Atrocities

by Ash The Wanderer

The sequel to Consuming Madness. A new evil emerges from the world that brought the curse of Agony. Is the greatest evil one of extraordinary birth, or is it all too human? And in the end, will there be nothing but doom...or redemption?

6. Chains of Fate

Chapter 6: Chains of Fate

"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy."

"I'm not afraid of the price I pay, I won't lie down and let you walk away."

Erik landed badly and didn't care.

He didn't care about the pain from his shoulder and back, didn't care that his shoulder could be seperated or bones could be broken. He didn't care about the total darkness around him, that it left him open to potential attack. He was beyond caring about anything except one lone thing.

His whole body shook as he stood, barely able to contain the force and intensity of the emotions running through him, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

Erik refused to let it. Not now. Not ever. Not after what he now knew.

"Vagane…you…you…" Erik hissed, reclenching his fists and letting fresh blood run down his wrists. He could find no words for what Vagane was, nor for what he was going to do to him now. Vagane hadn't just stolen his humanity. He'd stolen everything else that had ever mattered to him.

But his thievery was over. Now Erik would be the thief.

Then the lights went on. Erik barely blinked. He gave the same indifference to the four Valkyries that had surrounded him, and were all pointing projectile weapons at him.

"Surrender, Failure." One of them said.

Erik gave no mind that the Vagave had done this on purpose, had seperated him from his companions for whatever reasons. He gave no mind on how badly the seperation might be, or what traps Vagane had planned.

All he cared about was revenge.

The Valkyrie was about to say something else when Erik's body dissolved into a black blur.

The air rang with a series of metallic and wet noises, and then Erik reappeared outside the circle of Valkyries, who now all had locks of shocked surprise on their face.

The air was still for a second.

Then Erik snapped out his talons, revealing they were drenched with blood that dripped on the floor.

And then the blood exploded from the Valkyries's bodies. One of them fell backwards, blood gouting from terrible wounds gorged across her chest that had ripped open her heart and both lungs. The other three simply fell apart, blood spraying from their dissected bodies and splattering all over the walls and floor.

It rained on Erik's back, but he paid it no mind at all. Instead, he raised his head.

"VAGANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he roared. "IT WAS YOU! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING I HELD DEAR TO MY HEART! NOW I'M GOING TO RUIN YOU!!!!!!!"

Ash was glad he wore armour, he changed his landing from fatal to merely painful beyond comprehension.

"AH! FUCK!" Ash cursed as the pain ripped through him. Fortunately, it only came in one huge surge. Once that passed, all Ash had going through his body was a dull ache.

"Well…that…was interesting…"Brigh muttered, sitting up next to Ash. Ash looked at his temamate and realization hit him.

"Chris? CHRIS!"

"I'm here, Ash." Christine said, sitting up nearby. "I feel like every bone in my body is broken, but I'm here…and ever ready for action."

Oyyyyyy…I am the very model of a modern major general…

"Egad Soulfire, stop that horrible rendering of Gilbert and Sullivan. They don't deserve it." Buffy said, getting to one knee. She didn't know how far she had fallen, and she didn't care to know. It might make her realize just how many bones she felt like were broken.

Great. Yet another one making fun of me. Hey Slayer, do me a favour and PHONE HOME!

"I think Steven Spielberg deserves your quoting even less." Buffy retorted, testing her legs. They held.

"Dammit, that hurt…Eighteen? EIGHTEEN!" Krillian yelled as he sat up.

"I'm here Krillian!" Eighteen said, and almost following that was a moan of pain.

"Dammit, someone get some light so we can see where everyone is!" Ash said.

"On it." Said Christine, concentrating. Her bladestaff began glowing softly, revealing the area around her.

The moan was revealed to be coming from Seventeen, who had his sister and Krillian kneeling next to him. The area around him was bloody, and Ash immediately saw why. Seventeen had come down badly. While most of them had landed on their backs or stomachs after falling god knows how far, Seventeen had fallen with one of his legs stuck under him, virtually shattering the bone into mush that had shredded his flesh.

"Brother…" Eighteen said in grief.

"It's ok…it just hurts like hell." Seventeen said.

Ash glanced around to see who was there.

Erik was gone, along with Celeste. The group Ash could see consisted of Christine, Buffy, Brigh, Krillian, Eighteen, Seventeen, his sister Victoria, Tien, and Chaozu. Everyone else was gone.

"Dammit, I don't want to risk moving him, I could injure him further…" Christine was saying, as everyone gather around the wounded Seventeen.

"Allow me." Said Chaozu, lifting his arms. With great care, Chaozu levitated Seventeen up and carefully extended his leg out, before laying him back down. Christine knelt by the ruined limb.

"Damn, Seventeen, did you hit your leg against the wall as you well as well as land on it?" Christine said, looking over the wounds.

"Can you fix it?" Eighteen asked.

"I think so…"

"Sorry, I believe he hasn't paid his medical insurance."

Then the lights flashed on, blinding the group. Everyone recovered quickly though, turning towards the voice.

Adam did not show a reaction from where he stood, on a slightly elevated area at one end of the room. Behind him looked to be the only way out. But with Adam standing the way he was, there may as well have been no way out.

"Or maybe it's auto insurance. He's an android, correct? Rather fragile if you ask me. What a fool his creator must have been." Adam said.

"Adam." Buffy growled. Adam looked at her.

"Slayer. So they managed to find you and bring you here. A pity, for you anyway. Spike was the one who wanted to kill you. I just wanted to make my own world, and Vagane's offer allowed me to do that without your interference, as futile as it might have been. But you seem to have dealt with the vampire anyway. Once again, a pity. I wanted to destroy him myself, he was so aggrivating. But that does not matter. Once I have dealt with you myself, I can finally get to work on creating the perfect species. Vagane may be wise, but even he doesn't truly know what the greatest form life will take." Adam said.

Buffy looked behind her, and as if on cue she was suddenly backed up by everyone else. Ash and Christine stood at her side, with the others either standing next to them or behind her. The only one who did not stand was Eighteen, who crouched protectively by her brother, and Seventeen, for obvious reasons.

Buffy's eyes were cold and intense. She knew what she had to do.

"You spoke of the destiny of my world as if you knew it, Adam. You said it would be a war. You would lead the demons, and I, the humans. Well Adam, here are my allies, my army. Where is yours?" Buffy said, coldly and yet with a hint of mocking, as she gestured to the people beside her.

Adam smirked.

"I need no army. I am more powerful and greater then any unit of war could ever be! I AM THE ACT OF WAR!"

And with that Adam raised his plasma cannon, the barrel glowing, and fired.

Buffy reacted on instinct, throwing herself out of the way. Everyone else followed suit, leaping, rolling or flying out of the way of the attack as it exploded in the middle of the room in a wave of head and force. Eighteen picked up her brother and leapt to the farthest corner, which was pretty far due to the size of the room. At least the size of two football fields and a good fifty feet high, it was made even stranger by its emptiness. It seemed to have no purpose.

Eighteen knew what it was though. A battlefield.

"Stay here brother. I'll get you when we deal with this creep." Eighteen said, and flew away. Seventeen gave a weak thumbs up to his sister's back.

Buffy rolled on the ground and leapt to her feet.

"You know, of all the things the Initiative told me about you, SHOOTS BOLTS OF EXPLOSIVE ENERGY WASN'T ONE OF THEM!" Buffy yelled.

Adam shrugged.

"I've been upgrading."

Buffy heard a slight noise and then Ash and Christine were at her side.

"Care for some backup?"

"It would be appreciated…" Buffy said, but she was cut off as the Soulfire suddenly began making a strange keening noise that sounded like a cross between a hum and a shriek.

"Soulfire? What's wrong?"

Nothing! I'm just playing second fiddle!

"Oh shut up!"

"Excuse me, if you are done argueing with your weapon, I believe I was about to destroy you." Adam said. Ash looked up and growled.

"Let's burn!"

And the three charged Adam, who took a battle stance as Ash, Christine, and Buffy ran at him.

Buffy had lost her sword and hadn't had time to look around for it, but she made do with her fists as she reached Adam and began swinging at Adam.

Adam, once again displaying inhuman speed, dodged every blow she threw. Irked, Ash and Christine attacked him from each side, and Adam displayed even greater combat skills as he dodged and blocked everything.

"How the hell…?" Buffy said. Then Adam stepped forward and Ash and Christine's weapons slammed against each other, the impact knocking both of them backwards.

"Hell has nothing to do with it, Slayer."

Then Adam belted Buffy across the face, sending her flying backwards. As she landed hard, Ash slashed at Adam from behind, but Adam's arm stake burst from his forearm and he blocked the slash, before he spun around and backhanded Ash, sending the warrior crashing into the wall. He turned to Christine, dodged a stab at his head and kicked her in the stomach with a pistoning thrust kick, sending her flying backwards as well.

"Is there ANYONE who can offer a challenge around here?" Adam asked arrogantly.

Then he stepped backwards, and Eighteen and Krillian suddenly blurred into existence as they crashed into each other. They'd tried to squash Adam between them, but Adam had somehow seen them coming.

"Those high levels of power don't do you much good if I can sense them long before you manage to land a blow." Adam said in an almost scolding tone, and then he brough back his cannon arm and smashed it right across both Krillian and Eighteen, sending them both flying. They broke apart in mid-air and Krillian flipped to his feet. He growled and thrust his hand up, forming a Kienzen.

"DODGE THIS!" Krillian yelled, and threw it. The cutting disc spiraled at Adam.

And then Adam reared back his arm and whacked it aside, carefully hitting it in the middle. It flew off course and sawed into one of the walls before exploding, spraying metal shrapnal through the air.

"Parlor tricks." Adam said, and then his cannon arm CHANGED, parts moving around so the barrel vanished and the prongs that apparently fed the cannon power changed shape. Then small energy bullets began flying from the reformed arm, and Eighteen and Krillian leapt aside as explosions blasted all over the floor.

"This is just too…" Adam managed to say, before Chaozu materilized in front of him.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

The incredibly bright light flared, and everyone covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. Chaozu lowered his hands as the light faded.

Adam stood there, unaffected.

"Sorry. After last time, I made sure to modify my eyes to make sure that wouldn't happen again."

Adam's hand pistoned out, grabbing Chaozu by his throat.

"Which reminds me. As you commoners might say, I believe I "owe you"."

And then Adam began punching Chaozu repeatly in the face and stomach. Chaozu cried out from the heavy blows as Adam pummeled him, a smug look of saitisfaction on his face.

"LET HIM GO!"

Adam ducked slighly as the blast from Tien flew over his head, blowing up a section of wall behind him.

"You missed. Your aim is…" Adam said, before he realized two things.

One, Chaozu was no longer in his grip.

Two, he was suddenly floating in the air. He looked at Chaozu, who had his hands out, as blood leaked from his nose and the corner of his mouth, as he levitated him up.

And then Tien appeared above him, and lacing his fists together, he brought them down on Adam, sending the monster crashing down into the ground.

Angered, Adam reared back his cannon arm and smashed Chaozu across the face with it, the mime-like man too slow to get away. With a cry, Chaozu flew across the room.

"CHAOZU!" Tien cried, but he didn't get to do much else as Adam suddenly leapt skyward. Tien gasped as the huge monster drove his knee into his stomach, and while still in the air, slammed his cannon down across his back. Tien smashed into the ground as Adam started to come down again. The bone stake burst from his arm, and Adam pointed it downward, aiming for Tien's spine.

Then he smashed into the wall as the Slayer flew through the air and jump kicked him, sending him crashing back against the wall. Adam landed on his feet, Buffy also did so.

"So, back for more?" Adam asked, and charged. Buffy ducked under his slash and spin-kicked him in the back of his head. Adam used the momentum as he spun low and tried to kick Buffy's legs, but Buffy leapt upward and did a mid-air snap kick, sending Adam staggering backwards.

"I've been upgrading too." Buffy said, and attacked Adam again.

Adam grabbed her by the throat.

"Not enough." Adam said, and threw her across the room.

Buffy landed hard again, but she was on her feet immediately as Adam attacked her again. Buffy dodged away from the slash, but walked right into Adam's punch. Her head snapped back violently, and then Adam kicked her in the chest, driving the wind out of her. He tried to impale her on his bone stake, but Buffy dodged aside and countered with several punches and kicks. Adam shrugged them off.

"Buffy! Here!" Ash yelled, and suddenly Spike's sword was flying at her. Buffy caught it and blocked Adam's slash with his bone stake.

"You are starting to…ARGH!" Adam yelled as Victoria suddenly leapt on his back. She'd held back and waited for an opening. To sooner was she on then she started hammering Adam with as many punches as she could manage from her unstable position.

"Buffy! Take him down!" Victoria said, as Adam yelled and tried to get Victoria off of him. Buffy smiled in thanks for the help and and charged at Adam, sword swinging high.

But Adam still had enough sense to dodge, and as Buffy ran past him he struck, slamming his foot across her exposed back. Buffy flew forward from the impact, losing her sword. No sooner had he done so then Adam slammed his head backwards into Victoria's face. The impact was so fierce that Victoria lost her grip, and as she fell off, suspended in mid-air for a second, Adam whirled and slammed his foot across her side, sending her crashing into the wall.

Adam's eyes turned back to Buffy, as she began getting up. He raised his arm as his arm coverted back into his plasma cannon.

"And now Slayer, you die."

Lindsay lucked out. She landed on Buu.

"OFFFFFF!" Buu yelled as Lindsay bounced off of him. "That hurt!"

"Sorry." Lindsay said, getting to her feet. Unlike the room with her companions, which had been dark, the room she was in was lit.

"Mr. Satan!" Buu cried, and ran over to where his prone friend lay.

"Buu…I landed bad…it hurts…" Mr. Satan groaned weakly, no sure what was injured. He just knew it hurt.

"I'll fix that!" Buu said, and touched his forelock to Mr. Satan. Mr. Satan shuddered briefly, and then leapt to his feet.

"Ah! That's better! I feel ready…what happens? Where is everyone?"

"I am under here." Yamcha groaned, as he pushed aside the group of females he was under, which consisted of Angie, Chastity, Bra, and Pan. The females got to their feet at the same time.

"I never did like heights…or falling from them…" Chastity said, cracking her neck.

"Grandpa, you ok?" Pan said.

"Yes…thanks to Buu. But…is this everyone?" Mr. Satan said, looking at the group. Of the Legacy group there were three of the females, and Bra and Pan. He, Yamcha, and Buu, in a sense, were the only males.

"We must have been seperated in the fall…damn that Vagane…damn him…" Bra cursed, clenching her fists. Buu suddenly looked worried.

"Celeste! Where's Celeste?"

"I'm here." Celeste said, emerging from the shadowed corners.

"Celeste! Are you ok?"

"Yeah…I managed to land fine…although I'd like to know if we were teleported her or something?" Celeste said, looking up at the ceiling, which had no hole in it to indicate a pit. "Where's Erik?"

"He's not here." Yamcha said, looking around.

"Erik…oh god, I wish I could be with you…what torment must rage through you…" Celeste said, looking sad.

"That bastard…is that bitch's father. I can't believe it. No wonder he knew about that info he gave Erik. He must have found out somehow…must have decided to follow her life like she was one of his experiments…that sick fuck." Yamcha said, clenching his fists.

Pan was silent, looking around.

"I wonder if we have gained a new enemy in this." Chastity was saying. Everyone looked at her.

"What?" Celeste asked.

"I saw how Erik how before he fell. After all that's happened…this very well may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Erik might have gone completely nuts…at the very least, he won't let anyone get bweetn him and Vagane. If anyone tries…be it friend, sister, or…anything else…" Chastity said, looking at Celeste and then glancing away. "I think that he will treat them as a foe as well."

"No! Erik is strong! He can work through this!" Celeste said.

"How much can a man take?" Mr. Satan said. "How much grief before he cannot stand it? I have seen Erik take remarkable amounts…but the weight may simply grow too great. And I fear that is what Vagane wants. I felt of taste of…SOMETHING flare within Erik just before it fell…it scared me. I can't sense ki, but I felt that…and I fear it was just the beginning. I fear that it…may prove our undoing."

"Grandpa!" Pan suddenly said.

"What?" said Mr. Satan.

"No! I feel Grandpa…er, Goku's ki! I feel Mom's too!"

"Videl?" Mr. Satan said, hope surging within him.

"Yes! I feel others, I don't know them but they feel…familiar…what…wait, I can still feel Grandpa's ki, but it's weaker…now it's even weaker…"

"What? Is he dying?"

"No…I've felt the ki of dying people, this isn't it…of god, it's terrible! It's like some kind of horrible drain! We have to save him!"

"Where are they?" Mr. Satan asked.

"They're…there!" Pan said, looking at one end of the room, where a long fleight of stairs led to a large metal door. "They're behind that door! Right there!"

"Are you sure?" Celeste asked.

"YES! I know my own mother and Grandpa's ki as well as I known my own!"

"This can't be right…Vagane wouldn't just dump us outside the door of those he kidnapped…this has to be a trap." Celeste said.

"I don't care! We have to save them!"

"You should worry more about saving yourself!"

Everyone's eyes darted to the voice, and then Alexia Ashford walked from the side of the stairs, regal in her dress and mannerisms. She stopped at the head of the stairs, looking down on the gathered warriors.

"You. I remember you." Celeste said. "You were with Vagane…who are you?"

"I am Alexia Ashford, a far more superior being then you. Vagane is fond of me, and has tried to keep me from the battlefield, claiming it would dirty my hands. I respect that…but I have grown bored and tired of standing by. I wish to cause some destruction of my own…for him, and for my own saitisfaction. You will do." Alexia said, keeping her hands down. She looked as dangerous as a marshmallow.

"Arrogant bitch…" Yamcha spat, assuming a stance.

"Wait! If Vagane is fond of her, there is surely more to her then meets the eye!" Chastity said, drawing her swords.

"I sense evil…evil and…a desire for blood…" Celeste said.

Bra stood, her hands clenched tightly.

"You're Vagane's favorite, huh? Well, he hurt my brother and my father…and he gave life to a woman who hurt my family even more…SO I THINK I'LL HURT YOU!" Bra screamed.

"Bra, WAIT!" Celeste yelled as Bra zapped at Alexia, fists cocked.

Alexia snapped up her arm, and Bra stopped dead in mid-air, a look of pure confusion on her face.

"Foolish little girl."

And then Bra flew backwards at lightning speed with a yell. She flew over the group and smashed into the wall so hard she left a dent. She hit with a gasp.

Everyone looked at Bra, and then looked back at Alexia as she began to laugh, a laugh of pure scorn and bloodthirst.

And then fire exploded on her body, seemingly burning from within her. Everyone recoiled as flames consumed her dress and body. But there was no stench of burning flesh.

Then the flames faded, and everyone gaped at her.

Alexia had changed. She no longer wore any clothes, but that did not matter, for she not longer possessed the sexual organs of a human woman, or even the look of a human.

Her skin was now coloured a disgusting greenish-grey, and on her right arm and left leg a strange dark green type of flesh had sprouted. Looking like a cross between organic armour and muscle, it had a strange tentacle look to it as well. It traveled up her right arm and covered her shoulder as well, with tendrils branching around her right, nippleless breast. Veins could been seen around where the dark green armour-muscle ended, strange purple-pink trails. On her back were growths of the same material, covering her shoulder blades and running down each side of her spine. It covered her like the chitinous exoskeleton of the insect. To top it all off, Alexia no longer had her blonde hair. Instead, her head was covered by a simular material that covered her arm, leg, and back, poking off from her head in fleshy tendrils. A thick thunk of that flesh hung over her right eye like some kind of nightmare"bangs". She had finally shown the monster that lurked within her.

"This…is my true body. I have hidden away the gifts the T-Veronica virus gave me for far too long, but I will no longer hide it. I crave your slaughter and to feast on your flesh. Prepare to be crushed, pitiful humans!" Alexia screamed, triumph in her voice.

Bra pulled herself from the wall, fury blazing in her eyes.

"FUCK YOU BITCH!" she screamed, as golden energy flared around her as Bra went SSJ. With another scream, she charged at Alexia.

Alexia didn't move as Bra lanced at her, her arm still up. Bra reached her.

And then Alexia reared back and a liquid stream sprayed from her mouth, splashing directly at point blank range into Bra's face.

"AHHH! MY EYES! MY EYES!" Bra screamed, tearing at her face as she stopped in mid-air, and then Alexia reared back her arm and smashed Bra backwards. She flew across the room again, slamming against the wall.

"HELP ME! IT BURNS! IT BURNS!" Bra screamed as she clawed at her face. Angie looked in horror at the young woman, her body wracked with pain as she tried to stop the burning on her face. Then she looked back at Alexia, who stood there, laughing.

"Nice trick. But I have some myself!" Angie said, thrusting her staff down and waving her hands around it.

Alexia saw it coming, and she leapt forward as a lightning bolt struck where she had just been. She brought back her arms and slashed them in front of her, and from some kind of inner pores liquid spewed, a deep red chemical that splashed across the floor. Everyone jumped out of the way, but Yamcha got some slashed on his back, and some also splashed on Chastity. Yamcha waited for the burning.

But none came, and he looked at Alexia as she landed, her frail body now rippling with powerful inhuman muscles.

"Ha! Didn't work bitch!" Yamcha sneered, and brought his hands together to form a Kamehameha.

Alexia smirked.

"Oh?"

And then the liquid burst into flame, and Yamcha screamed as he found his back on fire. He reared back, trying to put out the flames, but he couldn't reach them, and the situation had made him forget to stop, drop, and roll.

Then the fire and pain stopped, and Yamcha whirled, looking in amazement as Chastity lifted the flame off of him. She smiled, and then then the smile drew into a hard line as she faced Alexia.

"You're trying to hurt me with FIRE?" Chastity sneered, and then the flames flew at Alexia, more exploding into being in the process and adding to the fiery bolt. It struck Alexia and swirled around her.

It didn't work, as Alexia smiled.

"You can control fire, girly, but I have fire itself burning within me!" Alexia said, and leapt at Chastity, smashing her backwards with a kick. Chastity landed on her back, and Alexia spun in mid-air and brought her fist down into Chastity's stomach. Chastity screamed and vomited up blood.

"NO!" Yamcha yelled, and snarling, energy exploded around him. "WOLF WIND!"

Yamcha's whole body was enveloped in energy as he leapt at Alexia, fist out. Alexia whirled and took the blow right in the middle of her chest.

She didn't move. In fact, she smiled.

"Is that IT?"

And then she spat, spraying her burning poison. Yamcha leapt to the side, but he wasn't quick enough and some splattered on his shoulder. He screamed and yelled, stopping from the sheer pain, and then Alexia belted him, sending him flying into Chastity and knocking them both out.

