Saga: Clash of the Titans: Brutus vs Cicero

[Lazlo]

OOC- I will be using my upgraded stats for this battle. The upgrade comes only from my daily 50 exp, the boost for the saga as a whole has not yet been added.

Cicero moved at full speed toward the downed space pods of the saiyajin warriors. The fight was not going in their favor, and it was vital he have the ships ready for take off as soon as they needed to be used. The massive saiyajin moved suprisingly fast for a being his size, which isn't really saying much in retrospect. His flight continued uninterrupted for several minutes, and as the pods came into sight he felt a feeling of relief. He began to plan their escape, plan what he would tell his superiors when they returned as failures, planned---

His thought were interrupted by the thunderous crack of something slamming into his face, and then the equally loud sound of an evergreen tree snapping in half as he was propelled through it into the hard ground below. Cicero rose slowly, the irony taste of blood fresh in his mouth. He looked upward into the space that had been vacated by the tree that broke his fall and saw a familiar face. Brutus.

The two had fought together on many occasions in the past, their last mission coming only weeks before Brutus's "betrayal" of the saiyajin people. Cicero found it hard to believe that the man who now stood before him could commit such a crime, but there were eyewitness statements confirming suspicions. The elder saiyajin's scouter beeped to life and placed Brutus's power at a whopping 50,000, five times what it had been only a year earlier.

"Brutus?" Cicero said, his voice disturbing what had been nearly a minute of complete silence. "Its about time you showed your face. You've been on the run for what? A year? Though after what you did I guess I'd be hiding too. Traitor."

"Cicero...it's you...why are you here?" The younger saiyajin replied, his normally calm voice showing a hint of regret.

"My job. Clearing this planet for sale, I guess I'll also be taking care of a fugitive too. Quite a price on your head, kid."

"Do you honestly think it happened as they said it did?"

"I have no reason not too."

"You know me better than that Cicero."

"I guess not!" The brutish saiyajin exploded forward, cocking his fist back.

"Then it will end here..." Brutus leaned back slightly as Cicero swung his massive fist, barely missing what would've been a crippling shot to the face. He countered with a left hook of his own, and though Cicero was momentarily stunned he came back with a strike of his own. Within seconds the two were trading blows at an astounding pace. While Cicero was currently quite a bit stronger than Brutus the younger of the two was much quicker and more agile, allowing him to dodge the brute's shots with reletive ease.

When Cicero finally landed one, however, it was enough to send Brutus crashing through the canopy to the forest floor below. Rebounding quickly the saiyajin somersulted and blasted backward, barely avoiding Cicero as he appeared from above and slammed his fist into where Brutus had been only seconds earlier.



Name: Brutus
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3
Weight: 235
Appearance:



Race: Saiyajin
Advantage: Saiyan blood contains a gene that causes them to transform into giant apes when the moon is full. When transformed, they increase by 10 levels. (Full moons are dictated by moderators.)

Disadvantage: When a saiyan looses his tail in Oozaru form, he reverts back to his base state. However, because the transformation requires so much energy, he is reduced 5 levels for 5 posts after being reverted.
Class: Martial Artist

Level: 11
Experience: 2,300
Power Level: 50,000
Strength: 620
Vitality: 610
Focus: 572
Constituion: 562
Dexterity: 562
Speed: 572
Ki: 16,500
Health: 5,500
Stamina: 4 (5)

Attacks:
Scattershot Ki usage: 200
Brutus extends his hang forward, his index and middle finger pointing angrily at his foe. A small golden energy orb forms quickly, and is released as a thick golden beam which then splits into hundreds of smaller beams which surround the enemy and strike them from all side.

Buster Shell Ki usage: 500
Brutus raises his hand into the air and focuses as much energy as he can into it. The black and red ball swirls mightilty and is controlled via hand movements as it tears after his enemy, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Thunder Fist Ki usage: 100
Brutus focuses his ki into one or both fists, causing them to glow a shimmering gold. The fist is then rammed into the foe where it causes burns and agonizing pain.

Cube Fade Ki Cost: 500
With this technique, Brutus can instantly go anywhere on the battlefield by turning his body into many cubes, then which changes the dimension instead of time.

