The Reality Vortex: Red Reputations

Status
Not open for further replies.
Nia peaked her eyes open to see the massive castle before her, and in an instant, her skin went pale. For a moment, she was entirely at a loss for words, until Lucifer brought her attention back to reality.

"Errm, not that I'm aware of." Nia bit her lip. "Though this is the first time the King has invited anyone... You guys must've really piqued his interest... Better keep your guard up."

"Yeesh... talk about a near-death experience..." Avalon grunted as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off in the process. "If I were to take a guess, I think that's the Central Hive you were mentioning earlier, right, Nia?"

"Indeed. The King is definitely in there..."

Zenta groaned as he picked himself up from the floor, shaking his fur clean of dirt and dust. He made sure to pat himself down, just to make sure he was still in one piece and alive. Checking the area, he also noticed that the Breakers were also all alive and well. Letting out a sigh of relief, he felt a wave of easiness take him despite returning to the familiar castle. As usual, he made his way to Bernkastel's side, carefully putting her on her feet while listening to the conversation between Detective Bage, Spawn, and Walter.

"Dinner? It could be a trap." Zenta said in a low voice. "We are in no condition to fight back either..."

"Rest assured, Zenta, the King has no intention to kill you yet. He simply wants to talk, and he is very excited to meet you all." Walter said confidently before turning to Spawn. "Not rescue, no, more like escort. See, I used my portals to transport you here and the Traitor somewhere else. She ended killing herself off, so it saved the King the effort of disposing her." Walter shrugged. "She exploded somewhere far away, the child is someone else's problem now."

Walter snapped his finger and a small portal appeared next to his right. Sticking his arm inside, he pulled out a planner and a crystal fountain pen as the portal quickly shut closed. Walter began to scribble something down and closed it. This time, a portal appeared to his left and he dropped his planner in the portal while it closed.

"I'll send Scouts to gather any Coins caught in the aftermath. We can use the area to study this odd energy further, so we can harness it properly."

However, Walter's attention quickly darted to Vegetto and his sudden outburst. As Vegetto rose to the sky and prepared his massive attack, Walter seemed indifferent to the attack on the castle and did nothing to prevent it. The Knight Xy'phers watched the massive attack rise above their heads and aim directly at the castle. They refused to move, almost as if something is telling them to stand down. Avalon gasped at Vegetto's sudden attack while Zenta seemed almost used to it at this point, yet, nonetheless, he, too, was shocked.

"W-Wait! No!" Nia shouted. "Stop! The barrier is too strong!"

As soon as Vegetto's energy sword slammed down towards the castle, it stopped, hitting something invisible and incredibly dense. It was a barrier similar to Nia's, yet, it glittered and glistened with the rays of light, almost like a rainbow. Upon hitting the barrier that protected the castle, Final Excalibur snapped in two, like a delicate piece of glass, sending the end piece flying off into the sky. It flung down and landed near the Breakers where the blade slowly dispersed its energy and disappeared. None of the Xy'phers paid any attention to the incoming attack and continued their duties as if nothing happened.

Avalon fell flat on his butt as the split end of Excalibur landed directly in front of the Breakers with a massive thud. He kept his grip on the shard Bernkastel gave him, holding as tight as he could. What could he do with it that Bernkastel could not? Seeing how easily Vegetto's attack was broken in two made him realize the dire situation they were truly in. If a massive attack like that was deflected with ease, what hope does he have in this fight? In a way, he felt so small next to the Breakers.

If Vegetto couldn't even scratch the surface of that barrier... then what the heck can I do? Avalon's grip started to shake in Bernkastel's hand, and his fear was starting to show. I'm just... a sittin' duck! Dead weight!

"W-Was that... the King's barrier..?" Nia said in a voice mixed in awe and fear. H-He's stronger than what I remember..!

Walter watched on as Vegetto's attack shattered without dealing any damage to the barrier protecting the castle. Once the flying piece hit the ground, Walter dug in his pocket, plucking out a crystal watch, and cleared his throat.

"Yes, it was." Walter disliked talking to Nia. "Anywho, are you done? I heard that venting anger is good, but you seem like the sensitive one..." The Xy'pher Elite faced the Breakers before turning his back to them and facing the castle. "I know you must have plenty of questions, but save them for dinner. Let us make haste, the King does not like to wait, and neither do I."

Walter snapped his fingers and a large portal suddenly opened under the Breaker's feet, and another opened under Vegetto as he was in the air. The Breakers fell through the portal, while the portal near Vegetto swallowed him. Eventually, all of them would meet in the same place: inside the castle. However, it felt both slightly nostalgic and new. The interior of the castle was absolutely breathtaking, with brilliant crystals shining at every moment. At this point, there were signs that it truly was Doom's castle, yet, the Red King had modified it so much that it barely resembled the castle interior the Breakers knew.

The room the Breakers were in was enormous, with ceiling high windows proving natural light in the area. There was a gentle and comforting breeze that swayed thin white curtains hanging from the windows. In the center of the room was a dining table made entirely of transparent crystal with gold and other precious gems. Even the plates and silverware on the table were crystallized. Above the table was a glorious chandelier with such a complex design, it was captivating to see, almost taking the breath away from those who viewed it. Angelic statues, guarded by Knights and smaller Xy'phers littered the hall. Traditional Xy'pher art was plastered on the ceiling. By each chair stood a crystallized Xy'pher Knight. They stood like statues as they awaited orders. The scent of fresh food whiffed in the air as Xy'phers dressed as chefs began to set up the table with food fit for royal guests. It wasn't crystallized, either! Actual food! It looked very inviting and the Chef Xy'phers worked gracefully to set up everything as the King instructed.

