Chapter 20: Boo Awakens
Bobbidi's grin spread across his hairy face as he watched Vegeta writhe in agony. That's it. Succumb to my spell, you worm!
Vegeta's hands clawed at his temple as he tried to gain control of his thoughts. Visions of great power overcoming his body taunted him. Goku's face entered his mind and snickered at him. He knew none of these images were based in reality, but their effect on his heart was shattering. If I give in to this, I will be strong enough to defeat him after all…
Finally, Bobbidi felt his control over Vegeta establish itself. He was able to hear the Saiyan's thoughts and understand his feelings. His hands lowered from their positions as he relaxed. He spoke to Vegeta through telepathy quickly to establish his dominance.
Welcome to the Majin team, Vegeta. I trust you will notice that your power has increased significantly. You're welcome. I can see that you harbor wishes of vengeance. If you do my bidding, you will have all the power you need to destroy your foe and more. You should also rest assured that you will be the reason my father's creation, Boo, will be resurrected. For that, you will be greatly rewarded as we all take control over this world together. If you remain loyal, we may even take on other worlds too! There could be no limit to our influence!
Vegeta's head lay in his hands as his body adjusted to the amount of chi it just acquired. He felt his muscles spasm slightly and he perspired profusely from the amount of heat they were generating. This chi…it's amazing. He lifted his head and focused on the figure that spoke to him. His vision was crystal clear, as if he had gone Super Saiyan.
"If I wish to do your bidding, I will, you strange insect. I'm not sure how you managed to increase my strength, but I'm not going to question it. If you don't mind, I'll be leaving now. Try to stop me, and you'll die." As Vegeta turned around, he came face to face with the towering red monster from earlier. In response, he ascended to the first Super Saiyan level quicker than he ever had before. In the monster's gleaming pupils, he noticed that his own forehead bore an M marking. He raised an eyebrow.
"That sentiment was extended to you as well, creature. Step aside and let me go," Vegeta said quietly.
Dabra placed his hand on Vegeta's chest forcefully and chuckled.
"Nice try, my friend, but your free will is gone now. Once you give yourself over to Bobbidi, you become a part of our collective consciousness. Our goal is to revive an all-powerful djinn. If you behave, you will be well rewarded," Dabra said with a smirk. He glanced over at his master as if he was expecting something. He saw Bobbidi grin devilishly.
"Show me what you can do, warrior," he sneered. Dabra's body tensed. What does he mean?
Vegeta responded to Bobbidi's command by grabbing Dabra's shoulder and slamming a knee into his stomach. Dabra, mouth agape, gasped for air as blood trickled down his chin. He could not move his body. Vegeta took Dabra with both hands and forced his body upwards. Once airborne, Dabra pleaded with his master in his mind to have mercy. He had never been overpowered so easily in his life. He was the king of the Demon Realm and always demanded respect.
"It's no use now. Farewell," said Vegeta to himself. He sent a powerful golden blast of chi that blew Dabra's body into a thousand pieces. As a cloud of dust settled around him, Vegeta turned to face his new "master". He smirked.
You might think that you have complete control over me, but you don't. You never will. No one can overcome my pride. I'll play your little game a while longer for this gift of energy you've given me. However, know that you've sealed your fate. As soon as I can, I will finish what I started and defeat Kakarrot once and for all. Not even your magic can stop me.
Goku, Piccolo and Gohan all exclaimed simultaneously when they felt Vegeta's chi surge. Piccolo turned to Goku in a panic.
"It's Vegeta! What if he and the warlock have met? We're all done for!" he said, his voice breaking.
"I know, I'm sure that's what happened. We need to go now before things get worse," Goku replied. He turned to Kaio-shin and Kibito. "Can we go down now? You said you wanted to see what we were up against. If we hurry, maybe we can make it before they awaken Boo. I know all of us can defeat Vegeta if we fight him at max power."
"Of course. Dende, will you tell the girl to come to you? That way, when and if she is able, she can come to our location. And Kibito, I need you to stay here to evaluate her. If she seems willing and able to fight, either bring her to us or wait until we return. If luck is on our side, we will be back before long," Kaio-shin said. Dende frowned and nodded. Kibito looked at Kaio-shin, confirming via telepathy.
