The Reality Vortex: Shadow Games

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Clark lowered his head when Bara and Bernkastel questioned him. It was a difficult question, and hard to answer in a way that could be satisfactory for everyone. “Its…” Clark tried to avoid certain words that would downplay his actions. He wanted to make sure that what he said contained full acknowledgement of his actions that led to the demise of Gogeta and leave Vegetto from shouldering any responsibility.

“I make no excuses. I saw that there was poison building up within Vegetto. A sort of poison that taints one’s mind and causes them to become reckless, unhinged and dangerous. When Zenta attacked Vegetto, I knew that he wasn’t going to take that lightly. So, I did what I had to do. Or at least, that’s what I thought.” He turns to Cayde. “Our fight was my attempt to get closer to understanding him, but it just drove him further away and I couldn’t reach him anymore.”

The Kryptonian stared directly at Bernkastel, finally getting to the matter. “That’s when Gogeta came in, at the worst possible time. I meant no ill feelings, but Gogeta is easily impressionable. After Vegetto declared his intentions of being free and destroyed all attachments, seeing Gogeta’s eyes was enough for me to make a quick decision. I’d assumed that the toxic energy he was spilling was affecting him as well, and I did not want to risk another person falling into that same darkness. So, I tore apart his body and crushed him with all my might.” He paused; his gaze never leaving Bernkastel. “That’s the truth of the matter. I assumed that Vegetto’s toxic influence would drive Gogeta into a darkness that he may never come out of. And I couldn’t risk that. But. It was a huge error on my part. He’d simply was at the wrong place, wrong time. He’d was at no fault for what had happened to him.”

“There was some other stuff that happened, like Air Dancer attacked us, and Wordplay shown up, although someone was controlling him or something.” Clark quickly reviewed the events afterwards. “And that ultimately led to my using a move that exhausted my body to help Vegetto secured a victory, since we put aside out battle to fight Air Dancer.” Clark glanced at the Potara fusion. “He could’ve finished me off, but he didn’t.”

Clark held out his arms for Spawn to arrest him instead. “I accept full responsibility for my actions, and my reckless behavior. Don’t punish Vegetto—I don’t know why he lie, but I’m sure he has his reasons. But ultimately, it was me. All me. I was simply not well-equipped to help a friend in need and chose the worse option to try and amend things. That ultimately let to Gogeta’s death.”
 
Cayde sighed heavily at Clark's initial question of Vegetto's lie, frowning and glancing to the side.

"Yeah...he did."

The android barely moved once Spawn appeared, watching the detective decree an arrest needed to be made. Vegetto scowled immediately at the presence of the metal barrel behind his head, using what little strength he had left to snap to the side and bat the gun slightly off point with a quick resolution. Yet before he could directly and commit to a challenge against the detective, Vegetto turned his head at Clark blatantly stating the truth of Gogeta's death. His eyes widened immediately, and in fear of the result, Vegetto nearly shouted in a frenzy to cover up the truth once again.

"No! Clark, they'll kill you!"

Vegetto's pupils shook, once more watching on in his own horror at Clark's admission to take responsibility for the death. Whether his past lives simply ignored the gravity of their decisions or only took partial responsibility because they still received a personal want in doing so mattered little: the culmination of the Potara fusion's greatest weakness came to fruition in the moment. To take responsibility for one's own terrible actions and accepting the full consequences of such tore into Vegetto's mind; the fear for the result mounting against no resistance simply because it was still a lesson not yet learned. Now backed into a corner, Vegetto's eyes slowly narrowed, tensing slightly in preparation for a battle that only his mind could fathom in being slowly lost to fear for Clark's safety.

"If any of you hurt him..."

"Just shut up for a minute."

Vegetto blinked; the android's voice cutting through the foggy mist of fear within like a hot knife through butter. Cayde stood with his arm outstretched in front of Clark; the barrel of his own gun pointed at the Potara fusion. A solemn and grim stare met Vegetto's from the android, a brief reprieve of silence forming as Vegetto stopped in place. Cayde sighed lightly, his head turning slowly from Clark.