Finally, at the end of the table is an elegant throne made of the finest crystals. The way the light shined off them turned them into rainbows, transparent, and mirror-like all at once. Next to the throne, on each side, were two marvelous statues of two Xy'pher Knights.

Everything was so sterile, so magnificent, so perfect.

"Good, everything is prepared. Please, have a seat, the King will be here shortly."

The Xy'pher knights pulled the chairs out for each Breaker to have a seat. There was no hostility and no malice coming from any of the Xy'phers.

1661748012372.png

1661748207909.png

1661748223973.png

1661748493713.png

1661748506811.png
 
Bara looked around.

"This place does look impressive..." She said, absent-mindedly wondering if there was any candy or something around for her to snack on, given that she is a Majin and therefore a sweet-tooth, although she has no problems with handling other kinds of food as well.
 
Bage's landing into the castle was a bit sloppy but he managed to land on his feet. His eyes scanned the giant dining area and despite it being complete crystals, it almost felt homey. The smell of the freshly cooked meal filled his nostrils, but he remained alert keeping an eye on the other knights as they seemingly were generous enough to pull out the chairs for them. Even if he was hungry, there was no way he would be fooled by this fake hospitality. He slowly approached Bara, seeing her eyeing the food in front of them, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be fooled, that food might not be what it seems," Bage mumbled to the Majin, enough for the Breakers around him to hear. A million thoughts, from poisons to crystal detonation devices crossed the Detective's mind as he watched the food being placed. "Be wary."
 
The Central Hive

“Here we go.” Lucifer opened an umbrella to block away all the incoming clouds of smoke and debris that emerged from Vegetto’s sudden flight to the sky.

Detective Spawn tumbled back few times before stopping. “What the hell has gotten into him?!” He was much in the dark as Detective Bage; the seething anger from Vegetto’s face confused him greatly. Upon hearing Vegetto’s screaming rant, and Bernkastel’s clarification on his sudden anger, Spawn turned to the castle in realization.

“This was the castle that Valeria sought out—” Detective Spawn held such thoughts. “I was under the assumption that it was entirely destroyed since she never found anything about it. At the very least, nothing but a pile of scraps. But here it is… in its full glory. Only crystallized to the liking of the Red King.”

Seeing the immense build of energy spiraling out of Vegetto until it shaped into an energy-like blade. The seething intensity of expression and irrational tirade made him out to be a crazed man. To be frank, what set him apart from Gravita who expressed similar sentiments at the face of her own demise? Perhaps, Spawn assumed now based on Lucifer’s earlier comment, that Vegetto had killed off Clark.

Spina, moments after Vegetto blasted upward, soon in silence and kept his eyes locked on Xy’pher Williams. Since Bernkastel and Vegetto confirmed that it was indeed the Castle of Doom, the old Saiyan clenched his fist: unclear whether it was anger or something else entirely. He turned to Cayde after the latter tumbled to his direction. He didn’t need to know the context despite not looking: the man had seemingly lost it. Nevertheless, Spina wanted to see if the Xy’phers were going to do anything since they looked unshaken by the massive attack coming down towards the castle. If Williams was able to transport Gravita elsewhere with ease despite being a bomb, then he should not be underestimated.

To no surprise, the castle was protected by a powerful barrier in a similar vein to Nia. The energy blade snapped in half, one of them landing just front of Spina. “Hmph…”


The Crystal Castle

Before any of them could say anything, they were transported to the castle and landed in dining room. Unable they haven’t even scratched the surface of castle’s complex design; it was clear as day that they were in the very building that started [some of] their downward spiral.

“Doom’s castle…” Spawn looked around, but he was impressed of how perfectly cut the crystals were at the very least. “Yeah. I wouldn’t bother eating anything.”

Powering down, Spina agreed. “Bring the bastard out if he went all that effort to fetch us.” He in said, feeling unease of being in the castle once again. “Forget the commodities.”

Lucifer, however, already took a seat on the dining table and began eating. “Oh Breakers, have some manners.” He took a bite. “The food is quite delicious. The meat is rather tender, and perfectly cook medium-rare.” He turned the meat to the side, showing the Breakers how it was glistering. “Just like a brilliant diamond. Perfection. Seasoning on point and balanced well with good sauce and garnish.” His eyes peered towards other plates. “Not a lick of toxins. Pure flavors.” He turns to Cayde. “You must try it, noodle bot. It might enlighten that robotic tongue of yours into something exciting.” He took another bite of the meat. “Come, Lilith. You must try this food as well. It at least we can do for preparing such delightful dinner.”
 
Last edited:
May says unaffected by the blast "So far it's with expiations." As she moves with the group. " May thinks "so this is doom castle. I gest we stumbled onto an interesting fine."

---------

May says as a matter of fact "I got to partly agree with Lucifer on that point but is not proper manners too what for our host before eating?" May seems to be whiting for the king before she starts to eat.

