((Author's notes: Moving right along thru the Buu sagas. I won't lie, I love the story in the Buu saga, but it drags. So during the next few chapters I'll be skipping ahead throughout the story. You can assume that those parts continue without much change from the Anime.

I of course love seeing reviews, and it's nice knowing quite a few people have followed this story, thank you all for reading along.

That's all I've got to say for now, so "Next time on Dragon Ball SMG…"

-beepx22))

Chapter 33

The dust had settled. Gohan had gotten Videl to the hospital in time, and had given her a senzu bean delivered by his father.

Bea and his crew had made a wary in not uneasy peace with both Shin and Kibito. Bea had even apologized to the Supreme Ki for his brashness in the attack.

Spopovich had walked from the stage victorious, the officials clearly ignoring the grievous head wound. Though it was clear from the glare that He and his partner were well aware of who had caused the blast.

And now the 25th World Martial Arts tournament had resumed.

Kibito faced Gohan at the center of the stage.

The announcer called the beginning of the battle.

Both contestants stood there calmly and quietly conversing with one another.

"No matter what happens, allow it to happen." Shin said suddenly.

Apparently he had heard a snippet of the conversation.

Suddenly on the stage Gohan began to scream and his power level soared.

Murmurs erupted in the crowd. The Golden Fighter. The Delivery Boy. Not being hidden by the passages of the arena, Gohan's transformation was in full view of the public for the first time since the Cell Games.

Kibito looked mildly impressed

Gohan said something then another blast of energy rolled from him. Now his aura had become brighter and more jagged. Blue lightning danced around him. Kibito's jaw dropped. This much power from a mortal? Not possible.

Back in the hall under the stands Shin spread his arms in warning. "Do nothing. Gohan might be injured in the next few minutes, but Kibito will be able to heal him. What happens next must happen so that I can stop something much worse!"

Almost as if on cue Spopovich and his partner flew to the stage with a large strange looking device. Gohan began to turn to face them.

Shin held his hands out and Gohan froze. An instant later both of the other contestants reached him. Spopovich grabbed him to hold Gohan still while the other slammed the device's large needle into Gohan.

Though there was much fussing from the fighters, Shin and Goku held them in check.

Gohan lost his super Saiyan form and slumped. His power was nearly drained. The device radiated an immense light. The attackers looked at each other, smiled, then blasted into the sky.

Shin began to speak. "Gohan will be alright. Kibito will heal him."

"Just what's going on here?" Asked Goku angrily.

"I need your help." Shin looked at the group and began to explain.

OoOoOoOoO

Their auras poured from their bodies as they flew behind the two super powered humans.

"We're getting close now!" Shin said over the wail of wind.

"They're descending." Said Pikada.

The group began to lower themselves into nearby mountains.

OoOoOoOoO

Stygian blackness faded into searing light. Bea blinked furiously, the lighted shifted into shapes, and then colors. Bea shook his head. "What was that?" He said to no one. His body tingled and he realized he was in his super Saiyan two form. Nearby Pikada looked around confused. He was also in his top form, his sword grasped in his cybernetic arm.

Bea had a fuzzy recollection of a brief battle with Babidi's henchman. A splatter on his arm, then nothing.

Bea heard a commotion behind him. Up on a cliff he could just make out the silhouettes of Piccolo, Krillin, and the sons of Vegeta and Goku.

Then a sensation hit him like a sucker punch in the gut. An overwhelming emptiness and a sense of dread.

Bea flew up to the foursome, Pikada joined them a few moments later.

"What's going on?" Pikada asked as he landed.

"Majin Buu has been released." Piccolo said stoically. "Apparently the wizard's henchman turned us to stone."

"I vaguely remember getting hit with the big guy's spit." Replied Bea.

"Same." Krillin replied.

"And now Vegeta is fighting this Buu?" Bea asked.

"Right now they're just… talking." Trunks called out over his shoulder.

