The Reality Vortex: Red Reputations

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Ruins of Reflection City

Vegetto's grip on the Xy'pher did not waver; the arm strong in holding the creature upright while Bage commanded the Potara fusion to stop. The words spoken by Bage and Superman went on without an interruption or immediate reply from Vegetto; a small moment of silence forming. Yet soon, Vegetto spoke once more with a firm and resisting tone, the glare never once leaving the Xy'pher despite his words being clearly a rebuttal to Bage but directed at Clark.

"You told me long ago that being a hero means being more than just Vegetto."

Despite the bold claim of self worth merely seconds ago, the pointed words of frustration finally brought the true feelings Vegetto held within for as long as he knew Cayde and Superman.

"These people...these creatures...need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can't do that as Vegetto. Vegetto was flesh and blood...he was destroyed. But as you said...if I become more than just a man...if I become a symbol, then I become unbreakable...I become...everlasting."

His white gloved fingers tensed a bit on the Xy'pher's neck, his glare sharpening even further.

"And if I can't be the symbol of hope....then I'll be one of terror."

Vegetto bore his teeth in a viscous grunt, jolting the Xy'pher once more with a shake of his arm.

"Tell me where he is!"



Cayde stood still throughout the exchange; the eyes locked onto Vegetto across the way. With both Bage and Clark having stepped in to try and reason with Vegetto, the android found his worth better served in a different approach. The twisted ideology and failure to understand Clark's teachings were in part of the situation the group found themselves in, and just as Cayde initially suggested with the Breakers with Vegetto during their secret meeting, so too did the android prepare for the worst.

His hand had already unhooked the band on his holster keeping his hand cannon in place, his fingers wrapping around the grip of the gun and slowly pulling the hammer back in preparing to draw while he watched the developments on in silence.
 
"Please let's not kill the Xy'pher without asking the vital questions," Nia said as she tried to pry Vegetto's fingers away from the Xy'pher, failing miserably. "If you continue to squeeze its throat, it won't be able to tell you anything. Use your brain juice." Using her psychic powers, Nia was able to pry Vegetto's hands away from the Xy'pher just enough to free it. The Xy'pher tried to make a run for it but froze in place by Nia's powers.

"Now then, let's get this over with..." Nia sighed and began to speak in the Xy'pher language, pointing to May, Berserk, and Vegetto as they each address their question. However, as Nia questioned the prisoner, Avalon came closer to the Xy'pher and poked it with his scroll, remembering the trait of it being able to tell lies. He took a step back and sat down, examining the scroll with everything both Nia and the Xy'pher said. "...Is this normal?"

"My scroll will be able to tell if the Xy'pher is lyin'. That way we know the whole truth." Avalon nodded. "It works in real time, so don't mind me."

"Ah, I see. Interesting mechanic." Nia then turned to May first. "To answer your question, every Xy'pher, even our Elites, has one common weakness: our cores." Nia tapped her cracked core and proceeded to tap the prisoner's core (right on its forehead), causing it to flinch. "If you destroy our cores, then we will die, or rather, lose our physical forms. However, in this case, it's a bit different. I noticed these odd... coins-like trinkets inside the cores of the newer Xy'phers. When I destroyed a Xy'pher to retrieve its core, the core wasn't destroyed, almost as if protecting the Coin. The body disappears all the same, however, so I can concur that our weakness remains entirely the same."

Nia then pointed at Berserk, to which the Xy'pher spoke out and shuddered slightly. The name Eleki slipped from Nia's mouth as the Xy'pher hissed in disgust, similar to how he views her.

"The one known as Eleki is a Xy'pher produced by something called a... Black Crystal? It mentioned something about Dark Energy. The birth of that Elite, or as they call them, Dark Xy'phers, was unethical. The King took one of the superior Xy'phers at the time and forced the core and this crystal to merge. Many perished. The few Xy'phers that survived grew significantly stronger but incredibly unstable." Nia turned to the Xy'pher who pointed at Vegetto before lowering its head. "And it seems that Veh-Gee-Toe fought one. There is one more out there born of such revolting ways. He says that ever since the Eleki fight, this next one got upgraded by the King to protect against what he learned in the Eleki fight, and to make matters worse, it has a partner."

"Great... The Dark Xy'pher has a mini-minion." Avalon groaned before glancing at his scroll. So far, the Xy'pher was telling the truth, to which he gave everyone a thumbs up.

Nia and the Xy'pher mumbled back and forth together before Nia scratched her chin. "Ah, so he has one Dark Xy'pher and one Elite. A man with portal powers is his current ace, untouched by the dark energy. You Breakers are in luck, Elites take a very long time to produce. I guess that explains why the King is trying to use these Dark Xy'phers to replace the time gap..."


As Bernkastel headed through the portal, Zenta was behind her, carefully listening to the start of the conversation between Nia and the Xy'pher.

Well, if the others have not attacker her, then she must be trustworthy...

Nia then pointed at Vegetto, speaking in her language. For a moment, the two were speaking over each other before Nia smacked the Xy'pher on the head.

"The location of the King is somewhere far from here. It's in a castle lost in the middle of no where. This Xy'pher was aided to the city by the one who casts portals, so he doesn't know the way on foot, unfortunately. He says the King is always watching, and if you impress him, then you can visit him in the castle."

As Zenta listened quietly to the questions and answers, he occasionally blanked out, his mind still wondering and thinking about something else. The thought of the two captured Breakers could not escape his thoughts, so when Nia finished talking, Zenta took a step forward, holding his hand up.

"Excuse me, I have a question. I was wondering if this Xy'pher knows about the two Breakers that were captured. The Red King mentioned that he has captured two Breakers, but this was a month ago. Is this true or a ruse?"

Nia began to translate and quickly got an answer.

"It is true. The King knows some of you by name. He does not know the name of the two he has captured, but he knows both are Breakers for sure."

"How sure?"

"He saw them on TV or something, and through some espionage, he discovered the identity of a Breaker that was temporarily in your group."

Zenta flinched slightly upon hearing Nia's confirmation that there were two captured Breakers. He had his doubts, but now, he could not deny it. His mind instantly thought about Cuki, but even then, he did not want to assume that she was one of the captured Breakers. His persona changed drastically and visibly. His tails were twitching wildly, his body shook, and his hands were tightening into fists. For the first time, he was scared about what he was going to hear next.

"There was an escape attempt by the captured Breakers. One managed to escape, but the other was tragically killed by the King helping the other escape and turned to a Xy'pher. She is currently serving him."

"...Who perished..?"

"A girl with a tail."

Zenta froze in place, Nia's final words echoing in his mind. His fists eased up, his trembling stopped, and his tails relaxed. There was a small exhale from his jaws as he smiled, walking over to the Xy'pher being questioned. He circled the crystal being playfully, almost as if trying to make the Xy'pher feel relaxed. The air surrounding him, Nia, and Avalon grew thicker and the pressure rose. Something powerful was rising up, powerful enough to make it difficult to breathe, and eventually, it spread to the other Breakers.

"A girl with a tail, you say? Ah, how oddly specific..." Zenta chuckled. "I know a girl with a tail, aside from Lady Bernkastel, of course." The beast stood behind the Xy'pher and rested his chin on its shoulder. He was oddly friendly, almost too friendly. Tilting his head to Nia, his voice suddenly grew dark and venomous. "You said your King is always watching, yes?"

"Uhh, yes?"

"Good, let me give him a show."

Without warning, Zenta slapped Nia away from the Xy'pher, releasing her psychic hold on it. He gripped the Xy'phers ankle and lifted him into the air before violently slamming the creature on the floor multiple times, shattering it more and more upon impact. The Xy'pher was already dead on the first impact, but Zenta continued even when the Xy'pher was limp and motionless. Eventually, the leg of the crystallized being ripped off, yet, Zenta continued, this time, beating it with its own leg. Once the leg shattered to bits, he continued still. Stomping on its torso until it was turned to dust, the beast still refused to let up, pounding at the dust until it created a cloud around him, shrouding him briefly. Once Zenta stepped out of the cloud of dust, he was shining and dusting off the head of the Xy'pher, examining it like a toy. He stood there, saying nothing, as the dust slowly began to settle.

