Chapter 08 – Take down Bujin.

"Piccolo!" Gohan cried with relief, smile spreading over his face as he recognised the owner of the shadow cast over him. Piccolo had his back to him, facing down the tiny man opposing them.

"Mind telling me who these people are?" Piccolo responded, not bothering to turn around. Gohan figured it would be unwise to turn his back on the man stood before them, he'd easily be able to take advantage of such foolishness and bind Piccolo up too. Unfortunately he felt bad in not being able to give his former mentor a proper answer.

"I know he's definitely not the person I'm supposed to fight here. I don't know what's happened but something's gone wrong," Was all he could say. "He's really adept in using psychic powers so be careful. He doesn't speak much, I'm not sure if he understands our language-"

"That'll do," Piccolo interrupted. "Sorry it took so long for me to get here. I was a little tied up trying to break into this realm. In the end, the only way in was along that machine's tunnel that got you here."

"Where exactly are we anyway?" Gohan asked. "I can't sense anyone else outside of this place."

'I'll pass on information to you through my telepathy,' Piccolo's voice suddenly echoed through Gohan's mind, initially surprising him. 'I don't want our friend to listen in on conversations that are none of his business. You're actually on an island a couple of miles away from the tournament grounds. There's a large bubble of energy shielding this area from the outside world, allowing no one to pass into it. I suspect it's because of this guy here; this is where the barrier's strongest point was. The others are also inside here, on separate islands from yours. They're likely also facing difficulties in their matches. I don't know how much help I'd have been helping them defeat their opponents if it turned out their opponents weren't contributing to this shield; that's why I came here. Take this guy out and we should be able to track the others down.'

Gohan was almost certain he understood what Piccolo was getting at. It still unsettled him to know there wasn't much they could do for the others. All he could do was hope that they weren't in too critical a condition and that none of them died on him. He couldn't bear the thought of being stuck here trying to fight for his own life whilst his friends weren't able to be saved. At least they had Dende and the Dragonballs but that was beside the point. They couldn't wish anyone back that'd died before – that included Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Krillin – even with Dende's new set of Dragonballs. Their wishes had been up-graded from one wish to three, just like on Namek, but at the cost of Shenron's abilities being upgraded. He didn't want to lose Chiri either but at least she could be revived, as morbid a thought it was.

He could be revived too if needed. He wasn't much help right now, bound by strange energy.

Piccolo's attack went unguarded; connecting his shoe to their mysterious opponent's turban seemed to knock the bonds off of Gohan completely. He wouldn't be fooled twice; the next strike from Piccolo was blocked by the man's short but apparently sturdy arm. The two suddenly vanished, dancing about the sky in a frenzy of damage-dealing blows, above Gohan one moment and then to his right the next, suddenly far off into the distance and then in a flash, before his very eyes, merely inches from him! Gohan buckled back in shock, surprised to see how fast they were moving and that Piccolo was thankfully keeping up. The Namekian hadn't lost his touch and had clearly been training over the past year, far stronger than he had been against the Androids and Cell.

'Gohan, leave and find the others.' Piccolo's voice came through into his mind. 'Go whilst I have him distracted.'

"Right," Gohan nodded obediently but hesitant to leave. Piccolo could handle himself… but could he really handle this guy? They barely knew much about him or his powers, or what was out there sending these guys out to fight himself and the others. He didn't like leaving his mentor alone to battle these kinds of opponents; Gohan already had too many memories of Piccolo being overwhelmed by their enemies.

'Go!' Piccolo's voice barked at him, shaking him from his reverie. Mustering up his courage and wanting to have faith in Piccolo's plan, Gohan turned and flew towards the entrance to this place, quickly spotting the pod that'd brought him here in the first place. The tunnel grew larger the closer he flew until finally he entered, hearing the sudden rush of air in the smaller space as he shot down underground, following the track as fast as he could with the limited light his aura produced. The track twisted and turned, winding further and further down underground, bobbing up every-so-often. The dark before and behind him was ominous, anxiety-inducing, untrustworthy, sending worried sensations through his body as he flew through the cramped man-made tunnel.

