THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN MODIFIED FROM IT'S ORIGINAL
Chapter Eight
Returning the following morning, Rettan flew up to her window. Hoping not to disturb
the rest of the house she quietly slipped into her room. Collapsing onto her bed, she groaned.
Her memories of the torture she endured under Frieza's rule wouldn't leave her mind. Regretting
that she had left the Namek's side earlier that morning, Rettan knew that she would be able to
trust him. She was relieved that the Namek could have no romantic feelings for her, therefore she
would never be pressured into doing anything she wasn't ready for. Standing up, she began to
sort through her growing collection of Earth weapons. Finding the thousand fold katana, she
again left through her window.
In the woods behind the house, the female Saiyan pulled the sword from its sheath.
Losing herself in the studied motions, Rettan concentrated on the exercises she had learnt as a
child. As she began to warm up to the movements, Rettan pushed her body to go faster.
Catching the morning sun on its blade, the katana looked as if it was made of liquid light as it was
spun perfectly in Rettan's master grip. The woman's spirits lifted as her head began to clear.
Practicing her swordplay until late afternoon, Rettan was interrupted as she felt Vegeta's
ki nearby. Finishing the maneuvers, she sheathed the sword and turned to see Vegeta behind her,
arms crossed.
"Where were you?" Vegeta asked coldly. Rettan scowled, her Prince was pushing the
boundaries of their relationship. Once upon a time he may have had the right to demand such an
answer from her, but not anymore. Shaking her head, Rettan decided that he really didn't need to
know. Turning away, Rettan began to walk toward the house. In an instant, Vegeta was in front
of her. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her toward him.
"You will answer me Rettan!" The Saiyan Prince scowled. Feeling her body against his,
Rettan's heart sank as she knew what she had been missing. It felt so right to touch him, it didn't
bother her like it would with any other man. However, she knew that it wasn't meant to be.
Trying to pull away from him, Rettan's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Prince. Let...me...go." She growled at him.
"ANSWER ME!" Vegeta yelled. Rettan's ki flared as she pushed her Prince away from
her.
"ENOUGH!" Rettan yelled as energy crackled around her. Vegeta stood his ground in
front of her, arms crossed. No matter how pissed off she got, he knew that she would not attack
him.
"Prince, I don't know what is wrong with you, but you don't own me! No one does!
That ended as soon as the Hunters died! You have no right to demand to know where I am every
second of the day!" Rettan surprised even herself as she yelled at the Prince. She knew that he
was probably just concerned, but she couldn't back down, Prince Vegeta had to hear this.
"Do you understand what I'm saying? I will always be there for you and your family, but
you can't seriously believe that I will be at your beck and call! I have to get on with my life!"
Vegeta raised his left eyebrow, but didn't stop Rettan's ranting. He wanted to let her
finish before he tore into her. With a scowl, he suddenly realized exactly what she was talking
about.
"So the Namek did catch up to you last night, huh? Did he enjoy you as much as Frieza
and his men used to?" Vegeta asked snidely, and then immediately regretted what he said. The
look of betrayal that crossed Rettan's face hurt him more than the left uppercut she aimed into his
stomach. Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at his hunched over body. Looking
up at her, he knew he couldn't repair the damage that he had just caused. Her eyes, her beautiful
green eyes, they reflected the pain that he knew she felt.
Powering up, Rettan raced toward the house and up the stairs into the room she was
using. Grabbing the fighting outfit she created out of the chest at the end of her bed, Rettan saw
through tear filled eyes her Saiyan Protectorate armor. Shaking her head, she left it in the chest
for Vegeta. She wouldn't be needing it anymore. Tossing the clothing into the bag, she stopped
at the bedside desk. There was a paper on it that said "Auntie Rettan" in childish writing.
Opening the folded white paper, Rettan wiped the tears from her cheek. Drawn on the paper was
a picture of Rettan and Trunks holding hands. There was a happy face sun in the top right corner
of the page, and the ground they stood on was a brilliant green. Rettan closed her eyes, she
regretted leaving Trunks behind, but she knew that she could not stay any longer. Folding the
paper, she carefully wrapped it in a bandana and taped it to the hilt of her Katana with duct tape.
Quickly rummaging through the desk, Rettan found a piece of paper and a pen and scrawled out a
quick message to Trunks. Saying that she had to go away for a while, Rettan instructed that
Trunks was to take care of her spear for her. Smiling sadly, she laid the spear down on the bed
and set the note on top of it. Strapping the katana across her back, Rettan grabbed her pack and
opened the window.
