thinks "I wonder if this will end up as enemy of my enemy is my friend things, but our core values clash with the king's?"
May says flatly and as matter of flatly to the Brakers "I see little harm in playing along because regardless we do need to, we need to deal with the king one way or another. "
May thinks giving a quick look the shield and orbs she used a look over "they worked as well as expected but I will have to look over these later. Good thing I have a lot these."
Moments before Spina and Gravita collided, and the latter unleashed a destructive bomb from the cracking black crystals, Spawn knew that whatever their plans was futile. Anyone caught in in the vicinity of an explosion from Black Crystals were doomed to a thousand years as a Vortex Coin.
“I want you to keep an eye out on the Breakers. Specifically, Bernkastel. There are multiple sightings of her committing serious offenses… but something seems off. Keep an eye out on her, will ya?” A detective paused. “Keep an eye out for the angel and the fox-like creature as well. If you suspect anything… let me know right away.” He said. "I'll be investigating another incident in the meanwhile..."
A memory played in Spawn’s mind. The intense power of the gravity had forced everyone down, and their abilities were greatly suppressed. “Shit. Sorry Battler… looks like you’ll have to take over.” He thought about Wanda, his former wife that Valeria held. “God damnit—” The white light exploded in all directions, engulfing everything in sight.
---
-----
------
Detective Spawn opened his eyes as the light subsided. They were now in an entirely different area. Gravita was nowhere to be found, and upon further inspection, all the Breakers seems to be here. Alive and well. The effects of Dark Energy had disappeared, and their strengh no longer surpressed. “The fuck happened?”
“Seems like we managed to survive, after all.” Lucifer said. “Thought so. Thanks to this particular stranger.”
“Stranger…?” Detective Spawn turned to the armored knight that stood in front of Spina. His attack seems to never connect to Gravita.
“?!” Spina lowered his fist and jumped back a couple of feet. “Who the hell are you? What happen to that Xy’pher brat?”
“Detective Williams!?” Spawn shouted by seeing the Xy’pher. “They actually did turn you into one.” He wondered if Williams came in and portal the Xy’pher away before she exploded. “Did you come to recuse us?”
Spina turned his head slightly seeing that Spawn recognized him. “The one who wrote those letters.” He turned to Xy’pher Williams. He wondered why the Red King would send him to recuse them from the destruction. Especially if they were so low on the list in their grand plan.
“I have to agree with May. Dinner sounds lovely. It at least we can do after he fetch for us from that predicament. Besides, it is time for fine dining for all that battling, hmm?” Lucifer seems to look forward to it on finally meeting the Red King. “Nia darling. Should we expect any surprises since the Red King personally sought us out?”
Spina looked up towards the castle. Despite the perfect way it was designed, it seems all too familiar with him. “Wait, isn’t that…”
Both Vegetto and Cayde looked on with wide eyes once Broly was crushed, staring on in silence. The air changing instantly caught both of their attention, Vegetto glancing around with narrowed eyes while Cayde swallowed audibly, scanning the crowd of Xy'phers.
"I got a bad feeling about this..."
The rush of pressure suddenly took hold for the pair, Cayde stumbling a bit while Gravita unleashed her devastating power to pressure the entire arena. He grimaced a bit, the warning from Berserk now fulfilled while Vegetto raised two fingers to his forehead, his turquoise eyes straining a bit.
"Damnit...I can't sense anything through this energy!"
Through the intensity of the gravity, Vegetto's head lifted slightly with a struggled grunt and his eyes met Spina's once the older Saiyan had momentarily rejoined the group. No words spoken per the usual, but the flash of a cocky smirk and Spina's calm, collected stance in comparison to the shaking and trembling Vegetto, was all that was needed to dull the world around the Potara fusion. Vegetto's eyes widened in a combination of shock and rage; the flames bursting within like a lit match hitting an oil spill. Spina had achieved a power beyond anything Vegetto had produced; an efficiency and strength blended together in a form that Vegetto believed impossible. With that realization came only one answer for his ego: Vegetto was simply not as capable as Spina in that regard. In a new way, Vegetto was inferior. And with that smirk, Spina knew it too.
The toxic psychology began just as it usually did all over again, and Vegetto winced as he felt his very soul being burned away in that self hatred reignited. All the progress he made with Clark, the promises made to the fallen Kassava and Gogeta, undone in an inability to escape his nature. To compare himself to others was unavoidable; he loathed inferiority to anyone no matter how much he wanted to bond with others and losing tore apart his world completely. Yet despite the fire burning strongly within, Vegetto glanced back up and furrowed his brow. Internally, the sensation had changed. As if standing in a flame without being burned, Vegetto glanced around in his mind at the thoughts that rushed into his head.
