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 49: Agent 2

Verto's amazement turned to determination even as Etarb's odd smile didn't fade.

"I don't turn down requests in battle, but I do choose when to play my cards. You don't want to see everything I've got," Verto claimed.

"I see. Tell me, did you at least figure out how to use your Feedback technique without wasting energy in your transformed state?" Etarb asked.

Verto's confusion returned as he answered, "Yeah, it's a low level Spirit Bomb."

"Good, let's continue," Etarb suggested. Verto shook off his next question and refocused on Etarb, whose confidence didn't seem to be fading anytime soon. Before Verto decided on his next move, Etarb changed his stance. He brought up his hand vertically like before, but then crossed it with the other. As soon as he did, Etarb began to sink into the ground, though the ground itself remained solid. His entire being turned brown, matching the color of the dirt. Verto stared at the apparent technique, trying to figure it out. Before he could, Etarb's head passed through the surface and vanished. Verto considered jumping into the air, but felt at ease when he easily locked onto Etarb's energy signal. A moment or two passed before Etarb surfaced again, slowly coming out at the same location. Just as his skin and clothing turned back to normal, a second form of Etarb rose from the ground a few feet away. This one also returned to a normal appearance, and both stood ready.

This must be that clone technique again. Which one is real though, the energy level feels the same? Verto resumed his ready stance when a third Etarb rose from the ground. Once again, Verto sensed equal energy levels from each one, and was unable to determine which one might have been the real Etarb. All of them appeared to be equal in every way, and Verto detected no drop in energy at all.

"If you're trying to see through this, don't bother," the first Etarb said.

"My power is spread evenly between these three," Etarb-two claimed.

"So you'll have to find out which one is which the hard way," Etarb-three finished.

Verto stared down the three Etarbs before grinning slightly, "Maybe, but splitting into three should have reduced your strength. I don't sense any major difference from before, so this appears to be a ruse."

"Oh? I wouldn't count on that," Etarb-two suggested.

Verto waved them on, "Try me then, I'll prove it." Etarb-two flew forward while the other two split off and came towards Verto from either side. Verto deflected Etarb-two's power kick, ducked under Etarb-three's punch, and flipped over Etarb-one's knife hand. All three clones nearly collided with each other, giving Verto time to back away. He landed a short distance behind Etarb-one and fired a quick ki beam. The clones separated to avoid the explosion, giving Verto the opening. Both hands glowed blue as he glided towards Etarb-three, but he opened them to reveal two spinning Psi orbs. Etarb-one and Etarb-two both drew their metal swords and moved to intercept, but Verto was closing too fast. Just as he was about to hit Etarb-three, he quickly changed directions and flew backwards to his right. When he did, Etarb-three had to turn to see his path, and Verto took advantage.

"Psi Freeze!" Verto tossed the first orb right into the unprepared Etarb-three. Wasting little time, he fired the other at Etarb-two, who was the next closest clone. Etarb-one stopped long enough to see the third clone being incased in ice. Etarb-two saw this and attempted to deflect the energy orb with his sword, but this backfired in a big way. Once both clones were completely iced over, Verto set his eyes on the very first one while creating another cold ball. Etarb-one saw what was coming and backed away carefully as Verto glided towards him. Just before passing Etarb-two, he fired a small blast at Verto. Verto's energy ball extended outwards at his command and formed his Psi sword, just in time to deflect the blast. Etarb-one kept his distance, allowing Verto to fly right to Etarb-two frozen form and slice it in half. Etarb-two split cleanly at the waistline, revealing the clone of stone underneath. Verto's eyes quickly darted to Etarb-three, and saw that he hadn't broken out.

Just as I thought, either the first one is the real one, or all three are clones and he's able to transfer his energy into them at will. Etarb brought Verto's attention back by firing nearly a dozen small ki blasts in succession. Verto deflected them all with his energy sword, but slowed when Etarb-one began to charge something bigger. Verto's eyes widened when he recognized the stance, and quickly disengaged his sword.

That's my move, how in the hell would he know it? Verto carefully scanned every bit of the charging attack and immediately began to focus energy into his fingertips. As this energy condensed into a vivid flashing light, Etarb-one fired.