Omega Flare Ki Cost: 300
Brutus thrusts forth his open palm and unleashes and brilliant beam of blue energy. It acts much like a basic Kamehameha wave, though it can be manipulated with Brutus' remaining hand. At the cost of additional charge time and focus it can also be channeled through the mouth.

Solar Flare Ki Cost: 100
Another attack learned during his time on Earth from one of it's many powerful warriors. Brutus puts his hands up to the face and shouts "TAYOKEN" or "SOLAR FLARE", this causes the sun's rays to be amplified and reflected into the opponent's eyes, thus blinding them for one of their posts. Can only be used 1 time per battle/saga.

Energy Ring Ki Cost: 300
A group of energy rings made of pure energy. The are fired from an open palm and move towards a foe's limbs with the purpose of binding them to a nearby surface.

Janemba Portal Ki Cost: 500
A strange technique learned by Brutus sometime in his travels across the galaxy. It is in essence creating an interdimensional portal that can absorb and contain a ki attack or can be used to strike an unsuspecting foe from any angle.

Kamehameha Ki Cost: 175
An attack learned by Brutus on his time on Earth from a battle with an extremely powerful human warrior. The attack is charged with cupped hands behind the back, then brought to the front with the arms outstretched, and fired.

Arc Impulse Ki Cost: 700
Brutus cups his hands before him horizontally, his arms fully extended and his palms touching. White lightning cracks and arches around the hands as a ball of white energy quickly collects. When ready, he retracts his arms slightly and thrusts them forward again, unleashing a beam of pure white energy roughly 2 feet thick with a beam roughly half the size spiralling around it. The blast is capable of easily piercing armor and flesh alike, but it is also capable of boring through oncoming ki blasts.

Spirit of the Saiyajin Ki Cost: 1,000
An upgraded Thunderfist of sorts. Brutus channels the energy of his Oozaru form into a single fist and charges his foe, unleashed either a crippling punch or a concentrated beam of intensely powerful energy. (Level 10 attack)

Final Flash Ki Cost: 1,000
A technique Brutus picked up while on a mission with Prince Vegeta himself Though he has known it since then he has just perfected it. He spreads his arms, palms open, and charges a massive ball of ki in each. When he has built up a sufficient amount of stregth he brings his arms together, palms facing outward, and unleashes a massive beam of energy capable of both flattening a large area and causing massive damage to his foe.

Ki Barrier Ki Cost: Double the amount of ki as the attack your blocking
Brutus channels his ki into a protective barrier around his entire body. It is able to deflect any ki attack as long as he supplies it with enough energy, but it is unable to block physical strikes.

Big Bang Attack Ki Cost: 550
Another of Prince Vegeta's signature attacks that was learned by Brutus. Brutus turns his body to his foe and holds out his arm at a 90 degree angle, palm held flat facing his opponent. A basketball sized ki blast holding tremendous power forms quickly and is launched directly at his foe.

Zeni: $2,100
Items/Weapons:
Scouter:
Created by Frieza's scientists. Worn over one eye, they serve as both a basic communication device and a means of reading the power of an opponent. By judging where one stands against their foe, it is possible to more efficiently use one's energy.
Because you are able to ration your power more efficiently, you can duouble the amount of time your class advantage is effective.

Molotoch The Slayer Sword:
A mysterious blade found by Brutus in his short period of galactic wandering. He claimed it from the corpse of a dead warrior on a long forgotten world at some point. He was immediately shocked by how the sword seemed to empower him, and was distracted by this fact to the point where he didn't realize the suddenly reanimated corpse baring down upon him. He vanquished the man quickly, and kept the sword in his possession. He does not often wield the blade, both because he perfers to fight with his fists and because he has yet to fully tame the dark energy residing within it. When he does choose to fight with it, however, he finds that his ki control and resistance increase greatly and, by extension, he seems to be able to move faster than normal. Adds one level to focus, constituion, and speed when in use.



