After her jaw-breaking performance, Chi Chi became the second fighter to advance to the finals. However, the calamity from earlier, caused a palpable tension to hang in the room. Skilled fighter's missed easy focus . As the preliminaries continued, it became increasingly obvious that most of the Z-fighters were going to advance. Yamcha, Jackie, and Tien all won out the rest of their matches and clinched their spots in the main event. The three men, along with Chi Chi, watched nervously as Nam and Tao entered the ring. As they bowed, Krillin came over to stand near Jackie and Yamcha, while Chizatzou trotted over next to Tien.
"That smug bastard better not hurt Nam!" Yamcha said through clenched teeth. He turned to Tien, "You guys make me sick, you know that?! You just think you're so much better than everyone." Tien put his hand up to dismiss Yamcha.
"Fools like you can never hope to achieve greatness. If your friend gets hurt, it's because he failed to protect himself, a true warrior never shows mercy." Tien said without glancing at Yamcha. He crossed his arms and resigned himself to watch the bout.
"Yamcha, the match is starting!" Krillin said, pulling at Yamcha's pant leg. The tension from earlier was really getting to Yamcha, and his emotions were starting to get the best of him.
"So you're saying if the Tournament allowed it, you'd have no problem killing your opponent?! Is that it?" Yamcha yelled as he got in Tien's face. Tien hesitated for a second, but then composed himself.
"Strike me and find out." He replied looking down and away. His shoulders raised as his back muscles tightened.
"Enough." Jackie said standing between them. Before he could say anything else, the match started.
Nam feigned a sweep, and tried to follow up with an elbow strike, but Tao parried his attack with ease. In one fluid motion he broke Nam's guard, and landed a quick strike to his abdomen. Nam's body tensed. He threw a punch, but a pain shot through his body as he did. Tao landed another strike that sent him flying out of the ring.
"I'd advise that you take him to the medical tent immediately. I struck some vital points that, if left unchecked, could cost you a night of digging ." Tao said as he walked off out of the tent.
Nam was carted off as he groaned in pain. Yamcha and the others watched in anger as the attendants ran him to the doctor.
"What do you have to say for yourself?!" Yamcha hollered at Tien.
"Yamcha, that's enough!" Jackie said standing between the two again. "He isn't to blame. Besides…." Jackie's voice trailed off as he turned to Tien. He thought this to himself, 'I don't think he approves of how his master operates.' He continued to look Tien straight in the eyes and nodded. A puzzled look crossed Tien's face. He turned back to respond, but decided against it and walked away. Chiatzou followed behind, flipping them off as he ran after Tien.
"Those two are something else." Krillin sighed to himself.
"I can sense some good in that Tienshinhan fellow. It's a shame Crane and Tao have messed with that poor kid's mind." Roshi said out loud. "I see why you wanted to train with him, Chi Chi." Roshi said, turning to where he thought Chi Chi was, but she was gone.
"Uh, Jackie, how do you know she went to train with them?" Krillin asked, scratching his head.
"Oh! Uh! I uh…." he started to stammer.
"You can drop the act master, we know it's you." Yamcha chuckled and patted him on the back. "I just don't know how you managed to grow your hair out so fast!"
"Wait Jackie Chun is Master Roshi?!" Krillin shouted, his eyes bulging out in surprise. Roshi slapped a hand over Krillin's mouth.
"Oh you're so kind! I wish I was like him, he's a legend! I appreciate the comparison, but I'm not the great master roshi!" His eyebrows raised as he spoke, and his annunciation clearly implied that he did not want anyone else to find out. He removed his hand from Krillin's mouth and winked.
"Ok but why did Yamcha say you guys were the same…" Krillin started, but then Yamcha leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"It is Master Roshi, just play along, I think he's having a crisis or something." Yamcha whispered loudly.
"I'm not...grr...anyways, where is Chi Chi, all your nonsense distracted me!" Roshi snapped angrily. He crossed his arms and the edges of his mustache flared as he took an exaggerated exhale.
"She was right here a second ago, maybe she rushed off to see if they'd let her into the medical tent?" Yamcha said as they looked around for her. The sun was starting to set causing the orange sky to darken.
Elsewhere, Chi Chi was trying her best to avoid detection.
She ducked and dodged her way through bushes as she tailed Mercenary Tao. As the wind rustled through the leaves, all she could hear was the steady beat of her heart. She felt determined to end this man's life. No fear. No worry. One singular goal, devoid of emotion. All she needed to do was wait for the right opportunity to pounce and she had him. No mercy, just like they taught.
After a few random turns, Tao stopped in the center of the street and looked up into the sky. This was her chance. Chi Chi took a deep breath, and crawled out the bush she was hiding in. The sky was dark, and a single street light shone on Tao. He stretched. She lifted her finger, and thought the words in her head. Dondon Ray. She could do this. All she had to do was charge the energy into the tip of her finger and release. Sweat dripped down her face as she tried to force her body to comply, but she couldn't.
You got this! He's right there. She thought to herself, but she couldn't do it.
He was mere feet away, and she couldn't muster the energy to strike him down! Try as she might she couldn't help but think what her father would say if he found out. What Grandpa Gohan would say if he was still here.
She thought about what Tao did. The rage it made her feel. The helplessness. She tried to tap into that emotion, but Gohan's face kept popping into her mind. What was she doing? Just then, Tao sprinted off at full speed. Chi Chi was furious. Was she really about to let this bastard go?
She started to sprint after him. He had to die. As far as she could tell, he still hadn't noticed her so she still had a chance. The world around her seemed to fade as all she could see was him.
Suddenly she felt her body stiffen. Her legs wouldn't run any more, and she felt frozen in place. She watched as Tao ran straight up the wall of a building, and took off, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop. As soon as he was out of sight, her body relaxed.
"Thank you Chiaotzu." she heard a voice say from behind her. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Tien said angrily. "You're lucky I spotted you when I did."
Chi Chi turned to him with fire in her eyes. "I had him. There would be no mercy for that bastard."
"Oh so you were going to strike him down when he wasn't suspecting it? Not only were you going to kill him, you were going to do it like a coward!" Tien shouted, the veins on his body pulsating with each breath.
"I don't care if he was your teacher, he deserves to die! He killed my teacher…" her anger cracked into sadness as she said this. "...there will be no mercy for him. You guys taught me not to hold back. No Mercy."
Tien grunted, then shouted out. "So, what, you decided to join our dojo so you could use our techniques to kill one of our own? You wasted my time for revenge? You turned on your own friends in hopes of maybe getting strong enough to kill him?" Tien's anger was rising again. His words caught Chi Chi off guard.
"I didn't abandon my friends…" her voice trailed off.
