Chapter 4:

You know what? I wanted to laugh. I really did. Looking back five minutes from now you would have sen a pack of bloodthirsty wolves hiking up a mountain. You would've never guessed seeing them turn into little, frightened pups with their tails between their legs upon reaching the summit. Now we're here. Where did my wolves go? Where are my warriors?!

"Were you all looking for something?" Zarbon said, stepping out of the doorway. His lips curled. "Please, join us and have some tea."

"Sweetened or unsweetened?" I replied with a grin on my face.

Zarbon howled in laughter. "You've got quite a sense of humor there, boy. It's a pain though that you I won't get to hear it for much loner."

"Yeah, ain't it. If only you didn't have to die so soon."

Zarbon's smile quickly faded. The shaded figure began to step out of the doorway as well. It was then easy to see that there as about to be quite a show. I looked at my trembling hand. I tried to control it, but it wouldn't listen. I lied to it, telling it there was no danger, there was no need to be nervous. Damn that was a smart hand. It kept on shaking, trying to control me. Trying to tell me to leave now. I wouldn't let it control me. I wouldn't have it!

The figure was now completely out of the doorway and boasted a giant frame. He was atleast ten feet tall and maybe half of the wide. His face looked as if it was melted on. His nose was missing, with that area smeared and two small holes, barely visible to the eyes, were the only things in the area. His eyes were small with large bags under them, and his mouth was large with a slight downward curl. What kind of a beast had Frieza summoned?

He wore the Saiyan upper body armor on his pale white skin, but on his lower body, merely a robe that touched the floor and covered his legs. Heheh. I couldn't help but smile again. What were the odds? What were the odds that Frieza would bring such a thing to this town?

"Saiyan!" Zarbon shouted to me. "I believe we have something to discuss."

I glanced at my hand. It was vibrating wildly, with my fingers following suit. I balled my fist up, looking at Zarbon with a smirk. "Yeah, we do." I blasted lasted off that summit with a burst of energy and I soared down towards that wicked smile worn on Zarbon's face. My fist tightened, and in moments, I threw it out, with my eyes closed tightly. I heard a loud crash erupt from just in front of me and I felt a hard surface upon my fist. My eyes opened slightly to a squint and I could see in front of me, that mammoth, tightly grabbing my fist.

Zarbon's voice attacked my ears again. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he walked closer to me with his hands behind his back. "I must have forgotten to introduce you two." He looked at the monster's wretched face, then back to mine. "Bardock, this is Viper, our latest mercenary. Frieza put him under my command. Viper, this is Bardock, the town pest."

"And Viper," I started, "this is Zarbon, the asshole."

"How kind of you, Bardock?" Zarbon chuckled sarcastically. "It's funny how fear can bring out the worst in all of us."

I swung my other fist at Zarbon but Viper caught that too and immediately began squeezing them tightly. I gritted my teeth together and planted my feet tightly on the ground as I struggled, struggled not to shout. I writhed and wriggled and bent my knees but I couldn't fight my way out of the vice grip. It began to burn. It was torture. My mouth began to open. I tried to close it, but it was too strong. Too strong for me.

"Hooooh!"

I saw a leg fly and crash into the side of Viper's head. My fists were freed. I blew on them to cool them off, then I looked up to see what it was Tora, a fellow rebel.

"I figure I'm early?" Tora said jokingly.

I grinned weakly. "Far too early."

"Get down here!" he shouted at my men. "What are you cowards doing? Bardock needs your help! You can't just-" Viper's knee smashed into the back of Tora's head and his eyes widened as if about to pop out. He crashed to the earth like a single raindrop.

I lunged at Viper and threw my fist towards his abdomen. He caught it again. In a panic, I ran up his body and kicked his chin upwards. His grip softened. Then I planted both my feet on his chest and kicked my self free from his grasp. "Ain't gonna' work twice on me, mister."