Weighted Training Clothes:
A special pair of weighted clothing wore by martial artists to make their training more effective. The weight of the clothing adds resistance to movement, promoting extra muscle growth. However, the added weight also slows the wearer down to a noticable degree. Adds 1 extra point to your stamina while worn, but decreases your speed by 1 level. You may only add the extra stamina when wore, so if you take them off mid saga to increase your speed you lose the extra point until they're put back on.

Saiyan Armor Model 3: Bulma's Model:
A customized version of Bulma's saiyajin armor purchased from Capsule Corp by Brutus. It is made from the same material as Bulma's armor, but carries the design of the armor Brutus wore to Earth. The torso piece is the same as typical saiyajin armor. It carries the jet black and brown color scheme that is popular among lower class warriors. The gauntlets carry the same color scheme and basic design as the armor, and the boots do aswell. Beneath the armor he wears a sleveless black shirt and black pants. Raises Vitality and Constitution by 2 levels, Strength by 1 level, speed by 1 level, and dexterity by 1 level.


Transformations/Power Ups:
Kaioken (x2): For 3 posts, stats are multiplied by 2. (6 posts with Scouter)

Full Power: Brutus powers up and releases his full power. His resting state power and abilities are increased five fold, but the intense strain on his body costs him a small amount of ki to maintain. (Stats x5. 250ki per post)

Sagas/Quests Completed:

Personality: Rather civilized for a saiyajin, he seems to be in very good control of his instinctive bloodlust. Brutus is a cocky yet calculating warrior, able to know how to approach nearly any opponent in battle, adjust to their fighting styles, and know when he is beaten. Gaining his respect is a difficult task, achieved only through proving one's self in battle and fighting honorably. However, that alone is not enough to find your way into his good graces, one must also maintain a respectable persona outside of battle. He will happily fight to the death with those he respects, and is often able to spur those who he does not to action. He speaks his mind, and will not hold back words that he feels other may find offensive. Above all, he wishes to maintain his honor, because a man's honor and his word are things he values above all. He would not break either for anyone.

Biography:
Brutus' past is shrouded in both glory and tragedy. He was born to a 3rd class family, and as such it was considered a shock when his fighting power was already 1,500. At age 5 he was immediately placed in advanced training programs. There he learned the saiyajin way. He was taught how to fight, how to lead, and how to carry himself with honor. By age 18 he was ready to join the ranks of the saiyajin army. He immediately made a name for himself as an immensely powerful, skilled, and determined warrior. He was considered one of the King's greatest assets for some time. By age 22 he had a mate and a newborn child. He was considered the avatar of all a saiyajin should be. All that would come to an end when his lineage was discovered.

Brutus had been born exactly 1,000 years to the hour after his ancestor, a saiyajin named Akaelstorm. Akaelstorm was no ordinary saiyajin, however. He was a super saiyajin, the first since his own ancestor had achieved that status 1,000 years prior. Seen as the next coming of the saiyajin of legend, a being of supreme power, Brutus was considered a liability. An aide of King Vegeta decided it was for the best that Brutus be eliminated before he could challenge the crown. His parents, mate, and son were all killed to lure him into the trap that was supposed to eliminate him. Brutus escaped, leaving behind 5 dead saiyajin warriors and placing himself in the public's eyes as a fugitive. Brutus spent a year hopping around the galaxy, before settling on a planet called Earth.

He hopes to one day clear his name and return to his standing in the eyes of the saiyajin people.

[Lazlo]

Cicero's fist split trees like they were toothpicks and his massive feet left craters in the soft Earth every time he planeted them to charge Brutus once more. The younger saiyajin was extremely nimble despite nearly being as large as Cicero, he dodge deftly beneath the trees and even managed to lay in a few swift blows of his own.

"OMEGA FLARE!!!!!" The behemoth shouted as he thrusted his hand forward and unleashed a massive wave of blue energy which left the surrounding forest in shambles. Brutus rolled to his left, the blast passing only feet from his head. Spitting out the dirt that had ended up in his mouth with his dodge, he stood and shot an identical wave, complete with the battle cry that accompanied it.

Cicero was caught by suprise, but did manage to dodge. "You still know that attack? I taught you that many years ago...A shame you can't hit me with it!"

