Sequel to A New Problem
Author's Note: Hey! Not that bad! I got it out in under a month! Anywho, I
got one question from FireflyAngel. Tara is pronouced Tah-rah. Rhymes
with Kara.
Disclaimer: Er, think about it.
Chapter 18
Kara yawned and stretched from her cramped position in what she
consitered her chair on the bridge. She had barely gotten any sleep last night
because Ranmata had to convert her room to his training room. He had
accidentally exploded the one on the ship but fortunately the ship was
prepared for that possibility and they were all fine and still on their way to
Earth.
Now, she was in her chair and was woken by a particularly loud curse
from Ranmata who had been busy all the time Kara had been asleep. In her
drowsy state of mind she almost giggled at the fact that it couldn't get night
in outer space. She and Tara had just dropped off when ever they were tired
but Ranmata seemed like the Energiser Bunny, he just kept going!
"Ranny," Tara complained as Ranmata continued his work. "I'm
hungry!"
Kara just had to smile at Tara's nickname for the Saiyan. Ranmata
seemed to have ignored her and Kara waited for Tara to restate her objection
to the no-food-until-we-get-to-Earth rule Ranmata had put into play before
Kara had fallen asleep.
"Ranny-"
"I heard you Tara," he replied without looking up. "And I told you,
not until we get to Earth. I can speed us up with we don't use the energy for
replicating food. Trust me, it will help later."
"It doesn't help now," Tara pouted. She saw her sister awake and
happily ran up to her. Scaring Joey, who had been sleeping on Kara's lap,
Tara yanked Kara to her feet.
"Woah!" Kara felt the room spin as she was dragged in a circle.
"Let's play!" Tara dragged her to the back. Kara replied to the
demand with a pleading look to Ranmata. He just shrugged and turned back
to his work without comment or help. Kara sighed as her legs moved
unwillingly. Ranmata had an excuse and Kara was glad to not eat if it meant
getting to Earth faster. But her sister wasn't so forgiving and had bugged
Ranmata long before she had dozed off and it was her turn to keep Tara out
of Ranmata's hair.
Ranmata smiled in appreciation as Kara allowed Tara to drag her out
of the room. Now, with Tara out of the way, he could train. If he wanted to
see his fellow Saiyans he had to have a power level that wasn't too
laughable. Then again, maybe if he was more pathetic they would be
inclined to help him. Probably not though. Oh well.
***
"Trunks," Gohan mumbled through a mouth full of broken teeth and a
bruised jaw. "You won't have any Senzu on you?"
"One," he replied also in considerable pain. Vegeta had found them
and after a through beating that insured they couldn't escape again, he had
locked them up leaving only the capsule with food. Between Gohan's ruined
teeth and Trunk's broken index fingers it didn't do them any good.
"Break it in half," Gohan said and Trunks attempted to but with his
fingers broken and worse, it wasn't happening. Gohan sighed in irritation.
"Give it to me."
Gohan broke it without effort and swallowed his half whole. Then he
handed the other half to Trunks as the bean's magic took affect. They both
stood up, slightly bruised still but out of pain.
"What now?" Trunks asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Gohan asked annoyed. He could put up
with Trunks and Goten on normal situations but this was anything but
normal and he already was fed up with Trunks.
"You are the brain," Trunk said as if it was obvious. "The plan
maker."
"It doesn't take much to think, laser that can cut through anything
including a chi repelling force field that is holding us captive for the better
part of my summer break and keeps and an escape plan."
"I see. So…. What's the plan?"
***
Herman was in a bit of a mind conflict. His fire was down to coals and
the wind was already breaking through his wall of snow. In a few minutes it
would be him Vs Mother Nature. It was the debate, did he want to fight
nature or Tranculus.
"Time is of the essence," he told himself. "Think, think, think. If I die,
I can't help the fighters. Plus…I'll die. But if I live, no wait not a possibility.
Ok, die a slow and painful death by cold or a possibly quick and painless or
bloody and painful death by Nabukia's slave? Decisions, decisions."
***
17 and 18 landed on an empty part of the Lookout without so much as
a stir of wind. They walked around the edge of the Lookout before arriving
on an impatient and eerily quiet Z gang.