Viper dashed at me before I could properly plant me feet, and as expected, he took me off the ground with a fist to my chest. I felt a pulsing in the area and reached my arm out to it, but Viper was standing above me. But just at that moment, a fist came crashing down on Viper's face, knocking him back. Then a kick came from behind. And one from the side. And another from the other side. Then from the front again. Then a fist to the stomach.

"You guys are kinda' late, don't you think?" I whispered, trying to regain posture.

Tate and Zevin were holding Viper's arms as Zalius was throwing punches to Viper's stomach. But that didn't hold up very long as Viper soon threw them all off and planted his foot on Zalius's face. That's when I decided to charge back in. I focused two energy balls, one in each hand, and with two powerful swings, I hurled each of the blue balls at Viper, knocking him off balance.

Byrus, being the largest and strongest in the group, decided he would go ahead and distract Viper as we attacked form other angles. I headed over to Zalius to see if he was alright. Blood was on his forehead and running form his nose. Apart form that, he looked fine. I helped him up and shouted, "Tate, make sure you keep an eye out of for Zarbon! The rest of you, tear this monster down!"

I set Zalius down and sprung back into battle, delivering fist after fist into Viper's face. Then from behind Viper's head, Tate delivered his signature elbow strike, knocking Viper flat on top of me. That idiot.

Viper hopped back up and pointed his open palm at me. My eyes widened. I knew what was about to happen. He launched a large red wave of energy at me. In seconds I was covered in a raging heat wave as my skin was burning. I screamed and hollered as the wave burned and stung my skin. My hands were reaching for daylight, but nothing was there. And the wave engulfed me. The pain soon ended as everything faded to black.

My eyes began to open, slowly. I squinted upwards and immediately noticed I was deep inside a crater. I struggled to get up, as my body was aching all around. All too many times, have I awoken from near death. Far too many times. It would be better if I could just wake up in HFIL for once. It would make the pain go away. I hope it would.

I crawled out of the crater to see bodies laying all about the battlefield. I then surveyed the area to see Byrus pinned against a wall as fist after fist drove into him. His armor was all shattered, pieces lying about the battlefield, and his face was tattered up and covered with blood as well. Viper lifted him off the ground by his throat and drove his fist completely through Byrus' body. Blood splattered from behind as the red hand withdrew itself from the body.

A few ki balls hit Viper. They were from Zalius and Tate. Viper was unaffected by the attacks. I noticed his armor was wrecked and his cloth was torn, however, his skin looked undamaged, as if he hadn't even been to battle.

He began to walk towards, me kicking up sand as he stepped. I showed my teeth. I tried to walk towards him but I felt a sharp pain in my arm, so I reached over and held it tightly.

"You!" Viper roared. I nearly jumped. He whipped around. "Zarbon!"

Zarbon's eyes widened.

"What were you doing this entire time?!" Viper continued. He turned around and started walking towards Zarbon. "I was outnumbered!"

"You're a strong boy," Zarbon replied. "You can handle yourself."

"I was nearly killed!"

Zarbon smiled. "Then so be it. I'm sure it would've been worth it. You don't have anything to live for anyway. I wouldn't mind."

Viper reached out and clutched Zarbon's neck. He pulled Zarbon up to him and I could see in his eyes, something more alive than I'd seen in any other Saiyan's. His eye sparkled as though it was wet. And his eyes told me an entire story. He didn't utter a word. He set Zarbon down, who immediately fell to his knees, coughing and holding his throat.

It was then that I realized what was lying around me. A body hear, a body there, a body there. It was too familiar. All too familiar. It was so strange that every time I planned a strike, elites would surprise attack us. It was all too strange. And the after effect. Yes, the after effect was always the same. Blood, dead bodies. Body here, body there, when just minutes ago we were ready for a successful mission. And in the end, it makes me wonder, just what we're fighting for. Fighting to win? Or fighting just to be Saiyans?

The dragonball in my pocked glowed like a fierce sun and it was then I remembered that he died trying to be like us Saiyans. Dying foolishly, for fun, for respect, for the right to be called a Saiyan. But why be a Saiyan when he could have been so much more? He could have been so much more.