"IYYAAAA!" Buu yelled, throwing a ki blast. Alexia leapt up and it exploded below her as she reached the ceiling. She grabbed it and then pistoned off at an angle, lancing towards Buu and driving a kick into his flabby throat. Buu gasped and grabbed his throat, and then Alexia spun over him and at the same time kicked him in the back, sending Buu flying across the room and slamming into the wall.

"Buu!" Mr. Satan screamed, and then he screamed as Alexia didn't stop from her landing, leaping over to him and kicking him across the face. He crashed into the wall opposite Buu, sliding down it with a groan. He was an old man, and against Alexia, he was virtually helpless.

"Grandpa!" Pan cried.

"Bitch." Celeste hissed, whipping out her daggers.

"This girl is pissing me off." Lindsay added.

"I want a second shot." Angie said.

"All together! RAVEN'S BEAK!"

"MASENKO!"

"TWISTING HEAVENS!"

"CRYSTAL FLASH!"

Pan and Celeste fired their familar attacks at Alexia, while Lindsay fired twim beams that flew in a spiral pattern and Angie fired a glowing white blast.

Alexia held out her hand.

The blasts all exploded in front of her, as if hitting an invisible shield.

"Is this the best you can muster? I wish I had taken Adam's opponents…" Alexia said.

Then Bra blurred into existence behind her and kicked Alexia across the back. With a shriek, Alexia flew across the room, hitting the wall.

"Buu fixed the eyes. Payback's a bitch, ain't it, bitch?" Bra hissed, and charged at Alexia, engaging her in a war of blows. Surprisingly, Alexia kept up, but only because she kept varying the mental shields around her and Bra didn't know where she could land a blow.

But she kept trying, and eventually, she lucked out, punching Alexia in the stomach. Alexia flew backwards, but as she did she sprayed another gout of the same red liquid she had sprayed before. It splashed on Bra, and in horror, she tried to wipe it off.

Then it ignited. Bra screamed.

Then ice formed on her body, extinguishing the flames. Bra looked over at Angie as she smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Blast. That is-ARGH!" Alexia screamed as Celeste slashed her across the back. She spun around, blood leaking from the cut, and snapped a knife edge chop at Celeste. Celeste ducked and kicked Alexia in the chest, then twisted her body and kicked her across the face. As Alexia reeled, Celeste spun back up to her feet and lanced her dagger at Alexia's throat, hoping her mutating body still kept vital organs in the same spot.

They did, apparently, as her dagger bounced off a shield. Before Celeste could recover, Alexia reached out and grabbed her, lifting her off the ground by the throat with inhuman strength.

"Fry, bitch."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Paul said to Trunks, who was doing a few punches and kicks to test out his healed limbs.

"Never felt better." Trunks lied. In truth, he still felt rather weakened from the injuries. Diana could heal injuries, but she couldn't restore power.

"Who next?"

"I'm not sure. Goten could be healed quicker…but any of those three could die while I was fixing him. Goten is stable, but god knows what could happen if I try to heal one of the other three. They could take hours." Diana said, looking at Piccolo, Gohan, and Vegeta. Piccolo would be the worst, because Diana had no idea how his alien anatomy worked or functioned. Gohan's brain was damaged to an unknown degree as well, and repairing neural pathways was like finding a needle in a haystack. And finally, Vegeta. He had the simplest injury in the fact that it was a broken bone. It was made immeassurably more complicated by the fact that it was his spine and that Goku's blow hadn't broken it, it had shattered it. Vegeta should be dead, the way his spinal cord had probably been damaged. The fact that he was still alive greatly impressed Diana on the durability of the saiya-jin species and of Vegeta's strength of will.

"Heal Vegeta…he could do more then me anyway…" Goten spat.

"No…Goten could be fixed easier…heal him so he and my son can go and look after my daughter…" Vegeta whispered, putting his selfishness aside for the sake of his family. Diana looked back and forth, not sure what to do.

"Tis a truly difficult decision." William said.

"Maybe you should flip a coin." Paul said, standing on a rock as a lookout.

"I'm not sure…" Diana said.

"Diana, whatever it is, hurry up and pick one. You can't help anyone if you just stand around." Rod said, leaning on his sword.

Diana sighed. Her ex was right.

"Very well…I'll help…"

Then her eyes saw the shadowy figure emerge, directly behind William, raising a gigantic axe to the sky.

"VALIANCE LOOK OUT!"

"What…?" William said, looking up.

Then the axe took him across the back, burying itself in his armour. William screamed as Tormentor roared with joy and thrust his axe back up, sending the knight flying through the air before he crashed back to the ground, blood leaking from the huge cut in his armour.

"Well well, so all the scum isn't crippled. No matter, I enjoy killing live ones as much as I enjoy killing half-dead ones!" Tormentor roared, twisting his axe around. Blood dripped from the barbed edge.

"Shit! Where did he come from?" Rod said, raising his sword.

"Son of a BITCH!" Paul cursed, bringing up his gun and opening fire on Tormentor. Tormentor just smiled a terrible smile as the bullets bounced off of him.

"That lone bullet you got through Goku's shoulder has made you cocky, child. I am blessed. No blade can pierce my skin. And you bullets, in the end, are merely small strangely designed blades. They serve the same purpose, to cut one down and spill blood. Only I will be blessed to do that." Tormentor growled.

"Swords can't pierce his skin? Oh great!" Trunks said, looking down at Rod, whom Tormentor was heading for next. All Rod had was his sword, without it he was virtually helpless.

"Where's Celeste when you need her?" Rod pondered to himself as Tormentor approached, his insane evil smile on his face. "Well, I won't be giving up!"

Tormentor swung his axe sideways, but he was rather slow and Rod easily managed to block. However, the process of blocking nearly knocked Rod over due to Tormentor's inhuman strength. Staggering, Rod ducked under the next swing, feeling the evil axe blade whistle over his head. He spun and struck, but Tormentor's boast proved true: the blade just bounced off the skin.

"Dammit!" Rod cursed, and then Tormentor punched him, sending him flying backwards. He hit a rock face with his back hard but managed to stay on his feet.

"You call yourself warriors? I will not even need my axe to deal with you!" Tormentor boasted, sheathing away the gigantic weapon. The weapon he pulled out looked just as bad though, a huge pole-like weapon with a twisted combination of barbed blades on one end. It look like a mutated version of Christine's Soulstorm.

"Come! Who is next to die?"

"I am." Trunks said, and Tormentor looked up in the air.

"No blade can pierce your skin? How about a FEW KI BLASTS THEN!" Trunks screamed as he went SSJ and began firing blasts down apon Tormentor. Tormentor roared as explosions consumed him. Diana nearly fell down as the ground shook, as she crouched protectively near the wounded.

Trunks stopped as the smoke cleared.

Tormentor stood, blackened but seemingly uninjured. He raised his head and laughed again.

"Very impressive! But those blasts of yours…I am afraid that as long as the fires of war fuel them, they cannot burn my skin either. They are useless! You are all useless!" Tormentor laughed.

Trunks floated, feeling a mixture of confusion and despair. His eye seemed to tell him his blasts had burned Tormentor, but Tormentor was acting like they hadn't fazed him. Trunks wasn't sure he if he was playing possum or not. Was Tormentor SMART enough to try and trick Trunks?

Paul had hopped down onto the ground, and he cocked the Flatliner.

"Ok Ugly, you can shrug off my bullets, but I have plenty of other ammo types as well!" Paul said, and brought his gun up. The barrel widened and then Paul fired a spray of arrows at Tormentor.

The arrows broke against him. Tormentor laughed, swung his blade staff around, and threw it at Paul. Paul dove out of the way, and then he fired off a missile.

The backlash threw Paul backward, and he flew into the group of the injuried Z Warriors, nearly landed on Vegeta with a cry of alarm from Diana. Vegeta was incredibly unstable. The slighest change could cause something to move around, and that could be fatal.

But the missile flew true, slamming into Tormentor and forcing him back with a roar of rage before he hit a cliff face and the missile exploded. The cliff, weakened by Goku, collasped, burying Tormentor in rock.

Paul headed out of the wounded as Trunks flew down by his side, his battle aura glowing around him.

"You think…?" Trunks began.

"Too easy. Get ready." Paul said, cocking his gun as his ammo reloaded. Trunks struck a battle stance.

Tormentor exploded out from under the rock with a roar. He reached behind his back and withdrew twin huge machete-like blades, which he had last used at Satan City.

"YOU SHALL ALL DIE! I WILL CHOP YOU INTO PIECES!"

"Keep him away from the injured!" Diana yelled. Trunks nodded. If that monster wanted to get anywhere near his father and friends, it would have to go through him, and Trunks wasn't going to let that happen as long as his heart was still beating.

It was a surprisingly good kick from Ash, who was used to fighting with his sword. As Adam charged his cannon, preparing to blow Buffy off the face of the earth, Ash ran in from the side and kicked the arm askew, causing the blast to go off to the left and blow up near the wall.

Erik's head snapped to the side from the explosion, blood spraying from his hair in fine droplets.

"I smell battle." Erik snarled, his voice almost feral. It almost seemed like foam would start dripping from his mouth at any second. His senses for death and destruction screaming, Erik ran off into the shadows.

"ANNOYING INSECT!" Adam yelled, smashing Ash across the face with his cannon, before he turned around to take another shot at the Slayer.

Unfortunately, Buffy was no longer fifteen feet away from him. She was right in his face.

Then her fists were in his face, as she hamered him with repeated punches. Adam was floored by the power she was using. She had never been able to hit him that hard before, and it was actually staggering him.

But it wasn't good enough, as he shook off the final blows as his bone stake snapped out again and he slashed at Buffy. But Buffy leapt over it, turning around in mid-leap. For a second, her back was exposed to Adam.

Then she spun around and half slashed and half slammed her foot into and across Adam's face, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Blasted-ARGH!" Adam yelled as Eighteen and Krillian flew into him from behind, smashing him with a simultaneous kick. Adam flew forward, and as he did so, Bright snapped out his hand as four daggers materilized in between his fingers.

"ASSASSIN'S BLADE!" Brigh yelled, and threw the daggers as they were engulfed in black fire. They struck Adam on his side exploded, throwing him against the wall.

Adam snarled and began getting up. As he did, Tien put his hands together in a triangle, looking at Adam between them like a crosshair.

Krillian thrust his hands to his side.

"SHIN KIKOUHOU!" Tien yelled as a huge blast flew from his hands.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Krillian yelled, and fire the blue bolt at Adam.

"CURSES!" Adam yelled as the twin attacks hit him. The whole side of the room went up in the blast, Tien and Krillian having carefully used their attacks so their companions wouldn't get hurt in the process.

"Woah. I NEED to learn how to do that." Buffy said.

And pray tell, what are you going to use it on now that Ugly is dead? I'd use it to cook food, but I like my food to be edible, not ashes!

"Oh shut up." Buffy retorted.

Hmmmmpphhh!

The smoke cleared to reveal Adam, but he didn't look happy.

"GRAH! I WILL BURY YOU!" Adam yelled, his cool finally broken by his foes refusal to die. His cannon coverted back into rapid-fire scatter mode and he let loose, firing the sparks of power all over the room. Everyone dove for cover.

Tien and Chaozu didn't make it, as a spark hit Tien and he was blasted into a wall. Chaozu cried out and then he was hit by the area explosion of another one of the sparks. Chaozu flew up into the air and crahsed to the ground, his hat flying off his head and coming to rest on the ground, singed and smoking. But those seemed to be the only two hit.

Then Eighteen saw one of the sparks heading off into the corner. Directly at her brother.

"SEVENTEEN!" Eighteen shrieked, and threw herself in front of the spark of power.

"EIGHTEEN! NO!" Krillian screamed as his wife's smoking body hit the wall and fell, not moving. "NOOOOOOO! GRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Krillian screamed, and began firing multiple Kienzens at Adam. Adam dodged through the cutting blades as he ran at Krillian. Krillian, blinded by rage, didn't bother to stop or rethink his strategy as he continued to fire. It only occurred to him that he had let rage cloud his vision when Adam was right in front of him.

And then it was too late, as Adam's bone stake lanced out and pierced right through him, as Adam gored him just like Freiza has all those years ago. Krillian gasped, and then Adam swung his arm and threw him across the room. Krillian hit the wall and slid to the ground, his hands soaked his blood as he clamped them over the wound in his stomach, trying to see through the pain as blood and viscera pooled on the floor around him.

Adam smirked, holding out his arm as blood dripped from his bone stake.

"You call yourself a warrior?"

And then he yelled as Buffy came out of nowhere, leaping up and scything her leg down on the stake, snapping it off. Adam turned towards Buffy, anger in his eyes at the Slayer making him lose his weapon.

"You call yourself well made? Dr. Walsh must have gone to K-Mart for most of your parts. Yeah, no wonder you want to be a god! It's to hide your massive inferiority complex, you walking blue-light special!" Buffy quipped.

"If memory serves me, YOU aquired that arm for me, Slayer. It would make sense that you give me inferior parts! Fortunately, I made sure I built apon what little Mother gave me!" Adam shot back, and swung at Buffy. Buffy ducked and side-kicked Adam, punched him across the face, and then thrust kicked him in the chest. Adam staggered backwards as sparks flew from his disc drive, and Buffy leapt skyward and drove her foot into his face.

Adam shook his head and attacked Buffy again. Buffy dodged away from his blows and punched him repeatly across the face, taking care to not hit the metal part of his head. Adam swung at her again and she ducked, going low and trying to take out Adam's legs.

Adam dodged away, and as Buffy rose, he did something she didn't expect. He leapt skyward and swung his right leg around in a masterful kickboxing move. Buffy couldn't believe Adam could do that, and her surprise doomed her as Adam kicked her across the face, sending her flying across the room.

"Annoying Slayer. Your overconfidence will prove your downfall."

"Oh look who's talking, Mr. "I'm a God"!"

Adam turned to Ash's voice as he and Christine attacked him again with their weapons. Adam growled and went on the defense, lacking his bone stake to even the odds. However, he still did very well for himself, as Ash and Christine slashed and stabbed at him.

I bet he listens to Vertical Limit a lot!

"No kidding!" Ash said as he and Christine leapt backwards. "This isn't working! Let's try a Crossfire!"

"And what makes you assume I'm going to let you do that?" Adam sneered as he brought up his cannon arm. Ash's eyes widened. He'd been a fool. Adam had been charging the whole time they had been fighting and was now ready to fire.

"DIE!"

Ash threw himself in front of Christine, taking the blast full force. As Christine screamed, Ash slumped and fell, the Soulfire tumbling from limp fingers.

"Ash! ASH!"

"Why do fools fall in love? Or maybe it is the love that makes them fools." Adam said, pleased. Christine's eyes blazed, and for a second she looked just like her brother.

"YOU BASTARD!" Christine screamed, as she spun the Soulstorm above her head. "VAPOR THRUST!"

And then Christine hurled the Soulstorm at Adam like an arrow, the bladetstaff engulfed in white flame. Adam yelled as the projectile took him high on the right side of the chest, piercing right through his heart and flying through his back. Adam staggered and slumped as the Soulstorm buried itself in the wall on the other side of the room.

Then Adam straightened back up, and Christine's eyes widened. Despite the hole in his chest, Adam didn't seem affected at all.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Adam said, looking down at the hole. Then he brought his cannon back up.

"Not good enough though."

And the the shriek pierced the room.

"YOU AREN'T TOUCHING MY SISTER!"

And then Erik flew out of nowhere, exploding from the shadows like a demon from the depths of hell, his mechanical arm pistoning out and hitting Adam so hard the metal on the side of his head was dented. Adam shot across the room like a bullet, hitting the metal wall so hard he left a dent.

And then Erik was on him like a rabid animal, smashing him with repeated blows. Christine stared at her brothe's furious attack. Dear god, this is more then him protecting me. Vagane…what he told him has driven him insane! He's not attacking…he's just trying to rip Adam apart!

Indeed, that seemed to be Erik's goal as he snapped his claws out and slashed at Adam repeatly, drawing black lines of blood down Adam's back, side, and arms.

"Dear god." Buffy said as she watched Erik slash at Adam. He's leaving himself wide open for counterattack…but I don't think he cares.

And indeed, that was what Adam did, bringing up his fist right into the center of Erik's chest. Erik stopped his attack, but only because the air was driven out of his lungs and he no longer had the oxygen to fuel that attack. Adam shoved himself away and stood up, but Erik was immediately back on him, slashing and kicking. Seeing right through the uncoordinated and angry attack, Adam dodged aside from a blow and brought his fist across Erik's face with all the strength he could muster.

Erik's head snapped back savagely, and then he slowly turned back to Adam and smiled, blood running from his cheek.

"Oh, so you want a war of attrition? Who will fall first from exchanging blows? Tell me Adam, do you think you can win that war?"

"YOU FOOLISH BOY!" Adam yelled, punching Erik directly in the chest. Erik doubled over, and then stood back up.

"Not good enough."

Adam hit the wall hard from Erik's jumping kick, leaving another dent. He reached up and felt his face, and was amazed when his hand came away wet with his own blood. Christine, watching the whole time, finally tore her eyes from the battle and knelt by her husband. Feeling a weak, thready pulse, she commenced her healing. She wasn't letting the man she loved died.

"How can you…?" Adam said, unable to believe that Erik was taking such crippling blows and just shrugging them off before returning the blows tenfold.

"I'm through being fucked with. Now I'M GONNA FUCK SOME SHIT UP! STARTING WITH YOU!"

Adam leapt off the wall at Erik, swinging his fist. Erik ducked under the blow and spun, kicking Adam across the back. Adam staggered.

"I think you're out of your league." Erik said coolly, his explosive rage have suddenly vanished into think air, replaced by an extreme calm. Somehow, the switch made him seem even more terrible, and dangerous.

"I think that applies to you more then me, child! YOU SHALL NEVER BE A MATCH FOR ME!" Adam yelled, leaping at Erik and punching. Erik dodged aside and slammed his fist across the side of Adam's head, driving him to one knee.

"I've noticed something about you Adam. You talk a lot, but when it comes down to it, you can't back it up. Your ego is bigger then your abilities."

Adam drew himself to his feet, looking at Erik. And then he smirked.

"Ah, but I know just how grand my abilities are, child. And one thing I know…" Adam trailed off.

And then he snapped his cannon arm up and aimed it at Christine, who was still trying to heal Ash. As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she looked up in alarm. Around her, Buffy and the others who were watching gasped in horror as they realized Adam's intentions.

"…is that if an attack isn't working, you switch strategies!"

"NO!" Erik screamed, and he threw himself in front of the blast.

Which never came. Instead, Adam ran forward and kicked the defending vigilante, causing Erik to fly backwards and hit the wall. Smirking, Adam raised his cannon.

"I knew that would happen. Whether in your wild attack on me or your defense of your sister, you are controlled by your emotions, boy. And that will prove your downfall." Adam said as he aimed a shot right at Erik's head.

"HEY! UGLY!"

Adam's head turned the voice as Bright leapt at him, dagger out.

"EAT THIS YOU SORRY SACK OF…!" Brigh screamed, jamming the dagger directly into Adam's neck. Blood gouted from the wound.

But Adam didn't fall.

"Not dead?" Brigh said in amazement, and then Adam smashed him across the face with his cannon and kicked him in mid-air. Bright hit the wall awkwardly and did not rise when he fell.

"They never do know when to quit." Adam sighed, pulling the dagger from his neck.

Then he turned into a combined punch of Victoria and Buffy. Adam staggered backwards, blood spraying from his neck from the force of the blow. But he didn't fall.

"Dammit, how much abuse can he take?" Victoria cursed.

"He doesn't function like a normal organic being! He…!"

That was all Buffy got to say as Adam leapt to the attack again. Buffy dodged out of the way of his kick, but Victoria was not so lucky and was knocked aside, her armour left with a big dent in it. Adam ignored her, focussing on the Slayer, as she dodged and jumped away from his blows and returned her own.

"DAMN YOU! WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE!" Adam yelled, swinging at Buffy, who dodged backwards again and jumped, smashing a roundhouse against Adam's face.

Mistake, as Adam's arm shot up and shoved Buffy backwards. As she sprawled, Adam brought up his cannon.

"This ends now." Adam snarled. Buffy's eyes widened.

Then they widened even more as she saw the huge lizard-esque head coming up behind him.

"Really? Maybe you might want to check that memo again." Buffy said. Adam's eyes filled with realization as she suddenly felt the breath on the back of his neck, and he whirled.

Then Victoria's mouth clamped down on him with a yell, as Victoria, utalizing Adam's ditraction with Buffy to transform into a dragon. Victoria raised her head, pressing down with all her might, trying to get her teeth into Adam's body so she could shred it.

Buffy watched in amazement as Victoria shook her head back and forth, but she wasn't winning. Adam had managed to get his hands above him and was using his incredible strength to hold Victoria's mouth open. Snarling and spitting, Victoria even tried banging her head against the wall and floor to try and make Adam lose his grip. Adam didn't budge.

"I will admit I am impressed by your plan and your determination, but I am afraid it is JUST NOT GOING TO WORK!"

And then Adam struck, as Victoria slammed her head against the floor again. At almost the same time, Adam shoved himself backwards, falling out of Victoria's mouth. He did a flip and landed on the floor as Victoria began to raise her head, and then he struck, bringing his fist up under Victoria's head and into her lone weak point: her gullet.

Victoria gasped as pain shot through her body as her air was cut off at the same time. Stunned, she nearly fell over. As she reeled, Adam circled around her side and fired, blasting her at point blank range with a cannon blast. With a shriek, Victoria flew and hit the wall, her massive bulk converting back into her human body in the process.

"Anyone else?" Adam asked, looking around at the spawled and sitting bodies around him. Good. Of all he had faced, only the Slayer and that annoying black haired boy's sister still looked fit enough to fight. He could deal with…

Wait, where WAS the…

Erik's claws slashed across Adam's back, sending more blood flying. Adam roared and spun around, swinging his cannon arm. Erik caught the metal part, and then to Adam's shock, he raised it up and began to squeeze, crushing the metal inward. Adam fought back, kicking Erik backwards. Erik flipped over in mid-air and landed in a battle pose. Buffy and Christine joined him at his side.

"Buffy, does he have a weak point?" Erik asked.

"Yes! The Initiative told me! He has a uranium core in his chest! It's why he's able to keep going despite his injuries!" Buffy replied.

"Good." Erik said.

"GRAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Adam roared. "YOU FOOLS! YOU DARE CONTINUE TO DEFY ME, A GOD!?!??!?!"

And then Adam began to fire again, his cannon damaged but still functioning. This time, the three didn't dive for cover. They charged.

Celeste tried to breathe and found she couldn't from the crushing pressure Alexia had on her throat. But from what Alexia had just said, and the wicked look in her eyes, Celeste was sure her windpipe would be the least of her worries in a second.

Thankfully, she never found out, as Pan flew in and blasted Alexia with a kick to the back. The impact sent both the women flying, Alexia losing her grip with a scream. Celeste managed to twist away and leap and flip to Pan's side.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Pan replied, as Alexia got to her feet. She cracked her knuckles. "My turn bitch."