There, Gohan felt the flame of ki erupt inside his belly as suddenly everything outside this world could be felt. It was as if someone'd turned the lights on; he could feel clearly everyone's life force, as pure as spring water and as undiluted as a clear summer's day. The sensation suddenly snatched itself away as Gohan was knocked senseless, crashing onto his backside upon the tracks. It took a moment for what'd just happened to register. His cheek had struck something solid, as if he'd suddenly flown head-first into a wall. Only there was nothing there, he couldn't see a thing. Gohan rose to his feet and cautiously continued on step by step, holding one hand out as if he were blind. Three steps in, his fingers brushed against something. Another step forward brought his palm flat against something that felt very solid. Firing up his aura, Gohan was just as perplexed as before as he was greeted with nothing but the sensation of a wall before him. He could see the tunnel winding sky-bound before him, not close enough to see daylight but knowing it couldn't be too far away from him.

All he could conclude was that there was some kind of barrier stopping him from progressing any further up the tunnel. Whether it was part of the mysterious magic that'd been created by the mysterious guy that'd ambushed him, or something completely unrelated, Gohan couldn't be certain. Either way, unless he could overcome this barrier by force, he wouldn't be going any further.

Backtracking a little, Gohan found himself a spot he deemed suitable and faced the invisible wall. Focusing himself, he began to conjure up his energy, physically forming it until it became a glimmer of light in the palm of his hand. Testing for a reaction, Gohan threw the ball of energy forward, directly towards the wall. A loud pop and ripple in the air hit him as the energy struck the wall, light exploding upon its sturdy surface and yielding no visible effect upon it. His ears now ringing, Gohan tried again, this time firing up more of his energy. Again he fired the stronger ki attack at the wall. This time the pop was far louder, the ripple-effect knocked him a couple of steps back and the wall seemed to bend the light behind it, morphing the look of the tunnel for a moment before it returned to normal. The next attack was again stronger, again had a warping-effect on the tunnel behind but yet again wasn't enough to bring out a crack within the wall's surface.

"Ka-" Gohan drew his hands to his right hip, cupping his palms together and firing up his father's signature attack. "-mehamehaa!"

The entirety of the tunnel was engulfed with blinding blue light, explosive energy and the ear-piercing roar of the attack erupting, amplified by the tunnel's close walls. The sound of the attack travelled back down the tunnel, either side, passing out into the opening. It was heard by Piccolo and his opponent. It was heard by those in the arena, startling many of the crowds and sending them into panic, fearing a bomb had gone off somewhere. The sound sent many into action, a couple of figures darting down the tunnel the noise had come from whilst most fled in mob panic. In the midst of the epicentre, Gohan could feel the wall he was striking yielding, bending to his attack's power. He had nothing but his touch to tell him just how much an affect he was having, firing up his attack further and feeling the elasticity of the wall being put to the test. Just a little further.

And then the roof came down.


To say she'd come here out of the goodness of her heart would be a lie. To say she'd come here to try and atone for the pain she may have caused wasn't entirely close to the truth either. She was here purely because she felt the only way she could find her past was through these people. They knew nothing of her past, so why she felt they could help was beyond her.

Her journey had so far been successful; she hadn't been detected by anyone, via sight or sense. Then again the latter was impossible with the mechanics her body now held. Besides, she was well aware her energy wasn't truly her own… Not for the time being anyway. The wall she'd now come up across was strong, strange: magic-like. Something about it separated it from the usual energy she was used to seeing from those others. She knew she had to get through it to find out what was going on within those arenas but how to pass it? Unlike the other androids Gero had created, he hadn't given her the ability to drain ki. There was no guarantee that ability would be useful in removing the wall before her but it would have been nice to have given it a try. Eighteen exhaled and blew a loose lock out of her face, brushing it back past her ear. She was getting nowhere fast.

