Chapter Three: Siege at Nightfall
"You now have two choices. Kill yourself, or kill me." - Goku
" -there have been reports of people turning up missing all over the city, with no bodies or evidence being left at that sites of their last known locations. The local police task force has given us the go to announce the names of those missing. If you or any member of your family knows these people, don't hesitate to call our support line at the bottom of your screen. Jason Tongco. Adam Combs. Matt Cr-"
The image disappeared. Krillin sighed, running his fingers through his hair. It was late, too late, in fact. He was usually asleep by this time, but being one of the few whose memories had not been cleansed of the sight of Buu's destruction, he was plagued by horrible visions. People dying. In horrible ways. Bodies being twisted and deformed in the mere presence of Majin Buu's awesome powers.
"No!" he had screamed, seconds before awakening in a cold sweat. Next to him lay his wife, Android 18. She had slept through the scream again tonight, just as she had the previous ones. In the two months that followed the battle with Buu, Krillin had awoken each night at the same time, having the same dream. In order to keep himself sane, he turned on the tube, and that's where he found himself each night.
But tonight was different.
"What's going on there?" he asked himself, thinking about the story he had just seen, "The names that appeared on the screen numbered in the hundreds. This can't be the work of some serial killer. Gohan could check this out, as the Great Saiyaman, of course. But he's busy with school, and this isn't even taking place in Satan City..."
Krillin looked back into his room, where his wife still lay sleeping. Then he looked into the next room, and saw his lovely daughter, Marron, sleeping in her tiny bed. Her toys were kept neat and tidy, and her walls were painted a light pink. He smiled.
"Marron, I love you, honey." he said to himself, "I hope this won't take to long."
Krillin ran out the door and lifted high into the air.
"This looks like a job for... uh..." Krillin stuttered, "...me!"
With that, he flew off.
"So, something happened to 'em while they were on vacation?" Goten asked.
"Yeah, exactly!" Gohan replied, "I'm afraid Bulma and Vegeta have caught some sort of disease... but what effects it might have on the body I'm not too sure."
"What about the effects on the mind?" Goku asked, not bothering to look up from his plate, or even finish chewing his food.
"I haven't really taken that into consideration." said Gohan, "I'm worried about what might be happening to their bodies first and foremost. It effects the bloodstream, and so it might effect the major organs and such that the blood runs through, including the heart, brain, and..."
Gohan looked at the blank faces of his uneducated family, save for Chi-Chi, who had a concerned look on her face.
"So, should we go tonight?" Chi-Chi asked, "To see if they're okay?"
"No," Gohan replied, "I still need to run tests, and after school tomorrow, I'm free for the weekend. So, let's go tomorrow night."
"You're right, Gohan." Goten smiled, putting his arm around his buddy Trunks, "What could go wrong in one night?"
If Krillin had ever said something like "what could go wrong in one night", he hoped that someone would've smacked him for it. Right now, he was in the middle of North City, hiding in the bushes outside Capsule Corporation. He peered inside.
"What am I doing here?" he asked himself, "I'm not the one to save these people. I should be at home right now, sleeping. Or watching televi-"
"AIEEEEEEEEEE!"
Krillin's head snapped to the left and the tiny fighter jumped from his hiding spot. Landing behind some different bushes, Krillin could clearly see that a woman was being dragged into the Capsule Corporation building by the feet, leaving a trail of blood behind her. He couldn't make out the two people dragging her.
"Something is seriously wrong here." Krillin whispered to himself, as he saw the same two guys run out and begin to clean the blood off, "I guess it's up to me to stop it, too."
Krillin ran next to the building, holding his arms out.
"FREEZE!" he cried, expecting the two men to stop. However, the two men simply turned towards Krillin and came after him, jumping high into the air. Krillin cursed quietly before blasting the two thugs into oblivion. Krillin wiped the sweat from his brow, but then felt a sudden force on his shoulder. He turned around.
"Vegeta!" Krillin exclaimed, "Am I glad to see you! There's been some weird stuff happening! Just inside that door is... Vegeta, your eyes... what's...?"
Krillin trailed off as he looked deeper into Vegeta's eyes.
"...they're red. Discolored. I..."
Then he saw the fangs.
"I... holy, shit!"
Krillin broke free of Vegeta's grasp and flew off in the opposite direction. Suddenly, however, Vegeta was in front of him.
"Naughty, naughty." Vegeta smiled, grabbing Krillin and pulling him close, "You don't just enter another man's property and not expect to get bitten by the dogs, do you?"
"The d-dogs?" Krillin stuttered.