"Hello? 18 asked confused. Pan and Bra looked up at her but didn't
make a move. 17 confidently walked up to them and sat on the floor next to
them.
"So," he asked. "I have no clue what is going on. Care to full me in."
Goten spoke for the first time. He sat beside 17 and 18 and started to
explain their situation to the two cyborgs with relief of being able to speak.
"So everyone else is dead?" 17 asked after he was finished.
"Yea, and we can't leave in case Tranculus come to kill Dende and we
need the Dragonballs."
"When are the Dragonballs active again?" 17 asked.
"3 days-" Goten stopped and looked up at the sky frowning. Goku,
Pan and Uubu jerked their heads up too.
"There's a strong power level," Pan frowned. "Not strong enough to
beat us. They will be here today I think."
"And 4 more," Goten looked at another spot. "It's hard to tell power
levels off planet but they are very strong."
"Too strong?" 18 asked with a raised eyebrow.
Goku stopped his pacing and looked at her square in the eyes with
none of the forgiving childness that was usually present. Now, all 18 could
see was cold hard hatred and revenge. A merciless killer, like the rest of his
race. "Yes, too strong. Way too strong. For any of us and all of us."
***
Zergon flew straight to the place where he knew as an instinct where
Vegeta's friends were. He knew they would not welcome him with happy
arms but they provided some protection. He needed that now as he told then
what was wrong with Vegeta. He just hoped that the protection would not
disappear when they attacked him.
Not that they would win. The little Glaiver had a few tricks. Chi was a
fighter thing. Not all races had it, Glaviers being one of them. They had
adapted to their planet by inventing a kind of power that wasn't chi but in a
sense it was. Either way, chi would not hurt Zergon's power while his would
inflict double on the Z fighters. Fortunately for the Saiyans and humans
Glavier slaves were pacifies and Zergon was an excellent role model in that
field.
Zergon spotted the tower Vegeta had told him about and he flew up it
looking like a Glavier on a mission.
***
Tranculus soon grew bored of the drunks and searched for more
satisfying prey in the better parts of the town. He hadn't found too much
fighting but a shout called his attention to a formable mansion. The shouting
came from a man shouting at a woman and child, his yells loud even from
outside of the house.
"That child is a disgusting disgrace! I've only seen one other child
like it and his father had left him too! There is so curing it and since you
won't leave me to my methods I pronounce your child a dunce for life!"
"Good night Mr Shuu," the woman said firmly and a small child's
crying could be heard. A black haired man stomped angrily from the house.
"Stupid children," Mr Shuu grumbled.
"I think we have a winner," Tranculus stepped from the shadows.
***
Ranmata sighed in exhaustion as he dropped to the ground. He wiped
his brow with a white towel and opened the door of Kara's old room he was
knocked over by a furious ball of grey fur. He yelped as the sharp kitten
claws dug into his bare chest. Then Joey dashed off again brushing his tail
under Ranmata's nose, causing a violent sneeze.
Then a foot was planted in Ranmata's face shoving him down again as
Tara ran over him. He sat up quickly which made Kara stop before she could
stomp on him.
"Sorry," She offered him a hand that he gladly accepted. "Tara just
had a lot of trapped energy and Joey is taking the blunt of it."
"So I see," he replied dryly looking at the blood spots on his chest.
"I did have it controlled," she smiled sheepishly. "But it is Tara."
"As is see," he sighed. "Well, I'll get back to work on-"
"ROWR!" Joey leapt into the safety of Ranmata's arms and clawed up
to his hair, digging himself in.
"Ranny!" Tara whined. "That's not fair!"
"I didn't- Ahh, ahh, ahhh-CHOOO!"
Bless you," Tara said.
Suddenly the computer announced something over the sound system.
"In coming planet, prepare for impact!"
"What!" Kara yelled.
"Ahh!" Tara jumped on Ranmata and clung to him in fear.
"I guess I was in there for longer them I though," was all he had to
say.
***
"That's it!" Herman yelled making the snow that had gathered on the
top of the cave shake. He quieted after that. "I am leaving. The walls are
going to crush me anyway."