"Yeah, so wearing our logo and not telling them you were training with us is just your way of showing them you care? Pathetic. A liar. A coward, and selfish naive little girl. I made a mistake training you." he barked angrily. He turned his back to her..
Chi chi stared at her hands as she took Tien's words to heart. "But you made me wear this logo in order to train with you…" she stammered out. "You barely even trained me, instead you used me as a punching bag...and wanting to get stronger isn't a crime!" Chi Chi's rage, guilt, and self-pity were all beginning to mix. "I stood up to you for that scam you two pulled on those poor villagers. I stood up to your teacher when he tried to bully us. What did you do? You want to call me a coward? You let that old man push you around. You let him talk down to all your classmates. I may have been selfish, but at least I don't let other people push me around! I'm not going to let you push me around." She stood up and was about to storm off when she realized something. Tao was an assassin.
"And another thing!" She shouted as energy beams shot out of her hands, cratering the ground by her feet. "If killing unsuspecting people is such a cowardly thing to do, then maybe you should tell that to him!" She pointed to where Tao had been, then turned heel and stormed off, trying her best not to let them see her cry.
Tien was stunned, and slightly embarrassed. He had nothing to say in response to her comments about Master Shen or Tao. Regardless of how angry he was at this moment,, he had to admit that being a coward was the last thing that she was. It irritated him, that even when she was outclassed or outmatched, she was stupid enough to still act in defiance. Anytime Shen belittled him, or pressured him to do something against his values, he agreed to it. He always told himself it was out of respect for his master, but deep in the back of his mind, he knew. It was fear. Fear of shame. Fear of losing his place as the best. Tien stood in silence for a moment taking this all in.
"Tien, are you okay?" Chiatzou asked, trying to shake him from his trance. "Let's go get some food, it's getting late and I'm hungry."
"Huh?" Tien said, half-listening. "I'm sorry chiaotzu, I just...let's go get some food." He said, hanging his head.
"You're the strongest bravest person I know, Tien." Chiatzou said suddenly.
Tien remained silent for a while. "Thank you, friend." He said half-smiling. They walked in silence to the nearest restaurant.
As they entered a grating voice screeched at them from the corner of the restaurant.
"Where the hell have you two been?" Shen barked, motioning for them to sit. "You didn't come back to the hotel, so I had to have this brat get the money from your room. Dinner's on you guys." He said as he snatched the coin purse from Yurin and flung it at Tien.
"Sorry, master." Tien muttered as he bowed his head and sat down. Tien handed Chiatzou his coin purse, and reached into his gi for his own. "Sorry Chiaotzu." He whispered to his friend, who was too enthralled with the menu to notice anything else around him.
As the waiter brought over cups for tea, Master Roshi, Bulma, Launch, Yamcha, Krillin, Puar, and Oolong walked into the restaurant.
Shen spotted them, and shouted, as if he was expecting them. "Hey, Grandpa, the senior discount is in the morning!" He chortled, then began howling with laughter. He looked over at Roshi, expecting a flash of annoyance or irritation, but the turtle hermit continued on, as his students looked over and rolled their eyes. "I see, the imperceivable strength of our school, has you at a loss for words. Good! Just throw in the towel, and save yourselves the shame my students have this one in the bag!" Again there was no response or reaction from Roshi.
Yamcha stood up to say something, but Bulma put a hand on his arm to motion for him to take his seat again.
"Yeah, listen to your girlfriend, little boy, you don't want to come over here and force us to knock you out!" Shen snickered, taking a sip of tea.
"Why don't you say that to my face? Or are you so chicken you throw insults and hide behind your students?" Yamcha retorted , deciding to take a seat.
"Are you going to let him talk to your Sensei like that?" Shen barked at Tien. Tien tried his best to stay focused on the menu. Shen grumbled then turned back to Yamcha. "You're lucky I don't want to waste my energy on losers like you!". He then turned to Tien expectedly. Tien closed his eyes and tensed his jaw, sipping tea through clenched teeth. Shen's eyes were shooting daggers at Tien, who chose to look over towards the waiter to call him over.
"Heh. Just what I thought, all bark and no bite. Just drink your tea and keep your barking trap shut." Yamcha said, crossing his arms in triumph. Bulma, who had been looking around the room for Chi Chi, stood up and walked over to the table. Yamcha tensed up for a moment.
"Oh, of course, send the girl to do the fighting, typical turtle school!" Shen shouted towards Roshi, but Roshi was totally ignoring him.
"We saw you through the window, so I gave him some noise cancelling headphones I created so that he wouldn't hear your childish insults, and cause a scene." Bulma said dismissively. "Hey Tenshinhan?" Bulma started, "You wouldn't happen to know where Chi Chi is would you? She didn't come back to the hotel, so I assumed…"
"Nope," Tien replied flatly. Chiaztzou looked at him with a confused look, turned to Bulma, then back to Tien, and made a motion across his mouth, as if closing a zipper.
"Are you sure?" Bulma asked, eyeing Tien as he quietly sipped his tea.
"I've already answered the question woman, leave me alone." Tien replied dismissively.
"Run along Capsule Princess." Shen snickered.
"Gahh, some friends you are!" Bulma said, stomping her foot on the ground.
"We haven't seen her miss, but I'm sure she's okay." Yurin piped up. "Chi Chi is really brave, and a lot nicer than these meanies."
Shen turned to face her, and she flinched. He started to yell, and, instinctively, Bulma slapped Shen across the face. "Don't you yell at that poor little girl, you mean old man. That just proves her point exactly!" Bulma's slap had also caused Shen's tea to spill on his pants.
He stood up, his jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth. His clenched fist opened to a palm and motioned as if he were about to backhand Bulma. In an instant, Roshi was near them holding Shen's arm tightly, while holding Yamcha back with one leg. He shook his head. Shen tensed for a second, ready to fight, then pulled his arm back and sat down.
"Get your child, and go back to your table. And take this one too." He said forcefully pointing at Yurin. Roshi and Bulma walked away, with Yurin close behind. Bulma tugged at Yamcha's shirt to get him to go back.
As they all returned to their seats, Agent Gold and Chi Chi walked into the restaurant.
"Hey guys, look who I ran into on my way out?. '' Agent Gold announced to Bulma and the others. "Once again, thanks for the invite! You're sure it's okay for me to join you all?"
"It's more than okay, Mr. Man." Launch said, winking at him, and sliding over to make room for him to sit next to her.
Chi Chi shot a glare over at Tien as she took her seat.
"Hey, where did you go? We were all worried!" Bulma asked as Chi Chi sighed and hid her face behind the menu.
"Out." She replied, bending the edge of the menu.
"Out where?" Bulma asked, hoping Chi Chi would elaborate. Chi Chi sighed even louder, and growled a bit, as she slammed her elbows down on the table. Bulma looked around the table and everyone else shrugged. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Agent Gold spoke up.
