I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 48: Agent
A large brown boulder was suddenly smashed apart by a lighter colored fist. Its owner snarled in frustration as she had missed her intended target by quite a bit. Lenz glared daggers at Piccolo, who landed nearby.
"You're losing your patience again, even faster than yesterday. Losing your patience will only cause you to waste your energy," he explained.
Lenz merely growled back, "Oh zip it!"
"You'll have to make me girl. Remember, you can't turn Super Saiyan, or else we switch," Piccolo reminded.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it!" she shouted back. Piccolo smirked as Lenz prepared to charge him again. He knew she was literally dying to transform so she could try to match him fully, but that would have defeated the purpose of the exercise. He honestly didn't know what she was most upset about, the fact that she was forbidden to transform, or that Verto suggested it. The deal was that if she did decide to power up all the way, Verto would spar with her instead. Though in this case, it was evading, not sparring. Lenz already had a good idea about what trying to catch Verto was like, so she accepted the agreement. While she probably thought of this as a stupid game to match her against clearly stronger opponents, that wasn't the true purpose. It was an effort to increase her reaction time and an alternate way to teach her patience. They had tried focus meditation, but she had already shown many times that she couldn't stay focused for more than a few minutes. Verto had claimed that she performed better in actual combat simulation rather than relaxed sessions, so they agreed on this exercise instead. Her reaction time was surprisingly slow for a Super Saiyan at her level. It was made very clear once Piccolo knocked her out after only four of his maneuvers with minimal power. It had been partially her fault when she claimed she could beat the mighty Namek in three moves without any effort. She had a much better view of things after she woke up, even though she was furious. Verto blamed it on Vegeta's brutal training, though Piccolo thought she was only distracted, which she was.
She needs to keep her focus on her opponent and not elsewhere. It's obvious that she's trying too hard. Piccolo understood why, and figured that the reason for this lack of focus was a fear of disappointing Verto, who had put a truckload of confidence into her latent energy. Piccolo shook his head slightly as he glided backwards in the air, stealing a glance at the smaller boy on the ground. He was currently meditating, or so it seemed. The gentle and occasionally brisk breeze that flowed through the bushes said otherwise. Piccolo could barely sense anything past a subtle distortion, but nothing subtle will deflect rogue energy blasts that come flying out of the blue. Nor does it leave small scorch marks in the grass much like a lightning strike. More than once Piccolo noticed his mood darken, which caused any animals nearby to quickly scatter as a result. Piccolo knew what Verto was trying to do, even though he disagreed with it. He was trying to continuously control the depths of his raging spirit energy. While Piccolo couldn't sense the energy, other signs told him when he got close to releasing it. For one, Lenz would take notice with extreme concern, which added to her distractions. There was also a significant heat burst when Verto began to channel it, and the area would start to glow red. Whenever Verto got very close to the breaking point, his ki would spike suddenly, and the entire area would cool off almost instantly as a result.
Piccolo couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, That power isn't like the Super Saiyan, at least not like we're used to. I doubt he'll ever be able to fully control it because of his ki. May the gods help us if he ever does. Piccolo had noticed one minor change that went along with this training; Verto's eyes had the tendency to shift from blue to red when he was agitated or angry. In most situations, all this earned was a rude comment or two, which was nothing out of the ordinary. It didn't release the terrible Psionic energy, but it did alarm anyone nearby who knew about it. Nor did it happen when he was powered up unless he was trying to dig at his power again; it only happened when he was at rest. That made Piccolo feel about as relieved as he was ever going to get.
Several days passed quickly in this way. On the seventh day, Piccolo took Lenz out to the desert so Verto could have some peace and quiet. The boy had been especially winded when he turned in the night prior. He claimed that it wasn't due to the negative energy he was trying to channel, even though he had been attempting it most of that day. Piccolo wasn't so sure, Verto hadn't been saying much to either of them the whole week. He was tired for most of the week, even if he hadn't been exerting himself physically. Piccolo wouldn't have left if he knew what would transpire that day. They had just finished warming up when Piccolo first sensed the intruder.
"So, can I at least try to take you on at full power this time? Little brother isn't here after all, and it would be nice to see if I actually made progress before he wakes up," Lenz suggested. Piccolo didn't answer as his ears twitched just a bit and he looked towards the northern skies, just to Lenz's right.
