Atrocities

by Ash The Wanderer

The sequel to Consuming Madness. A new evil emerges from the world that brought the curse of Agony. Is the greatest evil one of extraordinary birth, or is it all too human? And in the end, will there be nothing but doom...or redemption?

3. Who Rules the Night?

Chapter 3: Who Rules the Night?

"She looks like a flower but stings like a bee, unlike any girl in history."

"She Bangs", by Ricky Martin

"A faint cold fear thrills through my veins"

Shakespeare

There was only one thing Erik was sure of, and that was he felt more tired then he had ever felt in his life. Blinking slowly, he stared off at the light green wall that surrounded the large room Erik had set up for a makeshift meeting area. Its size was due to Erik's thinking he would have needed great amount of space in the room to fit everyone in.

He had thought wrong. Indeed, as he glanced over the table, seeing all the gaps where the Z Fighters should have been, a tinge of sadness crept into his heart. The fact that they were resting up in the makeshift infirmary down one of the hallways gave him no comfort. Neither did the fact that their injuries had been healed by Diana's great efforts. Erik had always respected Ash's mother, her devotion to a religion Erik had denouced more then a few times gave him enough reason too. But with the fact that the healing needed for several of the Z Fighters was immensely complicated, and the fact that Diana was older and had less endurance then the rest of them, make him respect her all the more. Christine had helped, and she had taken some of the strain off the priestess, but it had still been hell on the aging woman. But she had not given up, treating people she had never met like close friends. She had most likely saved the lives of most of the warriors. And in a way, that was a greater power then any of them possessed.

But the effort had not been without cost, as Erik glanced over to his fellow Legacy members. Of all of them, Diana was the only one missing. She had tried to join them with their meeting, but her exhaustion had been quite apparent, and everyone had insisted that she go and rest. With Ash promising to fill her in on what she missed, Diana had been helped to a room by Bulma.

Bulma…

Erik had never gotten a chance to meet the woman. He'd heard of her, her mind and then her life robbed from her by Agony, yet another life he had been unable to save from the demonic malevolence who haunted his every waking and sleeping moment. But unlike many of them, Erik had been able to restore Bulma's life with a wish. And while it was something that had brought Agony back from the dead, a place Erik had sought to put her for so long, he never regretted it for a second.

Most people would find it ludicrous that Erik thought that way, would make such a sacrifice for a woman he had never known. But Erik had never been known for thinking about himself. That was obvious.

Or at least that was the way it had been, for Erik had met Bulma now. She had thanked him like a friend she had known for years once the whole mess of bringing the badly injured Z Fighters back to Capsole Corp was settled (Indeed, Erik was glad he had Pan to give them directions, otherwise he wouldn't have known what to do), holding him tight in a hug. Although his mask of stone had not slipped, Erik had been somewhat rattled by the woman's gratitude, not just for saving her family's life from Vagane but bringing her and them back with his wish. He may have gone back to his world after the Agony massacre, but the Z Fighters had apparently made sure he was not forgotten for his deeds. It was not a legacy Erik was used to hearing of. At least not in a positive way.

Erik sighed and took his mind off Bulma's greeting as he looked at the Z Fighters who had been able to make it. Piccolo and Eighteen had been the first to recover, their alien and mechanically enhanced flesh proving to be somewhat easier in mending. Along with them were Trunks, Pan, and finally, Gohan, who was hurt but apparently not enough to keep him away. Piccolo and Eighteen had only known of Erik, and thus their greeting was mostly cordial, their minds fixed on the plight of people they loved or obessessed with the experience they had just gone through, as Erik's eyes travelled over to Piccolo, floating in a corner, arms and legs crossed, head bowed and eyes closed in concentration. The way the Namek had to ponder over everything was something he could relate to. He did a good deal of it himself.

Trunks and Gohan, on the other hand, had been somewhat warmer. Gohan, in particular, was glad to see Erik again. Erik's eyes travelled over to the hybrid, looking apon his deeply bruised face as he sat with his daughter. He was whispering to her, and although Erik didn't mean to pry, he could still pick it up. Gohan was trying to comfort Pan, and himself, about the fate of Videl. Erik sighed again. He didn't know how he was going to break it to Gohan, but if Vagane had Videl…had specifically picked her…

Erik knew all to well what it meant to be one of Vagane's Chosen.

Erik glanced at his fellow Legacy members again. The group was talking within themselves, trusting for Erik to make the introductions. Erik sighed again. He had put it off long enough.

He stood to get his friend's attention and tapped the table a few time to get Piccolo and co's.

"Ok." Erik said, and suddenly found himself speechless, a rare occurance for him.

"Ok." Erik repeated. Again he blanked. Fortunately, this time Gohan came to his rescue.

"Erik…is everyone going to be ok?"

"What…oh. Yes. From the three senzu beans I was able to gleen from all our friends…it is a stroke of good luck that some of you carried one…and from Diana and Christine's efforts, we have managed to repair all of your major injuries. Unfortunately Gohan, while Diana and Christine's healing powers can repair wounds, they cannot restore energy like Senzus. I am afraid that most of your friends will be bedridden for some time while they regain their strength, a good several hours at the least. But they'll be back and better then ever in good time…I just hope it's enough."

Erik paused, then went on.

"There have been a few brief introductions…but I would like to wait until everyone is back on their feet for we exchange major information. But in short, my friends…this is the group I spoke of the last time I came here."

"The Legacy. Pleased to meet you. I'm Trunks." Trunks said, although he made no move to shake hands. It was not a gesture of rudeness, but rather that of exhaustion. Although more fit then many of the Z Warriors, including his father and sister, Trunks had still suffered a severe beating, and although healed, it was clear he was still feeling it.

"Yes. The Legacy. I'll save individual introductions for later, if I may. But these people are my allies…my…they decided to accompany me here this time…but that is beside the point."

Erik paused again.

"The situation is not good. I do not know how, but Vagane has somehow managed to sway Goku to his side, and if I know Vagane, it was not done through a good job of convincing. That is bad enough in itself. However, we also have the situation that all the Senzu Beans have suddenly disappeared, if we weren't at a disadvantage enough. It will be some time before all our…allies, are back up on their feet. While we wait…I would like to ask some favours. I only ask because your speed and…"

"Erik…don't worry. After what you did for us, you don't have to worry about us turning you down." Gohan said, wincing slightly. Erik smiled slightly, although it was an inward smile.

"Thank you. Then, my friends, we have to do some things. First, we must aquire more Senzu Beans. I trust that you know how. Also, we must try and get more allies. With Goku on Vagane's side, we need every single warrior we can get our hands on, no matter how weak or useless they could be…we need everyone we can. Every bit counts…especially against someone as strong as Goku…there is something else, but I will speak to Bulma about it. That's all I can say for now. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah. How'd you know we were in trouble Erik? And how'd you get back here?" Trunks said. Erik's features darkened slightly.

"I do not wish to discuss it…at the moment. Once everyone is gathered, I will explain."

"I see…very well Erik. I will do what I can." Trunks said.

"As will I." Gohan added. There were several other replies from the other Z warriors.

"Thank you my…allies. But speed is of the essence…so please hurry. Now…I must do some other things…I will speak to you all later." Erik said.

"Um, Erik…what are we supposed to do?" Ash said. He and his friends had remained largely silent, and Erik looked at his brother in law.

"You're the leader Ash. I'm sure you can find some way to make yourself useful. Now Trunks, I must speak with your mother…" Erik said, walking over to the hybrid. Trunks stood up and the two of them walked out the door, still continuing to talk.

"Well, you heard him guys. I guess we wait…kill time any way you can…" Ash said, as various members of the group stood up and began filing out of the room through the doors. The Z Warriors also left. Soon the room was empty except for Piccolo. And Lindsay.

Piccolo opened one eye to find the young woman looking him up and down, staring at him.

"What do you want?" he asked, a slight bit of grit in his voice. He respected what Erik had done enough to treat one of his allies with some degree of respect, but that would quickly change if the woman bothered him during meditation.

"Nothing…you just look so weird…you kinda look like the early science-fiction image of an alien, a little green man…well, green man anyway. You certainly ain't little."

"I would say so. Please don't bother me." Piccolo said, closing the eye. Lindsay did not move, and continued to stare for a few moments. Piccolo felt her curious gaze on him.

"Say, what are you doing?" she suddenly asked, her tone friendly. Picclo sighed inwardly and tried to figure out a way to get rid of the woman nicely. Well, as nicely as he could get.

"Meditating, and it's hard to do while being stared at." Piccolo said, keeping his eyes closed. Lindsay cocked her head.

"Meditating, eh? I can tell you want me gone, but I thought you might want to know of a special calming chant. It's supposed to help with stuff like that."

Piccolo opened one eye again. The woman was slightly irritating, but anything that could improve his meditation was interesting to him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"I see. How does it go?" Piccolo asked.

"You wanna know? Ok. Repeat after me. Ohwa."Lindsay said. Piccolo opened his other eye inquisitively, but decided that the woman meant him no harm.

"Ohwa." He repeated.

"Tahna."

"Tahna."

"Siam."

"Siam."

"Yeah. Those are the three words, now just say them all together, over and over." Lindsay said, and as if she could read his mind, she turned and started to leave.

Piccolo closed his eyes. He figured it was worth a try.

"Ohwa Tahna Siam. Ohwa Tahna Siam. Ohwa Tahna Siam. Ohwa Tahna Si…" Piccolo suddenly halted as he realized what he was saying. He heard a quick giggle and opened his eyes to see Lindsay vanishing out the door. He growled slightly.

"You little…well, I suppose I had best go check on Dende anyway…"

Vagane sat in his hoverchair, his fingers crossed and relaxed. He had been hard at work for the past several hours, going from computer to computer to enter all the commands he had to enter. But despite all his efforts, he had not tired one bit. Limits were of the human nature, something he had long ago left behind. He was not resting. He was waiting.

And what he was waiting for had finally happened, as Marron's eyes fluttered open.

It took her some time to adjust to her surroundings, floating in a tube with her arms and legs bound with thin but incredibly string twine, a clear breathing mask on her face that was attached to other equipment that had been fixed onto her head. But eventually, she figured it out, as Vagane saw her eyes fall on him. Then rage filled them, and she did her best to move forward and attack him, or more precisely, attack the glass so she could get to him. Vagane smirked as she banged on the tube walls in a futile effort to break them. He had made sure that Marron's chains restricted rather then completely immobolized her, because he knew this would happen.

It amused him greatly.

"So. You are awake my dear. Did you have a nice sleep?"

While Marron could hear him, due to a built in mike in the apparatus that surrounded her head and face, the link was only one way and hence Vagane could not hear Marron. But he could see her mouth, and from the contortions it went through, along with her furious and violent body movement as she banged on the tube walls, gave him a good enough idea on her reply.

"Now, now, that's not nice. You should be humble in the face of superiority." Vagane said. Marron's outburst did not change tone. A slight frown crossed Vagane's face. He could tolerate disrespect, but not for very long. He reached over and tapped a button.

Marron's eyes suddenly filled with pain and her mouth opened in a silent scream as blue energy suddenly coursed through her, sending her body into violent contortions. The thin, clear greenish fluid Marron resided in bubbled slightly as her body was wracked with the hurting energy. It went on for ten seconds before Vagane subsided, leaving Marron floating limply in the tube. She was down, but she hadn't gone back out.

"That's better. You should feel proud girl. The life you were going to live was to accomplish nothing but waste. But now you will serve a far more important purpose. You will help crown a new force of creation…even though you most likely won't live to see it."

Marron's eyes went wide at Vagane's words, as a keyboard extended from Vagane's chair and he began to tap commands into it.

Then Marron saw IT. She couldn't make out what it was, only that it looked like something out of Dr. Frankenstein's nightmares, a terrible twisted device attached to a long black cord.

Then she saw where it was going, and again she screamed, a pleading scream of frantic protest.

But Vagane couldn't hear it, and even if he could, it wouldn't have changed one thing.

As the device began to insert, Marron howled in agony.

Vagane just smiled cruelly.

"Why are humans always so stupid that they can't recognize a truly great purpose?"

As Marron cotinued to silently wail, Vagane turned to Videl, who was starting to come around herself, as if she could hear Marron's screams. Vagane glanced over at Marron's thrashing form as blood began to leak into the clear fluid.

"I love my work."

"That's the whole gist of it, Bulma. You think you can build it?"

Bulma blinked, looking at Erik's expressionless face. Despite the mask, she could see a hint of worry behind his eyes.

"Well…the way you explained it, it seems possible…but I never would have thought of combining those technologies and utilizing them in conjection with…"

"Yeah, I know. The scientists who built it on our world were laughing pretty much the whole time too…well, at least until it worked."

"But Erik…" Trunks said, and the cyborg looked over to the purple haired warrior. "From what I learned, the opening between worlds was a freak accident, a one time thing. Only you were supposed to remember it…so how did…?"

Erik grimaced.

"………………All these years, he was watching me. He told me so…he saw everything. He saw the incident…it intrigued him…and somehow he figured out how to create a steady Gateway between worlds. How do you think I got this technology? He gave it to me."

"But why? Why would he…?"

"Don't ask me what goes on in the mind of someone as insane as Vagane, Trunks. It must serve some purpose to him, but he will find that his choice was fatal, mark my words, Trunks."

Trunks was silent. The sheer intensity and hate in Erik's voice convinced him that Erik was speaking the truth.

"Well Erik, I'll get started as soon as possible…"

"Here, I'll save you some time." Erik said, raising his right arm and curling his hand into a fist. The FS-X peeled away from the knuckles to reveal the dull metal underneath. There was a slight whirring noise and suddenly a small panel opened, revealing a strange looking extension. "Show me your main computer and I'll jack into it for you, and download the information right into it. That way you can work easier."

Bulma blinked again.

"I guess so."

As Bulma turned to head elsewhere, motioning for Erik to follow, Trunks sighed and fell in behind them. He had some more questions for Erik, and he needed anything to take his mind off his father and sister.

Vegeta was in torment. But it wasn't a physical torment, or anything that would alarm his wife or son. It wasn't even a self-caused torment via his memories on how badly Kakarott had beaten him (and he had been on the RIGHT side for once!). No, it was a whole new torment, one he had never experienced before.

"I SAID, I don't want to talk to you. GO AWAY!" Vegeta growled, pulling the scratchy sheets over his head. Lindsay was unperturbed. Smiling mischievely, she simply pulled the sheet back.

"Look troll man…"

"OK, FOR THE LAST TIME DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Vegeta roared, as he sat up and went face to face with the young woman. "I am not a person you want to be friends with, and believe me, the only reason I haven't blown you to oblivion is because of your relationship with Erik!"

"Wondergoth? Funny, he usually inspires fear, not respect. Not many people look up to him…although in your case you wouldn't have a choice, one way or the other…"

A second later Lindsay's rear smacked onto the ground as Vegeta shoved her off his bed.

"GO AWAY!"

Lindsay sighed and mock brushed herself off as she stood up, putting on a serious air.

"Look…Vegeta, wasn't it? I have a general idea how you feel…"

"YOU CANNOT CONCEIVE OF HOW I FEEL!"

"Um, yes." Lindsay said, waving her hand to give the impression that Vegeta had bad breath. "I have an idea from what I've been told. The one who beat you and everyone else…Goku, I believe, is a long time rival of yours. I don't know the whole story, but I know how badly you wanted to beat him. And I think I can guess on how angry, how enraged you are that you not only lost again, but lost badly. Your anger is a cover for your humiliation, the doubts that have been raised in you about your fighting ability. But I know something, Vegeta. The man who was controlling Goku…a man I had heard was a truly great hero and overall person…he doesn't play fair. Erik has made that clear. I sense you were cheated in the battle, Vegeta. Until we know otherwise…perhaps you should save your energy, Vegeta, and not waste it on pointless rage."

"That is easy for you to say, girl…far too easy." Vegeta muttered. The girl had some points, proving she wasn't a complete happy go lucky idiot as he first thought, but that was not enough to calm him.

"Well then, if you can't seem to take your mind off of this yourself…I'll help! Let's play a game!"

If Vegeta had not learned to respect his wife's property, there would have been a few Lindsay-shaped holes in the wall now.

"I AM THE PRINCE OF THE SAIYA-JINS! I DO NOT PLAY GAMES!"

"Oh really. Find, then I'll just have to get Mr. Socko out and kiss the boo-boo instead…" Lindsay said with glee. Vegeta suddenly had a revalation that maybe it would be better for his blood pressure if he gave in, just this once.

"NO! NO! DON'T HAVE MR. SOCKO KISS THE BOO-BOO!" Vegeta yelled, and winced inwardly as he realized what he had just said. "Very well, if I play this game a bit, will you LEAVE ME ALONE?"

"Sure!" Lindsay quipped. Vegeta felt some relief.

"What is the game then?"

"It's a numbers game. I say something that has a number in it, then you say the same thing with the next number and so on. I'll start! One day, I was walking down the street, and I saw a sandbox. I "one" the sandbox."

Vegeta arched an eyebrow. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

"Sigh…….."

"What, you don't get it?"

"I GET IT! I get it!…..Sigh, I "two" the sandbox."

"I three the sandbox!" Lindsay replied with glee. Vegeta growled. He was going up to twenty at the most and then all the demons in hell wouldn't be able to keep him going.

"I four the sandbox". Vegeta muttered.

"I five the sandbox!"

"I six the sandbox."

"I seven the sandbox!"

"I eight the sandbo…"

Too late, Vegeta realized he'd fallen for it. Before he could start cursing though, Lindsay burst out laughing.

"You ate the sandbox?" Lindsay chuckled with glee. "How did it taste?"

"GET OUT!"

"Aha! This place does have a table the right size!" Paul said as he dragged a large card table out of a storeroom. The metal "leg" that held up the table made a loud mettalic shriek as Paul dragged it across the floor to one of the corners in the large room that he and several of his comrades has set up in to wait.

"At last!" Brigh said as he placed his chair down. "Ok people, ready to lose all your money?"

"In a pig's eye Brigh." Rod said. "I need the money more then you."

"Dad…" Victoria groaned.

"Hmmmm…only four…" Bright said as he whipped out a deck of cards he had found. He began to distribute when his eye caught a male figure as he walked through the room.

"Hey Erik! You wanna play? It'll pass the time, those Z guys look like they're going to be napping a while yet." Brigh called, trying to be friendly. Erik stopped and looked at the one who was his only rival for the title of the master of the shadows.

"Yeah! Those Z warriors need their Zzzz's!" Paul cracked. There was some chuckling from the group, mostly from Brigh. Erik narrowed his eyes.

"Not now Brigh. I have much to do. Piccolo and Eighteen have come back, I need to speak to them…although I will ask, where is Christine?" And if you took the beating they had Brigh, I think you would want to catch a few Z's yourself, if you had somehow survived it.

"Your sis? She went off with Ash somewhere. They're probably making out in a broom closet or something." Paul snickered. The snicker cut off as he saw Erik's face darken.

"Don't talk that way about my sister, Wyred." Erik said in a half growl, and Paul knew to shut up. When Erik started referiing to you via your codename instead of your normal one, you were starting to skate on thin ice with him.

"Sorry." Paul muttered.

"Lighten up Erik. You know Paul, he's like that." Victoria said, trying to play peacemaker. The darkness lifted from Erik's face, and then it slid back to his normal stone mask of no emotion.

"No matter. I don't suppose you have seen Celeste?"

"No. Haven't seen her since we started to get settled here, back when all those Z warriors were hurt, instead of a good many of them being hurt but some on their feet and walking around. You would know where she could be better then me, Erik." Brigh said.

"It figures." Erik muttered.

"Something wrong, Erik?" Rod piped up.

"No Rod…this is typical of her. She's immensely shy around new people…she tries to keep her solitude until she feels she can trust them…and I don't blame her…" Erik said, more to himself then as an answer. And almost as if he was a ghost, Erik was suddenly gone, out the door he had been heading for without a sound.

"Damn. I need to get me some shoes like that, you know the ones that don't seem to make a sound no matter what you do." Paul muttered, picking up his cards and trying to hide his distaste.

"It's not the shoes, it's the training. I should know." Brigh said, looking at his cards.

"I'm not surprised."

The three men looked at Victoria.

"What hon?" Rod said.

"Celeste. You notice how she was when she was with us and Erik wasn't? How tense and jumpy she was, especially if one of us had to speak to her? It's like she expected us all to jump on her and tear her apart if she lowered her guard in the slightest…I don't know what happened to her to make her like that."

"Well, she certainly didn't act like a scared deer with that charging headfirst through the Gateway before we were sure it would work…that and the way she attacked that beast head on…from a timid mouse to a rabid dog." Rod added

"Tres creepy, but hey, if you want to be Erik's successor, it must help to have a few screws loose…not denoting what could have caused them, of course. We all know Erik's sordid tale. And birds of a feather flock together." Paul said, trying to figure out whether or not if he could bluff his way through this hand.

"I think you're falling short Paul…I've seen the way she looks at him…those extra long glances…I think she wants to be more then that to old Wondergoth."

"Don't call him that."

Brigh looked over to the female voice and smirked.

"Hey Chastity! You wanna join us and pl-ow!" Brigh yelled as Paul leaned over and smacked him across the back of the head.

"Don't invite her to play, Brigh! She's the friggin card genius! She'll take all our money!"

Chastity laughed.

"And then some." Chasity replied, smirking seductively. "But no. Erik said we have time to kill…and I am…"hungry". So I'm going to go hunt…I hope there's a bar nearby." Chastity said, and then Brigh noticed that Chasity wasn't wearing her immensely skimpy battle costume. The minidress she had replaced it with covered her better to a degree, but not by much, and it was so tight that it looked like it would suffocate the young woman. Chastity ran her hands through her fiery red (and newly washed and brushed) hair.

"Have fun Chas." Brigh said, a sudden but very faint hint of bitterness suddenly in his voice as he turned back to his cards. If Chastity noticed, she didn't show it, as she waved goodbye and headed out the same door Erik had gone out.

"Mreow. I just hope she gets a decent guy…I don't think this would be a good place for one of her…"stands", if you know what I mean." Rod said.

"Indeed. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she and Erik…" Brigh said.

"Nah. They're just good friends, and that's true. And you know why. Although I'm sure Chastity would have no regrets…I think that Erik would be a million times better then half the guys she's let…ah fuck it, I fold." Paul cursed, tossing his hand down with disgust.

The shadows were looked apon with apprehension by many, and feared by even more, but to the young woman named Celeste, they were home. They were the comforting touch to her tormented, eternally bleeding soul…they were her kind. Like Erik, she had let them embrace her and found it to be far more kind and far more loving then the touch of all the others.

Them.

Celeste ground her teeth slightly. She would not let them have any power. They were dead. She had seen to that. She had torn the life from their evil, destroying bodies…they couldn't hurt her any more.

She was the strong one. She was the worthy one. Erik had said that…and he couldn't lie to her. He wouldn't.

Erik…

Celeste was calm in her solitude…but with him…only could she truly be at peace.

If only…

If only…

Celeste sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing his tense arms back onto her crossed legs as she continued to meditate, fighting her eternal battle against the furious torment that waged within her.

Even as she knew that it would never be over until she could say it.

She could destroy armies.

She could look into the eye of hurricanes.

She could walk on broken glass without pain and without caring.

He had taught her all that. Along with so much more.

She felt he could give her the power, the confidence, the sense of destiny, to do anything.

So why could't she say three simple words?

But it did not matter…she had to stay strong. She owed that much to Erik.

After all…no matter what words they had used to sear and tear at her heart…whatever blows they had used to hurt and disfigure her body….he had kept her going…his values…his ways…his desire…his caring.

He had given her back her life after all they had done to tear it away from her.

And now, come hell or high water, she was going to do the same for him.

She would help him have his vengeance.

No matter what the cost.

"That bad?"

"I'm afraid so." Piccolo said, looking disturbed himself. "I can't sense Dende at all, and we Namekseijin have a bond."

"Dammit…Vagane is involved in this, I know it." Erik cursed. "Are you sure?"

"I saw what was left of Korin's Tower…and if you check it against Bulma's Dragon Radar, I'm sure it will read the same way I sensed." Piccolo said, a faint anger stirring in him. "I don't understand it…how could he…so quickly?"

"He was playing three moves ahead…all the time…until he got Goku. Now he's in control of the game, and he can go as slow as he wants. He's daring us to play…" Erik trailed off. "Thank you Piccolo. I know you are still in pain from the battle."

"I can tolerate pain…but I wonder if this Vagane can say the same…" Piccolo said in a growl, and went off. Erik could sense kindred feelings in Piccolo, and it almost brought a smile to his face. Almost.

"I hope you did better." Erik said to Eighteen. She had stood by, listening, during his conversation with Piccolo, and the words had worried her as well. She was trying to hide it, but Erik saw it anyway.

"I did, somewhat. This is my brother, Seventeen." Eighteen said, gesturing to the dark-haired man next to her. Erik shook his hand.

"Nice to see you again, Seventeen."

"Likewise…although I can't say I remember you…" Seventeen said. It was quick, but he saw it, the quick look in Erik's lone human eye that said "I don't think you want to know how I met you initially". He did not press the matter further, letting Erik turn back to his sister.

"I have news, Eighteen. Krillian's awake, he's asking for you."

"Oh….thank you." Eighteen said, hurrying off. Erik turned back to Seventeen.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you into this…again…after what happened last time…"

"Stow it Erik. The instant Vagane took my goddaughter, he became my enemy as well, and I'll be damned if I let him get away with whatever crime he's planning."

If he hasn't already started. Erik thought, and repressed a shudder as nightmarish memories came back to him. Being broken and helpless, chained to a cold table as unthinkable violations happened to him…and the joy in a pair of mad eyes…

"Some of the other warriors are still recovering…it could be a little while yet until we're ready…you'd best find a timekiller." Erik said. Seventeen nodded wordlessly and walked off.

Left alone, Erik raised his right hand and stared at it as the FS-X peeled off. Erik stared at the smooth metal fingers, the metallic palm and wrist that trailed into a limb also forged of cold steel and incredibly advanced cybernetics.

Once, this arm was human. Flesh and blood. Able to feel when it touched something. Now it's just dead metal…cold, unfeeling metal…like so much more of me…it would have been better to have lost a limb completely then to have it replaced by THIS…this accursed thing he built…no matter how much Corrupt blood I spill with it, no matter how many lives I tear from evil bodies…I can still feel his stain…the stain of him…HIM…damn him…DAMN HIM! DAMN HIM STRAIGHT TO…

"Erik?" came a sudden voice, and Erik was snapped out of his inner turmoil. The FS-X made a very faint gurgling noise as it again slid back and covered Erik's arm, as if it were ashamed that such a thing could exist and that it had to be covered.