"I'm excited to watch this tournament. I've never really attended one before, the Red Ribbon Army didn't really let me out much." He smiled as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "I tried to get my partner to join us for dinner, but he seemed preoccupied with something else. I think he was packing to leave" He checked his pager to see if Agent Black had tried to reach out, but he saw no new messages. The device beeped, and he checked again but saw no message. "I think something's wrong with my communication device. It keeps beeping like it has a message, but then there is no message to display." Agent Gold said, looking at the rest of the table for help. Just then the waiter came by to take their order.
Bulma reached her hand out to check the device.
"So, uh, do you have a girlfriend or something, Gold Guy?" Yamcha asked, putting his arm around Bulma.
"Get a load of the jealous guy…" Oolong whispered to Krillin. Krillin chuckled.
"Yeah, that's a good question Mr. Gold, are you single?" Launch asked, rubbing his arm.
He blushed and scratched the back of his head again. "Yes, I do believe so. The Army didn't really let me do that either." He chuckled nervously. Launch continued to stroke his biceps, as he tried to kindly inch away from her.
"So why did you join those creeps anyway?" Yamcha asked, refusing to break eye contact. Agent Gold tried to laugh this off.
"Yeah," Puar chirped, "You seem like a really nice guy, what were you doing with a bunch of bad guys like them?"
At the same time, Bulma had shouted out "Oh, it's just your battery! It's almost dead, how long have you had that thing?" She asked, handing him back his pager.
"Well I've had it for about 4 months now, never realized it needed any batteries." He said flipping it around, wondering where the batteries would go.
Bulma chuckled. She found his confusion cute.
Yamcha cleared his throat and started speaking again, "So why did you join the Red-"
"I have some spare batteries back at the hotel, I'll give you some when we get back, m'kay?" Bulma smiled and put her arms around Yamcha's arm.
The food they ordered had arrived and everyone started to load their plates. Agent Gold took this moment to answer Yamcha's question.
"I joined the Red Ribbon Army, because my father joined. We were led to believe that the world needed them, and in turn needed us, but as we know now that proved to be false. I signed up thinking that I was going to help my father do some good in the world. You see so many suffering from the ways things are, you start to wonder about how they could be better, you know? You start to yearn for something better. I thought it was them. However soon it became clear not all of us were on the same page. The leader, Commander Red, became very greedy, and it was clear to many of us that he wasn't in it for the right reasons. Many commanding officers left before you and your friend took down Muscle Tower. Even more left afterwards." While Agent Gold was speaking, across the room at the Crane School table, Tien was being berated once again. He hung his head and said nothing.
Chi Chi, who had finally started to eat, rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned to Yurin very loudly and said, "I'm glad you sat over here Yurin, that other table is for bullies and cowards!" Yurin blushed and stared at her plate of food. Roshi looked up to see Chi Chi glaring over at Tien. Tien looked at her and they made brief eye contact. He turned back to the table, stood up and made his way to the door.
"Chiaotzu." He said, as he walked out.
"Hey, where do you think you two are going?" Shen hollered, as Tien and Chiatzou exited the restaurant without another word.
"I see." Roshi whispered to himself as he watched this all unfold.
"Get back here, you have to pay for…" Shen shouted, but the two had left.
Chi Chi turned back to the table and crossed her arms. A quick smirk flashed across her face. Roshi chuckled to himself.
After a long awkward pause, which included Shen scrambling to pay for his table's food then rushing out before the waiter could count the change he left, Agent Gold continued his story.
"After you guys started to fight back against the Red Ribbon army, there was a mass exodus. Something was different. Something was off. It felt as if something in the universe had changed, and we were all waking up to it. I don't know, maybe we were blind to the way things were, but in any case, I left after you guys took down Muscle Tower. The way my fellow compatriots laid waste to the world around them, with no regard for nature and the gifts the world had to offer. I could not in good conscience continue to support the cause. So I didn't. Then Alonzo and my dad found me, and brought me to this new agency, where I hope we can do some real good." He smiled as he finally started to eat.
"So who's your dad?" Bulma asked, enthralled with Agent Gold's story. "What kind of work does he do?" The rest of the group had finished eating and were engaged in their own conversations.
"So who are you hoping you're going to fight first?" Krillin asked Chi Chi. Now that he had eaten, he was in a much better mood. That paired with the fact that Chi Chi sat with them, made him less angry with his friend.
"I'm bummed that Pamput didn't make the cut." Blonde Launch said, swirling the straw in her drink. She was half listening to Krillin and Chi Chi, half listening to Agent Gold., "He was some real eye candy. Speaking of eye candy…" Her voice trailed off as she looked up at Agent Gold. "Mr. Gold since you're single and handsome, what do you say to treating me to dinner and drinks after the Tournament?" Launch asked, smiling at him. Agent Gold blushed.
"Well...sounds like a plan!" He said sheepishly. He checked his watch and gasped. "Oh I was supposed to check in a few minutes ago!" He checked his pager, but it was now dead. "I apologize for leaving in a hurry, and I thank you all for allowing me to join you tonight. I have a really important call I have to make regarding WATER's newest contract with the West City Governing board. Wish me luck!" He left them some money, bowed, and walked out
Roshi counted out the money he left and chuckled. "Well,hot momma! It looks like our new friend covered our meal!" Sure enough Agent Gold had left enough Zenni to cover their entire meal, plus extra for a service tip.
The next morning was a blur as everyone rushed to get back to the venue for the start of the tournament. Agent Gold opted to stay in as he never got a chance to charge his pager, and his calls kept getting cut short. He was also upset by the fact that his partner had just disappeared. When he arrived back at the hotel from the restaurant his stuff was gone, but no note was left.
"I'll stay and try to get a hold of him. Hopefully I'm not in trouble at work or something." he stated as the group said their good-byes. Launch walked over and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"See you soon, big guy." she purred, flashing him a pearly white smile and wink. Before she turned to walk away she sneezed, and her face turned beet red, as she ran ahead of the group.
Roshi, who had given up trying to keep up his lie, went with them dressed as Jackie Chun. They had all called the hospital to check on Nam, and were relieved to hear that he was doing fine, albeit a few fractures.
Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha, and Chi Chi parted ways with the group, and made their way to the fighters area to check-in and find out who they would be facing. They entered to see Tao, Tien, Chiatzou, and the Masked Fighter were already there waiting.
"Seems like I'll be able to add World Martial Arts Champion to my title." Tao mused as he turned his back to the other fighters. "My prices will more than double with that kind of publicity.".
Tien and Chiatzou remained silent, staring at a fixed point in the room.
After a few moments of awkward silence, one of the attendants stepped up, cleared his throat, and began.
