GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Ethan couldn't argue that, Cecil really wasn't the same as they were. Flesh and bone, living breathing beings, that wasn't something you'd describe a Machina with. But then it wasn't fair to say he wasn't alive either. Clearly Cecil felt things and had thoughts, he wanted things and he was learning, that was being alive wasn't it? "Well... I mean so you're made of metal, it doesn't change that you go through things like a living person does, right?" he asked, smiling uncertainly, "And... People are kind of programmed too, if you think about it. We're taught things and we think a certain way, so... You're not that different from us. My mom always said that you can't get angry with people for being who they are, it's not fair if you do. And you're a good person even if you made a mistake."

Convincing Cecil that he wasn't a bad person or a threat to them was proving far more difficult than he'd anticipated. Everything said was sincere and with good intention yet none of it seemed to make it through to the Machina. "Okay, well... A soldier is trained to kill someone, but does that make them a murderer? Or are they protecting something they care about? You're like that, just someone who killed to keep people safe. Whether I agree with that or not doesn't change you did it to protect us, or am I wrong about that?" He knew he wasn't, or he liked to think he wasn't. Sometimes in the heat of a fight things happened you couldn't always control and you could only react, he looked at it now in that lens instead of Cecil maliciously killing in cold blood. "Maybe your purpose is to protect people? Why does it have to be something bad like killing?" Ethan suggested as he took back his hand, sitting in front of Cecil and crossing his legs. "Instead of looking at it like that, think about your purpose being keeping people safe? If... If it means killing someone then... Well, it's what you had to do. You're not a murderer though, you're someone protecting others. That sounds more like a hero to me."

He'd missed it before in the conversation but Amuné brought it up again; at some point on the ship Cecil had seen something. Might sound a bit strange just saying you saw something unless you understood what seeing meant, especially from Amuné's point of view. It was odd hearing it from the Machina since he didn't think they could have visions like that. Meeting Amuné's gaze he frowned, trying to make sense of what it might mean. Before he could ask Cecil about it further Nymira spoke up and interrupted him.

"As touching as all of this is we're still in trouble," the Dimuran pointed out impatiently, "Or have you forgotten? This should wait until later, once we're at least outside of town." Whatever Cecil was going through he would have to endure until then, sitting around in such a manner was a threat to their safety. With that blasted healer having all but abandoned them as well they were all but ready to depart, if not for one small matter. "We should retrieve our cart too if nothing else, we've already lost our weapons. Not to mention our funds are still on there." When given an incredulous look by Ethan she frowned at him, placing her hands on her hips in a testy manner. "What? You didn't expect me to carry that with me did you? I don't care at all about your people's money, it does me little good outside of your territories. If someone finds it then I'll simply get more somehow."

Must be nice to not worry about money at all, Ethan thought as he nodded his head. They should get the cart back but it wasn't going to be easy if guards were out looking for them. Given how much time had passed though it should be a good while before news had spread, with luck they could move about town without drawing too much attention. "We should get Zander too, leaving him here is a death trap for him." They owed the healer little and arguably not having him in the group might be easier, yet how could they willingly leave someone to their demise? Besides Ethan was optimistic after some time together that roughness would fade, just as he was sure Nymira wasn't always going to be difficult. He sure hoped so because working with her otherwise was quite a challenge.

"Cart first, then Zander, then we can get out of this place..." Ethan repeated as he got to his feet a touch unsteadily. He was beginning to feel better though it would take most of the evening to replenish his energy, even longer if they didn't get some food. Extending a hand to help Cecil up he got him to his feet, then offering a hand for Amuné to take. With luck Zander hadn't gotten too terribly far, though having no clue where he may have gone was slightly problematic.