Something stirred a pebble loose from behind, startling her. Looking back through the gloom on edge, her piercing eyes traced the shapes she could just about make out. Something was out there.


Chiri's eyes slowly fluttered open. Something about her surroundings seemed off. Maybe once she got her vision back, she'd be able to work out exactly it was. She checked her body's feedback, noting that several areas were flagging up pain. Her stomach felt as if she'd swallowed a brick that'd somehow managed to make it down her digestive system so far without ripping up her insides. Her head throbbed which only served to further mess with her vision. Her ears seemed to be popping randomly. Her limbs were weak and shaky, her skin felt clammy.

There it was, now she knew why everything seemed off. She was upside down, hanging from her right ankle from the feel of things. Whatever held her there had a good firm grip on her. At least she knew she wasn't likely to suddenly fall and land smack on her skull. Despite her world being upside down, Chiri realised she was no longer in that retched desert but instead in some bizarre-looking wasteland. The ground protruded large, rust-coloured boulders and stacks; off to the far-reaches of her left peripheral vision, she thought she could make out a canyon etching its way across the barren ground. Before her was a particularly spectacular boulder formation with an eerie-looking cave etched into its bulbous face. Its opening was just a feet or so wide and a couple of feet tall. Whatever had hold of her seemed to be walking her towards it. The thing that held tightly to her ankle suddenly drew her back.

She was heading straight for it. The air rushed past her sore limbs, skin raw from the heat and treatment of the sand of the earlier fight, suddenly magnified as rock scraped against her, head lurching straight into the hole and crashing against the cool but solid ground. It took a couple of moments before she could make out what had happened, cautiously listening out in case her captor was near her or looking in her direction. Cautiously opening one eye, she could just about make out the inner wall a couple of centimetres in front of her; the cave itself wasn't that deep, more of a dig-out. Keeping her ears attuned as best she could to give her indication of movement, Chiri breathed as quietly as possible and tried to make it look as if she were still asleep.

For a while, nothing happened. Time seemed to creep by at a tiring pace and soon her patience was growing thin. Her curiosity was getting the better of her; was whoever'd brung her here still here, or had they pressed on and left her here? Why had they chucked her in here anyway? Had they just left her to die with little thought or were they going to come back for her? Whatever the reason, she couldn't stay here. Fighting against the fear of being spotted and further injured, Chiri slowly moved her limbs to a crouching position, ready to push herself off from the ground. As slowly as she dared move, her head turned to the left, Chiri wincing under the strain it caused her neck. Eyes peered out of the initially bright gap in the rock wall. She couldn't see anything to suggest something was here. '… Maybe they're hiding.' She slowly sat herself against the wall opposite the hole and closed her eyes, concentrating on any energy she could sense.

Nothing.

That was good enough for her. No longer concerned about being spotted or heard, Chiri pushed herself against the wall and used it to gain some leverage, pushing against it to get up onto her feet. Shaky at first, she found some stability and took more of what lay outside. As she'd concluded earlier, she was indeed in some kind of wasteland tinged an iron-red and dusty brown. There was very little vegetation around, very little anything around other than rock. Her legs were beginning to give way under her weight; Chiri rested her back onto the rock wall and sat down roughly on her butt, taking in a deep breath to try and stem the shaking. Her body had been through a lot in that last battle; it wasn't very often she'd managed to hold onto being a Super Saiyan in such testing conditions. Maybe that was something she could suggest to Gohan when they got back home… if they got back home.

Just how had she gotten here anyway? Chiri closed her eyes and concentrated once again on finding any ki she could. Still nothing. It was unnerving not being able to sense anyone here and it made her feel lonely. She couldn't even sense the person who'd brought her here. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing as this way she knew she was in no imminent danger. Considering her condition that was a blessing. This would give her time to try and recuperate some strength and take care of any injuries she had. If only she had a senzu bean with her, then she'd be able to deal with her fatigue and injuries in a flash – even if she hated the taste of those beans.