"Welcome everyone, and congratulations on making it the main stage here tonight. We will now have each of you come up to pick a number to determine who you will fight. Good luck! First up we have...The Blue Devil."
Without a word, the masked man walked forward, his arms swinging clunkily by his side. He reached into the box and pulled out the number five. He turned, in almost soldier-like fashion and walked to the waiting area near the ring.
"Ok…." The attendant said weirded out by the man's stiff movements. "Next up we have….Tao Pai Pai!"
Mercenary Tao smirked as he walked over to grab his number. He dug deep into the box, and pulled out the number one, and chuckled. "Would you look at that, number one!" He looked at the others, and just shook his head at them.
The number drawing continued in this fashion, with Chi Chi following him and pulling the number seven, followed by Tien who pulled the number three, Chizatzou who pulled the number two, and then Jackie who pulled the number four. Yamcha was the last to pull a number and he came up with eight. Krillin sighed as he realized that he would have to face the masked man.
"Alright everyone, good luck, and um….have fun out there!" The attendant said as she scrambled out of the room. The energy in the room was intense.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 22nd World Martial Arts tournament! We hope you've emptied your bladders, checked your pace-makers, and refilled on snacks, because boy do we have a show for you today! These fighters are on a whole different level, each of them zoomed through their qualifiers like a starved lion chasing a pig!"
Out in the stands Oolong rolled his eyes at the comparison.
"Are you on the edge of your seats folks, because these top contenders are the best fighters in the world! The Elite! They will not be pulling any punches at all folks!" The crowd roared, "In fact, we may just have to ask our first contender to pull some punches because he has established quite the reputation for himself. No one has crossed this man and lived to tell the tale, give it up for the mercenary Tao!"
Tao versus Chiatzou
Tao strolled out with a smug expression that read, "I've already won." He crossed his arms and remained silent. Out in the audience Bulma gritted her teeth as she watched this murderer calmly stand in the center of the ring.
"And his opponent, a student of the Crane School and possible mime! Chiatzou!" The announcer shouted.
Chiatzou walked out and motioned for him to give him the mic. The announcer smiled and leaned the mic down towards the little guy.
"I'm not a mime. I'm a psychic." He said in a monotone voice. He stared blankly at the announcer, waiting for the man's response.
"Ok, isn't that cute!" The announcer said, patting Chiatzou's head. Chiatzou levitated the mic out of the announcer's hands and floated it around the arena, which caused the man to chase it around. The audience erupted in laughter.
"Ok..ok." the announcer muttered into the mic, as he grabbed on and chiaotzu lifted it into the air. "I stand corrected, Chiaotzu the psychic! Now can you please put me down kid?" Chiatzou obliged, and flashed a brief smile, before returning to his doll-like stare.
While the crowd laughed in amusement, Chiatzou was shuddering at the thought of facing Tao. He was terrified. He was about to face his master's brother, who was notoriously ruthless. He gulped. He wanted to win, but he was starting to doubt his ability to do so. What if Tao "accidently" killed him? He didn't want to die. He tried to push the thoughts out of his mind, but the worry was beginning to immobilize him. The match started and he couldn't move.
Tao raced at him with immense speed and power. Chiatzou felt all the wind escape from his lungs as Tao punched him in the gut. He felt every jab, and hand stab that the mercenary threw, but he couldn't dodge. Tao lifted him into the air and began to slap him around. He struggled to get away, but was then flung hard to the ground. Chiatzou was now panicking and in pain. He reacted, using his telekinesis to freeze Tao in place, as he gathered himself. The minute he released Tao, he ducked, dodging the assassins' karate chop.
"Come on Chiaotzu! You can do this!" Tien shouted.
Chiatzou looked over at Tien and felt his eyes begin to tear up. He couldn't let Tien down, but he also knew he wouldn't last much longer like this. He tried to crawl to the edge of the ring, but Tao kicked at him, causing him to jump into the air. He panicked and instinctively used his electrokinesis.
Tao lit up like a blinking light, and his muscles began to stiffen. Chiaztou landed on his feet and tried to side step around Tao, but he broke concentration, freeing Tao from his attack. He then jumped and grabbed Tao's ponytail, pulling down as hard as he could. Chiatzou managed to grip and rip the rubber band that was tying the hairstyle together, along with a few tufts of hair. He chuckled as Tao grimaced in pain, but his victory was short lived.
Tao spun around and snatched Chiaotzu out of the air and smashed him into the ground. He tossed him in the air and proceeded to shoot a low impact dondon ray at Chiatzou's shoulder, then he fired another at his other shoulder, followed by one to the gut, then ended with one to the knee as Chizaotu finally crashed down to the arena. Tao kicked his leg up and brought it crashing down on Chiaotzu. A loud pop rang out as Tao's kick dislocated Chiaztou's shoulder . Tao lifted him up and popped it back in place
.
"Stop it! End this already you bastard!" Tien shouted angrily. Tao turned and looked at Tenshinhan with a look of pure disgust. He clenched his fist in anger then slapped Chiatzou awake.
"You're done when I say you are!" He then turned to Tien and winked. He flung Chiatzou across the ring, as if he was going to eliminate him, only he then immediately zipped across and kicked Chiaotzu back to the opposite side. He did this again. And again.
"My god folks, it looks like Tao is using poor Chiaotzu as a ball in a one-manned game of pong! This is really hard to watch! Please god, let the poor boy be okay." The audience gasped as Tao ran around the ring kicking Chiaotzu around.
"Oh dear, it looks like Tao is switching tactics...he's kicked Chiaotzu up into the air and...oh my god I think he's about to spike the poor guy like he's a volleyball on the beach." Tao had kicked Chiaotzu in the air and proceeded to smash him back down, just as the announcer described.
"Call to your pathetic sentimental friend!" he whispered into Chiaotzu's ear. Tears began to pour down his face as Tao spun him over his head like a lasso. Chiaotzou tried to use his levitation to fly out of the ring, but Tao jumped and kicked him high up into the air.
Tien was fighting every urge not to rush out.
"He's goading you. Hoping to elicit a response that would knock you off your guard. If you rush in you'll be disqualified!" Roshi said as Tien sat there seething with rage.
"Just end the match!" Tien shouted out angrily, as he felt tears begin to stream down his face. Shen, who was watching with mixed feelings of disappointment and disgust, nodded for Tao to end it. Tao rolled his eyes and flung Chiaoztou at his brother, and walked off the stage.
"That is a ring out...someone get the doctor's to check on that kid please…..Tao wins. Merciless Tao, just tortured his opponent on stage folks." Tao shot the announcer a cold and threatening look. The announcer gulped and ran over to whisper to the attendant to make sure Chiaotzu received appropriate medical attention.
