DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super or Dragon Ball Heroes.
Chapter 10: Disadvantaged with Hopeful Persistence!
The two of us flew across the sky on Nimbus, splitting the harsh rain with our passing. Saiya's hand was on my shoulder, not that I could feel it through the thick shoulder-guard.
"Alright Saiya listen close." I said. The pouring rain was cold and loud, but the magic of our partnership allowed our conversation to continue unfettered. "I'm going to fly up there with Nimbus and try to find him. You stay under the clouds and keep your power as low as possible."
"I have many objections to this plan." Saiya said. Our partner enchantment—I had no idea what it actually was but magic wasn't too far fetched—ensured I heard every complaint Saiya had.
"Your objections are noted and respectfully ignored."
"Jackass! You better come back in one piece."
"I plan to." I said, nodding to myself and trying to hype myself up for what felt like a suicide mission. "When we survive this, you and I are having a talk about that kiss."
When we survived, not if. I couldn't let myself think about ifs in this scenario. I needed surety, focus, and a clear head above all things.
Saiya made a psh noise with her mouth before talking. "You loved it."
"Be that as it may—" I said.
"People actually say that?"
"—it's go time." I finished, ignoring Saiya's interruption. I felt Saiya's arms wrap around me as she gave a gentle hug. It had been less than a day, but I truly missed my ability to feel her energy and presence.
"Stay safe." She whispered into my back.
"You too." I said, gently squeezing her forearms. With no more words, Saiya detached herself from my person. With a cheeky grin and a two-finger salute, the daredevil that was named Saiya let herself fall backwards off of Nimbus.
I wished I was brave enough to do that, I was terrified of just how high up we actually were. It was a fear that got stamped down when I had ki coursing through my body. But without a natural (or unnatural) ability to fly, I was horrified of what would happen to me if something happened to Nimbus.
I stomped that train-of-thought down and asked Nimbus to take me up. I couldn't afford to panic, not here and not now.
Breaching through the top layer of clouds, the first thing I noticed how pretty it all was. The Sun shone through thin layers of clouds, and everything looked fluffy and fantastical.
Almost everything.
He was floating there, the fighter in Broly's body. His white cloak was wrapped around his body in torn strips, dyed red from an obvious wound in his side. He was much bigger than I last saw him, probably twice my current height now. His muscles were insane in proportion, his spiky and green hair flowed in the wind like silk, and his back was to me.
That was good. If he saw me, my entire plan would go up in smoke.
Brockulle was gasping heavily, his clothes torn. One of his hands reached up and grasped the side of his head. When he pulled it away I could clearly see blood on his hand, even from so far away. He was tired, more injured than I thought he was, and unaware of my presence.
Perfect.
"Okay Saiya." I whispered, even as far away as I was I knew talking at a normal volume would give me away. "Power-up to your max and get ready to dodge."
I didn't get a reply back, but Brockulle's head perked up like he heard something. He raised his bloodied hand, bright green energy gathering in his palm. It looked unstable, more akin to a writhing green slime than an energy attack. The more energy that gathered, the more it took a solid and spherical shape.
I focused on his in-process sphere, narrowing my psychic power into its center. My head was throbbing—the power surrounding my Psychokinesis was so unstable and filled with violence. It was a jackhammer to my temple, blood dripped out of my nose and my vision was going hazy. The enemy finished creating his ki blast, resembling the Sun in size and intensity.
"Die!" Brockulle yelled, flinging the green Sun.
Time slowed to a stop. I had no idea what benevolent being kept giving me these moments of frozen time, or even if I was somehow causing it subconsciously, but I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. My body moved on instinct the last time this happened; only a few inches, but I still moved while no one else could. I pushed as hard as I could, and saw my hand twitch.
I could feel it, the stopped time was about to end. I struggled and strained everything in my hand. Trying to move it was like walking on the bottom of the ocean, fighting against the weight of the entire world. But I was Arcos, reincarnated warrior in Cooler's body. It took years to build up my pride to where it was, but my pride was there nonetheless!
Maybe it was spite, maybe it was pride or some inner strength I didn't know about. But my arm swung upwards anyway, and the green Sun shifted from green to purple. My arm only moved about a foot before stopping, frozen in time with everything else. Then everything started moving again.
"What—?!" Brockulle yelled before his own attack engulfed him.
Something ruptured inside my body and I coughed up a worrying amount of blood. It didn't take much to put two-and-two together, whatever I did to move wasn't good for my body. I must've not felt it last time due to suppressing my ability to feel.
I fished around for a Senzu bean while Brockulle's attack flew upwards, a purple Sun that flew into the stratosphere. The sphere expanded outwards as it detonated, the exact same attack me and Saiya dodged on the ground. Swallowing the Senzu and feeling restored, I waited for the attack to fade away, cursing my inability to sense energy. Access to my ki would've helped in figuring out just how much damage that blast actually did.
The energy faded and the smoke cleared, leaving an empty expanse in the higher atmosphere. Where there once was rivers of clouds was now clear skies, the stars shining battle began in the morning, but now night began to blanket the land.
"Arcos, what's happening up there?!" Saiya said frantically. I had no idea where she was in relation to me, but it was a safe bet to assume she was still on the ground. "I felt a huge power and suddenly it's gone!"
