Chapter 6: Hatsuko vs. Number 18

Hatsuko began to walk towards the exit of the waiting room in anticipation of the next match. Number 18 followed closely behind after receiving a 'good luck' from Krillin. The two women said nothing to one another.

"Now this is a match I'm excited to see! Two hot girls duking it out…doesn't get any better than that, does it?" Onpu asked loudly while nudging a nearby fighter in the shoulder. The fighter he was addressing seemed agitated.

"Young man, you need to learn some manners!" the fighter scolded in a booming voice. Upon hearing her speak, Onpu swallowed hard. He had assumed this person was a man, when in fact, he suddenly realized he was horribly mistaken. His face burned a bright crimson as he bowed apologetically.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am! It was just a joke! I'm sorry if I offended you!" he jabbered. The rotund woman let out a noise of disgust and headed towards the opposite side of the room. Onpu sat down against a wall and said nothing more.

"Alright, folks, are you ready for the second match?!" the announcer chimed. The audience responded by cheering just as enthusiastically as they had at 7 o'clock that morning. "Sounds good enough to me! Here are our next two fighters: Hatsuko and Ms. Number 18!"

Hatsuko and 18 stepped onto the platform side by side. Hatsuko concentrated on keeping her mind free of distraction, which was hard to do since she was well aware of Piccolo's stare. The announcer waited for the two fighters to bow to each other and then pointed his finger high above his head.

"Readyyyyy!! Fight!!"

Just as the announcer closed his mouth, the crowd roared with excitement. 18 and Hatsuko stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move.

* * *

In his room, Mr. Satan sipped an iced coffee delicately. He was reclined in a luxurious leather chair with his eyes on a flat screen TV monitor in front of him. When the camera did close-ups of the two women fighters, Satan spat out his coffee.

"Woww!! I'm glad I stayed in here! This is one fight that I need close-ups for! Hehehe…"

* * *

Hatsuko searched for 18's chi to no avail. She examined her body and her stance.

That's what I thought…

18 suddenly rushed Hatsuko at top speed. Just as 18 was about to collide with her, Hatsuko vanished. The crowd gasped. Hatsuko appeared in mid-air as she did a back flip and landed behind 18. 18 turned towards her opponent and stood still.

She's faster than I expected. I'm going to have to force her to go on the offensive so I can prepare myself better, she thought. Hatsuko understood what was happening almost immediately, so she rushed forward in controlled spurts of speed. She vanished again and reappeared above 18. Her leg swung into 18's arm. Immediately after the block, 18 landed a swift punch that met with air. Hatsuko had flipped again and kicked 18 in her side, sending her flying in a straight line towards the edge of the ring.

What speed… thought Piccolo as he watched in awe. Hatsuko's movements were broad and covered vast space, and yet she performed them quickly enough so that they did not hinder her.

Number 18 recovered quickly and sped in midair towards Hatsuko. She threw several kicks at her opponent that were blocked easily. Hatsuko rebutted with kicks from all directions. She changed position so quickly that 18 became disoriented. 18 received several blows to her core before she shot straight up into the air and retreated.

I didn't think I'd have to use my energy but it looks like I have no choice…this girl is way too fast for me. I just hope I don't hit the spectators… thought 18 as she raised her hand into the air. A white ball of energy collected inside of her palm instantly. Hatsuko's eyes widened as she braced herself. 18 sent the ball hurtling through the air. Hatsuko knew that she could not merely dodge the attack;she would have to deflect it so that no one else would get hit. She confidently stuck her hand out in front of her, locking her elbow. The blast collided and exploded in a flash of light. When the energy dissipated, Hatsuko was nowhere to be found.

Where did she go?! thought 18 in a panic. She whipped her head around several times, but saw nothing. The crowd murmured in confusion.

Back in the waiting room, Piccolo desperately tried to sense Hatsuko's chi. He felt nothing and was beginning to wonder if she had left the stadium.