"Can't I?" Brutus chuckled. He moved his free hand in a circular pattern and Cicero was blindsided with the blast, which had snaked back around to strike him from behind. The larger saiyajin's armor was cracked and broken by the ki, leaving a large open area on his back. The skin in that area was slightly burned and was bleeding, but Cicero was no worse for the wear. "Just because the student was the student doesn't mean he can never surpass the master!"

[Lazlo]

The battle had raged on for nearly an hour by this point and both fighters showed signs of fatigue. Well, Cicero had anyway. The hulking warrior was growing increasingly more sluggish as time went on, tried both from his battle with his former pupil and from the extended melee beforehand. Brutus, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, no doubt because he was still holding back a great deal of his power, nearly 80% of it in face. He hoped Cicero would back down before he was forced to kill him, forced to stain his hands with the blood of another misinformed saiyajin. Cicero showed no signs of allowing this to happen, however.

Cicero through a quick left jab, followed by a mighty right hook. Brutus, as usual swayed around both, and laid a quick combo of jabs to his foe's exposed ribs. Brutus was fighting perfectly against his foe, he dodged what would be the most damaging attacks with ease, sometimes taking lesser strikes to avoid the big hit, and his own strikes were almost surgical in their precision. Cicero was winded by the attack, and Brutus took his chance and smashed his knee fiercy into his stomach, doubling the larger saiyajin over. With a grunt of exertion he slammed his fists down on Cicero's back, planting him firmly in the ground below.

"You're really skilled for someone so...young." Cicero said, standing and brushing the dirt from his massive body. His statement was very true, 24 was extremely young by saiyajin standards. Cicero himself was nearly 65 in human years but just starting to leave his physical prime as a saiyajin.

"I had a very good teacher." Brutus snapped back with a smirk. He was sweating now, not by much, but enough for the salts coming from his pores to enter the few cuts on his body and cause them to burn quite a bit.

"I'm flattered." Cicero responded calmly. He could tell Brutus was holding back, and he was shocked by it. Only a year earlier his former student's power level was barely over 10,000, and now he could tell that it sat well above the 50,000 he currently fought at. It troubled him, how a low class warrior could gain strength so quickly. It was clearly out of the ordinary, he himself was an elite, born with a power of nearly 250, yet in 65 years he had only barely gotten to 80,000. No matter. He thought to himself.

Cicero thrust his fist foward, and with the words: "Buster shell!" He unleashed a beach ball sized red energy ball directly at Brutus. Brutus again mimicked him, and countered with the same technique. The two black and red balls collided between the two fighters and exploded in a brilliant flash of energy which sent dirt from below blowing into the wind.

"Hmph. Good as usual." Cicero hissed. "Maybe it's about time you learned your own attacks."

"Why use my own?" Brutus Chuckled. "Yours work perfectly fine."

[Lazlo]

Cicero knew he would not win the fight at this rate, so he turned to his desperation attack. He had learned it some time ago, yet he had never turned to it. Why? Because it would sap his energy to the point where he could very well die after the battle regardless. It was all he could do now, his only hope at beating his former ally. He had thirty minutes to do so, tops. After that he would be lucky if he was left strong enough to survive.

"I'm done holding back, boy!" He hissed. A low growl piecred the cold night air as the saiyajin's power suddenly spiked. His muscles began to bulge and his eyes lost their color as his growl turned into more of a roar. His veins pushed through his skin, inflated by the massive amounts of pure energy flowing through them. The energy was being drawn from deep inside, from his own life force, thus he only had a limited time to make use of it.

Cicero: 210,000

Brutus smirked at this turn of events, but before he had time to power up to match Cicero he was slammed through several evergreen trees my his foe's massive fist.

[Island of 1,000 Condiments]

The battlefield appeared to be a grassland. It rested peacefully above a series of cliffs to the west, and a forest to the east. Throughout the arena appeared to be boulders, as well as other natural formations. Many were shattered, and the ground was scorched. It appeared as if there was a struggle. Blood was scattered about, staining the plants. Then, suddenly, an explosion disrupted the silence. A muscular man blasted through a series of trees at the beginning of a thick wood. At the opposite end was a powerful warrior, the Saiyan-jin, Cicero. He was a large, battle-worn man. His fists were now red with blood, the blood of the former ally, Brutus. Would Brutus die? Would this man achieve victory? No, impossible.

