The Reality Vortex: The Black Rose

“What the hell is this clown doing?!” Vortex-Man took a defensive stance after sensing an unalarming amount of bloodlust from Spina. “This isn’t rage—”, The Kryptonian was only able to see just a glimpse of the older Saiyan’s face, but from the little he saw was enough to send chills down his spine. “This is plain unfiltered hate.” Unlike the Breakers, he was not going to wait around to see what’s going to happen next, especially after Bernkastel shoved Vegetto. A fight breaking out is now a matter of when, not if. “Higher King—”

An overcast formed above the group, right after Vegetto laid out those devastating words to Spina. His body visibly shook, and his anger had seemingly reached a boiling point. He grinded his teeth; veins became notably apparent across his face and neck. He raised his left arm slowly, blatantly indicating that he was about to strike the Potara fusion, even with Bernkastel in the way.

Spina stopped midway after Coella cupped his face, while the others chastised Vegetto’s efforts. “…Zamasu?” Spina overheard Avalon mentioning that name as his anger cooled, confused about why that had any significance to what’s going on now. Until it dawned on him after Victor explicitly stated about having a way to squashed brainwashing.

“Oh, this is hilarious.” Brutality wasted no time to capitalize this bombshell. “They believe that you’ve been brainwashed! It makes sense why they were careful approaching you initially. They cannot accept that you’re doing this out of your own free will. To them, it’s a textbook definition of mind control because why else you’re acting this way, right?”

Spina’s view of the Breakers completely changed dramatically. From his perspective, they morphed into distorted, monstrous versions of themselves. Their squabbles between each other shifted to them pointing at Spina in a mocking manner. Once again, his anger became overwhelming and a notable change in his body was on the verge of starting.

“The moment you exercise your agency and autonomy, you’ll get a brutal reminder of your place. Any decision you made for yourself… its not actually your choice. It was made by someone else, of course! See, you’re just so weak and stupid that you fell for the mind trick, brainwashing, or heck, even body snatching. Denying your agency… no, your existence once again.” Brutality laughed. “Vegetto cannot accept that you aren’t licking his feet, so you had to be manipulated by someone and only he knows how to solve it. Look how he managed to get everyone to believe it! He even managed to get Bernkastel, your precious rival… even she believes, subconsciously, that you are being controlled by some external forces.” He smiles. “And she has Clear Mind! She should be able to see that this is a farce… but she’s too much of a novice to do so.” Brutality floated around Spina, cackling at the events that transpired before him. “They don’t believe in you… What will you do?”

Spina arched over as his muscles began to expand in response to his rage. The denial of his existence was put on full display. As the monstrous versions of the Breaker became gigantic and surrounded the older Saiyan, it was a matter of time before the inevitable explosion—and his body would change. This was a moment when the Dark Energy that was slowly growing since the Red King battle had truly been replenished.

Then he laughed. An actual, genuine laughter. He laughed for a full minute to the point that there were tears in his eyes. The monstrous versions of how he saw them shattered, and everything returned to normal. Brutality narrowed his many eyes in both amazement and shock. “He… managed to break through the first pillar…!”

Vortex-Man’s eyes widened when Spina didn’t do anything. Despite the tremendous intention of murder clearly flowing around him, it vanished in an instant. “…He’s laughing?”

“Phew…” Spina wiped away the tears after letting out such a hearty laugh. His seethe rage just disappeared, and he lowered his arm. “That’s what’s cooking in that pathetic little noggin’ that got these punks all fired up? Hmph.” Moving away from Coella’s hands, the older Saiyan answered her question bluntly. “Let me be clear. Screw your so-called help. Leave me out of it. Forever.” The white pupil in his blacked eye increased just slightly. However, he glanced at Bernkastel, indicating that she was an exception to his statement.