"…Gohan. Sorry, I was thinking." Erik said, looking at the hybrid. My god…he's still wearing that destroyed outfit he wears when he's in his superhero identity…the things you don't notice when there's a crisis.

"Yeah, I figured." Gohan replied. I actually figured a lot more. Thinking appeared to be the least on your mind…you looked like you were about to snap and lay waste to anything you could see…

Erik noticed two figures behind Gohan. Gohan noticed his noticing.

"Well, you said to get anyone you could…and I figured he deserved to know." Gohan said, gesturing for one of the figures to come forward. Erik found himself looking at a man who was beginning to approach his twilight years. He had a compact, muscular body and black hair that had once poofed out into a semi-afro, before it had begun to recede to form a large bald patch on the top of the man's head.

"Erik…this is my father in law…and Videl's father…Mr. Satan. Mr. Satan, this is Erik Damien Ravensky. I told him as much as I could about you." Gohan said, aiming the last part at Erik. Erik, trying to repress the murderous rage he had been feeling moments ago, shook Mr. Satan's hand as well.

"I'm sorry about your daughter…I swear I'll do everything in my power to get her back…even if it means my death."

Mr. Satan blinked. I have known him for but a few seconds, and yet he makes such a strong vow for me…Gohan was right, he does take his goals seriously…but I fear that like me, he is far too willing to take the weight of the world on his shoulders…and unlike me, he may not realize it in time to avoid being crushed beneath it…

"Believe me, Erik. It won't be you dying. It will be the bastard who dared to kidnap her. I might not be the strongest in the world as I believed for so long, but I will still use every ounce of strength I have to get my daughter back."

"That's the spirit." Thank god time has gotten rid of the arrogance I heard he once had. That would be the last thing I needed at the moment.

"Well Erik, I would like you to meet…eh?" Mr. Satan said as he turned around to find no one but Gohan behind him. "Gohan, where did Buu go?"

"Buu?" Erik said. He could remember another figure beside Mr. Satan, but he had given it a fleeting glance and nothing more. All he could remember was that the figure had been rather bulky-looking.

"He's my closest friend…and an incredible warrior…I am sure he could help…if I could find him! He does this sometimes…wanders off for some reason only he knows and understands…I'll go look for him." Mr. Satan said, looking around at the various doors and hallways leading out of the room, finally picking one and heading off.

"How's Goten doing?" Gohan asked.

"Much better. He'll be walking around with you in a bit…whether that is a good thing…I don't know."

Spike had just about had it. Ever since Vagane had teleported them back to the laboratory that he had Shoelong or whatever that dragon's name had been build, he had almost immediately vanished with the two girls. And after that had come a long series of excuses, delivered through his Valkyries, on how busy he was. Spike was not one for sitting around and doing nothing. His aid in the annihalation of that city named after the devil had been greatly saitisfying, but the saitisfaction had faded eventually.

Spike was never patient, but for godhood, he decided he would give it the old college try, even if he had never went to college. He'd walked around the huge lab/fortress, getting lost more then a few time. But each room seemed to be a carbon copy of another, filled with computers and all sorts of scientific shit that he could do without. After then he had simply been sitting around, or pacing, or staring out one of the few windows at the stormy skies that swirled around the mountains that lab was built in, and growing more annoyed by the hour.

And finally, he had had enough.

"BLOODY HELL! BY THE TIME HE'S DONE, I'LL BE OLD ENOUGH TO COLLECT SOCIAL SECURITY!" Spike roared to the room.

"You are already old enough to collect Social Security." Came Adam's dry, annoyed voice. Unlike Spike, Adam had managed to occupy the time at one of the computer banks, where he was studying the massive sources of information that Vagane had gathered. Adam had even found himself slightly impressed at the sheer amount of it, although the impression had quickly faded. Even since then he had sat in a chair, his computers jacked into Vagane's, motionless except for the blinking of his eyes. Spike had kept quiet enough so that he could tolerate the vampire, but his sudden outburst had annoyed Adam enough to stop his observations.

Spike glared at Adam. The high horse that Adam resided on was starting to really get under his skin. Spike glanced sideways at Goku. If anything creeped him out, and those things were very few, it was how Goku had acted. Before Vagane had vanished to do whatever it was that was taking so long, he had given a whispered order to Goku. Spike wondered if it had been "Do your best to imitate a tree" because Goku had not moved from the spot since. Hell, he hadn't moved at all. He had stood, arms flexed at his side, eyes forward, a look of complete loyalty and obedience on his face.

And it gave Spike an idea, as he thought back on how Goku had annihalated the people of Satan City and Satan City itself, and how he had also taken apart the warriors Vagane had spoken of with seemingly no effort at all. Spike knew when he was outclassed, and he knew Goku had more power in his pinkie then all of them put together, or so it would seem.

Spike looked back to Adam, the plan already forming.

"Hey, mate, does it bother you?"

Adam, this time with a slight degree of annoyance, again turned his head towards Spike.

"What?"

"Him, mate." Spike said, jerking a thumb at Goku. "You saw it. What he did. I don't care if you think you're a god or whatever, I severely doubt you could have taken out ONE of those golden-haired blokes, much less ALL of them, in such a quick, decisive fashion. He did. Now, one must question why Vagane needs us if he has him. He could blow you to hell with a wave of his hand. And I think that you, Mr. "IQ Off The Charts", know that damn well. Don't it get you?"

Adam cocked his head slightly. He couldn't believe what the vampire was attempting. Even with the giant holes in his logic, most notably that what the vampire was assigning to him applied to him even more, he had attempted to one-up him.

"No." Adam said, and he meant it.

"No? Why not?"

Because you're a fool not to realize it, you waste of dead tissue. Adam thought, but for some reason, he did not say that. Instead, with a gesture of his arm, he indictated Goku.

"Look at him. One word from Vagane and he's as stoic as a statue, as if he was carved of stone instead of flesh. He now lives only to serve Vagane, and hence, he also lives to serve us. He's a weapon in an organic body, and nothing more. He cannot think for himself, act for himself, or desire anything other then what we want him to. I have plans and visions far beyond his, and your comprehension. To me, he is simply a gun, to be aimed and shot at whatever Vagane, and I, choose. He is a tool. Why should I be envious of the power of a tool? To be envious of him would be the equivilant of being jealous of a hurricane or a forest fire because of the forces they wield. So no, vampire, it does not "get me", and that mangling of the english language shows exactly why you could not have known that right off the bat."

Spike would have replied with something extremely nasty, when the door behind him suddenly opened, and Vagane floated out. Goku, motionless for so long, finally moved, kneeling before the doctor. Vagane smirked slightly and motioned at the saiya-jin as Spike turned around, his anger bleeding into annoyance.

"Well, it's about BLOODY TIME!" Spike cursed, as Goku pushed past him and stood by Vagane's side.

"Do not speak so disrespectfully of Vagane, William." Alexia said as she suddenly walked through the same door as Vagane. Spike glanced at the woman, then back at Vagane.

"Hey, what gives? How come she got to watch and I had to sit around twiddling my thumbs?"

"Do not worry yourself, Spike. Alexia was merely closer to me when I left, as was Tormentor, so I merely fetched them first." Vagane said, and then behind him the massive bulk of Tormentor loomed, before the demon walked around Vagane and stood behind Spike. Spike put his hands on his hips.

"So, what gives?"

"What gives, Spike, is that I am happy to report that everything is in place. The Messiah Project has begun. Now, I know I have not been very revealing on just how I plan to grant us all power beyond imagining, but that was because I wanted to make sure everything was in place first. Now it is, and I will tell you my plan."

"Good. Where's the popcorn?" Spike asked. Alexia glared at the vampire, but Spike ignored it as Vagane began to speak.

The scientist went on a long time, and during the process Spike's eyes grew larger and larger, until they were virtually the size of saucers. Even Adam seemed to be a tad bit amazed of what Vagane spoke off.

But eventually, the scientist finished, and as he leaned back slightly, lacing together his fingers, Spike finally spoke.

"No…bleeding…way. There is NO WAY this is gonna work!"

"As amazing as it seems, I share some of the doubts the vampire does. This plan…it speaks of…well, madness. It does not seem possible."

"Oh, maybe not. But it is, my allies. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. It is my dream, and no mistakes have been made. Believe me, the first key may seem incredibly coincidental…but it happened. And it will happen. We will see that this power does exist, and that it can be harnessed, and together…together, it will put us so far above anything in terms of power that we will reign for eternity. Nothing will be able to stand before us. What we will become...will make Goku here look like the weakest child. I promise. And if my some miracle beyond miracle, I am wrong…then you may kill me."

There was silence.

"I still don't believe it." Spike said. Vagane looked at him.

"Really? I would think you Spike, after your certain…"experience" over a century ago, would be the first. But you will see. In time. Because I am afraid it will take time, my friends. But fear not. It will not take an eternity, oh no, far from it, but you will not be granted godhood within the next minute. While the wheels are in motion, there are things that must still be done. So I plead with you, grant me your patience. I promise it will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams."

Tormentor and Alexia looked happy, or as happy as Tormentor could get. Even Adam seemed to be pleased. The only one who did not change expression was Spike, who still wore disbelief and annoyance on his face.

Vagane paid the vampire no attention, as he turned his head and motioned slightly. A second later, the Valkyrie known as Belinda was at his side, head bowed.

"Yes, Master Vagane."

"Take Goku and do what I have told you. I trust it to be done to the point of perfection."

"Yes master."

"Goku, go with her and do what she says."

"I will do it, Master Vagane." Goku said in the evil whisper his voice had become. A few seconds later, the two were gone down another hallway. Vagane looked back at Spike.

"Now…Spike, I have heard through my Valkyries that you are very impatient."

"Very impatient." Spike said, mocking Vagane's voice. "Mate, speak common guy english, I'm bouncing off the fucking walls!"

"I see. Well then, seeing how you are so bored, I do have something that you could do, something that you will find very amusing, if you are up to it."

Spike's interest was perked.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, if you would follow me…" Vagane said, slowly turning around and heading back down the way he had come some time before. Spike did so.

"Hell mate, I'm so bloody bored I'll clean toilets…I don't know if there was ever a time when I had to sit around and do utterly nothing…you need a bloody TV in here or something…um, mate, you don't want me to clean the toilets, do you…?"

"Amazing. I don't believe it. I don't believe it at all." Dr. Chen said, slowly raising his goggles at he looked at the mass of crackling energy that danced before him. "I thought it was some crazy joke."

"Any sane man would." Bulma said, removing her own goggles and looking at the large group around the room. "Gentlemen, ladies, thank you all for coming in here…I hate to bring this up now, but I'm afraid I must. You all know the agreement you signed on this project. I assure you the consequences for breaking it will be as serious as written. Please, no matter what, keep this a secret. For your own good."

There were some verbal agreements, but Bulma barely heard them as she turned and left. She didn't have to go far.

"Thank you for building it so quickly." Erik said, his arms crossed as he leaned in a corner.

"You're welcome…hell, I'm surprised we did it as quickly as we did. If I was a believer in that sort of thing, I'd say it was a miracle."

"Don't let Diana hear you say that." Erik replied. Bulma smiled slightly. Erik did not reciprocate.

"I have one thing to ask you. That lone code you gave us…that leads back to your world, right?"

"Yes, it's the only other code I have besides the one for your world…"

"Where did you get them?"

Erik's face darkened.

"Him."

"Oh." Bulma said, realizing that if the information to build the Gateway had come from the package Erik spoke of as little as possible, the codes had surely as well. After all, the last time Erik had come here had been an accident. "But…the length that is needed to enter the combination…all the potential letters and numbers…"

"I know. All the possible codes. Billions, possibly trillions of them. Where do they lead? God knows. Other worlds, nothing and oblivion, something even I couldn't conceive of? But now is not the time to find out Bulma. If your scientists demand you must test it, I won't stop you, but you MUST do it in the tightest security possible. The last thing we need is some blob monster from Planet X being dropped into the middle of Capsole Corp."

"I know Erik. How is everyone going?"

"Much better. Almost everyone is back to normal. Give us another hour or two, and then I'll hold that meeting. And I'll fill in all the blanks there. I promise."

"Damn, just how big is this place anyway?" Spike said as he continued to walk behind Vagane. It seemed like he had been following the crippled scientist forever.

"Fifteen square miles, give or take a few feet." Vagane replied quietly.

"What? What do we need all that room for?"

"Plenty. In fact I am worried it may not be enough."

"Not enou…hey mate, I just got an idea. What don't you whip out one of your teleportation thingies and just WARP us to whereever we're going?"

"Because I don't need to. We're here."

Vagane, as he spoke, rounded one last corner to reveal a short hallway ending in a door. Vagane glided over to it and entered a code on a panel next to it. The door slid open silently, and Vagane floated in, followed by Spike.

Spike whistled. The room was rather large, and a good deal of the space was taken out by the computer at one end of it. Vagane floated up to it, and a panel extracted from it and extended into his hands. Spike watched as he began to type.

"Um, mate, so what's the mission? Do you want me to spot for you or something? I knew you were crippled, but to the degree that you need someone watching you when you're typing…"

Vagane chuckled.

"No William. My request is simple. I want you to kill someone."

Spike arched an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"In a sense. However, this isn't some run of the mill victim. I want you to eliminate one of the group who interrupted us back at Satan City."

"Oh? Why do you need me? Why not just send Goku, He could blow 'em all to hell with one swipe of his hand."

"True, but that is not required, or desired. No Spike, I need you because none of my allies knows the shadows like you. I need you to be quick and silent with this mission. Go in, do it, and head out ASAP. But on the upside, you may kill your target any way you please, provided it does not attract any unneeded attention…"

"Heh. Forget THAT mate. They oughtta be lucky if they don't attract my attention."

Vagane arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe so. I have no doubts that you could easily slaughter one or two of them…but the Legacy travels in a pack. Attack one and make a lot of noise, and you'll find all the rest breathing down your neck. And even you, Spike, would be immensely hard pressed to beat them all. You had enough difficulty with Mrs. Summers, and a good many of the Failure's friends are basically her, hopped up on steroids."

Spike's face darkened, although whether it was by this knowledge or by the mention of the Slayer's name was uncertain.

"I can handle myself. Which one?"

"I will tell you, but first, I must give you some information."

"You've given me enough. Find and kill."

"Ah Spike…I admire your desire, but I do think you could use this info. After all, it is said that fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

"I don't need the advice of any angels. I doubt they would be eager to do me any favours."

Vagane laughed.

"Indeed. None the less, I am just trying to help you to know your enemy. After all, why settle for one kill when you can have two or three, and what I can tell you may mean that difference."

Spike sighed.

"Will this take long?"

"I'll try to make sure it doesn't." Vagane replied, turning his head back to the computer screen as he continued to tap. Readings began to scroll across the screen, and then suddenly an image appeared, a man with reddish hair, full body armour, and a broadsword.

"I'll work my way up. William Ward, aka Valiance. Very honourable, old fashioned type, due to his upbringing. He even speaks old style English, you know, "thee" and "forsooth" and stuff. However, his honour also makes him a hardy warrior. His armour is virtually unbreakable, along with his sword, which I believe is called "Heart and Soul". Unlike most of his allies, he is rather helpless without his weapon, but the times when it is not by his side are immensely few. And he knows how to use that sword. I've seen him in action."

"Hey mate, how do you know all this? Are you into that voyeur crap?"

Vagane chuckled.

"Hardly Spike. As you know, for years I have been watching the Failure, getting to know everything about him, waiting for the right moment…to BREAK him. And that means knowing everything about his allies, and dare I say, "friends". I know the Legacy as well as they know themselves. Anyway, that is Valiance. Moving on…" Vagane said, and tapped a few more keys. William vanished, and was quickly replaced with Chastity. Spike's eyes widened slightly.

"HE-llo. This just got more interesting." Spike said, oogling the very scantily clad female. Vagane smirked.

"Ironically, this little slut was named Chasity Faith at birth. However, she much prefers her code name, Jalapeno. Despite her "clothing", if you can call it that, do not underestimate her. She makes it up by carrying more weaponry then anyone else. She wields a pair of twin katana like blades known as the Doombringers, and she also has a barbed whip that she knows how to use even better then her blades. She posseses a good deal of martial arts talent, and then there is her greatest ability. She's a pyrokenetic, and that's the mildest, parden the pun, way of describing it. Her mastery over fire rivals that of Alexia. She can create it, control it…and use it. I'd avoid her if you can Spike, or you'll most likely be cooked, extremely well done. And I know vampires aren't very fond of fire."

"Suddenly I don't like her as much." Spike said. Vagane pressed a few more keys and Chastity vanished, to be replaced with Brigh.

"Brigh Smith, a modern day Robin Hood, and better then he ever was, as he will have you believe, perhaps to try and make you forget that his code name is Pincushion."

"WHAT?" Spike managed to say, before he started to laugh. "PINCUSHION? HE NAMED HIMSELF AFTER A SEWING INSTRUMENT?"

"Not exactly. Actually, it comes from his choice of weapon, throwing daggers. And he also knows how to use those daggers, which as you can see, are strapped all over him. He seems to have an unlimited supply of the damn things, whether it's by magic or by simple sleight of hand is questionable even to me. Along with that, he is also a master of the shadows, literally. He can vanish and reappear in them, sometimes moving a few feet and sometimes moving half a mile. And while he can only throw a few punches and kicks, and is at a disadvantage in an area with very bright light, he's still a force to be reckoned with."

Vagane pressed a few more keys. Brigh vanished and Lindsay appeared.

"Lindsay Jenkins, aka Luna. And the codename fits. This woman is more like a little girl, because she can't seem to take anything seriously. But press her and you will find she can. All her joking and immensely annoying antics aside, she's a supreme martial artist, and a master of using those handheld claws, the Blades of Blood, that also function as shoulder armour, at least in this picture. Oh, and like her good friend Victoria, who I'll get to in a bit, she can also transform into a dragon…"

"A DRAGON?" Spike said.

"Yes."

Spike was silent for a bit.

"Maybe you were right on not trying to take them all on at once."

"Maybe. Lindsay is very happy go lucky, but push her and she will try to make you into a snack. Fortunately, killing her, while useful, is not what we aid us most."

Spike looked a bit relieved, as Vagane continued to push buttons. Lindsay vanished and Rod appeared.

"Rod Merseric, aka Arcturus…"

"Arcturus?"

"It's a star."

"He named himself after a star?"

"Yes, that's just the way he is. He's the oldest of all the Legacy members, approaching fifty, and he knows little in the way of martial arts, but his swordmanship is second to none. No one knows how to use a blade better then him, including William and his son Ash. It may make him a one-trick pony, but he knows how to do the trick well enough to handle anything. On a side note, and with something I find both ironic and strange, despite his alliance to the forces of "good", his nearly seven foot sword is called the Holocaust."

Spike raised an eyebrow.

"What, was he a former Neo-Nazi?"

"No, and he doesn't belong to the Jewish religion either. In his words, it's derived from his interest in history, and his disgust at what Hitler, a truly great man, did. I think that he thinks by calling his blade that, and using it to cut down evil, he is doing some kind of good, or comuppance, or mockery, or something else, he never made it clear. Whatever his motives, it's a deadly sword. Also, on this note, his best attack is…"

"I don't care, he won't be using it on me anyway!"

"Hmmm, yes." Vagane said, tapping the keys again. Rod vanished and Diana appeared.

"Diana Merseric, aka Savinggrace. She's Ash's mother. She's the weakest, in a sense, of all of them, in the fact she knows no martial arts and barely knows how to use her staff as a weapon. But Diana does have one thing going for her. In her world, she is the female equivilant of the Pope, the highest person of the Roman Catholic and Christian Church. Diana's belief in her religion is unfaltering and unbreakable. Whether or not her god exists, and I doubt it, is not the issue though. I don't know is there is some entity up there, or if it's all in her head, but she commands power that is no less then, how shall we say, "holy". She can heal, and if pressed, she will use the power of her supposed god to hurt. I suggest you try and avoid her, Spike. Considering what you are, and what anything related with Christiandom seems to do to you, she poses more of a threat to you then any of them. I think her mere touch would burn you."

"Point well taken." Spike said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Vagane tapped at his keys, and Diana vanished to be replaced by Victoria.

"Victoria Merseric, aka Echo…"

"Man, this is a real family group, isn't it?"

"Indeed. She's Ash's little sister, and if anyone is better then Lindsay, whether in martial arts, dragon abilities, or the use of her weapons, a mouthful called the SonicShockWaveLighting claws, it's her."

"I'll add her to the list." Spike said, trying to get all the names straight. Vagane was again tapping, and Victoria disappeared. She was swiftly replaced by Angie.

"Angelina Stalekisos, aka Compatriotess. She must have played too many AD&D games in her lifetime, because she fancies herself a female magician. But whatever her beliefs, she certainly has the "spells" part down. Get up close and she's not very strong, but she will most likely not let you get close. And even if you do, keep your guard up. She has a mean left jab."

Vagane repeated his usual, Angie vanished, and Paul appeared.

"Paul Rapanga. Ash's best friend and the most technically inclined of the Legacy. His gun was forged via some way that is unknown even to me, but it literally never runs out of ammo, and can fire virtually any kind of project, including mini-nuclear missles. On the other hand, it takes him time to switch from one type of projectile to another, and while it itself can't run out of ammo, it can run out of ammo in the current clip, thus forcing Paul to switch to another while the other type regenerates or whatever happens to it."

"Can it fire silver bullets?"

"Most likely."

"Is he smart enough to figure out that he should do that?"

"That is in question." Vagane smirked. Spike chuckled at that. Vagane pressed some more keys. Paul vanished and Christine appeared.

"Christine Merseric, aka Purity. Ash's wife, and the Failure's little sister, although how the two found that out is a source of great aggrivation to me. Among all the tasks I tried to do with the Failure, the elimination of that knowledge was one of the highest priorities."

"Then how did he remember, mate?"

"That, even I don't know. There were small gaps in my viewing of the Failure, it is possible that it occurred then. Why I spared her, I question even know. I should have just killed her."

"But mate, I was under the impression his whole family died…"

"That is incorrect. The truth is, the Failure had three sisters, Christine being the youngest. Her extreme youth, about one year at the time, along with the fact that she was a very calm baby, as I learned myself, allowed her to escape the notice of the murderers that I…heard about from the Failure." Vagane said, smirking. "When the Failure came into my possession, and I ordered the tracking and eventual elimination of all his past links, my men found her, and brought her to me. I would have disposed of her right away, until I noticed that she could be used to control her older brother. So, she became a tool to me…until it became clear that she was becoming a liability. The Failure would never become what I wanted if he knew he had a sister to save…or avenge. So I wiped her memory, and left her at an orphanage. Then I went about the arduous task of rewriting the Failure's memory so he would think he only had two sisters, and they were both dead. His near-adolescence made it far more difficult then his sister, but eventually I succeeded…or so I thought. But even IF I hadn't succeeded in eliminating the memories, I thought I had surely buried them so deep that NOTHING could have released them…what could have done this? He was eventually part of a team that included his sister and he didn't appear to even have an inkling for so long! How could…"Vagane rambled. Spike looked at the crippled scientist. Vagane's words had ceased to be an explanation and become an obsessed ramble over a small error in his past a while back. Spike found it amusing.

However, it did not take Vagane long to get his composure.

"But no matter. Recalled memories or not, Christine has been well taught by her husband, brother, and friends. She wields a bladed staff known as the Soulstorm, is very skilled in Aikido and knowledgeable in various other martial arts to varying degrees, and also has a healing talent, abet not as strong as Diana's. She may look like an angel, but believe me, underestimate her and she'll quickly turn into a demon. And it would be one you wouldn't have been able to hit without getting a crippling migraine."

"Don't remind me." Spike said, rubbing his forehead slightly and feeling glad the chip in his brain was gone.

"And finally…" Vagane said, as he tapped his keys once more, and Christine was replaced with Ash.

"Ash Merseric, aka Bloodfire, the leader of this whole group of JLA rejects." Vagane snickered. "He's the best amalgam of talents in the Legacy, besides the Failure. His swordmanship may not be as skilled as his father's, or his martial arts as his sister, but he's honed them constantly and with dedication, and his skill in battle shows it. It was those skills, and his power, that somehow allowed him to destroy Xaxargas. His sword, the Soulfire, is sentient as well…"

"Sentient? Look mate, I don't carry around a dictionary…"

"It's alive. It thinks, talks, and makes bad jokes, the last one a lot more then the first one. Even so, it is a truly deadly weapon, unbreakable and linked with Ash to make his skills even greater. He's the cog that keeps the whole group together."

"Oh, so lemme guess, you want me to take him out?"

"No."

"No? So which one of this blokes do you want me to kill?"

"None of them."

There was silence.

"Look mate, I've been very patient, listening to you talk about all these people, and now you're telling me you don't want to kill ANY OF THEM!?!" Spike roared. Vagane had turned his hoverchair around, and as he looked at the angry vampire, his eyebrow raised a bit.

"Ah Spike. I was not finished. I was simply informing you on the people who might try and intefere with your mission. But I was just about to get to the one I want you to take care of."

Spike calmed down a bit.

"Who?"

Vagane turned back and pressed a lone key. Ash vanished and a new girl appeared.

"Her."

Celeste was enjoying the quiet time. She had sat for the past several hours in perfect silence, performing the techniques that Erik had taught her. Her eyes were usually closed, although occasionally she opened them to take in the dimly lit room. She wondered what Erik was doing. She still didn't feel comfortable going out there, among all those people she barely knew or didn't know at all.

It didn't make her feel safe. She sighed and closed her eyes. She stretched her shoulders and neck, then opened her eyes again.

And found herself staring into a large, fat, pink face, with a strange extension at the top of its otherwise bald head, and a big smile on it.

"HI!"

"EEEEYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Celeste screamed, the fact that her privacy had been invaded automatically throwing switches in her head, switches built up during the course of her life. She was on her feet in a second, rolling backwards and flipping even as she yanked her twin daggers out and got ready to cut. As her feet hit the ground, she automatically hit a battle stance, even as her mind took in her opponent.

"Hey wait! Don't be afraid! I won't hurt you." The being said. It looked male, but Celeste couldn't be sure. It was a truly strange looking creature. It was short and immensely obese, with a skin that had a much stronger pink tint to it then beige. The being wore a strange costume that consisted of a tight black vest, baggy shorts that gave the impressive of a big diaper, yellow gloves and boots, and a big gold belt with a stylized M on it. It was topped off with a small purple cape. Along with the outfit, the creature had a strange pink appendage coming out of the top of its head, almost like a small tentacle.