"Hello? I know you heard me!" Lenz raised her voice.
"Quiet girl! I sense something coming this way," Piccolo replied.
"He sure didn't give us long, I figured he would eat before coming out here to watch," Lenz grumbled.
"It's not Verto," Piccolo said.
"It isn't? Feels kinda like him. Well, when he's in a good mood, that's never. I guess you're right, I still feel him over there," Lenz agreed as she pointed to the east. Piccolo's eyes narrowed at her vague observation, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. A bright white vapor trail soon came into view, and the only part of its owner that looked like Verto was the humanoid appearance. He landed gracefully before casting dark, yet seasoned purple eyes towards Piccolo and Lenz. He had long blue hair over lightly pale skin. His outfit consisted of long purple robes covering a white tunic and black pants. At his side was a medium sized sheathed sword that seemed to glow with energy.
"Who is this guy? Kinda cute, but creepy," Lenz noted.
"I don't know. Who are you and what is your business here?" Piccolo asked the newcomer. The man's eyes widened just as Piccolo felt a portion of his energy. It had the Namek shaking just a bit before he even answered.
"Good afternoon, my name is…" the man began.
"It's morning here, idiot," Lenz muttered aloud.
"Lenz!" Piccolo scolded.
"Hmph, no manners, but I didn't expect any. I trust you are Kami? Or do you prefer to be called Piccolo now?" The newcomer demeanor was very calm and soft-spoken, which barely made Piccolo breathe easier after he felt the initial energy surge.
"The latter. Who are you?" Piccolo repeated.
"My true name is hard to pronounce in your common tongue. The rough translation is Etarb Erec, or just Etarb for short."
Lenz snorted, "Maybe retard fits you better!" Piccolo growled a warning, but Etarb beat him to it.
"Know your place girl. Especially in unknown contact situations which may see your life on the line," Etarb suggested.
"Hmph, like you're a threat, pretty-boy."
"Lenz! Knock it off!" Piccolo ordered.
"You really should listen to him. He is much smarter than you after all. Rude and foolish is a rather bad combination, it's a pity that it typically goes together in amateur warriors," Etarb added.
"Okay, that's it!" Lenz growled as she began stomping towards him. She stopped when Piccolo cut her off, blocking her with his arm.
"Oh come on! He asked for it!" Lenz claimed.
Piccolo shook his head, "And you started it. Never charge an enemy you know nothing about. It rarely ends well."
"Enough with the little girl, she isn't why I'm here. Where may I find the Saiyan named Verto?" Etarb asked.
"What do you want with little brother? I'll flatten you before you get anywhere near him!" Lenz warned.
"Are you finished yet, child? Your impatient attitude is growing increasingly annoying. How do you stand it?" Etarb smiled as he directed the question to Piccolo.
"Through constant headaches. What do you want with the boy?" Piccolo asked.
"I want to fight him," Etarb said simply. That stirred up Lenz again as Piccolo held her back. She started muttering random words as Etarb chuckled mildly.
Piccolo frowned, "Why? Are you an enemy to us?"
"Right now, no. I just wish to have a friendly contest of strength and skill. You must understand what I mean, do you not?" Etarb asked. Piccolo's tension eased slightly, even though he was still very suspicious of the newcomer. Lenz finally stopped squirming once she heard Etarb's claim.
"Ha! He'll tear you to pieces! Of course, that's assuming there's anything left when I'm done!" she boasted.
Etarb's eyebrow went up, "Is that so?"
"Damn right. Let me at him!" Lenz demanded. Piccolo frowned deeper at Lenz's eager attitude, but did let go of her arm.
"It's fine, I don't mind putting the girl in her place. It's obvious that a tomboy like her doesn't spend enough time in the kitchen," Etarb said with a tight smirk. Despite the insult, Lenz didn't go completely bananas over it since Piccolo elected to let her go. In fact, her confident smirk was stretched nearly ear-to-ear as she prepared to attack.
"I suggest you come at me with everything you have. Otherwise this won't last very long," Etarb suggested.