No toxic energy swirled within his body this time, and despite Vegetto feeling clearly slighted by the move, he looked on without that blood boiling rage. In his mind, his memories flooded in of Spina's battle with Gravita; the sheer consistency and efficiency of his movements. The staggering heights were at Vegetto's capability in the Potara fusion's eyes, but the potential depth of that strength Spina now wielded was far beyond the ceiling Vegetto had placed for himself. Vegetto narrowed his eyebrows, looking deep to see the ceiling of growth he had placed on himself had now been shattered entirely through that example; the pride he clung to splintered into pieces in his mind. Instead, his own memories in mastering his energy to fuel his body beyond his capabilities mixed with the memories of Spina's recent fight, the culmination of the two creating an excitement that had been lost to the Potara fusion for some time. The tendencies of one fusee's destructive habits tore into his mind for so long, but the new motivation from the mindset of the other found its way to the surface once again.
The internal fire that once burned the Potara fusion raged on in his turquoise pupils, Vegetto's own smirk forming in meeting Spina's eyes
You may have won this time...but I swear I'll surpass you, Spina.
As soon as it began, however, Vegetto glanced around at the sight of the entire scenery being completely different. The Potara fusion didn't even realize he had been on all fours from the intensity of the battle moments before; so lost within his psyche that he missed a near universe shattering explosion. He rose to his feet in tandem with Cayde, who brushed himself off while he rose to his feet with the Breakers. Cayde glanced around, eyeing each individual and making note that everyone was here before turning to the knight being addressed. At the mention of food, Cayde's mechanical stomach ironically rumbled loudly; the gears turning audibly near the group as he rubbed his stomach.
"Yeah...food sounds really good."
He nudged his elbow at Vegetto standing next to him, his mechanical eyes forward with a grin.
"How much you wanna bet this Red King hasn't made anything as good as my spicy ramen suprem-"
A flourish of wind and pressure suddenly knocked the android back, Cayde completely caught off guard from the sudden outpour of storm force winds and tumbling onto the ground. He blinked in surprise and turned his head up at the sight of an enraged Vegetto powering up as the source. The golden aura of his own Super Saiyan form violently escalated; intense pressure from before spurring the rise of devastating energy. The near blood shot eyes dilating were fixated on only one target; the all too familiar castle of a different time period. The white gloved fingers clenched into fists, the gloves themselves contorting and crunching under the intense squeeze of hatred that dripped in the dual voice of the fusion.
"At last...I found your little nest...rat!"
Vegetto suddenly blasted up into the air, sending out enough wind to force Cayde into tumbling up to the rest of the Breakers. The android grunted, slamming into Spina's left leg while he looked up with wide eyes.
The Potara fusion floated high in the sky, towering over the massive crystalized castle while he kept his clenched fists raised and bent at the elbow. He bolstered out his chest, the anger in his expression still apparent despite a thunderous roar of pride and confidence filling the air.
"DOOOOOOM!.......DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
The surging golden aura grew immensely as Vegetto raised both of his arms up into the air, high above his head and his hands clasping together. His third and pinky fingers interlaced together, while his pointer and middle fingers remained locked and extended upwards like two finger guns pressed together. He leaned his head back, staring up into the sky with confiden, narrowed turquoise eyes while intense pressure flowed through his wrists; electricity sparking violently at the build up. Gradually, a pure beam of golden energy exploded upwards from his pointer and middle fingers; a brilliant flash of golden energy in the form of a sword rushing upwards. The clouds and sky itself nearly split apart from the intense whir of energy; mountainous in display while Vegetto continued to shout over the whir of the energy.
"Your dream is dead...your vision leads NO ONE! And when I finally...DESTROY...your castle...there won't be a trace of you left! I'VE WON!!"
The contorted rage in Vegetto's expression deepened, a crazed grin forming in place of the confident smirk as his turquoise eyes locked onto the castle fully, his arms reeling the massive energy sword back.
"FINAL EXCALIBUR!!"
Vegetto continued to scream at the top of his lungs as he shot downwards toward the ground, his arms swinging the massive energy blade like an overhead axe and attempting to slice the entire castle in half with the devastating attack.