Avalon threw himself back, moving away from Zenta and the murderous aura he gave off while he overkilled the Xy'pher. He looked to the others, almost as if asking for answers to what just happened. It was getting hard for him to breathe thanks to a powerful pressure being released from Zenta. He was always so calm and collected, so watching him snap the way he did was more than just a shock. However, with no Xy'pher left to interview, any information they had was now gone thanks to Zenta's sudden burst.

"Zenta, you killed our only source of information!" Avalon said, wobbling up to his feet. "I-I know you're upset but... don't you think you that was overkill?"

"No." Zenta said as he approached Zenta, towering over him and watching him fall right back to the ground due to the pressure he had. He lowered himself to Avalon's height and held the head next to his maw. A wicked and demented smile began to form on the jaws of the beast as he held back the urge to laugh. "No, not at all."


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May says "In my experience Vegetto being a hero or a villain is all a matter of perspective." treating it as a matter of fact.

May says "In essence the coined types have that weakness resolved." May asks "So cores can be placed almost any were? If so, we need to look out for them? For the coined type all we can hope for is that hitting their cores stun them? If do Xy'phers end up a coin?"
 
Bage listened closely Vegetto's speech only earning a sigh from the Senior detective. However, his irritation was subdued once the Xy'pher began answering the questions of the group. He made sure to jot down all important information. Especially about the black crystal elites. It was going to be difficult to get to the king if they'll have to face another one of those dark Xy'phers.

One Zenta began asking about the two Breakers captured, the detective tensed, focusing in as Nia translated. So the rumors were true. Two people in their group had been captured and they were about to find out who. He could only hope... Bage's eyes widened as the Xy'pher mentioned a girl with a tail dying at the hands of the king before the captive was destroyed completely and brutally by Zenta. Zenta of all beings! The detective wasn't entirely sure if he was grateful or not that the Xy'pher hadn't finished clarifying any description of the girl.​

Frozen on the detective's face was mixed expression of disbelief and anger. Once Zenta finished his onslaught silence lingered in the air, and thankfully so. Bage needed a moment to process what just happened. He shut his eyes for a moment, collecting himself before responding in calm tone.​

"Do you feel better now?" He asked, frowning toward Zenta. "This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, especially you, Zenta. I'm sorry about Cuki... But An elite has already told us about this capture back in Metropolis now. This mission can't keep being thrown off course due to emotions! Whether we like it or not Cuki just may be a Xy'pher now. You should have come to terms with that long before this moment!" ​

It hurt to say, the sheer thought of Panich having been turned onto one was something he'd like to deny too. But the Detective's glare remained firm.
 
Vegetto's eyes turned down at the sight of Nia's attempts to pry the Xy'pher from his hand, the logic of destroying the Xy'pher making it through just a bit in his mind. Yet at the pressure of the psychic powers, Vegetto promptly flicked his wrist back in disgust, his glare strongly turning down onto Nia as he balled his hands into fists.

"Don't ever touch me like that again."

Cayde sighed in tandem with Detective Bage, dropping his hand off the handle of his gun while he watched on in silence as the answers came forth. His head turned once the others emerged from the portal, following Zenta, Bern, Spina and Gogeta while Zenta approached the pair of Xy'phers to pose the question about the captured Breakers. The android thought to himself for a moment, thinking on the first time who the captured Breakers could be. The footage of the Doom fight replayed in his mind, having spent many hours analyzing the same coverage of the Breakers during the fight mostly to understand their powers, but he remembered the girl that seemed to be missing from the original cast. Cayde furrowed his brow, the thought striking him in the notion that every time he brought up questions on what the main Breakers could do, Vegetto never clarified any information on the girl let alone even acknowledged her existence.

His eyes lifted over to Gogeta, who stood behind Bernkastel and when the news broke of one Breaker having perished in the escape attempt, the fusion immediately frowned and glanced off to the side. Cayde narrowed his eyes a bit; the strange behavior in seeing Gogeta, of all people, show some remorse at the demise of this mystery Breaker prompting his attention. Yet whatever brief reprieve he heard from Detective Bage's dropping of her name was short lived; Cayde watched on in near horror at the realization of how his friend handled the memory of Cuki. Vegetto raised his right eyebrow with a deadpanned, emotionless expression that was as empty as his dual voice when he spoke. Despite the harrowing lack of empathy present, his wording indicated a mostly genuine question that followed; a clueless expression on his face devoid of any emotion.

"Who the hell is Cuki?"
 
Bara was evidently shocked as she watched Zenta go off after this sudden reveal.

"Cuki... gone?!" She muttered, clearly horrified by the realization of this, before her expression grew serious once more... "whoever killed her will pay for this... they will drown in their own blood!"
 
Listening to Nia's translation, Berserk crossed her arms with an annoyed expression on her face. She groaned quietly to herself in agreement with Avalon.

"Well ain't that just great? Not like we didn't scrape past Goku alive as a Xy'pher or anything... On the bright side, it's just one elite and one of those Dark Xy'pher things. Bad news is we don't know how to deal with either type properly."

As the interrogation continued on, Bernkastel appeared with Gogeta and Zenta in tow before stopping a measured distance away from where Nia and Vegetto stood with the captive Xy'pher in hand. The Witch got the impression they were in the midst of questioning it and remained silent so as to not disturb the flow of information. Her expression was mostly relaxed as she listened until the question of the captive Breakers was brought up by Zenta.

In tandem with Gogeta her expression stiffened with an immediate frown, and she did not show overt shock. With a demeanor of what seemed like acceptance, she briefly glanced away before stewing on the details revealed to them. Bernkastel's brows furrowed pensively, wondering about the two captives associated with the Breakers.

If it really was Cuki who stayed behind, then who is the one that escaped? This was Bern's personal burning question. If they could figure out who the escapee was, and then track them down, the group could gain a huge advantage. But who was it? Whis hasn't appeared on television, but if he escaped, he'd likely be able to seek us out with ease... And yet, everyone else in that fight was effectively deceased.

"Hmm... Does it happen to know who--" Bernkastel stopped as she looked up to see a large plume of dust kick up from a sudden outburst, holding her arms up to shield against any flyaway debris. Eyes wide, she stared ahead to determine what happened. Assuming it was Vegetto due to his proximity and volatile nature, Bern's glare remained until the dust settled to reveal it was not the fusion... but Zenta himself.

Berserk stood there, speechless at Zenta's sudden display of violence. Clearly not ever having seen him like this before in the time she'd spent by him, the Powerpunk glanced around to see if the others were just as surprised. She wasn't sure what to do or say, as Zenta's presence carried a dangerous air around him.

Bernkastel looked on as Bage moved to try and speak some sense into him, her eyes drifting to the Xy'pher's scattered body part fragments until she found its head in Zenta's hands. Realizing he had killed it, her eyes narrowed and her sleeves balled up into fists. Of all the things one could do, interfering with Bernkastel's ability to draw lines of logic with vague information was a great offense. With anger clearly simmering, she grit her teeth before hearing Vegetto speak.

It cut through the air like a knife, and yet Bernkastel was so stunned she thought she had misheard him. "Who?! Wh-- You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, face livid with shock.

Berserk, took a small tiptoe forward to sneak past the group before zipping to Avalon's side. She sensed that right now was a good time to get him out of Zenta's sight. Holding a finger to her lips, she grabbed his arm to start moving, looking around for Nia in case she'd relinquish cooperation.
 
As each person spoke out in protest to his actions, Zenta simply kept his attention on Avalon, even as Berserk dragged him away. To both youngsters, even though he didn't move, it felt like the beast was ready to launch himself towards them if they made a wrong step; however, the sensation moved slowly died down as Bage began to lecture him on his actions. In a way, when Bage talked down to him, it made the beast realize the terrible action he did.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, especially you, Zenta...

Bage is right... Zenta thought silently as he lowered the decapitated Xy'pher head. His shoulders slumped slightly as he felt his head stare right at the floor. What has come over me..?

There was a moment of silence and shame for Zenta. He glanced at the head of the Xy'pher before letting it slowly roll out of his hand and onto the floor. His depressed sigh was followed by his tails falling limp on the floor. He knew he messed up big time, especially in such a crucial part of the mission. Whether Cuki was the fallen Breaker or not, he knew that deep down, Bage was right.

At the end of the day... I have to come to terms with this. I am used to this, so why is it so difficult to keep my composure..?