Spina approached Vegetto once more. From the Potara fusion’s perspective, for a moment, Spina appeared monstrous that towered over him with a gleeful smile. “You’re not even worth it; brainwashed or not.” He continued. “Even as a weak-minded slave,” he took Vegetto’s words, “You’ll always be beneath me.” Spina walked past the Potara fusion and the others towards the restaurant, leaving them to duke it out whether verbally or physically without him being present.
 
Brachi put her hands in her sides, initially on guard to the tense atmosphere building up, before it all vanished in an instant, and Spina leaving after saying his words.
"Well, that escalated to some degree," she muttered while putting a hand on Bara's shoulder as if to stop her, "it appears he isn't in the mood to receive any aid at all..."
"Should we leave him be then?" Dielec offered.
"What option do we have?" Brachi asked, "if someone like Bara can't make him snap out of it, it can only end up making things worse, unless any of the others have any suggestions... his expression did cool slightly when he took a gaze at Bernkastel..."
 
Vegetto had kept his tense stare, but broke off attention once the others arrived to chastise him in his efforts. His eyes widened in disbelief; his mind and body caught off guard once again as he thought of himself as defending against Spina's challenge, rather than the aggressor. In his mind, he felt justified in his actions as he had stood silent and waited for the situation to play out, but could not as Spina immediately challenged him the moment he arrived.

The Potara fusion boiled over in anger at the thought; once more, he felt wronged and ready to lash back out at the others for the belief that he was defending himself, not starting the fight. Vegetto glared immediately between Bernkastel and Avalon; the normal reaction to act in his usual boorish manner and proclaim his viewpoint instinctual. Yet even Cayde looked on in disappointment from Vegetto's reaction to the conflict in its entirety, and the Potara fusion briefly paused in his subconscious efforts.

He stared down the others in his face for seemingly an eternity in his own mind; Bernkastel and Avalon both the sources of his greatest frustrations. Vegetto's thoughts focused on the witch first; the immense hatred and distrust for her actions apparent, but paired alongside Avalon, who Vegetto saw as the ultimate servant that blatantly misunderstood and criticized him in a conscious effort to see the worst in everything Vegetto did.

Yet as he stood, staring down the two he felt were his biggest opponents, both began to fade away in his eyes. Vegetto stared them down, hauntingly realizing that as he continued to think more about arguing with them for his own sake, the more they began to fade away. It was not long before the others faded from his vision too; standing once more alone in the darkness.

The emptiness was not new, the same sensation was present the moment Vegetto turned his back on the Breakers and left the first time after Doom's defeat. Yet despite feeling strong and finding new friendships to fend off the hollow void at that time, Vegetto stood alone at the looming threat reborn. A second time would be enough to truly break the man into madness, and Vegetto slowly breathed in to clear his thoughts.

A new approach was needed. The cycle must be broken.



As Vegetto's vision cleared in the quick recovery, he first turned his head towards Avalon; answering the direct question of why he stayed despite obviously causing problems and how they could know he wasn't Zamasu himself.

"Because I haven't kept any secrets from you. You already know I don't like you; in fact...I think I hate you."

The Potara fusion's eyes glanced amongst the others, a near snarl in his words.

"The truth is that all of you could vanish from existence...and I wouldn't care."

Even at the damning words spoken from the Potara fusion, Vegetto's eyes turned down the floor; a genuine shift in his face. Cayde blinked in surprise at the sight of Vegetto staring down fully in shame; guilty in his expression for the first time.

"But I don't want that...I don't want to think or feel this way. I want to care, and I'm trying..."

Despite the vulnerability and progress Vegetto made in admitting a desire to change, however, his eyes narrowed immediately as he glared to the side; the focus of his stare being Bernkastel. That despite whatever progress he made, Vegetto proved once more that he was far from perfect.

"Yet she hides everything from you. She used us as pawns in the beginning to fight Doom, the only thing she ever truly cared about was the other witch that Doom destroyed. Ever since then, she's been clinging to all of you like a true parasite; taking everything she can because she wants to fill her own void."

Vegetto scoffed, still glaring down Bernkastel from the other side and ignoring the immensely threatening pressure from Spina that was mounting.