Swinging one leg through the sill, Rettan allowed her tears to continue. Powering up once
more, Rettan jumped into the sky, pushing herself to her limit. Not knowing where she was
heading she flew on, trying only to get as far away from Prince Vegeta's ki as possible.
Cursing himself, Vegeta could feel Rettan's ki get further and further away. Wanting to
follow her, he stopped himself, doing so would only make things worse. Wanting to send himself
to the 'next dimension' for hurting Rettan like that, Vegeta turned to a tree and leveled it with a
powerful ki blast. Shaking his head he knew that this was bad, blowing things up usually made
him feel better, but this time, no such luck.
* * * *
Feeling Rettan's ki flare, Piccolo could feel that something was wrong. Not knowing
whether he should go to see if Rettan needed help, he stayed on Dende's tower, waiting for the
first sign of trouble. Waiting several intense minutes, Piccolo felt Rettan's ki flare once again.
The power that she was putting forth was incredible, and he could feel her on the move. Turning
from the southwest to the south and then to the southeast, he knew that Rettan was pushing her
speed to its limits. Deciding that he couldn't take it anymore, he jumped off of Dende's Lookout
and turned to the Northeast, hoping to intercept Rettan there. His face set with a scowl, Piccolo
hoped to Dende that he wasn't too late to help her.
* * * *
Seeing a large wooded park beneath her, Rettan stopped her supersonic flight. Hearing
the sonic boom slowly catch up, she allowed it to wash over her body. Setting down amongst the
trees, Rettan fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Wiping her face on her sleeve,
Rettan sniffed. Unsheathing the katana, she stared at her reflection in the blade. In the quiet of
the night, her ears began to pick up the sounds of screams, and then sobbing. The person who
was making the sounds was miles away, and Rettan could barely make out the weak ki. When
she did, she easily picked up several others, all slightly more powerful than the waning one.
Wiping her remaining tears from her eyes, Rettan sheathed the sword and strapped the sheath
across her back. With a grim look on her face she jumped into the air and flew toward the
seriously depleted ki.
* * * *
The gang had researched this throughly. When they saw a tent in the middle of the park,
they had to investigate. Surrounding the camp, one of the members tore through the side of the
tent with a switchblade, and pulled a young woman out of it by her long blonde hair. Behind her a
man jumped out of the tent, only to be attacked by several members of the gang. He was beaten
and left for dead as the men soon became interested in his wife. Hearing her cries for help, but
with both legs, three ribs, and his spinal column broken, the man could only watch in terror as the
gang took turns with his wife. He moaned, trying to get their attention away from his love. He
knew he succeeded when a small rat like man walked toward him with an iron pipe in his hand.
"Ya shoulda stayed quiet, now yer gonna die!" The rat snickered. Raising the pipe, he
aimed it at the man's head and swung down, hoping to crack the skull. The rat's attack was
foiled as a hand grabbed the swinging pipe, and stopped it dead.
"What the..." The rat said as he looked up. Seeing a white haired woman standing before
him, the rat turned back to his friends.
"Hey! Lookee here, we got another one to play with!" As he finished, Rettan jumped
into the air and spun, slow enough so the rat could see it coming, but still too fast for him to
react. Feeling a satisfying crunch as she landed the kick on his jaw Rettan smiled smugly.
Sending him careening backwards into the crowd, Rettan landed back on the ground. Her eyes
shone with a dangerous light, and she stood tall, letting the gang first see who it was that was
going to destroy them. A large man that had just gotten off of the woman pushed his way
through the crowd. With an evil smile he stalked toward her.
"Heh. The other one didn't even put up a fight, you're gonna be way more fun." The
ugly human grinned, making Rettan's stomach churn. Letting him come to her, she stepped into a
fighting stance, letting them know that she meant business. Shocked, the gang was silent for a
couple of seconds, and then laughter erupted throughout the crowd. Idiots, Rettan growled to
herself. The large man charged at her, hoping to take her by surprise. Rettan almost laughed. In
a flash she was behind him, pummeling his back. Letting her anger take control, she landed punch
after punch on the man, breaking bone with every throw of her fists. The gang stepped back in
awe. All they could see was their comrade being beaten to a pulp. Rettan was just moving to fast
for the humans to register. The man that attacked her was unrecognizable as human anymore,
and he had died several punches ago. Letting what was left of his body fall to the ground, Rettan
stopped moving. The men that surrounded her shrank back in terror. Wiping a small splatter of
blood from her face, Rettan was otherwise still clean. She had moved so fast that she had finished
before any of the blood had touched the ground. The gang growled its protest as it began to
close in on her. She smiled evilly, glad that they didn't run away. She would make sure that not
one of them would survive the night.