Nymira wanted to argue to just abandon the damned healer yet refrained, knowing too well by now Ethan would idiotically defend the decision. His abilities could prove useful at the very least even if she had no use for the man himself. At least they could retrieve their goods before going on a wild chase for that insufferable Muran. "Your damn towns are like mazes, it's hard to say which way we should even go," the Dimuran grumbled as they cut back through the streets, making a point to circle far around the mayor's building. No movement from the guard yet was encouraging yet no reason to press their luck.

Word of the attack had yet to spread as they reached the stables, not terribly surprising it seemed. The mayor appeared to be the sort of man who cordoned himself off from the rest of his people and ruled from high atop his... Chair. A unlikable ruler if Nymira had ever seen one, thinking he could dictate policy and his people while being so detached. A leader worked with their people and fought alongside them, not sitting in a cushy chair behind a desk. If he was actually liked by his subjects then there would be mourning for his death as well, yet Nymira doubted there would be any of that either. Watching as the stable hands set up their horses again she let out a sigh, baffled by how the Muran governments seemed to operate. Detached from their followers and expected to follow for what reason? She didn't understand their culture it seemed, she had a lot to learn before she could return home.

"Hey thanks again for looking after the horses, we really appreciate it!" Ethan said as he climbed up onto Jorvind, helping Amuné up as well. With Nymira on the other and Cecil tucked away on the cart he gave their mount a kick in the side, easing their way down the street to search for Zander. There was no telling whatsoever where he might have gone, but he had a guess to start with inns. The healer had to be staying somewhere after all right?

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Every fiber in Yumi's being told her to run, to fight, to do anything other than just stand there. She wanted to be confident in Viral not attacking her yet she knew his history and the very real chance she was in harm's way. If she did flee or fight back now then he'd feel bad later and she wanted to avoid that at all costs; recovery was finally happening for Viral, she didn't want to undo it by giving him a reason to be depressed later. For her own sake he had to close her eyes while it all happened and her body tensed up considerably when she felt his claws on her shoulders. Was he actually going to attack her? Sighing shakily Yumi began to amass Ki in her right hand behind her back, prepared to at least push Viral away if the need came to pass. Yes he'd feel bad if she fought him, she figured, but he'd feel even worse if she just took it for refusing to fight him. Swallowing uneasily she frowned when the weight of her friend's hands left her shoulders, opening her eyes at the roar and gasping seeing him set upon the scientist. What in the world was going on?

Yes, this was going to be excellent! These children would pay for ruining his program and making him a laughing stock among his peers! Watching with baited breath as Viral loomed over Yumi he expected an attack that would never come, anticipating her to be slain in one fell swoop. What he got instead was thrown onto his back, followed by emitting a frightened scream as Viral roared at his face. "Get off of me! You're my tool, you obey ME!" he shouted, his voice breaking on the last words. When Viral did back off slightly the scientist curled up and covered his head just in time to be smacked away, sliding across the floor and hitting a shelf that toppled over on top of him. Groaning in pain he tried to push it off of himself, finding it heavier than he'd like and unable to do so. "S-Stand down you stupid beast! OBEY ME!" he shouted in frustration and panic, "Get this damned shelf off of me and KILL THEM!"

Well things had taken a turn for the interesting, at least now it seemed like they weren't in any real danger. Viral couldn't be under that guy's control if he was attacking him like that so with luck this was all over with. While he probably should try and stop his friend from mauling that asshole to death there was a small issue with Shu, being he looked like he was borderline going to have a panic attack if someone didn't help. Rushing over to his brother's side Takeshi grabbed him up in a hug, shocked by how much the younger boy was shaking even while in his arms. Was all of this really that bad for him? "Shu, you're okay, I'm here," he reassured with an uncertain smile, "Your big bro's here and he's not going to let anything hurt you, okay? Viral's okay, Yumi's okay, you're okay, everything is okay." He sure as hell hoped so, fighting Viral now would really suck.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Not forgiven! D:< You must undergo trials!