Celeste took this all in, breathing heavily from shock, her daggers still poised and ready.

"It's ok! Hi! I'm Mr. Buu! But you can call me…Mr. Buu! Or just Buu if you want." Buu said, smiling widely again, as he tried to approach Celeste, and was surprised when Celeste backed away.

"What…what are you?" Celeste said, still keeping her daggers poised.

"I'm Mr. Satan's friend! Gohan brought me in to help you with some bad trouble! Who are you?" Buu said.

Celeste continued to stare, then slowly lowered her daggers. If Gohan had brought him in, he probably wasn't bad.

"C…C-Celeste." Celeste said with some trepidation. Then, to her great shock and surprise, Buu reached out and grabbed her hand. Celeste almost slit his throat before she realized he was shaking it in the familiar gesture of friendship.

"Pleased to meet you!" Buu said, shaking her hand vigorously and smiling broadly the whole time. Celeste blinked, then shook back, sliding her daggers back into her inner forearm sheaths.

"What…what are you doing here?" Celeste asked.

"Well, I was walking along, and I saw you, and I thought I would try and make you my friend! You wanna be my friend?" Buu said.

Celeste was surprised. Despite his strange look, Buu was being earnest. He was really trying to be friendly. Celeste had never experienced anything quite like it.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Lemme see!" Buu said, reaching out his hands. Celeste recoiled again, her back slamming against the wall. Buu stopped, cocking his head.

"What's wrong? Are you ok? I was just kidding." Buu said. Celeste blinked. I don't believe this. This creature may be strange, but I think he really wants to be friends…he's just being nice. And I'm acting like he's trying to…

"I'm ok…Buu, wasn't it?" Celeste said, smiling slightly and sheepishly. "I'm just tense."

"Tense? You're a tense? You look like a girl to me." Buu said, cocking his head again. "You're pretty."

Celeste blushed slightly.

"Not really."

"No, you are! So, what were you doing?" Buu said, switching subjects with such ease it almost made Celeste laugh. She hadn't done that in a while.

"Um…meditating."

"Cool! How do you do it?" Buu asked. Celeste finally felt herself relax.

"Well you sit…and you think about stuff…it's supposed to…"

"Boring!" Buu said, making a face. But it was done in such a way that Celeste didn't take offense. Instead, she almost laughed again.

"No it's not…really…"

"I'd rather play video games! Well, I'm sure Mr. Satan is looking for me, so I gotta go! Nice meeting you Celeste! You're cool!" Buu said, and then he turned and bounced out of the room.

Celeste stared after the creature.

What just happened? Did I just make a friend?……He was so…different. He didn't leer at me, or look at me like I was garbage, or like I was something to be pitied or feared…he honestly wanted to be nice to me, and get to know me…has anyone ever treated me that way…?

Her thoughts and emotions continuing to run high as she tried to figure it out, her eyes slowly sliding shut as she returned to her meditation.

"Celeste Pearl, aka Retribution. The Failure's pupil, student, and perhaps his only friend. I want you to kill her."

Spike stared at the rotating image of the woman he had seen for a short time. He smirked.

"Her? But she's not even part of the Legacy. Why her?"

"Because the Failure cares for her. The boy thinks he's responsible for what happened to her and that he has to protect her. And that is why she must die. The Failure must suffer, and suffer greatly. I could have descrated his family's graves, or gone after Christine…but her…the loss of her will affect him on a far deeper level. In other words, it will break him, and I want that more then anything. More then godhood. More then a new era of creation. He must be destroyed…and this will be far more saitisfying to me then anything I could do to him. Tell me Spike, will you help me in this?"

Spike smirked.

"Kill her in any way?"

"Any way you please. Just do not sire her. I want her dead. And preferably in many pieces. However, it won't be easy…"

"Why did I know that was the next thing that was going to come out of your mouth?" Spike groaned.

"It is true. Due to circumstances, which I doubt you want to hear, Celeste possess every single talent I spent years developing in the Failure, and the talents he developed on his own afterward. In other words, she's a walking weapon. As mentioned, her daggers are supposed to be composed of her own anger and rage, and while she knows how to use just about any weapon, her skill with them is unmatched. Her mindset is the same as the Failure's: save the "good" and kill the "bad". Who would have thought that…" Vagane said, the last sentence aimed at himself. Pressing a few keys, Celeste vanished, and Vagane turned around.

"Celeste is a solitary girl. She does not trust people she does not know. Hence, she will either be with the Failure, or she will be alone. And seeing how the Failure is most likely busy filling in all his friends about me, she will most likely be alone. My request, and your task, Spike, is for you to sneak into the Capsole Corperation, and kill her. For in the end, despite all her talents, despite all the Failure has taught her…she is only human. The flaws of her species run especially deep in her. You are beyond those flaws, and thus beyond her Spike. I trust you will live up to your reputation and ensure that she stops breathing."

Spike smirked.

"That is something I can do…except for one thing. This Capsole Corperation…is that where all her friends are, along with all those other warriors of this world?"

"Yes."

Spike licked his lip slightly.

"Um mate…I know I asked for something to do and all…but with all those people there…just how am I going to get into this place without being noticed? I may be "at one with the shadows" as you put it…but I'm not invisible."

Vagane smiled slightly.

"I know Spike. That is why I'm going to help you." Vagane said, and pressed a key on his hoverchair control panel. Near his shoulder, a small extension slid out and positioned itself by Vagane's head.

"Ally, bring them in."

A few seconds later, the door slid open noiselessly and one of the Valkyries walked in with a metal box. She handed it to Vagane, keeping her head down the whole time, and left the same way she had come. Spike's eyebrows arched.

"Um mate, there isn't any more of that cow urine in there, is there? Cause I am damn sure not being turned into Mr. Leapo Leapo Leapo's brother. I like the way I am."

"Of course Spike. Do not worry, this is not a mutogentic virus. It is merely some equipment that will help you get in…and to help you deal with Celeste. She may be human, but she can also throw energy blasts, something I don't recall you have the ability to do."

"It's one of my New Year's resolutions. What is that?"

"First, the MRR set to the proper cordinates." Vagane sat, taking a small metallic device out of the box. "It will set you down in the suburbs near the Capsole Corperation. There are several ways into the building, I'm sure you'll find a way. It's nearly nightfall, so you won't have to worry about the sun…"

"But mate, there's still the problem…"

"I was getting to that. Have you forgetten about this?" Vagane said, taking another small device out of the box and handing it to Spike. "This is a modified cloaking device, similar to the one you used to steal the Senzu Beans. However, it's somewhat weaker then your previous one. It will keep you cloaked…but if any part of your body above your knees touches anything, even a brush, the device will cease to function, and you'll reappear. The device will be able to reactivate itself, but it will take about a minute."

"Then why don't you just give me the old one?" Spike said, trying to hand the device back, but Vagane made a motion that he didn't want it back, and Spike, with a tad of exhasperation, put it in his jacket pocket.

"Because this one is also the power source for your…special equipment." Vagane said, as he pulled out what appeared to be gloves. "Try these on."

Blinking, Spike reached out and took the gloves. They looked similar to the black Mechanix style gloves that were sold at racetracks, down to the black colour.

"What's this, your attempt at a makeover?" Spike said, as he put them on.

"Not exactly. Those gloves aren't just made of cloth, they're composed of an incredibly advanced wiring system that taps directly into your nervous system and adrenal glands. The end result is, it quintiples your strength, and also protects your hand from severe damage."

Spike stared for a second, and then he began to laugh.

"Come on! You can't be serious!"

"Oh I am. Don't believe me? Punch the wall."

Spike scoffed.

"Well if you can put Big and Ugly's hand back on I'm sure you can…" Spike said as he reared back his hand in a half hearted punch and slammed it into the nearest wall.

Then his jaw dropped as he felt the metal contort inward from the force of his blow, and slowly drew back his fist while staring at the dent he had made.

"I don't bloody believe it. It works." Spike said in amazement, and let loose with several more blows against the steel, leaving more fist size dents in the wall. "And it doesn't hurt at all. I can feel the impact, but no pain! I love these gloves!"

"Was there ever any doubt?" Vagane said, as he took out some more clothing. This time, it was boots.

"These boots will perform a similar task as the gloves, but to a lesser degree. However, while they don't increase your strength as much as the gloves, they link to your body in a similar way and allow you to jump higher."

Spike arched an eyebrow.

"Jump higher? How high?"

"Let's just say I wouldn't recommend you test them in here, or you could give yourself a bad headache." Vagane replied. Spike glanced up at the ceiling, which was at least twenty feet away from his head. Smirking, he took the boots and began putting them on.

"Also, the heel of the boots contains a section for you to put the cloaking device slash power supply, so you don't accidentally lose it, in battle or some way." Vagane said. Spike was still putting on the boots, but he managed to take the small machine out, find the section, and snap it in.

"And finally, something I forged especially for you." Vagane said, and took a large sword out of the box. Spike whistled again as he took the sword, a good three-foot blade, curved slightly and with jagged points running along the whole edge.

"It's not daggers made of rage or a sentient weapon, but it is forged with reinforced titanium and laced with steel alloy, and as one final bonus, the hilt contains a computer chip that's linked to your gloves. Should you lose the sword, just hold out your hand and it will return, even if it has to go through something in the process…barring that it's a brick wall or the equivalent."

Spike looked over his new weapon, admiring the craftmanship. It was modern but also had a decidingly old age brutality in its look and make, and it fit his hand perfectly.

"Do you need anything else Spike?"

"No mate, I'm fine." Spike said, wondering that if the godhood part of Vagane's plan didn't pan out, if he could swipe the stuff he was wearing.

"I am glad." Vagane said. There was a sudden buzzing in his wheelchair, and Vagane took his eyes away from Spike as he pressed a button and the mike extension slid back into place near him, with a new part placing itself near his ear.

"I see…good…" Vagane said, and the extension retracted itself back into his hoverchair. "Night has fallen. Do you need any time to prepare Spike, or…"

"No way. I've sat hear and listen to you yak long enough. I want some action." And it'll be a good warm up for when I finally rip the Slayer's bloody heart out.

Vagane smiled.

"I am thankful that you would do this for me, Spike. Here is the MRR. I trust you remember how to use it."

"I can remember how to push a button. Hey mate, you want a trophy?" Spike said, taking the device from Vagane's hand. Vagane's eyes appeared thoughtful.

"Sure Spike. Bring me back a finger."

"Will do." Spike said, and pressed the button. There was a flash of light and a crackling noise, and then Spike was gone.

The instant Spike had vanished, so did Vagane's look of friendship, replaced with a look of contempt and disgust.

"Egotistical jackass, isn't he?" came a mechanical, dry voice from the shadows of the room, and then Adam strode out from the shadows, where he had been watching for some time.

"I am beginning to see it that way, Adam. But he makes a useful tool, wouldn't you say?"

"Tools are only useful if they get the job done. Do you really think that foolish vampire actually has the skills to assassinate that woman?" Adam said, as he slowly walked to Vagane's side.

"Even with my tools…there is still quite a gap to overcome, indeed. But this isn't about her in the end. It's the Failure…he must be broken. And Spike's attempt will start the push. But…just in case…" Vagane said, looking up at the monster hybrid. "I have a request for you as well, Adam."

Brigh was in a good mood. At first, his card game was a bust, with him constantly being on the end of bad hands and the tense atmosphere not helping any either. Eventually, the game had fallen apart, and his friends had gone elsewhere.

Brigh had quickly realized that a bad card game was better then no card game, because without anything to distract him, his thoughts quickly began to nosedive into the situation at hand, or more specifically, how bad the situation at hand was. Brigh had done some work, but he had to admit that although he had helped in the defeat of Xaxargas, his participation had been minimal at best. He was far more comfortable being a thief then a hero.

And with that in mind, he had swiftly set up shop again. Deciding to try it in a place where more people might pass by, Brigh had yanked the table out into the hallway and dragged it to the largest 90-degree corner turn hallway he could find. The hallways in Capsole Corp were surprisingly wide and spacious, which was a small relief to Brigh. Once he had set up, it was simply a matter of asking passing people to play.

And not surprisingly, many people wanted to take their minds off their troubles as much as Brigh didn't want to think of his. And so it had been for a while, the group swelling and shrinking, but the mood always remaining boisterous as recovering Z fighters and Legacy members got to know each other.

But Brigh wasn't stupid, he could sense it was coming to a close again. But that was no matter. Erik had swept by for a second and told Brigh and the others sitting at the table at the moment that there would be a meeting soon. Since then, the flow of people passing by and joining the game had dried up.

Brigh glanced over his cards at the people playing, which consisted of Victoria and Rod again, along with the black haired warrior known as Seventeen, the scarred warrior Yamcha, the midget Krillian and his wife Eighteen, and most surprisingly of all, the woman who owned Capsole Corp, Bulma Briefs, and the daughter of one of the women who had been kidnapped, Pan. Brigh could see that Pan was under stress, but it hadn't made him show any mercy in the game. The young hybrid had surprisingly turned out to have a knack for poker, and now owned some money that Brigh desperately wanted back. Pan, on the other hand, was too busy talking with Victoria and Rod to care. Eventually, Brigh had given up and tried to win the money off of Bulma. If what he had heard was true, she had plenty to burn.

"So you can turn into a dragon? Cool!" Pan said to Victoria.

"You find that cool? I thought you saw dragons all the time or something." Victoria replied.

"I see your 50 and raise you to 100." Eighteen said to her brother as the rest of them played poker.

"I see your hundred and raise you to 150." Yamcha added, and so on it went.

"So how does your power work? Is it like ours?" Pan asked Rod. Rod had been around a while, and he knew how to answer questions like Pan's. Specifically, how to keep her mind off of other things.

"Well, it's somewhat similar to yours. Yours is called ki, right?"

"Yeah."

"I raise to 250." Bulma said.

"I fold." Seventeen said in disgust.

"Well, ours doesn't have a name. However, it works in similar ways. If you train, it lets you get more powerful, but in a different way from you. You have much higher power then us, but you can run out of energy. We never run out of power, but there are downsides. One, as mentioned, its weaker then yours. Two, while we can't actually run OUT of power, as we continue to use it, it begins to affect us."

"How so?" Pan asked.

Brigh wondered if he could win this hand with three tens.

"Well, as we use our power, whether to heal, or to attack, or for some other purpose, like Brigh's ability to teleport through shadows, it flows through us. Eventually that flow begins to wear on our bodies. At first, it's basically like physical fatigue…but if you continue to use it, the side effects become more dangerous. It can literally start breaking down our cells. If one of us decides to ignore the danger levels and keep using power, especially for our stronger abilities, we could eventually cause ourselves to have a massive cerebral haemorrhage, which would most likely be fatal."

"Oh no." Pan said.

"Oh don't worry. It sounds a lot worse then it is. We've all trained in our abilities, and for the most part, my allies, and children, are young and strong. I'm getting on in years, but I still can keep up with them. Even if we severely push ourselves, we know the danger signs, and rest allows us to "recharge", if you may. Only an idiot would keep going when they know they could kill themselves."

"Three tens!" Brigh crowed, throwing down his hand.

"Full house." Bulma said, flipping down her hand.

"AW GODDAMIT!" Brigh cursed as Bulma collected her winnings. "Hey lady, don't you have enough money already?"

"No, and if you have a problem, you can take it up with my husband." Bulma smirked.

"Why, I believe I will!" Brigh said, although he did so in an overly dramatic tone. He also stood up in a very dramatic way.

"Believe me, you don't want to." Erik's voice suddenly said as he seemingly materilized out of nowhere and shoved Brigh back down into his seat gently but firmly.

"OW! Watch it Erik! That's the hand I win money with!" Brigh whined, rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh really? Then maybe you should switch hands." Erik muttered.

"Was it me, or did Erik just make a joke?" Yamcha said.

"It was you, Yamcha. Now guys…"

Then Erik suddenly paused, as one eyebrow suddenly arched up, as he turned his head slightly.

"Erik? What's wrong?" Bulma said, her eyes suddenly filling with worry.

"Nothing…I just thought I suddenly heard…yelling…it's rather faint…Victoria, can you hear it?"

Victoria stood up, cocking her head.

"I think…but it's so faint…these walls are very good at muffling sound…but I think it sounds like argueing…"

Erik cocked his head a bit more, then turned around so he was facing one end of the hallway, which led off into several doors.

"Bulma, what part of Capsole Corp is this?"

"Um…guess bedrooms I think…for important guests and overworked scientists and such…" Bulma replied. Erik's eyes suddenly lit up in realization.

"UH oh."

Then Erik turned around.

"Ok guys, we have to go."

"What? But Erik…"

"No buts Brigh! We men have to go, and go now!"

"But Erik, what's going-YERGH!" Krillian said as Erik again gently but firmly got Krillian out of his chair.

"I'll explain on the way. But we have to go. Now now now now now!"

And as the females watched in interest, confusion, and with a tad of a perturbed nature, Erik literally shoved all the males down the other hallway and out the door into the room beyond.

"What the heck was that about?" Eighteen said, getting up from her chair slowly. Victoria sighed.

"Girls, brace yourself."

Pan looked at Victoria.

"What?"
(Warning: This next scene may offend some people. Read with caution)

Then the quiet hallway was suddenly filled with one loud noise as one of the doors in the other hallway suddenly slammed open so hard and fast it nearly broke off its hinges. All the females who were still sitting jumped to their feet, Eighteen and Pan immediately taking battle positions.

And saw one of the strangest things they had ever seen as they laid eyes on the man who had come out the door.

Or more precisely, been thrown out the door, for the way his body was sprawled on the ground was quite evident he hadn't come out in a way that was controlled. He had a mop of thick, greasy looking black hair and a thin straggle of a mustache and beard of the same hair. One of his eyes, a dull brown, was swollen and beginning to blacken, which futher deprived from his unremarkable face. He was a large man, definitely over six feet, and while he was a tad flabby with less then perfect skin, there was still some evidence of muscles. In face and body, the man looked like a typical everyman that you would pass on the street every day.

Oddly, the lone thing that made him stand out to the women, not including the fact that he had just been thrown through a nearby door, was the last thing they noticed about him: he was naked.

Well, almost. It was clear that when he'd been tossed out the door that he'd either been in the act of dressing or undressing, as he still had socks on and what appeared to be a pair of boxer shorts around his ankles. Fortunately, he'd landed at an angle so all the women, standing stunned at the end of the hall, could see was a full moon.

Eighteen was rather unaffected, more curious on why the man was here rather then the fact that he was naked. Bulma blushed slightly, and Victoria looked a tad uncomfortable, but they also took it in stride. Pan however, turned bright pink and appeared to be ready to head to the man and offer him some cover, even as the man began to get to his feet.

"What the hell…?" Bulma began, but Victoria cut her off with one word.

"Chastity."

And if on cue, a woman's voice came out of the door, aimed towards the man as he tried to get up with the boxers tangled around his ankles. He appeared not to notice the women at the end of the hall, and even if he had, the look on his face indicated he probably wouldn't have cared much. He looked angry. Very angry. And the anger was projected solely in the direction of the woman's voice.

"Asshole."

And then Chastity walked out of the door, and the women, save Victoria, finally understood why Erik had hurried the men out. Save for her spiked heels and lacy see-through stockings on her legs, Chastity was also wearing nothing.

"Get the hell out, and don't come back." Chastity said to the man, who had finally managed to untangle his legs enough to stand. Now the women could see everything, and Pan turned away in embarressment.

But the man didn't take Chastity's advice. Indeed, it looked like doing that was the last thing he planned to do.

"Fucking BITCH!" he snarled, and threw a punch at Chastity.

Eighteen started to move forward, but she'd only made it a step when Chastity snapped out her arm, intercepting the swinging blow. Although the man had at least 4 inches and 50 pounds on the woman, his blow was still blocked dead.

Then Chastity followed up with one of her own, bringing up her other arm and slamming her fist into the man's unblemished eye. The man yelled and staggered, and then Chastity lifted up her knee and slammed it into the man's stomach, even as she brought her hand back and then swung it, backhanding the man. The man's legs twisted around his lowered boxers as he staggered back and fell on his bare rear with a slight smacking sound. Before he could do anything, Chastity snapped out her right leg and smashed him across the jaw and he fell onto his side.

"You men." Chastity said with disgust, and lowered her right leg only to bring it up again.

Then she brought her foot down, and the man screamed in agony. Victoria smirked slightly, Bulma winced, and Pan, drawn by the noise, looked again. Her blush grew even deeper, and she turned away again, although she began peeking through her fingers. Eighteen stopped, and crossed her arms with amusement. It was clear Chastity needed no help.

Apparently, Chastity had decided to object to something when the man's mindset was still at "full speed ahead", and even the fight hadn't calmed him down fully in a certain way, as it was clear to Eighteen that he was still "half-cocked" to put it. However, this had proven to be a very bad thing for him, because it had given Chastity a target for the toe of her shoe, which she now had firmly on the man's pride and joy. While she was only pushing down hard enough to hold the man in place, it was quite apparent it was still immensely painful for him.

"You men." Chastity repeated in the same digusted tone. "You're all alike. You think that organ between your legs is some kind of weapon, something that makes you the leader, automatically supreme. And you think you can use it like you're a conquerer. But it's not a weapon, little boy. It's a small extension of spongy tissue, and it does NOT give you the right to try and make me another conquest. A fuck maybe, but not a conquest. But you men never think of that. It's just your needs, your desires. I tried to ignore it for my sake, but I have my limits. But you men never take the word no as an answer. You just think we're playing with you. Well, does this feel like playing, boy?"

With that, Chastity twisted her foot and ground the toe in, and the man screamed again.

"You're not a conquerer. You're nothing. But you allow yourself to be deluded into thinking you're something, because you and all your kind have bred women to think she can't do anything against it. But I'd say they're wrong, wouldn't you?"

The man could only moan in pain.

"ANSWER ME!" Chastity yelled, grinding her toe in even deeper.

"AH! YES! YES!"

"That's better. Now take it to heart, buddy. When you do, maybe you'll be a real man. Until then, you're just a fuck. Hell, you're not even a fuck. And the fact is that sooner or later, every single woman on this planet is going to realize it. Maybe not in my lifetime, but eventually. No matter how hard you bastards try to hold us down…because in the end, you're the ones who crumple so easily."

And with that, Chastity released her toe. As the man groaned and gripped his immensely sore area as he tried to sit up. The second he did, however, a pair of dirty, tore jeans was thrown in his face, as Chastity walked out again.

"Call this an act of kindness. Now get dressed and get out of my sight."

Despite his pain, the man finally managed to pull up his boxers and began to put on his jeans. Victoria was shaking her head in a way that said "I've heard this song before, but it never ceases to be amusing." Pan removed the fingers from her eyes now that the man was covered.

"What was all that about?" Pan asked.

"That's what Chastity's like. People can call her whatever they want, and she may act like it at times, but the fact is, she does have standards. Apparently, this guy decided not to pick up on her hints, or her warnings. And you do not try and force your will on her in those situations. She does not like it. Not at all."

"But wasn't that just a tad brutal?"

"No." Victoria and Eighteen said at the same time, and then they looked at each other with amused eyes.

The still unnamed man had finally managed to get his jeans on, and was buckling the belt. Chastity watched with cold eyes, still in her state of near nakedness.

"Door's that way." She said coldly, and then turned to go back into the room.

And that's when the man reached into his pocket. Victora heard a slight snapping sound and then saw a glint as light flashed off metal.

A switchblade.

"BITCH!" the man screamed, as he flipped the blade over and lunged at Chastity, even as the woman began to turn around again.

Again, Eighteen started towards the man.

The knife plunged.

And Chastity, almost in slow motion, turned.

And her eyes briefly flashed.

Then there was a sudden WHOOSH, a sizzling sound, the stench of burnt metal and flesh, and another scream of pain as the dagger suddenly lit up in a bright red colour. As the man's fingers flew open to try and get rid of the weapon, the dagger suddenly lost its shape and began to slag, melting into a rain of flying droplets of metal that splashed across the wall and floor with a series of slight sizzles.

In retrospect, the man was lucky the knife hadn't been adhered to his hand during the burning process.

But his hand began the least of his worries as Chastity, her eyes know very angry, reached out with her right hand and grabbed the man via his crotch.

"You never learn. You just can't get it through your thick head. Well, maybe I can get it through your other head." Chastity snarled, getting a firm grip.

And then there was another flash of fire and a new sizzling noise, and the man screamed, even louder then any of his other screams, and broke away from Chastity, holding his wounded area and trying his best to run away while doing so. Somehow, he managed to get the door at the end of the hall open and run off, wailing and crying.

Chastity made a noise of saitisfaction.

"I have really to consider raising my standards…and to think he actually struck me as nice at the bar. I'm losing my touch." Chastity mused aloud to herself.

"What are we going to do with you, Chas?" Victoria said aloud, prompting Chastity to finally notice the grouped women. She turned and smirked with self righteousness. The Z women stood silently, shocked by Chastity's final "parting grace".

"What?" Chastity said.

"Well…Chastity…um, your clothes…" Bulma tried to say politely.

"What? Oh this? Oh c'mon girls, it's not like I don't have anything you don't have! What, am I turning you on or something?"

"Chastity, don't be so blunt. They don't know you well enough to know not to take offense by it." Victoria said.

"Oh yeah. Sorry." Chastity replied, smiling sheepishly.

"You certainly aren't shy, especially not with men…but even I thought that last thing was a tad brutal, Chastity…" Eighteen said, looking after where the man had fled.

"Oh him?" Chastity said, indicating the way the man had fled with her head. "Don't sweat it, Blondie. I've met a million of them. They're big tough morons who were taught that to be a man, you must consider a woman a "conquest", something you do to prove your "worth on the battlefield". And they make no effort to try and learn that women are their opposite sex, their opposing half, and therefore their equals. They think woman is simply the act of masturbating with a body, a flesh structure to hold the act of sex, and they like it that way. It makes them feel powerful, feel supreme, keeps their inner insecurities from crushing them. I can ignore that to a degree…but I do not tolerate disrespect, and I certainly don't tolerate my will being denied. But the man was too busy trying to be "a man" to notice or care. Huh, if he was a real man he would have backed off. But he didn't. The rest was simply self-defense, with the added bonus of sending him a message. But even with the burns I gave him, I doubt he'll get it. They rarely do."

"But Chastity…"

"Relax Blondie…"

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen then. The flash of fire was just to get through his pants. I gave him first degree burns down there at the most. The most painful, but the least damaging. And don't you tell me he didn't deserve it."

Victoria chuckled. Pan stared at Chastity. She had never quite met anyone like her before.