"Galic Gun!" Verto elected to jump aside and then fly upwards to avoid it. Etarb-one turned his hands slightly and the massive beam hooked around, reforming into a large ball.

"You're going to have to face this one, one way or another!" he called out. Etarb-one sent the giant ki ball after Verto, who picked up speed as he prepared to take care of the problem.

"Piccolo, you might want to get down! Then cover those sensitive ears of yours!" Verto called out telepathically as he headed for the Namekian.

"Lenz, get down!" Piccolo shouted as he dropped to the ground. Verto passed by them both and glided backwards as the ki ball homed in on him. It flew just over Piccolo and Lenz's position, kicking up rock chunks in the wind. Verto made his way back towards Etarb-one, who grinned slightly.

"I hope you don't think that will work on me," the clone said.

"Like you said, appearances can be deceiving! I hope you can avoid it, but then again, I have my doubts that this is the real you!" Verto claimed. Etarb-one laughed a bit and nodded as he prepared himself. Verto rushed towards him as he curled up his glowing fingers into a fist. Etarb-one frowned at what he saw, and realized that he couldn't tell what the younger boy was about to do. Just as Verto was within range, he pulled his fist back. Etarb-one attempted to block, but as soon as he did, Verto phased out. Etarb-one's eyes went wide as the Galic ball quickly closed in on him. He cast his hands out and managed to slow it down until it stopped before him, allowing a sigh of relief. Etarb-one turned to his right and spotted Verto standing by, refocusing power into his fingertips again.

"I nearly fell for that trick. Pity eh?" Etarb-one asked.

"The trick ain't over yet," Verto admitted.

"What do you mean?" Etarb-one asked. He found out quickly when Verto's hand extended and the energy came rushing out.

"Shock Cannon!" Etarb-one tried to get away, but Verto's condensed beam was much too fast. Just as it pierced the Galic ball, Verto blocked against the expected force. Bang! The green ball expanded to the size of a small factory before dissipating. Once the residual Chi energy bands faded, Verto dared to fly over the small crater. Etarb-one appeared to have been vaporized. Verto saw that Etarb-three still hadn't broken out from the Psi Freeze, and he sensed no energy initially. At the same time, he didn't think it was over just yet.

"Come on out, I know that wasn't the real you either!" Verto called out. The ground behind him shook a bit as a much dirtier Etarb burst out from the ground.

"Well done. Your training was much more thorough then I thought it would be," he admitted.

"To be honest, that one was an accident the first time I used it. I've gotten the hang of it though," Verto replied.

"I see, it's also a little risky for you to be using in an unknown fight like this, isn't it? I can sense a significant difference in your spirit power," Etarb pointed out.

"Yeah, I might have used about a tenth of it right there. I figured it was worth it since you put that much force into the Galic Gun," Verto countered.

"Oh, that move seemed familiar did it?" Etarb asked.

"I would know, it was the first finishing move I learned. Which makes me believe that I've met you before."

Etarb shrugged, "Possibly."

"It's more than possible. You move a lot like I used to as well. It's a slightly different style, but I can tell. The only thing I haven't figured out yet was how you made those stone clones."

"Spot on analysis. There was one other thing I would have liked to test out in this warm-up period, though I doubt you would have had any problems with it. I would prefer instead to take this contest to the next level!"

"Oh? Don't tell me that you're still holding back for my sake?" Verto asked.

"Sort of. Though it is in a similar manner to how you are holding back," Etarb replied.

Verto's eyes snapped to attention at this, "What?"

"It's a pity that this won't last very long once I do this, but at least we can get a good idea of where we both are!" Etarb's eyes flashed with purple intensity as his hair stood on end. Verto felt what was coming immediately, and he couldn't understand how. Lightning crackled a bit as Etarb produced a light silver aura. Not far away, both Piccolo and Lenz took notice of this increase in power.

"Whoa! Where'd that come from? I didn't think this guy's abilities were really like little brother's, but…wow. I wonder who is stronger between the two?" Lenz asked.