* * * *
Piccolo felt Rettan's ki stop just to his north. He could feel it flare, and he somehow
knew that it was fueled by anger. Growling, Piccolo pushed his speed past its limit, and found
that his body could barely handle this new stress that he was putting it through. Feeling Rettan's
ki directly beneath him, he stopped dead. Dropping to the ground, Piccolo was shocked at what
he saw. Rettan was standing in the remains of campsite, covered in blood. Her hair was stained a
crimson red, and her green eyes were cold, dead. At her feet laid many unmoving human forms,
some groaning, others silent. There were six men still standing, all stupefied by the carnage they
had seen. Piccolo just couldn't believe it. Rettan looked like a feral animal, waiting for one of the
remaining gang members to make a move. Finally, one broke rank and began to make a run for it.
Rettan was in front of him in a flash, with her arm outstretched. Watching for her behind him, the
man clothes lined himself on her arm. His head snapped back and struck the ground with a harsh
crack. Rettan looked down at him, scowling. By his scent, she knew that he had also raped the
woman. Pointing at his unmoving body, Rettan's finger began to glow.
About to unleash the deadly lazer, she felt a ki move beside her. Her mind was fogged by
the rage she felt, and when she turned to strike the offending individual, she didn't recognize the
face in front of her. Fighting at such a low level against the gang, Rettan wasn't ready for
Piccolo. Grabbing her wrists, he swung her around and pinned her against a large tree. Not
recognizing him, she began to squirm, trying to break his grip. Her anger was so great that she
panicked, she wasn't able to think clearly. If she had, she would have been able to break
Piccolo's hold with simple energy blast. The remaining gang members that Rettan had been
decimating used the moment to their advantage, they turned tail and ran. Snarling at Piccolo,
Rettan's eyes burnt in his. Knowing that she didn't recognize him, Piccolo set his jaw and
slammed Rettan against the tree twice, hoping that the shock would bring her around. Relieved,
he saw Rettan's eyes soften as she stared into his.
"P-Piccolo?" Rettan whispered weakly. His body was pressed against hers, his hands
pinning her arms at her sides. Looking to the camp, Rettan gasped. She knew that she was the
one responsible. But then, she again remembered why. Rage flared in her eyes once more, and
she looked to Piccolo, her face set.
"Let me go." She said sternly. He didn't know what to do. Her anger was so great, he
wasn't yet sure if she was in control. He watched her eyes as they searched the camp sight, and
he followed her gaze as her eyes widened. About thirty feet from them was a bloody, sobbing
woman.
"Please, Piccolo. The woman." Rettan pleaded. Piccolo complied, but stayed at her side.
She looked down the trail the men had run down, knowing that she could easily catch them.
However, Rettan could feel the human woman's ki dip. Rushing to her side, Rettan saw that the
woman had crawled over to her husband, who laid dying on the ground. The woman sat on the
dirt, naked, stroking her husband's bloodied face with one hand, and clutching her slashed open
stomach with the other. Grabbing a sleeping bag from the remains of the tent, Rettan draped it
over the woman's shoulders. Rettan knew the pain that the woman felt, having her pride and her
love torn from her. Closing her eyes, Rettan could feel the overwhelming despair in the woman's
sobs.
"Piccolo." Rettan said quietly to the Namek who stood beside her. He looked at her,
only guessing what she must be feeling right now.
"Prince Vegeta told me how the other Namek here on Earth could heal wounds. Can he
heal these?" Rettan pressed.
"Yes, but we are too far away from the Lookout to get to him in time. We may be able to
save the woman, but..." Piccolo trailed off. The woman on the ground looked up to them with a
determined look on her battered face.
"If he dies, I die." She stated. Rettan nodded, understanding the bond between the two.
She turned to the Namek with hope in her eyes.
"If we can't reach the other Namek in time, can you do it?" Rettan almost begged
Piccolo.