"But Chastity…surely you don't think all men are like that…" Bulma said.

"What? Oh no, Blue. I'm not stupid. I've met lots of nice guys too, men who have some understanding or at least try to understand. I don't think all men are scum. I just think way too many like being scum. There are many great men I know, men who would, well, get their money's worth, know what I mean? Of course, they always seem to be married or unavailable…" Chastity said, muttering the last sentence to herself. "Some men try. They're as much a mystery to me as women are to them."

"Oh really?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Good." Then you aren't some radical femanist. That had me worried.

Victoria was still looking amused, and she also looked like she was just about to say something when the door at the other end of the hallway opened. The women looked at the door, not expecting a familiar short, grey haired and bearded man with fancy sunglasses, wearing an orange shirt and blue pants to come through the door.

Bulma's eyebrows raised.

"Roshi?"

"Hey Bulma. Been a while. Gohan brought me in as a consultant, seeing how besides you, I've known Goku longer then anyone. I may not be able to fight, but I would like to help, seeing how all I go do in the previous mess was sit and watch the TV in horror."

"I think you lucked out there." Eighteen replied. Chastity cocked her head, curious at the conversation.

"Maybe…but I don't think so." Roshi said, and turned to leave. Bulma looked relieved.

Then Roshi turned around again and started walking towards the group.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! The meeting's going to start in the main board room, you know, the one with that giant computer…"Roshi was saying as he came to the 90-degree part of the corridor. "IYAAAH!"

BLORSH!

"Huh. I'm flattered." Chastity said, looking at Master Roshi's unconscious form.

"Don't be. He's like that for any woman, the old hentai. So Chastity, are you going to put some clothes on, or just go to the meeting like that?" Bulma asked.

"I'll put clothes on. I don't mind being seen naked, but that doesn't mean I think I should walk around like that." Chastity said, loking at the large blood splatter on the wall. "I hope this wall is scotchguarded."

"Hey Chastity, what about that guy?" Pan said.

"The prick? Eh, he can find his own way out. I'm sure after all I did to him, nothing else could happen."

Spike dropped the man's body on the ground, licking the blood off his lips.

"Tasty. Thanks mate. By the way, I like your fashion sense." Spike said, looking at the man's destroyed pants. Looking at the building the man had just run out of, he smirked.

"Capsole Corp. Finally. Suburbs close to it, my bleedin' ass. Now…how does this device work?"

The entire gravity of the situation hit Spike just as he was finishing his sentence. Vagane had never told him how to turn the device on.

"Bloody hell!" Spike cursed, lifting up his boot and balacing on one leg so he could remove the section of boot that hid the device so he could take it out and see if it had a button.

But the clasp wouldn't budge. Spike's attempts to yank it open unbalanced him, and he began hopping on one foot to try and maintain his balance.

He failed and spawled backwards, landing on some soft grass.

"Fuck, this day couldn't get any worse." Spike cursed, standing up again. "Now how am I going to get in? I'm sure as hell not walking in the front door."

Spike stood back and too in the situation. The man, obviously in extreme pain, had run out the front door of the building, across a grassy circle that was surrounded by road that split off to the parking lot and circled in front of the door. From there, the man had run down the road that led to the road that led off to other roads.

Spike's head began to hurt thinking about it.

He could go and see if the building had any other doors, but with his cloaking device not working, there would still be the problem of being seen. What he needed was a way to get deep into the building…but where could he find a path like that?

Thinking, Spike began to circle the large structure in a wide arc, looking around.

It was a few minutes before he spotted the other, small structure off in the distance. Spike walked over to it.

"Water maintenance…" Spike said out loud, smirking. Perfect.

Heading towards the building, Spike walked around it looking for a door, and was a tad surprised when he found the man in the boiler suit. Apparently he was working late.

"Hey mate, which way is Capsole Corp?"

"What, it's that way, why-ARRRGGGHHHHHHH!" the workman screamed as he tried to stand up and turn around, only to grabbed by Spike as he sank his fangs into his neck. Spike drained him and tossed the body aside, amused that it flew forty feet.

"Thanks mate. I was still feeling a bit peckish." Spike quipped, shifting back out of his gameface. He glanced in the direction the man had pointed, then entered the small maintenance building.

It was as he expected. A maze of pipes, a branched off room with an extremely tiny office…

…and a manhole.

"This should do it. I hope it's rained recently." Spike said, hoisting off the cover. A second later he had disappeared inside.

Vagane was watching the readings and was pleased. The Messiah Project was ahead of schedule, for the moment. He continued to tap keps until he heard a door open.

"Vagane." Said a female voice. A slight smile tugged at Vagane's mouth, and he turned.

"Alexia. What can I do for you?"
The frail blonde crossed the room over to Vagane, somehow managing to keep her regal air even in the situation she was in.

"I am…confused."

"Confused. About what, my dear?"

"Why do you have such a liking for me? I am not a fool. I can see it."

Vagane smirked.

"Ah, lovely Alexia. My favorism is nothing bad. I just admire you, more then any of the others. We are all more then human…but you…you have risen above in a way that I find immensely admirable. Spike, for all his abilities, is merely a demon in a human body. Tormentor too, to a degree. Adam may possess god-like power, but he is a puzzle made of many pieces. None really chose to become what they did, it just happened. But you…you wanted to raise yourself above the weakness and pathetic nature of the human species. And what you did to do it, was done at immense risk of your life and mind. But you succeeded. You took command of a power that drove your father completely mad, and you did it in a way that cost you nothing but your humanity. Even I did not become what I was in an instant, it took me time. That is why I admire you Alexia. Of all my allies, you are most like me."

"I see. But I have another question Vagane."

"Ask away."

"Why do you toy with the Failure if you loathe him so? Son Goku is waiting with baited breath to engage in more combat. The Failure could never stand before him. Why not send Goku to annihalate the Failure, instead of playing mind games with him. After all, despite his betrayal, he was your greatest work…"

"My second greatest, Alexia. The first…is what is behind me…and perhaps…what happened that night and what it led to. But I can see where you are going. I made the Failure what he is, and that makes him dangerous."

"Yes. So why not just kill him?"

"My dear Alexia, I do not wish to kill him."

Alexia was stunned slightly.

"What?"

"I have said I merely wish to break him. His death is not what I desire."

"But why?"

Vagane smiled harshly.

"The Failure was supposed to be my right arm, the physical representation of my will and how things should be done. Instead, he became a blasphemy. The weak are to be devoured by the strong! That is the way life works! The weak are not supposed to be protected, especially not by a force that kills the strong as well! That is why the Failure must be…broken. But not destroyed, Alexia. For you see, there is hope still. The Failure is but a shell, a cover, of something I sensed even when I first began to work on him. Destroy that shell…and destroy the Failure…and in the process, accomplish something even greater then the dream of what I had for the Failure when I was working on him."

"Are you sure?"

"Deathly sure, Alexia…and that is why the Failure must be…crushed!"

Erik wasn't feeling much better, even as he looked apon the group before him.

Eveyone was finally up and about, their strength restored by their resting. All the Z Fighters were there, along with all their significant others and friends. Erik looked sadly apon the loved ones of Videl and Marron. He could see their fear, their worry. He bit back a snarl.

Along with the Z warriors, all the Legacy was there as well. The past hour had been one long series of introductions as the two teams got to know each other.

The only one missing was Celeste. Erik couldn't blame her, he knew how she felt about crowds more then anyone. He could fill her in later.

But for now, all the greetings were done. It was time to move on.

"Bulma, could you activate the program I composed and use it to help me?"

"Sure Erik." Bulma said, getting up from where she was sitting with her family and heading to the chair that stood in front of the keyboard off to the side. The screen that would show the information was behind Erik.

"Ok." Erik said, and found himself flashing back to the earlier meeting where he had found himself speechless. This time, he was anything but.

"Here is what we…or I know. First of all, the Senzu beans are gone. We have searched every house that had them, and we have been unable to find them. To make it even worse, Karin Tower, and Karin himself…have been destroyed. We have cut off from Senzu Beans entirely."

A murmur went through the crowd.

"To make it even worse…the Dragon Balls are also gone. Attempts to find Dende have also met with failure. Piccolo contacted his people on his planet, and has learned that the elder Namek there and their Dragon Balls are also missing. If this is all true, it means we have also lost the Dragon Balls."

The murmur increased.

"Now, you have met the Legacy. About five days ago, we received a package, to put it one way. The package contained a detailed set of instructions for how to build a Gateway, a machine that creates rips between dimensions like the one that brought me here originally. It also contained a great deal of information, specifically for me, about a man I thought I had destroyed. I believe I mentioned him the last time I was here, but I will bring it up again and elaborate. Bulma?"

Bulma entered a set of commands, and suddenly the image of the man they had seen at Satan City appeared.

"Dr. Thanatos Vagane. The man who made me into a cyborg. I thought I had killed him back when I escaped twelve years ago. I was wrong. I managed to cripple him, cause him to lose the use of his legs, but that has not slowed him down. He is alive…and he is here. Why…I do not know. But it is quite clear he has been planning this for a good long time. He has gathered allies to his cause, and he also apparently did a great deal of observation of this world, and of you. Enough that he knew exactly how to cripple you and any efforts you could make to stop him. The Senzus…the Dragon Balls…Dende…it is typical of him. He knows exactly how to play to win, as was evident with the swiftness that he moved with when he got here. But that changed when he…got Goku."

The room was silent.

"And now that he has Goku…the ball is in his court. He was playing the game quickly before, but he controls the game now. He can play any way he wants. Fast, slow, not at all, and with any kind of rules he wants. But I think you have all realized that. Vagane's arrogance is unmatched by anything, even you Vegeta."

There were some snickers around the room, but a hard glare from Vegeta stopped them.

"Indeed, nothing is more clear of his arrogance of the way he gave you all nightmares before he came here. From what I have gathered, it was an immensely small device that projected images right into your brain that caused those nightmares. How those images played on your deepest fears and, how shall we say, "sins" is evidence to the degree of how much observation of you he performed. It also shows another thing: his genius."

Erik paused.

"Vagane's mind is almost beyond comprehension. He combines the speed of a computer with the ingenuity of a human. Vagane can built virtually anything, understand and create anything, and if he can't, he'll figure out a way to do it. But just like his genius is unparalled, so is his madness. I don't know why he wanted Marron and Videl…but whatever it is, I will be blunt. It is most likely bad. Very very bad."

There was a slight snuffling noise, and Erik realized that Pan had begun to cry. Nice going Ravensky. You drove her to tears…but there was really no other way around it. Vagane's a lunatic with delusions beyond belief. I'm proof of that.

"But I swear, I will get them back. Vagane may hold all the cards now, but that won't stop me. He can muster all the forces in hell and throw them at me, but I will not fall until I have your loved ones back. Alive. I swear."

Erik's declaration did little to comfort Pan, who was crying on her father's shoulder. Erik sighed.

"But Vagane's not alone. He has four allies, of which I know nothing. All I have managed to glean from witnesses is faint descriptions. I have no idea of their powers, abilities, or plans. But I assume we will find out soon. And then…there are Vagane's women. His Valkyries."

Vagane's image disappeared, to be replaced by pictures of several women, of different sizes, shapes, and colours. But they all had their hair cut in the same way.

"His Valkyries. Vagane's arms and legs now that he's crippled. He stole these girls from their homes as babies and raised them himself. And in the process, he's brainwashed them all beyond salvation. They live only to serve Vagane and carry out his orders. It is impossible to reason with them, talk sense into them, or deviate from their mindset at all. They have no individuality save for names and skills. They are robots in human bodies...and thanks to Vagane's "treatments" and efforts, they're far far stronger then any average human. And they are replacable. Vagane is, if anything, ingenious. But while they might match up to some of you, they would be no challenge to the rest. But Vagane doesn't need the Valkyries to fight now, really…because he has…him."

The Valkyries's images vanished, to be replaced with a face that everyone in the room, at least on the Z side, knew all too well.

"Son…Goku." Erik said, not believing he was saying the words as a preperation for describing an enemy. It just didn't seem possible. Goku had been such a kind-hearted and courageous man.

But then again, Vagane's touch stained all.

"You all know about him…and as for your, my allies…he's the strongest of the strong. I think…he may even top Xaxargas…by a long shot."

Various Legacy members paled, especially Ash, who had been holding his wife's hand for a while and was now holding it a little tighter.

"And he's now in Vagane's service. I don't know how, but Vagane has not just enslaved him, but brainwashed him. Now Goku is thinking…well, like Vagane. And that makes Goku even more dangerous. BUT…there is something a tad bit off."

He had their attention.

"Vegeta…you too can obtain the level of Super Saiya-jin Level 4. Indeed, you obtained it before him. Gohan, you command the miraculous Mystic talent. And the rest of you aren't any slouches either, with your own immense powers. And from what I heard…Goku trashed every one of you."

"Don't remind me." Vegeta growled.

"And that's not right."

Now he definitely had Vegeta's attention.

"Maybe he could trash you all one by one…but all of you teaming up against him? Even at SSJ4…that would simply be too much power, even for him. He should have been pushed, at the very least, to his utter limits. Instead, he barely broke a sweat. Now, this means one of three things."

Erik turned back to the screen, his back to the group.

"One, being turned into Vagane's puppet and aquiring a whole new way of thinking has caused him to unlock some kind of even greater power. This, I doubt. From what I hear, how Goku managed to rise from his humble roots to what he became was because of his good heart. His reason to fight was never wholly about himself, but always for others. If Goku has become a monster that only cares for death…reason dictates that his power should have actually decreased in some way. Instead…what happened happened."

"Don't remind me, again." Vegeta growled.

"Two, all of you are slowing down…"

That got him a lot of growls. Erik was unperturbed. He wasn't finished yet.

"However, that is the theory I find least likely. That's not like you guys. That leaves my last theory. Vagane was cheating."

There was a sudden scraping noise as Vegeta suddenly stood up, violently shoving his chair backwards.

"Cheating? You mean that baka…?"

"I don't think it would be beyond him, Vegeta. He had plenty of time to study you, and with his mind…it's definitely possible. I don't how. I'm not even sure if that's the case. But it would explain a lot of things.

Erik expected Vegeta to get angry. Instead, the saiya-jin prince looked rather pleased.

"Good! That means I can still defeat that third class baka! I never should have doubted myself in the first place!"

Yeah, now you can go back to making that gel that keeps your hair like that!

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID BAKA WEAPON!"

"Ok, that's enough! We don't have time for this!" Erik cursed. "Now…let us say Vagane is cheating, somehow. That still doesn't solve any of our problems. We need to think of a plan. Does anyone have any ideas?"

"Well, first we have to find out where they are." Bulma said.

"I know, that's first on the list. Once we do, though…we need to think of something. Vagane will be expecting a full frontal assault…does anyone else have any ideas?"

There were none.

"Ok then…then we need to think of something. The instant you do, no matter how trivial, tell Bulma or I. The longer we give Vagane, the longer he has to do whatever inhumanities he's commiting. I won't make you sit around here though. If you want to go, you can. Any questions?"

Yeah! What is the capital of South Dakota?

Erik glared at Ash. Ash, in turn, glared at his weapon.

Look Ash, if the mood gets any heavier I'm gonna be crushed under it! You must understand my perspective!

"Yeah, but even so Soulfire, now is not the time. Ok everyone, if there's anything else…I'll be in the building."

And with that, Erik turned and walked out the door, deep in thought. For a short while, the Z Warriors and the Legacy sat around the table, not saying anything.

"Well, it could be worse." Trunks finally said. Goten looked at his best friend.

"Worse, Trunks? That's my wife that monster has! How could it be worse?"

"We could be fighting Agony again."

Spike was not having a good time. First of all, the sewers stank, a rank and rotten odor. Secondly, the narrow walkways that extended on each side of the actual canal were so slippery that Spike had nearly fallen in the sewage river twice. Finally, Spike had gotten tired of his forced slow pace, and, having tested the river and finding it not to be deep, he had simply jumped in the gunk and walked in it. While it only came up to his shins, the feeling was still unpleasent, and while his pace had sped up a bit, it hadn't sped up enough to keep him from getting in a foul mood.

The kicker came when he had inspected the tenth set of pipes he had come across and found no Capsole Corp markings. It was as if by going underground he had made the building disappear.

"BLOODY HELL!" Spike yelled, and as his yell echoed down the sewage canal, he reared back and kicked the pipe with the heel of his right foot.

That accomplished two things.

First, the pipe was smashed open, spewing a small stream of some foul liquid into the air and onto the walls.

The second was that Spike disappeared.

"What the…the hell? Was that damn thing on a timer, or does it like pipes?" Spike said. He got an idea, and setting himself, he kicked the pipe again.

He had been right, as he reappeared.

"Huh. I wonder…" Spike said, and stomped the foot down on the ground. Sewage sprayed up from under his foot, but Spike barely noticed. He had disappeared again.

"Alright!" Spike said, elated at figuring out how the device worked. "Who needs old Vag anyway?"

Just to make sure of something, Spike reached out and touched the wall, and was mildly disappointed when he shimmered back into view. Looking down the way he had just came, he shrugged.

"Might as well keep going." Spike said, and moved on.

His luck continued, as five minutes later he finally came to a set of pipes that had the Capsole Corp markings.

"Bout bloody time. First things first." Spike said, grabbing the first pipe he saw and twisting it until it punctured, hoping water was inside.

He lucked out yet again, and using the pipe as a makeshift hose, Spike washed the guck off his pants and boots.

"That's better. Now…" Spike said, looking at the pipes, his eyes following them until they vanished into the wall. Climbing up on the walkway, Spike reared back and punched the stone wall. The material was old and deterioated, and it quickly crumbled underneath Spike's barrage of blows. Spike continued to bash the wall away from the pipes, until they finally started going up. Spike switched directions and began pummeling the ceiling of his small makeshift tunnel. When he couldn't reach any higher up, he began to jump and punch, making his way up.

And then suddenly, his fist punched through something, and as he fell back into the hole, a rain of debris came down on him.

"Argh!" Spike squawked, throwing up his arms to keep the debris from hitting anything delicate. When it stopped falling, Spike reached behind himself and pulled the sword off his back. If anyone was nearby, and they decided to investigate, they were going to get a nasty surprise.

But no one came, and Spike decided to try his luck. Putting his sword back on his back, he looked up, judged the distance, and flexing his legs, leapt upward.

He'd underestimated just how good the boots were, however, because not only did he fly out of the hole, he nearly hit his head on the ceiling. With a yell, Spike managed to thrust his body forward so he wouldn't fall right back into the hole. He landed awkwardly and nearly lost his balance, but he managed to stagger forward, away from the damaged floor. He didn't want to go back into the sewers for any reason.

Brushing himself off, Spike looked around in the bathroom he was in. He glanced back at the hole that was now at one end of the room and smirked, then turned back as he unsheathed his sword. He brought up his foot and stomped it, and watched in amusement as his sword vanished along with him. Keeping it close to him, Spike headed for the door.

"Ok, I'm in…now where's that bitch…"

"And we think this would be a good way of testing other dimensions to see if one can enter them, or more specifically, if anything bad can come through to us…" Bulma said as she walked beside Erik. She had gotten the call from her scientists a few minutes after the meeting had ended, and she felt it would be important.

"I see. That's good Bulma. Keep it up." Erik said, his tone showing he was totally lacking interest. "Have you seen Celeste?"

"Um no…I haven't seen her since you came in…I think Buu saw her…"

"Buu? Mr. Satan's friend? Where is he?" Erik said, his pace beginning to slow as he fell behind Bulma.
"I dunno. He's usually with Satan though, so maybe you should ask around for both…"

"Gotcha." Erik said.

When Bulma didn't hear anything else, she turned around to find Erik gone. She wasn't surprised.

"How DOES he do that…"

Ash sat in the couch in the bedroom he and Christine were sharing for the night. He was trying to think of something to help, but more and more he found his mind coming back to the same subject.

Hey, turn that frown upside down buddy! How about a nice game of mah-jong?

"No thanks So…hey wait a minute. How the hell can you play Mah-Jong? You're a blipping sword!"

Ah, prejudice! And by the way, I do not blip!

"Oh shut up Soulfire." Ash said, the slight smile leaving his face as he again sank back into thought.

Ok, in all seriousness Ash, why do you look so somber?
Ash sighed.

"I'm wondering if I'm of any use here."

Oh not THIS again…I don't want another repeat of the cliff incident! You're flawed, but you overcame those flaws, and you…

"This isn't a matter of flaws, Soulfire. I defeated a god…it took everything I had, and everything everyone else had…but I did it. But it was a victory by the thinnest of margins. Xaxargas ultimately died because by the time he took me seriously it was already too late. If he had done it earlier…I think I would be dead, along with everyone else. Now I'm facing something…someone…who might not only be stronger then Xaxargas, but far less likely to look apon me as amusement. What good am I? I can't destroy solar systems with a wave of my hand! Half those Z Warriors can, and they got their asses kicked. What can I do against a foe as powerful as that?"

The Soulfire was silent.

"I mean, I was the one who volenteered our aid! Would everyone have come if I hadn't? Everyone came with me against Xaxargas because it was our world who was threatened, but this isn't even our world! Did I have a right to drag everyone along, risk the lives of people I care about, of my family, of my wife?"

Don't ask me those questions Ash. I'm just a sword. But I know one thing. Your world looks apon you as a hero. And if you're a hero Ash, you'll try at least. To run away would be a far worse sin then putting lives at risk. And you know everyone else knows that too, Ash. But do you? Or are you gonna give up?

Ash smirked, and then a cocky look came into his eyes.

"No blipping way."

I believe ways don't blip either.

Ash hit his sword.

Owwwwwwww…

"Oh stop that Soulfire. As you said, you're a sword. You can't feel pain."

Oh turn my words against me will you? Some friend you are!

"Whoever said we considered you a friend? You're more like an annoyance that cuts things for us." Christine said as she came out of the bathroom. She'd changed out of her armour and was now simply wearing her full body outfit.

Ah! I have been spurned! Rejected! I will throw myself into the sea!

With that, the Soulfire began jerking around in Ash's hand.

"Ok, that's it you. Cool down." Ash said, and slid the Soulfire back into his sheath. He ignored the muffled protests as he set it aside and Christine sat beside him.

"He's right you know. We have to try." Christine said.

"I know. Plus I can't let your brother get all the credit!"

Christine hit her husband on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Don't talk that way about him. Really. He's under a lot of strain…and I'm not sure how we can help him." Christine said, as she took her turn at looking worried.

Ash slid his arm around her shoulder, and Christine snuggled against him, as Ash reached out and gently took her chin, lifting it up towards his face.

"Even so, we have to try." Ash said.

Then they kissed, and there were no more words.

Elsewhere, Yamcha was sitting on a bench, the closest seat he had found after the meeting. His body still ached from the beating that Goku had given to him, and he prefered to be sitting rather then standing. There were a few hellos as various people passed by him, and while Yamcha replied, his mind was miles away.

Yamcha, like Ash, was worrying about his worth, but Yamcha had it even worse. While Ash had been spared Goku's wrath, instead having to battle monsters of Vagane's design. Yamcha had been there. At least for the two seconds he had lasted before Goku had beaten him into oblivion.

Yamcha sighed, thinking back to the day, an eternity ago, when he had first met Goku and tried to rob him. Back then, he could go toe to toe with Goku. Goku may have just been a kid, but he was a strong kid, and he had matched Yamcha move for move. Since that day, Yamcha had just found himself falling behind, to the point where he was now. Even if he hadn't slacked off his training, Yamcha had a feeling he still would have found himself beaten to oblivion. Goku had the blood of the mightest warrior race ever flowing through his veins. Yamcha was just a human. The fact that he could blow up the earth if he wanted notwithstanding, he was destined to be forth or fifth string.

It was a depressing and sobering thought, but one that couldn't really be changed. He'd been lucky beyond belief last time. He had managed to survive Agony. He'd endured terrible injuries, including feeling Agony's evil, cold hand closing around his heart before she was blasted away at the last second, but he'd survived.

Would it be the same this time?

Yamcha sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do. He doubted he would be much use here, but what could would running away serve?

Was he useless no matter what he chose?

"Hey big boy."

Yamcha opened his eyes at the female voice, and looked up. He blushed slightly when he saw it was Chastity. He may have vanquished his fear of women a long time ago (indeed, that was what had inadvertingly led to his breakup with Bulma. He'd wanted to try more then one kind of candy, so to speak, and in the end he had broken Bulma's heart. Well, Vegeta had turned out to be surprisingly good for her. Yamcha never would have guessed), but every now and then some shyness would rear its ugly head.

"Um…hello…Chastity wasn't it?"

"Yeah. And you're Yamcha?"

"Yeah, that's me. What can I do for you, Chastity?"

Chastity smiled seductively. Yamcha tried not to notice.

"I saw you sitting her, looking depressed. What's wrong?"

Yamcha was planning to give a short answer, but when he opened his mouth he suddenly found he was pouring out the whole story. Chastity stood and listened, and it was clear she was sympathetic.

"You're not worthless Yamcha. Anyone who at least tried to stand up to Goku is far braver then the average man. Even I think I would have run away."

"Oh really? Then why can't I shake the feeling of it?"

"Because you're obessessing over it. You could be doing better things."

"Oh? Like what?"

Then he started as Chastity suddenly sat in his lap, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper.

"Lots of…things."

Yamcha gulped slightly. He could barely believe this was happening, although he could start to feel another certain kind of head start to rear.

"But…but…"

"But what?" Chastity said, fluttering her lashes. Yamcha was beginning to hope a bucket of cold water would suddenly appear and dump on his head, or something very embarrassing to him would be happening soon.

"I…barely know you."

Chastity leaned forward, and Yamcha gasped slightly as she suddenly ran her tongue along the outer aspect of his ear.

"So? I'll let you get to know me better. A lot better." She whispered.

Yamcha gulped again, as Chastity leaned back, again smiling seductively.

"Baise-moi, Yamcha. I'll be waiting."

And with that, Chastity stood up and walked down the hallway, glancing behind herself before she turned the corner.

Yamcha sat there for a second, then he stood up and tried to calmly walked after Chastity.

"Hey, Yamcha."

Yamcha whirled at Erik's voice to see the dark-haired man standing in a corner.

"How long have you been there?" Yamcha gasped.

"Long enough. Look Yamcha…"

"Hey, hey, if you want me to back off, she…"

"No Yamcha. Chastity's just a friend of mind. I was just going to give you some advice. Treat her with respect, and put her needs ahead of yours."

Yamcha blinked. He couldn't believe what Erik was giving him advice for.

"Why?" was all he managed to blurt out. Erik looked amused, but only by a bit.

