The Unique Alliance

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z © Akira Toriyama, TOEI Animation, BIRD STUDIO, SHUEISHA INC., FUNinmation.

Disclaimer 2: New characters, The Unique Alliance © Eileen Setiawan, H-san, Hina-chan (i.e. the author of the story)

Disclaimer 3: This story is only for recreational purposes. I do not intend to sell this to anyone/anything.

Author's Note: HELLO PEOPLE!! After a looooong time, TUA: Part 2 is already here. This is the more "serious" part, so expect a loooooot of angst.

AAAAAND, for the first time in TUA history, we have a Japanese song heading the way! Whooo! "GAME", by one of my favourite J-pop artists Ayumi Hamasaki, is what I believe would be the Opening Theme Song of TUA: Part 2.

PART 2: Conspiracy


"Shoudou ga kasanariatte
degechi no nai meiro ni hamaru
fui ni osou genjitsu-tachi ga
nukedaseru michi wo sagasu… "

Ayumi Hamasaki – GAME


CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – The Aftermath

"GOOOOOCHIIII!!" yelled Gohan over the roar of the ship, his lungs screaming in pain from his yelling and the woman's hard jab. Stopping, he breathed heavily in and out, clutching his stomach with one hand and bending down, his forehead to the dirt floor.

Videl looked at the teenager, a look of shock still over her features as she saw the pain that Gohan was going through. Gochi had been shot, her blood on the floor in front of her, some spattered across her face. She closed her eyes, hoping that maybe all of this, from the moment that ship crashed in the city to now, was all a dream. One long, big dream.

As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a white cape as it floated eerily in the wind. She looked up, seeing a turbaned man in front of her, his back to her as he looked at Gohan. The turbaned man then walked to Gohan.

"Gohan," said the man.

"She's gone…" came Gohan's muffled voice. "She's gone Piccolo-san…"

Piccolo…? thought Videl, watching on.

"We'll get her back," reassured the man, though he did not sound too confident himself.

"HOW?!" yelled Gohan sitting up and turning to look at the man called Piccolo. Videl realised he had been crying.

"Get up," commanded the man.

Gohan stared some time, then looked down as he struggled to get up, still clutching his stomach. The man bent down, grabbing his arm and helping him up. That's when Videl noticed that the man's hand was… green?

Videl's shock from the previous battle was overshadowed as she stared, wide-eyed. The turbaned man was not a man but a… Martian?

Piccolo looked to Videl, who stared at him wide-eyed and still on her knees, blood-spattered. Piccolo's cold eyes looked down, seeing the blood on the floor. For a flicker, Videl saw something of concern before that cold expression returned to his face.

"Tell me what happened," he instructed. Piccolo then looked at Videl, then as he looked at her, added: "When we're at the Lookout."

Gohan looked to Videl, who looked back at him.

"Videl… san…" he said, hesitating. He didn't know whether to leave her or take her with them. Before he could make a decision, there was a strong ki level spike. Gohan turned, seeing Vegeta and Trunks coming over the horizon. He peered more closely, seeing that Goten was riding on Kintoun.

As they arrived there, landing, Vegeta looked around, seeing the dreary expressions on Gohan, Videl, and Piccolo, despite the latter always reflecting that particular expression.

"Who died?" he asked, tone as uncaring as usual.

Gohan, now much too tired to comment on the fight, sighed.

"He'll explain later," spoke Piccolo for Gohan.

Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms.

"We should get to Capsule Corporation," added Piccolo. "It'd probably be better since they're here."

"Is that okay Vegeta-san?" asked Gohan.

Vegeta gave an uncaring shrug of the shoulders, "Vegeta-speak" for whatever.

Gohan nodded then looked to Videl, who looked more wide-eyed than before, if that was even possible. Gohan bent down, the Son intuition to help people overriding his sense of loss.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her concernedly.

Slowly, Videl looked to him, a look of disbelief on her face. She then nodded slowly.

"Come with us," he offered. "We'll get Bulma-san to clean you up." Gohan stood up, hand out to Videl.

Videl, with an unsteady hand, grabbed hold of Gohan's as he lifted her up on her feet. He then motioned for Kintoun to come, still carrying Goten.

"Goten, look after Videl-san, okay?" he asked Goten.

Goten nodded, semi-relieved that Gohan wasn't giving him "the look". However, as Videl was sitting on Kintoun, holding on Goten's shoulder ("You better hold onto me!" exclaimed the five-year-old.) Goten then reconsidered that thought as Gohan then gave him "the look".

"We'll talk about you riding off on your own later."

"How do you know I rode off on my own?" complained Goten, pouting.

"Because you're with Vegeta-san and Trunks," replied Gohan, walking back towards Piccolo.

"Ready?" asked Piccolo.

Gohan nodded, his power level already rising as his clothes wavered, signalling lift off.

"Good," answered Piccolo, floating off, followed by the others.

As they reached a fair distance from the ground, including Kintoun, they flew towards Western Capital, Videl desperately trying to grasp the situation.


Jinn and Tarrec sat back-to-back, bound, gagged and blindfolded. Tarrec continually tried to wriggle out of the bonds, only managing to make them constrict tighter. Jinn remained silent, brooding.

Was she really dead? Gab did say she was in the infirmary. Maybe she was alive. Another one. How many people did he have to endanger before he could finally reach his goal?

A dim thump could be heard as the ship groaned. Jinn and Tarrec could feel the ship edging around, as if turning slowly into something.

"All personnel," came a computerised voice over the PA. "Please make your way to the cockpit for departure…"

We've boarded… thought Jinn, leaning his head back. Although he couldn't see anything, he knew exactly where they were.

"Welcome back," came another computerised voice over the PA system as they passed the checkpoint to the docking bay. "Please get ready to disembark. Have all your credentials ready for checking and please claim anything new to the officials once you have exited your ship. Thankyou and enjoy your stay."

They were heading towards the Queen.


Sitting in the Captain's cabin, Gab looked to the bustling docks below, her head leaning on her hand. Her other hand, the one that Gohan had broken, was supported in a makeshift splint. She had much too much pride to go to the infirmary in the ship…

Plus that girl was there.

Soldiers aligned alongside the exit, ready to both welcome and inspect the crew as they exited. Gab had to report that there was another captive onboard, not that she cared much for that captive. Her head perked up, eyes going slightly wider as she saw a blonde-haired man walking up, surrounded by guards on either side.

He carried himself with a regal quality, his smile on his face as he waited for the ship to dock and crew to exit.

"What is he doing here?" she mumbled, standing up and looking closer at him.

She then sighed, walking out the door. As she did, she looked around, seeing the crew bustling to the cockpit. Grabbing a soldier, she jerked him back. He looked at the Captain, slightly rigid and nervous.

"Y – yes Captain?" he asked, saluting her.

"I need you to ready that human for the Sanatorium," she replied.

"Yes Captain," answered the soldier, turning around and walking towards the infirmary.

Gab sighed, walking towards the cockpit. She then stopped.

"Soldier, what's your name?" she asked, turning around.

The soldier stopped, turning to face her.

"Uh… Truf, ma'am…" he answered.

"I'll make sure you don't get punished for not being at the cockpit," assured Gab.

"Re – really ma'am! Th – thankyou!" he exclaimed, saluting her once again.

"Now go," she commanded, turning to the front again.

"Yes Captain!" he exclaimed with more enthusiasm, saluting as she left.

Gab walked into the cockpit, looking over as two clamps fastened onto either side of the ship, locking it in place. A low hum then resounded as a stairwell opened, allowing passage out of the ship. She saw the soldiers ready the inspection. The blonde looked up at the cockpit, waving towards Gab. Gab merely stared down at him.


Jinn and Tarrec found themselves being hauled up and out of the room they were contained in. Blindfolded, bounded and gagged they had no choice but to go with the whim of whoever was handling them.

They could both hear the sounds of men bustling about somewhere around them, as well as the sound of machinery being used to transport things in and out of ships. Jinn could "see" what was going on via the different energy signatures he could feel. He felt Gab somewhere above him. Tarrec was still next to him.

Then there was a familiar ki signature in front of him.

He felt a hand grab the front of his blindfold, pulling it down. Jinn's amber eyes beheld blue ones. The man with the blue eyes smiled.

"Hello Jinn," he greeted welcomely. He took a step back, Jinn taking in blonde hair; regal robes and a staff that made the man seem taller than he really was.

Jinn would have said something if not for the gag. However, he could hear a muffled cry next to him as Tarrec exclaimed, without succession, the man's name.

"Nice to see you too Tarrec," greeted the man, laughing.

He reached out, pulling both Tarrec and Jinn's gags down. As Tarrec's gag was freed, he took a breath then exclaimed:

"Nik! You're here!? Well… of course you're here… but you're here!"

Nik smiled. "I vouched for you," he began. "The king said he will not imprison you. You'll be under house arrest, monitored," explained the young blonde.

"Why're we even here?" asked Tarrec.

For a minute, Nik hesitated, as if confused, then smiled again. "I'm not too sure myself."

"You work for the king?" asked Jinn, his tone low and flat.

Nik looked down, as if hesitating, then looked up again, that smile on his face again. "I moved up to vizier…" he explained, arms out wide as if to display the robes he wore.

Jinn glared at him, then looked away. Nik sighed. The tension was interrupted however, as Tarrec exclaimed:

"How about Gochi?"

Nik looked at Tarrec in confusion.

"Who?"

"Gochi! She's a girl that helped us out on Planet Earth. She was captured with us. How about her?"

"I… I didn't know there was going to be another…" stuttered Nik, completely at a loss.

"We captured her whilst getting these two back," said Gab from behind, standing midway down the exit ramp of the ship.

Jinn and Tarrec turned to her, both glaring back.

"Is that so?" asked Nik, looking slightly concerned.

"She was being a nuisance," explained Gab. "So I shot her."

"Is she dead?" asked Nik, looking a little more concerned.

"I'm not sure. You should check the ship Sanatorium."

Nik responded with a nod, then turned to a guard next to him, speaking the Quillisian language. The guard nodded as Nik turned to the others.

"I'll be checking on this –"

" – Gochi," interrupted Tarrec.

"Gochi," ended Nik. "Don't worry," he reassured, smiling at Jinn and Tarrec. "I'll make sure she doesn't die. I can't promise anything else though."

"As long as you take care of her," answered Tarrec.

Nik nodded, turning and walking, followed by the group of guards. Gab walked down the remainder of the exit ramp.

"Gag and blindfold them," she commanded.

The soldiers holding them responded, doing just as she commanded.

"Take them to their quarters," they heard her say. They were then pushed from behind, forced to walk forward to their holding cell.


"Gochi?"

Gochi's eyes remained closed to the world, almost too afraid to open them. Although there was a voice calling out to her, coaxing her to come back.

"Gochi?"

Who was that voice? It sounded so familiar…

"Gochi? You need me, don't you?"

Gochi opened her eyes, seeing herself back on the Plains, the wind sweeping up the dust and billowing it across. Gochi shielded her eyes from the dust, and then as she lifted her face again, she beheld the scene of the fight. Gab stood over a body on the ground, a terrified Videl before her, blood spattered across her face. Looking closer, Gochi saw that this body was her, lying face down, blood pouring from her mouth. Blood seeped from her wound, oozing onto the dirt floor. Gochi took a step forward, but was stopped as someone grabbed her shoulder.

Turning, Gochi came face-to-face with… herself?

An identical face to hers stared at her straight in the face. There was something different about her though. Her right eye glowed an eerie red, her smile cold and aloof.

"She'll be alright," she spoke, though Gochi felt suddenly vulnerable.

As the girl turned away, walking towards the body on the ground, she bent over, cradling her. That was when Gochi saw the unusual markings on the back, as if a black demon was itself hugging the strange girl. Gochi looked around, no one noticing this girl. Something within her started panicking. As Gochi walked forward towards where the girl and her body lay, she stopped in her tracks as she felt something touch her lips. Looking at the body, the strange entity had her lips pressed to her body, a glow surrounding both. That same glow then resonated around Gochi.

What's going on? she thought, her hand over her mouth. What's going on? Confused, Gochi could only fall on her knees and watch as the strange entity engulfed her fallen body. She felt a sudden surge of panic in her as she continued looking on.

"What's going on!?" yelled Gochi, hands now clutching her head.

"Gochi…"

Gochi's eyes went wide at the voice. Immediately, she saw two familiar boots. She looked up, her eyes going wide.

"Gochi, come on, you'll be okay," reassured her father, hand out.

"Tou-san…"

"I'll take you back," he stated, flexing his fingers out towards her.

Gochi nodded, grabbing hold of her father's hand as a white light engulfed her vision. Before the light could totally blind her, she saw her father smile, just as he always had.


As Bulma tended to Videl and Gohan's wounds, she asked questions to the Son. Gohan answered as best he could from what he knew, though it was Videl Bulma really wanted to speak to. She had been at the incident from start to finish. She had seen everything.

She just didn't know if Videl was strong enough to speak just yet.

"Are you okay?" asked Bulma, dipping down to get a closer look at Videl's face as she looked down.

Videl peered up, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, as if she was going to respond. Then she nodded.

"Videl," began Bulma. "I know it's hard… but… you've got to tell us something. You could hold information to their whereabouts."

Videl looked down, as if thinking. She could feel a swell of emotion in her chest, slowly ready to explode. What she had seen that day was something she thought never existed. It was almost surreal.

"I…" began Videl, everyone turning to her. "From the sky…" Videl closed her eyes, trying to remember. "There was a spaceship… disk-shaped. There were soldiers, all with different colours. Some of them had tails. I remember that the leader was a woman…"

"Yeah, I saw that too," whispered Gohan to Bulma, as if not wanting to break Videl's thoughts.

"I remember fighting with Gochi against those aliens. Then the leader tried to shoot me… and Gochi…" Videl reflected on the incident, remembering the blood spraying from the wound in Gochi's abdomen. "The woman shot her."

"What happened after that Videl? Gohan can't recall. You have to remember."

"I… I can't… " Videl had her hand on her forehead.

Bulma and Gohan exchanged glances. Gohan then looked to Piccolo.

"We will get her back," stated Piccolo.

Gohan sighed, looking towards Videl, whose hands covered her face. Her body shook as she tried to contain that swell in her chest. Bulma walked towards her, wrapping her arms around the teenager.

"It's okay Videl. There was nothing you could do," reassured the blue-haired human.

In Bulma's hug, Videl felt the swell break, spilling down her cheeks as a cry escaped her throat. On Bulma's shoulder, Videl cried unrestrained. She had not done this since the day her mother died.


Meanwhile, Nik watched, standing alone in front of the tank they were keeping the girl in. Her long hair floated in the Healing Liquid. He stared at her face then his eyes trailed down to her wound, seeing it mending quite well in the Liquid. Just a while ago, he himself had to try calming her down, though she ended up calming herself. Her heart rate and brain waves were off the chart. He wondered just what was going on as she lay in that chamber.

Looking to her face again, he noted that she looked slightly more at peace then when he first came in. Now it was a matter of her waking up.

And who knew when that would be…


Translation:

"Seized with several impulses, I'm lost in a maze with no exit
The sense of reality urges me suddenly to find the way out
But why can't I leave this place, so strangely?"

Ayumi Hamasaki – GAME