The Reality Vortex: Red Reputations

[ShineCero]

“I was hoping for someone to throw a punch or two. Maybe a broken nose. Then things will really become a show.” Lucifer made a joke in response to Bage’s comment in reaction to the arguments that erupted from all sides.

“But while I do enjoy this banter that serving me some quite interesting takes, this Detective Bage is quite correct in this. If the Red King is making good of his threat, and if Avalon’s claim had any validity, there is a slight possibility that he might try to take down this city. And since, you, Vegetto, claim this “popularity” of yourself among this side, I figured it’ll be rather quite easy for them to track you and ramen lovers down.” Placing his hands on his lips, as he turns towards the rest of the Breakers—he has no stakes in this argument, but he loves to incite the flames.

“I mean, it easy to questioned that Vegetto actually knew about Hart’s identity, tailing her, and instead chose to do nothing by standby while you Breakers are getting egged on. Or the fact that Cuki left on the concept of mistrust, which none of you attempt to make things better on your part. Or maybe she just weak willed. Or that Spina is in this position because Gogeta just had to have his fight, putting others in jeopardy as long he gets it. Or the fact that Detective Goku is nowhere to be seen now that I think about it—but him dying is a good thing though. I’m not quite fond of that guy. But alas, we can discuss that in another time. Though, do let me know when that happens. I like a good show, and I want to try out this delicious Kobe beef to dine in when I watch.”

Lucifer turned towards Spina, seeing the cracks slowly receding. The black aura that engulfed Spina was vanished and a spark of energy formed within him. “For now, I say we rest, eat, change clothes and find more information of this Red King. The quicker we find his base of operations, the quicker we can topple the King and, I guess save those two Breakers that were captured. Maybe. If they’re still around, hehe. I supposed that we can all agree on that merit, right?”

 

[Z-Fighter]

"For once I agree with Lucifer to some level," Brachi said, "we can stand here all day and just rant and rave at each other and just unleashing whatever we've built up emotionally for so long, given all the bs we had to deal with, while that Red King character can continue to work out on whatever plans he has without anyone to oppose him... I'm tired of all of this. If we are to get our friends back and show that Red King who's boss, we need to rest up and formulate a proper plan to action to take him down. Otherwise there won't be anything left to protect here, and I don't want to spend the rest of my days as a mindless puppet or useless piece of scrap metal, and I am very certain none of YOU would want that either. I've already said my pieces regarding all this, and I don't want to sound like a broken record since that will get me nowhere."

"Agreed," Jize said, "instead of attacking each other, we need to face the real enemy as a team, fighthing shoulder to shoulder against him."

 

[~ Z ~]

"Well, Bage has a point. I mean, I  kinda had the same idea as him..." Avalon said with a sigh. "I wanted to help you guys by my own will. I didn't think you guys were all bad, honestly. Ugh... Bage is right. What the hell are we doing pickin' fights at a time like this? Gosh, we look like, uhh... what's the word? Dorks?" He looked over to Berserk before shrugging. "Either way, we should worry about Spina first and think of a way to stop this Red King before he gets more people in his army."

As the group settled down and everyone said their part, Zenta continued to stare out the same window as Bernkastel did. He was thinking deeply and listening very carefully to what everyone was saying. He had many things rush through his mind. Cuki, the current situation between the Breakers, and even the Red King. Everything was a mess and he felt entirely responsible, particularly for Spina and his fate. Yet, after a few minutes of thinking over everything that happened and the actions of every Breaker, the beast appeared to be slightly at ease and finally recollected himself. Once he was able to properly contain his emotions, accept what possibly happened to Cuki, and clear the stress from his mind, he was able to find the proper words to say. He stepped away from the window and to the center of the room for everyone to see.

The burden continues to weigh down my shoulders it seems... The situation is the same as when Cuki left and it seems she was right in her belief. A soft chuckle escaped Zenta's lips. My, my, how things come back around. It's like reliving my youth.

