Pran was a little far from his village in the Eastern Continent. He could've stayed at home and used the Gravity Chamber there, but sometimes he needed to get away from it all. He had gotten much stronger recently, and he had essentially perfected his father's 10,000 Megaton Punch. Now he was focused on mastering the "Kick" variant, which he initially thought would be simple. After all, he's just doing the same thing, but to his leg instead of his fist right? How hard could it be?

Very hard, apparently. It turns out it was a lot easier to learn a technique when his life and the well-being of others were on the line. Now that he had calmed down and was in a relaxed state, he couldn't force his Ki to produce the same result. On top of that, different parts of the body require different levels of mastery. A kick was more complicated than a punch, and trying to focus on maintaining form, speed, and power as well as the flow of his Genki to that area without losing control was one hell of a challenge.

Pran was currently in a clearing in a forest, practicing his kick. So far, he could only focus minimal amounts of energy toward his shin and perform a slightly enhanced roundhouse kick. This had disappointing results, as he couldn't even see the wind react to his attack because it was so weak. Still, practice makes perfect. He just had to learn how to multitask a little better...

But that might have to wait though. A very, VERY familiar-looking set of cubes began to fade into view right in front of him. He immediately stopped what he was doing, taking a couple of steps back as his eyes widened. He almost couldn't believe it. There was no way, it was impossible. Surely there were more people in the universe with the same technique. What are the odds it was-

"JUMPING JELLYFISH!"

Pran stumbled back and tripped over himself, falling right on his rear end! LIARI APPEARED OUT OF FREAKING NOWHERE! WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT TODAY WAS THE DAY THAT THEY WOULD MEET AGAIN? It felt like only yesterday that he had BARELY survived his encounter with her and the Queen of Saiyans! And he just managed to heal from his wounds too! Was she nearby the whole time and happened to pick up on his energy?

A bunch of worries flooded his mind. Was this what he could expect from now on? What if he had decided to stay in the village today? She might have just SPAWNED in and put everyone at risk! What was he going to do from now on? Could he even still go home after this?

Calm down Pran, before we freak out, we have to figure out why she's even here in the first place.

Slowing his breathing, he realized that Liari had not come alone. She had brought someone- or something with her. He had never seen anything like it before. It looked like a human-sized cricket which, to be honest, was a little nasty. She had called it her "bug boy". Was that her minion? Does she have MINIONS now?

Pran slowly got up and cautiously took two steps back, not wanting to be too close to Earth's #1 threat. The whole situation felt a little unreal, and his spaced-out tone of voice reflected that.

"Wh....What?"

WC: 572

    Liari cocked her head at Pran's reaction. 

    "...No...? It's me! Liari! And I brought a friend!" The Majin lightly bounced ABAS under her arm. "...Besides... I don't think Jellyfish CAN jump, can they...?" She looked at the Bioandroid she held, then at Pran... before shrugging her shoulders. "Anyway, I brought this guy here so YOU..." She pointed at Pran with her free hand. "...Can prove that humanity isn't a COMPLETE waste of space!" Liari spoke as if this were the most normal thing in the world and perhaps, to someone like the Majin who had seen Gods, Devils, and Mortals, it was. She simply smiled at Pran and awaited his answer. ABAS would take this time to introduce himself, weakly waving at the man and explaining that it was HE that held these ignorant (if not deserved) views on humanity! He even went as far as to politely apologize on Liari's behalf for interrupting his training! Liari took a look around and... yeah, that's what it looked like. Smashed trees, upturned soil abound... It looked as if Pran had been doing some serious training! ...Maybe she would drop by sometime, see if she could get in on it... It sounded like fun, in anycase!

    ...Pran, however, seemed to be a few steps behind in this whole conversation, blubbering out words of protest and exasperation, completely THROWN OFF by their sudden appearance. Liari narrowed her eyes at the young soldier, the slightest flicker of frustration dancing across her expression! Honestly, she expected to have won her little bet with ABAS by now, what with Pran powering up really quick or... you know... just straight-up confirming whatever she had told the Bioandroid already. Yet, here he was, blubbering in place, still stuck at square one. 