His usually rational mind was clouded with fear. There was the
natural fear of death and self-preservation, his clasterphobia and the fear of
waiting. He had been waiting and watching too damn long for his liking.
He pushed his snow block down and took an appreciative breath of
the frosty mountain air. Then he took off as fast as his out of shape body
could. His magic only worked in temperatures over 0 degrees so it was
pretty much useless to try and teleport out.
He rocketed through the sky to the Lookout where he knew the others
were gathered. He kept an active look out for Tranculus but by some miracle
Tranculus must not have sensed him. He was too right.
***
Tranculus was happily concentrating on causing Mr Shuu paint o
realise that he could now feel Herman. He continued to snap Mr Shuu's
remaining arm in as many places he could before dropping him to the
ground. Mr Shuu's cries had brought people from all around the
neighbourhood to witness the murder. They couldn't help him, the littered
bodies of good Samaritans was proof of that. Tranculus finished the
screaming man with a swift fist through the stomach and looked around at
the people.
"You bore me," he stated simply. "This is your down fall." He said it
like it was a simple statement without much behind it so the people all
breathed a sigh when he took off in the sky. Tranculus frowned as he looked
down on the twinkling lights of the small town. Then, almost as if it was an
after thought, he blasted the little town.
***
"Impact countdown in effect," Nerfa said in a calm cool voice.
Ranmata quickly braced himself in a door frame nearby with Joey tangled in
his hair and Tara hanging off his arm. Kara copied him by bracing herself in
the next doorway.
"5."
The ship rattled and banged as anything not bolted down crashed to
the floor.
"4."
"Why aren't you going to land this shit load?!" Kara yelled panicking
over the noise of the ship.
"3."
"It's not designed to land on ground," he replied with a pained
expression.
"2"
"WHAT!"
"1."
Extra Alex's note: HAHA! What a cliffhanger huh? Well, the plot almost
begins! Instead of that nonsense of peeking in the Z gang's brain and picking
apart emotions the real action will begin soon! What will Goku and gang
think about Ranmata? How about the Insect group? And where the hell is
Nabukia? Find out next time on, Sequel to A New Problem! ?, Catchy
name, no?
Author's Note: Hey! Not that bad! I got it out in under a month! Anywho, I
got one question from FireflyAngel. Tara is pronouced Tah-rah. Rhymes
with Kara.
Disclaimer: Er, think about it.
Chapter 18
Kara yawned and stretched from her cramped position in what she
consitered her chair on the bridge. She had barely gotten any sleep last night
because Ranmata had to convert her room to his training room. He had
accidentally exploded the one on the ship but fortunately the ship was
prepared for that possibility and they were all fine and still on their way to
Earth.
Now, she was in her chair and was woken by a particularly loud curse
from Ranmata who had been busy all the time Kara had been asleep. In her
drowsy state of mind she almost giggled at the fact that it couldn't get night
in outer space. She and Tara had just dropped off when ever they were tired
but Ranmata seemed like the Energiser Bunny, he just kept going!
"Ranny," Tara complained as Ranmata continued his work. "I'm
hungry!"
Kara just had to smile at Tara's nickname for the Saiyan. Ranmata
seemed to have ignored her and Kara waited for Tara to restate her objection
to the no-food-until-we-get-to-Earth rule Ranmata had put into play before
Kara had fallen asleep.
"Ranny-"
"I heard you Tara," he replied without looking up. "And I told you,
not until we get to Earth. I can speed us up with we don't use the energy for
replicating food. Trust me, it will help later."
"It doesn't help now," Tara pouted. She saw her sister awake and
happily ran up to her. Scaring Joey, who had been sleeping on Kara's lap,
Tara yanked Kara to her feet.
"Woah!" Kara felt the room spin as she was dragged in a circle.
"Let's play!" Tara dragged her to the back. Kara replied to the
demand with a pleading look to Ranmata. He just shrugged and turned back
to his work without comment or help. Kara sighed as her legs moved
unwillingly. Ranmata had an excuse and Kara was glad to not eat if it meant
getting to Earth faster. But her sister wasn't so forgiving and had bugged
Ranmata long before she had dozed off and it was her turn to keep Tara out
of Ranmata's hair.
