The Rage: Prophecy of the Ten

Disclaimer: DBZ is owned by people who are not me who haven't given me any
permission to use their copyrighted material. But that's not gonna stop me
(Bwahahahaha!!!!). Ahem…well, anyway, all other characters were created by myself
and other fans and any similarity with a real person is either purely coincidental or
intentionally malicious, whichever is more convenient. Please don't rip the characters, it
took too long to make them up!

Part 1 – The SuperHuman Saga
Chapter 3

Engar shuffled along slightly stooped over, keeping his eyes on the ground. He hated
to walk like that, knowing full well he could just as easily fly away on a moment's notice.
He knew better though. After two years on the run, he had learned to blend in, to hide his
power at all times. A slight lapse in his front, and sweepers and Heavies would be
dispatched in minutes. Though he knew at full strength he was more powerful than four
or five Heavies, he had learned his lesson the first time he had encountered them. They
were ruthless and cunning, delivering quick blows before he could power up more than a
fraction. They attacked in packs like jackals and he had been fortunate to survive his few
encounters with them. He knew he could not take them on without fully powering up.
And so he hid in broad daylight, mimicking the behavior of the other peons who
inhabited all the world states.
He turned left down a side street, keeping his other senses sharp for anything. He
wondered to himself why he had even decided to go to this meeting. It had not exactly
been easy getting into Aran unnoticed. He had to call in a big favor to secure documents
that would allow him to move about with relatively few problems. But for all he knew,
this could be an elaborate trap laid just for him. It certainly wasn't beneath the Aranian
government to do such things. But the stranger had said something that made him forget
all of his reservations…
"I have information about your parents…and the Saiyans…"
That had convinced him. Only four people alive knew anything about the deaths of his
parents. Three were the perpetrators, ruthless, mind-numbingly powerful beings that
claimed to be of the Saiyan race. He was the other. In all his travels, he had yet to find
others who knew anything about the Saiyans. It was as if they didn't exist. But the
stranger knew something, maybe even something that would help him avenge his parents.
It was a chance he would gladly take.
He took another left into an alley. By now, Engar could tell that at least three people
were following him. He never understood how the countless spies could seem to pick
people like him out of a crowd, but he had seen them in action before. They were almost
always right. He figured that they were probably wearing live mics and cameras, ready to
transmit at a moment's notice. He couldn't make any sudden movements, but he had to
lose them.
"Or kill them…" he thought with a smile.
He ducked into an open door suddenly, letting the darkness envelope him. He jumped
up and wedged himself into a corner of the ceiling. Within thirty seconds, as he expected,
he saw the beams of two flashlights dancing around in the darkness. By his estimation,
these were average humans. They would easily be dispatched. He worried somewhat
about the other person, whom he could not sense. He wanted to take them out quickly and
having one outside his sensory range did not bode well.
He heard a shuffle above on the next floor, most likely the last trailer. He could still
maintain surprise if he took the first two out. He dropped quickly, zanzokening to the first
one and swiftly breaking his neck before a sound was made. Engar had done the same to
the other before the first body hit the ground. He figured the sound would bring the other
one down to investigate, so he hid again in a corner of the ceiling.
When the third person stepped into the room, Engar knew something was up. Instead
of breathing, he heard a slight whirring of machinery. The person walked very
deliberately and quietly as he looked around, which was odd, since he didn't have a
flashlight. What really disturbed Engar was that he could not get a read on him, not even
a fake power level. Something was wrong with this picture.
Engar stiffened, seeing the gaze of the person stop squarely on him. He wondered if
the person saw him. When the person lunged at him from across the room, his question
was answered. Engar zanzokened away, follwed by the recovered attacker, who flew
after him, Engar suddenly turned back on his pursuer, landing a punch straight into his
jaw and sending the attacker sprawling. He jumped up, eying Engar in the darkness as
Engar concentrated on him. Engar couldn't help but wonder about him. His jaw felt like
titanium, yet he had floored the man. Maybe it was because it was a surprise blow
but…he got the feeling the man wasn't that strong. But he had survived a blow that Engar
figured would have severed the head of a normal human. That meant that he was pretty
strong…and why the hell could he not detect the man's power level?