"I don't think I can. I...I've never tried it before. I wouldn't know how to." Piccolo said
more to himself than to anyone else. Rettan suddenly grabbed his hands and placed them on the
battered man's chest. Covering them with her own, Rettan unconsciously leaned into Piccolo's
side. He noticed the move, but thought that now was not the best time to bring it up. Feeling
Rettan's own energy flow into him, Piccolo shuddered. He could feel her angst about saving this
man, about how she would not make this woman live through what Rettan herself had to go
through alone. Piccolo was amazed, he could sense her very thoughts! Using both her energy
and his own, the Namek concentrated on displacing the combined powers into the man. He could
see Rettan's thoughts visualize the human's broken body healing, so Piccolo did the same. With a
shudder, the human's body contorted, the broken bones mended, and the cuts and bruises began
to disappear. Relieved, Piccolo glanced to Rettan. He was surprised to see tears well in the
corner of her eyes, but when she looked at him she smiled weakly. Taking his hands in hers,
Rettan guided them to the woman, who was now cradling her husband in her arms. Her wounds
mended quickly, no one would be able to guess the horror that she had just gone through. Rettan
growled as she felt another ki, inside of the woman. The human must be about two months
pregnant, the female warrior thought to herself. Those bastards would even think to rape a
woman who was with child!?! Rage again began to build inside of her. Piccolo looked at Rettan,
an eyebrow raised. He could still sense her emotions, if not her thoughts, and he knew that her
anger was again growing. Rettan released Piccolo's hands and stood up. Falling back to a sitting
position, Piccolo felt utterly drained, he doubted he could do that again. Sorting through her
own bag, Rettan pulled out some clothes and handed them to the woman. Taking Piccolo's arm
and turning him around, Rettan gave the woman some privacy so she could dress.
Feeling her soft hands on his forearm, Piccolo smiled, despite the circumstances. Rettan
noticed the smile but dismissed it as relief in saving the humans' lives. Turning back to the
woman, Rettan smiled at her sadly.
"Thank you. You don't know what this means..." The woman trailed off as she glanced
at Rettan's eyes. Nodding sadly, the woman realized that Rettan knew exactly what it meant.
"Do you have a vehicle here?" Rettan asked the woman, knowing the Earthlings
dependancy on such machines. Shaking her head, the woman explained that she and her husband
had left their aircar on the road, two days walk from the camp. Without a word, Rettan picked
the woman up and flew into the air. Shrieking, the woman locked her arms around Rettan's neck.
"You...you can fly?" The woman screeched. Rettan only nodded as she turned in the sky.
Seeing the car only six miles away, Rettan didn't understand how such a short distance could
constitute a two day walk. Looking down at Piccolo, she could already see the Namek gather the
man in his strong arms and lift into the air. Flying slowly toward the car so she would not upset
the woman too much, Rettan noted exactly where the rest of the gang was hiding. Behind her,
Piccolo did too. Setting down beside the car, Rettan made sure that the woman and her husband
were safely on their way before she jumped into the air, heading north, away from the remaining
men. Piccolo followed, wondering where she was going.
* * * *
Feeling totally drained, Rettan landed on the edge of a lake. Dropping her bag and katana
on the beach, she walked into the water and sat down, the water lapping at her waist. Grabbing
handfuls of sand, Rettan began to scrub the caked blood off of her body. Pulling off the Hoodie
she was wearing, she tossed it to the shore behind her. With a wet splat, it landed at Piccolo's
feet. Rettan glanced at him quickly and then turned back to ridding herself of the blood.
Sickened by the smell, Rettan scrubbed quickly, trying to rid herself of it. Piccolo watched quietly
as Rettan cleaned her body of the evidence of the massacre she had just committed. Pulling her
hair over her shoulder, Rettan tried in vain to remove the red staining. Her white hair wouldn't
let it go. Frustrated, Rettan slammed her fists into the sand, and began to sob uncontrollably. She
sat there for several minutes, trying to rid herself of the crimson stain.
Not knowing what to do, Piccolo walked to her side, and placed a hand upon her
shoulder. Without a sound, Rettan jumped to her feet and buried her head in his strong chest.
She clung to him, sobbing. Piccolo was surprised at first, but returned her embrace. They stood
like that for several minutes in the water, until Rettan's sobs began to lessen. Her knees became
weak, and she began to slip in Piccolo's grasp. Picking up the half-Saiyan, half-Saeriyan, Piccolo
turned toward the beach. Leaning against a rock outcropping, Piccolo wrapped his cloak around
himself and Rettan, and raised his ki level slightly to dry them both off..