Piccolo joined the young semi-Saiyan at the ledge.

Bea put a hand on Pikada's shoulder. "We can't let him fight alone, you know."

Pikada nodded in agreement.

Then there was a sudden surge of power as Vegeta went to his second form of super Saiyan.

Piccolo frowned. "Somethings wrong. Vegeta's power is off. Darker."

Below Vegeta pointed his hand at Buu and said something.

Piccolo gasped. "No, Gohan…". He whispered.

Bea had slid next to him and just caught the breath.

"Is he?" Bea asked quietly, hoping the kids wouldn't hear.

Piccolo squeezed his eyes shut and gave a terse nod.

"Fuck." Bea spat. As much as a prayer than as a curse.

Then the universe shook as the two combatants below collided.

The fight was intense, Majin Buu and Majin Vegeta alike landing strike after strike that threatened to tear the earth apart.

Buu though had a trick up His sleeve, and caught Vegeta in a trap, using a blob of his own body to snare the Prince.

Trunks couldn't stand by and watch this, and with Goten's help they both attacked Majin Buu.

As Buu was sent flying by a kick from Trunks, Bea stood. "Enough!"

His aura danced up around him as Bea went to the second form of super Saiyan. Next to him Pikada went to his full power.

Bea placed two fingers to his forehead and Pikada grabbed his shoulder.

Piccolo glared, " What are you doing?"

"Buying time." Bea replied tersely. "Get the boys and Vegeta and get them to safety. The Prince is our current best bet!"

Piccolo nodded, then said, "Don't try the Roshati technique Bea, I don't think it would work on Majin Buu. Good luck."

Bea nodded, and he and Pikada disappeared.

They both appeared near Buu, who was brushing himself clean of dust.

"Who you?" The Pink figure asked innocently. "Me Buu."

Bea and Pikada stared half in wonderment and horror.

"Our names don't matter, you won't be around long enough to learn them." Pikada finally quipped.

"You rude. You like him." Buu pointed towards Vegeta, "Buu kill you!" Then Buu started dancing.

Bea appeared in front of the fat monster. He slammed his fist deep into Buu's guts. Ki erupted from the fist and a blinding light filled the area.

The light faded and Buu stood staring with beady pig like eyes. "You no fun!"

"Shit…" Bea sighed. Buu's yellow mitten backhand the Saiyan across the face and Bea went skittering through the desert.

Pikada drove both fist down onto Buu from above. With a twist his left leg landed a kick across the monster's midriff.

A flurry of punches left craters in Buu's pudgy body. Pikada finished his attack with a series of Ki blasts.

Buu stood dented and still. Bea came flying in just then. Each hand held a purple orb of energy dancing with blue lightning. Bea threw both at Buu. They exploded with tremendous power. When the smoke cleared Buu still stood, but both of his arms were missing.

"Yeah!" Pikada exclaimed. "Fuck yeah! Let's finish it!" Pikada held his hands out. Golden orbs formed in the palm of his natural left hand, in his right hand a green ball of energy sprung to life.

Bea banked around while forming more Ki blasts himself.

Buu looked confused. "Where Buu's arms go?"

Dozens of energy blasts then rained down on him.

OoOoOoOoO

"Hurry Goten! Help me unwrap him!" Trunks tugged at the piece of Majin Buu that coiled around Vegeta.

Goten worked from the other end and slowly they unwound the prince to dump him unceremoniously to the desert floor

"Come on Dad! Wake up!" Trunks pleaded. "Dad! Wake up!"

"Is…is he alive?" Goten asked innocently.

"Of course he is, he's the toughest person in the universe!" Tears welled in the demi-saiyan's eyes.

"But he got hurt. Really really bad…"

Trunks swung to face his best friend. "Clean out your ears, Goten..."

OoOoOoOoO

Pikada stood back to back with Bea. "Did we…" he began to ask.

"I don't know." Answered Bea. "It seems too easy…"

Just then a pink mist began to swirl around the two Saiyans.