"What a damn mess. You two really drive me nuts, you know that? One of you can't get his shit together, and the other has it too together."

Cayde glanced towards Detective Spawn, his tone grim but with a twinge of hope.

"Detective...Clark was only stopping what he thought was a threat, and Vegetto shouldn't be lawfully arrested for just being a bad influence on the kid. Is that enough of an explanation to let them go?"
 
The paper falcon gently nipped at Berserk’s hair and ribbons, occasionally chirping at her touch. It seemed to enjoy the little pats and scratches, especially around its head and neck.

Avalon let out a sigh of relief as most of the confusion was, to no surprise, resolved within moments. The ninja turned his glare from Spina to Cayde, seemingly annoyed that he defended Vegetto as hard as he did. Even though Avalon is not the beacon of justice—he knew this, one thing he could not stand is a liar and those who defend them. Half of the problems from before all resulted from lies and nothing was done about it. As much as he did not want to approach Spina, he seemingly had no issue approaching the Saiyan Fusion or his robot fanboy. When Superman offered to get arrested, Avalon gritted his teeth, visible to anyone who saw.

His blood was boiling, and the white grip he had on his scroll was all he could do to prevent himself from lashing out. His arms visibly shook in frustration, yet he contained himself.

Easy Avalon… Don’t ruin this for the Breakers. You’re just a hitchhiker at this point… Avalon took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through his nose. If it were any of us, these hypocrites would be all up our butts… Poor Gogeta was caught in the middle of the mess, and he died for it. Well, he’s in better hands now. Speakin’ of hands… Mr. Spina died because of their stupid crap a while back, and I think it’s the reason he’s actin’ up… Is he holdin’ a grudge or somethin’? I still need to look at Spina’s behavior more…

“Look, we just got out of a huge battle not that long ago, can we… cut the crap already? It’s drama after drama with this guy, it’s so repetitive that it’s borin’…” Avalon rolled his eyes. “At least we know the truth of what happened. The web of lies has been snipped, and with that, it will fall apart soon enough. All liars are opportunistic cowards--simple as that.” There was a pause from Avalon as he let out a sigh. "Look, I'm not tryin' to throw anyone under the bus, but we should really plan our next move."
 
After Vegetto knocked the gun away from his head, Detective Spawn expected the Potara fusion to resist his arrest. After Clark’s confession, the hellspawn was prepared for a battle had Vegetto or the Breakers made sudden movements with intent to harm.

It was dangerous to engage in a battle not at full strength, but the Detective reached underneath his cloak. “Don’t make any sudden movements—”

A rather calm, but harsh demeanor from Cayde forced Vegetto to a halt, interrupting the Detective’s warning. Spawn’s eyes trailed, noticing the gun that android pointed at his own friend. He didn’t know what would happen: is Cayde going to take out Vegetto, right then and there? A thought ran through his mind. They seemed close to what he saw, but the way Cayde talked down to him seems to add a deeper layer into their relationship.

Naturally, Clark was taken aback by this, but it settled in quickly. “I’m... sorry.” The Kryptonian isn’t surprised to hear Cayde saying this. It is to be expected since he hadn’t been around after the Hart debacle. Upon Avalon bemoaning about getting dragged into Vegetto’s drama once more, Clark perked his head towards the ninja. “Another?” The Kryptonian had faith that the Potara fusion was perfectly sound after he left Snowy Mountains. “Listen, Avalon… this is important. I know Vegetto’s heart is in the right place.” He turns to Cayde, hearing the android advising him to let them go free. “No, he won’t let me go. I should be punished—”

“Works for me.” Detective Spawn agreed immediately and withdrew his weapons. “Less paperwork, less ass-kicking… and…” Spawn glance towards Avalon. “Tired of this drama as well. I need a fucking vacation. I already got my shit to worry about, and I know for a fact that Bage will drill me hard when I get back.”