Ranmata smiled in appreciation as Kara allowed Tara to drag her out
of the room. Now, with Tara out of the way, he could train. If he wanted to
see his fellow Saiyans he had to have a power level that wasn't too
laughable. Then again, maybe if he was more pathetic they would be
inclined to help him. Probably not though. Oh well.
***
"Trunks," Gohan mumbled through a mouth full of broken teeth and a
bruised jaw. "You won't have any Senzu on you?"
"One," he replied also in considerable pain. Vegeta had found them
and after a through beating that insured they couldn't escape again, he had
locked them up leaving only the capsule with food. Between Gohan's ruined
teeth and Trunk's broken index fingers it didn't do them any good.
"Break it in half," Gohan said and Trunks attempted to but with his
fingers broken and worse, it wasn't happening. Gohan sighed in irritation.
"Give it to me."
Gohan broke it without effort and swallowed his half whole. Then he
handed the other half to Trunks as the bean's magic took affect. They both
stood up, slightly bruised still but out of pain.
"What now?" Trunks asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Gohan asked annoyed. He could put up
with Trunks and Goten on normal situations but this was anything but
normal and he already was fed up with Trunks.
"You are the brain," Trunk said as if it was obvious. "The plan
maker."
"It doesn't take much to think, laser that can cut through anything
including a chi repelling force field that is holding us captive for the better
part of my summer break and keeps and an escape plan."
"I see. So…. What's the plan?"
***
Herman was in a bit of a mind conflict. His fire was down to coals and
the wind was already breaking through his wall of snow. In a few minutes it
would be him Vs Mother Nature. It was the debate, did he want to fight
nature or Tranculus.
"Time is of the essence," he told himself. "Think, think, think. If I die,
I can't help the fighters. Plus…I'll die. But if I live, no wait not a possibility.
Ok, die a slow and painful death by cold or a possibly quick and painless or
bloody and painful death by Nabukia's slave? Decisions, decisions."
***
17 and 18 landed on an empty part of the Lookout without so much as
a stir of wind. They walked around the edge of the Lookout before arriving
on an impatient and eerily quiet Z gang.
"Hello? 18 asked confused. Pan and Bra looked up at her but didn't
make a move. 17 confidently walked up to them and sat on the floor next to
them.
"So," he asked. "I have no clue what is going on. Care to full me in."
Goten spoke for the first time. He sat beside 17 and 18 and started to
explain their situation to the two cyborgs with relief of being able to speak.
"So everyone else is dead?" 17 asked after he was finished.
"Yea, and we can't leave in case Tranculus come to kill Dende and we
need the Dragonballs."
"When are the Dragonballs active again?" 17 asked.
"3 days-" Goten stopped and looked up at the sky frowning. Goku,
Pan and Uubu jerked their heads up too.
"There's a strong power level," Pan frowned. "Not strong enough to
beat us. They will be here today I think."
"And 4 more," Goten looked at another spot. "It's hard to tell power
levels off planet but they are very strong."
"Too strong?" 18 asked with a raised eyebrow.
Goku stopped his pacing and looked at her square in the eyes with
none of the forgiving childness that was usually present. Now, all 18 could
see was cold hard hatred and revenge. A merciless killer, like the rest of his
race. "Yes, too strong. Way too strong. For any of us and all of us."
***
Zergon flew straight to the place where he knew as an instinct where
Vegeta's friends were. He knew they would not welcome him with happy
arms but they provided some protection. He needed that now as he told then
what was wrong with Vegeta. He just hoped that the protection would not
disappear when they attacked him.
Not that they would win. The little Glaiver had a few tricks. Chi was a
fighter thing. Not all races had it, Glaviers being one of them. They had
adapted to their planet by inventing a kind of power that wasn't chi but in a
sense it was. Either way, chi would not hurt Zergon's power while his would
inflict double on the Z fighters. Fortunately for the Saiyans and humans
Glavier slaves were pacifies and Zergon was an excellent role model in that
field.
Zergon spotted the tower Vegeta had told him about and he flew up it
looking like a Glavier on a mission.