Swosh!

Bam!

A kick smashed in Cicero’s face, with enough force to cause an imbalance in the Saiyan-jin. He fell back with a mighty roar. His one hand was held against his now-cracked nose. At the opposite end of the hit was none other than Un who continued a relentless assault. He swept his fist toward the warrior’s chest, but the blow was easily caught. Then, the semi-immortal drew a knee toward Cicero’s unguarded stomach, but that too was caught with the might palms of the elite warrior. For the first time, the two met eye to eye. Un’s bloodshot eyes and sadistic expression met with the battle-hardened exterior of a mighty soldier. This encounter did not last long, as Un then rammed his forehead against Cicero’s, forcing the latter to release his grip on the former. The demon then back flipped twice and landed a short distance from the stumbling Saiyan-jin.

Un: 250,000 (Only 5% [Super Level])
Cicero: 210,000

"I don’t know how long I can hold this power," Un thought as pain shot through his chest. Upon closer inspection, he was bleeding. One of his horns was chipped off. Chunks of his hair was missing. One of his eyes were shut. Also, his jacket and most of his uniform was tattered. It appeared he was wounded earlier in battle, and he had trouble standing. This wound was the most noticeable of all. It appeared to be the fragment of a metal pole still jammed into his left lung. If he had not been immortal, he would’ve died from drowning in his own blood long ago. However, if he had not been immortal, he wouldn’t have let his guard down that easily.

"Fuck..." he murmured as the Saiyan-jin blasted toward him with a frightening confidence.

---

A few hours earlier, Un was unconscious in the rubble. As he stood weakly, he noticed something odd about the battlefield. The three Saiyan-jin had disappeared. More importantly, the coalition of fighters were squabbling amongst themselves, blasting apart West City in their own fighting. Not wanting to get involved and severally weakened, Un withdrew for a short period. He had followed the movements of the retreating Saiyan-jin, and soon, he found Brutus battling Cicero. Brutus, he appeared to be the anti-hero that all mortal stories seemed to have. This Brutus was the apprentice to the very man he dueled. It was odd, really. No one dared challenge the master in demonic hierarchy. Nobody. Otherwise, they’d be ripped apart for treason. Yet, this noble warrior fought for his own beliefs, fought for what he thought was fought, fought for this planet, and effectively betrayed his own kind for something as meager as a mortal...?

Hit by hit, bruise by bruise, these men fought against each other. One was out to destroy. The other was out to defend. Cicero was a powerful warrior under orders. It appeared Brutus was once in a similar situation. However, he now lived on Earth. Why? He now defended a planet which was not his. Why? It was confusing. A Saiyan-jin betrays his own kind to fight for humans? Un could never reduce himself to such standards. He came looking for a battle. However, he underestimated his condition. Perhaps he couldn’t just kill off Cicero and Brutus and then sell their corpses to some underground research facility. Perhaps he’d need Brutus. Regardless, he’d have a fight on his hands...

---

A powerful punch smashed into Un’s jaw. A shattering rip could be heard, but alas, revenge would come. He tightened a grip along Cicero’s wrist and held firmly. The Saiyan-jin’s fist was only inches from the demon’s mouth. It was perfect. With a hateful roar, fire spit from Un’s mouth and at Cicero. He heard a scream. He smelled the cindering of mortal flesh. Ah, the memories. However, he also felt a hand hit repeatedly into his chest. It was his weak spot. Then, a knee smacked into his stomach. Before he knew it, he was being blind-sided by a melee of punches. When the demon managed to catch a glimpse of the attacker, he saw a fraction of his arm scorched and the armor melted away. It was that hand that then clutched his throat. A powerful blast was coming at him from the opposite hand.

"Shit."

His eyes squinted shut, and he braced for an impact that would probably blow his head clean off. However, nothing came.