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Viral...? We don't have to fight. Please, listen to us," Yumi urged again, stopping as she held out a hand to her friend, "I know you can hear us, don't let this man order you around." The fact he'd listened at all up until now was certainly disconcerting, yet she hoped that Shu's blast had managed to knock some sense into him. Watching as Viral rose to her feet she put on a brave smile though she could feel her skin crawl and her heart race, knowing things could go badly very quickly. She had to trust Viral had himself under control, he was strong enough to do it. Seeing him pause she though perhaps they had finally gotten through to him and took another step forward, her nervous smile becoming one of relief. "I knew you'd come around to us, that stupid scientist doesn't know what he's talking about," she commented, trying to reach Viral and comfort him somehow. Before she ever got a finger on him however she stepped away hastily, watching with alarm as his energy began to spiral out of control. "No!"

Shit this wasn't good! It was one thing for Viral to attack him, he almost felt that was normal, but Yumi? Had Shu not blasted the guy like he had then she might be injured right now, and they still could be in the thick of it. Watching as Viral's energy began to surge Takeshi gritted his teeth angrily, desperately trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation. As the Beastman transformed he gathered Ki in one hand and lobbed it at his friend, watching dejected as it smashed into his back and didn't even leave a scratch. His attack had done nothing and didn't even get the attention of Viral who was now circling Yumi, this was going to end so badly. "Yumi, move already! He's not listening!" Takeshi shouted as he began charging Ki again, a great deal more than what he'd just thrown. He didn't want to have to blast Viral, but if the guy wasn't listening to reason then they might have no choice. "Move dammit!"

"Oh what's this? He's transformed all on his own, how delightful! And I thought he was going to destroy you before! Splendid, this will be a show for the ages!" It would be so gruesome, he couldn't wait! That damned Prince was trying to be such a pest and ruin the spectacle though, he wouldn't allow for it! Grabbing his blaster back he took a few shots at Takeshi, missing them all but doing enough to disrupt his would-be blast. With a smug smile he then redirected his gaze onto Yumi and Viral again, practically squirming in his spot he was so eager to watch the attack. "On with it already you puppet, kill her! Tear her limb from limb, then those stupid Princes! Kill them all!"

Yumi remained where she was despite every fiber of her being screaming otherwise, and ignoring Takeshi's protests as well. Viral was their friend, he wasn't going to attack her. He was getting healthy again and he was strong, no simple serum was going to turn him into a cold-blooded killer. While trying to reassure herself she kept her eyes straight ahead, not looking up to meet Viral's as she felt sweat forming on her face. "You don't have to listen to him Viral, you know who you are. I won't fight you," she repeated, tightening her hands into fists and closing her eyes, "Please... Don't listen to him, don't ruin everything you've accomplished up until now..."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Damn it Viral! Quit. Being. An. Idiot!" Takeshi shouted as he dodged strike after strike, refusing to fight back. The guy wasn't himself and fighting him wouldn't do any good anyways, the scientist had to be dealt with. Yet trying to attack the alien only got him attacked in turn, it didn't seem like this would be easy. Cursing his luck he swatted away another of Viral's fists and tried to get an attack ready on the scientist again, yet halted himself when the man began speaking. Just like that Viral had a new target and it was Yumi of all people. Cursing under his breath Takeshi tried to take off after the Beastman, frustrated his friend had a head start on him. Seeing like he wasn't going to get there in time he prepped a blast to knock Viral away as a last resort; Viral was blasted though not by him, as Shu took it upon himself to send the Beastman flying. Stopping in his tracks Takeshi watched in surprise as their friend went flying across the room into a wall, not at all expecting his little brother to do that. Well, it certainly stopped the attack.