Tien versus Jackie Chun
"But enough about that! The poor kid is in good hands now. Now it's time to move on to the next match!" He stammered out, he mouthed sorry over to Tao who was now ignoring him. "W-we have r-returning champ...Jackie Chun looking to repeat his victory and join an exclusive club of repeat winners. A club so exclusive only one man has done so! Spike the Devil Man...not to be confused with our Blue Devil..is the only confirmed fighter to have won two tournaments. Do you think you have what it takes to beat your opponent?
Roshi smiled and patted the announcer on the shoulder to try and calm the man down. He then gave a thumbs up. "Well, I sure hope so, but the competition today sure is stiff, so winning won't be easy. But I'm here to show these young folk to never underestimate experience!" He gave the crowd two thumbs up, then slipped a handkerchief out of his sleeve. He signed as Jackie Chun, then flung the kerchief out into the audience, and bowed. "I've already won two, this would be number three" he thought to himself chuckling.
Tien stormed up, removed his gi and got into his fighting stance, wanting nothing more than to end this match as quickly as possible.
"Okay, it looks like our next fighter is eager to get started...um Tea..T-Tenshinhan, also a student of the Crane School, it looks like your master Shen is out in the audience cheering you on. Is there anything you'd like to tell him and the lovely audience about your chances of winning?" The announcer shoved the mic into Tien's face but Tien smacked it away.
"Tao will pay for what he's done!" Tien shouted, staring Roshi down. He gritted his teeth as he flexed every muscle in his body.
Roshi took slow deep breaths, as the noises around him began to fade. The roar of the crowd dimmed as he turned his full attention to the fighter before him.
Out in the audience Bulma watched with silent excitement. Master Roshi had started training again and she was excited to see what he had done.
Roshi bowed, and his eyes darted over to where the Blue Devil was standing. Something about the man felt familiar and he couldn't quite place what it was. As he was about to avert his gaze, a man in a trench coat walked up behind the Blue Devil and whispered something in his ear. The distraction was enough for him not to hear that the match had started. He narrowly avoided a downward palm strike, and felt a small cut open on his face.
The force of Tien's hand was so strong that the residual energy cut into Roshi, forcing him to back pedal. However, Tien's anger was a double edged sword that Roshi knew how to exploit. The more Roshi dodged, the angrier Tien got. The angrier Tien became, the more he telegraphed his moves, making it easier for Roshi to dodge them. It became like a dance, as Roshi led Tien to where he wanted him. He could have easily knocked the man out if he wanted, but Roshi's instincts as a teacher were coming back to the forefront.
"Damn you Gohan." He chuckled to himself. "Damn you for bringing this old fossil back into the fold." He felt a calmness wash over him as he thought of his dear departed friend.
He then spoke to Tien, "The angrier you get, the easier it is to read you." After saying this, he landed a jumping kick to Tien's chin. Tien tried to counter with a ki blast, but Roshi dodged again, and whipped in with a three punch combo to the abdomen.
"Calm yourself. Control your emotions." Roshi shouted as he continued to outpace and dodge Tien.
Tien used his four witches technique, but even then Roshi was able to dodge and avoid him. Roshi sighed and used Tien's own momentum against him, knocking him to the edge of the ring, then kicking him off. Tien was inches from touching the ground before, Roshi used his own electrokinesis attack to keep him suspended. He took a step towards the man and pulled him back into the arena, then released the attack. Tien was on the ground gasping for breath as he looked up at his opponent in disbelief.
"Now will you listen and control your anger?" Roshi said, offering Tien a hand. Tien sighed and nodded. He stood up and bowed.
"Thank you." He muttered silently.
The match continued and Tien was finally able to land some attacks. He feigned a kick, and then popped up as Roshi was about to attack, causing the old man to fly back. Tien split himself and used his double to stop Roshi from falling out of the ring. After he pulled Roshi back in he bowed.
"Now we're even….thank you." he said bowing with full respect.
"Well what do you say we end this little match?" Roshi said buffing up to his maximum power form. "I only got a little in the tank left, might as well end with a bang, and kid….." His voice trailed off, but they exchanged a glance that showed they understood each other. Tien flexed his arms and charged up a two-handed ki blast. Roshi charged up his Kamehameha. The explosion from the blasts colliding lit up the stadium causing for a mesmerizing show. When the dust settled. The two men stood still and swayed. Roshi gave Tien a thumbs up as he fainted. Tien chuckled and fell to his knees. After a ten count the referee called the match, and Tien helped Roshi up, bowed and then shot Tao a menacing glance.
"Go get him, kid." Roshi whispered, adjusting his wig.
Krillin versus The Blue Devil
"In our next match, we have a fresh face going up against a returning contender. I'm being told that our first fighter won by default after a choice knockout in one of his preliminary bouts caused all the other fighters in that bracket to forfeit! That. Is. Scary! Tremble before the might of The Blue Devil!"
The masked man marched out, as if he was a soldier marching in line. When he approached the stage he stopped, spread his legs shoulder length, then reached into his blue tights and pulled out a blue sweat-band. He slipped the band on his arm and flexed in front of the announcer.
"Anything you'd like to say to the audience?" The announcer said, placing the mic to the man's mask. The masked man made a motion of a belt around his waist, then mimed laughing. He then turned and marched to the end of the ring. He pulled out a red sweatband with a logo on it and then stood at attention and saluted.
"Ok folks, if I read that correctly, it appears the Blue Devil is claiming an early victory! He also made a salute that I don't quite agree with, but it appears this man, dare I say, this monster, is ready to strike his enemies down like a soldier following orders!" The crowd erupted into cheers and boos. In the stands, a man in a trench coat made his way closer to the stage.
"Alright up next, we have our returning contender. He may be small, but don't underestimate his size because this kid packs quite a punch! Give it up for Krillin!" The audience cheered as Krillin shyly walked out to the arena.
"Is there anything you'd like to say to the audience before we get this match underway?" The announcer placed the mic in front of Krillin. Krillin thought for a moment, then crossed his arms and decided to "play it cool."
"I'll just let my fists do the talking!" He said, turning his back to the audience. However the excitement of the fight was starting to seep in, and he turned and flashed a peace sign with a big cheesy smile.
"Would you look at that confidence folks! Well without further ado let's get this match started!"
Krillin got into his fighting stance as he tried to size up his opponent. The Blue Devil was rather large and intimidating, but Krillin was finding him hard to take seriously. His sequin pants and glittered devil mask reminded Krillin of the cheesy wrestlers Launch watched on TV. He looked over to the crowd, and noticed Bulma, Launch, and the others cheering for him. He smiled to himself, he could do this. Sure the guy was a little scary, but what fun would winning be if it wasn't a challenge.