"At least I can see that I'm terrible...I don't like the fact that I wouldn't be upset if you were all snapped away by the Voice in the blink of an eye. I want to change that...but she doesn't. You're all just a convenience for her, and she wants to keep it that way. She'll never truly care about any of you; all she wants are toys to play with so she won't feel so lonely and empty. When you break, she'll just find new ones...just as she's always done. Her existence is her creator's best joke, except it's on all of us!"



Vegetto wanted to continue, prepared to speak more. But the growing, ominous pressure from Spina could no longer be ignored; the rising malevolence of the Dark Energy quickly catching Vegetto's attention and the Potara fusion glanced towards the older Saiyan instinctually in self preservation. He stared on as Spina threatened for the others to never provide him help; a bold proclamation.

Once Spina approached however, Vegetto's eyes widened. The strange sensation; the ominous foreboding enemy looming over the Potara fusion from his perspective would've immediately frightened a normal, sane person into submission. Yet it wasn't bravery that kept Vegetto from reacting how a normal person should; more confusion as Vegetto stared up at the strange vision in front of him. Vegetto still stood with a small tremor in shock and fear; the sensation of the Dark Energy mostly unfamiliar, but still a slight consistency to that of the Xyphers that torched Reality Metropolis long ago. He thought immediately on that connection at first, but then Spina spoke the words that laid his thoughts truly bare.

You're not even worth it; brainwashed or not. Even as a weak minded slave, you will always be beneath me.

Vegetto blinked, watching on as Spina pushed past him in raw confusion. The damning words should normally trigger the Potara fusion's pride, but Vegetto had not come to challenge Spina directly to prove himself stronger. The effort to help was genuine, despite Vegetto's boorish and selfish methods of trying to force Spina to see things his way. So as he listened to the words, Vegetto felt confusion, focusing instead on Spina's meaning and what the older Saiyan wanted to convey. The Potara fusion kept a strong frown, his narrowed eyes following Spina as he left.

So that's how you see me...someone trying to make you kneel.

Vegetto sighed as he thought to himself in the moment, realizing he had work to do to undo the impression Spina had of the Potara fusion. However, as he thought, he stood still and silent, distracted and forgetting the immensely harrowing accusations he threw out moments ago.
 
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Victor says, "I should have noted my little friend has a lot of psionic abilities." the little purple octopus seems to be looking of the source of the voice in Spina's head.

Victor seems ready just in case Spina reacts negatively to the little purple octopus. Victor thinks "It seems to be nothing more than sweet whispers."
 
Upon the octopus attempting to breach Spina’s mind, it found nothing. There was no source, no trace or anything of the sort that could explain Spina’s behaviors. It was an impossible feat that cannot be obtained by anyone—as long they do not allow themselves to be sense—no one is aware of their existence. The old Saiyan walked past Victor with a grim stare. “Go bother someone else,” Spina warned Victor. His eyes trails to the creature and with a mere stare, causing it to explode violently. “I won’t say it again.” He left without hearing a response by taking flight in rapid speeds towards the restaurant. On his way there, he passed Mooli but didn’t give her any attention.

--

Vortex-Man watched Spina leave the area, surprised that a fight didn’t break out between the two Saiyans. Instead, he was met with something more dangerous: unhinged cringe.

The Kryptonian had to take a minute to digest what Vegetto just said. He wasn’t part of the Breakers so it’s not like it directly involves him. If anything, the only thing Vortex-Man has with the Breakers was their brief, albeit one-sided, petty rivalry back at Metropolis. However, he knew that Vegetto was spying on them, and moreover, his obsession with Bernkastel was a constant issue. The only reason he’s there… is to prevent turning Beach City into rubbles like so many others before.