Cicero held a charged fist before Un, and Un didn’t understand why. The Saiyan-jin spoke to the immortal in a rough, yet weakened voice, "I must admit, I had the intention of killing Brutus just then. However, seeing such lowly fighting... to ambush an opponent like that, what are you? To rush into a battle without any honor...? You seem more like an animal than a civilized warrior. Seeing you, I’ve realized that if I want to kill Brutus, I can’t just beat him senseless while he’s down. A true warrior fights with honor," the grip on Un's throat tightened, "And to kill that boy with so little dignity would be a disgrace on his name. Even treasonous scum deserve a worthy end..."


"Now die!"

Un: 50,000 (Super Level faded)

[Lazlo]

"YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND CICERO!" Brutus shouted, blood dripping down from the corners of his mouth. "I AM THE BETRAYED, NOT THE BETRAYER!" He could barely stand now. His former master had beaten him rather savagely since he powered up, leaving Brutus no chance to match his power. His head hung as low as his heart, he prepared to simply give up. After all, what did he have to life for? He was a traitor even in the eyes of the man who knew him best. His family was dead, all of them. He had been betrayed by his own people, by the empire that he had fought so hard for. Why continue to fight? He had nothing...

Then he remembered why he fought now. He remembered the first time he held his young son, Maximus, in his hands. The boy was tiny enough to fit in the saiyajin's massive palm, his hair resembling that of Brutus's long dead brother Cato. The boy laughed when he first held him, laughed his first laugh only minutes after birth. Never before that had Brutus been so proud, the boy was to be his pride and joy. His fighting power at birth was a whopping 321, more than some elites. He remembered the look in his Mate's eyes, the happyness she felt at that moment. She was somewhat disshevelled from the birth, but was still the most beautiful female he had ever met...

The memory of that day brought happyness to his heart, a feeling that was crushed by the next day that entered his mind. He had been told his family was kidnapped and was being held on a strange planet, the name of which escaped him. When he arrived he found his at the time 3 year old son on his knees before an aide of King Vegeta, the man who he felt would later play a part in his assassination. His mate lied dead at his feet, a hole punched straight through he chest. Several feet away laid his once proud father Apollo, beaten to the verge of death. The man looked to Brutus and simply blew his son away. He declared him a traitor to the kind and ordered the five elites with him to dispose of the broken saiyajin. The aide escaped, but the five he left behind did not. They were killed in a fit of rage the likes of which the galaxy had never seen. He did manage to share a few words with his father before his death, but it wasn't enough for him.

He fought now for vengence and to clear his name. He would hunt down everyone involved in his betrayal and make them feel physically the pain Brutus felt emotionally on that day. He would see to it that every last one of them died. He fought now to realize that purpose, and to protect the planet Earth, which he had grown to love for its natural beauty in his short time there. Despite the nature of it's people, even more driven toward pointless conflict than his saiyajin people, the planet was still far more beautiful that Vegeta could ever be. It was a place Brutus could see himself staying, a place of calmness and serenity...

Brutus snapped out of his thoughts and stood upright once more. He new arrival spoke a strange dialect, but Brutus hoped to be able to communicate at least the basis of what he wished to him.

"I can still beat him..." The saiyajin began. "Just hold him off while I power up."

Not even waiting to see if this mysterious man, the one called Un, understood him, Brutus hunched over and began digging deep within himself to unleash his true power. Instantly his aura returned and immediately intensified, becoming both larger and taking on a much darker blue color wise. He had not done this particularly often, and thus it still took him some time to reach it. He just hoped he had that time.

Brutus (Powering up): 75,000

[Island of 1,000 Condiments]

Suddenly, without warning, everything had stopped. The restless battlefield slowed to a sudden halt. Rain began dropping from the sky above. It sprinkled down and from the roar of thunder and a flash of lighting, an outline appeared. It was a shadowy silhouette of two combatants. Both were at their limits, one beyond the other. When a clear view came, the picture seemed almost unimaginable. Un, the demonic mercenary was about to collapse, being held up because of his attachment to Cicero. Cicero, the honorable elite of the Saiyan-jin Infantry division was coughing up blood. The former’s now dull horn was planted firmly in the latter’s stomach. Both were motionless for several seconds. It had seemed time had stopped for a brief second, and only a single word could be heard from Cicero’s mouth, “…How?”