"Yes." Vegeta smiled, moving closer to Krillin's neck.
"Woof."
The sun arose, like it did every day. Goku jumped out of bed and stretched a bit, flexing his muscles.
"I guess we should go on over to Capsule Corp." Goku smiled, looking at Chi-Chi, who was sitting up on the other side of the bed.
"Not just yet, dear." she smiled back, "Gohan's still going to run some tests, and then we can go-"
Chi-Chi was interrupted by the slamming of their door. Goku spun around.
"Yamcha?" he asked.
Indeed, it was Yamcha. Maybe he could shed some light on the situation, living at Capsule Corp. and all.
"Goku, I'm so glad to see you." he exclaimed, "I wasn't sure if they had gotten you! I just came from Bulma's... I found something... something horrible..."
"What is it?" asked Goku, "What did you see?"
"Krillin..." Yamcha muttered, "He was ripped to pieces... his body was cut open from his neck down to his waist. Oh God..."
Yamcha held in a bit of vomit.
"You've seen worse, my friend." Goku smiled, "Lay down."
"I can't..." Yamcha sighed, "I don't feel right. Goku, this morning, I stumbled upon the bloody corpses of Dr. and Mrs. Briefs. Then, this afternoon, I saw them up and walking around. Am I seeing things? Am I crazy?"
"I don't think so." replied Goku, touching Yamcha's forehead, "It seems as though you really did see those things, or at least, that's what my probe's telling me. Hmmm... Chi-Chi, call Orange Star High School and get Gohan home as early as possible. Yamcha, you and I need to go to Capsule Corporation... tonight."
Krillin awoke, looking down at his blood covered shirt. It seemed as though there had once been two wounds, but now they were gone. The bloodstains, however, were still there.
He looked around him, surveying his surroundings. It seemed as though he was in a closet or something, and that he was surrounded by...
"Bodies..." Krillin moaned, "What're all these bodies doing here?! I... don't know. I can't remember much... about last night, anyway. I remember I was watching TV... and then I... what happened?!"
"You were given a gift, Krillin." a voice boomed from all around him, "A gift that increases your powers, and increases your awareness. Everything you once knew is gone. Everything you once loved, you hate. Those who were your enemy are now your ally. Your world has been changed, but for the better. I shall leave you alone with your thoughts. Come nightfall, however, you will feel hunger. And that is an area we can help you in as well."
Krillin sighed and scratched his neck. It itched so much. He kept scratching and scratching. Scratching and scratching. Scratching and scratching.
A large hunk of flesh dropped from Krillin's neck to the floor.
"Holy-!" Krillin exclaimed.
He felt for the blood coming out, but there was none. In it's stead, he only felt the raw meat, and then slowly felt it being rejuvinated. His skin was growing back at an alarming rate. Within seconds, his wound was gone.
Krillin thought long and hard...
Gohan, Goku, and Yamcha walked towards Capsule Corporation, if only to keep their ki signatures unreadable.
"How do we go about this?" Yamcha asked.
"Well, we apparently can't just waltz in there." Gohan replied, "I have no idea. I'm not a strategist. If only-"
Suddenly, the wind picked up a bit, and Gohan saw a familiar shadow loom over him.
"-Piccolo were here...!"
Gohan turned around and smiled at the Namekian warrior, who stood, arms crossed.
"I know everything that's been going on." Piccolo stated, "These people have come into contact with some sort of demonic being, and now they're being taken over by it. It would seem that this gives them some sort of urge to kill.
"Now, if we're going in there, I suggest we use Yamcha as bait, since he lives there. He can distract the guards, and we can sneak by. We'll go in, split up, and investigate. If something goes wrong, get out of there. You all got me?"
Everyone nodded.
"Alright, let's do this." Piccolo smiled, throwing off his cape.
"Hey, Gus! What's up?" Yamcha exclaimed, running over to the guard.
"Um... nothing much, Yamcha." he replied, "You gone to feed tonight?"
"Feed?" Yamcha stuttered, "Um... yeah... of course. I guess."
"Oh, well, that's good. The master says it's not a good idea to feed in the daytime."
"Oh, yeah. Of course. I knew that. Duh."
The conversation continued, with Yamcha digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself...
So we split up now? Gohan thought, talking to Piccolo telepathically.
Yes. NOW! Piccolo exclaimed mentally.
They all went in separate directions.
Piccolo veered off to the right, heading for the sleeping quarters.
Gohan charged towards the main file storage area.
Goku shot off towards a small, yet still significant power level that didn't seem to be moving.