The masked man stood still waiting for Krillin to make the first move. Krillin rushed forward and bounced up, aiming straight for the man's head. He landed a few kicks and punches, but each hit felt as if it was striking against metal. That's odd, he thought to himself. He flipped back and then tried to take out the Blue Devil's legs, but he was met with the same result. He flipped back again to strategize his next move, when the Blue Devil went on the offensive.
The Blue Devil closed the gap Krillin created and landed a hard uppercut to his gut. He then turned to the audience and flexed, while Krillin held his stomach in pain. "Wow, he packs a powerful punch!" Krillin thought to himself.
He stood up and took a deep breath. "I could still do this!" He prepared himself to attack, but the Blue Devil rounded on him with a kick from behind.
"What are you?" Krillin managed to gasp out as he narrowly dodged another attack. Krillin was forced to retreat and spent the next few minutes running away from his opponent. Each missed attack cracked the ring ever so slightly.
Krillin felt his confidence wavering. This guy was the real deal. Krillin waited back, noticing that his opponent loved to showboat. "I've got it!" he whispered to himself.
Krillin waited for the Blue Devil to flex for the crowd, before he pounced. He zipped over as fast as he could, gripped his opponent's pants and pulled down as hard as he could. The Blue Devil's pants came down and he hopped away frantically as he tried to pull them up. Krillin took this moment to pounce, charging up every ounce of energy he had to rush his opponent head first.
Krillin's head collided straight with the Blue Devil's chest, and he instantly regretted it. It felt as if he ran headfirst into a truck. Krillin staggered back and fell to the ground, dazed and confused. The Blue Devil, meanwhile, tumbled over and was flopping on the ground, as he tried to roll away from the edge. The top half of his body dangled over the edge, and he tried his best not to touch the ground below.
Krillin stood up trying to shake off the pain, but he was now seeing double and his head was pulsing with pain. The Blue Devil grabbed the edge of the ring, and lifted his legs into the air, allowing his pants to slide back on. He moved one hand up, to tighten the string on his pants, essentially doing a handstand at the edge of the ring. Krillin ran forward hoping to push him over, but his dizziness slowed him down, allowing the Blue Devil to leap over Krillin, just as the little monk was about to push him off. Krillin fumbled and his arms flailed frantically as he desperately tried to avoid falling out. He closed his eyes, hoping he could somehow stop his fall, but his body was already in motion. He felt something tug at his arm, and opened his eyes to see that he was mere centimeters from the ground. Before he could realize what was happening he heard a loud pop, followed by an excruciating burning pain around his shoulder. He screamed.
The Blue Devil had pulled Krillin back so hard and so fast, that he dislocated Krillin's shoulder. As Krillin curled up into a ball of pain the announcer stammered out his protests.
"B..But, why would you...he's just a kid...he...well folks, it looks like the Blue Devil wasn't willing to win by knockout, I don't know just what is going through his mind, but it appears he pulled poor Krillin's arm so hard, that he dislocated the little guy's shoulder." The announcer ran over to Krillin and put his hand over the mic so the audience wouldn't hear him.
"If you want me to end this match I will kid, just let me…"
"NO!" The Blue Devil shouted, pushing the announcer aside. He stood on Krillin's shoulder and started to flex towards the audience again. The crowd went silent as Krillin's scream filled the Blue Devil lifted Krillin up by his shirt, but Krillin started to wriggle away. He slid out of his shirt and tried to pop his shoulder back into place but was forced to dodge as the Blue Devil tried to kick him. Krillin ran to the edge of the arena, with one last strategy in mind. He jumped, and flipped back. As he expected the Blue Devil was trying to stop him from exiting the arena. He grabbed the man's mask and tried to place his feet on the back of his neck. He pulled the mask over the man's head hoping to temporarily blind him, allowing him enough time to push him out of the ring.
However, Krillin underestimated just how much the Blue Devil cared about his "Secret Identity" because the man jumped back from the edge, and reached up to pull off his mask. He then flung his mask, along with Krillin, straight to the ground. He lifted Krillin by his ankle and jangled him, dislocating his ankle in the process. Krillin screamed, and felt his body hit the ground. He looked up to see who the man was beneath the mask, and he instantly recognized him. The pain was making it hard to place him, but he knew this man! He stomped on Krillin's ankle and tugged at his arm, causing Krillin to pass out from the pain.
"That's enough!" A gruff voice shouted from the edge of the audience. "Save it for the end." The trenched man said, taking a puff of his cigar. Chi Chi and Yamcha gasped, as they recognized both men. The one who had walked out to the edge and motioned for the one in the ring to stop was General White, the man they defeated at Muscle Tower, while the man in the ring was none other than General Blue. Blue turned and noticed them gasping at him. He smiled and winked at them as he put his mask back on and Krillin was carted off in a stretcher.
"How?" Yamcha gasped out loud.
"This is very strange indeed." Master Roshi thought to himself. He sat in silence as Chi Chi and Yamcha rushed off to check on Krillin.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, that was hard to watch, even after the brutality of the first match, I still felt sick to my stomach. Let's hope Krillin has a speedy recovery! Unfortunately that is the nature of these fights, sometimes they end in a bang. That being said, as tough as this tournament has been to stomach, the show must go-
"I'd like to make a request," General Blue stated, his mask now on the ground, as he remained firmly planted in the ring. "I'd like to continue fighting. I'll face Yamcha, then Chi Chi." The audience went silent.
"Is he crazy?!" Bulma shouted out, as she gritted her teeth in anger.
"Um...well...that's not how this wor…" The announcer tried to stammer out, but Blue just rolled his eyes.
"Listen, I had a job to do here, so if you want me to go through with that job, by all means let's play by the rules." General Blue snickered as he scratched his nose.
General White ran up into the arena and began shouting at Blue. "What the hell are you thinking? Those aren't our orders, and you damn well know it!"
Blue smiled. "In life, I was ever the diligent soldier. Yes sir. Of course sir! Then I died." He then removed the band from his arm and tossed it into the audience, and kicked General White out of the ring. "The Red Ribbon Army is dead, Long live the Queen!" Blue winked then flipped off General White.
"What the hell is going on?" Tien shouted in confusion.
Tao stormed over to General White. "If you're here on behalf of that idiot Red, tell him he owes me a LARGE sum of money for taking out that hermit." White chuckled.
"You were paid what you were worth mercenary. If you'd like more money, our great leader would love to have a word with you after this." General White stood up and brushed himself off. "Fine Blue, have it your way. Just know that I'll be carrying out the mission without you, and I'll let the boss know just how cooperative you were…" Tao struck him hard in a few vital points, and turned away expecting the man to die. However White fumbled down to a knee and groaned. "That actually hurt...damn...I thought the pain was supposed to be gone."