"You're gonna wish you never said that!" Lenz declared as she promptly powered up. She quickly turned Super Saiyan and went straight to her maximum power. Piccolo watched Etarb closely for any reaction, but he remained calm the entire time. That bothered the Namek even more. Etarb's cool, calm eyes finally seemed to turn serious once Lenz was finished, but he didn't budge.
"You can have the first attack if you want, pretty-boy," Lenz offered.
"How generous. It's too bad that I cannot accept, for you don't possess any significant threat to me with that level of power. I respectfully defer that honor to you," Etarb countered. Lenz scowled and flew at him quickly. Just as she tried to kick his head off, Etarb subtly sidestepped and spun completely around. In a flash, his sword was revealed and was barely touching Lenz's shoulder before she even landed. Piccolo's eyes widened as Lenz froze in surprise. The Namek himself had barely seen the movement, never mind the weapon being drawn. It was a typical looking sword at first glance, but Piccolo could feel some of Etarb's energy intertwined with it.
"You're beaten. Give up," Etarb said.
"H-How…" Lenz stuttered.
"Never underestimate your enemy, and never put such a high percentage of your energy into the first attack when you don't know anything about your opponent. It can and will be very wasteful if you don't connect," Etarb explained. He backed away and put his sword away, allowing Lenz to stand up. She was fuming already, but didn't advance on him since his hand was still on the sword's handle.
"I've proven I can defeat you girl, now run along. I wish to see Verto now," Etarb said. Lenz's blazing gold aura appeared the moment he said Verto's name, ending what restraint she had on herself.
"Not a chance!" she shouted.
Etarb sighed, "So be it. It seems you refuse to learn otherwise." Lenz flew at him again, but abruptly stopped and flew upwards. Once she was high enough, she spun around, her hands sparking with golden ki. Piccolo bore a worried expression as he watched Etarb, who did nothing but smile.
"You won't be smiling for long!" Lenz shouted from afar. She promptly fired off rapid ki blasts, all aimed at Etarb, who didn't budge. The first several blasts bounced off a thinly spread energy shield, which only appeared where the blasts collided with it. They landed close and kicked up dust and dirt, covering his position. Lenz fired dozens more into the growing dust swirl, but saw most of them go flying in random directions before exploding.
"Damnit!" she glowered as she dropped towards the ground. The air slowly cleared, showing Etarb completely unscathed.
"You'll have to do much better than that little girl!"
Lenz snarled at him, "Shut up! I'll wipe you off the map!" She pulled back and charged up a much bigger attack.
Piccolo cringed, "No Lenz!"
"Take this! Super Galic Gun!" she shouted as she fired the golden beam. Etarb seemed to take real notice this time as Lenz brought her arms forward, but soon he merely shrugged and cast his hand forward. Bright white energy flowed out from each of his fingers until it formed a sparkling ball the size of a dinner plate before he released it. The golden Galic Gun slammed into the smaller blast as Etarb jumped back a few feet. Piccolo's eyes widened further when Lenz's attack stalled out. Etarb's energy ball swelled in size just as Lenz's beam shrank away. Piccolo couldn't sense much from Etarb's energy, but he did recognize the effect it had. That's Verto's Feedback Wave, or essentially the same thing. Once Lenz's beam was completely absorbed, Etarb pulled the energy ball back to his palm and extinguished it harmlessly. Lenz on the other hand, looked like she had seen several ghosts.
"Not even your strongest attacks will work on me dear, now back down and end this futility," Etarb advised. Lenz started shaking in what might have been seen as fear, but Piccolo could sense otherwise. Her golden aura blazed with raw fury as she seethed in anger.
"That's it! Now I've had it with you! Kaio-ken!" she shouted. Etarb's calm expression faded to a frown as he prepared another white ball. This one intensified and became wrapped in lightning as Etarb kept his serious eyes on Lenz. She appeared to be adjusting to the power up, and Piccolo could see blue streaks in her rapid flowing red aura. Once Lenz had settled into her temporary power, she charged towards Etarb with incredible speed. Etarb let the ball go quickly, and Lenz pulled her hand back to deflect it.