Clark’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, no, huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You two aren’t getting off scot-free.” Detective Spawn raised a single index finger, which glows a green hue at the tip. “Murder and making false statements of a murder is still a crime.” His index finger let out a single, green pulse, placing a mark on the back of both Clark and Vegetto’s necks. This is known as Cursed Sin.

“Both of you are to serve 2000 hours of community service. You cannot leave Beach City until you complete those hours. Any attempts to flee the city, the Cursed Sins will burn the very essence of your soul until you’re nothing but ashes if you don’t return to the city. Don’t bother trying to remove the markings; it won’t do you any good. They’ll disappear once you finished your penalties.”

“Uh…” Clark didn’t know how to react. “But I think I should get arrested…”

“Just take the penalty, Clark.” Vortex Man stood near him just in case things might cause a reaction from the others. “Use it to better yourself.”

“Erm… okay.” Clark rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the Cursed Sin embedded into his skin. Though, at the very least, he thought the Breakers should have a right to be upset, and he wouldn’t be against if they wanted some kind of revenge.

Detective Spawn turned to the rest of the Breakers. “My business is done here. Though, I would advise to not to seek revenge for your friend. I understand the dire, but—”

“Revenge? Hardly.” Spina interrupted the Detective. “I don’t care about Gogeta. And he isn’t my friend. Never was.” His tone was harsh. “The only reason why I came here is because I refused to be a flunky tangled in someone’s fabrications. Now that’s cleared up, I don’t care what do you with those two, they aren’t my concerns. Do what you want with them.” The old Saiyan turned away, seeing the resolution of this ordeal. His eyes glared towards Avalon speaking up about their supposed next move. “You’re still here? Piss off.” Spina glanced once towards Bernkastel before exiting through the hole he created.

Detective Spawn raised an eyebrow when Spina left.

“Thank you for not arresting him. Clark isn’t the type to take this matter lightly. He’ll see it done and better himself.” Vortex Man express gratitude to Spawn.

“I have no doubt Boy scout will do some good.” Spawn glance over to Vegetto. “That’s the one I’m worry.”
 
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Bernkastel broke her gaze away from Superman after he finished explaining the situation. "...I see," she replied curtly. Her body language was stiff as she mulled over the details. It didn't sound like Gogeta to side with his brother after the tension rising between them over the last few months. He was even ready to fight Vegetto during one of his outbursts towards her-- she couldn't fathom it being a sudden change of heart.

I should be angrier than this. But what did he see that I don't? Why then? Bernkastel's gaze sharpened as she heard Vegetto's outburst, erasing whatever sympathy she might have been able to muster in her analysis. Hearing him object to telling the truth made her glare intensely at the Potara fusion over her shoulder as the enraged thoughts began flooding her mind.

This man killed your brother and nearly you, yet you defend him still? And why does he continue to protect you? Why? What is this? It's illogical in every sense of the word! The Witch was unmoving, yet the disgust was evident in her eyes. There was a temptation to strike the two just to get rid of this nonsense on display before her. Cayde and Avalon's interference gave her enough sense to realize she was spiraling too. No, I can't get like this again-- I have to set my feelings aside for now. Bernkastel drew in a long sharp breath, releasing it after Spawn discussed their punishments. When she opened her eyes again, Bern relaxed enough to look Clark in the eyes again.

"I'm not going to do anything to you," the Witch stated flatly. "Gogeta views people and the world in simple ways, which makes him impressionable yet difficult to control at the same time. I myself have failed him when he needed my help most; if I knew the best way to handle it back then, maybe things would be a lot different now. I'd rather not fall to hypocrisy on that front, so that's why I won't kill you. He will be safest as a Coin. Away from all this until I sort it out." Despite her matter-of-fact wording, she looked gloomy and a bit defeated in accepting the state of affairs. Though she didn't specify what "it" was. Bernkastel turned on her heel but was hesitant to depart after Spina.