---

With only seconds to spare, Un found an escape. His neck phased through the hand which choked it, and he fell inward without a support. The demon quickly pushed one leg forward to catch himself and rammed his head forward. The right horn smashed into the Saiyan-jin giant, who, without realizing it, fell into an elaborate trap. Un smirked, although he pained him to do even that. See, when a cry for help was released by Brutus, Un realized he would need to hold his opponent as long as possible. Therefore, by impaling him through the stomach, the Saiyan-jin was trapped. Even if Un was ripped apart, he would regenerate. Being immortal had it's advantages, he would often think. Now, of course, it was just the matter of stalling the Saiyan-jin until Brutus could finish up...

---

OoC - Shit, I'm rusty. These last two posts are low-quality, but I need to start somewhere.

Un: 125,000 (Half of "Only 5%" [Super Level]

[Lazlo]

Exhausted, it took everything Brutus could muster to bring forth the power that laid within him. His entire body ached from the two rather intense battles he had fought that night, ached so badly he had trouble standing, nevermind attempting to power up. He pushed forward, however, both for his own honor and to aide his newfound ally. With every second his power grew, and with this growth came in increase on the already intense strain on his body.

Brutus titled his head back and roared mightily as his muscles suddenly bulged slightly. His aura flared once more, becoming more intense by the second. The ground below him cracked slightly as his power surged forth at an ever increasing rate.

Brutus (Nearly there): 175,000

OOC- Wow. Shit post for the win?

[Lazlo]

A sudden wave of energy exploded from Brutus's body as he reached his maximum, sending the few remaining trees around him to be uprooted. The aching of his body had virtually disappeared now, replaced instead by a newfound lightness on his feet brought about by his amazing power. Not wasting a single moment he blasted off toward Cicero, leaving a crater where he had once stood. He moved noticably faster than he had before, somewhere around five times so. If Cicero was struggling to match his agility before he would have no hope of doing so now. It would end now, and Brutus would be sure of it.

Cicero, having regained his composure from Un's strike, prepared his retaliation. He brought his heavy hands up, clasped them above his head, and brought them down toward his foe's head. He would never have the satisfaction of doing so, however, as he was lifted from Un's horn and throw back several yards by a vicious left hook from the now fully charged Brutus. "Thank you for your help." Brutus said quickly, nodding to Un as he blasted forward again, this time in pursuit of Cicero.

"How are you so strong?!" Cicero shouted in disbelief.

"Training." Was Brutus's answer. Short and sweet. He launched a quick left hook as he reached Cicero, but the larger saiyajin had swung first and Brutus was now the one sent flying backward. Brutus planted the toe of his left boot into the hard ground and pushed himself toward the sky, Cicero's foot passing centimeters from his face as he launched a ki charged kick. The energized strike had come so close that Brutus could feel his skin tingling. He did not let this faze him, however. Bicep bulging, he pushed himself back to his feet and spun in a single fluid motion. With a quick thrust of his palm, he sent an invisible wall of evergy surging into the back of his foe, sending him crashing into a large bush. Suddenly, a large ball of ki erupted from the bush, vaporizing most of the underbrush as it soared toward Brutus.

Brutus's hand shot forward as the blast bore down upon him. There was all at once a blinding flash followed by a large explosion as the two warrior's attacks collided. Brutus' power disappeared all at once, dropping into nothingness. He was back within an instant, as a flurry of cubes appeared inches from Cicero's stomach, the knee of Brutus finding its target and pushing the air from Cicero's lungs instantaniously. Pain flared once again, this time in Cicero's neck as Brutus' elbow materialized and struck, paralyzing the massive warrior long enough for his foe to spin and land a crushing kick between his shoulder blades.

