This chapter is LONG overdue... (I'm sorry!) I've been focusing more on my other work-in-progress, so this story has been on the back burner... But! Only 10 more drabbles to go, and it's complete! So I can focus more time and energy on this one.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ!
Chapter 5: A Powerful Foe
"Oh that poor old man!" Cabesh sneered. "I hope I didn't hurt him too bad. No matter... he probably would've died of old age soon anyway."
"People like you are just wrong!" Krillin spat.
"That's a terrible thing to say about someone!" Bulma said, still holding Gohan. "Even if he is a dirty old man..."
Goku's fists and teeth were clenched tightly, he felt his anger rising. Not only did this guy come close to killing his former master, now he was gonna laugh about it?
"Whatever." Cabesh responded. "Let's continue this fight, shall we?"
Goku nodded slightly, then stood in offensive stance. Krilin did the same and readied himself for the next round. Goku turned his head to him. "Krillin, listen to me..."
He looked to Goku. "What is it, Goku?"
"Be careful. You've already been wished back once with the Dragon Balls. If something were to happen to you..."
"But, Piccolo's dead!" Krillin interrupted. "The Dragon Balls are gone."
"I'll explain later, let's keep fighting!"
Krillin nodded, then charged Cabesh side by side with Goku. They tried the pummeling him again. Cabesh swatted their punches away like flies, with an amused smirk on his face. He countered their fists with his own. His attacks quicker than theirs, he threw in a few extra punches, landing strong blows on them. Staggering, Goku and Krillin were wide open for a damaging hit. Cabesh swung his leg across their chests and knocked them to the ground.
"Gah! He's too strong!" Krillin said, while lifting himself off the ground. "And he has speed to match."
"Yeah, I know." Goku replied, smiling.
Krillin raised an eyebrow. "How can you be smiling after all that? I'm scared to death!"
"I'm scared too, Krillin. But I'm excited, he's the strongest person I've ever faced."
Cabesh laughed softly. "Yep, you're Bardock's son alright."
"This guy knows Son's mom or dad?" Bulma said, not quite sure if 'Bardock' was a name for a guy or girl.
Cabesh continued to speak. "Let's see if you're as strong! C'mon, Kakarot, stop holding back on me. I wanna see what you're really made of."
"Oh darn," Goku said with sarcasm in his voice. "how did you know?"
Cabesh decided to make the first move this time, rushing toward Goku. The Earth Saiyan moved in and exchanged blows with him. As he kept Cabesh busy, Krillin came up from behind and jump-kicked him, knocking him off balance. Goku took the opportunity and nailed him in the gut.
Cabesh clutched his stomach with both hands and gagged, dropping to his knees. Slowly, he stood on his feet and cast an angry glare at them. Goku and Krillin moved back and waited for him to come after them again.
"He's getting angry, Goku..." Krillin said.
"Yeah," Goku replied. "we could use that to our advantage."
Krillin smiled at Goku and nodded, then braced himself for what was to come next.
Fully recovered from the last blow, Cabesh charged at them again. Krillin jumped to the side, while Goku took him on hand to hand. Krillin came from behind like the last time and tried to strike him on the back. Not falling for the same trick twice, Cabesh danced to the side, then hit him with a spin kick.
"Did you really think that'd work twice?"
'Wham!'
Goku struck him while his guard was down. "Did that answer your question?"
Cabesh picked himself up. "You two are smarter than I thought..." He looked at Krillin. "Him... I need to get rid of him!" He charged his energy and shot it at Krillin.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" Goku shouted, as he ran full speed and pushed Krillin aside. The blast shot right past them in between, grazing Goku's right arm in the process. He clutched his arm in pain.
"Ugh, missed..." Cabesh said, then moved toward Krillin again.
"What's he doing?" Goku wondered aloud, then quickly realizing. "Krillin, run! He's trying to kill you! NOW!"