His thoughts were cut short by a foot that was making its way towards his head. He
easily ducked, grabbing the leg with his right hand. He yanked back, pulling his assailant
directly into a kick from his right leg. He heard a distinct crunch, signaling the severance
of the leg from the body. Engar jumped up and grabbed the other leg, floating up in the
air so as not to make more noise. The man was dangling upside down from his one
remaining leg. He lifted himself up, landing a punch to Engar's jaw. Engar flowed with
the punch, letting go of the leg and spinning. The assailant was, therefore, surprised to
see Engar's left fist flying directly into his face. Before any more thoughts could register,
Engar knocked his head off. He heard the head land with a dull, clunky thud.
"That doesn't sound right." He thought. He didn't ponder it much though. When the
people he'd killed failed to report in, sweepers would be by, He had to be far away by
then.
He ran past the flashlights that still glowed on the floor and out the open door, turning
in the alley towards his destination. He flicked two switches on his belt. Feeling the
weight of one hundred times gravity lift from his body, he took off running down the
alley at full speed. As he sped along, he kept thinking of the severed head he had seen in
the glow of the flashlights. The head from which broken wires and metal protruded.
--------

"Well, what do you think, brother?" Saucony asked.
"Hmm. Looks pretty clean from here," Sebago replied. "I can't see a light on in the
place, and nothing's moved since we've been watching."
"True. I'm not picking up anything on the scanner. There's no activity at all in there."
Sebago scratched his head, thinking. "You don't think our scanner's getting jammed
up, eh?"
"Come on, brother, we made this thing to be jam proof, remember? Those dull
Aranian scientists couldn't jam this thing unless they banged on it with a sledgehammer."
"Heh, we are geniuses, aren't we?" Sebago chuckled. "What say we get down there
and see this guy? Maybe he can tell us more about our parents."
"Let's take some smoke and tear grenades just in case. I don't want to fight out of
there without a little insurance." Saucony said.
"Gotcha, mate." Sebago replied, grinning.
The pair headed down the hall and into the stairwell of the old abandoned tenement.
They had been there for a half hour, surveying the abandoned warehouse where they
were supposed to meet the stranger. They were nervous and rightfully so, being among
the many escaped Heavy trainees. If not for their intellect and luck, they could easily be
re-apprehended. Which was why coming to this meeting did not seem like the smartest
thing to do. But the stranger had told them he knew information about their parents, for
which they would gladly pay anything to hear. Like most Heavy trainees, they had been
abducted at birth from their parents. It was the one part of their lives that had always been
missing.
They walked to the front door of the old tenement, scanning the surrounding area
tensely for any signs of life. Sensing none, they used their super speed to dash across the
street and over the barbed wire fence in the blink of an eye. They were careful not to use
their ki, because any abnormal raising of ki would alert sweepers within a ten mile radius.
They did not slow down until they were in the threshold of the building. Saucony pulled
out the scanner, waving it around trying to detect anything. It still registered nothing.
"Well, so far, so good." Saucony projected telepathically to his twin.
"Let's be on alert though." Sebago replied. "You never know…"
"I know, brother."
They continued slowly and quietly. Though there were many forks and turns, the two
seemed to instinctively know which way to go. Finally they reached a door that had
obviously been opened recently, as there was a streak on the dusty floor. The two looked
at each other and, sensing no danger, opened the door. Bright light flowed out from the
door at them. They stood, dumbfounded, as their minds tried to register the paradox that
confronted them. Saucony whipped out the scanner. Sure enough, it registered no energy
or heat or life.
"Damn thing must be broken." He said to Sebago.
"Obviously. We must look at that later. But we may as well go in now…"
The two stepped into the room. They were surprised again to see a group of people all
looking at them enter. Automatically they tensed up, ready to take the defensive or
attempt an escape. The people in the room also tensed up, preparing for a fight.
"Who the bloody hell are all of you?" Sebago exclaimed.
"We should ask you the same thing!" a young looking male asked. "Who sent you?"
"No one sent us! We're here for a meeting…"
Everyone seemed to relax at that statement. "Well then," the guy replied, smiling, "so
are we."