"Don't let her grab you!" Celeste warned.

"Who says she'll be able to?" Pan replied, and flew at Alexia.

Alexia threw up a shield, but Pan zapped behind her and punched her in the back again. Not feeling bones break, Pan ducked and dodged away from a few counter blows and fired a few ki blasts at Alexia. The mutated woman proved to be surprisingly fast as she dodged them, and countered with a spray of her red incinery liquid. Pan dodged it and it ignited on the floor in a long line as she charged Alexia. Alexia dodged aside from her punch and kicked Pan across the back, sending her flying face-first towards the wall.

"Gotcha!" Buu said as he leapt up and caught Pan, bringing her carefully down on the ground.

Angie looked at Alexia, pondering what she should do. Most of her spells needed for her to be outdoors, and the ones she could do indoors, Alexia would either shrug off or would hurt the others as well.

The idea came to her.

"Come to me winds…" Angie said, waving her staff around like a classic sorcerer as she spoke in some ancient, powerful language.

The winds began stirring around Alexia, and she looked around in surprise before a full-blown mini tornado swept up around her. She yelled as the wind jerked her back and forth and eventually lifted her off the ground.

"HIT HER! SHE'S OPEN!" Angie yelled.

The Z fighters responded, as Pan, Bra, and Yamcha threw ki blasts at the flailing female. Alexia proved to have remarkable control by dodging two, but the third took her in the shoulder, nearly blowing off her arm. She screamed as dark blood sprayed around, propelled by the force of the wind.

"ARGH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Alexia screamed, and then she used her own momentum to throw herself out of the tornado and against the ceiling. She riccocheted off the ceiling and lanced at Angie, her foot out.

Angie was among the slowest of the Legacy, and hence she couldn't dodge in time as Alexia deliver a brutal kick to her chest, snapping several ribs. Angie flew backwards several feet, losing her staff in the process. Her long robes cushioned her landing, but that didn't take away from the terrible burning in her chest.

Alexia smiled, and reared back her arm.

Bra slammed into her from the side, throwing her away from Angie. Alexia screamed in anger and spat at Bra again, but Bra saw it coming this time and dodged, firing a counter ki blast. Alexia took it out with a shield.

Then Chastity's whip lashed around her neck. Alexia gasped as Chastity tried to jerk her backwards, but then she got her hands on the whip and yanked. Chastity flew up into the air, and Alexia leapt up after her, kicking her in mid-air and sending her crashing into another wall near Angie.

"I am really beginning to wish Vagane wasn't a one-wall man." Chastity babbled, and passed out.

No sooner had Alexia dealt with Chastity then Celeste attacked her again, firing a Raven's Beak blast at her. Alexia dodged aside and then Celeste attacked her head on, slashing and kicking. But she couldn't get through Alexia's guard.

"I guess you wish to die first!" Alexia sneered, and grabbed at Celeste.

Celeste dodged away and scored, slashing her dagger across Alexia's face. Alexia shrieked as the blade drew a line of blood across her face before severing the end of her main "bang."

"Hey, it's not like you could get any uglier." Celeste mocked, and slashed at Alexia again.

Alexia caught her wrist, and with a scream, she smashed Celeste across the face and began to pummel her with incredible anger. Celeste tried to break free, but Alexia's grip was like iron.

Then she was thrown into iron as Alexia tossed her aside like she was made of paper. Celeste hit the wall with her shoulder and screamed as it twisted painfully.

"Little bitch."

Pan smashed both her hands across Alexia's head, feeling sick as her fists squished the disgusting flesh covering her head. Alexia screamed, but the flesh also acted like a cushion and she was able to spin, and spit at the same time. Pan managed to keep the poison from hitting her face, but her block made it hit her hand and arms instead. She screamed as they began to burn, a white-hot needle inserting itself into every cell, and then Alexia spun and smashed Pan with a twirling hook kick. Pan flew past her grandfather and hit the wall, groaning from the pain as blood leaked from her nose and cut upper lip.

"Pan!" Mr. Satan yelled, looking at his injured granddaughter.

"YAAAHHHHH! CHARGE!!!!!!!"

Mr. Satan turned to see Buu barreling headlong at Alexia, literally.

"Buu! No!" Mr. Satan screamed. Alexia looked at the strange creature with amusement as he charged at herm bringing his hands up as they crackled with ki energy.

Alexia cocked back her arms to throw her liquid on Buu.

And then Buu blasted his attack.

Right at the ground, carrying himself up into the air. Shocked, Alexia stared at where Buu had just been, and then looked up in horror as Buu fell towards her.

She was flattened under him, not even able to get a shield up as Buu landed on her with her butt. Her shriek was greatly muffled.

"Ouch. Gee. Man, I almost feel sorry for her." Yamcha said, holding his arm, which still ached from Alexia's powerful poison.

"Huh. And Mr. Satan said listening to all of those old stories Krillian told me wouldn't help." Buu said happily.

Then he started yelling as he leapt up, his baggy pants on fire. He ran around, smacking as his rear as he tried to put the fire out, as Alexia got up, utterly furious. As Buu stopped to beat out the last of the flames, Alexia walked forward with three strides and grabbed Buu by the neck, her fingers sinking into his flabby flesh as she hoisted him up.

"You dare humilate me like that! BURN TO ASH, YOU WORM!" Alexia screamed.

And then Buu screamed as he caught on fire, the flames seemingly exploding from within as Alexia caused him to spontaneously combust. The screams were terrible.

"Buu!" Celeste screamed as her friend went up in flames.

"BUU!" Mr. Satan screamed, with far more agony then Celeste. Celeste was Buu's friend, but she had only known him a short time. Mr. Satan had known him for years. They were very close.

Celeste didn't think. She acted, getting up and charging at Alexia as she held Buu and burned him, laughing.

Her shoulder burned as she slammed into Buu, but she didn't care as she succeeded in getting him out of Alexia's grip. Alexia looked in annoyance as the two came to a stop a dozen feet away. No matter. She could easily finish the job.

"Buu!" Mr. Satan yelled, running over to Buu, who lay on the ground, his skin terribly burned everywhere.

"Mr. Satan…it hurts…" Buu whispered, tears leaking from his eyes.

"Stupid creature!" Alexia snickered. Then a ki blast hit her in the back, and Alexia turned to see Yamcha standing there, his arm out, ready to fight.

"Oh, I guess you want some more, huh?" Alexia said, turning away from the three.

Mr. Satan slowly stood up, his fists clenched. He looked down at Buu as he writhed from the pain, and then over at Pan, slumped against the wall, bloodied and beaten.

He thought of Videl, taken by Vagane…and by this woman, in league with him and as mad as him.

"No…" Mr. Satan hissed. "You can crush me, humilate me, call me worthless…BUT NO ONE HURTS MY FAMILY!"

And then Mr. Satan ran at Alexia with a scream as she looked at Yamcha. Caught totally off guard, she turned.

"SATAN MIRACLE SPECIAL ULTRA SUPER MEGATON PUNCH!"

Mr. Satan might not have been able to use ki, and he might not be a tenth of the warrior he once believed himself to be. But he was still a martial artist. He was still a man who had once pulled four buses across the stadium. And he was fueled by rage and fury that rivaled anything Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, or anyone had ever felt.

"WHAT?" Alexia said in amazement.

And the punch hit home, a truly might blow that caught Alexia completely off guard. Blood sprayed from her as she flew backwards, splashing on Mr. Satan as he finished his scream.

She hit the wall as blood sprayed around her, and then she hit the ground, blood leaking all around her as Mr. Satan stood, breathing hard. He'd used everything he had in that punch. And miracle of miracle, it had worked.

"Wow." Lindsay said from off in the corner she had been in, trying to get the drop on Alexia. In the end, Mr. Satan had done it for her.

"Grandpa! Good job!" Pan said as she landed next to her grandfather.

"I am amazed myself." Bra said, landing next to Pan.

"I guess strength can never truly tell you the full measure of a man." Yamcha said, heading over there as well.

"I didn't do it for me. I did it for Buu. And you," Mr. Satan said, looking down at Pan. How much she had grown…and yet how much of a little girl she still was.

But he would see that be gone, eventually. He would.

But Buu…

Mr. Satan walked over and knelt by Celeste. Lindsay, at the same time, went over to check on Angie and Chastity.

"Buu…"

"Well done…my friend. I always new you had power within you, no matter what anyone else said." Buu gasped.

"These burns are bad." Celeste said, looking at Buu's injuries.

"Hey, Buu can heal others, right? Maybe he can heal himself!" Lindsay said, checking Angie's pulse. She was alive, but injured. Save for Chastity. They needed some help. Why couldn't Christine have wound up with them?
"I don't know…my friend, do you think you can do it?"

"I don't know…I'll try…" Buu gasped.

And then the laughter floated across the room. Everyone stood and looked at Alexia as she stood up.

Alexia held her hands in front of her, blood pouring from her chest. Mr. Satan's blow had been horrific, crushing the whole front of her. Blood continued to pour down her arms, drenching the ground around them.

"So be it…I will unleash the ultimate power of the T-Veronica virus…and I will DEVOUR YOU ALL!" Alexia screamed as she thrust her arms our, blood spraying off of them.

And then the trasnformation began, as Alexia fell to her knees. Suddenly, the greenish-muscle armour began to expand, racing up along her torso and down her back.

Then Alexia's stomach suddenly bulged out grotesquely, and everyone recoiled as her legs bloated out along with her stomach. The body half of her now reduced to a writhing pile of flesh, Alexia shrieked as she grew upward, the flesh that now composed her lower half expanding and extrating four insectile legs on each corner. The armour patches on Alexia's body bulged upward and then split open as twin pairs of crystaline wings sprouted from her back. Alexia's arms has mutated into her body, but she didn't need them as new limbs erupted from alongside her massive lower bulk, a cross between tentacles and insectile legs. Finally, her fleshy hair sprouted up and out as it hardened, and then several new pairs of greenish-white pupiless eyes open in the flesh as Alexia smiled down on her prey, her new limbs/tentacles and wings waving.

Celeste choked down some vomit. Alexia had been hideous before, but now the T-Veronica virus had mutated her into something beyond hideous. She looked like a twisted nightmare cross between a human and a monsterous queen ant. Indeed, her lower part of her body did resemble a queen ant's in places, and her front…bore a sickening likeness to a pregnant woman.

Now over twenty-five feet tall, Alexia towered over everyone from her part of the room.

"You humans. Vagane is wise to want to wipe you out. Your lay waste to everything in your own self- conceived superiority…you think you are the greatest…you are nothing! You are nothing but a pathetic virus, a disease! You are not the rightful rulers of life! But Vagane will make it right. And then I, a commander of a far more superior virus, will create my own perfect system for life. The world shall be my anthill…I shall be the queen…and you are nothing but the little ants I SHALL SQUASH UNDER MY FOOT!"

And then Alexia whipped out one of her leg tentacles, a cruel barb at one end lashing out at amazing speed, shooting at the group of warriors.

It struck Mr. Satan, as Alexia screamed in triumph and vengeance, and Mr. Satan just screamed as the limb pierced right through his upper torso and carried him backwards, pinning him to a wall.

"GRANDPA!" Pan screamed. "LET HIM GO!"

Pan flew at Alexia, but another one of Alexia's tentacles lashed out and whacked Pan aside with a scream. Pan smashed into the wall, but she didn't stop as she got up and flew at Alexia again.

"BITCH!" Celeste screamed, and slashed both her daggers on the tentacle holding Mr. Satan. With a disgusting ripping noise, the tentacle was severed in a flood of black blood.

Alexia shrieked again at the lost of her limb, as Mr. Satan slumped to the floor, blood pooling around him.

"It's up to you now. Make this worthless old man proud." Mr. Satan said with grim good humour, and then fell over on his side.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Lindsay cursed as she dodged away from one of Alexia's leg-tentacles and slashed at it. But Alexia just spat at her and Lindsay rolled away as the liquid coated the floor. It sizzled and then began to eat into the metal, burning it away.

"Shit! She gave her spit an upgrade! It's acidic now!" Lindsay cursed, and dodged away from another tentacle blow. Alexia's speed was utterly obscene. Increasing her bulk to the degree where she could no longer move should have slowed her down. Instead, it seemed she had actually sped up even more. The T-Veronica virus's ability to mold the flesh into a weapon was utterly horrific.

Pan zapped away from two tentacle slashes and brought her hands to her side.

"Kame…"

And then Alexia sprayed her red ichor, and Pan's eyes widened in horror as she was utterly drenched in it. Alexia smiled cruelly.

Pan acted in desperation, as she suddenly began spinning around in mid-air so quickly her body was reduced to a blur. The liquid began spraying off of her, but it was too late to get rid of all of it as it igniated on her.

Pan spun even faster, whipping up a small tornado. Lacking the proper oxygen flow, the flames that flashed into existence were snuffed out almost as quickly, lacking the three-second window they needed to make proper contact and burn.

Pan came to a stop, the world spinning as she tried to regain her senses.

Then two of Alexia's legs clamped onto her. Pan looked over in horror at Alexia's smiling face. Her plan foiled, she had immediately come up with another one.

Which she immediately put into action as she reared up her legs and smashed Pan head-first into the ceiling. Pan screamed as she was knocked silly, and then Alexia slammed into the floor and against the wall.

"Let her go you-ARGH!" Yamcha screamed as Alexia smashed him aside with another one of her legs.

"Pan! TAKE THIS! FINAL-ARGH!" Bra screamed as Alexia finaally ceased her beating of Pan by throwing her into Bra.

"Oh great! Well maybe I can…ARGH!" and that was all of Lindsay's plan that was revealed as Alexia slashed out another one of her legs and smashed Lindsay into the wall.

Alexia laughed, a shrieking insectile sound.

"What fun! How amusing! How tasty looking…" Alexia said with saitisfaction.

"HEARTSEEKER!"

"ARGH!" Alexia screamed as the blast blew through his body, her wings and legs thrashing as blood poured from the wound. Snarling, Alexia glared at Celeste, who stood at the ready, daggers out.

"Not dead? Odd." Celeste said with no humour.

"Fool. Queen ants have seven hearts. You just destroyed one! And I don't think I'll be letting you get another shot off."

Celeste didn't reply. Instead she struck a battle pose, her daggers almost quicering in anticipation.

"They say that in an anthill, occasionally an accident produces a second queen. And seeing how there can only be one queen…they must fight to the death. Well, people have called me Queen of the Night…so why don't we fight so I can show you who is superior."

Alexia growled.

"You idiot. That's a beehive, not an anthill!"

"Beehive, anthill, termite mound, whatever. The end result is, YOU'RE DEAD! CHAOS FLARE!" Celeste yelled, and hurled her energy-cloaked dagger at Alexia. Alexia swatted it aside and sprayed more acidic toxin from her mouth and pores. Celeste dodged away, catching her returning dagger at the same time, and dodged away from Alexia's tentacle blow. Running alongside her bulk, Celeste slashed her across the body, spilling more black blood. Alexia shrieked and sprayed red ichor that ignited in mid-air, sheets of fire spraying through the air.

Celeste ran right through them, the flames snuffing on her body as if they could gain no hold. She leapt into the air up at Alexia and slashed her across the face in magnificent air blow. Alexia shrieked again and swung more tentacles at Celeste. Celeste twisted in mid-air and plummeted back to the ground, hitting hard and rolling out of the way of another tentacle slamming down.

"ARGH! YOU TRAITOROUS ANT!" Alexia screamed, losing her mind more and more into her obsession with the species Hymenoptera Formicidae. She spat more burning toxin, but this time her wild movements worked against her and Celeste managed to manuver her blast onto one of her own tentacles. She shrieked as her own fluid burned her, the only part of her body resistant to it the sacs where it was stored.

"Great! All I need now is a giant magnifying glass! But since I don't have that…" Celeste said, throwing her hands above her head. "BLACK RAINBOW!"

The scatter shots blasted across Alexia, opening more wounds. Alexia wailed, but she managed to twist her main upper body out of the way of the final Kienzen-esque projectile. Celeste leapt out of the way of her thrashing limbs.

And then her luck finally ran out, as Alexia manuvered one of her limbs around Celeste and Celeste leapt right into it. With a shriek of triumph, Alexia grabbed Celeste. Celeste yelled and tried to get away, but Alexia quickly grabbed her with three of her other limbs. Yanking Celeste's arms and legs out, she brought the spread-eagled young woman before her, smiling with what remaining of her human mouth.

"Your little coup is over, bitch. There can only be one queen. Only I can rule. Now…I shall devour you through my children!"

And then twin organic holes opened down on other side of Alexia's bloated lower half, and suddenly ants began to pour out. But if any scientist were able to examine these ants under a microscope, they would see that these weren't normal ants. They were mutant giants, with huge manibles and eyes just like Alexia's.

The ants swarmed up Alexia's body, heading up her limbs towards Celeste. Celeste shrieked as they came, but she couldn't get free, as the huge swarm bore down on her, their tiny jaws clicking.

"This is better then cooking you. Instead, I will see you torn apart by my children, who will spread my perfection everywhere once Vagane has granted me godhood! Everything will serve me! I will be the queen of everything! NOW DIE!"

"NOW DIE!" Tormentor bellowed as he brought one of his huge machete like blades down on Rod's sword. Rod cursed as he nearly buckled under the blow, and then Tormentor brought his other sword across, smashing it into Rod's side. Rod flew through the air, turning a flip and managing to land on his feet, even as pain began to burn in his side.

"You're a squirmy one, that's for sure. Let's see how well you can do that without any legs!" Tormentor roared.

"YARGH!" Trunks screamed, slamming into Tormentor, his hair ablaze in gold. "LET'S SEE HOW WELL YOU CAN TALK WITHOUT ANY TEETH!" Trunks screamed, pummeling Tormentor in the face and chest. He dodged aside from three sword slashes, punched Tormentor some more, kicked him, and then blasted him with a point blank ki blast, sending him crashing backwards into a cliff.

"FINISH BUSTER!" Trunks yelled, throwing out his hands and throwing the gold ki blast. It struck the cliffisde and exploded, collasping it on Tormentor.

"No blade can pierce his skin…nor no fire burn it…maybe being buried under a few hundred tons of rock will do him in." Trunks panted. He and his two Legacy allies had been throwing everything at Tormentor, and Tormentor had just kept coming.

Then the rock blasted up as Tormentor exploded out with a roar. Trunks set his legs as Tormentor charged at him, bringing back his arm and throwing a ki blast. Tormentor took it directly in the chest, but he kept coming, swinging his swords.

Trunks leapt, almost losing his legs as Tormentor swung at him. But Tormentor had see it coming and had swung his other sword high. Trunks screamed as Tormentor brought the flat of the blade directly down onto his skull, smashing him down onto the ground. Trunks groaned as pain exploded through his head that rivaled any migraine or hangover.

"Silly boy." Tormentor growled, and then he thrust his swords down, placing the flat of either side on each side of Trunks's head. He then brought the blades together, clamping them on each side of Trunks's head and lifting him up in front of them.

"Such pretty hair. I believe I will keep your scalp as a trophy." Tormentor chuckled, and then began squeezing, crushing Trunks's head between his swords. Trunks screamed from the pressure as his skull tried to keep from caving in, even though it seemed to be just a matter of time.

Tormentor's own bladestaff speared into his back, and Tormentor roared from the sudden pain. It was used to other's pain, but not his own. He dropped Trunks, who fell limply as Tormentor turned. The heads, torso, and faces attached to Tormentor wailed, feeling his pain as their own. He pulled his bladestaff out; the weapon had cut him, but it had not gone deep.

"Very clever child." Tormentor growled at Paul, whose gun was coverting itself back into its normal shape. Paul's mouth was set in a grim line. He had correctly guessed that Tormentor's own weapons might hurt him, but they were so heavy that Paul had been unable to actually pick the bladestaff up. Instead, he had converted his gun properly, attached it to the end of the bladestaff that Tormentor had left in the rock wall, and pulled the bladestaff out and fired it at Tormentor. Unfortunately, it's weight had proved his undoing, as he had been unable to get off a proper shot. Now Tormentor has his weapon back, and Paul doubted he was just going to hand it over for another shot.

"Let's see if your brain is large enough to show it!" Tormentor roared, and swung his blade staff at Paul with one hand. Paul ducked under the weapon's huge reach, rolled, and sprung off his feet and up over Tormentor as the giant tried to bring one of his machete swords down on Paul. Paul sommersaulted over him and fired off his Piercing Eye energy-charged spike.

It broke on Tormentor's skin. If Paul had had the time, he would have paused to start pulling his hair out.

"Nothing seems to work, does it?" Rod said, joining Paul's side as Tormentor growled with pleasure and advanced on them.

"This is not good…" Goten whispered from where he was watching.

"Do not worry, my children. I won't let that demon get anywhere near you. I swear to God." Diana said, although desperation was clawing at her heart. Tormentor was taking everything and showing nothing for it. It was as if he was invincible.

"God help them…please…" Diana said, as she fingered her Rosary.

"God…?" Vegeta suddenly whispered, and then he chuckled. "I would say your god has long since forsaken us…as has ours…otherwise, this would never be happening."

Diana looked at Vegeta.

"Maybe you think so, but I will not lose my faith!"

"Your faith won't save our lives woman…why did I ever think otherwise…" Vegeta coughed. Diana didn't waste any more time looking at the crippled saiya-jin, turning back as she watched Tormentor bear down on her ex and her son's best friend. Her knuckles whitened on her staff.

"Anything we haven't done?" Paul asked.

"Yes. How about that Lionheart Crossfire?"

"I dunno, we haven't gotten word back from Squaresoft if we can use that." Paul joked.

"Relax. We're not ripping them off. It's a tribute to them. I have a sword, you have a gun, and you charge my sword with power from your gun and I do a bunch of slashes. Hence, I use a "gunblade", hence the name. Big companies." Rod joked back as he raised his sword. This was the last chance.

Tormentor looked intrigued, and he sheathed his bladestaff and once again withdrew his terrible axe. The pierces of people on him moaned and wailed.

"Surrender, and maybe I will kill the woman rather painlessly." Tormentor growled.

Rod's eyes flashed with anger.

"FUCK YOU!"

And he leapt at Tormentor, sword held out, as Paul aimed his gun at it.

"LIONHEART!"

A blast of white energy shot from the Flatliner and enveloped Rod's sword, and the Rod reached Tormentor and went into a fury of slashes, slashing at the axe, the demon, and anything in front of him. Smoke was thrown up from the furious effort, blankenting everything. Diana coughed as it rolled over her.

Finally, Rod stopped, gasping. He was out of energy, and he couldn't see Tormentor.

"Is he dead?" Paul called.

And then the axe flashed out of the smoke, its edge slamming into Rod as Tormentor rammed the top of it into Rod's stomach. It wasn't as sharp as the blade, and Rod wore armour which kept the wound from being fatal, but it still hurt like hell as Tormentor lifted him up, growling with pleasure.