Yumi braced herself as Viral charged her down, more willing to take a hit than strike him; controlled by someone else and made to attack his own friends, attacking back was only adding to the punishment. To keep Shu safe she tried to hug him tighter as to avoid having him be struck, flustered then when he suddenly pushed off her and reached out her arms. Wordlessly she watched as Viral was blasted and sent flying back across the room, cringing when he smashed into the wall and slid to the floor. "Ah... Yes, a present might be good..." she muttered, wincing inwardly as he just sat there for a moment. One couldn't blame Shu for what he had done and she wouldn't yet she did rather wish he'd been blocked a bit less... Violently. On the bright side there was no real visible damage to their friend, save for his clothes being slightly charred from the attack. Worried for his well-being Yumi eased her arms from Shu, giving his head a gentle pat before approaching Viral. "Please tell me you're done? Viral...?" she asked, slowing her pace the closer she got, "I don't want to hurt you..."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

What did they even do at this point? Normally Ethan had the answers, he'd suggest they go and make things right and to try and own up to their mistakes. But how did they fix this? People were dying back at the manor and they were powerless to stop it with their innocence now hanging purely on Bernadette's word. Could she actually clear them of their supposed crimes? He didn't know anymore, and lightheaded as he was from today's events it was tiring to even think. Sitting down against a wall he let out a long sigh and laid his head back, looking up to the sky as clouds silently drifted by. Just like those clouds they would have to come and go without a word if they hoped to avoid further trouble, though that may be easier said than done. They were in the middle of East Orosi and the guards would no doubt be alerted soon, getting out would be a nightmare.

"I don't know Amuné, I really don't..." It was the only answer Ethan could muster for the child's flow of questions, he wouldn't lie and said he knew anything. He liked to think Zander was innocent and hadn't done anything wrong, yet the situation in the office pointed to him and him alone. Yet they had fought together on the boat, they were comrades weren't they? Nothing about the situation they were in made a lick of sense no matter how you looked at it. The mistake in trying to find sanity in chaos, one supposed. Glancing at Amuné when she suggested ousting Zander he could only shake his head in response, smiling as he reached out and brushed a bit of dirt from her gown. "And if he's innocent? Then we've condemned an innocent man," he offered in return, "Just like we're innocent and being charged, he could be too. Until we know for sure we can't go turning anyone in." Maintain order in chaos, it was what guards were meant to do. It was what Ethan was trying so desperately to do. Yet so far today he'd done an awful job of that.

The idea of fleeing from a battle in such a way struck Nymira as peculiar; fleeing from the enemy only meant they would return later, or you'd suffer a loss and humiliation. Yes they were exhausted from today's events but they could still fight, they would have found a way to. While she was annoyed that they hadn't even tried to deal with the Machina she also understood there was little reason to broil about it now, what was done was done. As they stopped in an alleyway some blocks away her head swiveled hearing metal scraping against brick, frowning as she watched Cecil go down on his hands and knees. Of everyone in their group he had it the worst, and for reasons she couldn't even understand. It wasn't uncommon for warriors to have episodes after or during a battle, some people just couldn't handle it. But for them she knew the causes, and yet Cecil was a mystery.

Cecil really was having a hard time of things, barely keeping it together as he panicked. Again Ethan found himself unable to answer Amuné as he watched their friend break down, not wanting to lie and say everything would be fine. Clearly what had happened today had a deeper impact on the Machina then they thought, he was struggling with quite a lot now. Moving to go and comfort their friend he paused when Amuné voiced her concerns again, wanting to clear the air and try and help in her own way. "I'll let him know, don't worry," he answered gently, smiling as he gave her hair a small ruffle, pushing himself then to his feet with the wall as support. He was far from the type of person you usually came to for advice, and he knew his way of thinking didn't work well with everyone. Yet he had to try and say something, anything to help their friend.