Tao felt the tip of his fingers throbbing with pain, and his eyes widened.
Blue rolled his eyes and turned to Yamcha. "Will the handsome man in orange, please step on stage. We have some unfinished business, loverboy."
"Um.. well…" the announcer was speechless and the attendants motioned for him to continue. "..well I guess our next match is…"
The Blue Devil versus Yamcha
Yamcha was beyond confused. What the hell was going on? How were these two goons still alive? He looked over to his friends and they were all just as confused about what was happening as he was. He stepped into the ring and tried to shake the confusion from his mind, but this sudden turn of events was proving to be too much of a distraction. He charged at the Blue Devil, but instantly regretted it. He felt an elbow crash into his back as he fell hard to the arena. Before he could stand up, he felt himself being lifted into the air. He planted his feet against his opponent and pushed away, hair tearing from his head as he narrowly escaped.
The next few minutes consisted of Yamcha dodging and evading the Blue Devil's attacks like a game of cat and mouse. Out in the audience Bulma and Launch were biting their nails, flustered at how things were turning out. Bulma was so entrenched in the match she didn't realize her communication device had been buzzing non-stop. Neither did the people around her.
Yamcha tried his wolf-fang fist but nothing seemed to stop this beast. He gulped realizing that he had no chance of winning this match. He tactfully made his way to the edge of the ring and began to charge up his last ditch effort: a Kamehamha. He tuned out all the noise around him and focused only on his opponent. He focused on the rage he felt against Tien, Tao, and this monster. For what was done to Krillin and Nam. He focused all that rage into a singular kamehameha, and unleashed the explosive blast with a primal scream. The force of his attack started to push him back too. Blue caught the blast and was struggling to push it back. The two men began to get driven back by the force of the blast. Yamcha felt his feet at the edge of the ring and tried to slide on the tips of his toes. Blue was so close to being pushed out, maybe this could work! Yamcha dug in deep hoping to end this thing here and now, even if he was a double knockout, maybe Chi Chi could advance and take this thing! He smiled and gave one final push.,. Only to gasp out in horror. Blue had flipped the trajectory of the blast 90 degrees.
Yamcha's attack went straight into the sky as he released the attack, and collapsed out of the ring, fainting from exhaustion. He landed safely on the floor below and General Blue shouted a rage of obscenities as Chi Chi quickly hopped into the ring.
"It looks like this one is over folks! Yamcha has hit the ground and Chi Chi is now in the ring eager to start the next match!"
The Blue Devil versus Chi Chi
Chi Chi sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. She could tell from the look on his face that Blue was dead set on hurting them. In this moment, he was consumed by revenge. Is that what she had looked like? She shook the thought from her mind and focused on the battle ahead. She was certain of a few things. This man wanted to hurt them. He was different from before, and holding back was not an option.
Out in the audience Bulma was being held back by Puar, Launch, and Oolong as she tried to go out into the ring to give Blue a piece of her mind. Fortunately, Yamcha was okay, and, to everyone's surprise, Tien helped Roshi take him to safety.
Chi Chi slid through General Blue's legs and tried to kick the back of his knees, but the attack didn't take him down. She side stepped his attacks, and tried to land a few punches, but nothing seemed to affect him. Even scarier, he didn't seem to be tired from his match with Yamcha. She also noted that his body seemed to be made of metal. None of it made any sense. She went on the defensive as she contemplated the next steps she could take.
Bulma sighed as she briefly glanced at her communication device. 12 missed messages.
Elsewhere Agent Gold was speeding in and out of traffic as he was rushing to get to the arena.
Chi Chi had decided that her best chance to win this match was on a deadly gamble. If she was correct then she could gain the advantage, but if she was wrong….she shook the thought, as she put her plan into motion.
Chi Chi split herself into three copies and began her assault. The copies began to run at Blue while the real chi chi charged up her full power Dodon Ray. The copies scratched and clawed at Blue , then dodged his attacks, irritating him in the process. He managed to strike them all down, and they returned to Chi Chi,but not before she was able to launch her attack. She shot Blue square between the eyes, and the blast tore through his head. He collapsed to his knees and fell forward. Chi Chi screamed.
The audience gasped in horror at what they had just witnessed. Chi chi had killed her opponent. Bulma, who had been listening to her messages, felt her stomach lurch. Tien and Roshi's shoulders sagged as their mouths dropped to the floor. Tao smiled for a moment, and gave Chi chi an odd look. Shen vomited. Everyone was in disbelief.
After the initial shock wore off, Chi Chi noticed something. There was no blood. As the announcer began to stammer out some harsh words, she rushed to drag Blue's body out of the ring. The announcer tried to stop her and the audience watched in stunned silence. Chi chi had Blue right at the edge of the arena and was ready to kick him off, when he suddenly popped up, confirming her suspicions. She doubled back and charged a Kamehameha to launch at Blue at point blank range, but she was too late. Blue rushed her and punched through her attack landing a clean hit straight to her face, and busted her nose open. Chi Chi fell to the ground and looked up, to see that the skin around Blue's arm had been burned off by her Kamehameha, and showed an exposed robot arm. The announcer covered his eyes.
As this was transpiring Agent Gold had arrived at the venue and was pushing his way through crowds of people to get to the arena. Launch spotted him and waved him over.
Chi Chi rolled away from Blue and was forced to dodge his attacks. Each one a hair's breadth away from hitting her. She tried to punch back, but her fist met his, and she felt a burning sensation run up her arm before it went limp. She began running around the ring, trying to avoid his attacks, but it was no use. She sighed and ducked out of the arena.
"Let's just end this now!" Blue shouted pointing at Tien and Tao. "The sooner I'm crowned Champion, the sooner I can end those miserable children's lives.
While this was happening Agent Gold was explaining to Bulma and Launch what he thought was happening.
"Everyone here is in danger! This morning I was able to get a hold of Alonzo and he informed me that General White had resurfaced and threatened him. He left in a hurry to try and get back up, and stated that they would be arriving, but it doesn't look like anyone is here yet. Alonzo told me that he called the bomb squad, so we have to try and find a way to evacuate everyone here, without causing a big commotion. I don't know how long it's going to take them to arrive, but if we tip White off that we know, he could detonate the bombs early!" As he stammered all this out, Bulma and Puar fainted.
"We should start with the Medical tents!" Launch started trying her best not to panic, Oolong took Agent Gold to the medical tents to get the guys and get them out of here. I'll wake up Bulma and we'll evacuate the people in the stands.
Down below at the arena level, Roshi and White locked eyes. They had both just heard what Gold had said. General White started to reach into his pocket, but Roshi had the advantage. He punched White hard in the gut then elbowed him in the back of the neck, grabbed his arm and pinned him to the ground. Chi Chi limped over trying to figure out what was going on, as Tien and Tao stepped into the arena.