"... I don't really know what ought to come next," she admitted.
 
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Avalon felt a cold shiver go up his spine as Spina spoke to him, not out of fear, but an unknown sensation. He did not understand why he shook, but he knew he was not scared. Did he want to prove something to Spina or was he so angry that his body went numb? Regardless of how he felt, his attention followed Spina outside, watching the older Saiyan leave.

His behavior is getting’ worse… but why? Avalon opened his scroll to look back on his previous entries. Hmm… I can’t pinpoint it, but I think it started back in Rogue City… He’s supposed to be a leader, but he’s castin’ everyone aside. That’s no good! I'm gonna find out what's buggin' him and snap him out of it.

“Well, now that this has been sorted out, I think we can take a moment to check our surroundings. New city means new information, right?” Avalon looked around the room several times. He lifted a finger and counted the Breakers in the room before tilting his head in confusion.

“Uhh, where’s Zenta and Lucifer?” Avalon questioned. “Did they get lost?”
 
Clark never knew Gogeta at a personal level. There were times where Vegetto brought up in a conversation a few times, but he was just another stranger. Yet, the Kryptonian can see clearly as day that Gogeta meant something to Bernkastel. And what hurts him most is that while Bernkastel declined any retaliation against him, her tone and body language were practically emotionless.

“She’s… in shock.” Clark lowered his head in shame. He assumed that the news devastated her so much that all she could muster was a dry response of not seeking revenge. “It’s… not his fault.” Kryptonian said once more, trying to explain.

Vortex Man pressed his hand on Clark’s shoulder, urging him to stop. “That’s enough. You don’t need to say any more than you have too.”

“But…”

“Bernkastel…” Vortex Man spoke to the Great Witch for the first time. He tried avoiding holding a conservation due to their shared history, but seeing Clark drowning forced him to engage. “We’ll help you look for your comrades. It’s a start for Clark to do some good.” Vortex Man felt that something was off about Bernkastel but couldn’t put his finger on it. In the case of Spina, his change is impossible to miss. The Witch of Miracles… Vortex Man felt there was a loss of bite from her delivery. Rather, it was replaced with void less responses, like a machine trying to cope with emotions, but not processing correctly.

Vortex Man turns to Detective Spawn. “No issues with that, hmm?”

“Fine by mine. Just don’t cause trouble. I got enough shit.” Detective Spawn stared at Vegetto once more. He didn’t want to leave, but like Avalon, he was getting tired of the back and forth going on with this man.

“I’ll make sure they won’t cause too much noise.” Vortex Man assured the Hellspawn.

“Alright. Oh, that reminds me. We found Atomic Flare. We have her coin in our possession. Don’t know how long she’ll be coined, but considering her reputation, she’ll be back.”

“That’s great to hear.” Vortex Man was happy to hear that Atomic Flare was safe. While it was unfortunate that she got coined somewhere along the line, it put his mind at ease that she’s with the Detectives. “Thank you. Let me know when she appears again.”

Detective Spawn nodded before turning to the rest of the Breakers. “Nice working with you, I guess. Later.” The hellspawn sinks down to the floor, disappearing completely.

After Spawn departed, Vortex Man turned to Clark with concern. “You don’t have to do this. Last thing you want to open some bad feelings if your heart can’t take it.”

“No, no. I want to do this.” Clark said. “At the very least, I want to help the Breakers in any way I can.” Clark turns to the rest of the remaining Breakers still in his destroyed home. This was a good opportunity for him to get to know them personally. “I know a thing or two about this city, I can help you find your friends, if you’re willingly.”
 