"I am inclined to agree with Bage. We all said out piece so shifting the blame and pointing fingers changes little in our current situation," Zenta said with a smile. "As far as I see it, Cuki was certainly on to something when she said we need to better communicate with one another to prevent the situation we see now. Letting our emotions speak and make decisions is never a good thing. However, a lack of understanding of these emotions is also very bad."

The beast held out both his hands and moved them up and down to imitate a balancing scale.

"If we learn how to properly convey these emotions nonviolently," Zenta shot a glance at Avalon. "As well as understand the motive and urgency behind them," He glanced at Vegetto before letting his hands level out evenly with one another. "We create the perfect balance."

The beast lowered his hands to behind his back.

"Unfortunately, the idiocy from both sides resulted in Spina's pain and suffering. These are the consequences we all must deal with," He paused for a brief moment before running his fingers through his afro. "Right now, all things considered, we must come to an understanding about one thing; the Red King is hunting every Breaker down without rest, taking all those who stand in his way. Spina, from my end, appears to be regaining his energy back. It is safe to assume he will not turn to a Coin but I cannot say how he will act upon regaining consciousness. For now, we must inform Vegetto about the current situation as well as think of a new plan of action. If we are to trust his aide then we must give him our knowledge."

With the tense air hopefully gone, Zenta's puffed-up tails swayed harmonious (and comedically) behind him. The afro-puffs on every patch of fur he had annoyed him as well as embarrassed him. He then sighed as he tried to straighten out his tails.

"In the meanwhile, I also agree with...Lucifer," Zenta shook his head. "He may have a poisonous aura but he does not lie. We must rest and regain our energy. Without Cuki, food will not be as...delectable, but we must still eat nonetheless. Gaining more information about the King is also vital, so the bottles are still a priority." He returned to Bernkastel's side and placed a hand on her shoulder before pulling away when he felt her wet dress from the rains prior.

"...Perhaps a change of clothes is not such a bad idea either..."

 

[Z-Fighter]

"Perhaps I can help cooking up a meal," Brachi offered, "after all I have Chi-Chi's memories and she knows quite well how to make a meal. I am certain both Vegetto and Gogeta will remember that just as well."

"Are you certain of that?" Jize asked.

"Just give me the right tools and ingredients and I'll get to work asap." Brachi said, shrugging, "besides, I can use a meal myself."

 

[meta knight]

[font=Tahoma, sans-serif]After hearing every one out, It was clear something need done. Cross thinks "they need to come together and Cuki is in danger."  Cross says "I have faith that you all will get past this low point; The battle with the horde, the coins striation and Spina are our low points. I trust we can only go up form here."

Cross says agreeing on some level with Lucifer and Bage "The banter resolves nothing. I may been a bit forceful but I don't think my priority were wrong." Cross truing to Vegetto whom clamed he will train Gogeta. "Thank you, for protecting the city form the Unknown. Perhaps I will get the red carpet for your heroism over us commoners." Its hard to tell if Cross tone was insulting or sarcastic. He paused.

"but that were the gratitude ends. Avalon may be more pessimistic than warranted and lacks context. Despite that I do recall you tossing us out for a single life and walking way form the shame you were not able to bear. The latter prevented you form stopping Hert and you know the kicker is we started it to prevent your death. Or is an attempt to make Gogeta a sacrificial lamb, I well aware that he was the one on live TV or on a mountain of bodies and destruction attempted to wash away in this cycle as "minimal". You think something like the training your kind partakes in will do way with the issue. I don't see way Gogeta with his current mind set shooed remain with us. Don't try to take the moral high ground after the disgrace you have shown. Avlion is a new recite and a bit childish.'