Sebago and Saucony looked visibly relieved. "Heh, sorry about that mates." Saucony
said. "We don't exactly have reason to trust too many people, you understand. Anyways,
this here is me brother Sebago. I'm Saucony. We're from Hayashi. How about you
guys?"
The first guy answered. "I'm Golaf, from Sougen." He looked fairly young, about
seventeen or eighteen years old. He was about 5'8" tall. Everything about him seemed to
be blue, from his hair down to his boots. The only things not blue on him were his
swords, that rested in orange scabbards on his back.
"Engar. I'm from, um, Tentetsu." Engar looked a couple years older than Golaf. He
wore a black leather jacket over a black tank top. His black ensemble was completed by
black jeans and boots. He also had on a black belt that Sebago suspected was for more
than fashion. He had short, black hair that he combed back. He also seemed fairly tall,
which must have been hard to conceal when moving about in the open.
Another guy stepped forward. "Jah'nee. I'm from right here in the good old United
States of Aran." He said with sarcasm. He looked to be 21 years old, with brownish black
hair and a goatee. He was about average height and build. He wore jeans and a tee shirt
and sneakers, obviously clothes suited for blending with the regular people.
"Gwen." A girl standing next to Jah'nee said. "I'm from Aran too." She was about
5'5" tall with short brown hair. She wore a short jean jacket over a tank top, and blue
jeans and sneakers. From the relative closeness of she and Jah'nee, Saucony figured they
knew each other.
"Rei." Another guy said gruffly. "That's all you need to know." He was easily 6'3",
with long, black hair and a muscular build that was hardly concealed by a long black
trench coat. Underneath that, he wore a with shirt and black slacks. On his back, a sword
was visible. He did not look overly friendly, to say the least.
"Surudoi. I'm from Guntou." The guy who spoke was easily the youngest of the
group. He was about 5'4", and wore his long blond hair in a ponytail. He was clad in
what was apparently a cleverly disguised brown gi, and leaned on a long staff that was
nearly as tall as he was.
"Haratake, from Hayashi." He was around 5'9" tall, with olive colored skin, a bald
head and an earring in his left ear. He wore baggy cargo shorts and sneakers and a long
sleeved white shirt. He looked to be about 16 years old, but he was built very solidly.
"Ko'hi." The girl said cutely, "I'm from Tentetsu." She was about 5'10", with dark
skin and short, twisted hair. She wore what looked to be a functional black armor suit
disguised as a bodysuit. Over it, she wore a tank top and skirt, and she also had black
sneakers on her feet.
"Tourou." The last guy said. "I'm from Guntou." He was about 5'5", with Asiatic
features and black, spiky hair. He wore a "Chinese" shirt and black pants, as well as
black shoes.
After the introductions, there was a little pause. Understandably, they still didn't
completely trust one another. They were all waiting for something to break the ice.
"Well, I don't know about you guys," Ko'hi said suddenly, "but this place is a dump!
Honestly, after how long it took to get here, the Stranger could've at least made some
refreshments or something!"
Sebago chuckled. "True, I could use a spot of something to drink."
"Like a beer." Jah'nee said dryly
"Ya, mate, a beer sounds right." Sebago said, smiling.
Soon, the rest of the group, except Rei, was chatting away. They talked about
themselves and speculated on what the Stranger had brought them there for.
"Hmph," Rei snorted. "Isn't it obvious? He wants something."
----------

The time had finally arrived. Before him sat and stood twelve of the twenty Potentials.
He had already expected these twelve to make it. Two had been killed, four captured, and
two refused to join. He didn't blame the two for refusing. A dangerous game was at hand;
there would be no room for the weak.
A dead silence hung in the room that had before been alive with chatter. That tended
to happen when people appeared out of thin air, as he had. It was not that he had not been
there all along, he had simply convinced their minds that he was not there. He looked
around noting the looks that ranged from reverential to almost sneering. He reached up,
pulling the hood away from his head and revealing his dreadlocked hair. He unfastened
the robe and swept the cape off and behind himself. He wore and old style white button
up shirt and a pair of black pants, as well as a pair of Chinese style black shoes. He stood
about 6'3" and had dark brown skin. He flashed a brief, rare smile before beginning.
"Welcome," he bgan,. "As I expected, more than half of you made it here with
relatively little trouble."
"What?" Tourou asked, "You're saying there were more?"