As Zenta pondered to himself about what is wrong with him, Vegetto's voice rang out in the silence he made for himself. The serene silence that was around Zenta instantly began to turn to a low rumble, followed by the floor cracking under everyone's feet. His placid tails began to twitch wildly and uncontrollably. Snarls and growls began to simmer out from Zenta's jaw, which now exposed his gums and canine teeth. The pressure in the air rose greater, so much that it would cause large fissures in the ground and force levitation users to the ground. The city rumbled harder and weak structures near and far began to collapse from the pressure. His visor cracked under the immense weight of the air, and particles of energy from both the Breakers and the air started to gravitate towards the beast.

Avalon slipped away with Berserk, remaining quiet thanks to her sneaky antics, yet, Zenta already had him paralyzed with fear. He did not understand it, nor did he know where the fear came from, but there was something about Zenta that made his very bones frozen with terror. Within Berserk's grasp, he shook violently, yet his body was hot. Was it fear? Anger? Thrill? Even Avalon did not know, yet, all he could do was stare.

Nia, on the other hand, dug herself out of the ground, spitting out rubble as she rubbed her cheek. The pressure from Zenta's rising aura and power prevented her from floating. As Berserk and Avalon crept closer to her, she, too, grew scared of Zenta's presence.

"W-What is the Dog doing? ...Is this normal behavior?" Nia whispered to the Powerpunk and Avalon. "His presence is... terrifying and vicious."

Zenta's body shivered with anger with Vegetto's simple question, but as the energy particles began to circle around him, they grew larger, absorbing into his body and creating an image made entirely of a wisp-like aura. As the beast turned around, his attention was solely on Vegetto with his arc stretched out, hand open as if to grab him. He moved slowly towards Vegetto and the aura-like image was more visible to him. It was enormous, towering even the tallest buildings in Rogue and Reflection City. The image was that of a demonic looking fox with strange markings, chains, and multiple eyes, all locked on Vegetto. Every slow step Zenta took towards Vegetto made the Fusion feel as if there was a magnet pulling him towards the beast, particularly his hand. The energy absorbed into Zenta's body turned red and swirled around his hand chaotically, entirely opposite to how he normally controls energy. It was entirely violent and volatile.

I hope to find Vegetto one day so that we can be a family again, y'know? I know he's bummed out about Kass', but maybe if he comes back with us, then he won't be so lonely. In a way, I know how he feels... it's the same feeling when I lost you, Master... I don't want him to feel alone anymore, it's a horrible feeling...

"Cuki is the only person that cared about you when there was no one else left in your life, Vegetto."

Zenta finally reached Vegetto and stood in front of the Saiyan Fusion, his hand just an inch from his chest. The magnetic feeling that pulled Vegetto to Zenta's hand was stronger than ever, yet, if Vegetto were to move his body, he felt perfectly normal. The wisp-like demon fox lowered its head to gaze directly at Vegetto with its many eyes, salivating as it watched him. Zenta's hand gently brushed over Vegetto's chest and balled into a fist, pulling back something. Within Zenta's balled up fist was Vegetto's entire energy/aura being yanked out straight from the Saiyan's body. It was slow, but to Vegetto it felt like he was having his literal life force tearing out of his body. The wicked red aura around Zenta's hand morphed into worms with teeth, slithering within the Fusion's aura, eating it bit by bit. To Vegetto, it felt as if his whole body was going into shock or a heart attack, but thanks to the grip Zenta held on his energy, moving a single muscle felt like moving boulders.

"Is that... Vegetto's actual energy?" Avalon said to himself, feeling the situation getting worse. "Holy crap..."

"Perhaps your question is genuine, so I will answer honestly," Zenta said, yanking out more of Vegetto's energy. "Cuki gave me the same feeling that Kassava gave to you: A reason to change."

The beast snarled under his breath as he gripped the Fusion's aura harder, causing the wisp-like worms to act more violently. The demon-fox watching down leaned in closer and closer, opening its large jaws and leaning forward towards Vegetto. There was no mistaking it, the demon-fox was preparing itself to eat Vegetto's aura. If the worms were doing this much damage to Vegetto, the fox would do worse.

"But since both of them are gone... we have no reason to continue... yes? Come, Vegetto, let me show you the world I lived in; a world without Cuki or Kassava..."

Avalon bit his lip, listening to Zenta and realizing the situation went from bad to worse. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop Zenta, nor would he be willing to, but he had to be stopped. If Zenta is willing to go this far with Vegetto, who knows what he'll do to the other Breakers. He gently pushed Berserk away from him, but never once left her side. His hands balled into fists, but his entire body shook like a leaf.

"Zenta, enough! Killin' Vegetto won't bring Cuki back and you know it!" Avalon shouted. "What about Bernkastel? Doesn't she matter to you? Didn't she help you change? And Gogeta? You said you were proud of him! They're your family too! They gave you a purpose! You said so yourself!"

Before the maws of the demon-fox chomped down on Vegetto's aura, it stopped in its place while Zenta's ears twitched to listen to Avalon. For those precious few seconds, the entire world stood still.

"Listen, Bage is right. Our emotions are getting in the way of everythin'. We've been a mess since day one, but we have accomplished a lot since then! If the King stays one step ahead of us, then you'll lose more than just Cuki," Avalon pointed to Bernkastel and Gogeta, then to the rest of the Breakers. "You'll lose everyone else too. Don't let the King take away Bernkastel or Gogeta or your new family... You can help them, but you need to stay focused on the task at hand!"

There was a long moment of silence between Avalon's last sentence and Zenta's reaction. The Demon-fox pulled its head up and disappeared into particles that were reabsorbed into Zenta's body, and the worm-like tendrils squirming in Vegetto's energy disappeared. Zenta released a sigh and opened his hand, releasing Vegetto's aura as it quickly zipped back into his body, stabilizing him. The pain was still there, lingering. The beast took a step back from Vegetto, turning his back to the Fusion. For the meanwhile, the beast was back to his calm ways, yet his tails were still twitching with agitation. He took a deep breath, trying his best to recompose himself. Did Zenta truly intend to Kill Vegetto, or was he simply finding ways to cause him pain? His actions no doubt caused a huge problem for the Breakers and he held his head in shame.

"...Forgive me, Breakers..." Zenta seemed to address this particularly to the Breakers, completely ignoring Vegetto behind him. "Especially to you, Lady Bernkastel. I understand if... you have second thoughts of me."
 
Vegetto’s eyes turned to Bernkastel, and despite the clear malicious nature of their relationship, he stared back at her questioning with an unchanged expression. Rather than a cocky smirk or taunting follow up, he stared back at Bernkastel with a look of pure indifference that began to slowly morphing into confusion in seeing such a reaction prompted from the witch.

Yet soon, the overbearing presence of Zenta’s malicious intent prompted Vegetto to look back, seeing the taller beast approach. His body immediately tensed up, the confusion prominent as he stared up at the massive fox that signaled an impending attack. He gasped in surprise once his very life energy began to siphon away once more, his eyes instantly narrowing and twitching under the intensity of the drain. Yet despite the damage being done from the wisps tearing into his very energy, Vegetto stood tall with a determined glare; recognizing a similar pattern in the technique used by the Librarian that nearly erased him from existence.

Come back.

The Potara fusion shut his eyes tightly, and to most looking on, it would seem as if the man was submitting to his own demise. He stood tall throughout the siphoning; an energy building with Vegetto’s core that rose in tandem with what was lost. Yet the drain itself began to shift, and soon, the entire ordeal ended as quickly as it began.

However, with Zenta turned back towards the Breakers and issuing his apology, Vegetto opened his eyes slowly. The calm and near serene display throughout the siphoning of his very life force a direct opposite of the normal demeanor he displayed, yet now, the familiar hatred in his eyes having manifested once more. He twitched in his movements, struggling a bit to even stand under the damage done until the energy flooded back into his body.

However, once his strength returned, Vegetto immediately hurled his left fist forward as the energy empowered his body once more, Zenta having completely ignored him giving an opening for a cheap, heavy blow to the beast’s back that sent him crashing into the ground.

A flourish of the black energy swirled around the fusion as he spaced his legs, tending his arms in preparing to lunge forward. Whatever words were spoken on the explanation of Cuki and potential for Vegetto to understand where he made a mistake had little effect on his demeanor now, Vegetto’s eyes trained strongly on Zenta as if the beast was no better than a Xy’pher or Doom himself.

“Is that all the servants of Doom can do? Steal from their superiors? They may see you differently now, but I always knew you were nothing but a Doom boot licker like the witch. Get up, and finish what you started.”
 