Feeling safe in the arms of the Namek, Rettan's sobs quieted. Leaning against his strong
chest, Rettan smiled weakly and closed her eyes, feeling his warmth against her. Totally
exhausted, she fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter Eight
Returning the following morning, Rettan flew up to her window. Hoping not to disturb
the rest of the house she quietly slipped into her room. Collapsing onto her bed, she groaned.
Her memories of the torture she endured under Frieza's rule wouldn't leave her mind. Regretting
that she had left the Namek's side earlier that morning, Rettan knew that she would be able to
trust him. She was relieved that the Namek could have no romantic feelings for her, therefore she
would never be pressured into doing anything she wasn't ready for. Standing up, she began to
sort through her growing collection of Earth weapons. Finding the thousand fold katana, she
again left through her window.
In the woods behind the house, the female Saiyan pulled the sword from its sheath.
Losing herself in the studied motions, Rettan concentrated on the exercises she had learnt as a
child. As she began to warm up to the movements, Rettan pushed her body to go faster.
Catching the morning sun on its blade, the katana looked as if it was made of liquid light as it was
spun perfectly in Rettan's master grip. The woman's spirits lifted as her head began to clear.
Practicing her swordplay until late afternoon, Rettan was interrupted as she felt Vegeta's
ki nearby. Finishing the maneuvers, she sheathed the sword and turned to see Vegeta behind her,
arms crossed.
"Where were you?" Vegeta asked coldly. Rettan scowled, her Prince was pushing the
boundaries of their relationship. Once upon a time he may have had the right to demand such an
answer from her, but not anymore. Shaking her head, Rettan decided that he really didn't need to
know. Turning away, Rettan began to walk toward the house. In an instant, Vegeta was in front
of her. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her toward him.
"You will answer me Rettan!" The Saiyan Prince scowled. Feeling her body against his,
Rettan's heart sank as she knew what she had been missing. It felt so right to touch him, it didn't
bother her like it would with any other man. However, she knew that it wasn't meant to be.
Trying to pull away from him, Rettan's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Prince. Let...me...go." She growled at him.
"ANSWER ME!" Vegeta yelled. Rettan's ki flared as she pushed her Prince away from
her.
"ENOUGH!" Rettan yelled as energy crackled around her. Vegeta stood his ground in
front of her, arms crossed. No matter how pissed off she got, he knew that she would not attack
him.
"Prince, I don't know what is wrong with you, but you don't own me! No one does!
That ended as soon as the Hunters died! You have no right to demand to know where I am every
second of the day!" Rettan surprised even herself as she yelled at the Prince. She knew that he
was probably just concerned, but she couldn't back down, Prince Vegeta had to hear this.
"Do you understand what I'm saying? I will always be there for you and your family, but
you can't seriously believe that I will be at your beck and call! I have to get on with my life!"
Vegeta raised his left eyebrow, but didn't stop Rettan's ranting. He wanted to let her
finish before he tore into her. With a scowl, he suddenly realized exactly what she was talking
about.
"So the Namek did catch up to you last night, huh? Did he enjoy you as much as Frieza
and his men used to?" Vegeta asked snidely, and then immediately regretted what he said. The
look of betrayal that crossed Rettan's face hurt him more than the left uppercut she aimed into his
stomach. Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at his hunched over body. Looking
up at her, he knew he couldn't repair the damage that he had just caused. Her eyes, her beautiful
green eyes, they reflected the pain that he knew she felt.
Powering up, Rettan raced toward the house and up the stairs into the room she was
using. Grabbing the fighting outfit she created out of the chest at the end of her bed, Rettan saw
through tear filled eyes her Saiyan Protectorate armor. Shaking her head, she left it in the chest
for Vegeta. She wouldn't be needing it anymore. Tossing the clothing into the bag, she stopped
at the bedside desk. There was a paper on it that said "Auntie Rettan" in childish writing.
Opening the folded white paper, Rettan wiped the tears from her cheek. Drawn on the paper was
a picture of Rettan and Trunks holding hands. There was a happy face sun in the top right corner
of the page, and the ground they stood on was a brilliant green. Rettan closed her eyes, she
regretted leaving Trunks behind, but she knew that she could not stay any longer. Folding the
paper, she carefully wrapped it in a bandana and taped it to the hilt of her Katana with duct tape.
Quickly rummaging through the desk, Rettan found a piece of paper and a pen and scrawled out a
quick message to Trunks. Saying that she had to go away for a while, Rettan instructed that
Trunks was to take care of her spear for her. Smiling sadly, she laid the spear down on the bed
and set the note on top of it. Strapping the katana across her back, Rettan grabbed her pack and
opened the window.