"I think we're about to find out," Piccolo replied. Etarb's smile never left his face as his hair changed from blue to silvery-white. Verto couldn't believe his eyes as Etarb transformed into what appeared to be his version of Super Mystic. The only main difference was that Etarb didn't appear to be of Saiyan blood, and his eyes remained a glowing purple.

"Yes, I thought you might be a tad surprised at this. Your turn," Etarb said. Verto quickly regained his focus and built his power up in the same manner. In no time, he transformed as well, and both warriors took the opportunity to compare each other's energy.

Etarb relaxed, "As I thought, you are the stronger one currently. You're not quite to your friend Gohan's level, but his abilities are different than yours. I suspect that may change when you're older," Etarb admitted.

"Maybe, but Gohan can learn these techniques too. How about we skip straight to the point? I have a feeling that we may get interrupted if we stay like this," Verto suggested.

"Most likely. Do your tactics change when you take this form?" Etarb asked.

Verto grinned slightly, "A little."

"Good." Etarb rushed towards Verto as he drew his glowing metal sword. Verto blocked it with his own energy blade and the two attempted to overpower the other. Etarb kicked with his left leg, opposite his sword hand. Verto blocked with his forearm and returned the attack. Etarb dodged aside and glided away. Verto phased out and immediately appeared behind Etarb. The surprised stranger barely blocked Verto's Chi blade. Etarb's slower reaction saw him in a very bad position and off-balance. Verto kept applying pressure with his sword hand and prepared his other fist with glowing green energy. Etarb quickly pulled away and got back into the air. Verto grinned a bit and stuck his fist out anyway, as if to simulate how close Etarb was to receiving significant damage. Etarb sheathed his sword his before concentrating a great amount of energy into his palm. He reinforced it with his other hand just as more lightning sparked. Verto kept his left hand full of energy and cast it forward with an open palm as if he was going to fire a blast. Etarb grunted a bit as he finished his preparation.

"I don't suggest trying to counter this one with your usual energy beams!" Etarb recommended.

Verto nodded slightly, "Let's just see what happens." Etarb groaned loudly as he unleashed a Chi based lightning burst. Verto's eyes narrowed, but he calmly shifted his stance a bit. The lightning bolts pinged off an energy shield and scattered into the air. Etarb released another round of lightning, followed by several small blasts. Verto's shield managed to block and deflect all of them before Etarb let up. Verto smirked in tune with Etarb's returning glance. As soon as Etarb let up, Verto re-gathered the shield energy back to his palm, letting Etarb see it for a moment. Etarb nodded knowingly as the last spinning Chi streams were reabsorbed.

"You've learned how to conserve your energy well, very good," Etarb pointed out.

"I've got time for a little more if you want," Verto said.

"I'd say we both do. One more thing, I wish to see your spirit destruction attack. It's the one that allows you to burn your opponent's soul and more or less erase them from existence!"

Verto's frown was immediate, "No."

Etarb turned his head, "Are you afraid of using it?"

"It's not that, well, not completely. Drawing on that evil energy turns me into someone that I don't want to be, someone who doesn't keep full control at all times. I don't use it unless I'm out of options or have been backed into a corner. Every time I've gone to that dark power, something bad happened," Verto replied.

"I understand, and I am slightly relieved. If you were content and willing to attack me in that manner, I had orders to kill you via assassination," Etarb admitted.

"Orders from who?" Verto asked.

Etarb bowed his head slightly, "I'm afraid that's classified. But know that you have nothing to worry about. And it seems our time is up." Verto sensed a presence directly behind him and spun to see another stranger. This one however, needed no introduction. She did however sigh a bit and frown at the apparent battle that was taking place.

"You!" Verto growled.

"Don't act surprised kid. I am merely keeping your best interests in line. As for you, Etarb Erec, you know that you're not supposed to be here! Be gone from this place!" Leira ordered.

Etarb sighed, "Same old Leira, pity. It was good to finally meet you like this in person Verto. I look forward to hearing more about you in the future. I take my leave." Etarb abruptly powered down and took off into the skies, flying northeast. His power signal vanished within a minute, and Verto faced Leira instead. Leira ran a hand through her red hair as she watched Etarb leave, then returned Verto's stare.