"Um... uh... I dunno," Berserk answered Nia with a small voice. She held her arms close to her heart as she stared at the towering demonic apparition that appeared before them all. She couldn't hear anything besides the pounding of blood in her ringing ears, and her vacant stare never left the creature. Berserk had never seen anything like it before; she was so frozen by fear that she nearly stumbled when Avalon pushed her back. The entire long process felt like eternity as she held her breath for fear the creature would come after them next.

Bernkastel too was silent, watching the creature move towards Vegetto in what seemed like a trance. Her expression looked to be more of surprise than instinctive fear, yet even this demon was not something she had ever laid eyes upon. For several long moments, it didn't register to Bern that it was actually killing Vegetto by draining his life force out from his body. By the time she fully comprehended what she was looking at, it was already over and Zenta had stopped the attack.

Bernkastel didn't immediately respond to him, or rather she didn't know how to. She seemed to have forgotten why she had even been upset in the first place, as though the demon fox wiped her mind to a blank. Flinching with alarm, she called out to Zenta once she saw him felled to the ground by Vegetto's fist. "Zenta!" 

Quickly running past the others, she knelt by his side, ignoring any sense of danger that the beastman was possibly liable to lash out still. A look of stunned confusion took over her features at the insults Vegetto threw towards herself and Zenta before she clearly was livid with fury towards the Fusion. Consequentially, by getting close to Zenta she placed herself in proximity of Vegetto, who radiated toxic black energy. One hand on the ground started to sink her sharp nails into the dirt, a murderous aura seeping out from her small body in kind.

Impudent pukespit! Make him pay! Her inner voice shouted, urging Bernkastel to act. Humiliate him by maiming him enough so he can prostrate himself while begging you to spare his insignificant life! Then grind him to dust beneath your shoe! Revoke his privilege to continue drawing breath! These overtly malicious thoughts were no doubt spurred on by Vegetto's enigmatic black energy.

Bern grit her teeth, clearly trying to resist the temptation of retaliating. No...! This is what got in the way just now-- But if I deliver the punishment... no, I'll still be the one to pay! I can't! Lowering her head to avoid gazing at anybody directly, she placed both hands on Zenta's shoulders.

"No... Don't give him what he wants. Don't let him win," she stated, though it sounded like she was warning herself rather than Zenta. Taking in a shaky breath, she only slightly tilted her head towards the Fusion. "Out of everyone here... you should know better than to call me that." It seemed to take all her focus just to talk, as she seemed to put the rest of her willpower into not moving from her spot.
 
"Are we done with this tomfoolery or what?!" Bara then asked out loud, clearly annoyed by the display in front of her between Zenta and Vegetto, "I'm sick and tired of us going at each other's throats when there are more pressing matters at hand! We grieve the loss of Cuki too, so we must see to it that she did NOT die in vain! We have to do something to avenge her for one, but how can you expect to avenge her and honor her memory by just going at each other's throat's like this?! This makes you no better than Doom, that Red Dictator or any other villain for that matter! Cuki would be so ashamed to know what we've become right now, even after all this mess with been through at this point in time!"
 
May says flatly "Outside the fact that death not permeant with in the vertex, Bara has a fare point." 07 asks "what do you mean mistress?" May says "Bara seems to know that we need to put somethings aside to deal the king. I would like you to remind people about this circle death rules and what the king's dos with coins 07."  07 says "Yes mistress." 07 says in a teaching tone "Normally what happens since doom is someone dies a coin is produced and with time the person will be revived. What the king dos is use these coins to revive people to make them into his underlings."

07 asks "way did you order me to tell them that?" May says "simple to remind them the situation we all in. Now and under normal circumstances within the vertex."
 
Ruins of Reflection City

Before stepping through the portal, Spina halted his movements after sensing a familiar presence lurking behind him. With Bernkastel, Gogeta and Zenta already departing from the scene, the old Saiyan turned his head slightly to take a gander of the figure; much his surprise, it was Null Knight. He waited a couple of seconds for the favored hero to speak, but the Knight simply stood there.

“What do you want?” Spina asked. “

“I didn’t have the chance to say this during our last encounter in the café.” Null Knight raised a finger. “You need to leave the Breakers. They will simply hasten your development further.”

Spina furrowed his eyes, but he was confused on what the Knight was talking about. “What are you talking about—”

“You heard it, did you? Even caught a glimpse of it once or twice in your dreams and such? That monster that lurks in you; with it multiple eyes. It’s even filling your body with its energy.”

Spina paused when Null Knight specified further. He was aware of seeing something in his mind once or twice before but justify it as mere trickery from Roya’s technique.

Seeing that Spina knows about the strange monster, Null Knight nodded once before removing the helmet. Her short brown hair flow lightly due to the slight breeze of wind; the edge of the hairs indicates that it was badly tore and hasn’t grown evenly. Her vivid colored, cracked eyes stared at him with intensity; it was no doubt that it was Hart Kimber. There was glimpse of Dark Energy etching on her face. “I’d advise you to leave; otherwise, it’ll simply pave the road for your ruin, as it did for me. Get away and find solitude; at least, you’ll fine. If anything, you could always join the Atomic Flare.” Her eyes sharpened, before placing her helmet back on. “That’s the warning I wanted to say.”

The old Saiyan didn’t fully comprehend everything she was talking about, but he understood the aspect of isolation. He took another peak of his left arm before returning his eyes towards Hart. “Hmph. Thanks for the warning, but I still need to fulfill something first. Besides… I’m waiting for a battle with a rival… a friend.”

Seeing that Spina have no intentions of leaving the Breakers, Hart nodded once. With no other words left, both parted ways; Hart disappearing and Spina entering the portal to Rogue City.



Ruins of Rogue City

Clark stood there as he watched Vegetto imploded once again. After resisting any attempts to be reasoned with, the Kryptonian’s heart ached with sadness. It was one thing that Vegetto missed the point of his teaching on being a hero, twisting it as a mere ego-boost to appraise his name. It’s another that this supposed toxic energy he felt earlier could spilled over the others, and perhaps could explain a few things of his behavior; and he was not completely aware of its effects. But what truly hurts him the most was the distorted view Vegetto held towards his “friends”. Friends are the clear bastion; in his mind, it was completely unacceptable for Vegetto to treat them in such manner.

His eyes trailed away from the fusion and eyed Cayde reaching for his gun. A sight that the android is preparing for the absolute worst left Clark hurting even more. He doesn’t know the Breakers too much aside from maybe an occasional blip here and there, but nothing at this point justifies Vegetto’s behavior. The Kryptonian furrowed his eyebrows to decide what’s needed to happen.

Things intensified even further when Zenta swipe up the Xy’pher and crushed it with ease. Any further vital information was gone; they were left with mere crumbs of what they could’ve used as an advantage over the Red King.

Detective Spawn clenched his fists in anticipation of Zenta’s sudden outburst and murderous intent. “Finally shown yourself…” Most of his strength recovered, the Detective pulled out chains coated with green energy out of his cloak. He was ready to strike against him after seeing Zenta literally dragging his physical energy out of Vegetto but stopped after Avalon managed to talk some sense into him. Despite Zenta apologizing to the others, Spawn was unconvinced and still held onto his chains to react to anything else that would descend this further into chaos.

Such dive to further the travesty in this attempted interrogation, Vegetto had struck Zenta from behind in retaliation and Bernkastel rushed to the beast’s aide. “Now or never… Soul Destruction—”

Spina stepped in front of the Detective, stopping the latter from issuing his attack. No words were exchange, but Spawn didn’t continue his attack further as the old Saiyan walked forward. After hearing everything, from the information Nia provided to now, Spina crouched down, placing his hand on Bernkastel’s shoulder. “Calm down.” A rather blunt and firm comment. In a span of a few seconds, a burst of insensible and unknown presence from Spina’s body; outright negating the volatile toxic energy that was spilling out of Vegetto. There was a moment of life in Spina’s left arm, but soon went numb right afterwards.

No words were uttered from Spina to Vegetto. There was no need. No reaction, no comment, not even a hint of emotion towards him. Just sheer indifference as he left both Bernkastel and Zenta off the ground. His eyes trailed away, eyeing Clark for a second before returning to the duo.