"No. But you are." Tormentor snarled, and hurled Rod forward. The older man craashed into Paul, knocking them both in a heap and both out of the fight.

"Ha. Pathetic, all of them. I will take joy in killing them…but first…the wounded."

Tormentor turned and began heading towards the injured Z Warriors. Diana stood still, fear racing through her, as the demonic monster headed towards them, blood dripping from his axe.

"I always like killing the helpless more then those who fight. It is more…saitisfying. Such might warriors…just laying right there for me. They will be my greatest trophies…as will you." Tormentor growled as he advanced on Diana, fire burning in his eyes.

Fire was also burning down in the ruins of the largest lower room in the catacombs of Vagane's gigantic lab. Once, a device that blocked the powers of ki using warriors was here, but the combined efforts from people had laid it to waste, despite its protector.

The room burned, flaming metal and scrap everywhere and smoke filling the air. Nothing stirred.

Then something did.

Half his face looking like a pizza, and his clothes in tatters, Spike stumbled out of the smoke. Burns and injuries covered his body, and he couldn't take a step without agonizing pain, but he was alive. Or as alive as he got.

Finally out of the flames, Spike collasped, reaching down and trying to remove his ruined boots. They burned his hands, but he eventually got the left one off.

"These boots…better be insulated…or I will be bloody pissed…" Spike coughed as he tried to rip open a panel. But the heat had fused it shut. Snarling, Spike tore at the boot, finally ripping it open. A small round object fell into his hand.

"This better do…what Vagane said it would…or I'm gonna be mighty pissed that he made me steal them in case he got the munchies or something." Spike cursed as he popped the Senzu bean into his mouth. With great effort, he chewed and swallowed.

There was a pause.

Then Spike yelled as his body rapidly rebuilt and replaced all his damaged tissues instantly. It wasn't the most pleasant experience.

Then the pain was gone.

"Ha! It worked! That's bloody better." Spike said, standing up. "You think you can kill me that easily, Slayer? Think again!"

Spike then looked down on his clothes. All that was left were a few tatters of his clothing and the cyber-cloth armour that Vagane had given him. He was barely covered decently.

"Bloody hell. Good thing I brought an extra set of clothes." Spike cursed. "Ok, first I change, then I go find Floaty. I give up. HE can kill the Slayer. I just want my godhood so I can blow this joint and get a drink."

There was a loud creaking, and Spike looked up. He yelled and ran forward just before a large chunk of flaming metal crashed down where he had been. Spike stared at it.

"Bloody hell! I nearly got cremated, I don't need to be buried also!" Spike yelled as more of the ceiling began falling down. He turned and ran for the exit, heading of the flaming ruin of the room.

It didn't take long for Spike to come across the bodies of the three Valkyries. He stared at the corpses.

"Well, it looks like you ladies had worse luck then me. I wonder what the hell is happening."

What was happening to Buffy was that she was thrown. Through the air. By Adam. Into Christine.

As Christine broke Buffy's fall, abet a bit against her will, Erik flipped to his feet and attacked Adam again. The two engaged in another series of blocks and dodges: by now the two were beginning to know each other's styles inside and out.

Erik snaped his head back and forth away from Adam's punches and then leapt up and away from Adam's kick. Adam recovered and punched at Erik in mid-air, but Erik twisted his body away from it, landing beside Adam. Adam swung his outstretched fist back at Erik, but Erik ducked as the blow scythed over his head. He leapt backwards and charged at Adam, who stood, waiting for Erik's attack.

He failed to guess properly, as Erik leapt and flipped over his head, and then thrust himself backwards, driving his elbow into Adam's spine, or where he spine once was. Adam staggered forward and Erik snapped out his hand talons, ready to carve open Adam's chest.

Adam whirled and blasted Erik with a roundhouse, knocking him off his feet. But Erik was swiftly replaced by Buffy, who dove at Adam, hammering him with punches. Adam growled and tried to smash Buffy with his cannon, but Christine's bladestaff suddenly inserted itself under the thrusting metal arm and shoved it back up. Left wide open, Buffy and Christine both blasted Adam with a punch, sending him flying backwards several feet.

"Let's finish this sis!" Erik said, flashing Christine a signal that Buffy didn't understand. But she understood that she had best get out of the way.

"Buffy! Where is the core?" Christine yelled.

"Somewhere in his chest! I don't know!"

"Thanks." Christine said, as she brought the Soulstorm above her head and spun it in a fancy pattern as Buffy watched. Erik cocked back his hand.

"SWAN SONG!"

And then Erik threw his hand forward as dark energy erupted off his palm and wrapped around the Soulstorm's blade. Christine did one last twirl for momentum and cocked back her arm.

"INFIDELS!" Adam roared, and let loose with another spray of cannon blasts, as if he was trying to get as much out of his arm before it became too broken to be used. Despite his beyond genius mind, Adam still was tainted with some human qualities, and he was beginning to get consumed by one: frustration. He should have destroyed all his opponents long ago. Not only had he failed that, but they were actually hurting him.

Hence his wild spray of fire with his cannon, not his scatter shot. Erik's assult on his weapon had damged it too badly for it to be converted.

Had Adam been thinking clearly, he would have realized that the room had already suffered severe abuse and that his wild fire might collaspe it down on his head. But Adam, for once in his life, was not thinking clearly.

But he was certainly lucky, as one of his blasts exploded at the feet of Christine, sending her flying backwards with a cry of pain, her weapon flying out of her hands. Buffy dove for cover as Erik took one of the blasts head on, his block lessening but not negating the damage.

"You see. No matter how many times you knock me down, I will always rise again, for like the mystical phoenix, I AM IMMORTAL!" Adam roared.

"SLAUGHTER SLICE!"

"ARGH!" Adam screamed as Ash's blade flashed out, covered in red energy, and slashed across his chest in a spray of blood. Adam clenched his teeth, the top muscles of his torso badly cut, as he glared at Ash, who stood, burned and bloodied but back on his feet.

"I may not be immortal, but I am mighty pissed. You-hurt-my-wife." Ash snarled.

I almost feel sorry for you.

"YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME!" Adam roared as Ash began slashing at him, cutting open more wounds on his chest and body.

Buffy shook her head as she got to her feet, looking around. Ash was furiously attacking Adam, Erik was also getting up, and Christine was down, some stirring the only indication that she was alive.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Adam bellowed, punching at Ash as he leapt backwards.

"You cannot stand before my power. I am Ash Merseric, the Ninth Lost Hero, slayer of the wicked and of the corrupt. I shall wipe this earth from your taint! ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE! ALL CREATION'S CATA-"

Adam's blow slammed into Ash's face, sending him flying backwards into the wall.

You idiot! You just had to go for the big long speech, didn't you? What, did you think time would freeze when you spoke? This ain't Sailor Moon and you ain't no Usagi!

"You are nothing but an arrogant child whose mind cannot comprehend the power he is facing." Adam retorted, aiming his cannon up again.

"Buffy!" Erik yelled, and Buffy looked over to him. "His chest! Ash cut it open! I can see his core!"

Indeed, from within the torn flesh was a faint glowing green object, a core of power that drove Adam on when any normal being would have long ceased living.

"Buffy!" Erik was continued to yell, using Adam's focus on Ash to his advantage. "Chris's weapon is at your feet! Use it!"

Buffy looked down to see Christine's Soulstorm, the blade still crackling with black energy.

"How?" she yelled back.

"Pick it up and do the motions you saw Christine do! Then throw it!" Erik yelled, and then he charged at Adam. The time for talking was over.

Buffy reached down and scooped up the weapon, her mind racing. Erik had told her to mimic Christine's movements. But she had only seen those movements once! And she hadn't exactly had her fully attention on it at the time. She had trouble passing tests even when she found adequate time to study. How could she mimic movements she had only seen once?

Adam was oblivious to this drama. He had wasted far too much time, and his patience was finished. No more underestimating.

"Foolish mortal. You face me without any chance of winning, and not only that, your bring your friends, your family with you, this ensuring their deaths as well. You can't win and yet you fight, deciding to make such sacrifice. It lacks logic. It is an abbrevriation, a mistake of life that leads to death. Whatever it is, it must be removed." Adam said, charging up his cannon for one final shot.

Buffy watched and went into action. She may not know the motions, but she was going to try! She had to!

As Buffy began twirling the staff awkwardly above and around her, white light glowed at the base of Adam's cannon.

Adam smiled.

And then, strangely, Ash smirked back at Adam. Confusion entered Adam's mind. What was the boy…?

Then Erik's claws came slashing down, and Adam's cannon arm was sliced off, quick and clean. It clattered to the ground as Adam turned o look at Erik in shock. He had control of his rage now, but the same crazy violence he had demonstrated when he had first attacked Adam still danced there.

"You wouldn't understand it Adam. Its called heroism. And it has led to your downfall."

And Buffy suddenly felt a great calm flow through her as she finished her awkward mimickry, the strangeness suddenly seeming natural.

Power exploded up around her, blowing her hair around as it fed up into the staff. It was a feeling unlike any she had ever felt…and yet it was familiar. The song of the hero.

Adam turned.

"Game over Adam. Say hello to the devil for me." Buffy said.

And then she hurled the Soulstorm, the black energy engulfing the whole weapon as it blasted at Adam. Adam's eyes widened, showing, for the first time, fear.

"NO!"

The blade hit him directly in the chest, piercing right through his uranium core like a hot knife through butter. Adam screamed as he was blasted backwards, carried by the weapon, and impaled on the wall. He thrashed and writhed.

Then his hands came down on the Soulstorm, the black power burning him as he began to yank at the Soulstorm, nuclear fuel leaking from his chest. Ash gaped at Adam. This just couldn't be happening. Adam had to go down. He couldn't go on, his core was pierced right through…!

"Buffy!" Christine yelled, and Buffy looked away from Adam as he tried to yank the Soulstorm out. "There's one final motion! Thrust your arm up!"

"Never…!" Adam hissed. Buffy looked back at him, her eyes filled with anger, and even a little pity.

Then there was only anger, as she thrust her arm up.

And for her own saitisfaction, she gave Adam the finger as well.

Adam felt the power in the Soulstorm pulse and expand, ready to erupt.

"IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!"

And then it exploded, blowing the core to nothing and burning away the wall behind Adam into a pile of molten slag. Adam's whole chest burst out and away as the Soulstorm flew through the air, freed from its prison.

Buffy held up her hand, and the Soulstorm flew back into it. Adam stood for a few more seconds, staring in disbelief.

Then he fell to his knees, the light fading from his eyes, and then collasped on his face, not moving.

Perfection destroyed.

Buffy let her breath out, glad it was finally over.

"Well Adam, how do you like them apples?"

Celeste thrashed in Alexia's grip as the ants raced up Alexia's limbs towards her. She tried to get her daggers out to slash, but Alexia's grip was beyond even her strength.

"Despite the new tools for life I have given them, my children take a rather long time to devour anything large. Therefore Celeste, you will get to see a rather unique thing. You will see your body being taken apart, CELL BY CELL. MWA HAHA HA HA HA HA!" Alexia laughed.

"Never! I'll never die at your hands! I have more stuff to do! I have a destiny, and it doesn't end here!" Celeste yelled, but she continue in her inabilility to break Alexia's grip. Alexia laughed again and Celeste gasped in horror as the first ants began crawling onto her arms.

"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And then a strange, powerful heat washed over Celeste. It wasn't comfortable, in fact it was almost painful, but compaed to many things in her life it was nothing.

But to Alexia, it was anything but. She screamed as the wave washed over her, burning up and incinerating her children and scorching her mutated flesh. Her wings thrashed and slumped, seemingly starting to melt.

Celeste twisted her head back to see what was going on.

Buu stood there, his body no longer burned. Apparently he could heal himself. His legs were set and his hands were out as he emitted the strange force he was emitting. It wasn't a ki blast, because that would have definitely hurt Celeste. It could best be described as a kind of dilluted ki blast that had a very wide range.

And it was brutally effective, as Alexia continued to thrash, her ants falling away in flaming showers.

"MY BABIES! MY CHILDREN! NO! YOU ACCURSED THING!" Alexia bellowed, as she lashed out her leg.

Buu leapt out of the way, stopping his ki "wave" and firing off a blast. Alexia screamed as Buu blew one of the legs holding Celeste off in a gouting spray of black blood. Celeste wrenched her arm free, whipping out one of her daggers.

"Now I…!"

Alexia whipped around another limb, clamping in onto Celeste's arm, trapping her again.

"You will do nothing. I have wasted enough time. You have hurt me and murdered my children. You're not worthy to be devoured by me, you worthless sack of flesh. I'm going to eat all your friends, but you…no. I think I'll give you to Vagane so he can use you as a toy. Yes, that will be most fitting of all. You can be his tool, you bitch!"

And then Alexia reared back her limbs and hurled Celeste backwards as hard as she could.

"CELESTE!" Buu screamed as Celeste shot over his head.

Celeste hit the wall hard, so hard she left a dent. Maybe Pan or Bra could have shrugged off the impact, but she was neither. There was a faint gurgling noise, and then blood spilled forth from Celeste's mouth as she fell to the ground, lying there, vomiting up blood.

"Bitch." Alexia said with saitisfaction, and then found Buu floating in front of her.

"Oh, and what are you going to do? Swear revenge for your fallen friends? Get it over with then, and try and make it original." Alexia chuckled.

"I…am not going to do anything." Buu snarled. Alexia looked a little confused.

"WE are."

Then Bra floated up next to Buu. Pan joined him, and finally bringing up the rear was Yamcha. The four Z Warriors glowered at Alexia.

"End of the line, bitch."

"OH, DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Alexia yelled, and spat her acidic toxin at the group. The group scattered, Buu flying down to the ground, Pan and Bra flying off to the side and Yamcha heading up into the air.

"YAHHHHHHH!" Buu yelled, and began firing rapid-fire ki blasts at Alexia. Alexia shrieked as they exploded on her body, blowing open more holes.

Celeste stirred, slowly getting to her knees, her arms down on the ground and her head lowered as if she was bowing. She choked and more blood spilled forth from her mouth.

"I'm not worthless…" Celeste hissed, incredible anger in her voice.

"Guys! I think she lost her ability the make those shields when she mutated!"

"I HAVEN'T LOST THE ABILITY TO DO THIS!" Alicia screamed, spraying more red ichor around the room. Everyone flew away from the flames, and then Alicia raised herself up as more ants poured from her body, heading towards Buu at incredible speed. Buu began firing ki blasts at them.

"You're just like them. You think that you're superior because of your body and mind, and you think that you can just do whatever you want to anybody…" Celeste hissed as she tried to get to her feet.

Yamcha angled up towards the ceiling, as Alexia lashed her limbs at Pan and Bra. Bra went SSJ and dodged away easily, and Pan did pretty well for herself. Yamcha held up his fist.

"WOLF WIND!" Yamcha yelled, and rocketed down from the ceiling with his punch. Alexia looked up and screamed as Yamcha slammed his fist across her face, nearly caving it in.

"Just like them…all those bastards…the bitches…they tried to destroy me…but they won't…they won't…" Celeste said as she got to her feet, whipping out her daggers.

"PAN! BRA! NOW!' Yamcha yelled, as Alexia reeled from his blow.

"FINAL FLASH!" Bra screamed, slamming her hands together and firing the beam of golden energy.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Pan screamed as she fired her family's attack.

The two beams spiraled in and struck Alicia dead center in her lower body. She wailed as the power burned through her.

And then more blood burst out from the part of her that connected her upper body to her lower body and then Alexia tore herself off the bulk as it exploded, blowing polluted blood and writhing black flesh everywhere. The room with with a buzzing as Alicia flew up on her six wings, a long spine-like tail trailing from where she had pulled herself from her ruined body.

"I am not so easily destroyed! NOW FRY!" Alexia screamed as she began spitting her toxin and flammible ichor everywhere. The Z Warriors dodged and counterattacked with ki, but their constant need to move kept them from getting a bead on Alexia.

Black energy began crackling on Celeste's daggers, spreading down her arms.

"I am not your toy, your bitch, the thing you play with. I am the Raven Haired Ripper. I am the Angel of Annihalation. I was taught by the killer of those with damned souls. You soul is as stained and mutated as your body. I must consign it to the deepest of hells. For their sake…AND MINE!"
And then Celeste thrust up her arms as a surge of black power exploded from her arms, spreading up and out like a pair of wings. Raven's wings.

Celeste's whole body surged with the black power as her hair was tossed around like the darkness of night itself.

All the Z Warriors stopped and stared.

"Ultimate Technique…" Celeste whispered.

Alexia turned in mid-air as a strange shape emerged between the wings. It almost looked like a raven's head. It seemed to shriek with rage and defiance.

"WHAT?"

"BITTER END!" Celeste screamed.

And then Celeste slashed her daggers out at Alexia and a huge projectile flew from her body, at least five times as big as her. For a moment, it seemed to take the shape of a bird, a raven, before it began solely destructive black power brought to existence by the rage of a ruined soul.

It struck Alexia, piercing into her. Bright black light poured from within Alexia.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! AAAAAAIIIIIIAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Alexia screamed, and then her body seemed to bulge out and then it exploded into a cloud of blood. Burning bits of Alexia rained down on the Z Warriors, and then the room was still.

Everyone looked at Celeste as she lowered her daggers, breathing heavily.

"You did it!" Buu said with joy.

Celeste grinned grimly.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

Diana stood fast as Tormentor approached, his terrible grin never failing.

"Go…run Diana! Leave us! Don't die for our sake!" Goten gasped.

"Never. I will not forsake you. God has never forsaken us, and as his vessal, neither will I."

"God is dead. I killed him." Tormentor growled, in his idea of a taunt. He stepped over the prone body of William as he headed towards Diana, his axe slowly turning in his hands.

Diana stared, coming to a decision. It was a lesser of two evils, but she didn't have any choice. She thrust her staff down and began to whisper in Latin.

"Pathetic woman. Your soldiers failed miserably, what makes you think you can do anything?" Tormentor mocked.

"Maybe not…but I must believe!"

"Crazy woman…she must have a death wish…" Vegeta whispered, raging but unable to show it. He never thought his fate would be to be murdered while an invalid. It was not honourable.

But Tormentor didn't care, as he advanced on Diana, curious on what she was doing.

A slight breeze began whispering around Diana as she continued her prayers.

"What is she DOING?" Goten asked.

"It does not matter, child. Her fate, and yours, are SEALED!" Tormentor roared.

The sword smashed against the back of Tormentor's head. It didn't hurt him, but it was enough to get his attention. Tormentor turned, growling.

William stood, his sword in his bloody hands.

"Thine attack was not good enough, creature. Until my heart stops and my lungs no longer draw breath, I will fight thee and all thy spawn!"

"Blasphemous creature, hunting the souls of the weak and fallen…your evil will not be tolerated any more…my god is a kind god, but you have earned his wrath…" Diana whispered as she raised her staff up.

"You wish to DIE AGAIN, MORTAL MAN!?!?!? VERY WELL!" Tormentor bellowed, raising his axe above his head, preparing to chop William in half.

"DEMONSPAWN!" Diana suddenly screamed, and Tormentor turned his head as Diana suddenly glowed with a soft white light. "I CAST THEE OUT!"

And then Diana thrust the staff fully above her head, and a beam of white light shot up into the dark night sky.

"UNFORGIVEN!"

And then it came down, the darkness suddenly seeming to part as the blast fired down to earth, like a bolt of holy lightning. Whether it came from Diana, or if it was somehow fired by her believed messiah, no one could know. The questions of faith and religion were cast aside as the huge blast zapped down at Tormentor.

It struck his axe, and Tormentor roared as it burned down the axe and enveloped him, piercing and burning through every part of him. His bellow suddenly turned from rage to pain as he was lifted up, the power still ripping through him. Perhaps no blade could cut him, and no fire could burn him, but this was beyond both, a power that seemed almost sacred.

Everyone stared in disbelief, and then Tormentor was thrown backwards, roaring the whole time. He struck a cliff as the power seemingly slammed him into it, and then the rock collasped as if he was being buried. The whole ground shook.

Then the bolt vanished, and Diana slumped over, breathing heavily. Tormentor was gone. All that was left was his smoking axe, which lay, stuck blade first in the ground where he had dropped it, like a makeshift tombstone.

"Well done Diana." William said.

"Thank…you…William." Diana gasped. "I thought…you were dead."

"Had his axe gone another inch, I would be. Instead, I have merely a flesh wound…a very bloody and painful flesh wound, but I can manage."

Trunks slowly got up, looking at where Tormentor had been buried. He kept waiting for Tormentor to rise back up.

But it didn't happen, and Trunks slowly relaxed, heading over to where Diana was.

"D.R.I.P." Paul said as he looked at where Tormentor had been cast.

"Drip? That's the best you can come up with?" Rod said.

"No you moron! I wasn't spelling Drip! I was saying Don't Rest In Peace!"
"Oh. Well, I suppose he was a drip…"

"Dammit Rod, just fight and leave the insults to us!"

"You saved us Diana…us and them…" Trunks said, trying to help the woman as she leaned on her staff.

"No…I failed them…" Diana whispered. Trunks's eyebrow arched.

"What?"

Diana looked up, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"To destroy that monster…I had to use my Ultimate Technique. I used up all my power for it. I'm not like my son and his friends…I'm old and growing weak…I don't have anything left to heal them with."

Trunks felt sick.

"I'm sorry Trunks…in saving them I have doomed them…it was the lesser of two evils…better they die like this then what that creature would have done to them…please…forgive me…"

"Hey Buffy, here's your sword." Victoria said, handing Buffy back the sword she had stolen from Spike.

"Thanks. I was wondering where it had got off to."

"Is it bad?" Ash said as Christine examined Krillian.

"Yeah…he surely pierced through some intestine…I can fix the holes and stop the bleeding but I don't know about infection…" Christine said. The battle had tired her, but she couldn't just let Krillian die.

"Where's…Eighteen…?" Krillian gasped as Christine placed her hand on his wound and concentrated on knitting the tissues back together.

"I'm here sweetie." Eighteen said, coming up and kneeling next to her husband.

"Are…you ok?"

"I'll live." Eighteen said.

"Ahhhhh…I think I got shrapnal in my third eye…" Tien groaned, rubbing his head.

You mean that thing is REAL?

"Well yeah…what did you think it was?"

I figured it was a tragic superglue accident that happened on the same night that Chaozu had the accident with the paint cans!

"HEY!" Tien and Chaozu both said at once.

Ok, I was wrong! Sue me! All you'll get is a bunch of crappy fics by some guy named nahognos!

"Who?" Tien said.

"Enough Soulfire. Ok…" Ash said, looking around at his troops. "My wife has about had it. She can't heal any more without risking injury to herself…that means we have to find Buu. I will assume you people can find his ki?"

"On it." Chaozu said, closing his eyes.