"Sorry that he disrupted your training, I'll see to it that he doesn't do it again. Until then," Leira said with a nod as she turned.

"Wait," Verto whispered.

Leira glanced back, "Hmmm?"

"Who was that, really? I've never seen him before, but I just know that I've met him."

Leira smiled, "Yes you have. Farewell." Leira promptly vanished, leaving Verto confused as to what had happened. He powered down as Piccolo and Lenz landed next to him.

"Man, what was that all about?" Lenz asked.

Piccolo eyed Verto carefully, "You're sure that you've met that guy before?"

"I'm certain of it, but his face didn't match any that I remember. Weird," Verto replied.

"So, now what?" Lenz asked.

Piccolo snorted lightly, "What do you think girl? Back to work!"

Lenz grumbled an inaudible answer as Verto chuckled, "You shouldn't have asked."


Deep in the wilds of a nearby forest, Leira passed through a clearing on foot. She bore only a sleeveless v-neck shirt with matching black pants instead of her usual leather. She appeared to be in no general hurry, getting a feel for the wind that whipped around her as it tussled her vivid but dark red hair. Just as she was losing herself in the breeze, she suddenly looked determined. Her Kunai-like dagger flipped out and she embedded it into a tree to her left. Her apparent target faded into view barely two feet away.

"I see you haven't lost your touch, though you wouldn't be able to hit me at this level," Etarb said as he stepped out.

"Spare me the obvious, why did you come?" Leira demanded.

"And here I was hoping to chat. How long has it been?" Etarb asked.

"Not since I implanted your spirit into that infant creature. I can't imagine how you avoided the stench."

Etarb chuckled lightly, "Luckily it didn't take too much effort. At least things improved once I met the boy, but it's too bad that I couldn't tell him how proud he's made us just now."

"The real tests are still to come, but at least he has some time to himself for reflection now," Leira claimed.

"Maybe not. Another incursion was made, and I believe it has hastened the foreseen events," Etarb said.

"What?" Leira growled.

"It gets worse. The culprit was the one responsible for the rift that Babidi crossed," Etarb explained.

Leira's frown melted into extreme anger, "Did he have help this time?"

"I don't believe so, and I also don't think he knows about this place yet. He's been running around on that ship for a while now, agitating the Kold Empire. Obviously he has avoided its ruler in the process, and I suspect that the empire might try something desperate. But the incursion has formed another rift, and I believe that technology might have come into play. I expect that Kibito Kai will know within a month or two, and knowing him, he will take a drastic step to fix things. How will you approach this?"

Leira snorted sharply, "I'll stop that son of a bitch myself. It's my fight after all, considering what he did to my brother!"

"Stop and think about this Leira. You don't have the strength right now because you volunteered for this mission. Your current form is far too weak to face him. Only assassination would work, but you would have to be extremely lucky as things are. And I wouldn't be able to face this threat either, even if it were allowed," Etarb explained.

"Then there's only one way," Leira surmised.

"Surely you're not considering using the boy, he is not ready!" Etarb stated.

"What choice do I have?" Leira countered.

"You could use Frost, after all you interfered with his youth specifically for that purpose!" Etarb suggested.

"That fool would only serve as a punching bag, besides I had a different target in mind for him. Perhaps he may have been of some assistance if he could be trusted. I'll wait until the Kais stick their annoying noses into this before I decide on how to proceed," Leira compromised.

"Very well, I guess that will have to do. I'll gather what intelligence I can and inform you as soon as I find out what he is up to," Etarb agreed.

"And you had best leave here before the Kais discover who you are, or more specifically who you used to be. Right, Cerebrate?" Leira asked with a grin.

"Please don't call me that. Like you said, the stench was bad," Etarb said as he turned to leave.

A/N: As usual, we're rolling right along with the dramatic plot twisters. If you didn't catch the name pun the first time, Etarb Erec is Cerebrate spelled backwards.

Meant to post this chapter about a week ago, but the uploading servers were down.

Next time on DBV: Only eight days after Etarb's visit, Verto, Lenz and Piccolo are visited by another stranger. Only this newcomer has a message and an invitation… from Frost.