Clark’s eyes sharpened when he met Spina’s gaze. He knew that Vegetto wasn’t going to take this lightly after Zenta nearly attempt to kill him; his mindset was far too gone at this point to back down. The Kryptonian was familiar with Zenta since both of them were working with Doctor Doom for various circumstances. And based on what he saw and felt, Zenta was quite a formidable foe that held an outstanding power; something that interested Doom to recruit as a means to delay, or kill, the Breakers for a while at the time. And from that, from their brief exchange with one another at the time, Clark knew bit about Cuki since Zenta talked a lot about her. He’d assumed, since he didn’t see Cuki nor Cross, that they were on vacation. If what the Xy’pher says is true, he could understand the sheer frustration Zenta had when Vegetto asked the dreaded question. To forget someone like that… is extremely painful.

Fearing that Zenta and Vegetto would fight, resulting a dangerous situation, Clark realized the meaning behind Spina’s gaze. He turned to Cayde, looking at him one last time before furrowing his eyebrows. Tightening his muscles, the Kryptonian dashed forward and tackled Vegetto. It was so fast, that it looked like they completely vanished into thin air. Clark, holding onto Vegetto, dragged the fusion against the snowy terrain away from the ruined city towards the mountain ranges.

------

Once they were far away enough, Clark jumped over Vegetto, looking down on him with sadness and anger shown clearly on his face. More, it was a sheer disappointment that was the most expressive of them all; like a disappointed father towards his children when they messed up something huge that can easily be solvable. He exerted his pressure; so much that it forced the fusion to lay on the ground to a screeching halt: he’d knew that Vegetto would attempt to move out of the way or attempt to battle, but he wasn’t interested in a fight; it was a scolding.

“Vegetto… being a hero is more than just you. It’s more than just a title nor something for people to praise you. It’s about being an inspiration, and I think that, because of what you went through, will not only make you feel better. It’ll honor your wife’s memory tremendously to see how far you come. It’s a long road and you’ll make a lot of mistakes like I did… but when you get there… you’ll see what I mean!! And when you get there… I’ll be waiting…to truly show you my true power as a hero.”

Such memory flooded Clark’s head as he raised his fist and slammed against Vegetto’s chest. A single punch generated enough shockwave to force all snow around him to jump 1000 feet into the air. It can still be felt all the way to Rogue City.

“Be careful… when you fall down the rabbit hole of heroism, the concept of hero turns into a very toxic mindset. Where you no longer become an inspiration, but rather than embodiment of fear. Sure, it could work—but then, it’ll consumed you until you’re nothing more than paranoid, unpleasant and untrusty person. I know a guy like that…”

Another memory as Clark came down on the fusion with another punch. Over and over again, Clark repeatedly punched him as tears ran down his cheeks. He didn’t utter a single word to him; instead, letting his punches do the talking.

----

Lucifer didn’t utter a single word throughout this entire situation. He never had the chance for asked his question. Instead, he stood there with a wicked sneer on his face. He turned to the others; most notably, Detective Spawn and Zenta. Based on their interactions alone, the angel’s suspicions are seemingly confirmed. “Dearest leader; our intel had perished by the hands of this beast, but we got something out of it. What shall be our next objective? What would be those that are clearly detrimental to the mission?” He asked but there was something malicious behind it.
 
As the situation bellowed down, Avalon felt a wave of relief and let out a sigh. He turned to Nia and waved her off slightly.

"Nah, he's not normally like that... He's actually the one I least expect t' be mad, y'know, 'cause he's so calm and stuff." Avalon then turned to Berserk, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently as to not spook her out too much. "You okay, Powerpunk? I think the situation will settle down. ...I hope."

Zenta remained silent until he was sucker punched to the floor by Vegetto. His face dug into the dirt and the rumbling began once again. His aura started to turn malicious, and he lowly started to lift himself off the ground. Yet, he did not pounce nor did he attack again, instead, the immense pressure he gave off began to mellow out into the familiar tranquil energy he is known for. The beast felt as if fighting with Vegetto would be pointless, given the circumstances and the situation they were in. His ears twitched upon hearing the voice of Bernkastel, yet it was Vegetto's words that lingered in his mind the longest.

Is that all the servants of Doom can do? ...Get up, and finish what you started.

No... I will not go back to that. Not again.

Only when Bernkastel placed her hands on his shoulders did he felt a wave of ease flow through him. The sensation of shame and warmth came to his body upon lifting his head to see Bernkastel. To the Witch, she saw a reflection of her face on a cracked visor and dirty fur, yet, despite not being able to see his face, his expression was clearly that of pain and sorrow. While there was no certain proof that Cuki was one of the fallen Breakers, the mere thought of it hurt him all the same. All he could do was hold Bernkastel close to him, almost afraid to let go of her. 

"I... I am so sorry you had to see that disgusting side of me, Lady Bernkastel. ...I'm so sorry..."

He wanted to speak more, but he simply could not find the right words to say in this situation. Suddenly, his attention quickly diverted itself to Spawn. As Spawn approached both him and Bernkastel, the beast immediately pushed Bernkastel behind his body as he rose to protect her. His spread his arms out and bared his canine teeth while he snarled. He is willing to take the full blow that was mean for the both of them. He would easily throw his life away for the Witch, and with no second thoughts. It was true what Avalon said, he thought of Bernkastel as family. He was willing to die for her.

However, it never came to be once Spina came to stop Spawn the fox eased his stance and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he straightened himself out so that he rose to his usual posture. He barely noticed Vegetto taken away from the scene, nor was he particularly interested. Maybe it was for the best. Even though his looked calm and composed, his tails were twitching occasionally, which showed his true feelings.

"W-Well, are you alright now, Zenta?" Avalon said out loud, breaking the silence. "Now that Vegetto's out of the picture, we should be simmerin' down, right?"

"Yes. I... want to apologize again. I did something that ruined a vital part of our information gathering. ...Bage is right, I let my emotions get the best of me, how foolish." Zenta sighed and let his shoulders slump before turning back to Bernkastel behind him. His expression showed depression, a deep seeded depression. A depression that is older than the Witch herself. "I am so ashamed of my actions... Perhaps I am not worthy of being your servant, let alone your... friend. I am simply too... dangerous. Not just to you, but everyone else. Maybe I should... leave, for your safety, My Lady."

"Damn, Zenta's takin' it hard, eh?" Avalon whispered to Berserk. "Should we do somethin'? I mean, he might've lost his only student, that's kinda harsh. He can't just leave, right?"

"You must not give up, Doggy," Nia said. "You can overcome any trials you come across, especially putting down the King. You simply need to think before you leap. The humans taught me that mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them," Nia used her psychic powers to lift the head of the fallen Xy'pher and pull out its core from its head. "As for our next objective, I am able to sense Xy'phers nearby and there's a place I have been keeping an eye on. I don't have exact proof, but I think it might be a hive. I can take you there but you must be prepared, I suspect a Dark Xy'pher to be there."
 
At the counter argument presented by Bernkastel, Vegetto stood with his arms still tensed. His scowl lifted off Zenta for the first time, turning onto Bernkastel. His eyebrows furrowed heavily; the raging thoughts within his own mind fueled by the very same source that had affected her inner turmoil.

Stupid little witch!! Make them pay! Beat them within an inch of their lives, and teach them to never challenge your commands again!

At the same discipline and teachings from both Superman and Cayde to let go of his anger and ego, Vegetto softened his expression slightly. His mind briefly lingered on the truth of the matter; even his own memory knew what he had said was wrong. The retort spurred his memory briefly to think over the Doom trials as a need to find anything to rebuff Bernkastel on her claim. Yet his mind only landed on the angered words of Zenta spoken merely minutes ago, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Cuki is the only person that cared about you when there was no one else left in your life, Vegetto.

The intention of the original statement now contorted; Vegetto grunted in anger once more as his mind focused not on the positive of Cuki's attempt to lift the fusion up, but on the damning line of having no one left from his original life. He focused intently on the pain of that death once again, the memory of Kassava vaporizing in his arms burning strongly as fuel for the anger that he brought forth in his mind. No matter what logical truth could be found in the matter, the emotional turmoil the Potara fusion brought forth overwhelmed the sense of reality and in even further pushing down the rabbit hole, Vegetto's scowl intensified in his hatred while he glared down at Bernkastel before speaking out once again.

"Then why was it only me...who lost everything?!"