May looks around and thinks "I wonder how long they will hold off before fighting wend the king comes before us?"
 
The horror and shock manifested clearly in Vegetto's eyes at the sight of his attack snapping in two. He audibly croaked at the sight of such ease behind the barrier, his eyes momentarily glancing around to see the lack of care or concern from any of the new inhabitants. The warnings issued of the barrier being too powerful, Walter's commentary of the failure, all of the voices muffled together within Vegetto's mind as the realization slowly dawned on him. Vegetto nearly trembled at the massive weight that began to creep back on him; years of work undone in an instant. He had moved on from the immense battle, he had buried his own guilt and hidden behind the costly victory against the Breakers' original nemisis. And even though Valeria threatened the stability of his fragile world, Vegetto still maintained his distance from the truth. A truth he hoped to deny by chasing such a small victory in destroying the castle.

Yet the Potara fusion trembled violently, shaking with swollen eyes in a timid fear as the muffled warnings and voices were drowned out by the boisterous, proud laughter of Doom filling his mind. His outstretched arms trembled and tensed up, his memory flashing back to the sight of the skeletal Dr. Doom floating before him. The bones shined like diamond; blinding in their brilliance. Vegetto's mind felt the desperation once more; victory was mere inches away from his grasp. The carnage on Doom's body was his indicator; the enemy could not last much longer. Yet through such devastation and pain, Doom's chest burst open in an explosive surge of energy; Doom's disgusting laughter in proclaiming his victory filling Vegetto's mind once more.

Internally, Vegetto clashed with Doom's beam, having unleashed a Final Kamehameha to finish the threat once and for all. His nightmare became reality once more as Vegetto continued to tremble in fear; Doom's beam gradually destroying his own and creeping closer in the final ditch effort. Unlike the true reality where the Breakers all came to add to Vegetto's attack, Vegetto stood alone in his struggle. Doom's attack continued to advance no matter Vegetto's struggle, the Doctor's immense pride and confidence filling Vegetto's mind with every proclamation of victory to further poison the sting of defeat.

"Seething, aren't we?"
"You couldn’t help your foolish wife to dodge erasure! You think you can dodge midair!?”

The beam crept closer and closer, and the depth of the failure became more apparent in the final words that stung in Vegetto's mind. Not just of Doom's voice, but laced with the dual voice twisted with self hatred.

“What was it that you said…If I make the mistake of challenging us again, make sure you can actually put up a fight next time…”

Vegetto winced in pain, the bright light overtaking him slowly; the burning sting of energy slowly vaporizing his fingers in the nightmare as he felt himself being slowly destroyed.

“Your statement got to me. It made me realized…what I truly am."

His vision faded entirely to white, the defeat overtaking him completely in the blame: it was his fault in his mind, that Doom defeated the Breakers. As Doom's final attack engulfed him in the nightmare, Vegetto screamed out in pain before he disappeared completely into the void.


Cayde quickly picked himself off the ground, his eyes turning up at the sight of the intense attack. Bernkastel's direct confirmation of the castle itself prompted Cayde's frown, watching on in silence. His eyes followed Vegetto without a word through the others commentary, until he found himself falling through a portal with the others. Crashing onto the floor with a loud mechanical thud, Cayde winced as he stood back up.

"Ow ow ow..."

His eyes lifted, however, in refocusing on the dilemma at hand. As Bernkastel had blatantly put, Vegetto had launched into an unhinged rage once again at the old memories surfacing. And while Cayde understood the trauma behind Doom, he knew in his mind that the outburst could not be tolerated. If wild and unhinged in rage, there would be no capability to catch the Red King offguard and any plan would go quickly out the window in the rampage Vegetto could unleash inside a castle that clearly haunted his memories.

The android lifted his gaze first to Spawn; a sense of the Detective's questioning gave way to the impression that Spawn felt the same. Cayde watched him silently with a stern stare for a moment, making note of the individual before his head turned back up with a frown in looking for Vegetto while he also reached for his holster. His eyes soon landed on the Potara fusion, but his hand moving towards his gun stopped in a surprised look at the man across the table.

Vegetto stood next to the chair meant for him with his head down slightly, his eyes towards the floor. The golden hair had vanished slowly away into its normal shade, the bright turquoise glow unable to mask the empty void in his stare before it had vanished too. A heavy frown was strong on the Potara fusion's face; his expression contorted in such a way that the man looked to be on the verge of tears.

Cayde blinked in pure shock at the sight, thinking momentarily to himself before hearing Lucifer's suggestion. He paused for a moment, a serious stare glancing between the sight of Vegetto and then glancing at Spawn, before Cayde's entire personality shifted on a dime as he turned his head down towards Lucifer.

"Fine fine...I'll try it! Sheesh...just because I know ramen is better than everything...doesn't mean I can't enjoy other foods."

The android lowered himself into the seat next to the angel, picking up his silverware and digging into the food. He leaned to his side, his head canting towards Berserk and waving a fork at her with a piece of steak stuck on the silverware.

"Oh, and to answer your question earlier...metal is better than meatbags. Think of it like metal stomachs and metal intestines...way better for eating tough things and not getting sick. So I can eat anything I want without problems...unless it's like...a really strong bomb. Then my intestines might break...hmm....note to self...don't eat bombs."