"Krillian, do you think you can stand…"

"I don't know…I feel numb in most of my lower body."

"I'll carry him." Eighteen said.

"Ok. Tien, can you help Seventeen?"

"I don't need help. I'll fly." Seventeen said from his new spot where people had carried him.

"Can you focus through the pain to do that?"

"Yeah…ARRRGGGHHH!" Seventeen screamed as he tried to float up.

"Tien, you better carry him."

"I'll do it."

"I got it." Chaozu said.

"Ok guys….anything else?"

There was a chorus of no's.

"Good. Ok, let's get going."

"Hey, what about Adam?" Brigh asked.

"Leave him to rot." Buffy replied, her voice cold.

"I couldn't have put it better myself." Ash said, and moved out, heading for the lone door Adam had guarded.

"Mr. Satan!" Buu cried as he came to where his friend lay, prone and unmoving. Buu didn't know how to take a pulse, and it was doubtful he would have done so even if he knew. Instead, he touched his forelock to Mr. Satan's wound.

Mr. Satan was still.

Then he began to stir as his wound closed, and his eyes fluttered open to see Buu's smiling face.

"Mr. Satan! You're alright!" Buu said, hugging his best friend.

"Yes…what happened? Who…?"

"It was Celeste, Mr. Satan. You should have seen it, it was so cool! Celeste made this big bird come out of her, and it blew up that bitch like a ballon! She's all over the room! It was so neat!"

"Neat? It doesn't look neat…" Mr. Satan joked, looking at the mess of Alexia's blood and flesh all over the room. The various Z Warriors and Legacy members, healed by Buu, were making sure Alexia didn't try anything else by burning every scrap of flesh they could find.

Except Celeste, who stood leaning against the corner, her eyes staring off in the distance, ignoring the blood that still dripped from her mouth. Chastity noticed her and came over.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes." Celeste said, and coughed. More blood spilled from her mouth.

"You're lying. You shouldn't have used so much power after you took such a blow. You could have killed yourself."

"I'm still alive. And she's not. That's good enough for me."

Chastity stared.

"There's too much Erik in you…I don't know whether to like or hate it." Chastity said.

"Thanks for the compliment." Celeste replied.

"Grandpa!" Pan suddenly said, and Mr. Satan turned to the voice. But Pan wasn't approaching him, she was banging on the door that Alexia had guarded. He remembered immediately, Pan had sensed his daughter's ki in there.

"Dammit! DAMMIT!" Pan cursed, banging on the metal door, leaving several fist sized dents in it. She stepped back and thrust her hands to her side.

"KAMEHAME…"

"Wait wait wait! If you do that you could blast the door into the room and hurt someone. Allow me." Chastity said, grabbing Pan before she could fire the attack. Raising her hands, the door began to glow red.

"Angie, some ice please?"

"Will do." Angie said, and waved her hand. The door suddenly and rapidly began to cool off, and a series of creaking and cracking noises emerged from it.

"And finally…" Lindsay said, and punched the door. It shattered like glass.

"Whoa." Yamcha said, sounding very much like a certain actor.

"Eh, just some knowledge of how metal reacts. Not that hard." Chastity said as Pan flew through the door.

"Grandpa! Momma?" Pan said, looking around the room. Once, Vagane had stood in this room, watching with joy as horrific things occurred. But he wasn't here now.

But Pan quickly saw it. Even though the glass and green liquid distorted it, she knew her mother.

"MOM!"

Everyone else was heading in after Pan as Pan smashed the tube with her fist, heedless of the pain of the injury. The liquid gushed out, pooling on the floor, and carrying out the limp body of Videl.

"MOM! MOM!" Pan cried as she knelt by her mother.

"Videl!" Mr. Satan said, running to his daughter's side. He despaired, seeing the long stitch across his daughter's stomach.

Then Videl stirred, making a groaning noise.

"Mom? Mom?" Pan squeeked.

"Videl…?"

Videl's eyes fluttered open. They were bloodshot and milky, with a great look of haunting.

"…….Pan?"

"OH MOMMA!" Pan cried, hugging her mother. Mr. Satan did likewise.

"Dad…what…"

"It's ok Videl. We've found you. You are safe now. I'm just so glad you're alive." Mr. Satan said. Buu stood over them, everyone else looking on. Buu wasn't sure whether he should smile or cry.

"Oh Dad…I couldn't stop him…he…oh kami…kami WHY?" Videl suddenly wailed, bursting into tears. Pan and Mr. Satan tried to comfort her, but she was utterly hysterical, weeping, shaking, and holding onto her father and daughter, refusing to let go.

What did that son of a bitch do to her…I'll KILL HIM! KILL HIM! Mr. Satan thought murderously.

"Dear god…what happened here?" Angie said.

"I suspect we'll find out." Celeste said as she entered the room, lagging behind. She was limping, but everyone's focus was on Videl, and hence no one noticed. "What about the other tubes…?"

"Right!' Bra said, and heading over to the other tube that had a green liquid floating in it, she smashed it. Marron's limp body fell out, and Bra caught her, laying her down carefully as Celeste looked over her.

"She doesn't appear to have any injuries…but it looks like she's had some kind of surgery lately…" Celeste said, looking at the long scar down Marron's stomach. Videl shared the same scar.

The other Z Warriors and Legacy members were looking at the other tubes, which were made of steel and had no entry ports. They pondered on how to open them. Yamcha walked around, looking for an opening.

And he saw it.

"Oh my kami…guys…oh kami oh kami oh kami…Goku…"

Her grandfather's name caused Pan's head to snap up, and she freed herself from her hysterical mother, letting her clutch onto Mr. Satan as she ran to where Yamcha was standing.

They hadn't been able to see it because Goku was no longer in a tube. Once Vagane was done, he had withdrawn the tube and left. Goku had managed to crawl a short distance away, which had concealed him partly behind Videl's tube. But Pan saw him now.

She nearly wet herself in shock.

"Oh kami…grandpa…" Pan whispered in utter horror.

Goku's proud figure, once magnificently muscled and strong, a testiment to his strength and courage, was gone. His muscles were shriveled and atrophied, as if they had never been used. His limbs, on which shrivaled muscles barely seemed able to stay on, were nearly as thin as a famine victim's was. His hair was limp and lifeloss, the glossy black now unable to stay in its usual shape.

He was a wasted wreck.

"Pan…" Goku somehow managed to whisper, and this final thing drove it home to Pan. This wasn't the kind tone she knew, the serious tone of her grandfather in battle, or even the evil tone he had had while Vagane had had control of him. The tone seemed barely audible, as weak and feeble as Goku looked now.

"Grandpa…" Pan said, falling to her knees, her feet not letting her stand any longer. One by one, everyone went over to see what Pan had seen. All were as horrified as her.

"Pan…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you…I hurt you…and now I have failed you completely. This is all my fault…please…forgive me…" Goku whispered. His state meant nothing to him. All he could think of was trying to repay the great crimes Vagane had made him commit. He had tried to battle Vagane…but Vagane had known his move…and Goku had lost far more then he had ever lost before.

"Grandpa…no…what did…he do…?" Pan whispered.

"I'm sorry…I failed you…I'm sorry…" Goku whispered, a slight tear leaking down his cheek.

Pan slowly stood up, her hands clenching into fists, as Vagane's mocking visage came into her mind.

"You…inhuman…YOU DID THIS! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Golden power blasted up around Pan and flowed into her hair, and everyone stood back as it flared up, throwing her bandanna off, and began the same crackling gold. Pan's quarter saiya-jin blood made the state of SSJ more difficult for her to obtain then the others, who were halfbreeds. But Vagane had finally pushed her to it.

Despite his torment, physical, and mental, Goku smiled.

"My granddaughter's a Super Saiya-jin…if I am to die now…I will die feeling whole…if only wishing I could have done more…"

"Don't talk that way grandpa. What happened to you? Buu, heal him!"

"No Buu…save your strength…" Goku whispered. "This is…not an injury. It is…beyond an injury. I think…it may be permanent…no matter what you do."

Pan stared. But only for a moment.

"GRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Pan screamed, as more golden power exploded around her. First her mother, and then her grandfather…she would have Vagane's blood, or die trying!

Chaozu blinked, almost recoiling as the power slashed through his mind.

"Chaozu! What's going on?"

"What a power…so strong…so angry…"

"What's going on? Is it a fight?" Erik said.

"No…it seems familiar…" Chaozu said.

"It's the ki releashed when someone with Saiyan blood in them goes to the next level, that of the Super Saiya-jin." Krillian said in great pain.

"You can sense that?" Buffy said.

"Hey…I was the one who first triggered it." Krillian replied.

"Whatever it is, I've got a bead on it. Let's go!" Chaozu said, and everyone took off after the little mime-like man.

Vagane was staring at the monitors in disbelief. It couldn't have happened. It just couldn't have.

Yet his camera told no lies. Alexia had just been destroyed.

"Alexia…it can't be…" Vagane said, feeling the closest thing to sorrow he could feel. Of all the ones he had tricked or chosen to help him…why had it had to be her?

Vagane clenched his fist, his knuckles popping.

"Do not worry, Alexia. My ascension is nigh. And once I have achieved my proper position, the rules of life and death will mean nothing to me! I shall bring you back, and you and I shall work to create perfect life. I promise." Vagane hissed, glaring at Celeste. "And you will pay, bitch. In blood!"

Vagane turned away from the monitors, furiously typing keys as if he was tryingt to take out his anger on them. A mike slid up and around his head.

"Attention all Valkyries. Proceed at once to the Kingdom. I repeat, at once! Be fully armed and ready. Fail me and what will happen is beyond anything my foes could do to you!" Vagane snapped, and slid the mike back in. He began turning again.

Then the door slid open. Vagane turned toward it immediately, jamming his finger down to bring out his main cannon. He had just given a direct order to his Valkyries and none of them would disobey it. Could one of his foes have made it here without him noticing? Impossible, he would have…

Then Spike strolled into the room, his new leather trenchcoat swirling around.

"Hello to you too, mate. No wonder your parties have so few people. You try and fry anyone who gets in the door."

"William. You're alive. I am surprised." Vagane said, pressing a button to put away his cannon.

"Yep! I'll alive…well, sort of." Spike said, motioning to himself in a way that said "I'm a vampire." Vagane cocked his head. So the vampire had not been destroyed. Perhaps he was tougher then he expected, and therefore still had some use.

"Well, I must admit William, I am impressed…"

Spike sighed.

"Look mate, do I have to get naked for you to remember my name? It's SPIKE, from Sunnydale!"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS! Come now, we must be going." Vagane said, turning around. Spike stared at the back of his hoverchair, feeling rather pissed. But he wasn't going to do anything until he got his godhood.

"Are those two almost ready?"

"Yes…very soon. They will be two pieces of the puzzle…and I will soon have the third." And I'll take even more saitisfaction in getting it now. Vagane thought angrily.

"Great, and how are you getting the third? Is it being Fed-Exed?"

"You shall see, Spike."

"Where are we going?"

"The Kingdom."

"The what? The where?"

"Oh yes, you're the only one I didn't tell. I didn't think you'd care."

"And why would you assume that?"

"Might I ask why you not only gave that nickname of yours, but also the town you were living in?"

"I dunno. It seemed oddly appropriate…"

Yamcha was feeling worthless again, and this time there was pretty much nothing that he could do about it. Pulling his weight in the previous battle should have made him feel good, but the horror of what had been done to Goku had long since outweighed it.

Hence, Yamcha was stalking around the room. Videl was still weeping, but she was running out of the steam. Bra and Angie were looking after Marron, who still hadn't woken up. Angie and Lindsay were pondering how to get the other steel test tubes open, Buu was trying to comfort Pan, who was still next to Goku's wasted body and going back and forth between crying and raging as she tried to decide what to do. Celeste wasn't doing much of anything.

So Yamcha stalked around the room, looking at the computers, the equipment, the broken test tubes, the computers again, the safe…

The safe?

Yamcha turned and headed towards the large safe door set in the wall. It was strange he hadn't noticed it before.

He tried to open it.

"Enter password please." Said a keypad as it slid out.

Yamcha stared at it, then entered some digits.

"Incorrect. Enter password please."

Yamcha tried VAGANE.

"Incorrect."

FAILURE.

"Incorrect."

IAMGOD.

"Incorrect."

"Damn, I was sure I had it that time…wait a minute…" Yamcha said, remembering Vagane's insane speeches. Slowly, he typed in CREATOR.

The safe door popped open. Yamcha made various gestures of success and open it to find a large box. It was also locked.

Yamcha decided to just cut to the chase and broke the lock off, opening the box.

His eyes widened in joy.

"GUYS! LOOK!" Yamcha crowed, and nearly everyone turned to him as Yamcha held up twin bags.

"Senzu beans! I found Vagane's hiding place!"

"All right Yamcha! Pass some out!" Bra said, feeling a bit better despite the situation. Yamcha began tossing the beans to everyone.

"What is this?" Celeste said, staring at hers.

"It's a senzu bean! Eat it, it'll restore your strength." Bra said. Celeste looked down at the bean again, then popped it into her mouth.

"Yuck! It tastes terrible!" Lindsay complained, but ate her bean anyway.

Celeste felt a slight jolt through her whole body, and then she felt much better, the pain and exhaustion from her previous fights fading away.

They gave one to Videl and Marron too, although Marron still didn't wake up. Pan insisted Goku take one, but as Goku said, it didn't do anything.

"What kind of…" Pan said in despair.

Then part of the wall slid open, and everyone jumped to their feet, expecting an attack.

Then Erik stepped through the wall, looking around.

"Rather pathetic in that regard Vagane."

"ERIK!" Celeste said, running over and nearly leaping into Erik's arms. Erik was shocked by the hug, but his shock faded.

"You ok Celeste?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"

"Me, mostly…" Erik said as his friends and allies began streaming in after after. There was a chorus of reunions. Krillian and Eighteen crowded around their daughter, but she still wouldn't wake up.

We're here! We're queer! We…wait a minute, no. Maybe Tien or Chaozu should be holding me if I want to chant that.

"HEY!" Tien and Chaozu protested.

Joking! Joking!

"Oh dear god…" Erik said as he finally saw Goku. The reunions turned to collective shock as the damaged body of Goku was revealed.

"My kami…Goku…what happened…?" Krillian asked, looking up from Marron.

Erik examined Goku, his look growing more sour, bitter, and angrier by the second.

"What happened…?" Pan asked.

Erik took a while to answer.

"I think…Vagane stole everything. It's like how your Dr. Gero could suck power from others when he was an android. But this…Vagane didn't just take his power. He took EVERYTHING. His life, his health, the very essence of his saiya-jin blood and power. He sucked Goku dry of his very self."

The air was silent.

"How do we help him?" Pan said.

"I don't know…all I can think of is that we have to get his essense, his power back…but I have no idea where it went or what happened to it. It may be gone forever."

"No…" Goku whispered. "Vagane is planning something…something terrible…you must stop him. Don't bother with me…"

"No Goku. This is my fault. Vagane knew about this world and your power because of me, and because of me he came here and did this to you, and everything else to everyone else. I can't let you go. I must claim your vengeance."

"So what do we do now?" Buffy asked.

"Regroup, get ready." Erik said.

"Hey, where's Brigh?" Lindsay asked, noticing the Legacy's thief was missing. "Is he…?"

"No. I sent him off on a scouting mission. He'll be along soon. Chaozu."

"Yes?"

"You can sense ki the best of us, thanks to your highly developed mental talents. Take these Senzu beans and get them back to the wounded. I trust they will heal them."

"I don't think there's anything they can't heal…nothing I've seen anyway." Krillian said.

"Good. Go Chaozu. Hurry. Blast through the walls if you have to. Just go. And watch out for traps."

"Gotcha Erik." Chaozu said. Taking the back, he turned and flew out of the room, heading upward as he hunted for the kis of his wounded friends.

"The rest of us will stay here until Brigh reports back. Is that a problem?"

Another chorus of no's.

"Good. Home stretch people. We've got Vagane on the ropes." Erik lied. In truth Vagane surely still controlled the gameboard, loss of Goku or not. All he could do was wait for Vagane's move and hope he had a proper counter move. Or god help them all.

"Someone help us open this thing!" Lindsay said, gesturing at the steel test tube.

"I'm on it." Krillian said, forming a small Kienzen. He threw it and it slashed down and then up at an angle, cutting open the steel like paper. It flew back to Krillian's hand and he dispersed it as his wife and brother in law pried open the steel.

"What the heck is this?" Seventeen said, looking at the dark purple crystal that had been in the test tube. Eighteen stared.

"My sensors says someone is in it!"

Krillian flew forward , and cocking back his arm, he carefully, yet powerfully, smashed the crystal. It cracked open and then shattered, filling the tube with purple smoke. Krillian, Eighteen, and Seventeen reared back, coughing.

Then another cough joined theirs, and then Dende stumbled out of the crystal, his outfit tore and his eyes glazed.

"What's…what's going on?"

"DENDE!"

The next few minutes were filled with conversation as people filled other people in on what had happened to them, whether in the past few days or the past hour. With the combination of Buu and Dende's healing talents, and the Senzu Beans, everyone was quickly back on their feet and ready to go.

Erik stood away, not engaging in the conversation. The other steel tube was quickly opened to reveal the crystal prison of Tring. Once he was freed, more explanations took place. Erik continued to be distant, even to Celeste.

"That wasn't very smart."

Erik looked at Buffy, who had come up on his side.

"What?"

"The way you attacked Adam. It was crazy and disjointed. If Adam had still had his bone stake he could have speared you right through the heart, or blasted you with that cannon Vagane gave him."

"He didn't. He got blasted instead. By you. Good job there."

"That isn't the point. Erik, maybe I can't understand what you're going through, but that was still stupid! Weren't you afraid? Do you ever let yourself feel fear?"

"No."

"Gee, maybe you can't feel fear at all!" Buffy said in a tone that was heavily sarcastic.

"You're accurate there."

"Oh, so you don't feel fear?"

"No."

"Oh don't make me laugh! This ain't Terminator 2, and you ain't AR-nuld! You're not a machine!Yeah, you might have a mechanical arm that has more trinkets in it then the Swiss army, and a bunch of super advanced computers that took people eons to build in your brain, and cybernetics running through your whole body, and for all I know you have a microwave stuck up your nose, IT DOESN'T MATTER! You're human! You're allowed to feel! Don't think that feelings will weaken you and not let you claim your revenge."

"Oh really? Well, I wasn't the one who ran off and changed my name and hid away from my friends and family when I had to kill my boyfriend who was a good vampire but he turned evil again and then you had to kill him by sending him to hell and just before you did he turned good again." Erik said in one long sentence.

Buffy stopped cold, and some anger came into her face.

"How did you know that?"

"You think some mind-reading isn't beyond me?"

Buffy gaped, feeling violated. She had tried to help Erik, and in return he had pulled a very personel and tragic event in her life from her mind and used it against her to make her leave him alone.

It was clear he was intent on pushing everyone away. She should have known better. People like him always followed the same path.

Well, maybe he didn't want to leave it, and she couldn't get him to change it, but before she left, she was going to give him a big push.

"Fine. Be that way. But let me tell you something Erik. Your coldness may get you your revenge…but that won't end your pain. It won't end until you open up. And as long as you refuse to, you'll hurt her far worse then you ever could me." Buffy said, pointing at Celeste. Then she turned and left.

It was a pity, for she missed the shocked look that came into Erik's eye. He looked after Buffy, and then at Celeste.

She does look sad…and confused…

Erik suddenly found himself walking towards Celeste. He reached her, and she looked at him.

"Erik?"

"Celeste…I…well…I…" Erik said, feeling uncommonly embarrassed.

"Yes?"

I can't.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, that Senzu bean fixed me right up. I'm ready to go."

"Good." Erik said, and started to turn away.

Then he turned back.

"Celeste, when this is over, I want to talk to you about something, ok?"

"Ok." Celeste replied. Erik was trying to think of something else to say when the wall opened again. Omce more everyone got ready to fight, but it was just Brigh.

"Brigh! What did you find? All we found in this hallway was this room." Ash said. Brigh blinked.

"The hallways Erik sent him to investigate…it was just a long stretch of metal that ended at one thing. But it's big."

"What is it?" Erik asked.

"Like I said, it's big. It's a door. A VERY big door."

"What…no…c'mon Diana! You can't just give up…rest a bit! You'll feel better and then you can…" Trunks babbled in despair.

"Trunks, I am not a fighter, I use offense techniques very little. Not only did I have to use one, I used my most powerful one. It could be hours before I'm fresh enough to help any of these poor souls…and they need help now. I'm sorry…" Diana said, clearly upset.

"Trunks, badgering her won't give her her power back." Paul said.

"I know! But we can't just stand here! We have to do something!" Trunks said.

"We can pray." Diana said. Trunks resisted the urge to deliver a stinging retort, but Diana had already began to mutter to herself.

"And what do we pray for?" Trunks finally said.

"How about a miracle?" Vegeta whispered.

And then there was a yell as Chaozu dropped out of the sky. Everyone whirled to face the little man.

"Dammit, I may be crippled but I know I am not slurring my nouns! I said a miracle, not a mime!" Vegeta raged.

"Trunks! I finally found you! Yamcha found Senzu beans!"

"Senzus? QUICK, GIVE THEM TO ME!" Trunks yelled. Chaozu reacted, tossing Trunks the bag. Trunks nearly ripped it open, pulling out the small beans. He tossed one to Goten, who caught it and munched it down.

"Ah! YES! I'M BACK!" Goten crowed.

"Yeah, NOW FIX MY BACK!" Vegeta tried to yell, but all that came out was a whisper.

"Here father." Trunks said, pulling out a senzu and pushing it down his father's throat with his fingers. Vegeta jerked, and then flipped to his feet.

"Wow. That shit works." Paul said, as Trunks tossed beans to the Legacy members. Goten took another and began to work on his brother, praying that it would work.

The bean went down, Gohan's body jerked, and then his eyes opened.

"Uhhhhh…what happened?"

"Bro! You're ok!" Goten said.

"From the taste in my mouth, you just gave me a senzu…wait a minute, you found the Senzus?"

"Yeah!" Chaozu said. "Hey, Piccolo!"

"What? Piccolo!" Gohan said, crawling over to the body of his alien best friend. "Trunks!"

Trunks tossed a Senzu bean, and Gohan gave it to Piccolo. Piccolo shuddered and then sat up, his ears twitching.

"What hit me…am I alive?" Piccolo muttered, shaking his head. He looked around.

Chaozu gave a rapid explanation.

"Marron?" Goten said.

"Videl?" Gohan echoed.

"Kakarott?" Vegeta said. "He's still alive! Let me at him!"

"Vegeta wait, something happened…!"

"Hey look!"

Everyone looked up to see a small dot in the distance, but it quickly grew into a familiar figure.

"Ubuu! You're alive!" Gohan said.