"Do what you will Yamcha…but it will get you an experience that is average at best. But do what I suggest…and you'll get the wildest ride of your life. Trust me."

Erik turned to leave. Yamcha stared after him.

"How do you know that? You haven't…?"

"Oh no, I don't know her like you're about to, Yamcha. But I know a great deal on how she thinks. Just call it a good deed on my part, Yamcha. Don't keep her waiting."

And with that, Erik was gone.

A second later, so was Yamcha. Giggling wafted down the corridor, and then it was silent.

Celeste sighed. She had decided that she had hid long enough. Eventually she was going to have to interact with the people out there.

Her shyness made her feel ashamed, but only a bit. She could feel any way she wanted to. Erik knew of her fear, and he was trying his best to help her overcome it.

He was sweet that way.

Celeste sighed and did a little stretching. No time like the present.

Celeste didn't know it, but there was another kind of present crotched in the dusty rafters above her. A present from a madman named Vagane.

Spike smirked. It appeared that fate, or lady luck, or whatever was running things was paying him back for having to trek through a sewer to get here, but he'd found the young woman in short order, even if he'd had to climb a lot of stairs. He knew he could just walk up to her while cloaked and cut her head off, but he hadn't for two reasons.

One was that after all he'd heard about her, he'd probably do something that she would pick up, and his cover would be blown.

And two, it wasn't dramatic enough for him. He wanted something more special then a simple decapitation.

And as he'd watched from the door, he'd finally hit apon an idea. Carefully, he'd snuck into the room, and using the greatest amount of care possible, had leapt up to the rafters. He'd managed to get up on them without touching anything, but while he had been making his way across them his shoulder had bumped something and he had reappeared. It didn't matter to him though. He hadn't made a sound and he knew. Finally, he had managed to position above the girl.

It was time to act. Standing carefully, he reached behind himself and pulled the sword off his back. Then he crotched again, getting ready to step off the edge and let gravity carry him down until he drove the sword right through the top of the girl's head. Spike wondered if the act would cut the girl in half.

And he was anxious to find out.

Moonlight shone through the lone window of the empty room. Its original purpose was unknown, but it would soon seemingly have a new purpose: a slaughterhouse.

And then suddenly, a lone drop of water fell, having finally managed to gather itself due to Spike's sudden stop and new motionlessness. It had grown at the toe of Spike's boot, becoming larger and fatter as Spike had crouched and plotted. When he had stood up, it had finally been shaken free.

Like a drop of pure crystal, moonlight had sparkled through it as it fell, as if the droplet was alive and the moon was trying to make its beyond short life as beautiful as possible.

Then that life ended, as without a sound, without any protest at all, the droplet splashed on Celeste's cheek. Startled by the sudden wetness and ever so slight chill, Celeste put her hand up on her cheek.

Then the wheels in her brain began to turn.

"There's no pipes up there…" Celeste said to herself as she looked up…

…and found herself staring down the blade of a curved, barbed blade as Spike plummeted down towards her, his mouth open in a look that was half snarl and half smile and a wicked gleam in his eye.

"YEOW!"

Celeste's mind immediately shifted over to instinct as her muscles suddenly yanked on her bones and she dove forward.

The blade missed her leg by a millimeter, driving deep into the grey-painted wood floor where Celeste had just been, as she landed on her hands and rolled forward to absorb her momentum.

"GODDAMNIT!" Spike cursed as he yanked his sword from the ground, watching as the girl turned her roll into a thrusting, twisting front flip. There was a quick sound of metal unsheathing and suddenly twin daggers appeared in Celeste's hands as she landed, her body immediately going into a pose of combat-readiness.

Spike smirked. He should have known it wouldn't have been that easy.

And in a way, he was glad of it.

"You." Celeste said, as she recognized the blonde man she had seen with Vagane.

"Well, good day mate, or matess, or whatever. I'm your executioner. But you can call me Spike." Spike said, and charged.

Celeste brought her left arm up as Spike took a wide swing at her, blocking the sword with her dagger. Spike let go of the hilt with one hand and swung it at Celeste, but Celeste snapped her head back and the fist swung over her head.

As Spike tried to recover, Celeste shoved the sword away, even as she used her momentum of straightening back up as a weapon, as she brought back her hand and slammed it across Spike's face, using both her hand and the hilt of her dagger. Spike was staggered, and Celeste brought her leg up and thrust it into his stomach, sending the vampire stumbling backwards. Smirking, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"A wild one eh? Let's see if you're that defiant when you don't have any arms. Oh, and don't count on any help. You did a good job of isolating yourself."

Celeste's eyes darkened.

"I don't need any help." Celeste said, bringing her daggers back up. "Now, I think I'll claim that finger I failed to get last time."

Spike growled and again charged at Celeste. This time, Celeste made the first move, swinging her dagger at Spike's face. Spike blocked with his sword and then drove a fist into Celeste's stomach. He was disappointed when his hand didn't go right through her body, but her gasp of pain as her air went out of her ash she doubled over was good enough. Lacing his fingers together, Spike brough the hilt of his sword down on her back, driving her to the ground. He tried to swing his sword around, but Celeste suddenly exploded into a whirl of motion, as if she was trying to do some kind of fancy disco move. In reality it was a spinning kick that swept Spike's legs out from under him. He fell with a curse, landing on his back, and Celeste twisted her body upward and tried to slam her heel down on Spike's torso. But Spike was quicker and rolled backwards, flipping to his feet even as Celeste spun back up to hers.

Without saying anything, Spike brought his sword up and attacked Celeste again. Celeste ducked under the swing and slammed her fist into Spike's stomach, then thrust her other hand upward and slammed Spike with an uppercut. Spike staggered but didn't fall.

Then Celeste suddenly reached forward and grabbed Spike by his shoulders. Before Spike could do anything, Celeste suddenly lifted herself up, balancing herself on Spike's shoulders in a perfect handstand. Spike didn't know what she was trying to do, but it didn't matter, as he snarled and tried to cut her down.

Then Celeste leapt off Spike's shoulders, and as she did she swung her legs downward as if she was trying to flip back to her feet. Her heels slammed into Spike's back and he suddenly found himself airborne as he flew forward, crashing face first into the wall as Celeste completed a full flip from the kick and landed on her hands again. She immediately shoved herself back off the ground and vaulted forward again, flipping back to her feet and turning around as Spike began to get up.

His blonde hair now messed up and his face scuffed and bruising on his right temple, Spike snarled and shifted into his game face, baring his fangs at Celeste in pure fury. Celeste was unaffected.

"Huh. You didn't have much going for you before, being Vagane's ally and all, and now you're ugly too."

"Bitch!" Spike roared, and leapt at Celeste, slashing at her at the same time. Celeaste snapped up her daggers and took the blow. Spike yanked his sword away before it could be pushed away and switched it to one hand, slicing the sword at Celeste at a different angle. Celeste dodged and snapped her leg up at Spike in a roundhouse, but this time Spike managed to block. Shoving her leg away, Spike threw Celeste off balance and took advantage of it by slamming his fist across her jaw, expecting the blow to knock her head off.

He was surprised when it didn't.

He was even more surprised when her head snapped back, her eyes filled with a kind of glee. The glory of the hunt.

Then she thrust her arms out and slammed both her palms into Spike's chest, half shoving and half striking the vampire backwards. Clutching his midriff with one hand, Spike regarded the female.

"Why…my strength…" Spike wondered out loud.

"I'm far more then human, vampire. Allow me to demonstrate." Celeste said, and brought her hand up as black energy crackled on it. "RAVEN'S BEAK!"

Spike's eyes widened and he dove to the side as the black blast flew by him, burning a hole in his swirling coat before it struck the wall behind him and blew it apart in an explosion of power. Regaining his feet, Spike looked over his shoulder at the collasping rubble, then back at Celeste. Suddenly smirking, he sheathed his sword.

"C'mon girly. Let's see if you can do that much damage with just your hands, like me." Spike said, gambling.

It worked, as Celeste smirked herself and sheathed her daggers.

And in mid-sheath Spike leapt at her, his boots carrying him forward at incredible speed as he thrust his fist outward at Celeste.

Celeste snapped her arm up, taking the impact directly on her forearm. Her eyes flashed with pain, but it didn't slow her down as Spike tried to punch her with his other arm and she blocked that as well. Snarling, Spike erupted into a fury of punches and kicks, and while it was nowhere as fast as the Z Fighters it was still a sight to behold. Celeste matching him move for move made the sight even more memorable.

In the end though, Spike won out, taking advantage of a slow block by Celeste to bring his leg out and then snap it across her face in a hook kick. Celeste flew several feet through the air before she crashed into the wall. Spike leapt up and tried to stomp on her, but she twirled up and out of the way and Spike drove his foot through the ground. Back on her feet, Celeste went airborne and smashed Spike across the back of his head with a twirling heel kick, yanking him out of the ground as he smashed face first into the wall again. Celeste pistoned her leg out at Spike's head, but he recovered in time and moved, causing Celeste to slam her foot through the wall. As dust sifted down from the new hole, Spike whirled and backhanded the woman with all his might. Blood sprayed in a stream as Celeste blasted across the room, crashing back first into the ruined wall.

Spike didn't let up, as he immediately charged the dazed woman, yanking his sword off his back as he did. With a yell, he leapted skyward and thrust his sword down at Celeste's head.

CHA-CLANG!

Spike's face darkened with rage as he found his sword caught between the V shape of Celeste's crossed daggers and began to press down, trying to break the block. Celeste, having gotten to her knees and snapped out her daggers to block in a blur of movement, grimaced from the pressure being brought down on her, as blood flowed freely from her right nostril.

"Give it up girl." Spike snarled.

"You first." Celeste shot back, and then suddenly twisted her daggers as she yanked her arms sideways, pulling the sword out of Spike's hands. Spike gasped, and then yelled as Celeste then twisted her legs up and thrust them into his chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

Celeste got to her feet, her daggers at the ready. Spike glared at her, then thrust out his hand.

And his sword suddenly glided across the floor and flew back into his right hand. Smirking, he brought it back up to his side.

"I got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"So do I." Celeste said, and brough her daggers together to form an X shape. Black energy exploded into life and began crackling on the weapons, even as it traveled up her arms and enveloped her whole body. Spike set himself, waiting for the blast.

"DEVIL MAY CARE!"

It wasn't an energy blast.

It was an energy-propelled charge, as Celeste flexed her legs and then rocketed at Spike, her energy aura exploding into an even fiercer blaze in the process. Spike's jaw dropped and then he screamed as Celeste slammed into him, driving her shoulder into his gut and shoving him backwards. Spike could feel the heat, surging and burning on the girl's body and starting to fry away his shirt even as they both flew backwards.

Right through the lone window in the room.

As Spike felt the glass shatter across his back and saw it spray around him in a field of sparkling flashes of crystal, he realize two things.

The first thing was that Celeste had meant to do this.

And the second was that they were at least five stories off the ground.

As Celeste's black power faded from her body and Spike felt gravity seizing both of them, Celeste began to draw away from Spike.

"YOU STUPID BITCH! WE'RE FALLING!" Spike roared.

"No, actually, you're falling." Celeste said, and then slammed her fist into Spike's face, sending him flying away from her. Her other hand went through a blur of movement and suddenly her dagger was in her hand. As Spike flew away, she slammed it into the wall of Capsole Corp, and her face contorted in pain as her left arm took the weight of her whole body as the dagger raked itself through the wall with a shriek of metal. Celeste braced herself with her legs and jammed her other dagger into the wall as she began to slow down, even as she watched Spike plummet downward towards the unforgiving ground.

"Happy landings, asshole!"

Spike was grateful for one thing. He was still holding his sword in his hand, and hence it wasn't on his back when he slammed into the ground.

The shock drove all the metaphorical wind out of him, his fingers splaying and tossing the sword away as if by their own power. His head banged against the ground then, and stars exploded in his vision.

Spike closed his eyes and tried to get his senses, and then the pain hit, a deep ripping agony that seemed to surge through every one of his nerve cells at once. He would have screamed, if he wasn't in so much pain he couldn't even open his mouth. Almost as an afterthought, his face slid back to his normal features, wracked and contorted with pain.

"This day could not get any worse." Spike muttered, as the pain began to fade. He opened his eyes as his vision returned.

And allowed him to see Celeste diving off the building and thrust herself down at him, her daggers extended to drive into his chest.

Spike yelped and somehow found the strength to move, rolling to the side. The ground shattered as Celeste hit it, clods of dirt and grass flying through the air and showering Spike. Coughing, he managed to get to aching legs as Celeste straightened up. He couldn't believe it. She had taken the full impact to her knees and arms and she had somehow absorbed the entire impact with no ill effect.

Celeste swept her hair out of her face as Spike tried to ignore the pain he was still in. He was lucky, in a sense. If he'd been human, he would most likely be dead. Even so, it had been a miracle he hadn't broken a single bone. Maybe his vampire body was a lot tougher then he knew.

That mattered little to him though. At the moment, he just wanted to rip Celeste's head off. He shifted back into his game face and snarled at Celeste. He snapped his hand out and the sword flew back into it.

Celeste din't say anything, as she brought her daggers up and charged Spike. Spike swung his sword and Celeste parried, then countered with her own slice. Spike also parried.

To the light of a full moon, the two dueled on the ruined lawn, but Spike knew he was at a disadvantage. His body was still aching from the fall, and it was slowing him down. He didn't know if the fact that Celeste's daggers appeared to be made of some kind of metal would keep him safe if she managed to get one through his heart, but he didn't want to find out.

He had to get away and recover. It wouldn't take long. Then he could show Celeste the true meaning of pain.

As Spike leapt backwards a dozen feet from Celeste's latest slash, he glanced to the side. His eyebrows rose slightly. While the side he had seen Capsole Corps from looked over the beginnings of the suburbs, the corperation was so huge that this end emptied into what looked like part of the "down town" of the city Capsole Corp was in. Spike smirked. Maybe being tossed out the window wasn't so bad. He would retreat (strategically of course) into the city, or more specifically, into its alleys. He could hide in there forever if he kept moving, but he didn't need forever. All he needed was a few minutes.

He was sure the girl would chase after him. After all, if she just let him go, "innocents" could get hurt.

But just in case…

Celeste's eyes widened as Spike turned instead of attacking anew and ran off.

"Catch me if you can!" Spike called behind him, as he leapt into the air, flying thirty feet in a second. Celeste growled. She must have knocked the vampire even stupider when she'd tossed him out the window, he was trying to play with her. Very well, she could play any game. Sliding her daggers back into her sheaths, she took off after Spike.

Yamcha wasn't quite sure what to do. He'd been wandering the halls for a bit, trying his best to get his goofy grin off his face. However, every time he checked, he found it back on.

Besides that, Yamcha was at a loss. What to do? Brag? No, Chastity wouldn't like that. Contemplate? Would that serve any purpose? Meditate? Could he calm down enough to do that?

If the feeling hadn't been so pleasant, Yamcha might have wished to be back for his encounter with Chastity. At least he had a good idea what to do with the Goku situation, whatever he could. But this…

"Don't get so worked up over it."

Yamcha nearly jumped out of his skin as Erik suddenly materilized out of the shadows of the hallway. He calmed down quickly though, his surprise replaced by confusion.

"Wh-what?"

"What happened. If it's affecting you this much, I take it you followed my advice. Here's some more Yamcha. Don't build it up in your head, and don't think you can go anywhere with it. Chastity may like you, and she might romp around the bedroom with you another time or two, but in the end, you're just an end to her means. Don't blame yourself Yamcha. You're a good man. That's just the way Chastity is, how she has to live her life. Maybe she'll change in time, if there is time, but for now, well, you're just the flavor of the day Yamcha. I just thought I'd break it to you gently."

Yamcha was floored, and his ego had taken a bit of a beating as well. Erik turned to leave, but Yamcha wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

"Hey, Erik! Just what are you talking about?"

Erik turned slightly back towards Yamcha.

"Sigh. Ok Yamcha. You think you just went through something special. You think you've bonded with Chastity and it could go places. This feeling eventually fades, but not before the male does something that either gets his feelings hurt or his body hurt. There is nothing special for Chastity, Yamcha. You just saitified her and helped her let down her hair a little and have some fun in a time of crises. That's it, that's all."

"But…but…"

"Don't believe me if you will Yamcha. I've seen it before, and I don't want it happening to you. You always struck me as a womanizer, someone who has an uncontrollable urge to scatter their seed as far as possible. However, womanizers are also usually arrogant, stupid pricks with sperm for brains. You're not. As I said, don't blame yourself. That's the way Chastity is. If you expect it, you can part as friends, instead of with resentment. I don't need that now. If my team and your friends are going to work together, I need the wheels to be smooth."

Yamcha was silent.

"Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I do Erik. But I just want to know…why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does Chastity act that way?"

Erik's face hardened a tad. Yamcha's eyes widened.

"It is not…a nice story. In fact, it still makes me angry. But if you wish to know, I will tell you, if only to help you make the split from Chastity easier. But do not tell this story to anyone. It is not something to gossip about. If anything, it is why I became what I became. Because of the people out there who made Chastity into what she is."

"Who?"

"Her father."

Spike was beginning to think that Lady Luck had only been handing out large portions of chance in his favour because she truly enjoyed seeing the scales swing back the other way and bite him in the ass in the process.

The plan had gone well at first. He made it to the alleys well ahead of Celeste, and quickly utilized his decades of experience to disappear into the shadows. It hadn't taken him long until he'd felt like his old self, and a quick snack on a homeless bum he'd run across had made him feel even better. That done, he'd gone hunting.

And been given a rude shock, for Celeste had seemingly melted into the shadows herself. And thus Spike had spent the last twenty minutes hunting through the alleys, getting more and more frustrated. He couldn't believe he was being outwitted by this girl, who was only human and had far less experience in the matters of the hunt.

Then again, she had had a hell of a teacher.

Spike snuck around the corner of the alleyway, his sword bared, the blade shining briefly in the moonlight. It seemed as hungry to feast on blood as Spike himself.

But there was nothing to feast on, as the brief moonlight, before the silver orb vanished behind a cloud, showed only a dead end alleyway. Locked doors led into the buildings that made up the alleyways, eventually ending in another building that sealed off the passage. Spike stared down the length of road, his eyes scanning everything. The only thing there was garbage. And him. And he was beginning to feel like the former.

"I can't believe the bitch could do this…I can't kill what I can't…"

Then the moon suddenly peeked through the cloud, illuminating the alleyway briefly, and Spike saw the shadow drawn over him.

"…find?" Spike finished as he whirled.

And then yelled as Celeste dove from the roof of the building and slammed her foot into his face at an angled jump kick. Spike was knocked flat on his back as Celeste literally bounced off his face and back into the air, twisting and landing on her feet facing him, her daggers out and ready as Spike flipped back to his feet.

"Tag. You're it." Celeste mocked.

Spike didn't reply, swinging his weapon wildly at Celeste. Celeste ducked and the weapon bit into the wall. Spike cursed and let go with one hand, swinging it at Celeste as he tried to yank the sword out with the other hand. Celeste blocked the clumsy blow and scored a right jab to the face. Spike's hand slipped off the hilt of the blade as he staggered backwards, and then he was pitched into the side of the alleyway wall as Celeste twirled and slammed her foot into the side of his head. Spike growled and went low, sweeping out his leg and tripping Celeste. Before she could recover he pounced, leaping on top of her and raining down fists at her face as she did her best to block.

These damn gloves can't do shit if they can't cripple this damn girl! Does she have armour plating around her bones or something, or am I just losing my touch?

Then he yelled as Celeste slammed her knee upward right into his pride and joy. He reeled and Celeste contorted her leg up and jammed it against his chest, before she grabbed him with her arms and flipped the vampire over her. Spike landed on his back, busying himself with his pain, as Celeste flipped to her feet. As Spike tried to get up, she measured him and then leapt, swinging out her leg for a fatal neak-breaking kick.

And then her luck ran out, as Spike suddenly brought his arms up and grabbed her leg in mid move. With a roar, he twisted and hurled Celeste back first into the nearest wall. The dirty, moist brick shattered as the woman slammed against it with a cry, her daggers flying from her hands and spiralling off into the shadows of the alleyway. Utterly furious, Spike didn't let up, stepping forward and bring his foot up into Celeste's rib cage. The woman literally flew up off the ground, but she didn't get far as Spike met in mid-toss with a punch, sending her brutally slamming back into the concrete. Cracking his knuckles, Spike reached down and grabbed Celeste, and with a final roar, hurled her across the alleyway. Celeste slammed against the dead end of the alleyway, collasping into the bags of garbage.

Spike looked around, and his eyes seized on the lone dumpster in the area. As Celeste began to get to her feet, Spike strode over to it. He cracked his knuckles again and looked over at the woman.

"Game over, girly!"

And the Spike reared back and punched the end of the dumpster with all his might. The metal side was torn open by the blow, but the end result was that the dumpster was thrown forward at high speed, garbage spilling out as it barreled down on Celeste like an out of control missile. Celeste, on her feet, looked at the flying garbage bin in shock.

Then it slammed into her and she disappeared as it slammed against the wall with a tremendous mettalic bang. There was another brief series of noises as garbage, tossed by the impact and the force the metallic dumpster had given off hitting the wall, fell and sifted down.

And then there was silence.

Spike took a deep breath, then broke out in a grin as his normal features reappeared.

"I win this round. Maybe in the next life, Celeste." Spike said, and walked over to his sword. Grabbing it with both hands and setting his legs, Spike pulled backwards and managed to yank the sword out. Smirking, he stuck it back on his his back, and casting one last glance at the dumpster, got ready to leave.

Then the dumpster exploded off the wall with a scream. Spike's eyes went wide, but he barely had time to do anything as the dumpster flew past him, missing him by an inch. Spike's head jerked as he followed the dumpster as it crashed against the opposite alley wall.

Spike's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. The impact had been so fierce that no only had the wall broken, but the metal of the dumpster had bent inward, like a crushed can. The side of the dumpster facing towards Spike however, was the worst. There was a slight sizzling noise emitting from it as he looked at it, the metal runny and soft as if the whole end had been subjected to a giant blowtorch.

Then Spike turned back to the hole in the wall as Celeste walked out. She didn't even appear to have a single broken bone, although her face and outfit were scuffed, with a bruise forming on her cheek. Spike couldn't believe it. How the hell had the girl managed to keep from getting hurt, much less hit the dumpster with a blow that did the damage it did?

"Ready for round two, Spike?" Celeste taunted as she thrust out her hands. There was a slight rustling and then her daggers flew back into them.

Spike suddenly didn't care how Celeste had done it. He just wanted to kill her. Snarling, his features went feral once more as he leapt at the woman.

Yamcha was stunned.

"Did you…say…no…he didn't…how could…"

Erik sighed, his face suddenly wearing the expression of "I've heard this song before, and I don't blame them". While he and Yamcha had been conversing, they had wandered into another one of Capsole Corp's lounges. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Yamcha…sometimes there are things that you can't understand, can't comprehend, no matter how hard you try. And one of them is that there are sick men and women out there. People who have wires up here that are crossed or uncrossed in such a way that their way of thinking is impossible for us to grasp. Like Agony. Like Vagane. And like Chastity's father. He was a sick man, a truly sick man, and his sickness made him very dangerous. He didn't go around ripping out people's hearts or plan impossible schemes based on his own grand delusions…but in the end, it didn't matter. I am simply trying to give you an idea on how twisted her father was, Yamcha."

Yamcha was silent.

"Chastity's father, for Chastity never spoke his name, had one goal in life. How he aquired it, and how his brain, his way of thinking, his moral compass, whatever it was got warped enough for him to desire it, I don't know. Chastity's father wanted to "consume" a girl of utter "purity". He wanted to take complete innocence and shatter it. But it had to be complete. Whole, utter, and absolute. So he set a plan in motion. He found Chastity's mother, and convinced her to marry him. He cared not for her at all, she was merely a means to his end. But Chastity's mother, Alice, never realized it until too late. She was a thoroughly silenced woman, her life and upbringing teaching her that woman are not supposed to have "a voice" and that she was not entitled to one. Do you understand this Yamcha?"

"Yes." Yamcha said. His face had grown solumn.

"Chastity does not know for certain, but she thinks she might of had a older brother. But if she did, her faher quickly took care of it. SIDS is easy to fake if you know what you are doing. Her father wanted a girl, one he could raise and have total control of. That way…he could keep her "pure"…and when the time came…"

Erik trailed off, his face full of disgust. Yamcha's face mirrored Erik. And to think I rejected him when I found out about his deeds. If he kills men like that, I think he may be the blessing to humanity he wants to be.

"Chastity was soon born. Her name mirrors her father's desires. Total chastity, and total faith. Her father's preperations were insane. He made her wear clothes that covered every bit of skin, drab styles that matched her hair. He forbid her from having friends, aquitances, or anything. And he made sure he kept her in line. He never hit her, he did not want to damage his "vessal", but he hit her mother, and that was enough to keep Chastity in line. However, despite his efforts, Chastity eventually began to bloom into a lovely woman. Her father grew paranoid. He withdrew her from school, claiming he would home school her. Instead, he made her a virtual prisoner. Chastity never really had a chance. She was never given an outside opinion that her father was insane. If you're raised all your life by a group of people who say the sky is green, you will think the sky is green. You need an outside opinion to consider other options. Chastity's father made sure she never got that option…until it was too late."

Yamcha's brow arched. Please don't tell me…

"The end came when Chastity was sixteen. I don't know what touched off her father…but from Chastity's blurred account, I think Alice found out about her husband's plans for her daughter. Even for Alice, that was too much I will assume. It is one thing to be silenced. It is another when you find out a madman's plans for a child that came from you too. Alice tried to stop her husband…she failed. Chastity tried to help her mother, but also failed, and she was forced to watch as her father murdered her mother. Perhaps taking a life was enough to cause Chastity's father to snap, because he decided he would "consume" Chastity right then and there. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Chastity, to see her father kill her mother, and then try to violate her in a way beyond cruel…beyond human tolerance. Humans should not be able to do that…but they can. And Chastity's father tried. But there was one thing he couldn't have counted on, something he couldn't have known. When he tried to rape his daughter, he triggered Chastity's pyrokinesis."

"Her what?" Yamcha said, while feeling a bit relieved. Evidentally the story wasn't going to end as he feared it was.

"Pyrokinesis. The mental ability to start fires. Don't ask me how it works. But it does. She may have been his daughter, but Chastity has the same deeply rooted feelings for survival as any human being. In the end, we are animals. And you don't want to back an animal into a corner. Because they will bite. Or in Chastity's case, burn."

Yamcha blinked.

"So what happened?"