"Where did you put your body?" Gus asked, "I always end up just tossing it under my bed. I haven't turned anyone yet."
"I haven't, uh, turned anyone yet, either." Yamcha replied, "And I... uh... toss it under your, I mean, my bed, uh... too."
Gus looked at him coyly.
"How long are your fangs?" Gus asked, "Lemme see. We're having a pool down in the front office to see who's got the biggest."
Yamcha hesitated. Gus then shot forward and dug his hands into Yamcha's mouth, feeling for fangs.
"Nothing!" Gus exclaimed, pushing a button on his walkie-talkie, "We've got an intruder here. A human. It's Yamcha. There may be more. Sound the alarm."
The two of them faced off. Gus got into a fighting posistion, and then hissed at Yamcha, baring his fangs and letting his eyes glow red.
"Shit!" Yamcha cried, turning around and flying off. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his pants leg.
It seemed that Gus could fly too...
Suddenly, the alarm system went off. Piccolo and Gohan hadn't found anything at all, but they immediately turned around and flew off.
Goku, on the other hand, wasn't scared of the alarm. He had to see if this tiny power level was the one he thought it was.
Goku opened the door to a closet...
Krillin looked up, seeing that the closet door had been opened.
"Goku?" Krillin exclaimed, "Boy, am I glad to see y-"
Goku put his hand over his friend's mouth. He quietly closed the door and sat down next to Krillin.
"Shhhh..." Goku whispered, "Krillin, I've already figured out what's been going on. I know what you are, and what Vegeta and Bulma are... I figured it out. I've watched too many movies not to know."
Krillin was going to respond, but he moved his tongue around a bit and felt the two fangs growing on either side of his mouth.
"You know what you've become too." Goku sighed, "And it's irreversible, as far as we know. Which means, either you're going to come and kill us all with Vegeta eventually, or you're going to have to die. We are now enemies."
Goku reached over and snapped a table leg like a twig. He then quickly sharpened one end with the edge of his hand.
"I can't do this, Krillin. I will always consider you my friend. I could never hurt you. Which is why you must choose."
Goku handed him the makeshift stake.
"Do it yourself, or kill me now."
Krillin's eyes widened.
"SINCE WHEN COULD YOU FLY!?" Yamcha yelled, trying to brush off Gus.
"Since I was given the gift!" Gus smiled back, trying to bite into Yamcha's ankle, which was moving too fast for him to do so, "A gift you will soon receive!"
"Fuck that!" Yamcha yelled back, "Here's a present from ME!"
Yamcha fired a Sokidan straight at Gus, sending him barreling towards the ground and allowing himself to escape. Yamcha flew off.
"What?! You can't be serious!" Krillin exclaimed, "I... I won't do ANY of that! I don't know what you're talking about!"
Goku sighed and held out his arm, his wrist bared.
"There is a major vein there, Krillin." Goku muttered, "You now have two choices. Kill yourself, or kill me."
Krillin looked at Goku's wrist, and then at Goku, and then down at his own hand, holding the stake.
A lone tear rolled down his eyes as he bent forward and made the easiest decision of his life.
Yamcha met up with Piccolo and Gohan on the rooftop of a nearby building, landing next to them.
"What the hell is going on there?!" Yamcha exclaimed, "The guards can fly now! And one of 'em, a guy I've known since I first came to Capsule Corp., just tried to KILL ME!"
Gohan and Piccolo looked at Yamcha, and then at each other. They had the same idea, but what they were thinking couldn't be true...
Could it?
From the building, they could see Capsule Corp., and the plethora of men and women who were running out and trying to find the intruders. Piccolo zoomed in on them, and was shocked to recognize a few faces.
"Those people down there..." Piccolo stuttered, "They are the ones who were missing! Capsule Corporation is behind everything!"
Suddenly, they felt the wind pick up behind them. They turned to see Goku land quietly.
"Goku!" Yamcha exclaimed, "I was worried about you! What did you find-"
Goku held up his hand.
"They know we were there." he replied, solemnly, "They know who we are and where we live. They will hunt us down, and our families. They are probably planning to kill us all as soon as possible."
"But why?!" Yamcha exclaimed in horror.
"Because..." Piccolo muttered.
"They're hungry."
Well, that'll do it for now. I meant to get this done before Halloween, but, eh, I'm lazy. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this take. Expect it to get more dark, violent, and personal between the sides of evil and good in the coming chapters. Oh, and check out "Destiny" and "Goodbyes", two fics I'm quite proud of. Until then... ah, fuck it.
BOOYA! - Matt Ryan