"Amazing…he took that blow with no power and he lives. He truly is Kakarott's student." Vegeta said

"Yeah, I'm alive…but I wish I was dead…I feel like every bone in my body is broken…"Ubuu said painfully, as he floated gingerly down.

"It probably is, you weak baka." Vegeta muttered.

"Here!" Goten said, tossing Ubuu a Senzu Bean. Ubuu caught it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed.

"Ah! Much better. What happened?"

Chaozu began another rapid fire explanation, but Vegeta cut him off.

"Shut up you cancer patient! I have stood around long enough. I am back and stronger then ever! It is time for my revenge! VAGANE! PREPARE TO BOW TO THE PRINCE OF THE SAIYA-JINS!" Vegeta roared, and flew off.

"Wait, you don't know where they are…!" Chaozu yelled after Vegeta, but it was hopeless.

"Arrogant bastard, ain't he?" Paul muttered.

"Yep, and we've all come to love it. Come on guys, we have to help!" Goten said. "Climb aboard! Chaozu, you lead the way!"

"Will do."

The Z Warriors each grabbed a Legacy member and flew off after Chaozu.

"Hey Ubuu, a question." Paul asked.

"What?"

"You said every bone in your body was broken?"

"It certainly felt like it."

"Then wouldn't your jaw be broken too? You chewed that bean well."

"Argh! Fine, ALMOST every bone in my body was broken, you nitpicker…" Ubuu half laughed as he flew off after the others with Paul.

The area was silent.

Then rocks burst up and apart, and Tormentor emerged with a growl. Clutching the large burn on his chest, he pulled himself up and out of the rocks, following the Z Warriors and yet not following them, snatching up his axe along the way.

In one of the lower catacombs of Vagane's lab, a finger twitched, a leg jerked, and then the light returned as Adam opened up his right eye.

"Damn, that is a big door." Ash said, looking at the huge doors in front of him.

And they were huge, stretching up past thirty feet, and fifty or so feet wide. It looked to be made of an even tougher metal then the rest of the base.

"I found it this way. Strange there's no guards." Brigh said.

"Good for us." Buffy said, looking around.

Everyone was there. Erik had not wanted to split up the group again, for he didn't want Vagane trying the divide and conquer strategy again. Videl had come, her terrible grief temporarily brought under control, although she still clutched at her father like a little girl. Marron was being carried by Yamcha, who had volounteered, and Goku had been carefully lifted and brought to the door. His now terrible vunerability had made Erik not want for him to come, but he had insisted. He didn't want the group to break up either. He lay in a corner, shadowed protectively by Tien, Krillian and Pan.

Erik wasn't one for strategy at this point in the game, which is probably why he just walked up to the door and tried to punch it.

"YEOOOWWW!" Erik yelled as he was shot backwards with a crackling noise. Everyone gasped as he hit the wall and slid down, jerking a bit.

"The damn door's electrified." Erik cursed.

"Are you ok Erik…?" Celeste and Christine asked at the same time.

"I'm fine." Erik growled, glowering at the door. He sniffed and then he snarled, his teeth baring away from his lips.

"Vagane. He's in there. I can smell his disgusting odor. THIS DAMN DOOR WON'T STOP ME!" Erik screamed, charging at the door again. The same thing happened, except this time Erik tried to hold on and only got an even greater shock before he was tossed backwards. He crashed to the ground, smoking.

"Erik! Stop it!" Celeste said.

"You're just hurting yourself!" Ash said. Celeste, Christine, and Chastity all went to check on Erik as everyone else tried to figure out how to get in.

"Hey guys, here's a panel!" Victoria said. Everyone crowded around Victoria save Erik and his three "helper females".

"Great. Peachy keen." Brigh said, looking at the panel's computer key board, which had a whole selection of both letters and numbers.

"Lemme try. I figured this out once." Yamcha said, going up the panel. He typed in several keys and was rewarded with an electric shock.

"Dammit." Yamcha said. He tried CREATOR again and just got another shock.

Hey Yamcha, love the new do!

"SHUT UP!" Everyone yelled at the Soulfire. The sword fell silent.

"Dammit. This is bad. I have no idea how long the password could be or what kind of characters could be in it…but I dated Bulma for years. She taught me a few things about computers." Yamcha said, as he yanked away the covering around the panel and proceeded to fiddle with wires around it.

"Shit, this stuff is complex…" Yamcha cursed.

Cut the red one! THE RED ONE!

"SHUT UP! I'M HACKING A SYSTEM, NOT DISABLING A BOMB!" Yamcha yelled, as he connected more wires.

"Ok…lemme see…" Yamcha said as he stood up, the password screen replaced by a rapidly flashing montage of letters. He stared at for a few minutes as he tapped keys, and then he cursed.

"Shit!"

"What?" Ash said.

"Vagane was smart. I can't narrow down or search for any files that could relate to where the password is stored. Hence, the only way I'm going to find the password is if I could through every single file and line of computer code in Vagane's system!"

"How many files is that?"

"Bout 75 billion." Yamcha said in a deadpan "It's impossible" voice.

"Wonderful…great. Now what do we do?" Ash said.

Erik, although he gave no indication that he was listening, was. Slowly, he began to raise himself up as his three female friends fussed over him.

"I have no idea…but I did find something interesting…nearly 50 billion of those files is in one program…I couldn't identify it but it looked like…"
"ARRRGGGHHHHHH!" Erik suddenly screamed.

Then he did three things.

First, he pushed the girls away. They went away with cries of surprise and shock.

Second, he snapped his claws out.

And third, he leapt skyward, right at the door, everyone's eyes on him, red energy exploding on his claws.

He reached the apex of the door and slashed his hand forward, the claws piercing into the metal.

The electricity began to course through him, but this time Erik's wouldn't let go as he began pushing downward. Everyone gaped at Erik as he took the tremendous pain as he slid down the door, his metal claws tearing open the metal with a terrible mettalic scream.

"Erik! STOP!"

"Never…I won't…let him…hide…ANY MORE!" Erik yelled as he continued to slid down the door, cutting it open right down the middle. Everyone stared as Erik finally reached the body, landing on his feet, his body smoking and jerking. It had been utterly agonizing and draining.

Erik stared at the door.

And then with another scream, he brought his metal fist backwards and slammed it back into the door.

One of the gigantic doors was literally torn off its hinges, and the other slammed inward and smashed into the wall behind it, hanging off the wall. It was an amazing feat of strength, even for Erik.

Erik fell to his knees, breathing agonzingly.

"Erik!" Celeste and Christine said as they ran forward. "That was so bloody stupid!"

"It got the door open." Erik gasped, and then fell forward as he passed out from the sheer effort he had used to open the door. Everyone gathered around him.

"Is he…?" Buffy said in dread.

"No…but he should be, the damn fool…what was he thinking…" Christine said.

"Look." Ash suddenly said, and Christine looked up. Everyone was looking too.

The door opened up into a room that was utterly mammoth. It seemed to stretch on for miles. Most of the Z Warriors realized they had seen this section from the outside. They just hadn't assumed it was one huge room.

But it was, at it went off into the distance, a huge field of metal, for the room was utterly empty. All there was was the metal floor and the metal walls that surrounded the huge room.

"What is this place?" Chastity said.

"Dear me." Dende said, looking around.

"What could this room possibly serve?" Ash said.

I dunno. Maybe Vagane wanted to have a party for King Kong and a good many Japanese movie monsters?

"Why hello! Good to see you could make it!"

Everyone stiffened at the voice. They all knew it, and they were all drawn to it.

And then Vagane appeared off in the distance, a few hundred feet away, rising up on a metal platform out of the ground. The platform he was on was basically a glorified metal block, but it served its purpose.

Vagane's presense was not all that shocking. Neither were the two Valkyries beside him and the one behind him.

His other companions were another story.

"Spike." Celeste hissed.

"Adam." Buffy echoed.

That ugly guy with the big axe!

"Hello mates! Nice to see you again!" Spike said, waving. Adam just stood, arms crossed arrogantly, the wounds from his previous battle gone, presumingly from a senzu bean.

"I killed you!" Buffy and Celeste said in conjection with each other, Celeste addressing Spike and Buffy Adam.

"I'm already dead!" Spike said.

"Pathetic Slayer. You may have destroyed my main power source…but I am not limited to just that. I made sure I had options for any situation…it still amazes me I had need for my backup supply, though." Adam said, his voice calm and arrogant once more.

Tormentor just growled. He was angry, both at his seemingly impossible defeat and that fact that he couldn't immediately start chopping people up again.

"So you have come. Welcome to the Kingdom." Vagane said, raising his arms.

Kingdom of what? The Tin Men? Well in that base buddy, you have a lot of people here who plan to send you back to Oz…IN PIECES!

"Oh do shut up, you stupid weapon. I call it the Kingdom because it is here my empire of all will begin. You will all see it come into existence. It will truly be glorious, for the few seconds you survive it."

Ash smirked.

"You've lost, Vagane. Goku broke your control, and I doubt your three little helpers can handle all of us at once. It's over."
Spike cocked his ear. Adam glanced at him.

'What are you doing?"

"Listening for the fat lady. Nope, don't hear her!" Spike said mockingly. Adam growled in disgust.

She'll be on in five.

"I have lost? Well, let us look at what you have lost, my foes. The mightiest of you…most of all, your precious Son Goku."

"What did you DO to him?" Pan growled. She had left Goku propped up near the door, with her other grandfather and Buu as guards. She didn't want to bring him into the room.

"I took his power for a greater purpose. Don't try to understand, it is beyond you." Vagane chuckled. A collective growl swept through the grouped warriors.

"Oh yes, I notice the Failure is missing, once again. Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk, this is becoming a trend." Vagane chuckled. "Why are you fighting? This is his war. I "ruined" him, not you. This is supposedly his cause. Yet he is never here. It's always you, taking the abuse and pain in his place. Did you ever question why?" Vagane said.

"You fool." Celeste suddenly said, as she strod to the front of the group. Everyone looked at her. She had been the only one left with Erik, and with her gone, he was alone, left lying.

"Erik was the first one you hurt. But that wasn't enough for you. You had to do it with all of us, draw us all into the game you were playing with him. You made his cause ours. You made his hatred ours. Our stand is his. His stand is ours. He, and we, will no longer let you commit atrocities in your deluded attempt to be a god! You will not rise above us! You will be placed below us, specifically, SIX FEET UNDER!" Celeste yelled. Everyone yelled to support her as weapons were drawn, battle stances were set, kis were charged, and a full-on assault was ready to begin.

"Ok then…have it your way." Vagane said. "I call this place the Kingdom…but I dub it a new name…THE BATTLEFIELD!"

And then the air was filled with crackling, as Valkyries began appearing all around the grouped warriors. 20 appeared, then thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, and they just kept appearing.

"SHIT!" Ash yelled as all the women appeared, all armed with various weapons and with looks of bloodlust on their face.

"Valkyries! KILL THEM!"

The Valkyries attacked, as they opened fire with various non projectile and protectile weapons. The group of warriors scattered and broke off, each selecting a target and attacking.

"I'M NOT FIGHTING YOUR WARRIORS! I WANT YOU!" Pan screamed, flying at Vagane, fists cocked. Vagane pressed a key and Pan bounced off the air five feet away from Vagane as he turned on his shield. Vagen pressed another key and his main caanon extended from the back of his wheelchair and blasted Pan, sending her flying backwards.

"Don't forget to write!" Spike catcalled after the girl. Pan hit the wall. Hard.

Growling, Pan's hair flared up into SSJ and she blasted at Vagane again, but suddenly two Valkyries leapt into the air and tackled her, driving her back into the ground, hammering at her.

Pan screamed and blew the two off. As the flew through the air, Pan snapped up her arms and fired off twin ki blasts, frying both of the girls to ashes with a combined scream. It had no effect on Pan, who had hardened her heart.

"Dammit! I thought he would only have three dozen or so of these girls left!" Ash said, slashing at a Valkyrie who came at him with twin katanas.

"You thinking cloning isn't beyond Vagane? He probably whipped up a whole batch of new women just for this battle!" Celeste said, slashing her daggers at another woman who attacked with with bladed nunchucks.

"KIENZEN!" Krillian yelled, hurling his projectile at his attack. She dodged, but not quickly enough, and the bladed ki projectile sliced off most of her left arm. But instead of blood, all that came out was sparks. Krillian gaped at the woman as she looked at the sparking metallic stump.

"He didn't just clone a whole bunch of Valkyries! He also gave a bunch cybernetic enhance-ARRGGHHHH!" Krillian yelled as his one armed Valkyrie ran forward at amazing speed and belted him, sending him flying backwards.

"And don't forget all those combat drugs I gave them." Vagane mused. Spike looked at Vagane.

"Tell me mate, do you ever play fair?"

"Cheat to win." Vagane replied.

"Guys! They have the numbers! Let's show them who has the power. YAHHHHHHH!" Bra screamed as she went SSJ and blew away the two Valkyries confronting her. Pan was already in SSJ, but she had abandonned her quest for Vagane. For the moment anyway. Once there were no more Valkyries, she was going to walk up to him, bang on his shield until it broke, and then have her way.

Spike looked on with some worry as the Z Warriors powered up and began to thrash their Valkyrie opponents. The Legacy wasn't doing too shabby either.

Vagane watched cooly.

"Mate…they're winning…"

"Just a few seconds…Spike. One of the key parts of winning a war is to get your opponent overconfident, whether by accident or on purpose, and then surprise them. Which I figure I should do right about…now. VALKYRIES! ACTIVATE THEM!"

"What the…?" Tien said as his opponent suddenly leapt back and removed a small hand-held device from somewhere on her person. Quickly, she pressed the button.

And then Tien felt the draining sensation tear through him, a nightmare happening all over again. Simular feelings went through all the Z Warriors, as Bra and Pan fell out of SSJ. There was a collective gasp among then. Vagane chuckled.

"You may have destroyed my main ki-blocking device…but I had some time to kill this afternoon, so I build a few dozen smaller, hand held versions for my girls. They won't turn your abilities off completely…but I think they'll dumb them down enough so that this can be a little more advanteous…in my favour. Girls, finish it."

The Valkyries struck back with a vengeance, lacing into the stunned and weakened Z Fighters. Yamcha went down almost immediately as three girls ganged up on him and zapped him with a taser. With him down on the ground, they laughed and started kicking him repeatly, to various cries of pain.

"SHIT! GUYS, PICK UP THE SLACK!" Ash said, slashing at his latest opponent.

"Easy for you to say!" Brigh, as he crouched behind a sheath of metal that had been ripped up out of the ground by an errant ki blast of one of the Z Warriors. Brigh was hiding behind it, occasionally throwing daggers at the four or so Valkyries who were bombarding the makeshift with gun and laser fire. Brigh finally got one in the eye, but as the Valkyrie fell over with a cry, the other three scattered and took up new positions. Brigh cursed and looked for some shadows to teleport through.

Bra dodged away from the sword of her opponent and flipped over her, kicking her in the back. As she sprawled on the ground, Bra stomped on her head, either knocking her senseless or breaking her neck. Bra really didn't care.

Then SHE was slammed to the ground by a massive blow across her back. She flipped to her feet and gaped at the huge woman she was facing. Vagane had definitely done some work on her, no woman who has such freakish genetics to be nearly eight feet tall and more muscular then the Hulk. It was a wonder the woman didn't collaspe under her own body weight.

"Bad girl. You need a spanking." The woman half hissed, half chuckled in a twisted matronly tone, Bra felt sick, but she didn't let that stop her as she leapt forward and punched the huge woman in the chest.

She just hit steel, and it hurt. Bra gasped, and then the woman backhanded her. That was also steel.

Buffy, for once, was glad she didn't have the ability to fly and shoot energy. It kept her abilities from being effected. She ducked and dodged away from the two Valkyries trying to kill her, returning her own blows when she could. Just like every vampire she had fought. She could handle that. Hopefully.

The three girls were still toying with Yamcha, kicking him down every time he tried to get up. Finally, Yamcha couldn't get up any more, and three just kept kicking him while he was down.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chastity yelled, drawing her swords and charging the three. The three turned to her, weapons drawn, and attacked.

Erik stirred, then shook his head and started to get up.

He glanced to the small group of people next to him. Mr. Satan and Buu were standing and watching something, protecting the wasted Goku, who looked to be having trouble breathing. Videl kneeled next to Goku, half checking on him and half looking at the same thing Mr. Satan was looking at. Dende and Tring were cowering behind the group, not wanting to get involed in whatever Mr. Satan and Buu were looking at.

Erik turned to see.

And he saw it, the massive metal room, now with the floor and walls torn up around where the battle was taking place. He saw the Z Warriors, who should have been kicking ass but weren't, and he saw the Legacy, doing their best even though they were severely outnumbered and outgunned.

Then there was a scream, and Chastity flew by him. Erik's head snapped around as he watched her slam against the wall, her exposed body badly cut and bruised.

"Erik…ow…" was all Chastity got to get out before her eyes rolled up and she fell over, out of it.

Slowly, Erik turned back, and saw Vagane, watching on his platform, looking very pleased with his results, his ever cruel, arrogant smirk on his face.

The rage came roaring back, blasting through every part of his body and mind. His eyes nearly glowed red as a black power surged up through him and then crackled on his hands as his mind burned with one single thought, one goal, one destiny: KILL!

Erik stood up, not running, but walking with a strong stride, heading towards the first Valkyrie he saw. This Valkyrie had gotten close to Angie and was beating her down.

"Stupid woman! You're nothing but a-AUUGGHHHH!!!!!!!!" The Valkyrie screamed as Erik slammed his fist right through her back, his metal fingers exploding out her chest. In his hand he clutched her heart, thrashing and steaming. She gurgled and then fell over as Erik yanked his arm back out of her and casually dropped the heart on the ground. Angie stared and then was sick as Erik moved on, in his same stride. It was if he was practicing for a march, except within his eyes burned vehemence beyond belief.

And then, out of nowhere, they assembled, six or seven Valkyries surrounding Erik, all with weapons. Erik stopped, blood dripping from his hand.

"Give it up, Failure. You're old and outdated. We are the latest and greatest of Vagane's creations. You don't stand a chance against…" one Valkyrie started saying, apparently the leader.

Then her voice was cut off as Erik blurred forward, and then his bloody fingers seized her by the throat and lifted her clear off the ground. The Valkyrie gasped and then started gagging as Erik began to squeeze.

"You're lucky if Vagane spent five minutes on you." Erik hissed, as his fingers cut into the Girl's throat and her gags began gurgles as blood began pouring down Erik's arm. "He spent eight yeas on me. He wanted me to be his perfect weapon of destruction. Well, I am a weapon, but I am not his. INSTEAD, I AM HIS WORST NIGHTMARE!"

And then the Valkyrie's head exploded off in another gout of blood, Erik having squeezed her neck so hard he'd popped her head off like a cork.

The Valkyries exploded into action, all attacking Erik at once. Erik ducked and dodged away. His fist flashed out and one of the Valkyries went down, her neck broken. Another one stabbed a sai at Erik. He caught the weapon, crushed it in his hand, and then slammed his head against the Valkyrie's nose, smashing it into the girl's brain. The girl fell, spasming, as Erik ducked underneath a Valkyrie swinging a pike at him and spinning up, his talons slashing out and chopping the girl's head clean off in another explosion of blood.

Another one stepped back as Erik leapt away from the other's attacks, aiming a handgun at Erik. Erik saw the girl and held out his hand. The girl gasped as Erik activated a magnet in his hand and the gun flew out of her hand and into his. Erik smiled, then flipped the gun around and emptied it into her, taking care to fire at every non-vital spot first before he grew bored and put three through her heart and two through her head. Dropping the gun, Erik, almost arrogantly, dodged away from a charging Valkyrie and smashed his fist into her back, shattering her spine.

There were two left, and they looked hesitant. But then the hesitation vanished and they attacked Erik again. Erik dodged and jumped away from all their attacks, and then jumped over them, doing multiple flips, bringing his fists together.

"FEAR'S VOID!"

"AHHHHHHHH!" one of the Valkyries screamed as Erik threw the ball of power into her, sending her flying backwards as it burned her flesh off. She hit the wall and exploded into burning pieces, ripping a huge hole in the wall and sending flaming scrap shooting across the room. A piece slashed across Erik's cheek, but he totally ignored it as he turned to the last Valkyrie. She actually looked scared.

But that fear vanished as quickly as it appeared, as she attacked Erik with her barbed sword, which appeared to be a simular model's to Spike. Erik dodged away from the first slash, the blade never getting anywhere near him. He slashed his arm out, breaking the Valkyrie's arm. She dropped the blade with a scream, and then Erik blasted her in the knee, blowing her whole lower right leg off. She fell with another scream, and Erik knelt down, pinning her down with a knee on his chest.

"BITCH! PUPPET OF VAGANE! DIE! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!" Erik screamed, the rage having built and built until it was beyond his control, as he rained down fists on the Valkyrie's face. He ignored her screams as he pounded her, smashing her face to pulp and crushing her skull, ignored the blood spraying on his body and face, totally lost in his rage, his only care to cause pain.

He didn't notice the Valkyrie looking on in horror, see her grabbing a long length of rebar that had flown out of the hole Erik had blown in the wall, see her swing the long metal pole used to reinforce concrete and steel under her arm and charge Erik, the burnt tip sharp and hot.

Erik realized it too late.

"DIE!" The Valkyrie screamed, jamming the pole right in Erik's left torso, piercing through his lung and ripping the pole out his back. Erik cursed inwardly for letting his guard down so much, but he didn't give any indication of pain as the Valkyrie, showing great strength of her own, shoved Erik backwards with the pole before the other end jammed in the wall, pinning Erik like an insect.

The pain ripped through Erik, waves of agony, and he snarled at the Valkyrie allowed herself a smile, looking quite pleased with herself.

"I killed the Failure. Vagane will be…"

That was all she got to say. She thought she was out of Erik's reach. She did not expect him to literally pull himself up the length of the pole and grab her.

Then Erik yanked himself backwards, inpaling the Valkyrie on the pole with him. She gasped as it pierced her heart. She looked at Erik, glowering.

"Go to hell." She hissed, as blood poured from her mouth.

Erik's hands seized on each side of the Valkyrie's head.

"You first." Erik hissed back, and squashed the Valkyrie's head between his hands so violently shattered brains sprayed upward from her head. Her body slumped, and Erik shoved it off the pole. Grabbing the length of iron, he yanked it from the wall and then pulled it from his body.

Blood poured down his front and back, soaking him, but Erik didn't care. He didn't care about his pierced lung as it tried to breath in its damaged state and couldn't. Gripping the pole, soaked in his blood and others, he went forward, seemingly running on something other then oxygen and blood.

A Valkyrie confronted him, slashing a weapon. Erik dodged aside and swung the long pole like a baseball bat, smashing in the side of the Valkyrie's skull as she screamed. Her twitching body fell, and Erik moved on.