"Chastity torched the house. It wasn't her fault. She had no idea that the power was there, and apon its release, she had no idea how to control it. But she managed to do one thing with it. She turned it on her father…and ensured that he would spend the rest of his life in agony, unable to shatter her, or any other girl, ever. If you know what I mean."

"I do." Yamcha said. He thought of the times he had been kicked between his legs, the burning pain. He could only guess at what having the whole organ burned off would feel like. And how fitting a fate it was. "What happened to him?"

Erik smirked, but it was grim smirk.

"The idiot actually tried for revenge, years later. He thought he would still have enough of a hold on Chastity to keep her placid until he claimed what he wanted. He was right, but only to a degree. He still had a hold on Chastity, but this time Chastity had friends. Including me. And when he came for her…after what she told us, what he did to her…we made him suffer. I think it may have been the only time we argued over who got to kill a man. In the end, Chastity stepped up and did it. A more violent and brutal death…even I would have trouble coming up what she did to him. You can claim any way you want to purge your demons…that was Chastity's way. His death. Not for her though. For her mother. Because in the end, even after what he did to her, she was alive, and for the most part, happy. Alice was dead…I hope her soul can rest in peace now."

Yamcha was silent. He had no idea.

"But Erik...that happened when she was sixteen. She's at least twenty-two now. What happened between then and there?"

"What do you think, Yamcha?"

"I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny, that when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face, you get sprung…!" blasted the stereo system. Even with the volume turned all the way and the small size of the club, it barely drowned out the racous cheers, whoops, and roars as the various women danced on their stages.

It was a bizzare scene. The air was so charged with testosterone that it practically crackled, but none of it would be expended, at least not in the club itself. The men continued to holler and yell as the slim women with lovely faces or exceptional "assets" danced on their small pillars, whirling around on the metal pole like it was their lone goal in life. The men's thorough enjoyment of the dance was almost paradoxical. In a sense, it could be compared to hell. While these naked, attractive women danced and pretended to be wild with lust for the men who were screaming at them, the facts clearly stated that unless he wanted to get hurt, the man could not touch the woman, the woman could not touch the man, and the man couldn't touch himself. And to top it all off, when the girl was done she took all the man's money. Hell.

Then again, men never seemed to use their larger head for the thinking in those situations. And thus the men continued to scream and consume large amounts of alcohol dispersed by female waitresses. Near the door and in a few other exits, beefy bouncers stood, arms crossed, looking for the slightest sign of trouble, and some hoping for it. The show was of no care to them, they'd seen it all a thousand times, and for the most part, they had girlfriends.

At the moment, Bianca Allure was taking Centre Stage, literally, as she danced on the stage in the middle of the club. Her performance, done to the roaring tune of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and flashing spotlights, was enhanced to a special degree by the large skylight above her. It had been opened because the moon had hovered into position over the club and the sky had cleared enough so the moonlight was uninterrupted, bathing Bianca's nude body in silvery light. It was a position of some choice, and Bianca was taking advantage of it, dancing as if it was her last night on earth and this was all she wanted to do. And the men responded the way she wanted to: with money.

It was during the height of her masterful performance that she saw the shadow fall over her. Making it part of her dance, she swept her head up to see what was going on. Repairs to the club roof were done during the day, so who was up…?

Then she screamed as the figure crashed through the skylight. Forgetting her act, she dove out of the way as the shower of glass rained down as Celeste crashed down onto the stage, caving the wooden floor in. A somewhat confused silence fell over the club as the sudden commotion, punctuated by boos and drunken "Yeah Babies!"

Then Spike came plummeting down, his blade swinging over his head as he tried to bring it down on Celeste's body. But Celeste snapped her arms up and Spike's sword again met her intersected daggers. As Spike landed, Celeste contorted her body backwards and brought her leg up behind her, slamming it into Spike's face with all of her might. It was mighty indeed, as Spike yelled as he was thrown backwards, flying across the room and hitting one of the tables, spilling drinks and ashtrays as his weight toppled the table over. The two men who were at the table began to get up to protest, but then they saw Spike's feral, monsterous features, and decided that they could live without the drinks as they quickly took their leave.

However, most of the club had gotten the same idea, as a mass of screams interrupted as the dancers and waitresses ran for cover. The patrons of the club were also startled, but instead of fear, their shock quickly turned into anger. As Celeste pulled herself from the ruined stage, one of those patrons, a large 6'2 man, grabbed her arm.

"What the hell…" was all he managed to get out, before Celeste snapped her hand up and backhanded the man, knocking him silly and throwing him off his feet. His friends stared at his prone body as Celeste turned her eyes on them.

"Stay out of my way if you don't wanna get hurt." She growled, and headed towards Spike, who was back on his feet.

"Huh. Hooters R Us. Not a bad place to be." Spike said, before he saw Celeste. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about you."

Celeste's only answer was to slash her daggers as Spike, and as the two began to duel again, the patrons who had decided to stick around decided it might be in their better interest to leave, lest one of the combantant's blades got stuck into some place they didn't want a sharp blade stuck into.

"FREEZE!" came a sudden yell, as one of the beefy bouncer, his hands clutched uncertainly on a shotgun, walked up to Spike and Celeste and pointed the weapon at them. Celeste, startled, turned her head at this sudden new threat and paid for it as Spike slammed her with a punch. Celeste went airborne and flew across the club, crashing into one of the bars and vanishing behind it in a hail of shattered bottles.

"I SAID FRE-" the bouncer managed to get out before Spike turned contemptous eyes on him. Then he brough the sword up in a blur of motion, slicing the weapon in half. As gunpowder and a shattered shell fell from the useless weapon, the bouncer's eyes went wide at Spike's vampiric features.

"Piss off mate, I'm busy." Spike growled. The bouncer took his advice and fled. Spike dusted himself off and headed across the room to the bar where he had seen Celeste vanish behind. He wasn't going to go around or over it though. He had a better plan.

Celese, on her knees, gasped as Spike's sword blade suddenly burst from the wood of the bar in front of her. She pushed herself backwards as the blade withdrew and slammed through the wood again, just where she had been laying. Celeste then threw herself forward again as the blade withdrew and slashed through the wood, slicing a channel across the ball of her black boot. However, the ground she was manovering on was slick with liquid from shattered drinks, and her forward lunge cause her to slip and sprawl on the ground. Spike heard the cry of surprise and smirked, as he drew the sword back and aimed it from where the scream had come.

Then it was slammed across the back of his head, and Spike's vision blurred even as pain exploded across the back of his skull as he was knocked onto the bar. Recovering quickly, Spike shoved himself backwards as the stool slammed down where his head had just been, readying his sword. One of the bitches's companions must have tracked her down. No matter, he could…

Then his eyes widened in shock. It wasn't any of Celeste's allies. Instead, Spike found himself staring at a Hispanic man in a dirty white shirt and dirty jeans. The man's face, hair, and scraggly, greasy beard were as filthy as his clothes, and the stink of alcohol coming off of him was so strong that it almost made Spike's eyes cross. The man was clearly drunk out of his mind, but Spike cared more that the Mexican had hit him with a barstool.

"Who the hell are…"

"HANDS OFF ESSE! SHE'S MINE!" The drunk Mexican yelled before he swung the stool again. Spike caught the blow on his forehead, sending him staggering backwards until his lower back slammed into one of the stages. Spike's knees gave out and he fell on his rear, stars dancing in his vision.

"Bloody mexican…!" Spike cursed, trying to get his senses. Meanwhile, Celeste had used the distraction to get to her feet, and leaping over the bar, she looked at her unlikely savior.

"Hey thanks buddy, but you'd better…"

"Get right to it baby! You wan some of dis supa peniz actan! I no you want peniz acton!" The Mexican slurred in heavily accented English. Celeste was floored as she realized the Mexican's motivations and intention, even as he reached out and tried to paw at her breasts.

Celeste's punch almost knocked the Mexican sober again as he flew across the bar, hitting the buffet table set up against one wall and collasping it under his weight as food flew everywhere, including all over him.

"Ohhh, I think she likes me." The Mexican moaned, and passed out. Spike looked over at the man sprawled amongst splinters of wood and ruined food.

"Why the hell do they have a buffet in a strip club anyway, who the hell comes here to eat…?" Spike muttered to himself, as he pulled himself up and looked back to Celeste. The woman was lowering her arm, her body still shaking from revulsion, disgust, and fury. He may not have meant to, but the Mexican had hit a nerve. Almost as an afterthought, she turned back to Spike. Spike smirked.

"Funny, he seemed like your type."

The searing pain came a second later, and Spike yelled as he brought his hand up to his right ear. He felt the wetness and pulled his hand away to find it was covered with his blood, and he turned his head to see Celeste's dagger near his head, the weapon having gone right through the metal pole the stripper used in her dance and stuck there. The girl had thrown the weapon so fast he hadn't even seen it.

"Maybe he's your type. Blood type that is. You might need to know." Celeste snarled. Any sarcasm and humour was lost in the girl's rage, which was made even more apparent when she immediately charged Spike. Spike growled and swung a low sword blow at her, but Celeste leapt over it, twirling in mid-air and slamming Spike with a backhand. Spike staggered, but managed to block Celeste's follow up kick and smashed his fist into her stomach. He followed it up with his knee to her forehead, and as she staggered backwards, he spun and roundhouse-kicked her. But Celeste used the backwards momentum to her advantage as she grabbed the pole and swung around it, bringing her foot against the side of Spike's head. The blow severely unbalanced Spike as he stumbled to the side for nearly fifteen feet before he was able to right himself.

Yelling, Spike reached over and grabbed the nearest table, lifting it like it was made of cardboard and hurling it at Celeste. But there was a blur of motion and blackness, a cracking noise, and the table stopped dead as it was split in half, the two pieces falling to the side as Celeste was revealed holding her other dagger, even as the dark energy faded on it.

Then she slipped her foot under a nearby fallen chair and yanked it upward, throwing the chair upward. It didn't get far, as Celeste immediately spun and smashed the chair with a backward twisting heel kick, sending it tumbling at Spike. Spike leapt to the side as the chair missed, but then tripped over another one and went spawling again. He immediately rolled with the momentum and flipped to his feet, his torn and battered jacket swirling around him.

"Don't move!"

Spike turned to the voice to find another pair of bouncers aiming weapons at him. However, unlike the previous one, these two held handguns, and their grip showed they knew how to use them, unlike their fellow.

On the other hand, these bouncers had spent their careers dealing with the wrong kind of people. The only trouble they got was from drunken patrones who were too soused to fight back, and an occasional jealous lover. They knew how to the fire the weapons, but in pure fighting terms, they had no idea how to use them.

And against a homicidal, furious vampire, the guns wouldn't have worked anyway. Spike was through fooling around and just swung his sword.

The men never saw it coming, as Spike sliced off both their heads with one giant swing. Blood gouted, spraying on the walls, the floor, and even on the ceiling as the bodies fell over, their guns falling from jerking, dead fingers. Blood sprayed on Spike as well, but he just smiled, licking it off.

"I should have done this in the first place." Spike said, jamming his sword into the ground and reaching down to seize the twin handguns. He cocked the hammers and whirled to face Celeste, who had yanked her other dagger free and was staring right back at him.

"Dodge this mate!" Spik yelled, and squeezed both triggers.

At the same time, Celeste snapped back her arms and hurled the Ruined Soul daggers.

Later, viewers of the security footage would watch the events that happened over and over in slow motion, but no matter how many times they watched it, none could believe what they saw as the daggers spun through the air, intercepting both bullets blade first and cutting them in half as cleanly as a laser. The wrecked shells, losing momentum and drive, had spun off in different directions and blasted past Celeste in a pattern that should have hit her anyway, but hadn't. The daggers, unlike the bullets, had not been slowed down by the impact at all, continuing their journey until they arrived at their destination a quarter of a second later.

The points slammed themselves directly into the twin barrels of Spike's guns.

Just as Spike was in the process of squeezing both triggers a second time.

Spike screamed as the guns literally exploded in his hands, the blocked bullet holes causing a chain reaction of malfunctions that led almost immediately to the destruction of the firearms. Something sharp hit Spike just above the eye as he staggered backwards, his hands feeling like they were on fire. In disbelief, he held up his hands.

His gloves were shredded, sparking circuitry barely visible around his exposed and wounded hands. Blood leaked from half a dozen cuts as Spike continued to stare at his hands. The guns's violent disentigration into shrapnal had been too much for the gloves to take, the fabric unable to keep from tearing under the point-blank rain of sharp metallic shards.

"Aw, did you get a boo boo?" Celeste mocked, as her daggers flew back to her hands and she slid them into the sheaths on her forearms. Spike looked at Celeste as hate filled his eyes, as blood began running from a cut on his forehead. He had had enough. He was going to kill that woman or he was going to die trying!

Screaming, Spike yanked his sword out with aching fingers and charged at Celeste. He slashed at her, but she ducked and all he managed to do was cleave through the metal pole behind her. Celeste pistoned her fist forward into Spike's stomach, causing the vampire to double over. As she got up, she grabbed a beer bottle from one of the tables.

"Want a drink?" Celeste asked, then slammed the bottle across the back of Spike's head. As Spike felt the bottle shatter, spraying alcohol and glass shards across the back of his head, he reflected that with all the blows to the head he was suffering, maybe he should have wore a helmet.

Then Celeste leapt up and snapped her leg up in a full axe kick, bringing her shin and foot up across Spike's chest and head. Once again, Spike found himself airborne as he flew across the now-empty strip club, slamming against the wall and going right through it as the wall caved into behind him. Spike suddenly found himself back in the cool night air, and back in free fall. Not this again!

Then he hit the ground. The drop had been less then five feet. But it was still painful.

Back in the club, Celeste walked calmly towards the new hole in the wall, pausing only to smash the music player, finally cutting of the Sir Mix A Lot song that had boomed through the club the whole time.

"And here I was thinking he would quickly run out of ways to describe a woman's rear end. Men." Celeste said to herself as she came to to the hole.

Just in time to watch Spike scampering off into the shadows. Celeste looked after him.

"Go ahead and run, Spike. You won't get away. Not from me."

Yamcha was silent again. Erik took that as an indication that he should continue.

"Chastity may have been free of her father, but it was out of the frying pan and into the fire. Her home was gone, and she had no one else to turn to. She didn't have anything except the torn clothes on her back. It must have been miserable…wandering the streets with no idea what to do. She only managed to survive through spontaneous manifestations of her pyrokinesis. This lasted about a week…but to Chastity, it seemed like a year. Then she met Angelica St. Croix."

Yamcha blinked.

"That's a strange name."

"Not really. You see, she was a prostitute. It was her street name. Her real name was probably known only to her and the police, most likely. But despite the business she was in, Angelica was a good person at heart, a rather rare thing for a lady of the night. Maybe it was because she knew how to defend herself and she took no shit from anyone. Or maybe…it was the man she knew, the man who took care of her. I never learned his first name, only that it began with a D. His last name was Mantingatango, don't ask me where it came from. But he was better known by his street name: D-Man. He was, as you might have guessed, a pimp. You know, looking at this as I tell it, it sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it?"

"It's unreal enough. I thought pimps were horrible people…men who abused women to the point until there's nothing left."

"A good many are. I've dealt with my fair share. But not all of them. Some use violence to keep their "girls" in line. Others use psychological warefare and drugs. But D-Man was different. I don't know how he kept his "women" loyal to him, because he seemingly didn't have a nasty bone in his body, unless you proved a threat to him. Then he became as vicious as any man was. I personally think that something happened to him as a child that seperated him from people he cared about…that there were a lot of women with these people, and that he looked apon those girls as sort of a replacement "family". And believe me, I know. Years later, some of us were with Chastity on a mission when we ran into him. It appeared he liked being a pimp, because he continued to be one after the Change and he appeared to be very good at it. None the less, our paths crossed…I could sense that at heart he was a good man. He was Pure, in his own way. It was strange…Chastity was so happy to see him…she acted like HE was her father. And despite their relationship…I guess he was. In the end, he was probably a lot better for her then her real father. The bastard. But I'm getting off topic. Angelica, as mentioned, met Chastity, and she took her in. Maybe she saw something of herself in Chastity, I don't know. She brought her to D-Man…man I wish I knew his first name, I feel ridiculous saying that over and over."

"I'll say."

"As mentioned, D-Man took a shine to Chastity. He took her in, and Chastity began to live with him and his girls. For his job, it's very strange he didn't immediately try and force her into the line of work he trafficked in. Instead, as he got to know her, he basically employed her as his errand girl, making her do all sorts of odd jobs and giving her food and lodging in return. It didn't take long for Chastity's story to come out and be known to them. Most of the girls could relate, they'd all had similar experiences which had driven them to the streets. But while such experiences usually either destroy women at once or over a long period of time, Angelica and her friends weren't like that. They knew they weren't in the wrong as so many women come to believe, and they passed their sentiments on to Chastity. It didn't take long for it to sink in, and Chastity realized just how much of a sick bastard her father was, and how he had used her for his sick dream. It was terribly shocking to the young woman…but it also changed her. Chastity realized that all her ways of living had just been preperations for her father's dream. So she decided that the rest of her life would be lived in the exact opposite way her father had wanted. And this stands today. Chastity lives her life as an eternal defiance against her father."

Yamcha was silent, but in his head a clear picture was beginning to emerge.

"And with that decision, Chastity immediately went to the opposite side of the spectrum she had lived her whole life. Out went the cover all outfits, in went the skimpiest clothes and outfits she could find. She ditched her shyness and began flirting with any guy who so much glanced at her. And perhaps the greatest thing…her choice of promiscuity. When Chastity was seventeen, D-Man had one of his…well, associates initiate her into the business, and Chastity began a prostitute herself."

Yamcha's eyebrows raised.

"You have a problem with this?"

"Uh no…but…isn't that rather perverse…I mean, to go into that…kind of lifestyle…so easily…even as a defiance…?"

Erik was silent for a second, and then he smirked bitterly.

"Ah Yamcha…let me tell you something about humanity. As a species, it tends to have certain…"habits". And one of them is that they will often take something that is at least, harmless, and at the most, "good" for a person, and they will demonize it. They've done it with aspects of a person, whether it be skin colour, sex, age, or nationality. They've done it with religion, ways of living, countries, and above all else, they've done it with sex. At some point in humanity's life someone got the idea that the act of intercourse itself is somehow bad, that it is somehow unnatural, that it is "sinful". The logic in this is just utterly riduculous in my own opinion. Intercourse is the only way humanity can reproduce, if we may discount the same efforts science had discovered, it should be the most natural act on the planet. But somehow this utterly ludicruous idea spread, and it reigned for centuries. Even today, when society becoming more open by the day, children are still denied any information on intercourse at all because people think it is "dirty". But there is a problem with this, Yamcha. People are going to find out about intercourse eventually, and from there it is only a short trip for them to realize that they didn't learn about it earlier was because their teachers thought it was dirty. And humans are very, very suggestible, Yamcha. And the fact is, from this teaching that sex is dirty, far too many men and women think sex is still dirty. But it goes farther then that. Because they think sex is dirty, men begin to associate it with dirt itself, and they degrade women to match. The end result is far too many men are inadvertantly raised to think that women are inferior to men. It's ironic. In an attempt to keep children from learning about the whole "perverse" nature of their natural sex drive, parents and others actually wind up making that drive perverse. But don't ask me to figure out why humanity does that. We were granted the highest intelligence and ability to be individuals on this planet, and while a wonderful gift, it is also a terrible curse, for that allows us to produce the Hitlers and the Stalins and the Pol Pots and the Ted Bundys and the Bill Clintons."

Yamcha cocked his head slightly.

"I am getting off track, but the end result is that with this the opinion that what Chastity did was perverse is rendered rather moot. In the end, all of us are perverse in some way. But women often, far too often, underestimate just how powerful and driving this perverse sex drive is in males, and hence are constantly caught unaware of it. I do not think prostitution is evil or sinful. In fact, I believe it provides a much needed release for our society. I suspect if it was totally stopped, molestation and rape would go into the stratosphere. In the end, I think her experience as a prostitute was benificial to Chastity, because she now knows the nature of the male sex drive inside and out, perhaps even better then you do. To be perverse is not a bad thing. If you and your lover are willing, you can tie each other up or spank each other or do whatever floats your boat. Indeed, Chastity quickly gained a reputation for being willing to try almost anything."

Yamcha raised an eyebrow. He found he was doing that a lot.

"But she had some standards…and her main one is that she will not be disrepected. She will do anything if she chooses, indeed, it was her job, but if anyone tried to defy her when she decided to back down…they learned why she got the street name of Jalapeno. Despite this, she quickly began very popular. You probably know why. She was a quick learner in the area of physical pleasure, and over the years she's almost turned it into an art. At the same time, her friends in the business taught her how to defend herself from crazy patrons and the dangers of the streets. That's where she learned how to use a whip as a weapon. And along with all this, whenever she could find time, she developed her pyrokinesis talent. For the next eighteen months, she was quite a busy girl. Then the Change happened. You remember what that was, right?"

"Yeah."

"When Xaxargas came to Chastity, Chastity decided she wanted to have her knowledge of how to survive the streets and it's dangers honed to perfection, with the focus on her pyrokinensis. Xaxargas granted it, giving her knowledge of weaponry and hand to hand combat, and enhancing her pyrokinensis into a power that was far more and far greater then the ability to start fires with her mind. Now she can manipulate it as well…in a huge variety of ways. But at the same time, Xaxargas left his taint. In his idea of a cruel joke, Xaxargas crossed a few wires in Chastity's brain…and linked her flame powers to her pituatary gland. In other words, he made it so that every time she used her abilities…she began, how shall we say, aroused."

Yamcha's eyes widened slightly.

"This isn't as bad as it used to be. Over time, she's been able to temper her abilities and gain a greater mastery over them, to get a greater "bang for her buck" in more ways then one. But her brain is stuck like that, probably for the rest of her life. Now her nymphomania is not only of choice, but of neccessity. That is why she slept with you Yamcha. You were just relieving her urges brought on by the battle…and her boredom. That is all."

Yamcha could feel his ego shrinking to the size of a peanut. It was a rather humbling experience.

"Ouch." He said sheepishly.

"Indeed. The rest is incidental. With her new abilities, Chastity took leave of her friends and the streetwalker business. D-Man and her fellow "street sisters" were sorry to see her go, but they parted on good terms. And with that, Chastity became a mercenary and bounty hunter…or at least until she met us. She joined us, and the rest is history. Is that all you want to know?"

"Actually, it's more…but I'd like to know, what's your relationship to her. Are you one of her…conquests?"

Erik smirked.

"How fitting a word. But no. Chastity and I have never slept together. But she wanted to, once. Actually, it was on a dare. I don't know who put her up to it, but she took a bet that she could seduce me. And she tried. It didn't work though. It was actually pretty funny to watch, the way she was hanging all over me. Unfortunately, I don't go for that…I don't have a right to. Plus, she had caught me at a bad time, I had had a rather bad night. When I finally got angry and stopped being nice though, Chastity got even angrier, and launched into a torrid of insults about me, mostly about my supposed sexual failures. That didn't bother me, but her final comment that my life's mission was futile and pointless did. I almost killed the poor girl in one of my more shameful acts. I still feel bad about it. I should have recognized that Chastity had lost her temper and didn't mean what she said. But you know how reason flies out the window when you get mad."

"Tell me about it." Yamcha said, recalling how Gohan's innate sweetness and pacifistic nature had vanished in a rage of sadism and dreams of torment for Cell when he had gone SSJ2.

"In any case, I found her afterward and apologized, and surprisingly, she did likewise. We became good friends out of the incident, mostly because we could see parts of ourselves in each other in other ways then Chastity's desire. I'm glad I met her…and I do hope that someday she finds someone to love. Perhaps her inner demons died when she killed her father, but they won't be truly buried until that day. Who knows Yamcha, it may even be you. But I wouldn't count on it. That's just the way Chastity lives her life. It may seem strange to you, but believe me, it could be worse. I know. I've seen what once went on inside her skull. In a way, as I said, I'll know her better then you ever will Yamcha."

And with that, Erik got up and turned to leave. Yamcha stood up as well.
"Hey wait a minute Erik. One more thing I thought you'd know. Before…it happened, she said something to me…baise-moi, I believe. What does that mean?" Yamcha said. Erik stopped and then turned around.

"Baise-moi?"

"Yeah, I think."

Erik was silent.

"As I said Yamcha…it could be worse."

"Worse? What?" Yamcha asked, confused. It was clear that whatever that meant, it disturbed Erik.

"I may not be a shrink, Yamcha, but I know how the human mind works. Chastity may claim and act on the surface the reasons I gave you for her promiscuity, even to herself…but when I met her, I saw the real reasons deep down. She was doing it because she thought that after being raised solely for the tool for a man, that she deserved nothing better. In her quest for relief, she was actually seeking oblivion from a painful past and her own buried feelings of shame. But not anymore. I made sure that once we became friends that she knew she was a truly great woman, a being that deserved to live, that deserved any happiness she got. It took a while, buit she took it to heart. It was the least I could do for her…I just wonder if I really did anything."

"But Erik, what does that have to do…?"

"Baise-moi is French, Yamcha. It can be translated two ways. "Fuck me"…or "rape me."

Yamcha was stunned. Erik looked depressed.

"A soul can tear so easily, and yet be so hard to repair…if it can ever be repaired. Don't let her tear your soul Yamcha."

Erik turned away from Yamcha, heading back down the hall.

"I have nothing else to say. I have to go look for Celeste."

And with that, Erik turned the corner, and when Yamcha followed him around it he was not surprised to see the dark warrior gone. Staring after him, a stray thought suddenly bubbled up in Yamcha's head as he thought of what Erik had told him…and one thing he had said.

Unfortunately I don't go for that…I don't have a right to…

"Was he saying…but why does he think he doesn't deserve…was it sex? Or love?"

The wind whistled briefly, causing the paper bag to dance for a short while in the air before it settled back down. Like the bag, the park was empty, the people as long gone as the food that had once been within the paper container.

Then the bag crumpled as a black boot came down on it, and then the park was silent again, as Celeste stood still, daggers in her hands and wary eyes glancing around her.

Spike had been running for a while, doing his best to get an advantage over her, but she had never stopped pressing her advance towards him, and thus Spike had had to keep running. Eventually, he had come to the edge of the city, which had tapered off into some suburb houses and little else.

Except this, the amusement park in which Celeste now stood. Whether it was closed for good, or just for repairs or something, Celeste did not know. But she knew that besides her, there wasn't a living soul in it. Only Spike, hiding somewhere in the shadows, but he was neither alive or in possession of a soul.