Vegetto lowered himself slowly into the seat in a rather docile manner, in heavy contrast to the immense display mere moments ago. He kept his head bowed slightly, his face still visible yet his empty eyes lowered to the table. He made no movements towards touching the food, still seemingly on the verge of tears while he sat on in silence.
 
Bage squinted in annoyance seeing Lucifer and the others completely disregard his warning and dig right in. Although the detective couldn't read him most of the time, he wasn't surprised at all by the angel's behavior. At least, May had the decency to wait for the King. With a sigh, Bage silently took his seat with the others, still determined to avoid consuming the meal. "Who knows, but be prepared for anything to happen. This is no time to be careless." Bage replied to May with a sigh and crossed his arms as he settled in. He had to admit even in the midst of all this chaos so far, it was nice to have a moment of calm. But he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something truly terrible was about to happen. Occasionally, as the Breakers continued their idle conversation, the Saiyan detective couldn't help but glance at the knights looming over them and all entrances into the dining area, should anyone enter, or worse if they needed an escape.

The room was amazingly crafted, Bage had to admit, not a single thing had been out of place. and once the group had all been seated, there was an almost eerie silence that filled the air aside from the chatter among themselves. It would feel uncomfortably still in this moment of rest as they sat patiently. This was the calm before the storm.

Then suddenly there was an echo of footsteps that could be heard making their way into the dining area. Bage sat up a bit, turning to where the sound was originating. Was the king here already? His body tensed slightly gripping onto the crystal armrest as the suspense built up. Then finally there was someone, and Bage's eyes widened, a small gasp leaving into the air as they entered. This couldn't be...

Step, step, step...

they slowly walked carefully and calculated, their red and black outfit shined brightly against the glistening walls and furniture. The Xy'pher was none other than Atomic Flare. When... how...? They had just seen her a few hours ago! How could she have possibly been turned so quickly? Was she like this when they met with her and Null Knight? What did that mean for the others in the Atomic Force? Bage's grip tightened as the pieces started to put themselves together in his head. The Red King was always three steps ahead of them. Finally, as they approached the right side of the throne, the Xy'pher hero turned sharply toward the Breakers.

"Welcome and thank you for your patience, Breakers. The King will now take his place on the throne." Atomic Flare spoke in a firm yet soft voice, "Please rise for his illustrious and radiant Majesty."
 
Bernkastel eyed Avalon from the side of her vision, keeping a serious expression as they were transported to the inside of the castle. Motioning for him to go sit by Berserk, making no remark about leaving the shard with him, she sat next to Zenta with a gentle tug of his arm. However, she did not reach for anything on her plate; partially because etiquette dictates that the guest refrain from eating until the host of highest position is present, but partially because she was busy analyzing everything in sight. It appeared she was looking for something, or someone among the guards but since they all appeared unremarkable to her, she opted for silence.

Seated across from Vegetto at the table, Bernkastel stared at his utterly defeated posture with a neutral expression. She made no pointed remarks or even a haughty sneer in his direction. There was just the sight of a broken, pathetic man in the chair. For the moment they were all made to follow a script laid out by the Red King: experience told her there was no other recourse than to let the one doing it carry out their intended business. Waiting was what irritated her more than the act itself.

Berserk only had one good arm to eat with, but the adrenaline and fighting had left her starved. To take her mind off the pain in her arm, she acquiesced to conversing with Cayde in the meantime as she carefully seared lines through her meat using heat-vision to cut it. "But wait, if you can eat food people normally wouldn't eat cause it's gross or makes us sick... doesn't that make your stomach a glorified garbage disposal? But yknow if you can't eat bombs, what if we modified it so you could spit out acid like one of those dinosaurs in the movies? That'd be pretty sick!"

The overall chattering died down at the sound of someone walking into the dining hall, causing Bernkastel to turn her head. Upon realizing it was Atomic Flare her eyes narrowed instantly before standing up as instructed. Her glare rested behind Atomic Flare in anticipation of who would arrive next.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," she mumbled.
 
After the failed attempt to destroy the castle, Lucifer, admittedly, find it odd that Vegetto hardly said anything. Rather than protest or an uproar spectacle, the potara Saiyan simply sat in silence. Even Bernkastel held no reaction towards the broken man. In a typical fashion, the angel took opportunity of highlighting this fact.

“Quiet, aren’t we?” Lucifer sliced into the meat with precision; the meat juice oozing out after each cut. Lilith slithered around his neck and took a bite from the meat he offered. “But it’s refreshing to my ears to not hear your usual drivel.” He let out a light chortle. “I was so, so sure that the moment you appear, chaos will come. I mean, Spina managed to achieve a level and performed well against the Dark Xy’pher—just as I said. Opposite of that embarrassment display you did just moments earlier, against the very foundation that begun your descend to further lunacy.”

Lucifer hardly looked at Vegetto. “After boasting so much in front of Spina and the Breakers, I would laugh if it weren’t so pathetic. Those who placed themselves in high regard…” He turned his attention to Zenta. “Are doomed to such fate.” He glanced at Bernkastel. “Consider this as a lesson and do take it in mind, in an inevitable clash.”