Another Valkyrie confronted him, this one armed with razor-gloves that looked like Freddy Kruger's. The girl slashed at him, incredibly fast. With a mortal wound, Erik should have been easy prey. Instead, he dodged away from every blow the girl made at him. Confused, the girl leapt back and decided on a new stratagy, leaping up into the air and attacking with a high jump kick.

Erik, snarling, stabbed the pole upward.

The Valkyrie got a moment to scream before the pole burst out the top of her head, spraying cereberal tissue. His weapon now turned into a Valkyriesicle, Erik dropped the rebar pole, leaving the body impaled on it, and went on, ignoring the burning, the numbness, and the weakness that was starting to creep into him, utterly unfaltering, heading towards Vagane.

"Dear god…is he a demon in a man's body?" Buffy said in horror, having seen a good deal of the Erik massacre due to Erik's insane rage at Vagane and his minions. Even with a hole through him, Erik wouldn't quit.

But the rest of them weren't having the same luck. With their powers dampened once again, the Valkyries were overwhelming them. Pan was trying to hold off four, and Bra was being pummeled by one huge one. Several Legacy members lay wounded or out of the fight, adding to the numbers against them. Still, everyone fought on, with all their heart, never backing down.

"ARGH!" Bra screamed as her huge opponent backhanded her, breaking her cheek. Bra kicked at her, but the Valkyrie grabbed her leg and flipped her over her head, driving Bra into the hard metal ground with a scream.

"No…not again…" Mr. Satan said as he watched the pummeling. He had to go and fight…but he couldn't leave his daughter, Marron, and Goku. They would be helpless if one of the Valkyries decided to come after them.

Ash, covered with blood and the Soulfire slick with it, slashed at another opponent, but he was hurt and starting to tire, and his team was dropping like flies. Ash shoved away another Valkyrie and Christine speared her in the back. But more came to replace her.

"He has to have a limited number of these girls!" Ash cursed.

Yeah, but who's gonna run out of what first? He girls or you ability to fight?

"Maybe so, but I'll never give up!" Ash said, dodging away and killing his latest opponent. Christine came to his side, and they stared down a group of five Valkyries that came to confront them.

"Ok, anyone else feel like dying today? I'll fight until my heart stops!" Ash said.

And the explosions blasted all over the room, one of them consuming the five Valkyries in front of him. Ash and Christine recoiled, and then turned to see Paul, cocking his gun.

"THE CALVERY'S HERE!" Paul crowed, and opened fire as Vegeta, Piccolo, Trunks, Ubuu, and Chaozu flew up from behind him and dove into the battlefield.

Vagane's eyebrows arched, and he actually started to look angry as Chaozu blew away the Valkyrie threatening Tien and Piccolo speared two on a Makkankosappo. Paul leapt into the battlefield as Rod and William joined him.

Bra was being hoisted up by her opponent when she was suddenly torn from the Valkyrie's hands. The big woman looked around in confusion and then her eyes fell on Vegeta, who stood in front of her, holding his injured daughter and looking utterly furious.

"Oh, who are you, shrimp? Go ahead, take your best shot." The Valkyrie taunted.

POW! Vegeta knocked the Valkyrie's head clean off with a punch, sending it flying across the huge room.

"You asked, bitch." Vegeta scoffed, and gave his daughter a Senzu.

"Marron…Marron…" Goten whispered, cradling his wife in his arms. He had been told that Marron had yet to wake up, but he didn't let himself think that she would never wake up. Beside him, Gohan held Videl, who was sobbing into his shoulder as Gohan tried to comfort her. Diana stood by near the Nameks, unable to do anything except watch and pray.

Marron stirred, as if drawn by her husband's voice, and then her eyes opened.

"Goten…?"

"Marron." Goten said, hugging his wife close.

"Goten…oh Goten…I'm sorry…they took our baby…I couldn't stop it…I'M SORRY!" Marron wailed, joining Videl in weeping. Goten held her close, a few of his own tears staining Marron's back, and then the fury came back.

"Gohan…our daughter's out there…help her!" Videl said.

"But Videl…"
"Don't worry about me! Help Pan!"

Gohan nodded, standing and looking at his father. Chaozu had told him what had happened, but it hadn't even prepared him for the horror of what Vagane had done to his father. Goku smiled.

"You're strong son…you can do it…don't worry about me."

"I will get you back father. I promise." Gohan said, and flew off onto the battlefield. Videl waved after him weakly.

Marron continued to sob, but eventually her body went limp again. Goten pulled her back and checked. Her pulse was strong. She had just passed out.

"I'll be back Marron." Goten said, standing up. His hair flashed and went gold.

"But now…Vagane gets his!"

"Heya Ash! Didja miss me?" Paul said as he leapt to his friend's side. He aimed his gun and the barrel blazed, falling a Valkyrie off in the distance.

No!

"Oh shut up." Ash smirked. The tide was once again turning, as the mightiest of the Z Warriors tore up the battlefield. Vagane's dampeners seemed to affect them too, but not enough. They were simply too strong.

Hey, wasn't Vagane closer a second ago?

Ash turned and looked. Indeed, the platform Vagane was on had seemingly moved backwards, away from the battlefield as explosions, yells, and screams filled the air. It certainly wasn't beyond Vagane to be able to do that, although Ash found it odd he had just moved farther away instead of running away.

Buffy joined the group, also blood splattered.

"How you doing?"

"Pretty good, all things considering. Leave it to these guys to steal my thunder." Buffy said, indicating Vegeta. Vegeta had far more experience as an SSJ then his daughter, and thus was easily able to maintain the state. In it, he was taking apart six Valkyries and loving it, laughing. He needed a warm up before Vagane.

"Must we use lethal force?"

"They wouldn't hesitate to." Ash said.

Then realization flashed in Buffy's eyes.

"ERIK!"

Erik hadn't stopped, as he walked on, blood trailing behind him, not stopping until he got to Vagane. Vagane watched his approach with distaste.

"Persistant, isn't he?" Adam commented.

"He'll never reach us. Even for him, that wound is far too severe."

Vegeta has finished off his Valkyries and had gone off to fight some more. However, in his journey, he had finally seen Goku, and had flown towards him. He had found the place by himself, and hence had not heard Chaozu's explanation.

Distance could not have allowed Vegeta to see how bad a state Goku was in, and he moved so quickly he got an instant up close view instead of a gratual distance view.

It was one of the greatest shocks in his life.

"Kakarott…" he said, unable to believe that the pathetic figure before him was his lifelong rival. This had to be some kind of joke.

But it was him. Vegeta knew it. He just could not believe it.

"Vegeta…" Goku whispered. "It appears…you have the chance for your revenge. I…cheated…to weaken you and make you helpless…and now the tables have turned. I am weaker then I ever…made you. Take your revenge…if you will."

Videl stared at Goku in horror. Did she just hear right? Did Goku just offer his life to Vegeta?

"Goku, no…!" Videl said in shock. Vegeta slowly clenched his fists, never breaking his gaze on Goku.

Then he unclenched his fists.

"No…this isn't what I wanted. I wanted a glorious final battle, free of anything except the saiya-jin love of the fight…I didn't want to destroy a living skeleton. This is not what I dreamed…it is not what I want." Vegeta said, turning his eyes back to the battlefield. He could still see Vagane on his platform out on the distance, and his son and daughter fighting. His fault…he took my dream…my pride…and forced the ones I love into this…his sins never end…and neither will his pain…

Then Chastity, revived by a Senzu, came into the room.

"Erik needs a Senzu! He's hurt!"

"Here." Vegeta said, tossing Chastity his bag. "Get him one. I'm going to help them deal with these bitches. And then…we shall claim our revenge."

Erik could feel the weakness spreading. He fought to keep it at bay as he walked on, but eventually it became overwhelming, and he began slowing down. No…can't stop…never…

In the crowd, Chastity tossed the bag to Ash. Ash tossed it to Goten, who was closest. Goten dug into the bag and picked up a bean.

"ERIK!" Goten screamed.

His name being called pierced the fog of Erik's head, and he turned slightly to see Goten standing and cocking back his arm.

"EAT THIS!" Goten said, throwing the bean. It spiraled through the air.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Vagane suddenly yelled from up on his platform, slamming his hand on a button. His main cannon extended.

Ash, Christine, Buffy, and Goten gasped at the black bolt of power shot at the bean. Vagane was going to destroy it before it got to Erik.

"STOP THAT!" Ash yelled. Goten tried to intercept the blast, but he was suddenly attacked from behind and his shot went wide, missing Vagane's blast.

"OH NO!" Christine yelled as the beam bore down on the bean.

Then a dagger flashed through the air, piercing the bean and cutting it cleanly in halfThe two halves flew to each side, the beam going right between them, missing by millimeters. Erik held out his hands and the two halves fell into them.

"NO! WHAT?" Vagane cursed as Erik popped the bean halves into his mouth. He shuddered, then snapped his head back to get his hair out of his eyes as he stood up, healed. The dagger flew back to him, flying to his side and into Celeste's hand.

"You're always there for me. Likewise." Celeste said.

Erik smiled, and then looked at Vagane, who looked utterly furious. Erik looked back at the Z Warriors and Legacy. The Valkyries were clearly about to lose.

"Let's go Celeste." Erik said, and the two headed towards Vagane.

Vagane made a furious gesture, and more Valkyries appeared, heading towards the couple.

It was almost beautiful how Erik and Celeste worked together, weaving in and out like a pair of dancers as they cut the Valkyries down in a brutal display of carnage. It was finally their time.

Vagane clenched his fists so hard his knuckles whitened. This couldn't be happening.

"Mate…what are we gonna do?" Spike said. There were about thirty Valkyries left, fighting all around the platform Vagane was on with Legacy members and Z Warriors. With the strongest Z Warriors having turned the tide, it was only a matter of time before Vagane's last line of defense was gone.

Vagane looked around at the carnage, at his girls being cut down one by one. He lowered his head and looked at Erik and Celeste as they fought with a group of five Valkyries in front of him, about fifty feet away.

He tapped a key, and a part of his wheelchair extended as Vagane pulled out a large, fancy-looking pistol that fit perfectly into his hand.

"Mate?" Spike said as Vagane tapped more keys. "That's a gun. That won't work. What are you planning to do?"

A lone bullet was presented to Vagane, sleek and beautiful, and rigged with more miniature cybernetics then Spike could ever conceive of. There would be no defense against it, no matter what. It was what he had designed it for.

Vagane loaded the bullet and cocked his gun.

"Mate, what are you doing?"

"Something I should have done…a long long time ago." Vagane said.

Slowly, he aimed the gun at Erik.

Erik thought everything was right. Things would end. Justice would be done.

Indeed, as he spun around, away from Vagane, and slit the throat of his last Valkyrie, he didn't have any worries, any cares. All he had was his rage and his determination, and his bond with Celeste, who stood by his side.

Celeste pierced the heart of her last opponent with both her daggers and at the same time let loose with an explosion of power from them, blowing a huge hole in the girl's chest. Ceheste pulled her daggers back as Erik cut his foe's throat.

"HEY FAILURE!"

Vagane's voice pierced into Erik's ears. In a part of his mind, he got even angrier. He was sick of hearing that arrogant, delusional tone. Slowly, Erik began to turn.

As he did, Vagane waited a beat and spoke, finishing his sentence just as Erik was finishing his turn.

"You should never turn your back on an enemy!"

Erik heard the words, felt them slide into his brain as he attempted to figure them out. Celeste did likewise, but she was facing Vagane more and was able to see him a split second sooner.

She saw the gun first. Saw it glistening in the light of the room. Saw the hammer cocking back. Saw Vagane's finger clenching.

Erik saw the same thing as he completed his turn, as he realized he had made himself a sitting duck.

The gun exploded. Even with all the noise in the room the sound was deafening. The flash of light from the barrel as the bullet exploded forth, going even faster then a normal bullet due to its and the gun's design.

One of Celeste's daggers clattered to the ground as her legs moved. The single clank echoed seemingly for an eternity, the same eternity as Erik saw the bullet flying at him, a bullet he didn't have time to stop or block, a bullet aimed right at his head.

Erik saw death's ageless face.

And then he just saw black as Celeste leapt in front of him. His horror multiplied to a level beyond comphrehension. He screamed, a scream that seemed to come out as slow as mollasas.

"CELESTE, NO!"

The bullet took her just to the left of her sternum, piercing through her flesh and violating her body. The heart screamed defiance as the bullet pierced it, blasting through the organ and bursting half of it like a wet sack filled with oatmeal. The bullet went on, glancing on Celeste's spine and spinning off its original path. It burst out her back and whizzed by Erik's shoulder before it buried itself in the ground, digging its own grave for it.

Erik saw all this in slow motion, heard Celeste's gasp of pain, and then her body was falling towards him, still in slow motion.

And then the world went back to normal, as he caught her as he fell to his knees, holding her as she opened her mouth and blood poured from within, life's blood.

"Bloody hell! You missed!" Spike cursed, although he was pleased at Celeste for getting hit.

And then Vagane's look of anger and determination faded, replaced by a smirk of content.

"Did I?" Vagane said, bringing the gun down.

And Spike realized it had all been a huge setup. The fight, the anger, everything had been played to perfection to set up the scene.

And the final curtain had finally come down on a man and woman that had made Spike's life hell.

He didn't feel good though.

Instead, he felt apprehensive.

"Celeste! No…why did you do that? No…" Erik said, as he held Celeste's limp body in his arms, feeling her blood soak his hands underneath her as he tried to support her.

"Because…I couldn't let you die, Erik. Not like that." Celeste whispered, more blood pouring from her mouth, and pooling around her. "It…was…the best I could do."

"No. Don't talk like that. You'll be fine. We'll help…" Erik said, his voice filled with pleading and desperation that was as unlike him as anything.

Gingerly, Celeste reached up with a hand soaked with her own blood and touched Erik's cheek.

"If only…I had been brave enough…to…" Celeste coughed, more blood spilling out.

"Celeste…"
"Gohan told me."

Erik blinked. Celeste actually smiled a bit.

"I…never blamed you Erik. You did all you could…it was fate. It tempered me for you. I thought it would never last myself…but as I grew older, it just grew stronger…and stronger. It never faltered or gave up…just like you, Erik…you made me whole again. You gave my life meaning. You…gave me joy when I thought I would never feel it again. I don't hate you…I could never hate you. I love you…with all my heart…and I never had any regrets for doing it…"

"Celeste…!" Erik pleaded.

"I love you…Erik Damien Ravensky…no…regrettttssss…" Celeste whispered, the blood bubbling around her mouth. Her hand slid away down Erik's cheek, leaving a trail of blood as her arm fell limp.

Then the light in her eyes was gone as her body went limp as well.

Erik stared, his body shaking ever so slightly, as Celeste stopped breathing. Her lone dagger, held in her hand, suddenly began to dissolve to dust and blow away. It no longer had the source to exist from.

"Celeste…Raven…no…" Erik whispered, holding the body of the woman he had dared to love in his arms. He lowered his head, and a lone tear trickled down his cheek, mixing with Celeste's blood. Crying bloody tears.

The chains of fate hadn't hanged him. They had hanged Celeste instead.

Vagane's laughter echoed down onto him, and Erik slowly raised his head, never letting go of Celeste's body.

"You see why you are a Failure, boy? I am about to become a god…and you…you can't protect anyone you touch! Your family, your friends…even the woman you loved! That is why you are a Failure!" Vagane laughed.

Erik looked down at Celeste, and then he slowly reached a hand from under her body and closed her eyes, unable to look into them any more. Slowly, he removed his other arm from under her, laying her carefully down on the ground. She almost looked like she was sleeping.

Erik found himself getting to his feet, looking not at Vagane, but at his hands. They were covered with Celeste's blood. But it wasn't like any of the blood Erik had had spilled on him this evening. It was so bright, so red, so lively…so full of life itself.

Spike looked at the man who was in the grips of despair. He wanted to say something clever, like "Hey mate, would you like your palm read? Oh, too late, they're red already." But he didn't. Something…was very very wrong.

Erik stared at the blood on his hands.

I failed her…I said no one would ever hurt her…and I failed. I did this. She did it for me. She sacrified her soul for my damned one…her future for my curse…everything…for me…all because she loved me. I swore to protect her…I failed her.

Failed her.

Failed her.

Failure.

Failure.

And it came, raging out of the darkness shadows within the human heart where it had always been. It had had brief tastes of freedom before, but the door had always been slammed on its face after a short time.

Not now. The door had been thrown wide open, as the terrible force barreled down from within, homing in on Erik Damien Ravensky.

Only to find him waiting with open arms. He would resist no longer.

But it would not have its way. Not now. Not ever.

"Oh no…" Christine said as she watched the terrible events unfold, cumilating in Celeste's sacrifice to save the man she loved.

"Erik…no…not that…anything…" Goten echoed as he saw it too. He was out of opponents, and hence was unable to watch unfettered as Erik held Celeste in his arms as she died.

Then he felt IT.

He had felt the power come from Erik before, something that seemed like ki but was not, something far worse then ki, more terrible, more horrific. He had felt it back in the hospital and when Erik had been confronted by Vagane's machine back at Capsole Corp. But what he had sensed…was nothing compared to this. It was unstoppable, burning, ripping, a darkness beyond night and evil tearing through his mind.

All the Z Warriors stopped as they felt it too.

And then Erik threw back his head and screamed.

And then it exploded from him, a wave of pure blackness going everywhere, pouring from his body like a volcano spewing the fiery rock of hell. The wave of power, of darkness, seemed to be from hell itself. It was the utter blackness of a ruined soul no longer able to resist, the utter death of hope that consumed Erik as he continue to scream, a cry beyond pain and rage and utter torment of the cruel mistrees Fate.

"GET DOWN!" Goten bellowed, throwing himself to the ground. He didn't just scream it, he COMMANDED it, in his voice and in his mind, each one piercing into all those on his side and telling them for their own lives to take cover.

As one, all the Z Warriors, Legacy members, and Buffy dove to the ground.

And then it washed over them, a terrible burning coldness that was horrible to feel even though it was not painful.

The Valkyries didn't get a chance to dive for cover. All they got to do was watch the power explode.

And then it consumed them all, none of them getting an chance to scream as it burned them, tearing off the flesh from their bones like wax before they were burned to ashes and then oblivion.

"YAHHHH!" Vagane said in surprise as the power came. He already had his finger on his shield trigger, and that was what saved his life as he pressed it immediately, shielding himself and those around him.

Then the power slammed into the shield. Somehow, it held, even though the metal below the group sizzled and began to immediately melt away. Vagane and his companions retreated backwards as their platform was torn away into fiery metal pieces.

Then all the metal floor was being torn up, the power surging everywhere. It blew away the room and walls and rained flaming shrapnal for miles as Erik destroyed the whole section of the base. The ground undeneath the metal was torn up and destroyed as well, forming into new patterns, and all the time there was that scream, that horrendous heart-piercing, mind-numbing, soul-shredding scream…

Erik's hands came up to his head, tangling in his hair as he continued to scream, Celeste's blood still covering his palms.

And then the blood suddenly seemed to leech into Erik's hair as his hair began changing colours where he had his hands. The black was replaced by the blood-red, the deepest crimson as Erik's hair seemed to start growing out even more, spilling past his shoulders and going down his back.

Then Erik's body began to change, as muscles seem to bulge on muscles and Erik began to grow, both in height and girth. He didn't grow much, but he was already an impressive specimen of a man, and this changed him to a nigh-giant, or so it seemed. And all the time, that terrible scream.

"Dear kami…what's happening!?!?!?" Goten gasped, able to somehow see through the black energy and watch this, as Erik brought his hands away from his head.

Then his hands started changing, as the flesh burst away on his left arm to reveal metal as black as night. It tore away up to his upper forearm as the FS-X melted away on Erik's right arm and the metal there also turned black as the abyss. Then there was a digusting tearing sound and suddenly blades burst forth from the back of Erik's elbows, long black scyth like weapons that grew out to be over five feet.

Blackness exploded from this new limbs, swirling around Erik. Then they seemed to solidify around the man, and the scream finally stopped.

The energy faded.

The earth was silent for a moment.

Then the blackness exploded away from Erik as he stood up from kneeling, tearing away like cloth and forming into a new shape. Night-black metal wings on Erik's back, huge blades of destruction and death flapped once, seemingly as flexible as rubber and as solid as metal at the same time.

Blood-red lightning crackled on Erik's frame, leaping off him and ripping into the ground, a crackling burning brand that tore along the earth as it danced on Erik's body, between his new wings, and on his hands.

Transformation complete.

"The shadow self." Buffy whispered in horror, looking at the new neo-Erik. She had seen many many things, butt she had never seen anything quite like this. Slowly, she got to her feet.

Everyone else did, looking around. Erik's explosion had virtually destroyed the whole "Kingdom" blowing away the room and destroying nearly all the walls. Off in the distance, other parts of Vagane's lab were in flames, and in other parts black mountains peaked up around Vagane's lab, as if they were curious onlookers to this destruction.

"Brother…" Christine said, and could find no more words for what Erik had become.

Vagane had lowered his arm, where it had gone instintively when Erik's incredible force had hit him. He looked at Erik as everyone else with him recovered, gaping at what the man had become. Erik's transformation had torn one part of the ground into a small hill, which was what Vagane and his associates were on, about three hundred feet from Erik.

"At last!" Vagane said with triumph. "After so many years…it has been done! I have destroyed the Failure once and for all, and I have finally unlocked what I saw in him all those years ago, something even he could not see. Look apon it, my friends. Look apon the very manifestation of annihalation that has destroyed the Failure from within! Behold the Angel of Death itself!"

"My kami…" Mr. Satan said from where he stood, having shielded the others when the power had exploded. The hallway and room around them had been destroyed, but they had not been touched, miraculously.

Everyone who wasn't on Vagane's side shared the same look of horror from what had happened to Erik, and from Vagane's words.

The Angel of Death was silent, as it snapped its wings again, the blood-red lightning still crackling on its body and destroying the ground around it.

"Come, One Who Has No Name!" Vagane said, and the Angel of Death turned to look at Vagane, who looked postively esctastic. "I have spent many years trying to awake you from where you were placed in the body of that boy. You have lived in many men since the dawn of time, but none have ever been able to have the proper body structure and abilities to let your true power be known. I took that boy and sculpted his body for you, and for many years I have tried to let you out. At last I have succeeded! At last you have annihalated that boy's mind and consciousness, and replaced it with your own! At last your full power is at your disposal on this mortal coil! I have done this, all for you."

The Angel of Death, or One Who Has No Name, was still silent.

"Come, Nameless One. I wish to cleanse everything of life! Join me. I will grant you your true purpose, the destiny of wiping all life from everywhere. You can at last truly taste the fruits of destruction. I promise this to you, One Who Has No Name. I have dreamed of it since I can remember, and with you, we can each achieve it, One Who Has No Name."

Then the Angel of Death spoke.

"I have a name."