"Lenz, don't touch it!" Piccolo shouted. In her blind rage, Lenz didn't listen, and made contact. She figured it out quickly enough when her Kaioken-enhanced energy turned on her body. Lenz fell face first as the white lightning surged through her over and over again. She struggled to move as she lost the Super Saiyan traits within a few seconds. She kept trying to power out of it, but to no avail as she continued to be defiant. Etarb walked towards her slowly while Piccolo readied himself to jump in.
"I can see that this world would be much better off without you, girl. Your evil latent energy may not be detectable by your friends yet, but I am no fool. Prepare yourself, I will make this quick," Etarb said as he drew his sword. Lenz tried to crawl away, and cried out in pain when the lightning surged heavily. Piccolo phased in between them, cutting off Etarb.
"I don't think so. Explain yourself, otherwise you'll have to go through me first!" Piccolo warned.
"This creature must be destroyed immediately. It is for the good of your galaxy and beyond. She will only bring death and despair," Etarb claimed.
"Let's wait for destiny to decide that. If you want to fight the boy, then I suggest you wait patiently and don't start trouble," Piccolo replied.
"If I recall, she started the battle and I allowed her the chance to retreat. Now stand aside, that creature must be silenced!" Etarb said as he walked past. Piccolo wasn't about to let him go, and his forearm swelled up with energy. Etarb spun around cautiously just before Piccolo fired, not three feet from Etarb's face. The blast pushed him into a distant hill before detonating, taking the hill out and leaving behind a nuclear shaped cloud.
Piccolo sighed with uneasiness as he checked on Lenz. She had stopped struggling and was now crying softly, wincing whenever the Feedback wave pulsed. Overall she was fine, though her pride would no doubt be wounded. Piccolo had no idea how to cancel out the special attack's effect, but he knew he didn't have the time. He could hear Etarb recovering and flying back in their direction. It wasn't long before he landed and much to Piccolo's dismay, there wasn't even a trace of dirt on him.
"Your sympathy for this thing is foolish. If only you could sense it. No matter, it appears that her execution has been put on hold, but only for a moment. You won't be able to protect her for long, surely you know this," Etarb said.
"What the hell do you want?!" Piccolo shouted back. Before Etarb could answer the repeated question, the lightning churning through Lenz subsided. Etarb's Feedback orb rose out of her and hovered for a moment before dropping into the ground and dispersing.
"What's this?" Etarb asked. Piccolo also had an amazed expression as Lenz sat up, staring at her hands. There was a sudden crackle and hiss of energy that sounded, and Piccolo turned to see Etarb standing still with a blade of blue next to his neck.
"I suggest you answer his question before I start giving you scars," Verto said as he faded into view.
"Little brother!" Lenz said happily.
Etarb smiled lightly, "You must be Verto. I doubt that anyone else on this planet could have snuck up on me like that. Excellent form."
"I'm glad you're impressed, but you can dwell on that later, if I let you live. Answer the question," Verto replied.
"I merely wanted to meet you and have a polite discussion," Etarb said. Verto's eyes narrowed as Etarb closed his own, keeping his smile. Verto cringed slightly and swung upwards, slicing Etarb's head clean off.
"Huh?" Lenz asked in shock.
"Verto! You didn't even find out which side he's on first! He may not have been an enemy!" Piccolo scolded.
"He tried to kill me, good riddance!" Lenz countered.
Verto closed his eyes and disengaged his sword, "I wouldn't worry about that. Now whoever you are, show yourself!"
"There's no one else here boy," Piccolo claimed.
Verto ignored him, "My senses aren't fooled as easily as theirs! You made a copy of yourself out of stone! You used a technique I've never seen before, but I didn't miss it, now come out!" Both Piccolo and Lenz glanced at the headless corpse, finding that there was indeed smooth tan stone instead of flesh where Verto's Psi sword had cut through.
"Very good. I was wondering if you were able to detect that," Etarb said from behind. All three turned to see him stepping closer. This time, Etarb did have a few clods of dirt accumulated on him and his clothes, but nothing more than that.
"So, state your business. I missed breakfast because of this, so I suggest you be quick about it," Verto said.
"I heard you were a great fighter among some of this galaxy's most impressive warriors. I wanted to see it for myself," Etarb claimed.
Verto's scowl deepened, "Is that all? You should have tried Other World first before dropping by here."