Bage narrowed his eyes in frustration at Spina's final words to them, why did it always have to come down to a sacrifice?! It pained the detective to leave anyone behind, but they couldn't afford to lose here, not when they were so close to facing the Red King. He hesitated before responding to the group's plan to leave.
"....Right, then we'll be leaving this to Spina. Let's hurry up and-" Bage stated before being cut off by Gravita and being slammed into the dirt of the arena once again by her intense gravity. His breathing became heavily restricted and he began to panic as Gravita spoke, her last final message to the Breakers was proof that this would be where they met their end. No no no "NO!" That was all he could gasp out before shutting his eyes and bracing himself for the impact.
-------------------
Then suddenly there was nothing. Silence, a calm breeze, and a voice calling to him. This had to be the afterlife, he thought to himself., almost relieved that it was over... But then he opened his eyes and saw the gleaming castle before them and the crystalized stranger before them. They were alive!
"Detective Williams!" Bage jumped up in surprise before sadness overshadowed it. He had been turned into the very thing he had hoped for them to stop. Bage felt almost responsible for this. There was confusion on the Senior detective's face as the Xy'pher detective mentioned dinner with the Red King. He almost questioned and objected to Detective Williams's invitation, but With May and Lucifer agreeing to go along with it, he decided against it. "D... Dinner...?"
He turned to Spawn whispering to him while eyeing the Xy'pher knight.
"This is absolutely a bad idea right...? I can't be the only one who feels strange about this-"
His thought was once again interrupted as Vegetto rocketed into the sky, ready to attack the castle as a whole. He stared up in shock watching the Saiyan fusion. "Vegetto?!" He turned to the Breakers hoping for an answer that justified his behavior. "What's gotten into him!? We're in the middle of enemy territory!"
"What?! Spina, no! We can't just leave you behind-" Bernkastel objected, eyes widening before they darted past him to see Gravita readying her last stand. Immediately as she tried getting up, the gravity pinned her down to the floor.
"Shit! I can't move!" Berserk squeezed her eyes shut as the ground beneath her became stained with blood seeping out from her wrapped-up arm. The darkness creeped over all of them like an inky shadow, and caused the Powerpunk to brace for the worst...
Opening her eyes, Berserk was shocked to see the light once more. Glancing around hesitantly, she stood silently for a few moments.
"Are we dead?"
"We're still alive. But how...? It should have been impossible." Bernkastel was equally dumbfounded, eyeing their new surroundings with suspicion. The artifices of beauty in the architecture giving her an unsettling tinge of disgust; this was definitely a Xy'pher domain. No. The witch narrowed her eyes.
Could it be?! It's still standing after all this time? The shock of realization took over, deepening the sinking feeling innher gut. How did the Red King mamage to find this castle when Valeria couldn't?! Despite the utter lack of hostility coming from the Xypher army, Bern's tense body language never faltered.
Her eyes met the stranger speaking to them-- a Xypher knight, confirmed by the detectives to be Williams. Suspicion only raised at that. If this man ended up like this... what if the King's holding Cuki hostage right now? She's probably a Xypher too... The witch clenched her fist as she stood straight with Avalon off the ground. Why did he let us live?
"D-dinner? Wait... I'm a little confused here." Berserk put her free hand up, an incredulous look on her face. "First, nobody's explained how Cayde can eat food despite being a robot. And second-- do Xyphers even EAT? I don't eat rocks and this place doesn't look like a farm-to-table restaurant."
Meanwhile, Bernkastel glanced over to Vegetto once her realization was made. His prolonged silence said it all, still as a statue yet she could tell a deep rage would no doubt be brewing in his mind. Bern knew just how sore even a mention of Doom could bring up that dreadful feeling. His shaking fists prompted her to whisper towards him in urgency.
"Hey, no! Stop-- just calm down. Don't do it--"
But then he already launched himself into the air, screaming his intent to obliterate the castle at the top of his lungs. Bernkastel had been taken by surprise at this; she had already dealt with Gogeta's impulsivity before, it was all too familiar for her.
Berserk let out a shocked yelp, shielding herself from the blinding display by floating behind the group. "I-I'm not sure, he was just fine a minute ago! Cool as a cucumber!"
"This is Doctor Doom's castle. You know how empty his eyes get when he talks about it," Bernkastel answered. Vegetto showed signs of having a shorter fuse these days, but she had never thought he was this utterly unhinged about what happened. Dreading what might come next, Bern folded Avalon's fingers over the shard she had left him. "I didn't think such a madness existed deep within him. The mask has finally slipped."
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