And the wind went out of Vagane's sails immediately, as his pale flesh went even paler. But this was no act. This was real.

"No…no…" Vagane said, for the voice who had spoken was Erik's…a voice tipped with the very essense of violence and hostility.

And Goten realized that the left side of Erik's face was organic. The machine part was gone. Likewise, Erik's left leg was once again composed of flesh and blood. It was if all the technology in his body had decided to consume his left arm instead.

Erik's twin organic eyes, the pupils now the same blood-red colour of his waist-length hair, shone with savagery, as his hair blew around his metal wings, blood-red lightning occasionally crackling along it.

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Vagane roared. "No human can withstand the power! It was supposed to utterly destroy your mind, your essence, your very being! You should have been destroyed beyond retrieval! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!!!!!!"
"Oh, but it is, Vagane." Erik said. "Perhaps…it might not have been this way. Maybe if you had killed a friend…or my sister…perhaps for all I know I would have destroyed when this power within me emerged. That was why you made me a cyborg, isn't it? It was more then making me a weapon for your use. You wanted this to wake up, for me to be a strong enough "vessal" for it, so you would have the greatest force ever at you beck and call. But I rebelled. But that didn't discourage you. You searched for years to find another way, and finally you found it in all you have done here, and all the lives you have taken. This was the point of all the mind games. To weaken me enough to let this out so it could take over. But you couldn't stop at the bad and the worse. You had to go for the brass ring, the very worst…and you murdered a woman who meant more to me then perhaps anything or anything else. You thought it would be the best way to wipe me out…instead, it made me mad enough, and gave me the strength to not only survive…but to bend it to my will."

"No…not possible…"

"Oh yes…it is. I saw the force Vagane, a merciless horror that could not be described, one that had been reborn in men since the dawn of civalization. I saw the works of Caguila, Nero, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Torquemanda, Vlad the Impaler, Ivan the Terrible, Adolf Hitler…all the crimes this force made men cause. It thought I would be the key to its true, ultimate power. Instead, I became the lone one who ever defeated it."

"No!"

"Yes, Vagane!" Erik said as the red lightning exploded into even greater brillanace and violence around him. "The Force That Has No Name…it has been defeated! I have twisted its power to my will. Its power is now my power. I alone command it! It flows through my veins, and fills me with the fury of a god, and HIS MIGHT!"

Vagane was shaking, but no one could take the saitisfaction in finally seeing him utterly terrified. They were all too scared of Erik. He emitted something that terrified them on a level they couldn't quit understand…much like Agony had.

"What…what are you…?" Vagane half whimpered.

"I…am a man. A member of the human species, who you though deserved nothing but death. I am the son of a murdered couple, the brother of murdered sisters, the friends of murdered people with good hearts…and a lover for a murdered Raven." Erik said, looking down.

Celeste was still there, lying before Erik. But the power that had come from Erik had not harmed her, and the crimson lightning dancing on his body did not touch her, the beams crackling around her body like it was sacred. Erik looked at her sadly, and then looked back up at Vagane.

"I am…Erik Damien Ravensky…and I am what…he craved more then anything…more then the death of the wicked…more then vengeance…more then anything. I am Redemption."

"No…you're supposed to be gone! Destroyed! Your mind should have been utterly shattered! It is far too weak to have withstood the power! It was supposed to happen! My observations, my calculations, my work, my power…" Vagane stammered

"YOUR POWER IS NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The red lightning increased ten-fold, spreading around Erik, or Redemption in an aura of destruction. But once again, it did not touch Celeste. Erik looked down at her again.

"I love you…Raven."

And then Erik started walked towards Vagane and his group, his steps slow and deliberate. He was in no hurry. He stepped around Celeste, the ground melting under his feet on every step.

"Adam, stop him!" Vagane said in desperation. Adam looked at Vagane in disgust. He had watched this little scene and was quite sickened by it, and then Vagane had gone and done what he did.

"Are you giving me an order?" Adam said in disbelief.

"Does it matter? Stop him!" Vagane said.

Adam sighed.

"It appears I was mistaken, Vagane, on your level of mind and equalness to me. I think that after this is over, I will have to reevaluate my partnership with you…but this boy has been a thorn in my side long enough. I will destroy him, but not for your sake. For mine!"

And then Adam leapt off the small hill and strode toward Redemption. Redemption stopped as Adam walked up to him.

"You can make all the speeches and do all the lightshows you want, boy. In the end, no matter what, you are still just a mortal, and you cannot stand before a god!" Adam said, as he reached Erik. Drawing back his hand, he punched Erik in the chest as hard as he could.

Erik didn't budge, and as the sudden pain flared up in his hand, Adam looked down to see that the flesh of his hand was burning away from the bone.

"Tell me something Adam…" Erik whispered as Adam looked back at him. "Where do gods go when they die?"
In his mind, Adam experienced another first for himself: that he had made a mistake.

And then Erik snapped his wings out and roared as red power exploded off his body. Adam screamed as the power consumed him, and then a huge explosion shook the ground around Erik.

The power faded, along with the smoke.

Buffy's jaw dropped. Adam was…gone. There was no corpse, no skeleton, no bones, not even any ashes to suggest that Adam had existed. He had been wiped off the face of the earth completely.

Vagane went even paler at Adam's destruction. He wouldn't be returning this time.

"Spike…" Vagane said.

He got no response, and he turned to see that Spike was no longer beside him. Instead, he was backing up away from Erik.

"Spike!" Vagane hissed, suddenly angry.

"Look mate, I don't know a lot of things for sure in life…but I know when I've fucked with the wrong person, and I have DEFINITELY fucked with the wrong guy! I'll send you a postcard in hell!" Spike said, turning around, leaping off the hill, and running for his life for the nearest and lone door that had survived the room's destruction.

Vagane looked around at Tormentor, and a scheme appeared in his eyes.

"Tormentor!" Vagane said. "That being believes that it is beyond you in causing death and destruction to others! Prove it wrong!"

"WHAT? I will, with great relish!" Tormentor said, leaping off the hill and drawing his huge axe. He stomped towards Erik, who was back walking towards Vagane, slow and steady. Tormentor reached him.

"You think you surpass me? NONE SURPASS ME! I AM THE CAUSER OF THE GREATEST PAIN EVER!" Tormentor bellowed, rearing up his axe before swinging it down.

The axe shattered on Erik's head, not even messing up a hair. Tormentor gaped at his ruined axe, which he had broken down to the very edge on Erik's head.

"NOT POSSIBLE! DIE!" Tormentor bellowed, grabbing his bladestaff with his other hand, still holding his broken axe in the other, and swinging it at Erik's head.

Erik's hand snapped up, grabbing the bladestaff just before it hit his head.

Then he thrust his other arm out, as new clews snapped from his hand, claws even longer then the ones he had once had in his lone mechanical arm, barbed and black.

They pierced right through Tormentor, and Tormetor bellowed in surprise and sudden terrible pain as Erik's claws burst out his back. The bladestaff suddenly burst into flame and burnt to ashes as Erik lifted Tormentor off the ground above his head with no effort at all via the talons he had pierced through him. Tormentor bellowed again.

And then Erik thrust his other hand into Tormentor's stomach and let loose with a gigantic crimson energy blast that blew right though him, blowing away Tormentor's whole chest and midsection. Tormentor screamed as the power blasted through him before carrying him up in a burning red uprising that blasted into the sky.

Erik lowered his hand, the blast fading, as he stood for a few seconds.

Tormentor's body crashed down behind him, ravaged and mutilated beyond belief, and cut nearly in half. Tormentor's smoking, ruined axe came crashing down next to its fallen lord, breaking into pieces as it landed.

"Tormentor, you had no idea what true pain is." Erik whispered, and moved on towards Vagane, his lightning still ripping up the ground around him.

Vagane was shaking, and slowly, he turned to the Valkyrie behind him.

"Belinda…activate them." Vagane said.

"But sir…are they ready?"

"I don't care. It is close enough…and I need the two bigger pierces of my puzzle…SO ACTIVATE THEM!" Vagane yelled.

Belinda scurried off, running after where Spike had gone, as Redemption continued his walk towards Vagane. Vagane didn't bother running.

There was no escape.

Vegeta smirked as Erik slowly walked towards Vagane, his wings moving slightly as his power continued to crackle on him.

"That fool." Vegeta said, and everyone who had been watching Erik as he cut down Adam and Tormentor with no effort at all looked at him. "Vagane thought his mind knew everything…in reality he knew nothing of the human species, the human heart, or the forces he was setting in motion. It is a truly deserving fate. I think that for once, I will even give up Vagane's death to Erik…I think what the "Angel of Death" will do to him will surpass even what I could do." Vegeta snickered. His anger at Erik stealing his kill was overrun by his amusement in what Erik would do.

"And what he might just do to us." Gohan sad in a dead tone. Now everyone looked at Gohan, who looked rather scared.

"What are you talking about? Erik's on our side!" Ash said.

"Yeah! He won't hurt us!" Chastity said.

"He couldn't!" Goten added.

"Maybe so…but remember what Erik said? How the power was supposed to overwhelm him, but his rage at the death of Celeste gave him the strength to fight it and bend it to his will? I suspect that was what that black energy that killed the Valkyries was. It was partly an explosion of anger, but it was also his battle with this force that was within him. He beat it."

"Yeah, he beat it! What's the problem?" Christine said.

I dunno, maybe he has to pay more taxes now?

"I'm justing saying this…Erik stayed alive and kept from being destroyed to avenge Celeste. But once Vagane is dead…the only reason Erik was able to stay alive will be gone. In other words, his will to live might go with Vagane, and if it does, Erik WILL wind up being obliverated. He'll do so willingly because he'll feel he has no purpose to live."

Goten thought back to how Erik said his friends and sister could get along without him. His only weakness was Celeste. Now she was dead, and Goten doubted that Erik remembered that with Dende back, the Dragon Balls could be revived and Celeste brought back. Or maybe he didn't believe the Dragon Balls could revive a human not from this dimension. He could very well "commit suicide" right after Vagane.

"Dear kami…you're right Gohan…but if he dies…what will be left…except possibly…"Goten said, feeling sick.

"Exactly Goten. With Erik gone, the power he commands could get full control of him…and if that happens…" Gohan said.

"Who whoa whoa, you're saying that after Erik kills Vagane, he might turn around and try and kill all of us too?" Ash said.

"Essentially, yeah…it could happen. I could just be being cynical, and Erik could very well keep full control and calm down…but he could also wind up trying to kill us!" Gohan said.

"Then if that happens, we will have to kill him. I think he would want it that way." Vegeta said, cracking his knuckles. He didn't like the idea of killing Erik any more then any of them did…but if it came down to him and his family, Vegeta knew his choice.

"Indeed Vegeta…that we may have to do…if we can." Gohan said. Now Vegeta looked angry.

"You baka, are you doubting my power? Erik might have "ascended", but in pure strength he'll be no match for me! I'm sure of it! He couldn't beat all of us!" Vegeta said.

"Maybe…in pure strength. If we had a scounter, Erik's "power level" may very well be lower then yours, Vegeta. But there's just one thing."

"What?"

"All the enemies and villians we fought…they used ki. From Freiza to Majin Buu, from Garlic Jr to Hildegarn, they all used ki. Even Agony's powers were enhanced by ki. What Erik is using…is NOT ki!"

"Then what is it?"

"Destruction itself."

Everyone was silent at Gohan's answer. Gohan was too, for a second.

"Ki is a power with many uses. It can be used to destroy, yes, but it also does many others things. It can heal, it can allow us to fly, and many other talents. It is a force with many facets, destruction just being one. And true, ki can cause incredible destruction, but in the end, that is just one facet of its use. We use it for all sorts of other things too! But not Erik. His power is the essense of ruin. It serves that purpose and no other purpose. I suspect if Erik flies, it will be because of his wings and not throught any use of his power at all. His power is that of annihalation. Nothing else. And for all I know…our power won't be able to stand up before it. It might cut through our ki blasts like nothing. We might not stand a chance against him, no matter how purely strong we are. We are strong…he is lethal. I don't know if we can match up. I pray I am wrong."

"And if you're not?" Ash asked.

Gohan looked at Redemption, who had nearly reached Vagane.

"Pray that Erik is strong enough to be able to cause death…and not want to embrace it."

Belinda ran with all her might, heading down the hallway at top speed. She had to, for her master's sake. Fortunately, she was close to what she needed.

She ran into the room and began entering the code. It was long, but she knew it by heart and had the fifty-digit passcode in in ten seconds.

She activated it.

The base was damaged, but it still functioned, and she felt it vibrate as it finally finished its purpose.

She headed back to Vagane. He needed her protection.

Various alarms went off as steam and smoke hissed from a black metal test tube. Slowly it opened. Liquid spilled out as the inside filled with smoke.

A foot stepped down outside the tube, a foot attacked to a muscular, naked, wet leg. There was a slight grunt and a flash of power, and then the leg was dry, and wearing a black boot that had a strangely patterned purple and blood-red outfit tucked into it.

Slowly, the man emerged. He was a lithe man, tall and rippling with hard muscle everywhere, as evidenced by his skintight purple and blood-red suit, although the blood red was the dominant colour. He had relatively short night-black hair, except for a very long series of bangs that fell over his right eye, much like Alicia's fleshy hair had. He was a handsome man.

And then there were his eyes.

If anyone saw them, the black lifeless pits would seem very familiar. They looked just like Agony's.

The man looked at his hands, which had long, strong fingers, and gave off a small, crazy giggle as he flexed them.

"I live."

His voice dripped with evil.

Erik was almost at Vagane, at the base of the hill now. One of the Valkyries was gone, if she was smart, she would stay gone.

The other two weren't so smart, as they launched themselves at Erik.

"YOU WON'T HARM THE-ARRGGHHHH!" one said as she leapt at Erik, right into Erik's outstretched hand talons. Seconds later, the body burst into flames. Erik jerked his arm to the side to get the burning body off his claws and moved on, the body quickly turning to ash behind him

"WON'T LET YOU-AAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" the other Valkyrie screamed as Erik ducked, slashing out his right wing and cutting the Valkyrie in half. Blood sprayed from the severed body, and it it too ignited, burning away with the sound of sizzling blood.

And then Vagane was alone.

Smirking, Erik began making his way up the small hill.

Spike nearly ran into her as he ran down the hall. Vagane, as a final annoyance, had forgotten to post "Exit" signs around, and hence Spike had quickly gotten completely lost while looking for a way out. And so he had wandered around until he met her.

At first he thought she was a Valkyrie, but that quickly changed. All the Valkyries had short hair and one colour outfits. This girl had long hair, down to her hips, and a bizzare patterned outfit that consisted of the colours purple and blood red, although the purple was stronger. Her hair was the same blood-red colour, although it was a tad lighter then Redemption's. She appeared to be looking at her feet as Spike nearly ran into her.

"Whoa! Hey lady, don't scare me like that! Errr, who are you?"

The girl ignored him, heading on. Spike watched her go.

"Hey lady! I wouldn't go that way! There's this guy who just got really strong and wants to destroy anything that crossed his path!"

The woman stopped and looked back at him, and Spike recoiled. Her eyes were so terrible they even scared him.

"I know." She whispered, and turned her head back and kept walking. Spike stared after her, then decided to follow her. He had to see this.

Vagane looked in horror as Redemption made his way up before him. He began tapping keys, and a tube extended and fired a blue beam at Erik. It just bounced off Erik before the beam seemed to turn red and turn back into the tube, which exploded. Vagane jerked as that part of his hoverchair was destroyed, and then frantically pressed more keys. His main cannon extended from the back of his chair, but Erik snapped out his hand as a little sliver of red enegry flew out, slashing the cannon off at the base and carrying it away, where it exploded. Vagane yelped as shrapnal pelted his back, then looked back up at Erik.

Erik's hair blew around his head as he looked at Vagane, a sheen of colour that indicated what was to come.

"They say what you do in life…echoes in eternity." Erik whispered.

Then he snapped out his fingers as twin sets of talons emerged, each over two feet long, barbed, and as black as pitch. Red lightning crackled on them, the blades coming out of Erik's elbows, and Erik's metal wings. The front of Vagane's hoverchair began to melt.

"Well Vagane…then eternity shall echo…with your scream!" Erik hissed.

And then the blast came out of nowhere, flying from behind and over Vagane, a black blast of incredible power. Erik's eyes widened.

"NO!" Erik screamed as the blast slammed into him, knocking him right off his feet and carrying him away from Vagane. "VAGAAAAAAANNNNNEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And then Erik flew out of the ruin of the Kingdom and crashed into a mountain. The blast seemed to reach around and collaspe the mountain on Erik before it exploded, burying him completely. Everyone gasped as this happened.

Then they looked to where the blast had come, as Vagane, panting with relief, looked as well.

The man and the woman stood there, each with one arm out. The man laughed, and the woman licked her lips almost seductively as they lowered their arms at the same time. Everyone stared at them.

And then Belinda was at Vagane's side, panting, her head bowed.

"Master…I activated them…I hope you are not angry with me…" Belinda gasped. Vagane looked at the girl and smiled.

"No Belinda, I am quite pleased. You saved my life."

Not for long asshole! Any second now Erik is gonna blow his way out of that mountain and he's gonna shove your head so far up your ass…uh…any second now…Erik…you're making me look bad here!

The man and woman blurred away and reappeared next to Vagane. At close range, everyone could see the resemblence.

The Z Fighters gasped. The Legacy was shocked, and even Buffy was disturbed by the eys of the two people who had saved Vagane.

Erik did not emerge.

"A pity…he was part of my plan…but unfortunately for him, he was the smaller piece, and no match for the fruits of my Messiah Project…ancient power is no match for my genius. I should have seen that. No matter." Vagane said.

"Dear kami…they look like…" Goten said, unable to say the rest.

"Ah, good for you, Son Goten. Bravo. What you see before you is something I have tried many times before, but failed. The closest I ever came was a dismal failure, and was killed while fighting for some robot. You should know her, Legacy. I believe she called herself Misery."

"Misery…"Ash said, remembering her. (Editor's Note: Another story of mine, don't ask). He had never made the connection before, but now it seemed so obvious.

"You are right. She was my most successful attempt to clone my daughter…she was a failure. I simply could not seem to get it. Finally, I understood. I couldn't just MAKE a new Agony. I had to breed her. And at long last, I have succeeded, thanks to your world."

"That's why…you TOOK MY WIFE! AND MY FATHER!" Gohan raged.

"Indeed Son Gohan. Meet your son." Vagane said, gesturing to the man. Gohan felt his heart turn to ice.

"Well, in a sense. I used the fetus conceived by you and your wife, But I got rid of all the useless genetic material I didn't need, which was nearly all of it. Instead, I implemented my daughter's in it, along with a good many other…improvements. And for power…I gave them the might of Son Goku. They are perfect. They are the son and daughter of Agony…my children as well…my truly greatest creations."

"Father…" the woman purred.

"Ah yes, that title should't just go to me. Goten…meet your daughter."

The woman smiled evily at Goten. Goten nearly threw up.

"Belinda…" Vagane said, addressing the last surviving Valkyrie. "You have served me well. You have survived where all your sisters have perished."

Belinda looked happy. That looked faded as the man and woman suddenly surrounded her.

"Master…?"

"I shall honour you by being the first in my ascent. You will be remembered."

"MASTER! NO!" Belinda screamed.

And then the two fell on her. The man's fingers hooked into her neck and tore open her caratoid artery, drinking the blood. Belinda screamed, and then the woman transformed her hands into blades and jammed them into her chest. Belinda gurgled, and then the woman tore her heart out. The woman took a few last laps of blood and dropped the body as his sister offered him the heart. They each took a bite of one side, savouring it.

Spike, watching off in the distance, suddenly felt hungry.

Vegeta swallowed hard as memories came flooding back to him, memories of terrible things done to ones he loved.

"YOU…ARRGGGHHHHHH!" Vegeta screamed, and threw a ki blast at them.

It struck the woman in her right eye and blew half her head clean off in a gout of blood. She slumped to the ground, then turned back to Vegeta. The remaining half of her mouth smiled.

"So this is the sweetness called pain…" the woman crooned, and then flesh erupted from the hole in her head, forming out a new skull that was covered with pink muscles. Black energy then flowed over it, and then vanished, and the woman's face was unmarked.

"Thanks." The woman purred.

"My children…have you chosen names for yourself?" Vagane asked.

"Yes father…I am Riot." Said the male.

"I am Bloodbath." Said the female.

"Lovely names, they truly suit you…just like your mother. You see, my foes, my daughter had the power to steal souls, but she never did anything with them but torment them. That is a waste. She could have derived far more power from them then she thought she could…for the soul is an extremely powerful energy. But until I cloned her, I could not access that power…but now…IT IS MINE!" Vaagne said as he held up his hands.

Riot and Bloodbath each grabbed a hand, and then blue power exploded from their hands and flowed into Vagane. For a second, you could almost hear a scream, Belinda's scream, and then the power vanished into Vagane.

He shook as if in the fit of an epeiletic seizure, his head leaning down as he panted.

Then he raised his head off. Everyone gaped at him. He no longer at any grey in his hair or short bead.

"It is even greater then I dreamed…IT IS AMAZING!" Vagane said as he lifted up the front of his hoverchair.

And he stood up. His legs were as strong as a healthy twenty year old's, which is exactly what he looked like.

Belinda's soul had restorsed his youth and healed his broken body.

"Ah…that is better…it is good to stand again…" Vagane said, looking at the Z Warriors, Legacy, and Buffy. "Now you see why I showed mercy so many times. I wanted as many as you alive as I could. You all have souls with power beyond belief, especially the warriors of this world. I want those souls. They will start me off. The souls of life as in numbers beyond counting…and my children will grant all their power to me, until I AM THE NEW CREATION!" Vagane screamed in triumph.

"Never!" Vegeta yelled, as everyone took battle positions.

Ok, so lemme get this straight…not only are we dealing with TWO Agonys…we'll dealing with two Agonys SUPERCHARGED ON GOKU'S POWER? Enough power to knock Erik off his rocker? Antie Em, I want to go back to Kanses!

"Where is Erik?" Christine said.

"He's dead. There won't be any comebacks. No one can survive a blast from me!" Riot crowed, laughing.

"Father…what do you wish?"

Vagane looked at the group before them.

"Kill them all."

And Riot and Bloodbath flew at the assembled group. The battle was over. It was time for the war.

Next Chapter: ARMAGEDDON!

To Be Continued!

Writer's Note: Maybe I'm just full of myself, but did anyone else have Spirit vs Spirit playing in their head when Erik became Redemption?

Come ON Nik Nak, did you REALLY think I was gonna kill Spike off? GOTCHA!

I like my reviews like I like my women: LONG! Um wait…that makes no sense at all. Just give me a long review then.

Got you too, Ian! Current score: Ash:6, You: ZIP! MWAHAHHAHAHA! And by the way, you wanted more gore? You got it. SO QUIT BUGGING ME!