Cross turns and nods to Lucifer and says "I do wish there are some way to reach reconciliation but sadly I do have to go. I do have duties out side of the breakers that need my direct involvement and the fact I not stable. The Red king is a disaster that needs to resolve before it gets worse. I don't know how long I going to have to part with you all. My underlings shood be able to aid you in battle, Money or useful services with in reason." Cross places an hand on Lucifer and says "Do tell spina about my departure once he awaken. I do ask you all get along for Cuki's sake. Goodbye for now, and good luck. Do try stay out trouble." Cross removes his hand and nods before teleporting. [/font]

 

[Vegetto]

Throughout the entirety of the rants put forth by the Breakers, Vegetto's only response was his own deathly glare that matched the intensity of the others that berated him. He clenched his fists together; his arms visibly trembling but managed to avoid outright swinging at Avalon midway through his assumptions of character and aggressive speech. His eyes shifted rapidly to Cross, the scowl on his face deepening while the Lich spoke and passively insulted him. He straightened himself out fully, the glare softening slightly and a small smirk forming as he spoke before Cross could teleport away.

"You talk about unity and call me a disgrace, then abandon the team to hide from the Red King. The only shame you can talk about is your own, Lich."

Vegetto's head turned slowly back towards the others, and despite the calls for unity, it was clear he planned to take up Bage's request. His eyes narrowed into a fierce glare once more, a haughty and condescending tone ringing out behind his dual voice while he spoke.

"Keep your little fake master take to yourself. Who do you think you are, talking that nonsense to me?! You don't get to sit there on your high horse, taking shots at who I am while you stand safe and secure in my home?! Calling for teamwork while attacking me, when you get to breathe because of the work I did for you!"

Cayde flinched at the delivery of Vegetto's possessive term, his frown strong while Vegetto's glare moved across the room.

"I'd rather you said 'thank you', and held your tongue on things you know nothing about! But instead, I get to listen to people..WHO I DON'T EVEN KNOW-"

The sudden shift in Vegetto's dual voice raising into an angry shout nearly shook the building, his muscles visibly bulging in his arms under the immense effort to avoid erupting into a full blown tantrum.

"-tell me how to be better?!"

Vegetto stopped in place, pausing for a moment. The intense glare softened only slightly, a heavy sigh mixed with a cocky chuckle coming from Vegetto's open mouth while he shook his head from side to side.

"No...no no, that's not how this works. I SAVED YOUR LIVES!!"

The wide eyed glare remained strong as Vegetto turned his head towards Avalon, pointing at the ninja.

"You...whatever the hell your name is. Get over here and apologize for your disrespect."

The glare sharpened once more.

"Now."

 

[LoopyPanda]

"Okay, yeah I guess you're right, Fluffy. It's been a long day and we won't get anywhere like this with stuff like the Red King to worry about." Berserk sighed before starting to wring out water from her hair. "Otherwise if we don't try and stick together, we'll be easy pickings. But no way can I think on an empty stomach without a dryer around! You guys got a laundromat around here?"

Even after the conversation seemed to shift toward a more jovial mood, Bernkastel herself didn't move from her spot in front of the window. She listened intently but watched Vegetto through his reflection on a large shard of broken glass hanging off the frame. Unlike the others, she didn't relax at all and instead studied his demeanor throughout. She was waiting.

And once Vegetto finally broke his silence, Bern recognized what was effectively his more true colors in the matter. However, she didn't gloat or even smile, just continued to observe the way he escalated things back to a boiling point. The glass around her feet vibrated audibly from Vegetto's shouting as it startled Berserk. 

Upon his demand for Avalon to go to him and apologize, Berserk froze in her spot from feeling the massive pressure he exerted by the power of his voice alone. Just glancing at him indirectly caused a sense of fear to run through her-- it was palpable and felt practically murderous. She didn't remember feeling this unnerved from Gogeta's outbursts; in fact, Vegetto's body language alone reminded her they were all at the mercy of this man. Berserk moved nervously to tug on one end of Avalon's scarf to get his attention.

"He's zeroed in on you, dork!" She said through a hushed and panicked whisper. "J-just say what he wants to hear or else we're all fuckin' goners, okay?!" The look in her eyes was a silent plea for Avalon to do the right move. She didn't care whether what he said was right or wrong in itself, just that it definitely pissed off a guy who held off Eleki and he definitely wouldn't be above killing them.

Bern shifted to look at the scene unfolding over her shoulder but remained silent to see what Avalon would do. It seemed not even Cayde had much ability to sway Vegetto in this state. She furrowed her brow as she held her breath in wait.