    "Okay, okay, okay." Liari sighed, dropping ABAS at her side like a sack of bricks. She looked down at the Bioandroid and smiled. "Watch this, alright?" She turned to Pran. With a smirk, she lifted a hand over her head and summoned a MASSIVE PINK BALL OF KI SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES HER OWN SIZE! Black electricity flickered around its face, arching along the ground around ABAS and the Majin, scraping almost all the way up to Pran's toes before flickering away! 

    "I'm gonna throw this at ya real quick! Catch it for me, would ya!? It'd do WONDERS for my point!" ...And with that, Liari flicked her wrist... and the ball would FALL upon Pran! 

    "OH YEAH!" Liari called over the rumbling of the falling sphere in the few seconds before impact! "DON'T TRY TO DODGE, OKAY!? THE EXPLOSION WILL BE REALLY BIG! IT WOULDN'T BE GOOD FOR YOU IF YOU DO!" With that said, Liari would then turn back to ABAS, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back as casually as if she were watching from a 100 meters away. 

    "Trust me, Pran isn't any squishy human. He's got this... Probably." The Majin's smile turned slightly sheepish and she looked back, eager to see how Pran was doing. While she had the UTMOST TRUST that the human could handle this tiny little blast Liari had conjured, on the off-chance she screwed up and he couldn't, well... that would be unfortunate for ABAS... With how weak he was, if Liari couldn't nab him in time, he'd prooooobably be hurt... significantly in the resulting explosion/shrapnel. WELL! What was progress without breaking every egg in the carton, hm? And besides... Pran PROBABLY wouldn't drop this ball! She was SURE! Like... 51% sure...

WC: 586
TWC: 1151

ABAS sighed deeply at Pran's nickname for him. Honestly, why did he even try anymore? There was clearly some sort of collective delusion among the people of Earth to call him a bug. It clearly didn't matter that he looked as much like a bug as a human or Saiyan did an ape. If that is what the world decided to call him, than so be it. "That's close enough for our purposes I suppose. Mr. Human." ABAS said finally. He turned to glance at Liari then, curiosity in his gaze. This human was somewhat pleasant, sure, But the world-destroying power? The proof that ordinary humans could somehow surpass him? He just wasn't seeing it.

Before he could fully turn around however, Liari dropped him into the dirt. She said something about watching her, and ABAS felt his curiosity heighten even further. Was she about to question this human maybe? Get them to convince him of their latent potential? Liari didn't seem one for philosophy, but maybe she had one of those sudden change of moods?

"If you say so. I don't see what you could d-" ABAS started, before the words caught in his throat like something physical. In a heartbeat, Liari conjured up a titanic energy sphere, bigger than anything the bio-android had ever been able to produce. ABAS couldn't sense anything about it of course, but then again he didn't have to. The sheer pressure coming off Liari buffeted him like a hurricane force wind. He knew that if he took that kind of attack head on, there was a high chance that it would kill him outright.

And then, Liari cheerily chucked it at the human!

ABAS came alive, forcing the last vestiges of energy through his body in a desperate attempt to move. He managed to push himself onto his knees, then one foot. He even managed to stand up, albeit very unsteadily. However, that was all he could manage. Reality was clear: he simply did not have enough energy left to defy the laws of physics one last time and throw himself in front of the attack somehow. He winced as his programming wailed like a banshee in his skull. It ordered him to save humans save humans save humans save humans! He practically ignored Liari, reaching out towards Pran as he shouted in shock.

"DODGE IT HUMAN! I CAN SURVIVE THE AFTERMATH!" ABAS shouted desprately.

But then, he froze. The human caught the ki sphere.

Before ABAS' unbelieving eyes, the human strained and fought. Out of nowhere, he bulked up severely enough that it made ABAS seriously question whether the man could manipulate his biology as well. The human then raised a clenched fist and punched. The strike was enough to shatter worlds, and sent Liari's serious attack flying high into the air where it detonated in a brilliant shower of light! The human had met Liari head on, and gotten off with light injuries.