Celeste continued to stand still, her eyes searching for any movement, her ears pricked for any sound. It was strange how a place that would be so full of life and merriment with people during the day could become so eerie at night, with light and people gone. The Ferris wheel and the other large rides towered over her, moonlight illuminating them like the bones of huge monsters. Closed booths and food distributers surrounded her, swallowed in shadows like monsters waiting to pounce. Even the occasional wind gust whistling through the structures sounded like the faint cry of a hungry beast. The atmosphere was exceptionally dark and dangerous.

But in the end, it was just atmosphere. But within all this setting lurked a true monster, one who Celeste doubted was through trying to kill her. Spike hadn't run because he was scared. He had a plan. But if part of that plan was to lure her into a false sense of security, it wouldn't work.

There was a sudden sound, and Celeste turned her head, her waist length hair swirling around her, a perfect ebony that matched the night. She blinked as she looked at where the noise had come from, the darkened merry go round. But she saw nothing.

Then her eyes widened as the ride suddenly lit up with lights. As she brought her daggers up and to the ready, a generic melody began to play and the ride began to turn, the frozen beasts and carriages on it once again going the circular route they had gone so many times before. Celeste stared at the ride.

A trap? No…too obvious…he must be trying to get my attention…hmmm…ok, I'll call his bluff.

Her senses at full alert, Celeste slowly started towards the ride, trying to look every way at once. Strangely, she reached the ride unscatched. Glancing around her, Celeste took a chance and hopped onto the ride.

The world began to slowly swirl around her, as Celeste made her way through the wooden horses. She was beginning to feel uneasy. Spike could think if he chose, but he was also very impatient. The fact that he hadn't attacked yet either meant something was wrong, or she hadn't given him enough credit.

Peering into every remaining shadow, Celeste eventually found herself back where she started. Her sense of unease now higher then ever, Celeste glanced over at the circuit box that started the ride and made her way over to it. The door had been wrenched off, showing that while Spike's gloves may have been damaged, they apparently hadn't completely stopped functioning.

Celeste stared at the box.

Then she snapped her head to the side as the sword stabbed by her ear and slammed into the box. The merry go round froze, the lights somehow staying on while the music and motion stopped, as Celeste half spun and slammed her leg up and out, smashing Spike in the face and causing him to go reeling back.

"HOW…the hell did you see me?" Spike cursed. Celeste smirked.

"I can see beyond my eyes and ears Spike. Maybe not too well, but enough to know when someone is trying to sneak up behind me. Clever, circling behind me after you turned on this ride. Not clever enough though."

Spike roared and leapt at Celeste, but Celeste dodged and Spike buried his fist in the wooden center of the roundhouse. Celeste thrust out her elbow and Spike staggered again as it slammed into the side of his head. Snarling, his human features once again contorting into the look of a savage beast, Spike yanked his sword from the wall and swung at Celeste, but she deflected the blow off her daggers and his sword sliced through the top part of one of the poles holding the horses in place. Celeste countered with a punch, but Spike was starting to adapt to her style and shrugged it off, countering with his own and sending Celeste backwards several feet before she fell onto the ground. Spike lifted his sword above his head and brought it down, but Celeste rolled out of the way and it smashed into the ground. Spike yanked it out and swung low at the woman, but she leapt up to avoid it and Spike only severed the bottom half of the same pole he had slashed seconds earlier. As the horse statue that had delighted many a child was cut loose and began to fall, Celeste spun and kicked it, throwing it at Spike. Spike could only yell as the horse struck him and he went backwards into the middle of the merry go round, sandwitched between the two. With a curse in some language Celeste didn't understand, Spike threw the horse aside and brought his sword up again, swinging at Celeste. She backflipped away from his swipe and his subsequent three other slices, moving off the damaged ride in the process. Spike switched styles and tried an upward swing instead of his downward ones, but Celeste blocked with her daggers and then twirled around him, leaping in a circle and slamming her foot across the back of Spike's head. Spike stumbled forward, dropping his sword, and Celeste leapt at him, aiming her dagger at his throat.

Then Spike whirled and brought up his hands, grabbing Celeste in mid-move, and with a scream of rage he spun and hurled her through the air, sending her crashing into a pile of wooden boxes thirty feet away. Spike smirked and picked up his sword, running towards Celeste as she pulled herself from the broken and shattered boxes.

The trip had hurt her, but she hadn't lost her daggers, and as Spike swung wide at her she brought her right hand up and slashed it across his cheek. Spike yelled as he felt the sharp blade bite through his skin, and as he felt his own blood begin to run down his cheek, his anger finally exploded. Putting everything he had into it, he backhanded Celeste, sending her crashing through more boxes in a shower of splinters and sawdust. Celeste leapt to her feet, only to find Spike immediately in her face as he slammed her with an angled uppercut, flinging her head over heels. But in mid-flip, she regained control and thrust her legs out, smashing Spike in the chest with a double-leg mid-air thrust kick. This time Spike took the tumble through the boxes, more wood shattering as he did. Celeste pounced, only to get a foot in the gut as Spike thrust his leg behind him and then spun on his hands, smashing his leg against the side of Celeste's head and sending her airborne again. However, all the boxes had been destroyed by this time, so she had no new ones to obliterate.

Flipping to his feet, Spike raised her sword and charged again, but Celeste backflipped and leapt away, landing on a nearby platform. Spike smirked and leapt after her, grateful his boots were still 100 percent. Behind him was left a field of shattered wood and debris, pieces of ruined boxes pointing to the sky like accusing fingers blaming God for their destruction.

Celeste glanced behind her to see the massive white and red structure of the Ferris Wheel towering over her. Apparently she on the operating platform.

Unfortunately, so was Spike.

"Ready to give up yet?" Celeste said, and a part of her meant it. The long battle with Spike had almost exhausted her, even with her refrain from using her energy abilities. Spike certainly didn't look fresh, but she had no idea what the endurance limits of a vampire were. But after all she'd thrown at him, they were certainly high.

"Shut up and die." Spike shot back, and swung his sword at her. Celeste did another backflip, but instead of going all the way with it, she changed direction in mid-move and suddenly flew up and forward, leaping over Spike in a spinning forward leap. As she spun, she thrust her legs out behind her and slammed both her feet into Spike, once again sending him stumbling forward with a curse as she hit the ground and sommersaulted to break her fall.

Turning around just as Celeste got to her feet, Spike faked a charge. Celeste fell for it, and her eyes widened as he suddenly threw back his arm and hurled his sword at her chest.

Then she fell into a full 180-degree split and Spike's sword sailed over her head, lodging itself in the control panel for the Ferris Wheel. Spike looked at Celeste with a mixture of anger and exhasperation.

"Why can't you just be a good girl and DIE!?!"

"It's not in my contract." Celeste shot back.

Then with a series of loud clacking noises, the Ferris Wheel suddenly lit up with light. The sudden surge of brightness blinded Spike, as the wheel began to turn. Apparently his sword had somehow triggered the starting mechanism.

And it had also allowed Celeste to get the jump on him, as Spike's sight came back to find her right in his face.

Then her fist smashed into his face again, and he stumbled as Celeste kicked him in the gut and then spin kicked him on the side of his head again. Cursing yet again, Spike leapt over a spinning low kick and met Celeste as she spun up with a right hook. Grabbing the front of her outfit, Spike lifted Celeste over his head and slammed her down on the ground behind him. He raised his foot to stomp on her, but she caught it and shoved him away, twirling to her feet. But Spike had seen the move before and as Celeste got to her feet, he leapt and spun, nailing her in the chest with a reverse high angle thrust kick, sending her flying and then tumbling backwards across the platform. Spike thrust out his hand and his sword yanked out of the control panel and flew into it. As the Ferris Wheel continued to turn, Spike charged at Celeste and swung at her body, but Celeste once again dodged by blackflipping to her feet and then leaping backwards into the air in a continuous reverse sommersault, landing in one of the Ferris Wheel cars.

Spike grimaced.

"GET DOWN HERE!" he yelled, and leapt after Celeste, barely making it up onto the car's edge. He swayed, trying to get his balance, and then he had no choice but to leap again as Celeste slashed at his legs. He landed awkwardly behind the girl, the car barely big enough to hold both of them standing up. He turned around and was met with another punch to his face, a second to his gut, and then a backhand across his forehead. Spike brought his sword up and swung, but Celeste twisted her body backwards Matrix-style and the blade whistled over her. Spike heard a slight humming and then black energy exploded on Celeste's right hand as she began to flip back up, and Spike realize she was going for a point-blank blast.

"RAVEN'S…"

"BYE!" Spike yelled as he leapt backwards, flipping and landing on the car above him as Celeste completed her yell and thrust her hand forward, sending the black energy blast off into empty air. Looking angry, Celeste looked up at Spike and then suddenly leapt up after him, kicking at him in mid-leap. Spike dodged backwards into the car, and Celeste landed on the edge. This time, Spike was the one to slash at her legs, but the car had traveled to the mid-point of the Ferris Wheel and Celeste simply leapt again, sommersaulting backwards and up to the next car behind her. The black energy exploded on her hand again, and Spike's eyes widened.

"RAVEN'S BEAK!"

As the blast fired at him, Spike leapt upward in a desperation move. As his car exploded underneath him in a shower of charred wood and singed metal, Spike flew up above Celeste, having put so much strength into the leap that he went right past the car and over it. If Celeste had been fresh, she could have blown him out of the sky.

But she wasn't fresh, and her blast had dulled her reflexes. As she swung her head up, gravity finally took over and Spike dove at Celeste, his foot out.

His aim wasn't perfect, only glancing Celeste's face instead of hitting it dead on, but it was a powerful blow nonetheless, knocking Celeste backwards with a cry and giving Spike time to land and to set his legs, despite the cart's rocking as it reached the epex of the Ferris wheel. Celeste turned back towards Spike and Spike snapped his foot up, throwing Celeste backwards and almost knocking her out of the car. Hopping down into the car, Spike pistoned his fist out and smashed Celeste with a jab, then laced his fists together and smashed them across her face. Celeste was almost knocked out of the car again, her hand splaying out and one of her daggers flying out into the night sky before it tumbled down towards the ground.

It landed on the control mechanism and sheered right through the device, completing Spike's accidental task and destroying it. With a sudden lurch, the Ferris wheel stopped, leaving Spike and Celeste under the moonlight at the very top of it.

And Spike was showing no mercy, as he thrust out his leg into Celeste's gut, doubling her over. Finally enjoying himself, Spike grabbed Celeste's sweaty hair and brought his knee up into her forehead. Celeste's head snapped back violently, and Spike reared back and pistoned his fist right between the girl's eyes.

And that was it, as the girl finally crumpled at his feet. Spike took a long, deep breath and let it out as a smile broke out on his face. His features slid back to normal as he reached down and grabbed the back of Celeste's outfit with one hand, his sword clenched in the other. After all she had put him through, the first thing he was going to do was rip out her mocking tongue.

"You impressed me girl. You're as good as the Slayer, maybe even better, but that also mean you've caused me a great deal of grief. So much, that I think that after I kill you, I'll go back and kill your damn boyfriend. Screw what Vagane wants, that's what I want. I wonder if he'll be more of a challenge to kill…"

Then Spike felt it, as all of Celeste's muscles went rigid, and he realized that he had said the wrong thing.

Then Celeste's head snapped up, her eyes blazing with fury, and Spike realized he had said the MOTHER of all wrong things.

Then Spike felt the incredible impact slam into his face as Celeste hit him. Stars exploded in his vision as he reeled back, unable to believe it. The girl had punched him plenty of times, but nowhere near this hard. Hell, Spike didn't know if he'd EVER been hit that hard.

And then, screaming, Celeste hit him again, this time with a hook to the face. The stars became even brighter as Celeste screamed her rage and smashed him again, causing him to stumble and nearly fall out of the car. Spike shook his head and tried to fight back, but then Celeste brought her knee up in between his legs and he gasped as his eyes went wide. He tried to slash at her, but Celeste caught the sword with one hand. Blood began to flow down her arm as the blade bit into her palm and fingers, but Celeste appeared to be beyond caring as she yanked the sword out of Spike's hand and raised it above her head before she slammed it down over her knee, snapping the reinforced blade in half. Spike's eyes widened even more as Celeste broke his weapon like it was made of fiberglass, and then the look was wiped off his face as Celeste brought the remaining blade back and slammed it flat-first across his face, half hitting Spike and half throwing the ruined weapon away.

Spike staggered again, and then Celeste's fist slammed across his face again, blood from her palm splattering across his cheek. But Spike could take no enjoyment in it as Celeste immediately smashed her other hand across his face, causing it to snap violently in the other direction. Then Celeste hit him again and his head snapped back the other way, and then back the other way as Celeste hammered Spike with the hardest punches he had ever felt. He couldn't get his senses or even defend himself from the furious assault as Celeste smashed him back and forth with blows, his legs swaying underneath him as he struggled to keep from crumpling like Celeste seemingly had before Spike relit her fire. And this time, it had grown into an inferno.

And then, suddenly, the blows stopped. Swaying on his feet, his vision blurred and with blackness creeping in the sides of his eyes, Spike looked at Celeste, her outfit scuffed, dirty, and ripped. Blood leaking from her nose, the right corner of her mouth, and the left corner of her left eye, her hair a bloody mess from a scalp wound. But her eyes were filled with fury, determination, and above all else…the desire to claim vengeance.

Retribution.

"You can insult me, you can hurt me, you can even try to kill me, but don't you ever threaten him." Celeste hissed.

And then she leapt up into the air, bringing her leg up and slamming the toe of her boot under Spike's chin with every ounce of strength she had. The sommersault flip kick sent Spike flying into the air. To Spike it was almost like slow motion, as the world began to spin around him as the impact caused him to start tumbling heads over heels even as he continued to fly up, everything turning upside down as he spun 180 degrees.

And then Celeste contorted her body and twisted the right way around as she spun in mid-air and thrust her leg out, smashing it right into the small of Spike's back in a mid-air thrust kick, sending Spike flying out into the air and away from the prone Ferris wheel.

Straight down towards the field of shattered wood.

Spike's eyes widened as he saw the debris field rapidly approaching, at all the parts of boxes sticking up into the air with dull but still cruel edges, at he plummeted straight down towards his doom. There was no way he could avoid getting one of those wood shards right through him. He was beyond all control to avoid it.

He screamed, a scream of defiance, fury, and for the first time in a long time, fear.

And then suddenly moonlight gleaned off a silver piece of metal as it suddenly flew from the shadows and lanced through the air towards Spike.

And then Spike screamed again, this time in agonizing pain, as the metal pole lanced right through his stomach and speared out through his back. The impact jerked him forward ten feet and suddenly he was clear of the wood field. But that mattered little to him as he slammed into the cold, packed earth in a bone-shattering impact.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! MOTHERFUCKING HORSE SHIT! BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!" Spike screamed to the heavens.

"It figures you would react this way, you indigant cur." Said a dry voice that was all too familiar to Spike, and he looked up, feeling his blood pour over his hands as he tried to get the pole out, as Adam slowly walked out of the shadows, his eyes filled with contempt.

"YOUR MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD!YOU THREW A FUCKING POLE THROUGH ME!" Spike screamed at Adam. Adam sighed.

"I saved your life, vampire. You would have surely perished on that field of wood if I hadn't knocked you away with that "fucking pole". But I did not expect gratitude from your idiotic kind. Just like I didn't expect you to succeed in your mission. And you claim to know brutality like the back of your hand. Idiot."

"JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET BACK UP! I'LL SHOW YOU BRUTALITY!" Spike said, thrashing furiously to try and get the pole out with his one working arm. Adam glanced up at Celeste, who was standing on the car she had knocked Spike from, looking down on the events with obvious surprise.

"It appears I will have to clean up after you, Spike. If getting rid of her helps me with my destiny of creating the perfect race…girls, take this excuse for an ally and bring him back to Vagane to get him fixed. Otherwise I'll have to continue listening to his complaining."

From the shadows Adam had come from, two Valkyries emerged. Spike spat and tried to get at Adam, even as the women restrained him.

"You're going to regret saving me, you excuse for Frankenstein!" Spike cursed as one of the Valkyries pulled out an MRR and began programming it. Adam looked at Spike with contempt.

"I doubt it vampire. I didn't save you because I like you, or because we are somehow on the same team. I saved you because I want the pleasure of removing you from this existence, and believe me, I will know the joy of that yet!"

Before Spike could retort, there was a crackling noise and bright light surounded Spike and the two girls, and the next second they were gone. Adam continued looking at the spot for a second, and then turned to the Ferris Wheel.

"But for now…I will show just how superior I am to you and deal with that girl."

Celeste had slowly made her way down the Ferris Wheel by hopping from car to car, and as Adam slowly began to walk towards her, she took two quick steps and yanked her dagger from the control mechanism for the ride, slipping it back into it's sheath. With a leap, she jumped off the platform and landed, standing at alert as Adam stopped and returned her gaze.

Adam made a noise of half realization and half mockery. The girl's previous fight had exhausted her, a fact she was desperately trying to hide. It would not take him five minutes to dispose of her. He wondered if her insides would be different from that of a normal girl's, perhaps that would explain to him how she had taken abuse that would have killed a normal man ten times over.

A new wind whipped up, blowing Celeste's hair out in a wave of pure ebony as she and Adam stared each other down.

"And might I ask, who the hell are you?" Celeste asked, getting ready to whip out her daggers at the slightest sign of danger.

"I am Adam. I am a kinematically redudant, bio-mechanical demoniod. I am equiped with…"

"Enough, I gathered that from looking at you. So, you're a bunch of spare parts sewn together with some garish metal for kicks. Like Erik, except a lot uglier. Are you here to kill me too?"

"Unfortunately for you, yes. Your disrespect is not wise, considering how tired you are. I could always kill you before I take you apart…or I can kill you in the process of it. Yes, the latter sounds far more appealing now."

Celeste ground her teeth. Despite Adam's dry, alien voice, she could still hear the arrogance dripping from it. Adam cocked his head slightly.

"Ah. You are experiencing the human emotion known as anger. You think it will empower you. Even if it does, you have no chance girl. You stand before a god among beings. You should bow your head and pay homage to me."

Celeste's anger increased, her slim fingers coiling into fists. Screw her daggers. She would beat this egotistical jackass with her bare hands.

"You think I'm underneath you? Well, I'm gonna send you underneath me. Six feet underneath me!"

And with that Celeste charged at Adam. Adam stood still, a look of utter apathy on his face, as the girl covered the distance between them in a second and thrust her fist out, slamming it into his chest against the steel stitches that connected two parts of his torso.

Celeste gasped as the shovewave of pain ran all the way up her arm to her shoulder. It was like hitting a steel wall. Adam cocked his head, then reached down and grabbed Celeste's wrist in a grip of steel, yanking her arm above him and pulling him up with a cry of pain, her tiptoes barely touching the ground.

"Your bad use of tauting will not empower you either. Now tell me, how much blood do you have in your body? No matter, I'll find out."

The sharpened stake of bone burst out of Adam's left forearm, and he raised it, wondering what to cut off first.

Then Celeste leapt up and thrust her legs out, slamming them against Adam's chest and breaking his grip. Flipping down to the ground, Celeste ducked under one of Adam's slashes, feeling the skewer whistle over her head. She couldn't believe Adam's speed. Considering his bulk, he should have been slower then Spike, but he seemed even faster.

Snapping her body up, Celeste smashed twin punches into Adam's chest, ignoring the pain as she twirled into a roundhouse thrust kick, a backhand to his face, and an uppercut under his chin.

Adam didn't even move, as if she had never hit him. Instead, he chuckled, a wry sound.

"Is that your best, girl? That might have staggered Spike, but he's just a vampire. I am far far more. I don't think you even possess the power to take me off my feet…"

Adam's yakking proved his downfall, as Celeste suddenly leapt upward, swinging her leg at the side of Adam's head. Adam saw it coming, and stopped talking, but did nothing else. The woman was aiming for the metal side of his head, and would only break her leg in the process.

Then his eyes widened as he felt her foot swing over his head. The girl had missed. On purpose.

And then Celeste brought up her other leg and planted it into Adam's neck as she twisted in mid-air, slamming her original swung leg down on the other side of Adam's neck. With Adam's head clamped between her ankles, Celese used every ounce of strength and momentum she had and yanked. Adam suddenly found himself airborne as the leg lock threw him off his feet and turned him upside down in mid-air, slamming him headfirst into the ground in a small cloud of dust.

Celeste hit the ground a second after and was immediately in motion, flipping to her feet and then leaping backward forty feet up into the air towards the Ferris Wheel. She grabbed the metal structure and then steadied herself on it as Adam began to get to his feet. Celeste thrust her hands down, gathering her power. Dark energy exploded on both her hands as she called for more power, even as it hurt her to do it.

Adam was starting to look up at her.

Celeste thrust out her hands.

"MERCILESS NOVA!"

And the black energy bolts began to spray from her hands, spears of destructive power aimed straight at the monster hybrid before her. Adam saw the first one just as it was bearing down on him and then it struck him with a loud boom, smoke and dust exploding up from the ground from the energy's impact. More bolts spiralled into the smoke and struck as well in a series of loud noises as the smoke cloud grew bigger and bigger.

Celeste kept firing, the bolts of energy pouring from her hands like a raging river of power as the cloud of dust and smoke billowed out and swallowed the stands and booths around Adam.

But eventually, Celeste had to stop, leaning on the metal structure, drawing in deep gasps of air, trying to slow her pounding heart. She felt like she had just run five miles for thirty seconds of effort. Sweat ran into her eyes, and she wiped at them, trying to get rid of the stinging.

"Still think I'm so pathetic, Adam?"

And then the smoke cleared. Celeste's eyes widened.

Stepping up out of the crator she had made, Adam looked up at Celeste without amusement. Besides a slight darkening on the side of his head that looked human, he didn't have a scratch on him. He looked back at the ten foot crator behind him and then up and Celeste, sneering.

"Is that your best?" he mocked. "Let me show you how to throw energy!"

And then Adam thrust out his right arm as metal extensions shot from the armoured parts of his forearm and contorted around his hand, snapping and shaping it into a silver barrel-shaped extension. Finally, four prongs shot up near his elbow, and then twisted over and snapped back into Adam's arm, as he brought it up and gripped it with his other arm as he aimed at Celeste.

Celeste's eyes widened as a high-pitched humming filled the air and bright light suddenly blinked into life inside the barrel as Adam aimed his large-bore plasma cannon at Celeste.

Celeste summoned all her power and leapt forward.

And Adam fired, sending a white bolt at where Celeste had just been, and a massive explosion shook the amusement park as the whole Ferris wheel exploded in a hail of raining metal and burning shrapnal. The explosion missed Celeste, but the shockwave slapped her like a giant hand and sending her flying into the distance. Burning wreckage and sizzling metal parts rained down on Adam, but he calmly turned and walked away as it rained down around him. He was not concerned. Such trife material could not harm a god.

And Celeste landed, rolling and winding up on her back, her attempt to absorb the impact properly failing. Celeste's spine twisted in a process and she screamed, but thankfully it didn't snap. Blood ran from a new cut on her forehead, flowing into her eye in a stinging stream. Her body exhausted and racked with pain, Celeste tried to get to her feet as Adam approached her, a slight smirk adorning his face.

Erik, much to his annoyance, found himself getting a little irritated with Celeste. Even with his dislike of new people, she should have managed to swallow her fear enough to come out and at least try to find him. But she hadn't, and even with Buu's help, he hadn't been able to find her. Bulma was trying to locate where Vagane might be, and he needed to have her prepped and ready to leave at a moment's notice. They would need every man they had to take down Goku, especially if Vagane was giving him even more advantages.

Damn it Celeste! This is…not surprising. God, I'm an idiot, after what she's been through…after what I did to her. It's a miracle she's not a drooling idiot, or totally insane, or trying to hunt me down like I always am with Agony. She held her faith…all this time…what right have I…

And then Erik glanced into one of the rooms and he stopped dead, turning and going into the large room, looking around at the damage to the walls and floor, and the smashed window at one end. He had been here before, but Celeste had obviously still wanted her privacy. But something else had gotten in.

"Oh dear god."

Celeste saw the shadow fall over her, and although her arms felt like lead and her legs felt like jelly, she forced herself to her feet, glaring at Adam, who looked back contemptuously. Her hands went into a blur of motion as she whipped out her twin daggers. Someone had sewn Adam together from a bunch of other parts, and Celeste was planning to take them apart again.

Adam did not make any acknowledgement that Celeste had drawn her weapons, instead continuing to walk towards her with a slow, calm step. Her anger boiling in her, Celeste took two quick steps forward and stabbed her right hand at Adam's face. To any human, he/she would have just seen a black blur before Celeste's dagger would have pierced their brain.

Adam snapped his head to the side, the dagger slicing past his lone ear.

"Pathetic."

Celeste was immediately going into her next move, snapping up her leg in a spinning hook kick, but Adam was even faster, bringing up his left arm and intercepting her leg. Once again, Celeste felt like she was kicking steel, but she didn't let up as she went into a fury of slashes and kicks. Adam, almost in a bored way, dodged and blocked everything she did. She couldn't even cut him, as he used the parrts of him shielded with metal to block. How the hell can someone as bulky as him be so goddamn fast! Celeste thought inwardly, as she stabbed her dagger at the disc drive in his chest.

Then she felt as if steel itself had wrapped around her fingers as Adam reached up and grabbed her hand, the massive brownish-pink fingers closing over her slim hand, stopping the blow dead and elliciting a gasp from Celeste from the sudden pain.

"Uh uh. That's expensive." Adam said dryly, and began to squeeze, throughly enjoying the feeling as he felt the woman's bones begin to break under his grasp. Celeste screamed, the pain lancing down her entire arm as she felt her fingers being crushed. Her dagger fell from useless fingers.

Trying to see past the pain, Celeste brought up her other hand and slammed it into Adam's forehead. Adam didn't even blink as he reached up and grabbed her other arm.

"I've got a hard head. Let me show you." Adam remarked, and then thrust it forward, slamming his head against Celeste's in a clanging headbutt. Celeste reeled as blood exploded from her nose as Adam let her go. Clutching her badly broken hand, Celeste shook her head and then hurled her other dagger at the hybrid.

Adam reached up and caught it. He brought it down and looked at it, and then tossed it aside.

"Care to try again?"

Gritting her teeth, Celeste thrust up her hands and began to call apon her power again, but then Adam suddenly took two giant steps forward and slammed his fist across her face. Bright lights exploded behind her eyes as Celeste flew backwards, crashing into one of the booths that had once held a game for boys to impress their loves and for kids to win cheap toys. The fragile wooden structure collasped on her, burying her in a makeshift grave.