 

[~ Z ~]

As the scenario started to mellow itself out and the tension between the group started to drop, everything was thrown out the window once Vegetto started to rile the situation again, this time with Avalon. As Zenta was about to sit down and meditate, his ears shot to the side upon Vegetto barking towards the others. He exhaled loudly from his nose, knowing the drama will only continue.

If it's not Gogeta starting a fight, it is the other one starting a problem... Pride and ego must be quite delicate in their universe. They must be a primitive race.

Zenta turned on his heel to see the events unfold and let out an audible yawn before crossing his arms over his chest. He was curious to see Vegetto belittle and berate the Breakers more, even after they had agreed to calm down and control themselves. The fire within the group grew more and it seemed to burn more of the Breakers. However, he kept a focus on Avalon since Vegetto appeared to have pulled him into a corner. He tilted his head to the side, curious to see what Avalon would do and if he would be true to his word.

As Avalon heard Vegetto double down on the Breakers yet again, he felt his blood boil. He even noticed Cayde's scared reaction to the upset tantrum of Vegetto, powerless to calm him down or stop him. The way Vegetto talked down to the Breakers after kicking them at their lowest point, the way he continued to brag about saving their lives despite Spina almost dying because of him, even the way he scared his supposed robot friend into silence, forced Avalon to rise up to his feet. His entire body shook out of pure anger.

Even after we all admit our faults, this guy still wants to sit at the top of the hill while he walks all over us?! Avalon's breathing started to quicken as his lime pupils flashed a deep turquoise. The sheer disrespect from this man... No retribution, no honor..! He doesn't care who lives or dies as long as he gets a kick out of it and is able to brag. The lives of other people mean nothing to him. The people of this town see this man as a hero only because he portrays himself as such. He's a liar... A manipulator at heart... He must be dealt with before more people suffer...

Avalon balled his hand into a fist as he slowly began to approach Vegetto when the man demanded an apology. Thin streaks of blue energy surged around his fist, something completely new to him. It felt like no energy he was used to dealing with. As he finally approached Vegetto, he slowly pulled his arm back, not hiding the fact that he was going to punch him. His eyes shifted to Zenta who stood watching the scenario. All the beast did was tilt his head to the side, holding a neutral expression on his face. The odd energy surging around his fist vanished as Zenta's words echoed within his head.

Convey emotions nonviolently... Create the perfect balance...

With his fist still raised, he still intended to punch the Fusion. He jerked his fist back but moments before he launched it forward, he felt the tug on his scarf from Berserk. Upon hearing her voice and panic behind it, his fist soften. Slowly, he turned his head to look back at Berserk and when he did, he saw an image of his younger sister behind the Powerpunk, both with the same pleading eyes. Suddenly, Avalon froze in place before lowering his arm to his side, his eyes also returning to normal.

The feeling in his gut did not change but his perspective did. While he did hate Vegetto due to the actions he saw and the words he spoke, he knew that punching him was no better. Although he did not want to apologize for something he felt strongly against, he had to lower himself to that of a caged child. Taking a sharp breath, he bent at the waist, giving Vegetto a humble bow to show his submission. There was a very long pause, no doubt from him swallowing his pride and the humiliation he felt from submitting to the man he believed to be unjust. He still shook from anger, no doubt holding back everything he could as to not give the Breakers any more trouble.

"...I, Avalon, apologize for my disrespectful tone," He gritted his teeth, physically struggling to talk to the man. "Thank you for..." There was another long pause as he lowered his voice, hoping Vegetto would be the only one to hear him. "savin' our lives..."

He kept his humble bow until Vegetto decided to dismiss him.

 

[Panich]

Bage was relieved to hear the others wanting to move passed this rough patch. It gave him more faith in the Breakers, he knew it would be a long way to. But he was already in this for the long haul for being with them, so might as well, put his best effort in. 