ABAS however, was a different story. The shockwaves generated by the human's strike were so strong, they picked up ABAS from where he stood next to Liari and flung him into the far distance! His speed was such that he carved a body-sized hole through the dense forest, smashing through wood and stone until he eventually hit the earth. A massive crater formed around his body, and ABAS lay at the center heavily injured.

ABAS just laid there, unmoving. His mind worked overtime, analyzing every little aspect of what he had seen. There were many possible explanations for it: maybe the human could have had latent demonic gifts granting him authority over magic. Or maybe he was some kind of hybrid! He had read numerous medical studies about the sheer power a human cross could possess with the right genetic partner. But in the end, the facts and numbers never lied. His illogical emotional responses aside, Liari wouldn't have gone through the effort of teleporting them halfway across the planet to meet some kind of edge case. The only logical explanation, freed of all possible emotional bias, was that what he had seen was the honest truth.

The realization absolutely crushed ABAS. Liari had been absolutely right. In the end, there was no reason at all for his creation if humans could achieve that level of his power. His entire life had been that of a shovel: a convivence so the human race didn't have to get their hands dirty. All of his training, all of the indignities and pain he had tolerated because it would push him towards the culmination of his existence. All of it....was for nothing.

The worst part is that he couldn't even be angry about it. It was a decision of utterly pure logic and the utmost practicality. The kind he respected above everything else. But that very same practicality and logic reached into his soul and stole away the last vestige of his reason for existing.

ABAS slowly rose to his feet, slowly limping his way back to the clearing. He didn't even have the energy left to heal himself, and his arm hung at a grotesque angle at his side. "I...I see your point Liari. Humans...do not require me. I am their assassin of convenience and....nothing more. Thank you human. For your demonstration." He said, his voice even. However, if either of them listened closely, they would notice that it was more akin to a text-to-speech program than regular conversation.

---

Power Level: 21,290
Larval Form [x5]: 106,480

Word Count: 912
Total Word Count: 2081

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?" Pran asked, but it was already too late. Liari had gone off to find Mr. Bugman, whom the former had called ABAS. He had heard Mr. Bugman mention something about what ABAS meant earlier, but honestly, he wasn't paying attention. Still, he somehow had more questions than before. During the attack, the person he thought was Liari's minion had actually expressed his desire to save him. At that moment, he seemed like a heroic figure, like Pran himself was aspiring to be.

If that was the case, why was he hanging around someone like Liari? He didn't look like he was in good shape at the time, did Liari do something to him? If she was trying to kill him, she could've easily done so considering how strong she was. If his hypothesis was true, then how would that lead to this experiment that they were doing here? If Pran was going to get any answers, he was going to have to find out who and what Mr. Bugman was and how this whole incident relates to whatever happened between them. After all, if Liari is trying to kill him, then he couldn't stand by and do nothing knowing that someone else was in danger.

On the bright side, it looked like he didn't have to. Before he knew it, a bunch of tentacles had wrapped around his body, and HE WAS SHOT OVER to where Liari and ABAS were! As he came to a screeching halt, the Majin had been looking toward him for confirmation on... Whatever it was they were talking about before they got here. So far, it looked like she wasn't exactly in the fighting mood. If avoiding a confrontation, especially with an already injured Mr. Bugman present, could get him answers, then that's what he needed to do.

"Uh, I'm still playing catch up here...

"Okay, everybody slow down. Why are you guys so interested in our potential?" He said to Liari before focusing his attention back on ABAS, who looked pretty terrible. And he wasn't talking about his insect features either.

"Mr. Bugman, are you in danger? How hurt are you?"