Ending with that, Lucifer continued eating. His eyes darted around to examine the explicit nature and design of Doom’s castle. He closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. “He’s not here… his presence isn’t here.” Lucifer whispered to himself.

Detective Spawn took his seat after the chatter. In a similar vein to Bage, he was extremely caution of what to come and still didn’t touch any of the food. “Gogeta’s not here. I have a hunch that he told him that Ultraman is now Vortex Man, and he went off.” Spawn thought to himself. Before he can dwell on it anymore, the appearance of Atomic Flare took his attention. The fact that she was indeed a Xy’pher surprised him.

“She was a Xy’pher the whole time.” Spawn realized. He turned to Nia, motioning her for a bit. “Shorty, I need you to do something for me…” He whispered.

Spina, who sat down at the table but away from everyone else, turned to the arrival of Xy’pher Atomic Flare. He didn’t notice her before, but after taking a longer look, there was some familiarity about her. “Tch…” He scowled. For a reason, being asked to stand for anyone, especially someone of higher status, made him nearly gagged. “I ain’t standing for no one. Bring him out here already.” He demanded.
 
May responds to Bage "I aware of this fact but if the king wanted us coined all he would have to do is not save us. Odds are good that the king wants to speak to us." May thinks "unless he impendent or unaware of the fact outside special cases death is not permanent in the Vertex. Even the responding mechanics are hardly consent between Cycles."

May dos as asked mostly out plotlines and professionalism. May thinks "I guess that may explain a lot about what happened back in reflection. We're going need Nia after the battle to help find any other Xy'phers."
 
Bara also stood up, even if it was to just get a good look at this Red King first, but making sure she wasn't doing anything untoward yet. Testing the waters would be the best course of action, she figured.
 
Avalon noticed Bernkastel's motion and instantly went to Berserk's side as instructed. He kept the fragment in his hand as tight as he could. His hand shook, primarily out of fear, not knowing how he could help the Breakers in such a dire moment. He glanced at Berserk's arm and kept a hard glare at it. His mind was racing about as fast as his heart, and all he could think about was how Berserk got a horrible gash and blamed himself.

Berserk's a tough cookie, but I know she's hurtin'... What can I do..?

As Avalon thought deeply about his actions, he looked directly at the fragment in his hand. Normally, he would be able to think up a million ideas of what to do with it, but as of now, he was not himself.

However, once Atomic Flare made her presence, Avalon's eyes widen immensely. He quickly opened his scroll to glance at the poster of the Atomic Force. There she was! Atomic Flare in the flesh and as a Xy'pher. Avalon tilted his head in confusion since they met Atomic Flare in Reflection City as they escaped the Xy'phers. Was she a Xy'pher back then, or is she a recent one? As Avalon thoughts ran wild, he immediately thought about Emilyn and how she left with Atomic Flare.

Wait... what's goin' on..? There's no way...

Zenta, on the other hand, kept himself by Bernkastel's side at all costs. The beast was more tense than usual, but there was no doubt that Cuki ran through his head. If she truly was a Xy'pher, this is where he would find her. The question is: Would he be able to identify her. While he sat patiently, awaiting the King, his nails dug into the crystal, cracking it. The expression he had was neutral, yet his actions showed hostility. Even as Bernkastel held on to his arm, it was harder than the crystal he cracked. He was anxious, above all else. Lucifer's comment did little to sway his anxiety, but his ear twitched, indicating his heard him clearly.

Nia was nervous as the Xy'phers around them did nothing to attack them. As Walter and Atomic Flare appeared, she knew the King was just moments away from arriving. Luckily, Spawn's whisper caught her attention. She leaned closer to him to listen to what he has to say.

"What can I aide you in? Better make it quick... the King will be arriving soon..." Nia whispered back.

"All bow to the King." Walter said after Atomic Flare before snapping his fingers.

Above the magnificent throne opened a massive portal that was almost holy in appearance. A shockwave of energy released from the portal, yet, nothing flew off from the table. All it did was slightly disturb the crystal curtains, allowing them to shine radiantly across the dining hall. All the Xy'phers in the room moved in perfect sequence to face the portal and lower themselves by the hip to bow. The smaller Xy'phers (the Chefs) all bowed at the hip, while the larger Xy'phers (The Knights) all dropped to one knee. Walter would bow similarly to how Zenta bows to Bernkastel. Finally, the King's presence was here...


From the portal emerged a marvelously stunning Xy'pher whose color was one of a kind and unique to any Xy'pher. A brilliant red, none of which have been seen in any Xy'pher the Breakers have met. Every time the light shined on this Xy'pher, the inside of his body would glisten in every possible shade of red. It was truly a sight to behold. As more of the Xy'phers body came out from the portal, there was a royal blue robe over its shoulders with edges behind far longer than the rest of the robe, mimicking arms and hands. The robe has gold-plated markings on it as well as small multicolored crystals lining it. It has sleeves with gold tassels. The tassels would wrap around the Xy'phers chest where a transparent crystal rested. Around its waist was a cluster of crystals that resembled that of a tutu that also had golden tassels.