"Yeah…" Pikada sighed warily. "Too damn easy."

"Time to get serious, Pikada, Operation Totality…"

"Can the planet handle it?" Pikada asked.

Bea just shrugged. He and Pikada both soared into the sky.

Below the mist coalesced into Majin Buu. A cloud of steam whistles from the various pores on his body. He spoke. "Now Buu mad. Buu make you into candy!"

A pink beam of light whipped towards Bea and Pikada.

"Not this time tubby!" Pikada's energy bubble spring from his cybernetic arm, deflecting the beam."

Buu looked even more confused than before.

Bea held both hands over his head. "INFERNO GLACIER!"

Pikada raised his arms to be shoulder width apart. "CORE! CRUSHER!"

Both energies swirled around, then in unison Pikada's red and golden churning energy crashed towards the ground with the brilliant violet orb of Bea's attack.

Buu looked up in an awe laced trance. "Ooooh, Buu think that's pretty!"

The attacks intermingled and slammed through the fat pink being to impact the Earth.

The ground crumbled into vapor as the two planet buster attacks boiled together. The entire earth rang like a gong.

And then that spheres began to reverse direction.

"No fucking way!" Bea yelled. "It's not possible!"

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Pikada watched as his and Bea's attacks climbed from a pool of lava and headed back toward them.

Bea snatched Pikada's arm as he placed two fingers to his forehead.

"I can't feel anyone! There's too much power! Bea verged on panic.

Pikada held his right arm out and his shield popped into existence. With a concentrated effort he formed two more layers of the barrier.

Then the combined attack slammed into the outer shield.

"Hurry! Bea!" Pikada yelled. The first barrier disintegrated.

The sky around them darkened as the blast pushed them further towards the vacuum of space. The air inside the barrier became sweltering from the attack.

The second barrier failed.

"Bea?" Pikada asked a silent question.

"I… can't find…" grunted.

The last barrier began to crack.

"I'm sorry, Pikada." Bea said solemnly. He turned his head to look towards space one last time.

Then they were gone.

OoOoOoOoO

Vegeta watched as the massive attack disappeared into space. He grimaced as he felt Pikada and Bea wink out of existence. "Those idiots."

"Dad! Let's kill Majin Buu together, with Me and Goten helping he can't win." Trunks said excitedly.

"I have to do this alone." Vegeta said. "I finally know what I have to do."

He looked at his son, and Vegeta felt a surreal welling of pride in his heart. He'd been willing to sell his soul to mend his pride, and now far too late, Vegeta realized this was his pride.

"Trunks, you are my one and only son…"

OoOoOoOoO

Green sky. Blue grass. A chilly breeze.

"This is the Afterlife?" Pikada asked.

Bea collapsed to his knees. His hair fell loosely around his shoulders as he lost his super Saiyan form.

"No… this is…"

"Welcome to New Namek." A voice interrupted the Saiyan.

"Namek…", Bea finished.

Pikada tipped his head slightly. "I couldn't feel any power on Earth, but at the last minute I sensed towards space. Luckily I could feel this village right on the edge of my conscious.

"Earth?" Asked the Namekian. "We've thought something was happening there."

"A creature named Majin Buu is running rampant. He's killed most of us. We need to get back." Bea replied.

He suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him, like all of that day's troubles had been lifted. A young namekian had walked up and began to heal him.

Bea stood and smiled. "Thank you, little one. Now…"

He touched Pikada's shoulder. Then concentrating he found Vegeta. Bea flashed back to super Saiyan two. "…we have to get back to the fight."

OoOoOoOoO

"How could you do that! He's your son, you're supposed to be nice to your son!" Goten screamed up at the Saiyan Prince with tears in his eyes.

Bea and Pikada appeared just as Vegeta punched Goku's boy in the gut. Goten moaned as his lungs emptied involuntarily. The child slumped over as his super Saiyan form left him.