WC: 366
TWC: 1414

    "'Why show you...'" Liari repeated, incredulous at the question. She wiggled an arm at Pran, whom she was practically holding captive, just to be SURE that HE was what the Bioandroid was asking about! "...BECAUSE! Don't you SEE, ABAS!? You don't have to follow your stupid little directive of protecting people because someone TOLD you too anymore! Look at Pran! He's REALLY strong! You don't gotta do his job! You can be... like... WHOEVER you want to be! The WORLD and so much more is open to you now! I can show you some of it, if you want! I already have PLANS!" Liari giggled softly and looked upon her friend. It was an exceedingly strange pairing these two, even beyond their eldritch natures. A target... taking a liking to her assassin...? Why, that sounds like something out of a stupid romance novel-plot! More to the point, Liari was aware of how odd it was... and embraced it. She KNEW ABAS wasn't a threat to her as he was but, more importantly, she RESENTED the idea he was working for WEAKLINGS, the idea that he was a golem with just enough mind to be aware of his personhood, his limitations, and now the reality of the world. She wanted him FREE. HE HAD to be FREE.

    ...But ABAS was skeptical. He laid out all of the reasons why Liari's ideal version of him JUST COULDN'T BE, all the kill-switches that could be flipped at a moment's notice! Even IF his body could repair the damage from one of them, the others would fall into place cascade-style and he would be a puddle of jelly on the floor... or something along those lines. 

    "Then either KILL the person holding the button or destroy the button." Liari stated... as if it were as simple as just that. "...And let me help. I WANT to help! We can save you! NOBODY should have something hanging over their heads like that! Especially not you, ABAS!" Liari then looked at Pran. He was a hero-type, right? He seemed like the sort of goody-two-shoes that got off on helping random strangers! Maybe HE would be willing to offer his assistance!

    "OH! And Pran will help too!" ...Liari stated, already volunteering the disoriented young man! "We'll take these guys down for you, save you from their stupid kill-switches! We won't let them EVER hurt you again!" 

    ABAS seemed to regard the Majin with skepticism, asking if she REALLY wanted him free. After all, if he was, he COULD choose to never fight her again, let alone kill her. Liari only shook her head, a warm and genuine smile spreading across her face.

    "It wouldn't be right if you tried to kill me because someone has a blast to your head, telling you too... It's like... lying to someone or something... You don't really mean what you're doing, not 100%. If we're gonna fight... REALLY fight... I want it to be because you want to fight me as your own person, not because if you don't, you're gonna die anyway. I don't want you to die, ABAS... Dying hurts and it's... um... not very fun in the afterlife..." She looked at Pran she was sure he was there or, at least, had access to the footage of her death. It was an ugly, brutal, messy affair, one Liari would sooner chew off her own tentacles like bubblegum than repeat. ...And if Pran looked closer, he could perhaps see... pleading in her eyes.

    WHAT!? This chaotic, monstrous (if babyfaced), RUBBER-GUM MONSTER was looking at HIM, PRAN, for help!? ...Yes... Liari didn't know how many others were immortal like her, able to wriggle free from the clutches of death after a prolonged struggle. She didn't KNOW if she'd ever find ABAS again in the Afterlife... or if he'd even end up where she had. There were still so many things she didn't understand yet... but based on what she did, she HAD to keep ABAS alive... She wanted to. He... Well... He was innocent. Innocent in the same way a circus bear was innocent, but innocent just the same. ABAS would then take this moment to explain to Pran, in more detail, the whole reason the human was involved in the first place, even going as far as to judge that he was seen as more of a cute pet than... well... a genetically engineered super-soldier assassin!

...He wasn't wrong... but also wasn't giving himself OR Liari enough credit. Liari... DID see him as "cute" in a "oh-look-at-the-yappy-chihuahua-bearing-its-fangs" sort of way... But it was more than that. Liari... related to him... She remembered... being locked in a ball... crushed and confined into a space so tight, so small, it was agony to even BREATH inside... she remembered losing any hope of ever escaping, that any dream of freedom she might have was just that... a dream and nothing else. ...Then she WAS free... Then she HAD her life again. She wasn't about to let someone like ABAS, like HERSELF, stay locked up in their own ball.

    "Help us." Liari said to Pran, both sincerely... and forcefully. It wasn't a command. YET. The look in Liari's eyes wasn't nearly hard enough to presume that the human's help wasn't voluntary anymore... but it was strong. Liari really wanted Pran's aid in this... She wasn't sure she had the knowhow... or the restraint to do what was needed to make sure her friend didn't... die.