It felt like time had slowed down again as she sat in silence, listening to the breeze as it occasionally entered the hollow gap in the rock, swirling around and tossing her hair up and over the front of her face. The blood that had been protruding out of her forehead had long side crusted into her fringe, matting her hair further. Her eyes gradually grew heavier as the lazy atmosphere kicked in, making her feel stupid and tired. Maybe it was the static she felt her body was stuck in, maybe it was the onset of concussion slipping in; maybe it was the confusion of time and what it actually meant and having nothing to do but stare out of the hole in the rock and watch as the clouds lazily floated on by. It was hypnotic, relaxing, boring and Chiri was growing anxious with her settling weariness. The anxiety made her even more tired as it drained her of energy. Thoughts trailed like liquid dreams, occasionally chucking up lucid thoughts about her family or things she wanted to do when she got home, or places she had visited in the past.

A heavy thud broke Chiri from her reverie. She realised she'd fallen onto her side and had been sleeping. Rousing herself as much as was possible, she froze the instant she heard voices coming from outside her hiding place.

"That's three down, one more to go," A honeyed, far-off voice spoke. "Lord Bojack will be pleased to see what we have already achieved."

"You took your time over that little runt?" Another, harsher voice retorted almost insultingly; Chiri recognised it as the mysterious person she'd fought and shivered. So he had returned after all?

"You know Zangya; she likes to play with her prey," A third, deeper voice mused. "Either way Lord Bojack won't care. He will care if Bujin isn't here soon though. He had the toughest of them to deal with but even so, Lord Bojack will not be pleased."

The strongest one must surely be her brother, Chiri thought. So it was true then, they'd all been fighting these people. If her brother wasn't here but there were three down then what'd happened to Tenshinhan and Krillin? Chiri dreaded to think what'd become of them, especially since neither could be revived with the Dragonballs if worst came to worst.

"Maybe you should go and help him, Bido," The first voice suggested. "You and Bujin work well together. Whatever he's fighting maybe stronger than he is: you're the powerhouse out of us all – apart from Lord Bojack of course."

"Maybe I should," The second voice seemed thoughtful.

"We'll stay here with the others," The third voice spoke. "Speaking of which, where did you put your body?"

"The little runt is in that cave over there."

Chiri's blood turned to ice; she didn't need to see that the three were looking in her general direction. So he had left her here on purpose, which probably meant she'd be found quickly and would be subject to a further beating. Her heart was already trying to beat her senseless, pounding as she went through several scenarios of pain in her mind, all being subjected on her. She was in deep trouble, low on power and injured. From the sounds of their voices, none of the warriors here sounded injured or tired. The energy radiating off of them was fearsome at most and gave her a funny feeling in her stomach that was only felt when an evil energy was sensed. This was an impossible situation to get out of scot-free; whatever she did, Chiri would come off worse. If she sat here they'd just hurt her more; if she launched a surprise attack it would be a weak one at that and would end in her being hurt. If she tried to run, it'd end with her being caught and then being hurt more.

Things seemed to go quiet for a bit; Chiri noticed the energies of one of those outside vanishing. Apparently it was possible for them to pass through that bizarre barrier stopping her from leaving this space and stopping her from sensing anything outside of it… providing that was how it worked. She still hadn't confirmed that theory. Yet in the brief moment his energy had vanished, she'd sensed it all. She'd felt Gohan's power surging, she'd felt Piccolo and an unknown power… and an even stronger unknown power. She'd also felt one she recognised but surely she'd been mistaken?

Then the world was suddenly alight. Her hearing vanished completely as the outside world came flooding in, too much information for her to comprehend.

That baffling energy was there again. How had he managed to pass through the wall?