"We're not abandoning you, or anyone, not while you're like this," Ethan began as he approached Cecil, making sure to keep a friendly smile all the while. When the Machina snapped at him to stop he did, though he maintained the smile as he listened to what was being said. The expression wavered slightly when Cecil collapsed again but he did his best to remain upbeat, figuring if he began to worry then it'd only make Amuné worry, and Cecil in turn worry even more. He had to keep it together here or panic was only going to get worse. "You're not dead Cecil, you're alive just like all of us," Ethan said as he knelt down, reaching out and placing a hand on the Machina's shoulder, "Well... You know what I mean. What happened today was an accident... Accidents happen. It doesn't make you a bad person if you make a mistake now and again." It might be a big mistake, killing people, but he had only been trying to protect them right? It was good intentioned, not like Cecil had done it purely out of cold blood.

The Varuna couldn't care less about this game they were playing, or the calculated moves to try and spread dissent. All he wanted to do was destroy and kill, his magic was suited for such and it was all he knew. Today had been hardly a cheap thrill as there was no challenge in his prey, just a handful of men with swords. Sneaking in through the aqueducts had its benefits though he'd been spotted quickly on the dry road; four guards stood little chance against his pets, they served only as lunch and nothing more. "Ssstill... That is three timesss those children have escaped. I wish to sssseee them dead," he hissed with disdain, getting to his feet and looking to the broken window, "Please... Allow me to sssseek them out, I wish to finish my job."

"No, let them go. It's more fun to watch the prey scurry, don't you agree?" the woman asked, laughing as the creature belched and spit out a corroded bone on the floor. Such a vile thing, these monsters, yet oddly adorable. "We'll let them have their fun for now, they're hardly a threat. Twice they've survived on pure luck and nothing more, it won't happen a third time. Until we see them again we'll focus on causing as much dissidence as we can, why bother chasing a few rats when you can smoke out the entire nest?" It was far more effective to kill the entire population than to chase down group by group, hoping you got them all. Besides, this way the populace did most of the work for them, it spared them the trouble of running to and fro chasing every lead. "It will be such a spectacular show, I cannot wait to watch."

It was safe to say not everyone was enjoying the "show" quite as much. Hunting down Magi was one thing, but involving the innocent commoners was another matter. The guards had no part in this war the Church was waging and yet nearly two dozen lay dead from today's events, and for what? A laugh? It was sickening that anyone would be so callous with lives this way, it was not something the Church should condone. Wrinkling his nose in disgust as he sifted through the remains of a few guards, Remus pulled free a patch from one of their shirts, shaking mucus from it and examining it closely. If he brought this forward to the guard captain he could potentially damn that Varuna, albeit doing so would completely contradict the Church's plans. If he wanted things to end in his favor he had to abide by their desires, however deplorable they might be.

"To cause deaths of innocent men and women... Is this worth it?" Remus sighed and got to his feet, taking the patch and pocketing it for later, a reminder of the real evils he was facing. Those children, the two parents he'd slain, they were not criminals, simply Magi trying to get by. Nor was the old man he'd taken to the Central Church a criminal yet he'd been prosecuted as one, and simply for having the ability to perform magic. By that logic he too was a criminal and yet his actions were condoned by the powers that be. Hearing the water bubbling up behind him Remus frowned and reached back, sending a spout of water skyward with one of the Varuna's creatures skewered by it. Turning as it fell to the ground along the canal he walked over, ignoring its shrieking as it tried to attack. Even now that fish was trying to attack him, though his was his most halfhearted attempt yet. Hard to operate when she was here, he supposed. Placing a foot on the creature's skull he began applying pressure, again ignoring its wails of protests before the bone beneath his boot shattered, the liquid surrounding the skeleton falling away as a result. This lot of people, they were the true criminals.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Damn it that hurt! Viral really wasn't pulling punches with that hit, was he honestly going to do what this man was saying? Between himself and Yumi there was hope someone would get through to him and it wouldn't come down to a fight. Boy did he want to blast that scientist off the face of the planet right about now, she smug jerk. Getting back to his feet seeing Viral coming for him he grit his teeth and deflected the punch by knocking Viral's arm away, throwing his arms up then and absorbing the kick as he was pushed back along the floor. "Viral, I'm not fighting you, not like this! It ain't worth beating up a big puppet!" Takeshi shouted, using his Ki then to evade another punch, coming behind Viral and simply pushing at his back to get him away. Forget this crap, he'd just take out the scientist and that would be that. Charging up Ki he prepared a blast to just incinerate the man, and as he was going to fire off he instead had to drop that plan and roll aside to avoid being struck again, cursing as he glared at Viral. "Come on, stop being an idiot!"