WC: 912
TWC: 2969

ABAS bowed his head at Liari's words. They were logical of course: his role as a defender of Earth was completely redundant with people like Pran around. However, as he now realized, ABAS's power was never the point of the Project. It was to provide a service for humanity, a role not unlike an automated janitor targeted towards extraterrestrial threats. If he knew the full scope of who he was, would Pran keep training? Or would he simply move on with his life, doing the things he wanted to do since there was no longer a reason to maintain such power?

"I will think about it Liari. Regardless, anything further you could show me of the world would be of great benefit Liari. Despite our circumstances, every time we have met has resulted in great benefit for me. Of course, I cannot cease my attempts at killing you just for that, but I happen to be drained of energy at the time, then who knows?"

ABAS said, tapping a spindly finger against his crown. It was a bit of a clunky system, but it neatly threaded the needle around his mental programming. If he tried his absolute best to kill Liari, to the point where he didn't even have the energy to move, then even the Blacksite couldn't blame him for being unable to do anything when she teleported around. After all, simply killing ABAS when he lost a fight didn't help anyone!

Nevertheless, Liari seemed laser-focused on the pursuit of his freedom. Her claims that he could simply bypass the restrictions were.....hopeful to say the least. ABAS honestly doubted acquiring his permanent freedom would be as simple as killing a few humans before they could push a button. The Blacksite had been so methodical and careful about everything they did, installing failsafe after failsafe to ensure ABAS never strayed. The only reason their control was beginning to slightly slip was because of the confounding factor of Liari's influence. Something must be in place to prevent an attack of that nature, something.

But....if he operated under that assumption, then there was no way of ever gaining his freedom.

".....I don't think such a direct attack would work. Humans are many things, but they are quite clever, especially when it considers maintaining ownership of their...property. But despite that, you make a good point Liari. If I convince myself their control is absolute, I can never be free. ......It is something to consider at least."

Despite everything, ABAS couldn't bring himself to accept Liari's or Pran's help, not just yet. Call it the unconscious influence of his programming, but it just felt....wrong to ask his assassination target for assistance while he was still actively trying to kill her.

Nonetheless, ABAS felt like he was on the verge of discovering something. There was a...feeling in his core, in his body that he couldn't quite describe. His ki felt...restrained somehow like water behind a dam. All it would take is one final push, and it would expand beyond constraint. Maybe more bio-mass was the answer?

Liari then explained her reasoning for wanting ABAS free, but there was one particular part of her speech that ABAS focused on. "You've experienced death? How are you still here then? Is this some kind of strange bluff to convince me to act?." He asked. When he first met Liari, he had chalked it up to the Majin's regeneration allowing her to survive the final battle with Athren. But now she was claiming she actually....died? It was preposterous in ABAS' opinion.

"Anyways, I see your reasoning Liari. Like I said last time, I don't think I can fully comprehend it, but I see where you are coming from. In the meantime, I will continue honing myself until I can present a decent challenge to your strength. I...appreciate your words."

He turned to Pran then, as Liari asked sincerely for his help. The human's question made him freeze for a second, and his ki flickered to its absolute limit for a moment in a way that Liari would be personally familiar with! However, ABAS had grown so much recently, both in raw power and in mental strength due to his intense training. He could stave off the impact of such a vague question, as long as Pran didn't push it over the edge.

"I.......cannot name my superiors. Nor can I tell you anything about my design without being taken over. To give the simplest explanation, my...role is to protect Earthborn from any extraterrestrial or domestic threat. As a result of my particular....design choices, my superiors have equipped me with a number of fail-safes to prevent betrayal. Case in point..."

ABAS's energy surged then, and he almost absently morphed his arm into a long blade and slashed it at Liari's neck.

"I am driven to kill Liari for the deaths she has caused. My very psyche is constructed with that goal in mind. If I refuse that order, I will die. It is as simple as that."

It was perhaps more information than he should have given Pran, but he felt the human was owed a basic explanation for the circumstances. Willingly or not, he had taught ABAS an important lesson that day.

---

Power Level: 21,290
Larval Form [x5]: 106,480

Word Count: 883
Total Word Count: 3816