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“Well, now that that’s sorted, we can move on.” Avalon let out a sigh of relief, not so much for the lack of drama, but for the ability to move on. “Between the two, I think Zenta will be harder to find. Lucifer will probably find us, one way or another. Beach City isn’t as big as Reflection City, so I don’t think it’ll take that much time. …At least I hope not.”

Avalon thought about the last moments between Zenta and Cuki, remembering how Zenta desperately wanted Cuki to stay. A frown formed on his lips the more he thought about it, yet, Cuki’s behavior was near that of paranoia. He noticed that she lacked sleep and spoke about voices in her head.

What the hell has she been through this entire time? Avalon pondered. Is she really experiencing a curse, or is it somethin’ else? I wish she could’ve told us more… Avalon shook his head, trying to forget those painful final moments of fear and anguish on Cuki’s face. Right now, we gotta find Zenta. …I just hope he’s alright.

His eyes trailed to Bernkastel before biting his lip.

He’s close to Bernkastel, so maybe she should tag along? Can’t hurt to try…

“Hey, Bernkastel, maybe you should come along. It might lift his spirits when he hears your voice.” Avalon shrugged nervously. “Should be easy for you to track him down. Just work charm and flex your magic! Besides, you know him better than anyone here, right?” Avalon gave Bernkastel a genuine smile. “If anyone can cheer him up, it’s you. I’m right behind ya’. I'll be waitin' outside for ya'!”

Avalon turned to Berserk.

“You wanna trail after Lucifer? We can cover more ground if we do! Shouldn’t be hard to find him; I’d dig ‘round those fancy restaurants if I were you, stuffin’ his face with food.” Avalon then turned to Clark. "We can use your help too, Clark. You've been here a while, right? I bet you know every corner of this place, so it'd be a good idea if you can guide us on some good hotspots around here."

He seemed excited to explore a new city, not for fun, but for information gathering. Avalon walked over to his bird and jumped on top of its back as it ruffled its feathers in joy. There was a moment of pause before the bird let out a cheery screech and opened its wings, bracing for flight. As Avalon guided his Avian to the massive hole in the wall, they stepped out. Something hit Avalon in the face: a cluster of white feathers. As Avalon spat out the feathers, he looked to the side and saw Lucifer relaxing outside.

"Lucifer?! Wait, what were you doing this whole time? Were you here?!" Avalon paused for a moment before clearing his throat. "Uhh, you haven't, by chance, seen Zenta, have you?"

I swear, he's just as mysterious as Zenta sometimes...


The delicate touch of the ocean air swayed two large tails. Atop a cliff above the sea sat Zenta, silently gazing into the horizon. Occasionally, the waves crashed onto the cliff he sat on. To a bystander, he appeared as if he was meditating or mesmerized by the ocean before him, when, in reality, his head raced faster than ever. His face showed no discomfort or sorrow, but he was known to hide his emotions very well.

It’s happening again… …I can’t stay around any longer… Cuki’s voice lingered in Zenta’s head. Everywhere I go… people get hurt. …I’m sorry I’m here… …My fate… is to be alone…

Cuki… what happened…? Zenta pondered to himself. I cannot see you like that… Perhaps I… I should not have let you leave. If you had just stayed… maybe you would not have dealt with all this trauma… The beast dug his claws into his leg, gripping his pants. I should be the one apologizing, not you…
 
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"... Relatively speaking, I suppose so," Bernkastel answered Avalon pensively. He seemed rather worried over Zenta, who was doubtlessly upset about what just transpired. Even she wasn't confident Zenta would let his guard down for her like that-- there was always a secretive air about him. "He's probably slipped away to be alone... but I'll see what I can do."

"Think of it this way, all you two have to do is not depress him more! Easy peezy," Berserk stated confidently as she waved Spawn goodbye. She peeked by the exit to see all the ruckus, stifling a giggle at the plumage. "It looks like a chicken exploded in your mouth buddy," she chuckled seeing the ninja spit out feather after feather before immediately realizing they belonged to Lucifer. "Oh, you're here! We figured you already were out on the town by now?"