Finally, the head of the Xy'pher was revealed. It sported a large crystal crown that was a part of its anatomy. The crystals were stretched and thinned out so neatly that they almost resembled feathers around his head and neck. The way he manipulated the crystals on his body almost gave the impression that he had other trinkets on him. He easily made rock hard crystals look like silk. Compared to the other Xy'phers, who were more human in appearance, the King was definitely more alien, looking nothing like anything the Breakers had seen. On its face were two unblinking empty eyes, almost as if they were carved right on his face, and no mouth. A tiny crystal rested on his forehead to showcase his status.

His body was unique. The King's legs were straight and ended in sharp points. He can move them individually, he just chose not to in order to keep the pristine and perfect look. The King did not have any arms, using the longer ends of the robe as substitutes. Every part of his body was perfectly cut and chiseled to show the ultimate beauty in not just himself, but the Xy'phers as a whole. Every move he did was entirely calculated, elegant, and graceful. There was not a single err in any move he did. The King lived in absolute perfection, he was perfection.

Finally, once the King floated down from the portal and onto his throne, he did not sit. His psychic powers were making him float, and his robe constantly looked as if it was flowing in the wind. His psychic powers would move him around automatically without him having to waste any energy. He wasn't a giant, being shorter than Lucifer, Zenta, and even Bage, yet his constant hover made sure he was always above anyone he looked down on.

red king and elites 2.jpg


Here's a colored version.

Red King.jpg

At long last, the King spoke.

"Welcome, Breakers, to my magnificent and noble castle." His voice has a slight echo to it, almost like a crystal tint. This applied with every move he made as well. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all in person."

The Red King offered a curtsy bow to the Breakers. Despite killing entire cities worth of people, he was still humble to the Breakers.

"I would have had you sooner, but I had some Xy'phers who did not obey my orders. You are quite lucky to have survived this far, though, I suppose that is part of your reputation, yes?"

"A-Are you gonna kill us right now?" Avalon said in a near whimper voice.

"No, not yet." The King chuckled before opening his robe-like arms in a welcoming gesture. "Please, eat Breakers! I made this lustrous cuisine to suit your needs. I understand you all have questions, so I will dine with you and answer any and all questions you may have. For now, you need not worry about your fate. For now."
 
Cayde haughtily scoffed at Berserk's question, shaking his head from side to side.

"Of course not, it means I am superior to you in every way!"

He then rubbed his chin at her suggestion, his mechanical eyes lighting up a bit.

"Say...that's not a bad idea. Or even better: modify it to eat energy or magic...so I can spit it back out at others and turn their own energy against them."

The android froze immediately, however, upon hearing Lucifer's targeted taunting. His frown quickly formed, listening in to merely the first sentence with concern. Once again, the angel pushed all the right buttons with the Potara fusion. A comparison to Spina's powerful display, mocking not just the failure to destroy the castle, but the pride that Vegetto clung dearly to. Cayde kept his frown, speculating on the outcome of another brawl unleashing. Perhaps, he thought, it may not end so badly. If Lucifer simply coined everyone into nothing for Vegetto landing a blow, that would include the Red King and the Xy'phers. Victory, albeit unconventional and at a steep cost, but what other outcome could result now that Vegetto would surely launch into a rageful vengeance against the angel for the mockery.

However, Cayde perked his eyebrows in seeing Vegetto's demeanor. The Potara fusion had not lifted his head once or bothered to look towards Lucifer in the exchange; a dead stare towards the plate all that could be seen. Strangely enough, when Vegetto finally spoke, his dual voice did not boom or shout in the usual firey rage in response. This time, it was quiet and gentle. Untimid and firm, but empty and hollow at the same time.

"Please leave me alone."

Cayde blinked immediately at the spoken words, a chill running up his spine at the delivery. The strange behavior prompted the android to open his mouth, but the sound of boots moving through the hall prompted his attention. Atomic Flare's arrival prompted a small choke from the android in his eating, swallowing his food fully and dropping his fork.

"Ack...oh shit!"

Like the others, Cayde was prepared to launch into a tirade of questions about how the hero was working for the Red King all along. Yet the command to stand rung out before he could speak, and without thinking, Cayde rose up out of his seat. He glanced around briefly, however, noticing that not one of the other Breakers had risen up with him. Spawn's demand came next, and after it, Cayde dropped back into his seat with a cringe on his face.

"Err...sorry about that, old habit. Forgot we're trying to stop a vortex ending threat instead of enjoying fine dining."

The portal opened shortly after, and Cayde turned his gaze up. His narrowed eyes followed the Red King upon arrival, watching the figure move to his throne. The android's frown slowly returned, his eyes turning to Vegetto.

Damn...double oh shit...he looks nothing like the theories we had. We never even got close to finding this sonofabitch...what's the play?

Yet his own attention perked again at the sight of an unresponsive Vegetto. The Potara fusion's hair and gi rippled a bit under the shockwave of the portal, but no other movement came from the broken man. He simply sat slumped forward, the dead stare locked on the plate while Cayde looked on with a frown, his eyes lifting off Vegetto once Avalon asked the million dollar question. Upon the request for the Breakers to eat and that the Red King would not kill them immediately, Cayde raised his hand next and openly began speaking without waiting for someone to call on him. His mechanical voice echoed out in the chamber with a tone not of direct challenge or determination, but a firm, direct and aloof nature in his voice.

"Ok but if you won't kill us immediately, will you let us kill you immediately?"
 