"That's true, but I doubt any of them have the blend of strength, speed, stamina, energy and skill that I wish to face. A good warrior has at least two to four of these traits, but suffers with what they are missing. A great warrior excels in all five aspects and an opponent is forced to find his or her weakness, or perhaps make one on their own. As you probably know, tactics must vary and adapt depending on the situation. That is the kind of challenge I want to face!" Etarb explained.
"And that's why you want to fight? You should have come straight to me first instead of these two. In doing so, you've earned your match by pissing me off!" Verto retorted.
"Get 'm little brother!" Lenz cheered.
Verto turned for a moment, "You two stay out of it, I'll do this alone!"
"Verto, you've been exerting yourself too much this week. At least eat and regain some of your strength first," Piccolo suggested.
"I'll be fine Piccolo."
"That Namekian may be correct. Allow me to share some of my field rations," Etarb added as he pulled out a small brown tablet the size of a peppermint.
Verto grimaced, "No thanks."
"Oh, it's perfectly fine to eat. It should provide you with all the nutrients you require for a day or two. I hear that there's an old prophet that harvests similar food on this planet. Do not worry, I am not the type of person that would deceive or poison the opponent I wish to fight. I want a fair match," Etarb exclaimed. Verto locked eyes with Etarb's whole face and hesitated. After a few seconds, he took the tiny morsel and began to chew it down.
"No little brother, you can't trust him!" Lenz cried out.
"But for some reason I do," Verto replied softly, "By the way, this tastes like shit."
"Most things that are good for you often taste lousy. That aside, it seems your awareness has improved. Shall we begin?" Etarb asked. Verto's eyes resumed their narrowed state just before as his body twitched involuntarily. They widened when his energy surged out into his full aura.
"So, that restores spirit power too?" Verto asked in amazement.
Etarb nodded, "Specifically, it restores all strength and energy to your body's current limits. Anything past that depends on your own skill."
Verto snorted lightly, "Aren't you honorable. Most would prefer to take me out while I'm weakened. Fine, you've got your match, and you have the first move!"
"Accepted!" Both warriors tensed up for a moment, but settled into a stare down as Piccolo motioned Lenz into the air.
"I think we should back off and get out of their way, this is probably out of our league," Piccolo suggested.
"Oh please! That guy has no idea what he's in for!" Lenz claimed.
"Perhaps, but I have my doubts. It's unlikely that he'll be able to match Verto in a direct battle, but we also know nearly nothing about him."
"No way, I give him five minutes at the most!"
-
Verto continually scanned Etarb's energy levels for some sort of hint as to what he should expect. The more he searched, the more confused he was. It felt as if Etarb's energy was in a constant state of flux. He could sense ki, Psi and Chi, all at different levels within the mysterious fighter, and they were constantly changing. Etarb smiled lightly as he raised one hand to his front, holding it vertically. Verto still wasn't sure what the first move would be until Etarb swung outwards. Verto dodged just as a barely-visible bubble of energy cut into the ground and passed by him before dissipating. What the hell was that? Etarb pulled back and fired another, which Verto also dodged. He could barely see or sense the energy bubble until it was well on its way to him. He's generating nearly invisible energy waves, trying to bait me into the air where I'm less likely to see them coming. I'll have to return fire to put a stop to it! Verto stopped long enough for Etarb to take aim, and fired a quick golden ki blast just as Etarb's hand budged. The blast collided with the energy bubble and detonated, covering Verto's next move. He phased out behind the light and quickly rushed around it, coming up and Etarb from behind. His kick struck a small energy shield, alerting a surprised Etarb to his position. Etarb glided out of the way as Verto gave chase.
"Nice maneuver, I'm glad to see you didn't take the air route," Etarb admitted as he glided backwards.
Verto smirked, "Too obvious. You're not gonna hide behind that shield the whole time are you?"
Etarb bowed his head slightly, "If you're anything like I expect, I probably won't be able to."