Swinging one leg through the sill, Rettan allowed her tears to continue. Powering up once
more, Rettan jumped into the sky, pushing herself to her limit. Not knowing where she was
heading she flew on, trying only to get as far away from Prince Vegeta's ki as possible.
Cursing himself, Vegeta could feel Rettan's ki get further and further away. Wanting to
follow her, he stopped himself, doing so would only make things worse. Wanting to send himself
to the 'next dimension' for hurting Rettan like that, Vegeta turned to a tree and leveled it with a
powerful ki blast. Shaking his head he knew that this was bad, blowing things up usually made
him feel better, but this time, no such luck.
* * * *
Feeling Rettan's ki flare, Piccolo could feel that something was wrong. Not knowing
whether he should go to see if Rettan needed help, he stayed on Dende's tower, waiting for the
first sign of trouble. Waiting several intense minutes, Piccolo felt Rettan's ki flare once again.
The power that she was putting forth was incredible, and he could feel her on the move. Turning
from the southwest to the south and then to the southeast, he knew that Rettan was pushing her
speed to its limits. Deciding that he couldn't take it anymore, he jumped off of Dende's Lookout
and turned to the Northeast, hoping to intercept Rettan there. His face set with a scowl, Piccolo
hoped to Dende that he wasn't too late to help her.
* * * *
Seeing a large wooded park beneath her, Rettan stopped her supersonic flight. Hearing
the sonic boom slowly catch up, she allowed it to wash over her body. Setting down amongst the
trees, Rettan fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Wiping her face on her sleeve,
Rettan sniffed. Unsheathing the katana, she stared at her reflection in the blade. In the quiet of
the night, her ears began to pick up the sounds of screams, and then sobbing. The person who
was making the sounds was miles away, and Rettan could barely make out the weak ki. When
she did, she easily picked up several others, all slightly more powerful than the waning one.
Wiping her remaining tears from her eyes, Rettan sheathed the sword and strapped the sheath
across her back. With a grim look on her face she jumped into the air and flew toward the
seriously depleted ki.
* * * *
The gang had researched this throughly. When they saw a tent in the middle of the park,
they had to investigate. Surrounding the camp, one of the members tore through the side of the
tent with a switchblade, and pulled a young woman out of it by her long blonde hair. Behind her a
man jumped out of the tent, only to be attacked by several members of the gang. He was beaten
and left for dead as the men soon became interested in his wife. Hearing her cries for help, but
with both legs, three ribs, and his spinal column broken, the man could only watch in terror as the
gang took turns with his wife. He moaned, trying to get their attention away from his love. He
knew he succeeded when a small rat like man walked toward him with an iron pipe in his hand.
"Ya shoulda stayed quiet, now yer gonna die!" The rat snickered. Raising the pipe, he
aimed it at the man's head and swung down, hoping to crack the skull. The rat's attack was
foiled as a hand grabbed the swinging pipe, and stopped it dead.
"What the..." The rat said as he looked up. Seeing a white haired woman standing before
him, the rat turned back to his friends.
"Hey! Lookee here, we got another one to play with!" As he finished, Rettan jumped
into the air and spun, slow enough so the rat could see it coming, but still too fast for him to
react. Feeling a satisfying crunch as she landed the kick on his jaw Rettan smiled smugly.
Sending him careening backwards into the crowd, Rettan landed back on the ground. Her eyes
shone with a dangerous light, and she stood tall, letting the gang first see who it was that was
going to destroy them. A large man that had just gotten off of the woman pushed his way
through the crowd. With an evil smile he stalked toward her.
"Heh. The other one didn't even put up a fight, you're gonna be way more fun." The
ugly human grinned, making Rettan's stomach churn. Letting him come to her, she stepped into a
fighting stance, letting them know that she meant business. Shocked, the gang was silent for a
couple of seconds, and then laughter erupted throughout the crowd. Idiots, Rettan growled to
herself. The large man charged at her, hoping to take her by surprise. Rettan almost laughed. In
a flash she was behind him, pummeling his back. Letting her anger take control, she landed punch
after punch on the man, breaking bone with every throw of her fists. The gang stepped back in
awe. All they could see was their comrade being beaten to a pulp. Rettan was just moving to fast
for the humans to register. The man that attacked her was unrecognizable as human anymore,
and he had died several punches ago. Letting what was left of his body fall to the ground, Rettan
stopped moving. The men that surrounded her shrank back in terror. Wiping a small splatter of
blood from her face, Rettan was otherwise still clean. She had moved so fast that she had finished
before any of the blood had touched the ground. The gang growled its protest as it began to
close in on her. She smiled evilly, glad that they didn't run away. She would make sure that not
one of them would survive the night.