Adam walked calmly towards the rubble. He knew exactly how many tricks the girl had and that she was just about out of them. He stepped up on the wood.

And Celeste exploded up from under it, the air filling with splinters and shards of wood as she reared up and tried to kick Adam. Adam blocked the forward snap kick and thrust his palm into Celeste's sternum, sending her staggering back. But she immediately leapt to attack him, but Adam easily dodged both her punches and sent his own fist pistoning into her face. Celeste staggered back again, then spat blood as her body spun, bringing up her leg in a roundhouse spin kick.

But Adam was ready, and as Celeste swung her leg at him, he brought up his left arm as the sharp skewer of hardened bone shot from it, and moved it forward into Celeste's kick, ramming the forearm spear right through the meat of her calf.

Celeste screamed, feeling the blood began to pour down her leg. She dangled awkwardly, trying to get her leg off Adam's arm. Adam smirked, then reached over and grabbed Celeste by the front of her outfit.

And then with a mighty heave, Adam twisted and hurled Celeste through the air, her leg ripping off of his forearm skewer in a gout of blood as Adam tossed her aside. Celeste tumbled through the air and then smashed into the merry go round, which Adam had hurled her at. The whole ride shook as Celeste crashed right through the wooden center and hit the ground on the other side, bouncing along the ground like a flat stone on a pond, The merry go round shuddered once more and then sagged to the side, the ride on the brink of collaspe.

Struggling not to black out, Celeste opened her mouth as blood flowed out from within her, spraying from her mouth and soaking into the cold, dark, indignant earth. Adam watched with interest as he headed slowly towards her. Just another weakness in her human body structure.

"And I actually considered for half a second that you might provide a challenge. You're just like the Slayer. Legendary in statue and nothing in person. How disappointing." Adam said, as he came to Celeste's side. The girl was in so much pain she hadn't been able to get up.

Adam added to the pain, lashing out and kicking her in the rib cage. Celeste flew several more feet and then tried to flip to her feet in mid-air. But her left leg was too damaged and it gave out, throwing her to her hands and knees.

"At last you're bowing to me. I knew it was only a matter of time." Adam said as he walked up to Celeste. She looked up to him with defiant eyes, but he quickly changed that look as he smashed his fist into her face again. Celeste's head snapped back violently again, and then Adam spun and sidekicked her, sending her flying a dozen more feet, her outfit filthy with carnival dirt.

Adam began approaching again, even slower this time, as Celeste struggled to stand upright again. She made it, but barely, her left leg shaking violently as she looked at Adam as he walked up to her. Despite her pain, she refused to be beaten, throwing another punch at his face.

Adam caught the arm, twisted it, and brought his elbow down on it, snapping the bone in two. Celeste screamed, but that scream was cut off as Adam backhanded her, blood spraying onto the ground from her wounded face. Her legs gave out on her again, and Celeste collasped. With a noise of disgust, Adam reached down and yanked her up by her hair.

"Now…are you ready to admit that you are nothing before a god? Say so and I may kill you rather painlessly."

The blood-soaked saliva splattered on his cheek as Celeste spat on him, and then she snapped her right leg up with all the strength she had left, slamming it right between his legs.

Adam didn't react at all, and Celeste's eyes widened as Adam distastefully wiped her saliva off.

"Sorry. That might have worked on Spike, but I was built to make sure I would have no such weakness. You are as stubborn and as defiant as the Slayer. She wouldn't recognize true greatness either. So you shall suffer her destined fate as well."

Then Adam reared back and slammed his fist into Celeste's face, feeling her nose break with saitisfaction as she stumbled backwards and struck the wall of the building behind her. Her head hit the stone violently, and she slid into a half crouch, trying to brace herself on the cold stone. The building appeared to be a structure that would hold a circus of some sort when the park was open.

Mechanisms whirred as Adam's hand once again transformed itself into his plasma cannon. Adam took his time, charging a full power shot as the girl lay there, trying to get up repeatly and failing, her body too damaged and exhausted. Her eyes were full of fear and sorrow, but the look of defiance never left them.

"You are not worthy to survive in this world, much less the one I am going to create. As the higher being, I pass sentence. You shall die." Adam said, bringing up the cannon arm.

And then the last thing Adam had expected to happen, happened. Hell, even in his greatest calculations he hadn't expected a small midget-like man who looked like what humans called a clown or a mime to suddenly pop up in front of him from behind.

"BIG BULLY! TAKE THIS!" Chaozu said, bringing up his hands, fingers spread wide, and holding them in front of his face. "SOLAR FLARE!"

And then an incredibly bright light exploded from Chaozu's hands and lanced into Adam's eyes. Even Adam, for all his enhancements and modified body parts, the light was blinding, utterly consuming his vision in a field of white. Even he couldn't resist the automatic reaction of his body as he raised up his arms and clamped them over his eyes with a yell.

His cannon, a second before ready to fire at Celeste, suddenly found itself pointing skyward as Adam instinctively brought his arms up to cover his eyes. Unable to stop, the cannon fired, shooting the white bolt of destructive energy off into the sky and into space, like a reversed shooting star. Adam was beyond caring as he shook his head, trying to clear his vision from the insanely strong flash of brillance that had managed to blind even him.

Celeste wasn't sure what happened. She had been despairing that she wasn't ready to die yet, and then there had been a blur of motion, a quick sound, and then an incredibly bright light. And then there had been a sense of motion that wasn't caused by her. Celeste thought she was flying again, perhaps from another explosion, but the strange way of moving quickly made her realize she was being carried.

Then it stopped, and Celeste shook her head as her vision cleared.

"Celeste?" came a concerned male voice. It was one Celeste knew all too well.

"Erik." She said, trying to smile at her savior. Then a coughing fit seized her, and more blood spilled from her mouth.

"Is she alright?" came a new voice, and then a strange face peeked at her from over Erik's shoulder. Celeste thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Had Erik been brought here by a mime?

Erik looked down at Celeste's ravaged body, his mechanical eye scanning every aspect of her. My god…she needs help, and fast.

"She's badly hurt, but she'll live. But she needs help, and fast. Take her back to Capsole Corp ASAP! She needs Diana and Christine's help." Erik said, trying to hand Celeste's prone body to Chaozu. Despite his size, Chaozu was deceptively strong. The short little mime-like man had been the first Z Fighter Erik had been able to locate after he realized that Celeste was gone, and the clown-like being had been able to easily carry him the whole way.

He hadn't been hard to find Celeste. Erik had simply followed the path of destruction, propelled by a sixth sense and link he had with the young woman who had choosen to run beside him in his chosen destiny. Even so, he hadn't expected her to find her in such bad shape. Within him, the anger began to burn.

"Wait…"

Erik and Chaozu looked down at Celeste in confusion as she grabbed Erik's arm as he tried to hand her to Chaozu.

"I'm not going…I have a score to settle with that bas…"

"No Celeste. You've had it." Erik replied.

"No…I can go on…"

"No, you can't. You've exhausted yourself and that monster took advantage of it. Remember what I told you about bravery and foolishness? You're being foolish now Celeste. You're going. I'm not going to let that bastard hurt you any more."

Celeste blinked, and then let go as Erik handed her to Chaozu, who took the young woman carefully, using his ESP to help.

"Get her back to Capsole Corp. I'm going to deal with that creature."

And then, suddenly, Celeste reached out and grabbed Erik's arm again. Erik looked down at Celeste.

"His name…is Adam…Erik, put him six feet under for me. Or I'll crawl back here and kick both your asses!"

Erik smirked bitterly, and that was all the reply Celeste needed. With that, Chaozu turned and flew off, carrying Celeste with him.

Erik looked after them, then turned and looked down on Adam from where he was perched on a roof of the nearby building. Adam was just about recovered from the blinding attack done by Chaozu as a distraction, and he looked back at Erik. He did not look happy.

Adam looked with distaste at the dark-haired man perched on the nearby building, the last of the flashing dots finally fading from his eyes. The circus structure had been close to one of the park's exits, and Erik was standing on the closest buildindg to that exit, a squat three-story brick structure that had been dulled by years of wear and tear.

And then Erik leapt off the building, falling the thirty of so feet and landing without a hitch. Erik straightened up, now roughly twenty feet from Adam.

"So. The Failure comes to save his apprentice. I should have expected it. How appalling Grimm."

"You don't know the meaning of the word grim, Adam. But I'll show you." Erik said in a hissing snarl. Adam cocked his head.

"Oh, I am supposed to be afraid of you? Am I supposed to fear your retribution for what I did to that girl who you hold such a special feeling for?"

Erik's eyebrows raised. What…how did he know…that's impossible! It's my…

"Oh please. Do not look so confused on how I have this knowledge. It's coming off of you in waves! It's sickening. You, a product of Dr. Vagane, the only mind I have ever seen that even has a chance of being my equal, though it is not. You could actually be a being worthy of survival. But no, you allow yourself to be dragged down by a mere emotion." Adam spat, saying the last part like it was the dirtiest of words.

Erik could feel his anger building. Adam's sheer arrogance was utterly unbelieveable.

"But you think that emotion will make you powerful. But you have no idea of what power is, Failure. Do not think that what Vagane did to you is any exception! The only reason you became what you became is because your family decided to vacation in the mountains. Had you not come along, Vagane would have found someone else! But I…I came into existence with power. You were just a child who was changed into something that should have been far superior, but instead choose to be a failure. You were modified to kill, Failure. I was created to extinguish unworthy life. In the end, that makes you only human, and myself something far far more."

That did it. Erik's rage exploded through him, his blood heating in his veins and his muscles clenching. His hands began to curl into fists. His disbelief with Adam had increased ten-fold. The hybrid creature thought he was a god among beings, and would surely express that belief orally soon, Erik was sure of it.

The thought of Adam's sheer egotism when it came to matters of life and death also infuriated Erik. Adam may have thought that Vagane's mind was not as advanced as his, but they thought the same way.

"Only human?" Erik hissed. "You forget something Adam. I may be human, but humans are the most vicious, merciless, dangerous creatures on this planet, and I think it is time that you relearn just why that is!"

Adam blinked as Erik thrust his hands down and let out a low snarl, and then the ground began to vibrate. It was slight at first, but eventually it began to rumble and shake as a field of rocks began to rise into the air. Adam cocked his head slightly as red lightning began to dance on Erik's frame.

"Please. You think imitating the warriors of this world is going to impress me? I know you don't possess as much power as them, indeed, this isn't all that hard to do."

Erik hadn't been bluffing when he'd begun to summon his power, but the fact that Adam had seen through the extra visual image of the ground shaking and the pebbles and other small chunks of material floating into the air from the force that was coming off of Erik disturbed him. Unlike the Z Warriors, who caused this to happen by the mere act of calling apon their strength, Erik had had to put some extra effort into causing that effect on the ground around him, and Adam had seen right through it. His awareness was utterly astounding.

But in the end, failed attempt to play mind games or not, Erik was ready to go. He could care less about Adam's opinions when he had the hybrid's head on his mantelpiece.

"Are we going to start soon?" Adam said, a tad bored. "I stay here only for the chance of amusement. I didn't get any with that girl of yours, indeed, the whole mission is rendered moot with her gone. But she'll be dead soon enough."

Erik's organic knuckles whitened.

"I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" Erik screamed, and charged at Adam, running across the ground so fast his image would have just been a black blur to a passing human eye, as Erik lanced at the hybrid and brought his metal fist, encased in FS-X, shooting up at Adam's head.

Adam snapped his head back and Erik's fist whistled past the front of his nose. Erik boggled at Adam's speed, but he didn't stop, his failed attack already blurring into his next one as he allowed the momentum of his missed attack to carry him up, his legs sweeping up as he leapt up and sommersaulted backwards in mid air. Utilizing all of the momentum as he spun, Erik snapped his leg out and slammed it against the side of Adam's head.

The impact was jarring, to the point that Erik's leg was knocked away a full 180 degrees as he twisted his other leg down and landed safely, automatically set in a pose to leap forward. And Erik did just that, shoving forward off the ground, pistoning his fist forward right under Adam's chin in a one-two series of high-impact blows that would caved in a normal human's head before knocking it clean off.

Adam wasn't even stunned. Erik's eyes widened as he stepped back, looking at Adam's smirking face. His anger at his failure flared up again, and he leapt back as red energy exploded on his right hand.

"PIERCING STRIKE!" Erik yelled, as he whipped back his hand and hurled a palm-sized ball of red energy at Adam. It struck the hybrid dead-on on the chest, causing a small explosion of smoke.

Then it blew away, revealing two things.

One, Adam wasn't hurt. He wasn't even staggered.

Two, he was walking towards Erik.

Erik got even angrier and leapt back another several feet, charging another Piercing Strike blast and hurling it at Adam. It struck and exploded, and then the smoke blew to once again reveal Adam was unharmed and still walking forward. Erik leapt backwards and repeated the move again for the same result. Growling in his throat, Erik set his legs and brought his hands up in front of him.

"Burning…"

And then Adam leapt at Erik at incredible speed. Erik's eyes widened as the massive hybrid suddenly jumped at him like a grasshopper.

"YARGH!"

And then Adam slammed his fist into Erik's face, throwing the cyborg backwards. Erik bounced once off the ground and went spiralling back up and crashed through a wooden booth, smashing out the other end and crashing into a stand that had once sold really greasy fries and watered down soda. The stand collasped on him, burying him in wood.

Adam did not move, but once again mechanical noises filled the air as his plasma cannon snapped back over his right hand.

The wood exploded into the air as Erik blasted it off of him. Now he was really angry, and he turned burning eyes on Adam.

Then he saw the cannon charging, and his eyes widened.

The cannon fired, Adam's face in a wide smirk of saitisfaction.

And Erik threw up his right arm as the FS-X peeled aside as a device shot out and extended a clear film in front of him.

The blast struck the shield and Erik staggered before it, nearly tossed off his feet, and then he thrust his arm up and the cannon shot blasted off the shield and into the air. Erik looked back down on Adam.

"You know Adam, you look a tad anemic. I think you need something new in your diet…a little more IRON."

And with those words Erik snapped out his fingers and nearly two-feet long reinforced, razor sharp metal talons shot out from the FS-X as it fully peeled away from Erik's arm. Adam scoffed.

"What is it with you "heroes" and your apparent need to make terrible puns in the midst of battle? Why can't you just keep your mouth shut and be quiet?"

"Because if that was the way battle was fought, I couldn't delight in your soon to be emitted screams of agony!" Erik shot back, and charged at Adam, slashing his hand at Adam. Adam dodged and retaliated with a punch. Erik blocked it, feeling the impact run all the way up his arm. But he ignored it as he went into a series of punches, kicks, and slashes, Adam blocking and retaliating all the way as the two danced the dance of war.

Adam ran out of luck first.

His eyes widening in more surprise then pain, Adam looked down at the four long slashes across his right upper arm. Black blood slowly began leaking from the wounds.

"You…cut me."

"Well, DUH." Erik mocked, and slashed at Adam again.

Adam caught Erik's hand by the wrist. For the first time in the battle, and perhaps the first time in his life, he looked angry.

"I have experienced a revalation about myself. I DON'T LIKE BEING CUT!"

And then Adam seized Erik by the throat and hurled the warrior up and over his head. The darkened arcade was suddenly destroyed as Erik went crashing through it. Erik regained control in mid-flight and flipped to his feet.

Adam was on him immediately, apparently tired of his slow, arrogant approach. His hardened bone spear shot out of his forearm and he stabbed it at Erik's head. Erik snapped his head to the side and then snapped it the other way as Adam tried to stab him there. Adam comboed the stab into a wide slash, which Erik ducked under. He braced his weight on his hands and thrust both his legs into Adam's chest. Once again, Adam wasn't staggered, but it got his attention as he stabbed downward, barely missing Erik's left hand as Erik twisted away, spun and backhanded Adam with all his might.

Finally, Adam was visually affected by a blow as he was forced back a few steps. Erik leapt backwards and then leapt backwards and up, sommersaulting up onto one of the remaining game booths, bringing up his right hand, fingers spread and palm thrust up.

"Fear's Void…" Erik whispered as a ball of black energy, crackling with power, materilized above his hand and started to grow. Eventually it was about the size of a motorcycle, sizzling with ruinous energy.

Adam stared up at Erik.

And with a yell, Erik hurled the ball at Adam.

The amusement park shook, more wooden booths collasping under the surge of force that blasted off Erik's attack as it struck Adam and exploded. The one Erik was standing on collasped as well, and Erik leapt off of it as it fell, landing almost gracefully as the smoke cloud enveloped him. He stood, unmoving, waiting, as the cloud finally dispersed and blew away.

A low dry chuckle floated over to Erik as Adam was revealed, standing up from the thirty-foot long and four-foot deep crator Erik's blast had dug.

"Impressive. I think I almost got an itch." Adam said, brushing himself off as he stepped out of the crator. Once again, Erik and Adam stared each other down, twin warriors battling for the crown of night's ruler.

Then Erik yelled and charged at Adam, his hand talons snapping out again, and Adam set his stance as Erik atacked him again. Their limbs blurring, Erik and Adam went into a war of blows that might have even impressed the Z Fighters. So violent was their combat that even though no energy was being prepared, waves of force began coming off of the two, kicking up clouds of dust and tossing small pebbles through the air.

And then it ended as Erik suddenly reached forward and grabbed Adam by the shoulders, his fingers digging into the scarred, sewn together flesh, even as Adam did the same to Erik. Suddenly locked in a test of strength, Adam and Erik bore down on each other, neither gaining any ground and neither planning on giving any.

And then, Erik suddenly changed his grip and shoved his body upward from Adam's shoulders, and at the same time, he brought his right knee up as hard as he could, slamming it into Adam's chin.

Adam didn't flinch, and Erik's eyes widened. His knee would have gone right through concrete, and Adam wasn't even showing a bruise.

And then Adam, with another dry chuckle, suddenly gripped Erik's shoulders as hard as he could and raised the young man above his head. Erik's need to shift his hands to do the jumping knee thrust had all but eliminated his grip on Adam, and Adam took advantage of it as he held Erik above him.

"Let me show you how to do a leg blow!"

And then Adam let go of Erik, but at the same time he leapt upward, propelling his massive bulk upward as he snapped his leg up at a full 180 degree kick, slamming his foot into Erik's chest as he began to come down. The impact tossed Erik back up into the air like a marionette tumbling in the wind, and as Adam landed, his plasma cannon snapped into place over his arm and he aimed up, charging as much power as he could.

"Let's see him block this." Adam remarked to himself, and fired.

The bolt of energy flashed through the air and struck Erik, his frame disappearing to Adam's eyes as a brillant flash filled the sky and a tremendous boom rocked the ground. Adam brought up his hand to ward off the shock, then brought it down as he continued to look up.

And then Erik's body, smoking, crashed back to earth like a rag doll. Adam's eyebrow arched. The blast should have completely incinerated the boy, or at the very most left charred, ruined bones.

But as Adam looked at Erik, he smirked. The boy was neither moving nor breathing. His body was intact, but he life had been shattered none the less. He sighed as he watched the smoke wisp off of the corpse. He had expected better.

"Vagane will be pleased…he had better be…this should eliminate…"

And then Erik suddenly twisted and flipped to his feet. Adam's eyes widened.

"No…that's not possible!" Adam said, his voice filled with disbelief. He had seen the blast hit the boy. He hadn't been able to block or lessen the blow in any way. The shot should have torn the life from his body as easily as a human could step on an ant. How was he still alive?

Erik smiled, and as he did, blood suddenly spilled from within his mouth and ran down his chin, staining his teeth red. Despite the wound, he continued to smile. Adam realized that Erik had been playing possum.

"How did you survive such a blow? You should be dead!" Adam said, unable to shake his disbelief. What kind of forces could the boy possess to take a cannon shot and not be destroyed by it.

"You don't honestly think I was going to die so easily, did you Adam? Sorry to disappoint you. Oh wait, no I'm not." Erik, said, continuing to smirk with bloodstained teeth. Somehow, it made him look even more dangerous.

Adam's brow furrowed. Perhaps the boy would be a challenge after all.

"What are you expecting me to do? Give you a hand?" Adam sneered.

"No, but he deserves one. So I'll give both."

Adam's brow arched at the new female voice, and then a female dressed in white was suddenly at Erik's side. Erik glanced at her, looking surprised himself.

"Christine?"

"In the flesh, big bro." Christine said, and lifted up her arms and applauded. Giving Erik a hand.

"And you know what they say. Six hands are better then four." Came a new voice, and then Erik was flanked at his other side by Ash, his sword drawn and at the ready. Now Adam was starting to look displeased.

And hell, three dozen are better then six!

And then they were all there, as all the Legacy members seemed to come out of the metaphorical woodwork. Then there were whooshes of air, and Goten and Gohan dropped down next to Erik. They were quickly joined by half a dozen of the other Z Fighters, among them Chaozu. The little mime had come through, not only delivering Celeste but also bringing back backup.

"Guys…" Erik said, looking around at all the people who had come to help him. He looked at Chaozu. "Celeste?"

"She's ok. Which is more then I can say for you." Chaozu said, looking back at Adam. As if on cue, all the Z Fighters and Legacy members struck combat poses.

"Ok Ugly. You got two choices. Surrender, or OD on superheroes!" Ash said, bringing the Soulfire up.

Adam's features filled with distaste. He scoffed.

"I think not. I have grown tired of this pointless game. I am withdrawing my hand, I have more important things to pursue. Considering the fact that the destruction girl was my only chosen mission, I cannot believe I decided to stay and fight as long as I did. It is below me. But believe me, I will yet have the last word anyway."

And with that, Adam turned away. A crackling filled the air as bright light enveloped Adam, and then he was gone, teleported away.

Erik looked after Adam, his teeth grinding. Even after all he had seen, he couldn't believe Adam's arrogance. He hadn't detected any fear in Adam's voice at all. The hybrid had truly believed that if it had struck him, he could have destroyed them all by himself.

Erik was sorely disappointed that he hadn't gotten the chance to prove him wrong. Yet.

"This isn't over Adam. Not by a long shot." Erik said, his muscles finally relaxing. The Z Fighters and Warriors did likewise.

"Erik…you're hurt…" Christine said in a worried tone, heading over to her brother. Erik shooed her off.

"Just a few scratches. I'll live. I'm more worried about Celeste. How is she?"

"She was beat up pretty bad, but Chaozu got her back in time. She's stabalized, and my mom's helping her while all of us got together and headed back here with some of your friends. They're good people Erik. They were certainly eager to help you."

Erik almost smiled. Almost.

"Thank you all. Especially you Chaozu." Erik said, shaking the little man's hand.

"Glad to help out where I can." Chaozu replied.

"Well, that monster is gone. We may as well head back to Capsole Corp." said Gohan. There were murmured agreements.

"C'mon Erik. I'll carry you." Chaozu offered.

"No."

The conversation stopped as everyone looked at Erik. Immediately, the dark warrior looked apologetic.

"I appreciate it, all of you flying out here to help me…but I think I'd rather walk back. I have to do some thinking…some planning…I can do it easier that way. I know the way back. You guys go on ahead."

And with that, Erik turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving his teammates behind.

He has a funny way of showing gratitude.

"He's thankful Soulfire…but I think he's also a tad bit resentful. I think he wanted that monster for himself. And I feel bad for him if he's earned that much of Erik's wrath."

Erik was already a good distance away, walking out one of the ruined park's exits, his eyes dark. His eyes looked down on Celeste's daggers, which he had picked up on the way out. Erik stared at the twin blades.

He knew too much…I sense this was less an attempt at Celeste then an attack on me…Vagane, I don't know what you have planned but I swear you will not get away with it…nor will you ever hurt her…

"Hey Erik."

Erik glanced up as Goten suddenly dropped down beside him.

"Sorry, I know you wanted to be alone. But I have some ideas, and you said to share them as soon as possible…" Goten said. Erik cocked his head, then slowly but Celeste's daggers away.

"Very well Goten. You can walk with me. But make sure you can keep up."

And with that Erik moved on, once again vanishing into the shadows. Goten stared after him.

"Hey! Keep up? I'll have you know that I flew around the world fifty times in twenty minutes when I was a kid…!" Goten said, running after Erik.

Vagane was staring, as if mesmerized, at the screen, when the door opened and Adam walked in.

"Are you injured?" Vagane asked, not looking back.

"I think not. As if such pathetic attacks could hurt me, especially after the technology you allowed me to integrate into myself. I am invincible, a god among beings, and I only wish I could have shown that to those pathetic warriors. But that was not the task. Due to interference though, I was not able to kill the girl. It irks me."

"Do not worry Adam. She may live, but the desired effect was had. I now know just how much the Failure desires to protect her. I was somewhat surprised. Perhaps fate is trying to give him an act of kindness. I can't have that…"

Adam was silent, looking at the readings on the screen. Beyond them, horrid things were happening.

"Is that them?"

"Yes. Their growth is even faster then I anticipated. It will be soon Adam. Soon. Then you can prove your supremacy once and for all over those Z Warriors and that pathetic Legacy. Soon…but I must think of now. I have started on the Failure. Now I must turn it up."

The readings vanished, and Vagane began tapping at the keyboard.

"How is the vampire?"

"We have healed his wounds. I know you wish to kill him, but I ask that you hold off just a bit longer. He may yet have use for us. He will die soon enough. One way or another…I do not think he will be able to receive his promised gift."

Adam looked pleased.

"And what are you doing now?"

Vagane smiled.

"This world is full of human scum…I think that I will…thin the herd a bit…and at the same time I will lure the Failure in…him and all his allies…and deal with them once and for all." Vagane said, and began executing his programs, his eyes shining with evil glee.

"Grow, my children. Come so I can show you all that lies before you…all that you will consume…all that you will grant onto me! Come and realize your destiny, and mine! MWAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA!"

To Be Continued!

Author's Note: Congradulations to Kazuya and Rivan for being the only two to successfully guess that the monsters the Legacy fought were based on an old Ghostbusters toy line.

If any of you didn't get the prank Lindsay played on Piccolo, basically, if what Lindsay tricked Piccolo into chanting is said correctly, the person sounds like they're saying "Oh, what an ass I am."

Now, I know that some of you might be displeased how the Z Warriors took somewhat of a backseat in this chapter. Don't worry though. The next chaper will focus more on them…and have plenty of trouble for them. I I do mean plenty. Because the next chapter is going to illustrate where this story gets its name. So if you ca, please leave a long review, and Nik Nak, if you don't get hopped up on Fanta and tell me what your favorite Spike lines were, I won't write the next chapter! MWAHAHHAHAHAHA!

Just kidding.