Chapter 21: Evil Reawakened
"Oh, it was horrible!" Benny Breeze whimpered, "I thought for sure I was dead!"
"Calm down man, just breathe," Zack Zap said, patting Benny on the back.
I watched Zen as he prepared to take off. He went super saiyan immediately, taking no chances.
"Zen, watch out, he'll be stronger now, you know that," I said.
"I know, that's what concerns me. If he thinks he's stronger than me, which he's not, than who knows what he'll try to do," Zen said.
"Zen, let me go with you," I said.
"Sorry, that won't be necessary," Zen began, "No, you see, you thought it would be fucking brilliant to whisk Xendo and yourself off to some far away magical land, full of magical, colorful, talking ponies, from a fucking children's show!"
I stood there almost shocked at Zen.
"W-what? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" I asked.
"It means, you don't get to join me this time! You're not the best fighter, nor the best strategist, and on top of that you forget your most basic skills and instincts during battle or any stressing situation, so you stay the fuck here, and don't fucking leave!" Zen yelled before blasting off.
I turned to Benny Breeze and Zack Zap who were standing there silently, stunned.
"Guys, I," I started.
"Dako, go with him," Benny Breeze said.
"Fuck what he said, go with him, he'll only end up needing you," Zack Zap said.
I turned to face the center of Austin, transforming into a super saiyan.
"Wait!" Benny Breeze shouted, "don't forget these."
I turned back around. Benny Breeze handed me a couple of the senzu beans Applejack gave him.
"Thanks, I guess Zen doesn't realize I'm a lot stronger now too," I said.
I turned back around and took off, shooting high up over Austin. I looked all around, all over the city. Every single building and street glowed brightly in the night. I could see everything for miles, but I couldn't see where Zen went, or where Xendo was.
Despite this I took off as fast as I could, flying over the city, hoping Xendo would reveal himself to me. I was hoping that I wouldn't find him by the light of an explosion though, I was really hoping that I could find him and Zen in the middle of a fight instead.
I kept flying along, scanning the streets and the sky. I suddenly remembered Zen, how he yelled at me about forgetting my skills and instinct. I stopped mid-air and shut my eyes.
"Come on, come on Dako, remember, sense his energy," I said to myself.
I tightly shut my eyes, trying to block everything else out, and tried to focus on their energy. I took a couple of deep breaths, and begin to feel it, like a weak ray of sunlight beaming down on me that soon grew into an intense heat as though it came from a wildfire.
I opened my eyes and turned to face a direction towards my right. I took off at full speed flying straight for what I recognized as the capitol building.
"Oh shit," I said feeling dread, "here we go, shit's gotten real again, too real."
As I closed in on the capitol, I noticed the hundreds of flashing red and blue lights circling the capitol, and to figures standing on the main path to the building. I quickly closed in, ready to strike, but I quickly and fiercely slowed down, stopping in seconds to hover over the action and wait. From above I could hear the two talking.
"I'm telling you, you keep this shit up and you won't like where it takes you," Zen said firmly.
"Oh really now?" Xendo cackled, "Why is that? Is it because you think you can stop me? Or is it because I'll doing bad and hurting good people?"
"Damn it pal, listen to me! I don't want you to make me do something I don't want to! Now maybe we can come to an agreement, you leave our planet and never come back, or I take you down! So what'll it be?"
"You silly, poor, blind fool! Do you really think I can be scared or talked into some sort of truce? I am a general! I fear no one, and I take orders from no one either!" Xendo shouted with authority.
"Alright, have it your way, King Arrogance!" Zen yelled, lunging at Xendo.
The fight was on as Zen and Xendo clashed in a blur of kicks and punches, darting from one spot to the next, breaking through the restless city noises with the sounds of their impacts on one another, loud cracks and pops echoing off the sides of tall buildings all around.
I watched as the two began to climb, darting left and right as they began to make their way high up above the capitol in a zigzag line. I looked down at my hand, looking at the last couple of senzu beans. I gripped the pouch tightly, tucking it into my belt.
"This is it," I said to myself softly, "It's time to man up. Time to stop being scared. Time to believe in myself damn it! Fuck being weak, fuck being scared, or not wanting to fight. Fuck the pain! I am a saiyan! And I will not let him beat me or push me around or hurt my friends or any of these innocent people!"
I flared up my aura brightly and violently. I took a deep breath, focusing my ki. I tilted my head back, continuing to flare my aura brighter and brighter, and let out a powerful scream at the top of my lungs. It was more like a roar, a roar of anger, of determined confidence, and authentic courage and bravery. I could feel my power skyrocketing as I continued to power up, flexing my muscles tightly, clenching my fists. I heard glass shattering down below me and car horns and alarms going off. I looked down to see that was beginning to light up the ground with my aura. I looked back up to see Xendo and Zen floating still, staring at me.