The belligerent and venomous delivery of the words showed a true resonation of Vegetto's emotional state. The accusing remark made no sense in context; Bernkastel herself had no hand in the demise of Kassava. Yet Vegetto stood with a hateful glare down on the witch, having seemingly turned the blame onto her in a strange contradiction. However, Spina's arrival as he moved up to Bernkastel and Zenta while he waited for his answer prompted his attention. To a rational and contained individual, Spina's lack of recognition would normally mean nothing. Yet to Vegetto, the Potara fusion could see beyond what a normal individual should feel; the lack of recognition twisted and contorted all too clear in Vegetto's mind as a willful act of disrespect.

Vegetto's eyebrows raised dramatically, the enhanced rage induced contortion of his expression rapidly encompassing his face at the sight of Spina. The destructive mentality now urged on the need to strike out against all three, and as his rage boiled over, the black energy expanded even further. Yet Spina's technique suddenly nullified the black energy surrounding Bernkastel and Zenta; Vegetto's eyes looking onto the strange dispersal and seeing the black energy radiating in the areas Spina's technique did not cleanse. As well, Vegetto's eyes turned down onto his hands, blinking in confusion.

Is this...me?

Before he could continue the thought, however, Vegetto lurched forward under the body slam from Superman and the two disappeared high into the snowy mountains above the ruins of the city.



The entire ordeal of Zenta's attack had put Cayde on edge, the android narrowing his eyes instinctively. He watched on during the struggle between the two; having stayed his hand while Vegetto resisted against the draining technique. Yet he drew his weapon in hand, and knowing full well his intervention would do very little against the titans in play, Cayde stood tense and ready to intervene on Vegetto's behalf despite the warning signs before.

He only frowned as things died down ever so slightly; the simmering rage still boiling from the one who continued to aggitate. While Zenta had invoked combat in his attack on Vegetto and the android agreed in needing to put the threat down, Cayde stopped at the submission from Zenta shortly after. His eyebrows remained narrowed in conflict: an apology for attempting to kill someone was little to no recompense for his behavior, nor was it fair in his mind for such a reaction to even occur despite how horrific it was that Vegetto forgot Cuki's literal existence. But the fact that the beast had stood down was enough for Cayde: it did not matter who was right in the end. What mattered was that both wanted the salvation of the team deep down in his eyes, and with Zenta having disengaged from the destructive course, only one remained in continuing down the path of self ruin.

Cayde's eyes lifted solemnly onto Vegetto; he could not speak out and knew whatever he said would do nothing to stop his friend. In truth, Zenta had earned a fair reaction in his eyes: the strike to kill should not be dismissed with a simple apology, and the android understood that at least in the immediate situation, Vegetto was in the right to seek revenge for the attack. Yet he knew Vegetto had to be stopped for his own good: in constantly chasing little victories for himself, Vegetto had lost his way around the big picture.

The android glanced to Clark, meeting the Kryptonian's eyes in the silent exchange. A saddened expression formed on his face in the silent reply, offering only a small and curt nod of approval at what was about to happen, before Cayde's hood and cape whipped around to the side from Clark launching forward at Vegetto. His eyes followed the two as best he could, and once the two were gone from the scene. The android sighed heavily, dropping his hand cannon back into its holster and stood upright; his body visibly twitching. His eyes shifted, seeing for the first time that Gogeta had moved up next to the android. While the others had moved to the aid of Zenta, Gogeta had stood back in conflict of the situation as well. The fusion wanted to lash out initially at Vegetto, yet Zenta's actions prompted him to stand down. Gogeta could not put it into actual thoughts at first, but the situation felt too conflicted in both sides to stand behind one in his mind.

The android stared at Gogeta briefly for a moment, before turning his head forward with a tired tone behind the mechanical voice.

"Consider that a good lesson, kid. It doesn't matter how right you are...lashing out in emotion doesn't help anyone."

Gogeta frowned slightly at the comment, knowing Cayde's attempt to teach him on the matter a bit. The fusion remained silent for a second, his eyes shifting a bit onto Cayde and seeing the android trembling; a nervous and fearful reaction for sure now that a resolution had come.

"You're shaking. Are you ok?"

Cayde sighed heavily once more, attempting to control the jittery movement but spoke with a defeated tone.

"No kid...no. This...hurts..."

Gogeta raised his right eyebrow, and despite a twinge of emotion in his expression in realizing how this situation was similar to his outbursts, he spoke with a confused and nearly dead tone in his dual voice.

"Why? Vegetto's gone now."

Cayde nodded abruptly, continuing on that thought in a way that Gogeta had not intended. The fusion had meant the words in the most literal of sense, but Cayde continued on with a solemn voice.

"Yeah...that might be what happens. Clark and I made a deal when we first met to do what is necessary if he's too far gone...and all I can hope for now is that he'll come back around and Clark won't have to put him down. That's why you should really learn from this bullshit, kid: lashing out in emotion just isn't worth it. And it's the people you care about most that suffer the most when you do."

He paused for a moment; the android's eyes forward.

"You don't want to end up like him, do you?"

Gogeta's frown deepened, and his eyes trailed up towards the snowy mountains. He narrowed his eyes a bit towards Vegetto's energy signature; the fusion drawing a solemn expression on his face while he watched on.

"Yeah...I don't want to end up like my brother."

Cayde kept his head and eyes forward; the bright mechanical eyes studying Zenta with a solemn tone.

"I wasn't talking about him."



The Snowy Mountains of Rogue City

Vegetto had barely registered what had happened as Clark slammed him into the ground, his eyes wincing a bit from the force of the impact. The first blow to his chest immediately prompted his eyes to go wide; visibly hacking in pain from what equated to a sucker punch due to Vegetto not expecting such an attack from the Kryptonian. He rocketed around under the snow and rubble that fell around him from the rocketing of Superman's blows; contorting and winching heavily in pain. Blood seeped from his nostrils and the sides of his mouth as he struggled against the immense damage. Vegetto quickly gathered his own energy, a surge of power within his core mounted and the godly blue ki returning in full force to send out a massive surge of energy in every direction. Vegetto roared violently, throwing out his energy to simply push Superman off of him in a destruction wave of energy that blasted most of the immediate mountains surrounding the two into nothing.

Vegetto collapsed down onto one knee, having transformed fully into a Super Saiyan Blue in the surge of energy and coughing violently. His left eye had swelled a bit, the scratches and blood littering his skin and blood streaming down his nose onto his undershirt from the sheer damage left in the wake of Superman's beatdown. Vegetto widened his eyes in both a frenzied state of panic and confusion; his dual voice showing an emotional hurt in his words while he clutched his chest as if he were genuinely confused at what had just transpired.

"What the fuck Clark?!"
 
Pressing her lips into a hard line at Vegetto's retort, Bern continued to resist malicious thoughts accumulating within her. Then she caught her reflection staring back at her with the same look of restrained disgust. Wordlessly placing a finger on Zenta's visor, she traced a line along the crack that gave her mirror image a distorted appearance.

You again...

At seeing the fox-beast sit up to give her a hug she froze out of both caution and surprise. Listening to Zenta she tried to understand what he was apologizing to her for. Wouldn't a summon like that be something to be proud of for overwhelming an opponent? Why had he not used it before, or surely when he worked for Doom? Her brows then furrowed upon seeing Spawn approach them over Zenta's shoulder, weapons in hand. Bern tensed up defensively seeing the man prepare an attack.

Yet he stopped when Spina walked past him-- Bernkastel stayed put on the ground but never took her eyes off of Spawn and Vegetto. Not until Spina put a hand on her shoulder; and suddenly she felt that dark swirl of negative emotions dissolve away. Her mind was clear once more. Bern met Spina's gaze with brief surprise almost wanting to ask how he could tell from afar what her state of mind was.

With a moment to finally collect her thoughts unhindered, the gravity of what just transpired sunk in. Compared to other times when Vegetto would say inflammatory things on purpose, the question that set off Zenta lacked the intent his following remarks had. Such a small detail utterly baffled the Witch. Either way, was the attempt on Vegetto's life justified?

No. And yet, I also nearly fell into that temptation... Bernkastel thought, scolding herself for losing face just because people like Vegetto and Brainstorm knew which buttons to push.

She sighed, conflicted on what to say to Zenta since he did just place her in immediate danger from an acting Spawn. "Look... what happened was completely unnecessary but I'm sure you know that now. It came as quite a shock, since I thought you made peace with the fact that anything could happen to Cuki since the day she left. The feeling of powerlessness is a burdensome thing, isn't it." Bern paused for a few moments. "I no longer have the luxury of searching timelines due to the nature of the Vortex. But the future remains malleable; perhaps we can reverse the King's effect if we retrieve Cuki's coin."