Lucifer took one last bite of the steak, seconds after the Red King emerged from the portal to present himself. Taking a small napkin and wiping both his and Lilith’s mouths from any dirt, the angel started applauding. “The man of the hour,” Lucifer’s smile was beaming with excitement. “To think that the lord of the domain would have such a marvelous color. A rarity to see a diamond with a red tint.” He bares his teeth. “Matches the confidence.” The angel took another plate on the dining table: a seafood cuisine with the combination of lobster, grilled shrimp, baked and glazed fish.

While this marks the first time seeing Red King’s physical appearance, it doubles for Spina being one of the few that actually heard the Red King’s voice. His unblinking eyes, and his movements that moved too perfectly as if he was a machine. Something about the way the Red King moves and his mannerism made the old Saiyan feels unease and causing him to remember things he didn’t want to remember. “Tch…” Spina scowled in disgust. Shaking his head and not dwell on it longer, the old Saiyan took the role of asking the question. Feeling that the Red King will simply humor Cayde, he headed straight to the biggest question. “Why are you after us or the flying boy? This seems to be a lot of effort to try and fight the damn voice.”

As Spina and Cayde asked their questions respectively, Detective Spawn whispered to Nia. It didn’t take long that Red King is capable of psionics. “I’d assumed that the Red King is far stronger compared to the last time you two fought.” Bits of green energy forms in-between his fingers. “If the castle’s barrier is any indication, I’d suspect that it’s powerful since it can tank Vegetto’s sword easily. How thin can you make your barrier if you cast onto somehow?” Waiting for Nia’s answer, the hellspawn launched his attack quickly, in attempt to strike the Red King while he’s distracted.
 
Last edited:
May thinks "Best to get read of distracting thoughts about this region. It's time to get serious."

May asks professional tone "Way bother saving us? It would be more efficient to let get hit and odds are good that most we would been coined." May thinks "It would been less risky for the king to let the blast hit and get our coins after the fact."
 
Last edited:
"That doesn't sound like a half-bad idea! Tell ya what, I'll give ya the schematics for my blade and see if we can mod ya up to suck up energy like you do with ramen noodles!" Berserk offered Cayde, genuine interest to upgrade his technology since she had seen him do some rather interesting gunslinger tricks before. She fell silent with him, overhearing Vegetto's placid response. It was hard to tell if that was a threat or a plea.

At the same time, Bernkastel tilted her head to Lucifer's declaration. "Yes, pride is obviously a malady with him just as it was with the brother. But I think there's something else at play... thanks to that pride, I couldn't put a finger on it until now." Resting her gaze on Vegetto for the remaining moments of silence left, her dead stare still neutral but regardless of whether he met her gaze he was going to feel it burning into him.

"For who's sake are you fighting for, if not what?" Bern's tone was soft in its delivery, though she appeared to not refer solely to their current predicament. "The answer isn't for me, it's just for yourself."

There wasn't any further from Bernkastel's end once the Red King fully introduced himself to them. Glancing over for Spina to get straight to the point, the Witch nodded. "Yes. Why Superman? Are you going to kill us right here if we do not hand him over to you?" After learning of the Xy'phers plans in the underground Hive, Bern was glad about Clark's absence. What was strange was that Gogeta wasn't with them; not that it was a bad thing, but given his disposition he would've insisted to come along regardless of being fatally wounded. That train of thought was intnerrupted once she saw Spawn launch a sudden attack at the King, her wide eyes flicking over towards Avalon in response.

Berserk jumped in her seat with a startle, placing a hand on the grip of her blade before staring nervously at the Xypher soldiers around them. Was it wise to make such a move in front of so many enemies, let alone Atomic Flare?
 
Atomic Flare turned and bowed the same as Walter toward the portal in respect to the King finally making his entrance.

Bage remained seated with the few Breakers that did, mostly distracted by the Red King's miniature size compared to the rest of them as he entered through the massive portal. He remained quiet as the King introduced himself and watched as he addressed them so casually as if he were fans of the fighters. It was almost insulting, but a very clear display of his confidence as Lucifer mentioned. As the King allowed them to eat and the others began with the questioning, Bage simply pushed his plate away, turning his head to the King. "If it's all the same to you, we'd like to skip the pleasantries." He watched as Spawn threw his attack, preparing to pounce should the green blast hit him.

But suddenly the blast was stopped mid-air and floated above the group. There was a small hesitation before the green energy began to crystalize before everyone's eyes and reshape itself into a small pendant. The small crystal fell into the palm of Atomic Flare, the Xy'pher now glaring at the group.

"How disgusting. My King graces you with his presence and an elegant spread before your death yet you cretins dare to disrespect him. I believe I said to stand for his Majesty's arrival" She stated, as suddenly the seats of those who refused to stand suddenly pulled out from under them.

Bage yelped as he landed on the hard flooring. He turned back toward the knight next to his seat to snap at it for pulling his seat and strangely, it and the other Xy'pher knights hadn't moved a muscle. The detective rose to his feet, massaging his bottom to soothe the dull pain. His gaze went from the King to Atomic Flare.