I slowly drifted toward them, staring coldly at Xendo, remembering how our very first fight went down. How much I wanted to take his life, the unfaltering concentration I had then. I remembered how much my instincts that I had tried to suppress for most of my life had shown themselves that day.
"Well well, look who decided to show up," Xendo laughed, "and who decided to let loose."
"Dako, what did I tell you," Zen began.
"I know what you said Zen, but you're wrong, what you said doesn't apply anymore," I said in a low tone.
"Excuse me Mr. Big-shot," Zen said, "when in the hell did you decide to act so tough?"
"The minute I remembered my responsibility, and everyone who counted on me," I said.
"That's all very, very inspiring, and touching really. But I'm afraid big talk won't help you defeat me," Xendo said, clapping slowly.
"Then what will? Your big mouth getting the better of you?" I said.
Xendo shifted, anger building in his face. He glared straight at me.
"Alright you miserable bug," Xendo grumbled, "You want to fight me?"
"Whoa, Dako, no, I'm ordering you to stay out of this!" Zen shouted at me.
"Sorry Zen, this is my thing, between me and him. This all started before I met you, and I want to finish it once and for all," I said.
"Holy shit! Are you fucking deaf! No god damn it! Let me handle this!" Zen screamed, starting to get furious.
"Why, if this is what he wants then what does it matter," Xendo said, cracking the joints in his neck.
"I'm sorry Zen, I hope you'll understand, so hear me out. He threatened me and my friends, and all of their loved ones. He threatened my home, the place and people I vowed to personally protect! He put thousands in danger and he hurt the one I loved most!" I began, "And when it all comes down to it, I get denied my chance to prove myself, and get my revenge!"
Zen stared at me, beginning to cool down as he listened. I felt my eyes starting to water, remembering the events of that day.
"And after everything I fought for, everyone I fought for, what do I get? A "Sorry, you gotta go for roughhousing", and not even a thank you?" I said, my throat feeling sore and swollen, a tear running down my face, "And for a year I didn't get a single night of sleep, nothing but nightmares every night until the day came that I got to return! But now what haunted me the most, the feeling that I let everyone down! And now is my chance to get all of that back, now I can redeem myslef!"
Xendo was roaring with laughter now, as Zen just floated there with a blank expression.
"This is wonderful! Absolutely entertaining!" Xendo howled with laughter.
"Dako," Zen began, "I understand what you're saying. But god damn it if this about some bullshit you feel you need to settle or some petty revenge..."
"Zen, it's more than that, it's my pride. It's my instincts that I've tried to ignore and hide. The instincts that make me who I am no matter how much I've tried to deny them in the past," I said, "I have to do this whether you think it's meaningless or for revenge or not. It's a part of me as a saiyan and who I am as a person. It's win or lose."
Xendo began laughing loudly again, doubling over slapping his knees in laughter.
"Oh my, this is too much! I don't even know what to say about this, the absurdity!" Xendo cackled.
"Fine Dako," Zen began, "I'll let you have this, but if things get out of hand, out of your hand, I will step in whether you like it or not."
I almost didn't believe what I heard. I was shocked at how quickly Zen backed down.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes," Zen said, "but promise me damn it that you won't hold anything back, the city be damned, that's what insurance is for. Okay? Don't worry about the collateral damage, just promise that you'll kick the shit outta him okay? You hear me? No matter what happens, do not quit until one of you can't move a single fuckin' muscle, and you make sure that it's him."
Zen powered down in a burst of air and flash of aura as his eyes and hair both faded out back to jet black.
"Remember what I said, I will step in, don't think I'm kidding," Zen said as he slowly sank to the ground below.
I watched as he set down on the concrete below, crossing his arms in front of his chest, staring up at us. I looked back to Xendo who wore a wide, sinister smile.
"How nice," He chuckled lightly, "your friend has left you die. Oh well, I can't blame him."
"Listen asshole, how about we cut to the chase?" I asked.
Xendo floated in front of me, tensing up into his fighting stance, his aura flaring up.
"Very well, I do have other things to do, I might as well kill you and get it out of the way," Xendo said.
In a flash rushed over to Xendo, spinning around and kicking him right across the face with my right leg, following through with a left punch right into his stomach. As I began to swing with my right he punched me across the left side of my face. Now the fight was finally on. We began our full out barrage, swinging and punching and kicking at the speed of sound.
As we fought, swinging and dodging at blurring speeds we zipped back and forth across the sky. As we threw ourselves away from each other we both flared our auras as we took off again for each other, clashing in the middle with a loud boom. I cocked back my right arm and surrounded my fist with energy. As I punched Xendo in the face there was a powerful explosion on impact, sending him flying towards the ground. I quickly followed after him. He flipped himself upright, landing on the concrete on his feet, leaping backward behind him as I slammed my foot into the concrete, missing him.
He grabbed a parked police cruiser and tossed it at me. I raised my hand and fired two blasts, blowing the car out of the air as I took off for Xendo. He flew straight into the city, weaving through and between buildings. I quickly flew around the backside of a building, circling around to ambush Xendo, kicking him in the side of his face, sending him flying into the corner of a building, shattering the concrete and throwing out a cloud of dust.
I flew straight at him, my arms outstretched in front of me as I tackled him through the wall and into building. We flew through the walls of offices and rooms, tearing through furniture, concrete, and rebar, exiting the other side of the building. Xendo plummeted toward the street as I landed on his chest, pushing him into the asphalt. I jumped up off of him and landed near a streetlight pole, effortlessly ripping it off of it's base. As Xendo leapt to his feet I swung the pole at him. He ducked, the pole flying over his head, ripping the roof off of a parked car next to me as the pole continued swinging on it's path.
Xendo flew straight at me, grabbing my arm and slinging me into a row of parked cars in a parking lot across the street. As a ripped through steel and glass I could feel fresh cuts being sliced into my skin, cars alarms going off and the sound or metal creaking and twisting. I landed on the ground on my feet and took off straight into the sky, firing five energy blasts at Xendo, blowing up a car and destroying most of the road in the blast, filling the air with dust and smoke. Xendo shot out of the cloud at full speed, slamming into me, as he wrapped his arms around me in a lock.
He flew straight through two tall buildings, let me go upon exiting the second building. As I slammed into and bounced off a third building, barely landing on the ground on my feet, I looked up to see the debris and destruction raining down from the Frost Bank tower in front of me. A huge explosion echoed through the streets as I saw Xendo flying downward straight at me from directly above, blowing out windows as he passed, traveling at supersonic speed.
I jumped and rolled to the side as Xendo slammed into the street, forcing a huge crater into the street, ejecting dirt, gravel, and huge chunks of asphalt and concrete in all directions. As he jumped out of the crater, leaping for me, I flew straight for him, firing a single blast at his chest. He swatted the blast aside, sending into the side of a building as it exploded on impact, just before I tossed an uppercut right into his jaw, sending him backward as I resumed our punching frenzy from before. I threw punch after punch, shouting with fury, sending one final kick in the stomach.
As Xendo drifted back, trying to recover, he swung his arm across firing energy blasts in all directions. I barely dodged one as I flipped over it watching it fly off into the side of a hotel, exploding powerfully, a noticeable shock-wave hitting me. I put arms up, blocking my face as Xendo rushed me, returning the relentless onslaught of punches. He finished by firing a blast right at my arms. The explosion threw me back as I landed in the street, standing as I saw Xendo land on the same street, about a block away.
As I stood in the intersection, watching Xendo stand there a block away, just staring at me, I felt the pain for the first time. I looked at my clothing, which was already damaged from the earlier fight, but now looked almost completely destroyed. I looked at my arms and hands and the blood and cuts that covered them. I began pulling small pieces of glass and metal out of my arms. I did the same to my legs as I looked down and noticed the blood everywhere. I heard Xendo laughing loudly all the way down the street.
"So! Ready to give up!?" Xendo shouted.
"Not even in your dreams!" I yelled back.
I saw a cloud of dust erupt around him as he took off for me. He straight for me as I crouched down, jumping straight up into the air at the last second as he flew under me. I took off as fast as I could to my left, trying to lead him out of Austin.
I shot down a road leading through the center of Austin, hoping to find a way out. As a reached the bridge crossing the river I was suddenly tackled by Xendo, sending me straight into the water at probably 400 mph. I shot straight down, hitting the muddy bottom and sliding a bit. I opened my eyes, looking around a bit, but I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face it was so dark. I held out my and lit up a ball of energy. I turned around slowly, trying to peer through the dark when Xendo jumped out of the darkness and punched me straight in the face. I fell back, slowly landing on the muddy bottom as I let out half a breath of air in pain. As I tried to stand up underwater I was tackled yet again and wrestled to the riverbed.
As Xendo wrapped his hands around my throat, forcing me to the bottom, I grabbed his wrists. I struggled and pulled as hard as I could, and began kicking in a panic. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't drown with his tight grip on my neck, but I was getting lightheaded as the oxygen in my lungs began to run out, and as the blood to my brain was being cut off. I slowly started to let go, and let my eyes roll back into my head. But before I let go I remembered what I wanted most, I remembered what Zen told me, and I wasn't about to give up yet.
I flared up my aura as much as I could, and blasted off of the muddy bottom with all my might. I broke free of Xendo's grip and erupted out of the water, sending mist and spray high into the sky as I coughed and gagged for air, catching my breath and relieving my burning lungs. Xendo shout out of the water flying after me. I took off back into Austin, hoping that if I made it to dry ground I could reduce my chances of drowning. I headed back towards the center of Austin when Xendo just flashed right in front of me. I stopped suddenly and turned to my right to see him flash back in front of me. I turned all the way behind me and saw him reappear.
"It's the end of the line Dako, there's no where to run now," Xendo said menacingly.
I floated there, somewhat thinking of what to do, mostly just waiting for him to make the next strike. As I waited I kept going over myself mentally, going through a checklist over the condition of my body. I was bleeding from several spots on my arms, legs, and my back. I felt bruised pretty much everywhere, and all in all, I was starting to get tired again.
I quickly turned my head to the left as I heard a quick, low, thumping sound through the air. Around the corner came a news helicopter, and two others from my right. Almost in unison all three helicopters turned on their spotlights, lighting me and Xendo up clearly for everyone to see.
"Oh dear, when will they learn not to interfere?" Xendo said, outstretching his arms at his sides.
I tensed up, quickly trying to pump up my energy like a capacitor and let it out with explosive speed.
"Folks! This concludes tonight's program! Thank you for tuning in," Xendo said as a bright orb of energy began glowing in each hand.
In a flash, I twisted around, stretching my right arm for him, and fired a powerful beam of energy straight at him. As the beam made impact right in his chest it through him back so hard that his arms swung forward so that he fired his attack right at me. As the two orbs closed in I blasted each one out of the sky before blasting off towards Xendo.
Xendo quickly recovered and was now flying straight for me as well. I cocked back my right fist, ready to make a colossal swing as soon as we came at each other. As soon as we clashed I faked him out and kicked him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him just before I punched him straight in the face. I gritted my teeth and began fiercely swinging and punching him everywhere I could as fast as I could. Each impact making a loud popping sound like a gunshot. I noticed as my assault went on, I was forcing him closer and closer to a nearby building. I let of for a fraction of a second, then kicked as hard as I could, right in his stomach, sending him flying straight into the building.
As he entered the side of the building there was a loud crashing and crumbling sound as glass and concrete shattered, snapping steel rebar and breaking pipes. A large cloud of dust rose up from the hole he made. I floated there, waiting for him to get back up, staring at the hole in the side of the building, not knowing what he was doing. I quickly started powering up again, building as much energy as possible. My aura flared violently as I pushed higher and higher.
As I continued pushing I saw windows in the entire building shatter. Car alarms from parked cars went off from several blocks away. A huge explosion from within shattered the windows on surrounding buildings and cars. Streetlights flickered before blowing out a rain of blue sparks and glass. The roof of the building exploded as a huge plume of dust and smoke erupted high into the sky, throwing chunks of building and concrete like pebbles. Fire hydrants on street corners begin popping off of their bolts, spraying water into the air as the fire hydrants themselves were launched like missiles.
Slowly, a bright glow rose out of the building, shining brilliantly through the thick smoke and dust rising from the building. Xendo slowly drifted forward, coming out of the plume, glowing intensely, with a very angry look on his face.
"So this is how it must be," he shouted from far away, "You've pushed me Dako, and now you're gonna regret it."
I floated there, continuing to power up with all my might, trying to pack in more energy quicker and quicker.
"I hope for your sake that at this point you realize I wasn't using my full power. After that marvelous bean that restored my strength increased my power, I didn't even need to try to keep up with you," Xendo spoke angrily, "but it seems you weren't happy with that, you had to have more!"
"Genius, if you haven't noticed, I had one of those beans too," I said, "how do you think I'm even alive right now. I'll admit, you almost killed me."
"Well then," Xendo said, "allow me to finish the job."
Xendo took off in a huge blast, breaking the sound barrier instantaneously. He yelled out a battle-cry as he flew at me, slamming his knee into my stomach. As I was knocked back I quickly put on the brakes, blasting off back towards him. I threw several blasts of energy at him only to see each one smacked out of his way. I used every ounce of energy I had built up as I began attacking, swinging at lightning speed, beginning to match his own speed.
Finally it was on, me and Xendo were now trying to violently knock the shit out of each other. No more running around. No more games. It was just me and him, and the entire city of Austin at our mercy.