"Yes, Kaio-shin, I will. All of you please be careful. Come back if the situation is too dangerous. We can't have any of you dying." Dende locked eyes with all the warriors who were poised to take off. All but 18 nodded in response.
"Be back soon," said Goku. Then, in an instant, he and the others were gone.
Hatsuko leaned over Dr. Briefs's shoulder to get a better look at the microscope he was using. Her already heavy eyes squinted as she gazed into the eyepiece.
"You see those things there? That's a virus. I don't know what virus exactly, though," Dr. Briefs said. "I would assume that's the one that killed your parents, but I need to identify it first. Also, if you notice, your blood is behaving…strange," he trailed off. Hatsuko looked up and faced him.
"I see what you mean," she replied. "I've never actually known my blood type or seen it under a microscope like this before. I know my father has, but he never said why he looked at it. I always assumed he was just curious. He used to place anything and everything under a lens to get a better look at it."
Why would there be that many blood cells in my body? They also seemed to be moving way too fast…
"I know what you're thinking, and I agree. Your cells seem highly oxygenated, which is good. You are an athlete, of course, but the level these cells are performing is abnormal for a human," Dr. Briefs said as he locked eyes with Hatsuko quizzically.
Hatsuko flushed. Could it be? Was Dad purposefully hiding this from me?
"You know, Hatsuko, we all thought Goku was a normal human child when we met him. Only years later, when he proved to be able to surpass the human physical limit did we realize he was different. Perhaps that is the case with you as well. It honestly wouldn't surprise me with all the things I have encountered in my lifetime. That does seem to be something your father would want to keep from you until you were old enough to understand," he said as he reclined in his chair. He popped a cigarette into his mouth and lit it.
"Me? It's insane, but I wouldn't rule it out, I suppose. After all, I am adopted. I've known that for a long time now," Hatsuko replied, placing her chin in her hand.
"Well, then, there you have it!" said Dr. Briefs, as the cigarette bounced slightly. "You're an alien, or, at the very least, some sort of science experiment like those androids!"
Hatsuko's skin crawled at the suggestion that she was a robot. Let's hope not.
Hatsuko! It's Dende. Can you hear me?
The faint sound of Dende's voice echoed in Hatsuko's mind, startling her. She turned her nose to the ground.
Yes, Dende? I'm at Capsule Corp, she thought in reply. Dr. Briefs noticed she had fallen silent.
"My Dear, Is everything alright?" he asked, pulling himself up in his chair.
Hatsuko nodded curtly and concentrated.
Listen. I need you to come back to the Look Out as soon as you can. There's an emergency and the well being of the planet is at stake. The other fighters have assembled to try to exterminate a threat. They are being led by the great Kaio-shin, the protector of the eastern worlds. I don't expect you to fully understand all of this, but I just needed to ask for your help. You would be a great asset to our team. Also, Kaio-shin's apprentice, Kibito, would like to ask you some questions. Not to worry though, you are in good company here.
Hatsuko's eye twitched as she struggled to understand what Dende was saying.
I'll be right there.
"Dr. Briefs, I'm so sorry, but I must go. I'm being summoned to help Goku and the others," she said, a drop of sweat rolling down her cheek.
Dr. Briefs nodded. "Of course; I had a feeling that was going to happen sooner or later. Well, my dear it was a pleasure. I hope that you will visit again so we can piece together this puzzle. But, perhaps one of Goku's friends can give you some advice or answers to our questions. They know more about the spiritual world than I do, and the answer may lie there," he said as he shook Hatsuko's hand.
As Dr. Briefs pulled away from the handshake, his monitor alerted him of a call with a beeping sound.
"Accept," he commanded. The monitor revealed Bulma's worried face in the cockpit of her ship.
"Dad! The earth is in danger. You and Mom have to come to my location now!" she yelled frantically. "There's a monster and Vegeta is missing and they think he's in trouble!" As Bulma ended her explanation, she started to tear.
"Sweetie, I understand, but there's no way we can gather all the animals up into the ship we have here. Don't fret. If everyone perishes, just bring us back with those trusty Dragonballs," he said, his eyes twinkling.
For a scientist, he places a lot of faith in things he doesn't understand. Hatsuko thought as she smiled. She waved to Dr. Briefs and Bulma.
"See you again, Dr. Briefs. I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure we will keep you and the family safe. See you soon, Bulma!" Hatsuko bowed and ran towards the door. She heard Bulma ask her father a question and he responded with a laugh.
Goku, Piccolo, 18, Trunks, Goten and Gohan raced towards Vegeta's energy, which had become increasingly unstable and powerful. Kaio-shin kept up with them, searching for Boo's presence.
"I don't detect Boo, but I detect Bobbidi and who you call Vegeta," Kaio-shin said, projecting his voice so everyone could hear. "When we arrive at the scene, everyone needs to immediately suppress their chi so we aren't detected. In order to assess the situation, we have to be careful. Boo is extremely volatile and can kill with little to no warning."
Piccolo's heart skipped a beat. This Boo monster seems to be the most dangerous foe we've encountered. Anything to make Kaio-shin this worried must be capable of besting even Goku.
As the group sensed they were closing in, Goku directed them to a nearby rock formation. "Let's hide here," he called to them. The fighters followed suit and all found crevices to rest in. They all peered over the edge of the rocks into a giant patch of flattened earth. In the center lay the entrance to a structure, either a cave or ship. The size seemed too small to be able to clear all the surrounding land.
"Of course, Bobbidi's ship is underground," Kaio-shin concluded quietly. Gohan turned to him in surprise.
"His ship is larger than this?" he asked.
"Yes, indeed. It's got to be bigger. Bobbidi needs to store his equipment for reviving Boo. Believe me, that entrance is just the beginning. We mustn't enter it, no matter what. If we stay together, we will be okay," he assured. His worried expression wasn't lost on anyone, however.
"Look! It's my Dad!" exclaimed Trunks. Piccolo turned to him quickly and motioned for him to be quiet, gritting his teeth nervously.
Vegeta emerged from the ship, enshrouded by a colorless aura that pulled at the air. His face was blank and he stared ahead at nothing in particular. Nearby lay Dabra's remains.
Bobbidi followed him and began to laugh, his shrill voice echoing off the rocks.
"Well, Vegeta, it's finally done! I never dreamed I would reach the energy levels I needed so quickly! It's only a matter of minutes now, and Boo will be awake once more!"
Vegeta said nothing, but instead fixed his eyes on the rock formation where the others were hiding. He smirked. Kakarrot.
Kaio-shin shuddered. "Oh no, he's spotted us. Everyone, stand your ground. We must be prepared when Boo awakens or we have no chance. We must spare the warlock, however. If he dies, we can never seal Boo away again. If we are fortunate, Bobbidi won't be able to handle him and decide to put Boo away forever."
Goku glanced at Kaio-shin frantically. "But, Kaio-shin, what do we do about Vegeta? Is he under a spell? What does that mean?"
"It's too late for him, Goku. I'm sorry, but he must die," Kaio-shin replied flatly.
Trunks exploded with anger. "No! I won't help you guys kill my Dad! He's going to be fine, you'll see! We can help him, right, Goten?" He turned to his friend.
"Yeah! I'll help you, Trunks!" Goten said with confidence.
"No, boys, it's no use! Vegeta has come under Bobbidi's power! He will try to kill us all if Bobbidi wishes it! All we can do is hope the warlock doesn't see us," Kaio-shin said as he clapped a hand over Trunks' mouth.
I know you're all there, idiots. Once this Boo monster comes to life, I'm going to leave this magician and come for you. I have no need for his assistance any longer. Vegeta kept his gaze locked on the rocks before him, not moving a muscle.
Behind him, the ship began to emit billowing clouds of white smoke. Bobbidi laughed hysterically as he watched.
"No. It's happening," muttered Kaio-shin.