Vegeta looked at Piccolo. "Get the boys out of here. Hurry."

"Vegeta I know what you're going to do. I understand." The namekian took on a wizened look that showed his connection to Kami. "And one day, so will Trunks."

Vegeta looked away from Piccolo and towards Bea and Pikada. They both stood trying to appraise the situation. Then everyone looked towards a strange humming noise.

"Buu, Buu, Buu! Buu, Buu, Buu!"

"Hurry up!" Vegeta snapped.

Piccolo picked up the boys.

"You know you'll die." Piccolo said solemnly.

Vegeta stood stoically and said nothing.

Then the Prince looked at Piccolo. "There is one thing I want to know…"

Vegeta looked back towards Buu. "Will I meet that clown, Kakarot, in the next world."

"I won't lie to you, even if it's not what you want to hear." Piccolo sounded almost sad, "This is the truth. Goku devoted his life to protecting the lives of others. Because of his selflessness he was allowed to keep his body and train with King Kai. Your pursuits were selfish and you've hurt too many. You'll not get the same reward."

Vegeta grinned. "So be it. Now hurry!"

Bea had heard the end of the conversation. He motioned for Pikada to help Piccolo with the boys.

Bea looked Vegeta in the eyes. "You'll find hell isn't that bad for our kind." Bea then narrowed his eyes. "Prince Vegeta."

The prince's eyes opened slightly at hearing his Royal title.

"I fought with your father once. He was a cruel man. There was no real honor in being a member of his guard. You on the other hand…"

Bea sighed.

"It would have been my privilege to be a member of your royal guard, if you would had became King."

Bea then reached his right hand out. He and and the Prince quickly grasped forearms. Then Bea joined the others. Together they all flew skyward.

"Instant transmission?" Asked Pikada.

"No. We owe it to him to witness this…"

And so they flew as fast as possible.

They turned to watch as Vegeta's power spiked. Miles away a bubble of golden plasma rose up, rotating in a maelstrom of pure energy.

Then it seemed like the world ended. A blister of the purest light rushed across the desert. It dimmed as the debris from the ground rushed up into its vacuum. A mushroom cloud spread upwards.

Bea and Pikada exchanged a quiet glance. Then Bea looked at Trunks's still unconscious form. "The Prince is dead. Long live the Prince."

Bea reached his hand out then, "It's over, we can instant transmission to the lookout now."

Piccolo surprised him by shaking his head. "I need to go back. Take everyone else. I'll be there before long."

The Namekian flew off, while Bea located the powers at the lookout. He placed his fingers to his forehead as Krillin and Pikada, each holding a boy, grabbed his shoulders. With a pop, they were all gone.

OoOoOoOoO

Pikada sat with his feet dangling off of the edge of the lookout. Goku was prattling on a fusion technique.

Below he winced as he felt another city die.

To believe that Buu managed to rebuild himself after Vegeta's sacrifice. The fact that the monster was still rampaging was bad enough, but to be this powerless to stop it? That was almost too much to bear.

The conversation had changed again. Bea was pleading with them to take their newest ship and leave. If Dende and the dragon balls were safe, then he and Pikada and whoever else was left could keep fighting Buu. Trunks and Goten could get older and stronger. Maybe they could return one day to avenge everyone.

Failing that, Bea would use instant transmission to do a kamikaze run with Buu into the sun.

"Not even he could survive that. If I got it right I think the star would implode." He clenched his fist. "Boom. Gone. Then you use the Earth and Namekian dragon ball to wish everyone back along with the solar system."

Bulma didn't seem to be listening, still shocked over Vegeta's death.

Goku though shook his head. "Fusion is our best bet. The boys." Then he smiled that disarming smile of his. "And maybe, you two…"

Bea and Pikada looked at each other for a moment, their emotions playing across their face. Intrigued. Disgust. Curiosity.

"Well, why the hell not." Pikada said.

"Yeah. Fuck it." Replied Bea Dryly.