They were supposed to be saving people here, not fighting among themselves! That was the plan and everyone was so on board with it yet now they found Viral had become the enemy. She was certain he wouldn't succumb to that, like he had enough willpower to resist whatever it was the scientist shot him with, yet clearly she was wrong. Disheartened she could only watch then as he went after Takeshi, trying to keep Shu from having a total meltdown in the process. "Takeshi, don't hurt him! It's not his fault!" she shouted, watching nervously as they darted about in their fight. Neither of them had really been hit yet aside from Takeshi getting a good punch to the face yet she was concerned it could escalate at any moment. Keeping Shu against her she slowly tried to ease him to his feet, almost debating letting go of him to try and break up what was going on. "Viral, you have to stop! All of these Beastmen are waiting for us! We have to save them!"

"Oh would you shut up already? 'We're friends, don't do this!' 'We have to save everyone, we're the good guys!' It's sickening to listen to people like you!" the scientist snapped as he shook his head, "Always thinking you can fix things, that you can save everyone or stop people from being hurt or killed. That's not how the universe works girl, this is war and people die, plain and simple. I am simply making weapons to ensure that the right people die." The Saiyans had the right to rule, they were powerful and could unify the universe if all of these clowns would just give up their petty resistances. This girl should be taught the way of the universe and how it worked, her naivete and hopelessness were sickening. "Viral, change of plans! Kill this girl first, I'm tired of listening to her!" the scientist commanded, grinning as Yumi seemed to pale at the remark, "Dead at the hands of your beloved friend, this will show you just how cruel the world is!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Seriously what was with Viral? He was supposed to be all healed and better by now so no way was some stupid little drug going to screw that up. "Come on Viral, you're better than this! Just fight back and kick that guy's ass!" Takeshi continued as he approached, intending to smack his friend upside the head to knock sense into him. As he raised a hand to smack the Beastman his face was suddenly throbbing painfully and he found himself on the back, wincing as his hands shot up and covered his nose while he rolled back and forth on the floor. "Ow, you hit me you ass!" he whined as he sat up, one hand still covering his nose as he blinked back tears, "Come on, you're seriously going to take orders from this dork? Let's kick his butt already!"

While Takeshi went to, er, "confront" Viral, Yumi noticed that Shu was having a hard time of things. Before he even uttered a word it was obvious he was panicking over what was happening, and judging by what he was doing she could only guess he was having flashbacks of his time with their father. Hurrying to his side she got to a knee at his side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. "You're okay Shu, no one is going to hurt you here," she whispered softly, giving his back a rub. Hearing an audible smack her head bolted up to see Takeshi being laid out on the floor, rolling his eyes as he dramatically rolled about and began shouting about being struck. Nonsense aside however Viral had hit their friend and worrying was the fact he may be under that madman's control. Keeping Shu in her arms Yumi frowned, trying to get Viral's attention by clearing her throat. "Viral...? Please tell me you're okay, say something."