***
Tranculus soon grew bored of the drunks and searched for more
satisfying prey in the better parts of the town. He hadn't found too much
fighting but a shout called his attention to a formable mansion. The shouting
came from a man shouting at a woman and child, his yells loud even from
outside of the house.
"That child is a disgusting disgrace! I've only seen one other child
like it and his father had left him too! There is so curing it and since you
won't leave me to my methods I pronounce your child a dunce for life!"
"Good night Mr Shuu," the woman said firmly and a small child's
crying could be heard. A black haired man stomped angrily from the house.
"Stupid children," Mr Shuu grumbled.
"I think we have a winner," Tranculus stepped from the shadows.
***
Ranmata sighed in exhaustion as he dropped to the ground. He wiped
his brow with a white towel and opened the door of Kara's old room he was
knocked over by a furious ball of grey fur. He yelped as the sharp kitten
claws dug into his bare chest. Then Joey dashed off again brushing his tail
under Ranmata's nose, causing a violent sneeze.
Then a foot was planted in Ranmata's face shoving him down again as
Tara ran over him. He sat up quickly which made Kara stop before she could
stomp on him.
"Sorry," She offered him a hand that he gladly accepted. "Tara just
had a lot of trapped energy and Joey is taking the blunt of it."
"So I see," he replied dryly looking at the blood spots on his chest.
"I did have it controlled," she smiled sheepishly. "But it is Tara."
"As is see," he sighed. "Well, I'll get back to work on-"
"ROWR!" Joey leapt into the safety of Ranmata's arms and clawed up
to his hair, digging himself in.
"Ranny!" Tara whined. "That's not fair!"
"I didn't- Ahh, ahh, ahhh-CHOOO!"
Bless you," Tara said.
Suddenly the computer announced something over the sound system.
"In coming planet, prepare for impact!"
"What!" Kara yelled.
"Ahh!" Tara jumped on Ranmata and clung to him in fear.
"I guess I was in there for longer them I though," was all he had to
say.
***
"That's it!" Herman yelled making the snow that had gathered on the
top of the cave shake. He quieted after that. "I am leaving. The walls are
going to crush me anyway."
His usually rational mind was clouded with fear. There was the
natural fear of death and self-preservation, his clasterphobia and the fear of
waiting. He had been waiting and watching too damn long for his liking.
He pushed his snow block down and took an appreciative breath of
the frosty mountain air. Then he took off as fast as his out of shape body
could. His magic only worked in temperatures over 0 degrees so it was
pretty much useless to try and teleport out.
He rocketed through the sky to the Lookout where he knew the others
were gathered. He kept an active look out for Tranculus but by some miracle
Tranculus must not have sensed him. He was too right.
***
Tranculus was happily concentrating on causing Mr Shuu paint o
realise that he could now feel Herman. He continued to snap Mr Shuu's
remaining arm in as many places he could before dropping him to the
ground. Mr Shuu's cries had brought people from all around the
neighbourhood to witness the murder. They couldn't help him, the littered
bodies of good Samaritans was proof of that. Tranculus finished the
screaming man with a swift fist through the stomach and looked around at
the people.
"You bore me," he stated simply. "This is your down fall." He said it
like it was a simple statement without much behind it so the people all
breathed a sigh when he took off in the sky. Tranculus frowned as he looked
down on the twinkling lights of the small town. Then, almost as if it was an
after thought, he blasted the little town.
***
"Impact countdown in effect," Nerfa said in a calm cool voice.
Ranmata quickly braced himself in a door frame nearby with Joey tangled in
his hair and Tara hanging off his arm. Kara copied him by bracing herself in
the next doorway.
"5."
The ship rattled and banged as anything not bolted down crashed to
the floor.
"4."
"Why aren't you going to land this shit load?!" Kara yelled panicking
over the noise of the ship.
"3."
"It's not designed to land on ground," he replied with a pained
expression.
"2"
"WHAT!"
"1."
Extra Alex's note: HAHA! What a cliffhanger huh? Well, the plot almost
begins! Instead of that nonsense of peeking in the Z gang's brain and picking
apart emotions the real action will begin soon! What will Goku and gang
think about Ranmata? How about the Insect group? And where the hell is
Nabukia? Find out next time on, Sequel to A New Problem! ?, Catchy
name, no?