"Brockulle fired a second rendition of what he shot at us." I whispered, still scanning the sky for the enemy. "But I made it one-eighty, and he hit himself instead."
"You can do that?!" The sheer awe in her voice instantly went to my head, making me feel like a badass.
"Apparently."
Eventually I heard him. Specifically, I heard the sound of gushing blood, and followed the noise with my eyes until I found him. Brockulle was covered in wounds, gashes both deep and superficial. The brute probably left no ki in reserve for defense, resulting in heavy damage to himself.
This was the perfect moment!
"Saiya, get up here!"
A loud boom echoed across the sky as the storm clouds were blown away. Despite her ragged appearance, her tattered leotard and the rain dripping off of her, Saiya still stood tall. She looked around in the middle of the empty sky, spinning in a circle. Brockulle must've been hiding his power, and I didn't have any power currently to sense.
I hadn't lost track of Brockulle, making sure he hadn't moved from his spot. An idea occurred to me, one I wasn't sure would work. My Psychokinesis, my psychic powers, always gave a purple outline. Could I focus on that, turn my psychic power into a beacon?
I focused on Brockulle, not on holding him in place but just focusing on him. The familiar purple outline of psychic power surrounded him, then I focused harder. It shone brighter and brighter, a bright purple glow that stuck out across the starry night sky.
"Saiya." I whispered, feeling a slight strain with how hard I needed to focus to make it glow so bright. The purple outline is usually dull and not very bright, so I had to layer my psychic power on top of itself many times over. "Look up and behind you."
My partner followed my instructions, and another boom rocked the skies as she flew towards the enemy. Saiya threw a flurry of punches, each one connecting with Brockulle's stomach or chest. Any clouds that were in the process of reforming around them were blown away by the resounding shockwaves.
A solid uppercut sent Brockulle flying upwards, with Saiya giving chase and appearing above him. Slamming her hands together, she brought her combined fists downwards. A final shockwave shook the skies as Brockulle went flying downwards. The storm clouds scattered with the force of his descent and a huge cloud of dust kicked up from where he landed.
I had Nimbus descend with caution, Saiya close by as a super-powered escort. The reincarnated warrior was face down in the dirt, significantly shorter in both size and bulk, and his hair was now a long mane of black instead of spiked up and green. Saiya started approaching him until I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"What're you doing Arcos?" She said, tense and ready to jump forward in a moment's notice.
"I have some questions for him." I said, hopping off of Nimbus. The loyal cloud floating off somewhere safe.
"Be careful."
"Always." I said, one of my hands raised in a sort-of half-grip. I was focusing my Psychokinesis on his neck, ready to crush it if he tried anything.
All I had to do was close my half-grip into a fist.
Brockulle was heavily injured, blood pooling around him, but he was still breathing. A Saiyan's durability was nothing to scoff at, especially a body as naturally tough as Broly's. With a low groan he rolled on his side, reaching a shaking hand to his throat.
"Brockulle, was it?" I said, crouching down in a squat a couple of yards away from him. A green sphere of ki sluggishly and slowly grew in his hand. Quickly closing my half-grip into a fist put a stop to that as Brockulle reached both hands to his neck, grasping at the pressure on his throat.
"You managed the Super Saiyan transformation." I continued. "And unless you want this to be your last day alive you'll tell me how."
"Sheesh Arcos, that's a little… dark." Saiya said from behind me.
"He hurt you Saiya, he hurt someone close to me." I stood from my squat and watched Brockulle writhe on the ground. Then I opened my fist, easing the grip on his throat and letting Brockulle took deep breaths. "And I will never forgive him for that."
Saiya didn't say anything in response. An awful smell filled the air, but I was too focused to pay much attention. My mind whispered that I learn as much as possible, my heart screamed for vengeance.
"Now," I raised my hand again, "tell me how you achieved that form."
"Ar… cos." Saiya's voice whispered in my ear, weak and in distress.
Everything slowed down as I turned around. Saiya was on the ground, a foot to the back of her head.
No. I thought. No—no—no—no!
Dark blue chitin, black spots, needle-like teeth in a manic grin. Embryo stood there, Saiya's tail gripped in one hand, his body covered in a sticky green liquid—the same liquid as when he grew new parts, or regenerated. Questions of how, when, and why circulated through my mind.
Then I remembered, he didn't have his tail when I destroyed him… because I ripped it off—!
But there was lava at the bottom of that hole, it should've—lava wouldn't be vaguely close enough to get through his passive aura guard. It might've hurt a little but there was no way lava would damage that tail in any way that mattered.
Which meant…
Which meant!
"We appear to be at a crossroads, Ar-cos~." The way Embryo said my name sent a shiver down my spine. "Perhaps… we could come to a trade of sorts?"
AN: This took a while because of life events.
My family and I are on a full recovery from COVID-19, we might've even kicked it about a week ago. In addition to that, I've a Jury Summons for November 18th and I need to call them about my situation with COVID-19.
I'm sorry it took so long, but I (more-or-less) have the rest of this fic planned out. Updates should be faster, or at least just not take as long as this one did.
I'm also sorry it's shorter than the others, but I wanted to end this chapter with a suspenseful cliffhanger that I've been meaning to write for a while now.
If you're enjoying the story so far please let me know! Every chapter I write for this is improving my skill as a writer and as an editor.