"However," her tone stern, "We can't help you if you won't let us. Sabotaging our objective by taking it out on smallfry won't get your student back any faster. We need all the information we can get. Understand?"

Berserk blinked a bit, coming out of her shocked stupor from Avalon grabbing her attention. She gave a half-smile and weak chuckle. "Me? Sure, I'm fine... mostly. It just gave me a startle is all." She fell silent, looking at unease from hearing Lucifer.

Bernkastel turned to look at Spina, unsure of what he would say. "I don't know how you feel about Zenta, but I do not intend on leaving a friend behind. Especially not now, with a Dark Xy'pher out there. The prospect of facing one sort of unsettles me... if it's anything like the last one we can't afford to lose any manpower. But if we're together, just like last time, we can definitely defeat it." Shyly, she placed her hand on his left shoulder and gave a smile. "I trust you."
 
Ruins of Rogue City

“How disappointing.”

In reaction to everything that had transpired, Lucifer’s tone was a whiplash between two emotions: boredom and discontented; a contradiction towards his present, and usual, devilish demeanor. Tilting his head, the angel’s eyes alone pierced the Breakers like darts on scented ice.

“This exhaustedly, laughable squabble no longer bears any entertainment. Instead, it’s a grueling drivel nonsense unworthy of repetition.” Lucifer’s expression didn’t waver, referring to the continuous farce between Vegetto and Bernkastel. “And because of such discourse, it became the pinnacle obstacle that derails the main objective.”

“An opportunity to gain critical information regarding the Red King and his innumerable accomplices of the unfortunate, only to be derailed ever so brilliantly by the usual suspects; this time, with Zenta joining the tussle. But it provides nothing new to the table that hadn’t been covered ad nauseum.” Lucifer paused, his smile everlasting. “Aside from confirming my investigations on the matter, Zenta. Think of it as consequences for preventing me from asking a critical question.”

A sharp turn of his tone was explicitly clear when Lucifer turned to Bernkastel, but not out of anger. “What a pitiful state you’re in.” His eyes squinted, “Getting intoxicated off a halfwit god’s arrogance and anger; to fall victim to his feebly aura; and to shamelessly reduced your own freedom in exchange for some temporary splat or attachment, thereby bringing yourself down to [his] level for nebulous reasons. I’d assumed that you, of all people, should be very much aware of deities’ addiction towards victories are a constant need and never truly satisfied, oh mastery of miracles. You’ve disgraced yourself, child.”

Lucifer placed his left hand forward. A slight surge of light burst on the tip of his fingers. “I’ve engaged in quarrels if it beneficial for the Breakers’ growth. I’ll be happy to shatter any deity-like individual’s reality to appease my boredom. But I will not idly stand by and bear witness to the Breakers’ potential of gaining Creator Essence taken away and in turn lose their freedom; whether by the Red King or anyone.”

“[They] were entertaining, but their comedic routine has deteriorated and their purpose is fulfilled. I disagree on the notation that we need everyone. I’m fully confident that the Breakers, aside from the usual suspects, is perfectly capable of handling this on their own. A full night of rest is more than enough, and we should depart at dawn the following day so Nia can lead us to the next Dark Xy’pher; without Vegetto, Gogeta and Brachi, just to see if the Breakers can do something without being derailed nor distracted by insignificant problems.” Lucifer made an suggestion for their next step. "Zenta should come with the Breakers; however, he’d still has plenty of surprises.” He cackled slightly.

The Snowy Mountains of Rogue City

Clark slid backwards following Vegetto’s destructive outburst of energy, but it did not waver his intent. As the energy steamed off his white t-shirt, the Kryptonian dashed forward to quickly closed the gap between them, seeing that Vegetto’s hatred was replaced with utter confusion. “Did that wake you up? Good.”

Placing both hands on Vegetto’s shoulders grabbing onto his attire tightly. This was never intended to be a battle. “I don’t understand what’s going on here. You were beaming with excitement to reunite with the Breakers after some time. Yet, you are treating them as they were mere pebbles for you to step on. What’s going on, man?”

Clark spun around rapidly and hurled Vegetto into the air, following him afterwards. “Is it that toxic energy that you were dispelling earlier? Was that the side effect of becoming truly an energized being that pushing away your friends?” He asked, hoping that perhaps something simple as a negative side effect was affecting his psyche. “Or you’re telling me that somehow and someway, you’ve gotten worse? Please, talk to me, friend.” He clenched his fists tightly.
 
Ruins of Rogue City

Cayde sighed lightly as the atmosphere subsided even further, the tremor on his bodies nearly ceasing entirely. In practice for his constant struggle to aid Vegetto in his growth, the android had grown very rapidly in his ability to detach from a situation and follow the advice he gave to Gogeta merely seconds ago. Vegetto's potential death unnerved him at the start, but Cayde stood now with an empty mind, almost as if he completely removed the Potara fusion from his memory. He thought to himself in a mix of both pride in himself of nullifying the harrowing damage of emotional turmoil, and somewhat shame at being able to so easily detach from those he cared about. A lifetime of losing friends in war required such a strength and view on life, as he rationalized it in his mechanical brain, and soon Cayde found himself listening in once Lucifer spoke.

However, having expected the angel to engage in another bout of coyish play with the Breakers, Cayde watched on suspicious curiosity from the moment Lucifer spoke. Ever since the first encounter where Lucifer threatened to kill the entire team if Vegetto lunged for him, Cayde had attempted to offput the angel with his own sarcastic, humored behavior. A game of sorts, to probe and unearth what the angel truly intended, worried if perhaps it was warranted to immediately remove Lucifer at the soonest possible moment like Vegetto had urged. Yet Cayde watched on silently, and to see the current take that Lucifer had on the matter, the android slowly relaxed his shoulders. The angel had spoken truths on the matter; the three names listed had without a doubt, hindered the goal to defeat the Xy'phers. And while he initially believed it foolish for Lucifer to argue for sending a team in without some of the most powerful fighters on the Breakers against the King, Cayde thought on the fact that the angel himself nearly annihilated everyone by himself. Regardless if the angel would fight on behalf of the Breakers, Lucifer would at least be a reputable judge of skill and power in the analysis of the team in Cayde's mind.

However, the second Lucifer made his command, Gogeta narrowed his eyes in immediate frustration. The fusion spoke out at the end of the angel's comments, balling his fists together.

"Hey! You can't tell me what to do! I'm gonna fight the King whether you want me there or not!"

Cayde quickly sauntered up in front of Gogeta, a similar reaction of a familiar fusion having been easily read by the android. Cayde pushed back slightly at Gogeta, who turned his glare down onto the android as Cayde spoke.

"Hey kid, c'mon. Maybe it isn't such a bad idea; you do kind of...destroy a lot."

Gogeta kept his frown, his agitation growing.

"But I helped."

Cayde cringed slightly, canting his head in a small shrug of his shoulders with a high pitched tone in his voice.

"did you though?"

Gogeta's scowl grew as he prepared to push Cayde out of the way by force, prompting the android to quickly throw up his hands and speak in a rushed voice.

"Ok ok, you did...but! I think it'd be best if you...you know...sat this one out and worked on that control stuff we talked about. You gotta let it go: you know we almost died cause your brother was goaded by Lucifer...so you and I both know...he's too strong for you."

Gogeta's nostrils flared immediately at the comment, the pride being invoked and Cayde speeding up his speech.

"But that's ok because you can always get stronger! Just...now isn't the time...it'll go over very badly for everyone. Especially your friend, the witch."

Gogeta paused at the prospect given, the anger simmering at the thought. The fusion momentarily glanced towards Bernkastel, being mostly out of the way and almost out of earshot, but soon glanced down towards the ground. He kept a stern scowl on his face, a clear resistance and struggle to consider the path Cayde presented to him. However, after a brief silence, Gogeta turned his eyes back onto Cayde with a firm tone in his dual voice.

"Will you keep her safe?"

Cayde blinked, stepping back.

"Me? Kid, I'm just a guy with a gun. Your friend's way stronger with her magic so she won't need my help. Even more...you taught her how to punch well! She'll be fine, don't worry about her."