Krillin froze, as he watched the evil Saiyan approach him. "What am I doing!?" Krillin thought, feeling stupid for just standing there. He turned the other way and ran, but Cabesh was too fast, as he caught up to him and knocked him flat on his back. The attacker planted his foot firmly on Krillin's chest, then held his palm in front of him and began charging the final blow.
"Krillin!" Goku grabbed ahold of Cabesh's arm and tried to wrestle him away. Cabesh used his free hand to grab Goku's left. The two fought each other back, struggling as hard as they could. Goku's right arm acted up from his injury, sending a sharp pain shooting through it. Goku grasped his arm, allowing Cabesh enough time to move in closer and hit him.
Krillin scrambled to his feet, then made a run for it. But Cabesh turned around and fired straight at him. The blast met with Krillin's backside and exploded on impact, bringing him down. Cabesh rushed in and started to beat him repeatedly, hoping to finish him.
"No!" Goku cried. His first instinct being to save his friend, he charged at Cabesh recklessly, just to receive a blow to the chest from Cabesh's foot.
"Down boy." Cabesh taunted.
"S-stop it..." Goku begged. "He can't fight anymore... I'm the one you're after! Fight me!"
"Don't worry, you're next. Be patient, Kakarot... Just let me finish the little bald guy first."
Bulma and Goku watched in horror, as Cabesh pummeled Krillin some more. Gohan sobbed heavily into Bulma's shirt, as she kept his innocent eyes shielded from the brutalities.
Goku clenched his fist tight enough to make it bleed. He stood back and watched his own best friend getting beat to death, and there was nothing he could do... Or what about his old master? Possibly fighting for his life. His thoughts turned to his four year old child and how this was all affecting him, and how this could scar him for life.
Goku had enough of this. Knowing this was his last shot, he cupped both hands together and brought them to his side. "Ka-Me"
Krillin gagged and choked out blood, as Cabesh dealt blow after damaging blow, bringing him much closer to death.
"Ha-Me..."
Master Roshi gasped for air, as a shaking Bulma held tightly in her arms, a terrified and teary-eyed Gohan.
"Now, for the finishing touch..." Cabesh said to himself.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
'Beepbeepbeep'
"Huh? What's THAT...!?"
'BOOOOOOOOOM'
Cabesh tried to dodge the incoming blast as warned by his scouter, but he and Goku were at too close of a range. The attack hit him head on and completely engulfed him. It stripped away chunks of his armor, tore deep into his wounds while creating new ones in the process, and completely blew away his scouter.
Bulma turned both her and Gohan's heads away to keep the flashing lights from blinding them, while Krillin turned his head up to see what was going on.
Cabesh roared in pain, his blood splashing about everywhere, even landing atop Krillin's head and face.
--
"King Vegeta, I have something to report." a Saiyan Elite bowed before him.
"What is it?" the king replied.
"It seems a lowest-class fighter has turned against us."
"Kill him." King Vegeta didn't even hesitate to answer.
"Yes, sir." the elite said. "But that wasn't all. I've also received word that the traitor has a half-Earthling son. What should we have done with him?"
"Kill him too. I have no use for half-breeds. Now begone."
"Yes, sir." The elite turned around and left to help carry out the king's orders.
"What would make those worthless low-class trash think for even a second, that I would want something done with some half-bred whelp, other than have him killed?"
"I am not sure, King Vegeta..." the Saiyan beside him said. "Maybe it's because they've never before dealt with something like this?"
"Maybe so, Zorn. It doesn't matter... They're of no trouble to me."
--
"So, little Kakarot has turned against us... Is that right, Zukin?" said a man sitting beside the lady Saiyan, Zukin. The two shared a table in the lounging area where most Saiyans went to relax.
The woman smiled. "I know, isn't it so amusing?"
The man shook his head, before taking a drink from his cup. "Sadistic... How could you laugh about this? That poor kid is in for a world of hurt. No one dare turns against King Vegeta."
"Oh come on, you find it just as interesting as I do. Just admit it, Sirantoro."