The pain in Cicero's body subsided almost immediately. He sood and landed a brutal uppercut directly to Brutus's jaw. Brutus flipped upward, spreading his arms and sommersulting, legs outstretched. He came down quickly and rushed forward, landing another crushing knee to Cicero's abdomen, sending the older saiyajin stumbling back. Brutus stood stationary, his eyes intently focused on his target. Something had changed in him, all at once, as it always did when he fought. He was usual quite civilized for a saiyajin, his violence stunted by the pain he had had to endure. He was often a very personable warrior, but when he fought something within him changed. Perhaps the outflowing of power awakened his saiyajin instincts. Whatever the case, the warrior Brutus stood now, watching Cicero shakily rise to his feet again.

Suddenly, Cicero charged, fearing his power increasing technique left him with very little time to finish off his foe. He backed off slightly and spread his arms. "LET US FINISH THIS, BRUTUS!" He shouted as a massive swirling ball of blue energy formed in each hand. Brutus did the same, the only difference being the golden color of the energy he was collecting. The two launched their attacks at the same time, Cicero thrusting his hands forward and Brutus bringing his palms together in front of him and letting loose a massive golden beam.

"OMEGA IMPULSE!" Was Cicero's cry.

"FINAL FLASH!" Was Brutus's.

The two beams collided with a dazzling explosion of light. The energy from the two warriors combined to form a massive dome of gold and blue energy with grew with every passing second. Neither warrior gave an inch, and their powers set perfectly even.

At first, anyway.

Cicero's concentration was broken by a crushing pain in his chest. He was tapped out, he had given almost all of his life force to fuel his last hour of battle. He struggled to maintain his energy flow, but it was a struggle in vain. The dome of energy shifted as Brutus's energy overtook his. He pushed still with all of his might, but with every passing second he became weaker. It was over. There was no way to win. Accepting his fate, Cicero allowed ceased his struggle and crossed his arms across his chest...

---

Brutus tried his hardest to angle the blast away from Cicero as the latter's power suddenly disappeared, but it was in vain. His former master was obliterated in a brilliant flash of energy. Brutus paused for a second, bowing his head in a moment of respectful silence as the collective energy faded away. It was then that he heard the voice. Not a real voice, but a strange disembodied voice speaking within his own mind. Though it had no sound or tone he could tell it was Cicero's.

I sensed you trying to avoid me...I can see now that you spoke the truth from the beginning. I'm sorry for my actions. Please, do not remember me as a villian. You are destined for greatness, Brutus, whether or not you follow that path is up to you...

Brutus smiled to himself as his former master's words rang within his mind. Only seconds later he layed quietly on the ground, his energy having been reduced back to its resting level as exhaustion took over.

It had been a long night...

[Island of 1,000 Condiments]

Blown back and stunned briefly by the sudden flashes of light, Un regained his balance as he slowly rose to a single knee. He clunked his head a few times, still seeing stars for a brief moment before returning to the normal, scowling expression. He scanned the battlefield and noticed Brutus collapsed on the ground. He also noticed that Saiyan-jin warrior had vanished. Had he been incinerated? This displeased Un, as a Saiyan-jin corpse would bid a high price on the market. Then, the thought hit him. His eyes suddenly widened, despite blood running from the corners. What if he took out this one, Brutus? No, he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to, he felt grateful. It was unlike him to feel gratitude, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to vomit, “Brutus?” he murmured, memorizing the name. He telepathically shot a message, “We’ll meet again one day, and next time, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

With that, the demon seemed to fade into the darkness of the night, just as quickly as he came.

[Nikushimi]

Pretty good. Some nice description and an interesting finish- though the weird mental exchange was kinda...ehhh...

The fight opened up allright, there was a decent amount of character depth going on, and the inclusion of Un to hold off Cicero was also a plus; I expected you to handle this alone, but oh well.

Overall, I'd give this a B; that's 85 exp. per Stamina. If Island gets a boost too, he gets 75 exp. per Stamina, since he entered rather late and because I said so. >_>

[Lazlo]

Oooooh Niku. You graded the wrong thing. This was our part in the saga. When I noticed this I had Island take care of my training. Thanks for the feedback though, you're a doll. ;)

Niku Edit: Even if you ARE Lazlo, I'm still gar enough by comparison not to be considered a "doll". "Pal" works just fine. :/