He struggled to understand the point of all of this. Why now of all places to even say it. And by that point, Vortex-Man knew he had to speak on it. “Then just go. You hate them? Leave already.” Vortex-Man crossed his arms, not shying away his expression of disgust and bewilderment. “I was like that too… and I’m still working on it. But you… why do you even give a damn? Even if Bernkastel is some crazed punk, and I completely agree… that’s none of your business… that’s their problem, not yours.” He thought about Clark and Cayde, they seem to be keen on giving this Potara Saiyan more chances. “I… am struggling to see why Clark is adamant to see the good in you; I wonder if you have some influence on him or something.” He uncrossed his arms and balled his hands into fists. “That Lucifer fellow… he told me all your exploits; I can see why the ninja even think like that. So again. Just go. You’re not obligated to stay here.”
 
The little purple octopus seems to recover very quickly and explains what it found. After it complained about its treatment. Victor takes out a dry fish for It to snack on. He says petting the little purple octopus a bit "sorry for that."

Victor completely ignoring Spina's waning and says to the rest "Your associate Spina seems fine despite his apparent anger problems according to my little buddy." Victor seems completely unphased by Spina's threat. Victor thinks "Fair no one like someone entering in one's mind." He summons a little slime to clean himself, the cat and the carpet form octopus remains.
 
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Avalon let out a long, annoyed sigh as he listened to Vegetto’s ramblings. To him, he felt like he was listening to a lunatic talk about his shadow. The ninja pressed his hands to the side of his head, trying to ease a headache at the nonsense. Visibly, he was completely annoyed. Upon hearing Vortex-Man’s words, he simply raised his hand, as if the Kyptonian took the words out of his mouth.

“At this point, why argue?

Avalon leaned back on his paper bird; his shoulders slumped, and he exhaled through his nose.

“Just go away. If Bernkastel is this demon, let us deal with her. You hate us, so why does it matter if she gets rid of us? It’s okay for Voice to kill us, but not Bernkastel...? Am I missing something, or am I also going crazy? Maybe it’s Zamasu…”

Avalon slapped a palm on his face, already tired of dealing with the same matter over and over. He let out an annoyed groan.

“Can you be crazy and stupid somewhere else. Like… go fight your shadow or something, I don’t know…”



Asher furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest. He thought Vegetto was a hero when he tried to save him from death in Lucifer’s grasp, but she shook his head.

“Man, I thought you were some cool hero back in the tournament. I was very wrong! You’re just a bully, man! Totally not cool, bro!”

Asher huffed, looking over at Bernkastel before turning his back to Vegetto. He sat on his Kinto’un as he purposely blocked Bernkastel’s view of Vegetto. His smile was as bright and welcoming as the sun. Asher placed a hand on Bernkastel’s shoulder, giving her a gentle and reassuring squeeze. Then, out of impulse, Asher pulled Bernkastel in a friendly headlock, pulling her close and pointing at the sky.

“You’re cool with me, Kettles! Don’t listen to people like that! So what if you’re using us as toys! You did something good now, this very moment! Be proud of that, Kettles! Grandpa said to always be proud of your smallest deeds because they, uhm… they are just a piece to something bigger! Right, grandpa?!

Zenta chuckled softly, placing a hand on Bernkastel’s head, ruffling her hair slightly, and freeing her from Asher’s playful grasp.

“Along those lines, yes.” The beast tilted his head, watching Spina leave. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Are you alright, my Lady?”
 
Vegetto's eyes remained wide; perplexed and stunned at the reactions from Vortex Man and Avalon. He looked on, both in pure confusion and overwhelming frustration at his speech from the heart being completely rejected. His eyebrow twitched heavily, his mouth opening to speak but no words came out in retort. The others who had spoken, even those who flat out saw the same threat Bernkastel could pose, had rebuked him fully. His eyes shifted first between the others, Asher's full dismal of his visage finally ending any chance for the Potara Fusion to continue pressing the point further.

He immediately spun to the side, his narrowed eyes glaring strongly at Cayde; indirect anger towards the android in the sheer fact that Vegetto was losing the argument.

"Cayde! Back me up here!"

Cayde stood still, despite the intense heat and vitriol that shot out of Vegetto's mouth. The android looked on plainly, his face truly robotic for the first time.