Sirantoro looked around at everyone in the room, all chatting about the same thing as them . "I think we all do. But I think my favorite part, is that he has an Earthling child."
"Yeah, I can't wait to tell Bardock about this!" Zukin said with a huge evil smirk.
"Speaking of Bardock," Sirantoro said. "when do you think he'll be recovered? He's been in the recovery tank since Cabesh left for Earth."
"Not sure." Zukin replied. "He's been acting really strange lately..."
"And distracted, if I might add," he said. "I don't think he's been hurt this bad, since the last mission with his previous team."
"The ones that creep, Dodoria slaughtered?"
Sirantoro nodded, taking another swig of his beverage.
Zukin rested her face against her right hand. "I wonder if those dreams of his have anything to do with it...?"
"The same ones he believes are visions from the future?"
"Yeah, those ones! I wonder if he saw something bad? Gasp What if something terrible is gonna happen to me!? Poor Bardock! He must be worried sick about his favorite teammate!"
Sirantoro squinted his eyes as she rambled. "Yyyeah... That's it... You don't really think those visions are real, do you?" he asked, his tone indicating she would be nuts for thinking so.
"He was right about Frieza betraying us." she said.
"How do you know he didn't find out about it another way, and just doesn't want to tell us? You know how secretive he is..."
"Hmm..."
--
Goku and Bulma intently watched Cabesh being enveloped in Goku's Kamehameha. Krillin barely lifted his head to catch a glimpse; it was over...
That's what they thought.
They gawked in horror, as Cabesh wobbled to his feet, then stood strong for someone who just got ripped apart. His armor was torn, he had new wounds, blood flowing from the other ones, and his scouter was blown. He stared Goku in the eye with the angriest scowl.
"No way..." Goku said in disbelief. "How could he...?"
Krillin slowly pulled himself away from the livid Saiyan, mustering whatever strength he had left to move, while Bulma and Gohan trembled in fear, their hearts racing.
Cabesh took slow steps toward Goku. "Kakarot, you RAT!" he snarled. Though it was his own fault for playing around.
Goku had quite a fight on his hands, and it wasn't even close to being over. He slid the gi's short sleeves from his shoulders, then removed the blue shirt underneath, followed by his boots and wrist guards. Each one landed with a heavy thud, after being tossed aside.
"There, I feel much lighter now..." he spoke quietly.
"T-that's right..." Krillin uttered. "The weighted clothing..."
"No more fooling around..." Cabesh said. "I will kill you!"
"Let's finish this." Goku agreed.
"Be careful, Son!" Bulma hollered out to him.
"Don't let 'im whip you!" Krillin shouted weakly.
The next round began with both standing warriors engaging in more hand to hand combat, exchanging and matching blows. After taking off the weighted clothing, Goku's power rose by about a 1/3. Cabesh's was cut almost in half, due to his injuries. Their strength was more evenly matched now.
Goku swiftly alternated between throwing punches at his opponent, and catching them with his arms. The battle flowed along at an incredible speed, their movements but a blur to normal eyes.
Despite both fighter's powers being closer together, Cabesh proved he was still faster and stronger as he delivered a blow heavy enough to significantly weaken Goku. The said person landed on his hands then did a back spring, pushing forward with his feet the instant he landed. Cabesh stood firmly in defensive stance as he waited for him to get closer. Then timing it carefully, he threw his left fist full force.
Goku moved aside sharply, avoiding the oncoming attack, Cabesh quickly attacked with a roundhouse. Goku vanished then appeared behind him to attack, his opponent moved behind and pounded him. Goku picked himself up for the umpteenth time, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood that dribbled down his chin.
"Even with his power weaker, he's still too strong!" Goku said. "He's still fast too..." This battle would take more than just strength, he knew it the entire time, but even more so now. He needed to think fast, not knowing how much more he could hold out against the enemy.
"Why don't you just give up and die already?" Cabesh had become worn and impatient.