* * * *
Piccolo felt Rettan's ki stop just to his north. He could feel it flare, and he somehow
knew that it was fueled by anger. Growling, Piccolo pushed his speed past its limit, and found
that his body could barely handle this new stress that he was putting it through. Feeling Rettan's
ki directly beneath him, he stopped dead. Dropping to the ground, Piccolo was shocked at what
he saw. Rettan was standing in the remains of campsite, covered in blood. Her hair was stained a
crimson red, and her green eyes were cold, dead. At her feet laid many unmoving human forms,
some groaning, others silent. There were six men still standing, all stupefied by the carnage they
had seen. Piccolo just couldn't believe it. Rettan looked like a feral animal, waiting for one of the
remaining gang members to make a move. Finally, one broke rank and began to make a run for it.
Rettan was in front of him in a flash, with her arm outstretched. Watching for her behind him, the
man clothes lined himself on her arm. His head snapped back and struck the ground with a harsh
crack. Rettan looked down at him, scowling. By his scent, she knew that he had also raped the
woman. Pointing at his unmoving body, Rettan's finger began to glow.
About to unleash the deadly lazer, she felt a ki move beside her. Her mind was fogged by
the rage she felt, and when she turned to strike the offending individual, she didn't recognize the
face in front of her. Fighting at such a low level against the gang, Rettan wasn't ready for
Piccolo. Grabbing her wrists, he swung her around and pinned her against a large tree. Not
recognizing him, she began to squirm, trying to break his grip. Her anger was so great that she
panicked, she wasn't able to think clearly. If she had, she would have been able to break
Piccolo's hold with simple energy blast. The remaining gang members that Rettan had been
decimating used the moment to their advantage, they turned tail and ran. Snarling at Piccolo,
Rettan's eyes burnt in his. Knowing that she didn't recognize him, Piccolo set his jaw and
slammed Rettan against the tree twice, hoping that the shock would bring her around. Relieved,
he saw Rettan's eyes soften as she stared into his.
"P-Piccolo?" Rettan whispered weakly. His body was pressed against hers, his hands
pinning her arms at her sides. Looking to the camp, Rettan gasped. She knew that she was the
one responsible. But then, she again remembered why. Rage flared in her eyes once more, and
she looked to Piccolo, her face set.
"Let me go." She said sternly. He didn't know what to do. Her anger was so great, he
wasn't yet sure if she was in control. He watched her eyes as they searched the camp sight, and
he followed her gaze as her eyes widened. About thirty feet from them was a bloody, sobbing
woman.
"Please, Piccolo. The woman." Rettan pleaded. Piccolo complied, but stayed at her side.
She looked down the trail the men had run down, knowing that she could easily catch them.
However, Rettan could feel the human woman's ki dip. Rushing to her side, Rettan saw that the
woman had crawled over to her husband, who laid dying on the ground. The woman sat on the
dirt, naked, stroking her husband's bloodied face with one hand, and clutching her slashed open
stomach with the other. Grabbing a sleeping bag from the remains of the tent, Rettan draped it
over the woman's shoulders. Rettan knew the pain that the woman felt, having her pride and her
love torn from her. Closing her eyes, Rettan could feel the overwhelming despair in the woman's
sobs.
"Piccolo." Rettan said quietly to the Namek who stood beside her. He looked at her,
only guessing what she must be feeling right now.
"Prince Vegeta told me how the other Namek here on Earth could heal wounds. Can he
heal these?" Rettan pressed.
"Yes, but we are too far away from the Lookout to get to him in time. We may be able to
save the woman, but..." Piccolo trailed off. The woman on the ground looked up to them with a
determined look on her battered face.
"If he dies, I die." She stated. Rettan nodded, understanding the bond between the two.
She turned to the Namek with hope in her eyes.
"If we can't reach the other Namek in time, can you do it?" Rettan almost begged
Piccolo.