Gogeta kept a small frown at the explanation, and while the fusion showed no sign of humble acceptance or happiness at the sly compliment Cayde played into the assurance, the fusion did noticably soften in his stare. He stood silent for a moment, still struggling to openly accept the outcome and Cayde leaned forward a bit with a playful tone.

"You even heard it yourself; fighting the King is going to be boring! He's not even tough, just uses tricks to protect himself right? So why don't you go help out Clark with Vegetto, huh? I'll tell ya, you'll have way more fun with them than the fight with the King. Clark may be playing it off as helping your brother becoming a hero and being better, but it's really not about that."

Cayde stifled a small chuckle.

"He just really loves fighting Saiyans and pushing himself, just like you. So go help him out; I'm sure he could use your help calming down your brother and maybe, you can get some decent training in."

Gogeta kept the same frown on his face, thinking to himself for a moment. His eyes then slowly lifted onto Lucifer, a momentary glare of anger and hate forming from the ego that was wounded by the angel's command, but Gogeta soon shot up into the air and dashed towards the surge in energy that Vegetto had put out moments ago, leaving the Breakers behind.

Cayde let out a deep and heavy sigh at the fusion's departure, turning on his heel and making his way up to the team. He paused at the notion of what to say for a moment, before expelling any sort of emotional language on his face as he half shrugged his shoulders with an aloof mechanical voice in following up Lucifer's plan.

"Hey, he's got a bad taste in food...but he's not wrong. So dawn it is?"



The Snowy Mountains of Rogue City

Vegetto's eyes remained wide, the approaching Kryptonian putting him on edge. Caught offguard by the onslaught and responding in a damaged state like a wild animal, Vegetto's pupils twitched violently in attempting to read the situation. In his mind, he held no understanding why his closest friend in this reality was now destroying at him; his ego still defending his actions as if Vegetto was the victim. He listened on and struggled in defense, holding back in avoiding retaliating with his own offensive attacks to turn this situation into a real battle.

Despite the measure of control, the situation was only escalating further; Vegetto's control on the matter slipping in that every forceful move Clark made in swinging and hurling him into the air pushed him closer to lash out in retaliation. His dual voice broke slightly, his eyes narrowed in a heavy frustration.

"Me?! It was them Clark!! I saved them from the Xy'phers, I gave them my home! And all they've done is spat in my face; they're the ones trampling on me!!"

Vegetto tensed his arms, his eyebrows narrowing slightly while he clutched his fists. The toxic energy began to rise once more; the pressure from his ego mounting in defense building as he spoke.

"I have to teach them to respect me! And the only way they'll learn is if I teach them the same way that bastard taught me; through pain!"
 
Bernkastel slightly raised her eyebrows, since it was rare for Lucifer to put away his laissez-faire attitude.  Almost immediately her expression became sour to angry. "Excuse me? Disgraceful? Who are you calling a child!? Why you--" came her initial outburst, looking indignant that she'd come under fire so unexpectedly with an insult she detested. Being called short was bad enough! Part of her also probably was childishly annoyed he didn't bother to scold Zenta who actually had nearly slain Vegetto on the spot. Bern narrowed her eyes and squinted towards Lucifer suspiciously.

"What is this all of a sudden? I- Of course I'm aware of that! It's because of that I've managed to get every Witch who's challenged me to surrender without fail. Just what are you getting at here!?"


"C'mon Bernie, don't front. If it wasn't obvious you were doing it before, it is now with that look on your face," Berserk said.

Groaning under her breath, Bern kept her scowl and stared towards the floor.

"I am not! It's just... I--" Bern began her retort but trailed off. She clearly wanted to deny it purely for feeling exposed, but what good would that do if she was ashamed by the very thing she saw in her reflection? Bern groaned under her breath.

"Okay, fine. It's true-- I wouldn't pass up on any chance to wipe that smug smirk right off his face. I think it's funny. But this time it wasn't me! It's got to be some kind of new technique he's using since I've never seen that energy around his body before. I don't know why it only seems to work on me-- but whatever it was, it was like..." she trailed off, not sure what words to say without it seeming like she was lying. "It was like my thoughts were out of my control. Every other time I decided to but not just now. I really had to fight it... like if I gave in, I might not know what could've happened. Of course I'm ashamed."

Simply admitting it was a struggle for the Witch's sense of pride. If someone made her lose face, it was unthinkable to let it slide. If she laid there and took it, how many more times would it happen before Bernkastel's presence would be no more demanding of acknowledgement than a doormat? Squinting at the angel again, Bern looked somewhere between irritated and confused. "But what about it? That is hardly noteworthy to anyone, let alone you."

I feel like I've been insulted! But it's hard to read him. Times like these really annoy me... The witch remained silent for several moments as she tried to sense out a way to poke holes into what Lucifer was saying. It struck her as odd to be receiving such a demeaning scolding for what she thought he felt was appropriate towards egoistic gods. Though she herself wouldn't call Vegetto a 'proper' god, shouldn't he be enjoying the fact she could knock Vegetto's ego down a few pegs? She had a good guess about what a Creator Essence was, but it only served to obscure Lucifer's point to her.

The most alarming thing to the witch was that Lucifer seemed clearly displeased with Bernkastel and she had no idea why. On one hand she never had any intent on catering to his whims. On the other, however, she wasn't in any position to argue about that due to being indebted to him. On more than one occasion Lucifer chose to aid the Breakers in a way they otherwise couldn't manage. And he saved her life a few times now. If he finds that I'm being ungrateful, he might relinquish doing any more favors for us in the future, she thought with a disgruntled expression.

As more long pauses passed, Bernkastel began to look increasingly frustrated. However, with no retort available she just crossed her arms with a silent glare out to the distance.

This is the longest I've seen her go without talking... she looks totally stumped. Looks like all it takes is to put her in a corner like this in front of people, Berserk thought with a bit of worry. The punk cleared her throat awkwardly after watching Gogeta leave without another word after talking to Cayde. "Hey, uh... I didn't get a lot of that, but I think I have a good idea of what he's getting at here?"

Eyeing Berserk for a second, Bern scowled with a stubborn pout. "...I can think for myself thank you very much," she said quietly.

Guess she's used to being on her own for stuff like this... Berserk sweated. "I can tell. Heck, if you overthink any more about it you might hurt yourself. How's about I give you a hint?"

Bern nodded her head once.

"All right! So, back when I was with my sisters I actually fought a lot with Brute over who got to be the leader. I thought it should be me cause I'm super smart... but she's super strong. It'd get really heated sometimes and we'd fight. I lost more times than I've won actually, and I'm running a long losing streak." Berserk said with a sheepish grin. "It took me a lot of ass-kickings to realize I wasn't ever going to win. I was just wasting time pestering Brute and dragging the team down because I was so obsessed with winning. I just kept asking to fight and never stopped to think WHY I was weaker than her."

Bern started to relax listening to Berserk's story. "Oh..." shame creeped onto her face as she slowly started to put two and two together.

"In hindsight, we probably could've ironed things out. But I already went so long without training and it put a lotta strain between me and Brat. She just wanted us to get along so we could all be badasses together, but neither of us would listen. So for now we decided to split up."

Bernkastel rubbed her arm awkwardly as she thought over what Lucifer said again. "I... I see.  So I shouldn't bother playing Vegetto's game... because what I'm really doing is just hindering myself and making things harder. When you put it that way, it really does seem pitiful doesn't it?"

"And it can make you lose sight of what's really important to you," Berserk smiled. "It sucks being called a kid, but looks like Lucifer figured out it's the only way to make you listen. Would you have wanted him to keep quiet instead?"

"...No..." Bern grumbled behind her sleeve before sighing. "Then... please excuse my outburst," she apologized to him awkwardly. "I'll try to be better than that and just ignore Vegetto." If she heard the last part correctly, it sounded like Lucifer would deal with Vegetto easily if he tried to make Bernkastel acknowledge him by force. Even though her magical power was immense, Bern still was vulnerable to melee attacks. "It's like Berserk said, I need to focus on what's really important to me. I also vowed to become stronger after all..."

"Damn straight! As for me, I don't care what ya do Grandpa. Just make a good plan and I'll bring my A-game tomorrow for sure!" Berserk said excitedly. "Right after I raid the nearest kitchen for some grub around here..."
 
May asks Nena "is there anything we need to know about this hive?" May wishes to know what advantages will the Xy'phers have in their hives or any disadvantages the group will have with in the hive.
 
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