Vortex Man speaking up for Clark drew Bernkastel's attention onto him, resuming a reserved and standoffish demeanor. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she sized him up. Just as he was wary of her, Bern seemed to be examining the Kryptonians closely for any sign of an ulterior motive. Vortex Man is the only person in the realm who managed to defeat the Witch of Miracles without any rematch. If he detected any sense of trouble, Bernkastel might not be able to put up much resistance for long even with Clear Mind. That was how certain she felt his powers had magnified from the Blue Devil battle. To think that this man before me was once of such weak constitution... how one battle changes someone so much.

The Witch glanced around her, finally taking note of the heavy atmosphere, weighed down by interpersonal frustrations and lower morale. After several silent moments, she fully faces Clark and Vortex Man with a confident expression bordering sinister were it not for what she would say next. "Very well Clark, I accept your offer... Once we're all gathered, you shall take us around the city in search of fun things to do. Ensure my friends are properly entertained and I'll take it as a peace offering."
 
Outside of Clark’s Home

“Greetings. Are you quite done with your huddle meeting?” Lucifer was sitting on a crystal rock as he watched a flock of black seagulls soaring through the sky. “I was just enjoying the scenery of this place. It’s not everyday you get to visit Beach City and feel that cool gentle wind.” He praised the prospect of the city. “Besides, I have little interest to take delight in yet another schizophrenic break from Vegetto. There’s only so much foam-nauseating rant my poor ears can take!” The angel joked. “Considering the lack of explosions from whatever you discussed in there, I suspect that some of you feel the same way.”

Lucifer spread out his wings to straighten out his feathers after Avalon ruffled them. “I haven’t seen him, no. He’s probably somewhere, I suppose.” He answered Avalon’s question regarding Zenta’s whereabouts.

Nearby, Spina was standing on top of a large rock, looking onwards to the rest of Beach City. Usually, the old Saiyan would’ve had complicated thoughts about his actions. Second guessing himself; overthinking of what he said. Yet, none of them came to his mind. For the first time, he felt completely at ease and satisfied with what he did. His thoughts no longer tangled in a web of insecurities—the road towards his main goal is clear.

“Oh, Spina! Do you have an idea where Zenta have ran off too?” Lucifer called out to him.

“No. If he’s not here, that isn’t my concern.”

“Ah, there you have it. Quite a mystery!” Lucifer held a devilish smirk when he faced Avalon. “Why not use your scroll and seek him out, since you want to act like a leader, hmm?”

===

Clark’s Home

Clark was taken aback by Bernkastel’s request. “I’ll… do my best?” He had goosebumps on his arms after seeing her expression. He’s bit a weary of her since she’s capable of magic, something that he had almost no defense against. The Kryptonian need to pace carefully considering the Witch had all the reasons to lash out at even the slightest infraction.

“She’ll stay here while we venture out.” Vortex Man turned his head slightly, seeing Hart peaking her head from the corner. “Something tells me that she isn’t willingly to come along with us.” The Kryptonian walked past the Witch of Miracles and headed towards the exit. “Shall we?” Despite the riff tension between the two, Vortex Man wanted to maintain some level of professionalism.

It was a big, difficult task for Clark to take on. “Vegetto.” The burden that he’ll carry is a heavy one, but it is something he accepts and gladly takes responsibility for. “I know this was something you weren’t expecting. Probably thought it was easier to lie because you wanted to ensure my safety.” He paused for a moment, thinking about it some more. “I appreciate it, but I need to own up to it, and I’m glad that I did. I couldn’t bear that shame if I didn’t. I feel … stronger than ever for telling the truth.” He held a bittersweet smile. “For the first time, I feel like I can make mistakes. When Gogeta ever comes back… I’ll buy him a beer as a start for apologies.”

He'd followed behind Vortex Man for the exit.
 
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