"I don't think I can. I...I've never tried it before. I wouldn't know how to." Piccolo said
more to himself than to anyone else. Rettan suddenly grabbed his hands and placed them on the
battered man's chest. Covering them with her own, Rettan unconsciously leaned into Piccolo's
side. He noticed the move, but thought that now was not the best time to bring it up. Feeling
Rettan's own energy flow into him, Piccolo shuddered. He could feel her angst about saving this
man, about how she would not make this woman live through what Rettan herself had to go
through alone. Piccolo was amazed, he could sense her very thoughts! Using both her energy
and his own, the Namek concentrated on displacing the combined powers into the man. He could
see Rettan's thoughts visualize the human's broken body healing, so Piccolo did the same. With a
shudder, the human's body contorted, the broken bones mended, and the cuts and bruises began
to disappear. Relieved, Piccolo glanced to Rettan. He was surprised to see tears well in the
corner of her eyes, but when she looked at him she smiled weakly. Taking his hands in hers,
Rettan guided them to the woman, who was now cradling her husband in her arms. Her wounds
mended quickly, no one would be able to guess the horror that she had just gone through. Rettan
growled as she felt another ki, inside of the woman. The human must be about two months
pregnant, the female warrior thought to herself. Those bastards would even think to rape a
woman who was with child!?! Rage again began to build inside of her. Piccolo looked at Rettan,
an eyebrow raised. He could still sense her emotions, if not her thoughts, and he knew that her
anger was again growing. Rettan released Piccolo's hands and stood up. Falling back to a sitting
position, Piccolo felt utterly drained, he doubted he could do that again. Sorting through her
own bag, Rettan pulled out some clothes and handed them to the woman. Taking Piccolo's arm
and turning him around, Rettan gave the woman some privacy so she could dress.
Feeling her soft hands on his forearm, Piccolo smiled, despite the circumstances. Rettan
noticed the smile but dismissed it as relief in saving the humans' lives. Turning back to the
woman, Rettan smiled at her sadly.
"Thank you. You don't know what this means..." The woman trailed off as she glanced
at Rettan's eyes. Nodding sadly, the woman realized that Rettan knew exactly what it meant.
"Do you have a vehicle here?" Rettan asked the woman, knowing the Earthlings
dependancy on such machines. Shaking her head, the woman explained that she and her husband
had left their aircar on the road, two days walk from the camp. Without a word, Rettan picked
the woman up and flew into the air. Shrieking, the woman locked her arms around Rettan's neck.
"You...you can fly?" The woman screeched. Rettan only nodded as she turned in the sky.
Seeing the car only six miles away, Rettan didn't understand how such a short distance could
constitute a two day walk. Looking down at Piccolo, she could already see the Namek gather the
man in his strong arms and lift into the air. Flying slowly toward the car so she would not upset
the woman too much, Rettan noted exactly where the rest of the gang was hiding. Behind her,
Piccolo did too. Setting down beside the car, Rettan made sure that the woman and her husband
were safely on their way before she jumped into the air, heading north, away from the remaining
men. Piccolo followed, wondering where she was going.
* * * *
Feeling totally drained, Rettan landed on the edge of a lake. Dropping her bag and katana
on the beach, she walked into the water and sat down, the water lapping at her waist. Grabbing
handfuls of sand, Rettan began to scrub the caked blood off of her body. Pulling off the Hoodie
she was wearing, she tossed it to the shore behind her. With a wet splat, it landed at Piccolo's
feet. Rettan glanced at him quickly and then turned back to ridding herself of the blood.
Sickened by the smell, Rettan scrubbed quickly, trying to rid herself of it. Piccolo watched quietly
as Rettan cleaned her body of the evidence of the massacre she had just committed. Pulling her
hair over her shoulder, Rettan tried in vain to remove the red staining. Her white hair wouldn't
let it go. Frustrated, Rettan slammed her fists into the sand, and began to sob uncontrollably. She
sat there for several minutes, trying to rid herself of the crimson stain.
Not knowing what to do, Piccolo walked to her side, and placed a hand upon her
shoulder. Without a sound, Rettan jumped to her feet and buried her head in his strong chest.
She clung to him, sobbing. Piccolo was surprised at first, but returned her embrace. They stood
like that for several minutes in the water, until Rettan's sobs began to lessen. Her knees became
weak, and she began to slip in Piccolo's grasp. Picking up the half-Saiyan, half-Saeriyan, Piccolo
turned toward the beach. Leaning against a rock outcropping, Piccolo wrapped his cloak around
himself and Rettan, and raised his ki level slightly to dry them both off..
Feeling safe in the arms of the Namek, Rettan's sobs quieted. Leaning against his strong
chest, Rettan smiled weakly and closed her eyes, feeling his warmth against her. Totally
exhausted, she fell asleep in his arms.