But then Vegetto's aggressive tone change caught the Saiyan detective off guard. He watched in shock as the potara fusion then demanded gratitude from Avalon. He was close to throwinf himself in front of the ninja's fist before seeing him apologize. Reluctantly but apologizing. Bage silently waited for a reaction from Vegetto, all the while, resting his hand on Avalon's shoulder to show the ninja that he had the detective's support.

 

[ShineCero]

“Sayonara, Cross. May we cross path once again.” Lucifer said as Cross departed elsewhere. “A pity to lose such a valuable member.” As Lilith slithered around his neck, alerting him to focus his attention towards Vegetto, who exploded in rage in front of the Breakers.

“Oh?” He whispered to himself, seeing that the drama continued after everyone had said their piece. Lucifer turned to each of the Breakers, either one either remain to not speak or silently submit to avoid any kind of retaliation. Even Berserk, whom he considered someone as “cultured” for embracing chaos, wanted to avoid any sort of conflict.

“Ah…” Lucifer’s expression changed when Vegetto demanded Avalon to submit and apologize to him like he’s some order of master. Perhaps Avalon was going off by with little context was as strong as the ninja thought it would. Perhaps the arguments being nothing more than a jumbled mess from all sides was significant too. But judging from how Bernkastel reacted, and Cross’ dismissal of the man, Lucifer, too, gained a negative perception; not because of the arguments, as he has no interest nor stakes in this, as they are nothing more but spectacle to him. Yet, seeing Avalon grovel and apologize made him nauseous—practically on the verge of puking from the display of action. The sheer disregard of throwing away your own freedom for any moment to avoid conflict in the effort to buttered up any ego, whether bruised or not, did not sit well with the angel.

As the others stood on the sidelines to wait for any reaction, Lucifer causally walked towards Avalon. Just before Vegetto can even get a word in or bask in the glory of forcing someone to beg for forgiveness, the angel kicked the ninja away towards Berserk. “As much I love to see arguments blowing up, I cannot let the sheer disrespect on one’s freedom, throwing it away so one can enjoy the fruits of obedience. While I did let the Detectives because it will be quite difficult for the Breakers to have a shameful reputation and makes it hard to move around, you, on the other hand, afford no value to the team from what I seen. So, I’m sure that Detective Bage should have no objections of my action.”

A surge of darkness erupted from Lucifer’s body as the angel turned his sight towards Vegetto. Within an instant, the mighty man was forced to the ground on his knees. “I, for one, will not let anyone, especially something that isn’t beneficial, demand obedience of another person. Nor shall I have anyone lick the ground that you walk on over for any reason.” A single pulse of darkness emitted from his body and spread across this room and throughout the city as Lucifer stared at him—eye to eye without any hesitation. As Lucifer stated earlier, he wanted to avoid using too much of his energy to avoid turning into a child once again, but the gambit seems worth it this time.

“I urge you to cease the ego-trip and move on. You saved us, be content with that. You failed to save Spina in time, deal with the consequences. You got some criticisms, take it to the chin like everyone else. Whether they take it to heart or not, leave things to be desired, I supposed. But I will not let you devalue someone to the point that they must become submissive and obedience to avoid those consequences—especially in a pathetic sight I just saw. It pains me so much, so much that I must take a slight hit on my own philosophy to make this point; so how I despise contradictions I am forced to do. Let us rest, let us eat your disgusting ramen, and we shall move forward, left this city and focused on toppling the King. If not, then I will personally kill every single person in this room, this building and this entire city.”

Lucifer’s eyes shine after making such a threat. “I have enough juice to kill those with just a mere thought.” He had a sinister smile on his face as his eyes widened; darkness completely engulfed around him as his wings spread out. Lucifer moved closer, to the point that his face were mere inches away from Vegetto’s face. “And if you, or anyone, try to do anything to me at any kind of way—then you will hear the unfortunate agony as thousands died simultaneously, while you stand there like a fool because you didn’t get the roaring applause from them. “Now, Vegetto, I’ll present you a choice. Bask in this shameless glory you sought and let thousands die. Or. You drop it and I can finally get a change of clothes.”