"No...I don't think I will."

Vegetto's scowl intensified, his glare growing stronger at the denial.

"But you know I'm right?! You think she's a problem too! You're the one who even came up with the contingency plan to kill her if she became a threat!!"

Cayde nodded his head once.

"Yep, I did."

Vegetto growled even more fiercely, nearly shouting.

"Then tell them they're wrong!!"

Cayde's eyebrows sharpened in an instant, snapping his head towards Vegetto in a controlled yet fierce stare.

"Fine. They're wrong for putting their faith in a person who doesn't care about them. They're wrong because they've put their faith blindly in someone who will throw them away if it means her selfish needs are taken care of. That they should stop wasting their time trying to fix her into something she can't ever be."

Vegetto's expression softened, the immense tirade from Cayde initially vindicating the Potara fusion's point. Yet as Vegetto looked on, his expression changed as he realized that Cayde never once gestured or looked towards Bernkastel, the supposed source of the android's words. Cayde only kept his stern, fierce stare trained on Vegetto; the android's glowing eyes never once leaving the Potara fusion in his fiery, yet controlled outburst.

Vegetto paused, his eyebrows keeping stern to match Cayde's energy, throwing his arm out and gesturing to Bernkastel despite the group blocking the view of her.

"Do something then."

Cayde scoffed lightly.

"Alright."

The android nodded to the sky, his hand reaching down towards his holster.

"Get out of here. They don't owe you anything; stop trying to force what you don't deserve."

Vegetto blinked wide eyed again, shocked at Cayde's demand for the Potara fusion to leave as well. He stared on in confusion for only a moment, glancing around once again to see how nonexistent his support was. He lowered his shoulders finally; the admission of defeat, but Vegetto glanced between the others with a final, frustrated and determined glare.

"You're all fools."

Without another word or waiting for a reply, Vegetto shot up into the open sky; the white aura flaring outwards as he gradually flew away and disappeared into the horizon.

Once Vegetto had disappeared, Cayde sighed audibly, raising his hand off his holster and pinching the bridge of his nose.
 
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Brachi just sighed.
"And here I thought I had issues..." she muttered.
"At least you know when to keep your mouth shut." Dielec commented.
"Yeah, but getting to open it on the right time is another thing..." Brachi replied.
 
Asher's headlock rendered Bernkastel immobile, either from the shock of the sudden move or she simply allowed it as she didn't move to shove him away or rebuke it. There was a pained expression in her eyes hearing his words, and so she averted her gaze to the ground to not look anyone in the eye. Her bravado from before was gone, rendered to the way a child does after having been scolded intensely by a parent.

"No... I feel as though I've made a mistake of some sort. My plan didn't work, Spina's gone, and now..." Bern gestured towards the air at nothing in particular. She sighed. "Lying, pretending to be someone I'm not, hiding things... I had to. It just stuck with me, but I was the one that got warped. There's no way I can possibly explain it to you all that makes any sense."

"I thought if I started to make good decisions and prove I'm useful, I could stay close and try to be more friend-like. But when you put it the way he did, it doesn't sound any less malicious than before." Bern lowered her head in shame with her tail curled around her legs. "I didn't mean to."

The Witch looked in Cayde's general direction, silently waiting for him to do anything about her and hear the distinct sound of a pistol being manipulated with. "You're not going to?" she asked, deliberately leaving off the last word of her sentence. She didn't want to verbalize anything, in case the mere notion would give Cayde the push to act on it against her.
========

Mooli had stopped in her tracks for a few moments, watching Spina's back as he flew off in the direction she was just headed. She waited to see the others, but realized nobody was following him. Surely if it was the case she feared, there would have been a fight breaking out but nothing of the sort seemed to be happening from what she was able to sense.

That weird pressure from before was there just a moment ago, but it disappeared. Something definitely happened. She couldn't sense anything at all from being in proxmity to the Old Saiyan. Rather than follow and interrogate him, she opted to head for where she could sense the rest of the group congregating still.
 
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