Without saying a word, Goku tensed up and charged him again. His opponent charged back and they both exchanged a new set of blows, dozens in only a second. They moved about the island, kicking up sand wherever they went. Bulma and Krillin took cover with Gohan and the unconscious Turtle-Hermit beside the house, which, strangely enough, the fighters never came near as opposed to the rest of the small land.
The Saiyans alternated between bouncing around the place and clashing in to each other, and engaging in more hand to hand combat. Cabesh still had the slight advantage, but Goku showed no sign of letting up. He charged at him again, beginning the next round of fighting.
"How do I get him to lower his guard...?" Goku thought, as he fought Cabesh back. "He's being extra careful now..."
Cabesh attacked with a roundhouse. Goku stared wide-eyed, the timing caught him off-guard. The kicked sliced right through him, leaving a distorted image.
"What's this?" Cabesh looked a bit surprised.
"An Afterimage Strike!" Krillin said.
Goku appeared behind Cabesh, then slammed him in the back with his elbow, forcing a chunk of saliva and traces of blood from the evil Saiyan's mouth.
"K-Kakarot!"
Goku didn't bother to stop after the last hit. He moved right on in for the next strike. Cabesh jumped aside and dodged the incoming hit, taking the opportunity to strike his opponent right after he missed. Goku countered with another Afterimage strike, repeating what he did last time. Cabesh vanished then reappeared behind Goku, turning the attack against him. Keeping a calm and serious face, Goku used a double Afterimage then jumped-kicked from behind. Cabesh used another roundhouse to make a quick turn and strike Goku in the process. The attacks from both sides landed at the same time, throwing both Saiyans back and giving them a mouthful of sand.
The two slowly stood to their feet, struggling to do so. Cabesh spit the fine grains from his mouth. Short of breath, he began to pant slightly, sweat pouring from his head and face.
Goku was in even worse shape, the last blow had taken more of a toll on him. His face was almost blue from the lack of oxygen. As hard as he tried, he couldn't keep this up for much longer.
"Son!" Bulma cried.
"Goku..." Krillin whispered, his voice tainted with hopelessness.
Tears spilled down Gohan's cheeks, as he started to whimper. "F-father...!" he choked. His little body tensed up as his anger began to rise.
--
Recovering from hideous injuries, a Saiyan warrior rested silently in a fluid-filled tank. His mind was haunted by visions of the future, and dreams of his youngest child, the son sent to a far away planet as an infant.
Kakarot.
Wh-Who are you?
But lately, nightmares began to fill his head, playing themselves over and over again like a record.
Father... You knew this was all going to happen, didn't you? With you... and with Planet Vegeta.
"K-Ka...Kakarot..."
--
"Ready to give up, Kakarot?" Cabesh taunted.
Goku gasped for air. "O-Over my d-dead body..."
The evil Saiyan chuckled. "You're actually kind of funny, kid... Alright then... Have it your way!" he rushed toward the weakened fighter.
"N-NO!" Goku shouted. He refused to give up, to let this guy win. But his energy was too depleted. "It's no use! I can't finish him all by myself... It's over!"
His friends watched in absolute horror, as they trembled and shook violently. Goku shut his eyes tightly, waiting to receive the finishing blow.
"Now!" a voice spoke from behind Kame House; someone had been hiding there. The voice leaped out into view, then charged Cabesh and knocked him flat with a kick.
Cabesh looked up at the person, his face took up a stunned expression.
Bulma's face turned pale and blue. "It...it...it's..."
Krillin couldn't speak, while Gohan held on to Bulma tightly.
Goku opened his eyes. "P-Piccolo!"
Piccolo looked to Goku. "Yes?"
Come on, you guys. Did you really think I'd kill off Piccolo? This is the longest chapter I've ever written, like, EVER! Was the length good enough? And were some areas too blobbly or redundant? Oh! And of course, the Saiyans! Did they pass as Saiyans? As usual, lemme know what you thought and everything!