"When will you idiots understand, he's mine now! He won't take any orders from you children anymore!" Hehe, how satisfying! After suffering the humiliation of the collars failing he could now redeem himself with this, and then no one would be able to deny his service to the King! Smirking as Takeshi tried to shout again he shook his head, folding his hands behind his back as he walked towards Viral. "Please, as if the Beastmen have any sense of loyalty or morals. They're simple machines made by scientists as tools and nothing more. He became disillusioned into thinking he was his own person, you idiots are treating him like he's more than he is. Like any of these projects are anything but tools," the scientist scoffed, placing a hand on Viral's shoulder and breaking into a grin, "I'll show you how empty those ideals and friendships of yours are as he tears you limb by limb. Viral? Kill them."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

What had that man done to Viral?! Whatever had been in that shot was causing her friend a great deal of pain, enough to drive him to his knees even. She wanted to tear that man apart for what he'd done and make him regret it, yet Yumi knew he might be the only one with a solution to... Whatever this was. Watching silently as her friend slowly rose to his feet she took a small step forward, eyes widening at the blank stare he was sporting now. "What... What did you do...?" she repeated as she approached slowly, not at all understanding what had happened. As she was about to reach out and touch Viral she was yanked away by Takeshi who darted towards her, struggling against his grip and giving him a glare as she was released. "He needs us you idiot! What do you think you're doing?" Yumi shouted angrily, trying to move again and being pushed back.

"The doc said he was trying to control him, do you really want to get that close?" Takeshi warned as he held his arms out at his sides, refusing to let Yumi get anywhere close. He wasn't going to let one of his friends get hurt again, not if he had something to say about it this time. Though in this case to keep Yumi and Shu safe he may have to hurt Viral, something he'd prefer not to do if it could be helped. Glaring at the scientist then as he continued to laugh he gave his knuckles a crack, approaching the man and growing only more annoyed as he continued to laugh. "Hey, unless you want to be in a full body cast you're going to fix what you did to our friend, you got me? Give him an antidote or whatever he needs, right now."

"There is no antidote you idiotic boy, it's not a poison! And I think you'll find you're in no position to threaten me," the scientist chuckled, beaming as he folded his hands at his back. "This entire room is full of Beastmen, weapons to use as I see fit. They're all pawns to wield and send of to battle, and they do it simply because I tell them to! And now your friend, the Commander, is but one of my many tools! It takes only a single command from me to unlock all of those cells and they'll be set upon you within seconds. Do you truly believe you can beat all of them, and your friend?" This fight was over before it even began, they had walked into a trap completely unwittingly! There was a moment of hesitation with Viral present, but with him now under control he had nothing to worry about!

Takeshi gritted his teeth and turned on his heel, storming towards Viral as he rolled up one of his sleeves. "Hey, don't be some guys puppet, you hear me? You're better than that crap!" he shouted, watching as his friend continued to simply stand there and stare at the floor, "Come on and snap out of it already, we gotta kick this guys butt!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

That lift took them somewhere, and Yumi was willing to bet it was where the Beastmen were hiding. Why else would the Elites have been blocking this way if it wasn't where they wanted to be? Walking over and examining the panels she rolled her eyes when Viral patronized her a bit, sticking out her tongue and stepping back to give him access to the panel. "I don't imagine this is going to be very sneaky, seeing as its a huge lift and all. We should probably be ready to fight when we get down," she pointed out, glancing around as the clasps on the lift released and it began to slowly descend. Lights along the walls lit up as they moved deeper and deeper into the facility, illuminating the passage that stretched several dozen meters before it finally came to rest. Initially the room it stopped in was pitch black, the lift itself barely illuminated by the lights above. With a dull droning hum however lights began to come on, revealing yet another spacious room with a set of hefty doors before them. That had to be it, Yumi couldn't imagine anything else being in a place tucked away like this.

"I don't suppose we're prying these ones open," she mused as she approached the doors and craned her neck to look all the way to the top of them. They were quite high, easily 15 meters, and lightly rasping her knuckles on the door itself she guessed fairly solidly built as well. So pulling them apart might not be the best idea, and she doubted it was a good plan to blast it open either. The alternative then? Going over to the panel beside the door she gave it a staring at before pressing a series of buttons, furrowing her brow when the pad buzzed and turned red in response to her faulty passcode. "Come on you stupid thing..." Yumi growled as she tried again, and again, failing to guess the password 5 times in a row. Finally growing frustrated she grabbed the sides of the panel and ripped it off the wall, finding wires inside that were torn apart from the act. Inspecting a handful of them she began grabbing them one by one and pressing the wiring against itself, and at last managed to complete a circuit and prompt the doors to open. Smiling proudly she turned to enter the doors, pausing at the baffled look Takeshi was giving her. "What? I've had to hotwire vehicles before, I just kind of guessed it would work," she stated, shrugging it off.

