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What a dreadful trash heap this place had become. One of the harshest scarred and festering results of narrow minded clowns incapable of understanding each other. The mercenary outpost, the pits the Saiba called home, and this. The ‘ruined metropolis’ as people called it, it was a farce, a joke. A mark of catastrophic hypocrisy. Yatapi despised it to its core. It made him uncharacteristically angry to be here.

There were of course reports that someone had made an attempt to fix this particular area and clear the Destron from it, though for some reason such a project was stalled and repelled. All Yatapi had to ask about that was... Why? Yatapi couldn’t expect very many people to act on this sort of thing, much less consider it— especially with how long things had dragged along. Well, if he was perhaps one of a scarce few to care about making a difference and fixing this shit-hole then so be it. He could at least trust himself to make some headway and produce results.

First, he had to assess the damages in a deeper, more meaningful way outside of written and digital reports he had gathered across multitudes of sources. To that end, he had created a small wrist mounted device capable of detecting Destron levels in the atmosphere. He himself was completely protected against it thanks to his nanotechnologies, so he could venture into this wreckage casually without worry.

The purpose of reading the levels of Destron and taking samples would be to produce some sort of counter, a cure, a vaccine. He had been inspired by a close friend and co-worker to collaborate on this project, and if there was anyone else capable of such a feat it was her.

Still, this was a dreadful place, Destron levels spiked and lowered, but they were high in general. This would prove a difficult venture. Nothing worth doing was ever easy. Yatapi patrolled deeper into the abandoned remains of what was once a city, finding all manner of horror that would cause someone with a weaker stomach to feel violently ill, he had become desensitised to such things after being betrayed by some of his own people after all.

Yatapi eventually happened upon some petrified and preserved bodies— they were Saiyans and Tuffles in various states. Some had obvious external injuries, others less so. Without a second thought, Yatapi conjured metallic caskets for the lot of them, containing them all in a mobile wheeled tank that filtered Destron out of its confines.

He would continue on with this for a while, and soon enough he found himself near a ruined but mostly still standing two story housing structure— which he could hear speech coming from. Someone else was here? In this utterly loathsome place? Either way, Yatapi set his mobile tank off to the side and approached, curious about what little he had overheard— it sounded like an intense internal conflict from what he could tell. “Hello? Is someone there?” He asked, calling out to whoever was there before turning a corner to see a Saiyan sitting on their lonesome in the dilapidated building, with no protection against the Destron in sight. “Where in the world is your protective gear?” Yatapi raised a brow with a hint of both concern and judgement. “I’m impressed that you’re not catatonic...”

Oh, if only Yatapi knew what was wrong with this one...

The response from this loner squatting in this foul area was, for lack of a better word, rabid. A bold and aggressive fury burned in the man’s eyes and without so much as a thought they threw a ball of Ki, hurling it well past Yatapi. Yatapi, perhaps in a strange reaction of his own... Did nothing, not so much as a twitch or flinch. He blinked, unimpressed.

Looking over his shoulder, Yatapi noted the distant devastation, a concussive rumble as a building off in the distance was wiped off the map. Not that this place was on any maps in and of itself anyway. The impact from the blast had caused clouds of dust to rise and forced gunk caked onto nearby walls to be seared off from the pressure. Before Yatapi could examine a few things that caught his interest, the lone warrior had spoken up, finally. Yatapi looked at the man with a blank expression. “I would have thought that I announced my presence adequately, but it seems not. I cannot blame you, anyone would be on edge around here.”

Well, since he wasn’t yet being shot at, Yatapi looked over at something just off to the side that had the years of gunk and dust blown off of it. What would have once simply been mistaken for a boulder, was anything but. In truth, it was yet more petrified remains. More leftovers of poor unfortunate souls. This time, two of them, together, a Saiyan and a Tuffle. The Saiyan petrified in a limp, long dead state in the arms of the Tuffle, who was stuck wailing and roaring at the heavens in pained anguish, tears crystalized on their face. Perhaps one sacrificed themselves for the other, only for it all to be in vain.

Yatapi sighed, seemingly ignoring the crazed individual only a few feet away from him in favor of the two petrified individuals. Instead, Yatapi approached the petrified duo and tried to examine them closer. “How truly sickening, the things this foul gas does...” Yatapi raised a hand and began to create yet another container for these petrified bodies, it would be too risky to seperate them, so they would be freed from this hellhole and buried together.

Yatapi subtly glanced at the madman at the moment of their response. Home? This putrid place? “I see.” The scientist said with a strange tone of both intrigue and very mild inklings of disappointment... For who in their right mind would choose to live here? Maybe this Saiyan here was in fact not in his right mind, and as the encounter progressed that possibility became increasingly more plausible.

Yanked up by the scruff of his outfit, Yatapi grumbled to himself. Of course, a tall person using their verticality to try and make a point of superiority. What a joy, Yatapi thought sarcastically. Interestingly enough, though seemingly wrenched from his work with making a containment unit, the unit simply continued to build itself around the petrified bodies until it became a sleek jet black cube with small subtle ventilation ports. While being questioned, the ventilation ports expunged and removed Destron from the inside of the cube before closing automatically. Once finished, a glowing yellow stripe would appear around the cube.

“I am removing the corpses from this area and ridding them of Destron before intending to bury them elsewhere. I care not for who they are or were, they simply do not deserve to have this vile place to be their tomb.” Yatapi answered the man’s aggressive questioning plainly and without hesitation, it was what he was doing here after all. “Satisfied?” Additionally, on closer inspection the ‘protective gear’ Yatapi himself possessed was in fact minimal, a few technological bands of some sort here and there. All of which themselves produced a chemical of some kind, sure, but it was unlike anything ever seen before. Those with experience could easily understand what it could be though; a chemical counter to Destron. Could there be something more to that?

Yatapi looks the stranger dead in the eyes, unblinking. Yes, he was ridding corpses of Destron, as far as the good doctor was concerned, that much was plainly obvious, and hardly needed reiterating, but this man wasn’t wrong. As for anyone caring or not, Yatapi found the man’s comment strange. “Indeed. Chances are there is nobody left to care about them or who they were. Clearly, neither of us do. That is not the point of my actions.” Yatapi stated bluntly. “The simple fact is, someone once did care, and nobody deserves to have this vile place to be their tomb.” He repeated.

This stranger seemed quite confident in what he was saying. To a degree that was admirable, if also a little boneheaded. “Certainly, no known cure.” Yatapi smirked, himself confident in his own abilities as a scientist. “That is, until I learn and discover it. If you insist it cannot be cured, then I shall invent that which cures the incurable.” To Yatapi, nothing was impossible, the true usage and will of scientific discovery was to understand what is before you and he, as far as he was concerned, was a true scientist.

Yatapi tilted his head slightly, he wasn’t going to leave the dead here, he was resolute in his decision. Still, the suggestion to try going for something closer to home was somewhat interesting... “The Destron Crags will be dealt with last, I plan to make a point with that.”Or at least until the cryptic pseudo-threat. Then, it became very interesting. Yatapi wondered what the man meant by this. “Why? Do you intend to do something about the rumours of Destron production?” They didn’t sing Destron’s praises, after all, there were none.

Yatapi examined the reactions and mannerisms of this strange man— the changes in expression were bizarre. That grin would have likely caused the faint of heart and cowardly to immediately faint. Thankfully, Yatapi was not that sort of individual. “I see.” Putting a permanent end to Destron would be great; and though this Saiyan was seemingly quite deranged there was some sort of mutual understanding.

Listening to what the man before him had to say; a lot of this was true. There were many locations ruined by this hellish gas. It wouldn’t be enough to simply command people to stop producing it in secret and clean up the ruin it left behind. Force would have to be applied, at this point this was a simple truth. When the Saiyan trailed off, Yatapi didn’t miss a beat and followed up with an addition. “Insulting, disgusting, tragic. There are many words for it and they all fall short of the truth.” Yatapi looked over to the container that held the corpses of that duo from earlier.

As far as slaughter was concerned, Yatapi hardly reacted. He understood where this Saiyan was coming from in some way, though he would be a bit more surgical about it himself, perhaps employ a cognitohazard of some sort to eliminate the knowledge rather than murder. That said, a fair few wholly willing producers of Destron likely deserved a painful death in his opinion. “Not how I would do it, but it’s a start.” Yatapi raised his hand to make a point. “Regarding the storehouses and labs, to reduce risk of more Destron outbreaks, I would suggest using a deactivation agent first.”

It was true, curing Destron wasn’t enough, to which Yatapi nodded. “Of course, there are multiple steps. The only difference is we seem to be tackling it from two different ends.”

As far as annihilation of Tuffle society was concerned, Yatapi tilted his head, it looked as though he was thinking about the overarching consequences. He could easily remove those he cared about from this equation, but still, ideally it didn’t need to come to that; it was a waste of resources, ideals and good knowledge as much as it was throwing madmen and evil knowledge with the trash. “If all else fails, that may be what it takes.” Yatapi smirked. “However, all else will not fail. I don’t plan to.”

“It may come as a shock, but on that you are more reasonable than some.” Yatapi shuddered slightly. “You would be correct in thinking there are some equally foul people clutching these cowardly weapons to their chests” He did so hate those people with a measured yet burning passion. Yatapi nodded to Lottus in regards to the similarity of their goals. Meeting in the middle might be good, less loss of positive things that way.

“Indeed, I see where you are coming from, I have little trust for my peers myself. Destron is but one of many horrid perversions of science that I have witnessed.” Brainwashing parasites, bioengineered monsters and repurposed corpses would be a whole extra layer of shit, which Yatapi additionally guessed that Lottus would also have issue with, so tackling one thing at a time would be beneficial. “An additional option would be a cognitohazard. Put simply, if engineered properly, it could eliminate specific knowledge— like the creation of Destron— from one’s brain entirely. For technology it is simpler, a virus that purges the information only to self-destruct and delete itself once it is finished with its purpose.”

Yatapi tapped his chin, he could certainly have a go at eliminating a fair bit of Destron himself. “I could make an attempt at the crags first, as it is closer to Hatchi City. This place has far too many issues to first sort out, too many unknown variables from more recent events in this area. As I am aware, there was an attempt to clear this area of Destron. I am disappointed that it failed, though it would seem some insufficient method was used.” He did need a place to test if his in progress counter to Destron could do the trick after all. “If we are mutually willing to put some measure of trust in each other... Tactically, I think a threat to Hatchi City would draw the most attention at which point I can make an attempt at clearing the crags with less distraction, perhaps unimpeded altogether. All that I would ask in return is you try to reel yourself in, and try to be surgical at what you mean to accomplish.”

Could Yatapi trust Lottus? Probably not, but if it gave Yatapi a more certain shot at eventually clearing Destron from all of Plant? The payoff would be exceptional! Scientifically, the reward was worth some risk. “I am Yatapi.” He looked to his hand, considering offering a hand to shake, but instead offered a fist to bump. “Apologies if this offends, I felt this was a more appropriate gesture compared to a handshake.”

It seemed as though Lottus was confused— not entirely disinterested, but a fair amount of things Yatapi was saying flew over his head. The scientist supposed that a more blunt explanation would be beneficial. “Basically, a cognitohazard can make people forget something entirely. I would normally have some issue with creating one, but if it is to totally annihilate Destron in all aspects, I can make an exception.” Yatapi shrugged, it was simply an option, not a necessity.

“An opportunity is all a real scientist ever needs.” Yatapi confidently stated, additionally amused that his gesture of introduction was received well. “I shall see what I can prepare in the meantime, and an attempt will be made in earnest either way, be you otherwise occupied or not. However, I will say that the offer of dealing with interruptions is appreciated all the same.”

Regarding the ruins around them, Lottus had some interesting things to say. Yatapi raised a brow. Destron persisting somewhere carried different weight compared to Destron existing in the first place, though neither was good. When Lottus spoke regretfully about wanting a good fight, Yatapi was stunned. For many Saiyans, the idea of missing an opportunity to test themselves was shameful, so what was this? Regret in hindsight? What did that mean for Saiyans? Yatapi frowned slightly. “... That must, erm, hurt to admit openly, surely?” As deranged as Lottus very plainly was, there was also more to him, and despite his best judgement, Yatapi found himself curious.

“Amara. Hmm, I see, I shall remember that and see if I can find them.” Hard light technology was intriguing enough on its own, but for it to be used against Destron, that was novel. The only question Yatapi really had left was why Amara’s venture had failed, though that was something to ask her directly perhaps.