She put the small pendant away, before speaking again. "Be grateful that his Majesty has not slowly ripped your deplorable flesh carcasses apart the moment you set foot here. Now do as my King suggests... and eat." The Atomic Xypher commanded with a low growl before raising her right hand and snapping her fingers. At the snap, the Knights standing at each of their seats grabbed hold of the chairs and pushed them against the standing group, forcing them back into their seats. Bage stumbled back into the crystal chair with a grunt, being caught off guard by the Knights' actions. Without a single moment of hesitation, the knights began grabbing handfuls of food and attempted to force the meal into each of the Breakers' and Detectives' mouths.

Bage struggled against the Xy'pher for a moment, as a clump of meat, bread and vegetable was shoved into his mouth.
 
Bara on her turn was just eating and had not made a single move to attack yet. Sure she knew that the Red King was the enemy, but she was also hungry... although she did take a moment to assess the actions of the others to ascertain the abilities of the Red King. It was as if she was either hesitant in attacking directly unlike some of the more hard-headed members of the group, or she had a plan of her own... but for now, she was using the food to replenish her energy.
 
"My psychic prowess is nothing compared to the King in this world. However, our barriers are paper thin, yet harder than any metal." Nia whispered to Spawn. Her eyes shifted back to the King as he spoke. "What is your plan..?"

However, before Nia could get a response, her eyes nearly flew out of her face when she notices Spawn outright attack the King. She immediately thought that the King or his Elites would end their lives right there, but, to her surprise, Atomic Flare stopped the attack. In a way, she was relieved, but worried about what would happen next.

"You dense idiot--" Nia was cut off as she fell down, then back up on the chair. With the knights forcing food into their mouths, she coughed and gagged.

Avalon yelped as he tried to push away the Knights shoving food into his mouth.

"Bwah! H-Hey! Quit it!"

Zenta, on the other hand, gripped the Knight's hand so tight that his nails started to dig into it. He tried his best to prevent the knight from touching his face with food. Low growls came from the beast while he bared his fangs.

The King watched Atomic flare defend him, almost as if expected of her. As the Breakers were forced to eat, he couldn't help but chuckle at Atomic Flare's devotion. His robe swayed, and the longer arm-like ends patted Atomic's back. In a way, he seemed proud of her, yet, there was no emotion on his face.

"Now, now Atomic... It is quite alright. I knew that the Breakers would not comply so easily, so I simply lowered my expectations." The King waved his robe-like arm to his knights who stopped feeding the Breakers, at least forcefully. The Knights still stayed in place and kept their hands near the faces of the Breakers. "But goodness, they are still eager to fight. Fascinating." As the questions came in, the King's red color glistened. "Flying boy?"

"I believe he means Clark Kent, my Lord." Walter quickly informed the King.

"Ah, yes! Superman." The King nodded before following it up with a sigh. "I believe I should make things clear, considering that those disgusting Xy'phers made a mess out of everything."

The King floated so that he was in clear view of the Breakers, his shining brilliance giving the entire dining hall a crimson grace.

"I am after you simply because you are a magnet to finding stronger and more powerful opponents. People such as Superman, for example, are not so easy to capture by themselves. The question was how to grab his attention." Red King paused for a moment. "Ultraman, otherwise known as Vortex Man, and Hart Kimber, were the key to accomplish such. It was easy, honestly; locate Hart and instigate Vortex Man to fight. Superman will eventually come to help his brother, and Detective Goku would fight and capture him. He may be strong, but even he will fall to a wave of Xy'phers. Alas... things didn't go according to plan. Although, I still managed to push through and captured more of those in this group."

"The group?" Avalon said, recalling the information from the Hive. "Do you mean..?"

"The group he is talking about is one Dr. Doom composed over three years ago." Zenta sighed. He did not seem to like talking about it. "It seems that Doom sought out very powerful people that were capable of fulfilling his tasks into this group. At least, I believe that was his motive behind it."

"Precisely." The Red King snapped the tassels on his robe to implicate him snapping his fingers. "Walter."

Walter nodded before opening a portal above the King, and from it fell several photos. All the photos stopped in front of the King and circled in place, so the King can see them clearer. Each photo was a fighter who worked for Doom at the time. Air Dancer's photo had a red 'X' on it. Finally, the last photo to appear was of Dr. Doom himself. The photo floated in the center while the others orbited around Doom.

"See, once I obtain the others, then I will be able to bring Dr. Doom under into my control. His mind and scientific advances will be a wonderful addition to my army and will help me accomplish the end goal. While you hid in your miserable city [Rouge City], I managed to locate several of the ones closest to Doom. I was lucky to obtain Air Dancer, but that is because that creature is an oddity. Thanks to my Recon, I located Moby Dick during that time and have already planned an assault on Federation City." The King paused for a moment and tapped his chin with his robe. "Walter, where is my Recon Xy'pher?"

"She should be here momentarily--"

"I'm heeeeere~!" A familiar voice rang from the other end of the hall. "I've got more information on the whereabouts of Federation City, my lord~!"

Skipping and giggling down the hall was Emilyn, her dress glittering brightly in the light. Emilyn approached her King and bowed formally before holding up a gray crystal, the inside of it showing buildings and people, almost like a photo. She then moved next to Atomic Flare and wrapped her arm around hers. Her eyes shined in their pure Xy'pher glory as she smirked towards the Breakers.

"Heehee, nice to see you again, Breakers~!"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom