Disclaimer: I do not own/am not affiliated with DBZ in any way
With Tien back at the laboratory, Gero thanked him for returning, "good, Tien, I want to see if the device I used on you will have the same effects on Yamcha. But there was another reason for bringing you back," Gero pointed on his screen of what appeared to be grid-like world map. Where Gero pointed were three heavily concentrated dots that were a representation of their power, the more concentrated the more powerful. "I have been monitoring the most concentrated one, that's Goku's. Anyway, I saw him convening with what I assume are Krillin and Roshi, both of which are allies of Goku. While you were bringing Yamcha back, I noticed that the three became to quickly move towards you. It's a good thing that you got back here when you did. These walls are a mixture of titanium and lead, they can't sense our presence in here."
Tien nodded as he looked around and finally took in the elegant blandness of the laboratory; while there was a certain dullness about it, the laboratory had dozens of high-tech machines that created a small glowing light that would cause even the richest scientists to salivate. Gero continued as Tien turned his eyes back towards him, "we have work to do if you will help me..." Gero said as they both smirked slyly as they looked at Yamcha.
"The presence seems to have just vanished!" Goku said to Krillin and Master Roshi, who were both settled on Nimbus as well. They gulped as Goku turned back to them, "from what I'm sensing, this power, Tien or not, is even stronger than King Piccolo!" Goku said anxiously, showing that even though he was worried about the havoc that this new power could wreak, he was more than a little excited to see who and what this new power was. And what the extent of his power was.
Krillin shuddered, remembering the evil monstrous power that Piccolo possessed, "are you sure, Goku?" He asked, hoping that Goku was mistaken, but Goku shook his head. Krillin gulped again as he looked down, "I was afraid that you would say that," Krillin then looked up, suddenly remembering something, "wait, what about the person that was tracking that evil power, I can't seem to feel their presence anymore."
Goku nodded, "yeah, I can't either. I'm pretty sure it was Yamcha and from what I sensed before they both disappeared, Yamcha or whoever it was, their power was fading."
"Really? They defeated Yamcha that quickly? So if this is Tien, he has improved a lot then, hasn't he?"
Goku shook his head slightly, "no, I don't think that was it. He may have trained a lot in these past three years since the last World Martial Arts Tournament, but his power couldn't have increased that much. And then there's the evil presence that he has, something isn't right here..." Goku trailed off.
"And we're gonna get to the bottom of it... yeah yeah," Krillin finished as he looked down again.
Goku smiled slightly, trying to make light of the situation, "don't worry Krillin, it'll be fine," Goku said as they began to navigate back to Kame House.
"Nevermind him, but what about an old man, such as myself?" Roshi said, "I think I'd be better suited on the sideline... You know, with all of the pretty ladies!" You could almost see the hearts in his eyes as Goku and Krillin both uneasily laughed.
"Sorry, sir, but you truly are a master martial artist and we could use all the help we can get," Goku said respectfully.
Before any of the others could say anything, the three felt a deep voice a little ways off of them, "I need a word with you, Goku!" The deep voice beckoned.
Goku's eyes narrowed as he turned back, "Piccolo!" He whispered as he saw his green rival approaching the trio. "What do you want, Piccolo? I'm sorry, but I don't have time for a sparring session right now." Goku said with an unfamiliar sharpness in his voice.
As Piccolo drew almost next to him, "no, it's not that," Piccolo smirked, "I could crush you whenever I wanted, that isn't the problem. The problem is that whoever this person is, there power is far beyond anything you or I have ever faced... even stronger than my father." Piccolo kept a cold gaze on Goku, though with much less malice than just a couple of years ago.
Goku nodded in agreement, "you're right. But if we team up then we should be able to-" Goku was cut off by Piccolo.
"No!" Piccolo shouted, "we aren't a 'team'! This is purely to ensure that we have a fight with no distractions in the future, I still haven't had my revenge yet for the 23rd World Tournament. But just so you know, we might be allies for this fight, but after we're back to being bitter rivals, understood!" Piccolo continued with a hefty voice.
Goku's eyes shined as he smiled slightly, sensing much less malicious intent in Piccolo, "whatever you say, Piccolo." Goku said as Piccolo veered to the left and soon became a sparkle in the sky. Behind him, Krillin and Roshi sat in utter terror and fear.
"Goku, you do realize that only a few years ago, Piccolo tried to kill you right?" Krillin said in shock.
Goku turned back and smirked at him a bit, "yeah, that's true but if he wanted to, he could've killed me just then too. I think our fight changed Piccolo somehow, couldn't you sense it, Krillin?" Goku asked as Krillin shook his head slowly, "I can feel in his heart that even though he still wants me dead and probably most people dead, he osn't nearly as hateful and spiteful as he once was." Krillin hesitantly nodded, clearly unsure if Goku was correct or not.
Goku kept that smile on his face all the way back to Kame House and once there, the three went back to discussion. "So what do you think we should do?" Krillin asked Goku or Roshi.
Goku pondered for a few seconds before turning back to Roshi, "well since it's getting late, would it be fine if I stayed here for the night? At least until we find out the main goal of whoever is behind this." As Roshi nodded, Goku turned to Krillin, "then I think we should wait for this person to show up again and then find them."
Krillin nodded, "that seems simple enough," He said as he thought, a lot easier said than done.
Near a rocky mountain formation, Piccolo had his arms and legs crossed, eyes closed, and was levitating several hundred feet from the ground. He opened his eyes rapidly, sensing a faint power that was approaching him and becoming more clear as it came nearer and nearer, it didn't take him long to realize that it was actually two people nearing him, "so I guess whatever happened to Tien, happened to Yamcha," Piccolo said to himself as he smirked, "this'll be a good test to see where my training has gotten me since my fight with Goku. Hopefully these fools are powered up enough to at least make me break a sweat." Piccolo said, trying to convince himself that even though Tien and Yamcha were normally easy prey, in this new state, whatever it was, they were dangerous on more than one level.
As they continued to come closer and closer, Piccolo lowered himself to the ground and took off his cape and turban and began to crack his neck and knuckles. He looked up in the sky, thinking of Kami, "just don't die on me old man, I have unfinished business after this and if this stress kills you, I die too." He said as he looked back on the ground. Surely enough, as he looked back down, he saw the outline of two sprinting figures a few miles away. That was one of the reasons he liked training there: the odd climate gave way to complete solitude for miles around with nothing but flat Earth, allowing intruders to be visibly spotted even miles away.
Piccolo only had to wait a few more minutes for Tien and Yamcha to come within a hundred yards of him and another few seconds before they were only about ten feet from him. They weren't even the slightest bit winded as they skipped the introductions, "the good doctor says that while you'll be a good challenge for us to see where his progress is, you can also be very useful for our testing and analyzing, with that being said, we know that you won't go willingly, Piccolo," Tien said as he narrowed his eyes, "but you won't have a choice if you are lifeless, will you?" Tien said as him and Yamcha laughed.
"You fools have no idea," Piccolo said as he got in a fighting pose, "I'm not in the mood for this waste of time. So, after I'm done destroying you two, Goku's next. You two are merely a test of my power."
Tien stepped up as his eyes glowed red, "no, killing Goku is our job." He simply said as his eyes turned back to a blank, black, and cold icy stare.
Piccolo laughed slightly, "we have the same goal, yet instead of us allying up, I'd much rather kill you now for even thinking that you get the chance to fight Goku before I do. You weaklings don't deserve that chance, you deserve to die!" He screamed as he sent an eye laser beam at the of them, who narrowly dodged the beams. Piccolo moved in quickly and manage to get inside of Yamcha's stance and unbalance him as he low-kicked him in the calf and it sent him to one knee as Piccolo went to chop him in the neck but from behind him, Tien gave him a sidekick that went to his left ribs as the crack of two of them was audible. Piccolo howled in pain as he grabbed them and did his best to dodge Tien's and Yamcha's blows, still able to keep up with them, although not being able to produce any offense.
After a few more attacks, it was clear that Piccolo would need to change up his strategy. Accordingly, Piccolo backed off as he jumped back several feet, "so you two seem to have become a lot stronger from whatever happened to you," Piccolo spat out blood and began to smirk, "but it still isn't enough to beat me!" Piccolo opened his balled fist and sent a Destructive Wave straight at Yamcha, who attempted to block the blast but it sent him skidding across the ground. While Yamcha recovered, Piccolo attempted to directly assault Tien by lunging at him and managing to land several glancing blows.
After a minute or so of this, Piccolo rolled backward, the offensive assault taking its toll on him as he was sputtering for air at this point. Tien was battered too but was still less damaged than Piccolo but both of them were still struggling for air and slowly dripping blood. The two stood in a stand off until Yamcha front flipped behind Piccolo. Piccolo grunted as he glanced behind himself and saw that even though the Destructive Wave had done damage to Yamcha, he was still able to move quickly enough to put up a fight.
"This is getting very annoying!" Piccolo shouted as he got into his fighting stance again and turned in such a way that he could see both Tien and Yamcha.
Tien laughed, seeing Piccolo's plight, "I agree. I say we end this, you know as well as we do that it's hopeless at this point," Tien said as his eyes began glowing red again. He licked his lips savagely and for the first time, Piccolo felt a little bit of fear, although he didn't show it. Instead, he laughed at Tien's remark and laughed.
Causing a misdirection, Piccolo faked moving after Tien and instead back pedaled and elbowed Yamcha in the face and spin-kicked him into the ground. He then grunted and began sprinting at Tien, who avoided the blitz and instead used the point of his elbow and jammed it in Piccolo's back as he came sprinting through. Piccolo gasped as his eyes rolled in the back of the head and collapsed as he smashed into the ground.
He attempted to crawl back to his feet, but Tien pressed his foot into the back of Piccolo's back and with an agonizing howl of pain, Piccolo collapsed once more as Tien laughed and Yamcha stroed over, covering his broken nose, broken jaw, and bleeding face. As Yamcha came upon Tien, they both lost control of their bodies as Gero's voice played in their head and ears: "well done, my specimens, now for the next phase of our goal; bring Piccolo back to the laboratory for further testing. That is an order!" Gero's final words trailed off as Tien and Yamcha gained as much control as they could and they gathered Piccolo up and began moving back towards Gero's laboratory.
Back at his laboratory, Gero smirked vigorously knowing that his plan to kill Goku would finally come to fruition. "Soon," he said, "very soon, Goku will be dead and with these mind control devices, I can rule the world and once again, the Red Ribbon Army will be on top!"
This chapter was probably the most fun to write so far as the creativity for the fight scenes has to be up a lot and I feel that they are just the fun ones to write! Anyway, this chapter had a lot of detail and story progression so I hope you all enjoyed that and stay tuned for more of DB: A New Era