"Good." Etarb's glide speed suddenly increased by several factors, but Verto matched it almost instantly. Etarb frowned slightly and grabbed his sword's handle, tipping Verto off enough to slow down and give him some leeway. Etarb hit the brakes and spun around as he drew his glowing metal sword, coming at Verto quickly. He sliced right through an afterimage and frantically turned around to try and catch Verto's movement. When he didn't see it, Etarb stopped and put away his sword before closing his eyes, trying to sense his opponent.
"Where'd little brother go?" Lenz whispered to Piccolo as they stood on a far away cliff. Piccolo didn't answer, but he did have his eyes locked on a moving object. Etarb's eyes snapped open just as Verto appeared behind him, a power punch pulled back and glowing gold. Etarb blocked his vitals just as Verto's punch collided with the energy shield. A loud sonic boom rippled off the collision, followed by mass amounts of wind. Verto kept driving into the shield as multiple shades of energy displaced into the air. He was nearly halfway through it when Etarb pulled his guard down. The shield vanished and Verto flew forward, out of control. Etarb landed a spin-kick to Verto's left shoulder as he went by. Verto flipped off the dirt and phased out, quickly reappearing in front Etarb and leveling his face with a right hook. Etarb fell backwards and lay on the ground, seemingly stunned.
Verto landed and snorted lightly, "You won't do any damage to me with soft hits like that last one. Get serious about this if you wanted to fight me so badly."
Etarb chuckled a bit as he slowly sat up, "Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am slightly handicapped for now, more so than you were earlier."
"What, you're exhausted too? Maybe you should've taken your own medicine. Go ahead, I'll give you the time," Verto offered.
"No, you don't understand. My physical body has been in hibernation for quite some time, and it takes longer for me to regain its full strength and energy. I'd guess that I am limited to nearly sixty percent of my full potential. Field rations only recover one's strength to current limitations, and not what was lost to time," Etarb explained.
"If you wanted a good fight, why come here and face me under such a burden? Not only that, but why allow me to recover when you might have had an advantage? It seems a little strange and not all that smart," Verto pointed out.
"Oh, I think we will still match up fairly well with the slight exception of physicality. I already knew I wouldn't win against a Saiyan of your caliber like that. The warm-up period can most often determine a battle. This is especially true when the opponent is like you and hasn't completely mastered his own power yet!"
"What?" Verto asked. Etarb didn't answer, but did start to charge a white energy ball. Verto felt the positively charged Psi almost immediately and calmed himself. Then he started forming his own to counter it, which caused Etarb to stop.
"I see, I guess it wouldn't be worth using this technique on you. You already know how to counter-act its effects," Etarb claimed.
"Rather simple, just use another and it cancels out. There are other ways, but that is the simplest. I haven't taught it to Lenz yet, otherwise she wouldn't have gone down to it," Verto replied.
Etarb extinguished his own Feedback ball and frowned deeply, "I really advise against attempting to draw out her latent power. That can only bring tragedy to your life and leave you in a bloody pool of despair." Verto tossed his incomplete energy ball into the ground before allowing his expression to darken.
"I've heard that one before. Is there a particular reason you feel that way? Coming from a complete stranger, it doesn't mean much to me," Verto growled.
"No, I suppose it doesn't. I apologize for that. If I were allowed a proper introduction at this time, then you would probably trust my intentions, even if you didn't agree with them. I know you have hidden feelings for the girl, even at your current age. That's unfortunate, but it can't be helped I guess. Let's push that aside for now and continue this match. I would like to see what you've learned since destroying the Overmind!" Etarb exclaimed.
Verto's eyes shot back open, "How do you know about that?"
Etarb smiled lightly, "All in due time, my young friend."
Next time on DBV: Verto's battle with Etarb continues as the stranger uses both familiar and unfamiliar techniques on him. But who is Etarb, and what does he want? All of the answers may not be coming, but some of them are, next time!
WDG: Well, Lenz's reaction seemed unprovoked enough. In fact, I nearly flagged it as out of character, but I'll assume you know what you're doing and that it's planned… I wonder if Etarb's strange aura shook something loose in her. In any case, it seemed pretty foolish and self-destructive… hmm, maybe it wasn't that out of character after all!
VB: I don't pretend to know what a girl or woman thinks at any given time, so I just take a stab at it. However, let's just say that being the author has its advantages in that regard. As for the little bit about being OOC, don't be surprised if you see it again.