"Help me hold him down!" Roshi shouted as White began to get back up. Chi Chi nodded, and helped Roshi pin White back to the ground as the remote detonated clattered to the floor.
Oolong and Gold rushed towards the medical tents and burst through the door.
"C'mon guys we got to go, this place is wired with explosives!" Oolong said as he looked at Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu.
"What?!" Yamcha gasped, bolting upright.
"Gah! I can't move!" Krillin shouted.
Chiaotzou looked at them with wide eyes of terror. "What about Tien?"
"We'll still have to evacuate everyone else too." Agent Gold stammered out, looking back at the door.
"You guys go! I'll grab Krillin and transform into something to fly us out of here!" Oolong said, grabbing Krillin.
The others nodded and ran out. As soon as they left, Oolong fell to the ground. "Wait!" he shouted, but they were gone. "Oh dammit! I didn't realize you'd be so heavy kid!"
"Sorry.." Krillin chuckled trying to crawl towards the door. Oolong sighed and transformed into a pterodactyl.
Back at the arena. Launch had started firing assault rifles into the air causing the audience to panic. Bulma was now awake and ushering people to the front gate. She searched her capsule case for her helicopter and bus capsules.
Meanwhile, White had managed to get up and away from Roshi and Chi Chi and was frantically searching for the detonator, as it was kicked away in the scuffle.
Blue was finding it difficult to focus on the fight with the sudden chaos erupting around him. He wanted the attention and adoration of the audience. He was starting to enjoy the spotlight, but this turn of events was utter mayhem. As he stood in stunned frustration the other two fighters he had challenged had started to squabble amongst each other.
Tien was utterly confused as to what was transpiring, but he knew one thing: The Blue Devil was no good and he needed to be stopped. Unfortunately he also wanted his revenge on Tao, and the assassin seemed ready to oblige. Without warning Tao began his assault, forcing Tien to go on the defensive.
"Enough!" General White shouted, as Yamcha, Chiatzou and Gold neared the arena. He held up the remote he had been searching for and waved it in the air. "You bastards deserve what's coming to ya!" He hovered his thumb over the button and backed away from everyone. "The minute I push this button our good pal Blue here explodes taking out everyone and everything within a 500 meter radius, effectively roasting all of you before you have a chance to move." Silence fell at the venue as everyone stopped and stared at him.
"But that means you'll die too!" Yamcha stammered out in disbelief.
General White chuckled. "Thanks to the dear old doctor, I dont have the same….organic worries that you all do." He then roared with laughter.
"No! You don't mean…" Agent Gold's face went ashen as he realized who General White was talking about.
"Yeah, son you better go. Your father would hate to see you perish in a tragic accident." White said, motioning for Gold to leave. "I'm serious boy, the only reason I haven't pushed this button is because if you were caught in the blast your dad would dismantle me. "
Tears began to pour down Gebo's face. "But.. but…" a sudden depression began to fill the air.
"There is a debt to be paid here. You all embarrassed the Red Ribbon Army and that just CANNOT stand! In the wake of this destruction the Red Ribbon Army will be reborn. Like a phoenix from the ashes, our wings will spread far and wide!"
Agent Gold made a dead sprint towards General White, but Blue was there faster. In the blink of an eye Blue had grabbed the remote and crushed it in his hand. A collective gasp rang out through the air.
"W-What have you done?!" General White shouted. Blue smirked.
"You have your way, I have mine." Blue said, as towered over White. "Don't worry, I'll let you watch me work." He chuckled as he ripped White's arms out of their sockets. Mechanical wiring began sparking, as General White hollered in horror. Blue then shoved one of White's hands into the screaming robot's mouth. He then turned and faced the crowd. "Bring everyone back to their seats , and I'll elect only to kill one of you" He said, chuckling maniacally. "Cross my circuits and hope to fry!" He added as he bowed. "Now since I stepped out to resolve a personal matter, I will instead allow the two fighters left in the ring to fight it out for a chance to strike out against the future champion. Is that understood?" He looked around and the announcer and everyone else reluctantly nodded.
Agent Gold sat crumpled on the ground, in utter disbelief.
Before Tien could react Tao had plunged a hand deep into his gut. "Never let your guard down boy!" he shouted as Tien coughed up blood. Tao kicked him out of the ring.
"Bulma!" Chi Chi shouted. "You have to rush him to a hospital please!" Chi Chi shouted. As Bulma, Launch, Yurin and Roshi rushed Tien to one of Bulma's capsule vehicle's. The others turned their attention to Tao.
Launch, Roshi, and Yurin took off in a hurry to get Tien to a hospital; with Roshi using his psychic powers to slow the bleeding. Some of the audience began to pour out of the stands, unable to stomach any more.
"Hey, Blue, it's Tao's fault everyone's leaving…" Yamcha said with malice in his heart.
"Kill him." Chiatzou said coldly as he used his telekinesis to hold Tao in place. Shen made a move to attack but Chi Chi and Yamcha stopped him.
As this was taking place, Agent Gold's comms device rang.
"Hello." It was Alonzo Black.
"Are you off the island?" Alonzo said into the receiver.
"No." Agent Gold replied.
"Oh...well uh...did the bomb squad…"
"I know Alonzo." Agent Gold said, anger beginning to rise in his voice.
"I see. Well I tried to warn you." Alonzo said coldly.
"Why?" Agent Gold said quietly at first. After a pause with no response, he shouted, "WHY?!"
"You have 30 seconds to get out of there. Long live the Red Ribbon Army." with that Agent Black hung up. A beeping began to sound from General White who started to scream in terror.
"We need to go…" Agent Gold started to whisper. He looked around and there were still audience members as well as all the fighters present. "You need to go! Now!" He shouted as he pounced on General White. "We have 15 seconds to go!" He shouted covering General White with his entire body. Yamcha realized what this meant, and he shoved Bulma and Chi Chi forward.
"Puar, fly the girls off! I'll get the citizens to safety!" Yamcha shouted. Puar transformed into a bat and flew as fast as they could.
Chiaotzou opted to freeze himself and Tao in place, tears streaming down his face.
"Yamcha hurry!" Agent Gold shouted as Yamcha shooed the final passengers into the Capsule Corp helicopter. He punched in the coordinates for the craft to auto pilot them all to Capsule Corp, when suddenly he felt a hand yank him out of the craft.
He gulped as he heard Blue's voice in his ear. "You were the one I wanted to pay. You are the debt that needs to be settled." Yamcha sighed a breath of relief as the auto-pilot kicked into gear and the aircraft took off.
"See you soon Grandpa Gohan." Yamcha whispered, before everything faded to black.