Suddenly, an overwhelming force ripped through the air. Piccolo's eyes shot open as he felt Hatsuko's presence in its fullest form yet.

Woah! What power! Her chi flared from nothing to this? Impossible!

Just as Piccolo finished his thought, Hatsuko materialized behind 18. She swung her body around from its twisted position into a powerful kick that sent 18 hurtling through the air. When she recovered, 18 rushed her opponent head on. The two fighters met in midair and began to viciously throw attacks at each other. Their movements were a blur to the Z fighters, and all but invisible to the audience.

"I don't know about you folks, but this match is almost impossible to follow! All I know is, whenever we do see something, it's pretty spectacular!" the announcer commented awkwardly. The crowd stayed silent as they attempted to watch what they could not see.

The attacks subsided when a blinding white light burst upwards towards the sun. 18's blast had hit its target. Hatsuko skidded across the floor of the ring. When she came to a halt, she recovered and morphed her body into a low crouch. She held her composure as 18 charged again. Hatsuko's speed was no longer a secret. Now every bit of time she had to plan her movements was cut shorter. She waited until 18's nose almost touched her own, then swiftly hurled herself into the air with one hand. 18 followed her as soon as she realized what had happened.

As she pursued Hatsuko, 18 threw small chi blasts at her.

I guess since she isn't shooting energy back, she doesn't know how to. That's unfortunate for her, because my energy is unlimited, thought the cyborg haughtily. Hatsuko deflected the blasts erratically. One went zooming past 18 and headed straight for the crowd. She turned to look to where it was headed and realized it was about to hit the section where her daughter was sitting.

"Oh no! Marron!!" Number 18 gasped as she sent a chi blast through the air that collided with the first one, causing the two to explode just yards away from the crowd. Cries of fear sounded throughout the stadium. The announcer was running around frantically down below.

Those few seconds of distraction were all Hatsuko needed. She had reached 18 and positioned herself mid-rush so her torso was twisted to entrap her opponent with her legs. One leg swung over 18's head while the other remained on the opposite side of her body; both of them were rigidly straight.

"Shiza-katto…HAH!" Hatsuko yelled as she pulled the bottom half of her body back into alignment with her top half. This forceful process caused her legs to hit the back of 18's legs and her neck simultaneously. A loud crunching sound echoed off the walls of the stadium. The audience hushed as they watched the blonde fighter fall to the ground. Hatsuko flipped in midair and landed on her feet nimbly. The announcer stood in disbelief at the edge of the ring.

Hatsuko glared at him.

"Oh…right! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…9…10! Hatsuko is the winner!" he called. The crowd applauded uneasily.

She should still be okay… Hatsuko thought as she approached her opponent. She knelt down beside her and put her index and middle fingers to her throat.

There's still a pulse. She spread out her hand and wrapped her fingers around 18's neck.

What is going on? Piccolo thought anxiously as he tried to make sense of what Hatsuko was doing. Is she trying to strangle her?

"Hey, what the hell's going on?! What does she think she's doing?!" Krillin yelled frantically.

"I don't know…this match has been so weird…" Goku answered as he stared blankly at the two fighters.

18's eyes opened slowly. She felt Hatsuko's grip on her neck loosen. Hatsuko bent down and put her mouth to 18's ear.

"You're gonna be fine. You fought very well. Send Dr. Gero my regards."

Hatsuko got up and left 18. She walked into the waiting room and immediately approached Krillin.

"You and your wife are extraordinary fighters. You should be very proud." She ended her compliment with a deep bow. When she straightened up, she saw Piccolo staring at her with his teeth clenched.

Demon… she thought angrily.

Piccolo's muscles tightened as Hatsuko's expression darkened in response to his. Her eyebrows pulled downwards, wrinkling her forehead. Her nostrils flared and her mouth straightened itself into a line. Her chi heightened in intensity. He felt its pull on his like the force of a magnet. A rose colored aura surrounded Hatsuko's body and pulsated around her like a heartbeat.