So it was purely dumb luck then she'd managed that? At least she admitted it was a stroke of luck and not her actually doing that, he doubted she'd know how to do something that complicated. Vegeta maybe, but not Yumi. Watching as she and Viral went ahead into the room he smiled reassuringly at Shu, placing a hand on his back as he eased him through into the room as well. Lying beyond the massive doors was a long room, similar to a hangar, with several lights mounted on the wall illuminating the floor below. At the head of the room there were massive monitors with some kind of diagrams plastered on them, and even if they were visible from here Takeshi doubted he'd know what they meant. As they got further into the room however he began to notice something else along the walls too, something that was fairly unsettling. Embedded in the walls were several steel doors with sliding hatches at about eye level, and presumably beyond them were the people they were looking for. Takeshi felt his stomach churn uncomfortably at the sight, recalling some of the cells and holding blocks he'd seen back on Kortal. His father and his men had some weird fascination with these fricken things.

There was no mistaking it, beyond those doors were the Beastmen. Yumi could smell people locked in those cells and yet as she went to one door she found no handles, furrowing her brow as she tried to push it open to no avail. Blowing them open or breaking them was out of the question, they could accidentally hurt whoever was inside if they weren't careful. Was that what those computers at the front of the room were for then? "Just hang on, we're going to get you all out!" Yumi shouted before running to the computers, hoping to find some way to release the doors. As she began fiddling with the screens however she found quickly there was no way she'd know how to do it, she had no clue what half the buttons were or how to even get off the screen she was on. After trying unsuccessfully a few times she let out a sigh, turning to the others with a sheepish smile. "I uh... I don't know how this works," she admitted, rubbing her hands together and looking at Viral. "Can you try it...?"

Just behind her she heard something scrape against the tiled floor, her ear twitching in response to the noise. Glancing over her shoulder to see what it might have been Yumi quickly ducked when she saw a weapon aimed at her, narrowly avoiding a projectile that was fired. She dodged it handily, but while it had missed her she watched in silent horror as it went straight for Viral, nailing him in the right shoulder. "Viral!" Getting back to her feet she rushed over to try and help her friend, stopping in her tracks when a blaster went off and the shot narrowly hit her feet.

"Oh my... Well, I suppose I'm not much of a marksman now am I?" a voice laughed from the shadows, and soon after emerged a scientist. A short man with green skin and rumpled orange hair he smirked as he removed the blaster from his wrist, throwing it aside and breaking into an eager grin. "I missed you young lady, but it seems like I've struck the former Commander! Not a bad accident if I do say so!"

Yumi whipped around on her heel to face the scientist, glaring at him as she flexed her hands. "What did you just do?! What did you shoot him with!" It wasn't a blaster, and looking back at her friend she saw it was some kind of dart; inside that dart was a vial containing a very special serum, something which she couldn't possibly know. "Viral, are you okay?!"

"He won't be for long my dear, he'll soon be another one of my puppets!" the scientist laughed, clasping his hands together as he eyed Viral, "Inside that projectile is a serum I've created for the more... Unruly Beastmen. It's a sedative that puts them into a very submissive state, and it makes them do as I say. It's fast acting too, so it'll only be mere moments before Viral is under my command. And when he is..." the scientist laughed again, "I'll have him kill all of you! I've no use for you woman or the King's traitorous children. Once the King sees how well my creations work I'll be given a promotion for certain! The program will be given more funding, I'll be given more subjects, and soon we'll have an army that no one will be able to stop!"