"Yes. Four captured, two killed, two refused to come. I had anticipated these things."
"You knew it was going to happen." Gwen said, "Why did you have them come
then?"
The Watcher sighed and old, tired sigh. "You will learn, as I did, that Fate is not so
easily denied." He paused. "I'm sure many of you have questions…"
"Yeah," Saucony said, "Like why the bloody hell you have us here in Aran?"
"I'm glad you asked," the Watcher replied, "I must admit that I…"convinced" you all
to come here for reasons other than the one I intend…"
"Huh, figures." Rei said, sneering. "So you lied to us to get us here. I wouldn't be
surprised if you set us up."
"Rei Kumai, I've been known to be unscrupulous," the Watcher said tightly, "but I am
a man of my word. I promised you information and I promised the meeting would be
safe, and I will follow through. All that I ask of you all is that you listen to what I have to
say. Surely, if you went through the trouble of getting here, you can listen to me for
twenty minutes to get what you came for."
Rei glared back at him. "Fine, twenty minutes. This had better be good." The others
nodded in silent agreement.
"Good then. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Killian. In the past, I have been
known by many names, but the one that has persisted is The Watcher." He pause as
several people gasped, astonished.
"Impossible!" Surudoi exclaimed, "You can't be Kil'an the Watcher! He lived more
than 300 years ago! You'd have to be at least 330 years old!"
"More like 400 years old, give or take a decade." Killian replied. "However, that is not
important. I summoned you all here today to talk about destiny; yours, mine, the Earth's,
and how they are all connected." Killian paused. He had waited a long time to give this
speech.
"Long ago, more than half a millennium, the planet earth was much different. The
world you live in can only be described as repressive, dangerous, splintered. It could not
be more different from the world then. The people's of Earth were united under a single
government and lived in relative peace. The world was cleaner, a paradise in it's own
right. At times, however, this peace was interrupted by the likes of Cell, Majin Buu, and
Evil Shenron. When this happened, a group of powerful individuals stood up to defend
the Earth. They were the Earth's Special Forces. At every challenge they persevered,
ensuring the Earth's peace."
They began murmuring amongst themselves about what Killian had said. "You are
thinking I am crazy. Well, believe it or not, Cell and Buu were not simply legends or
myths. As has been the case for several hundred years, the five governments have been
hiding the truth about these beings, among many other things. But I digress.
"Unfortunately the grandchildren and great grandchildren of these warriors did not
take up the mantle of their parents, leaving the Earth undefended. Fortunately, no threat
the likes of Majin Buu dared attack Earth. It did not matter, however, because the true
threat to the planet was far more insidious. It was the darkness in men's hearts."
"It was around my twenty-first birthday that the downward slide of the Earth began.
During my childhood and teenage years, regional faction had sprung up and with them
came hostilities. It was around this time that, in my travels, I discovered an ancient text
called 'The Phrophecy of the Ten'. It was a novelty to me until I had it translated. Up
until then, I had never believed in fate or destiny…
"In a nutshell, the prophecy foretold two things. The first was, as it said, the descent of
the Earth into darkness. From what I read, I could recognize the events that were
happening in my own time. I vowed to stop the pivotal event that would send the Earth
into the darkness.
"Unfortunately, I failed to stop the nuclear accident from happening. It was huge,
affecting nearly all regions and moving the regions to separate, hostile governments.
Seeing that I failed, I vowed to fulfill the second part of the prophecy. The second part
foretells of The Ten, who will defeat the Dark One and return the Earth to the Light.
"Recently, I received the sign I've waited hundreds of years for. The time draws near
for the final conflict with the Dark One. I must gather the Ten together to face him." He
paused, letting his words sink in. "There are among you, I believe, some of the Ten."
----

After a heartbeat, confused and concerned chatter erupted from the group of twelve.
Killian allowed them to talk, giving them an opportunity to release the stress he had been
building up.
"Ok, I'm not saying I buy your mystical BS," Rei said, loudly, "but even if I did, why
call us all here if the prophecy only calls for ten?" The others murmured in agreement.
"Unfortunately, the prophecy was not that specific. It only mentions two of them in
significant detail. And those two people are not from Earth."
"Are they Saiyans?" Engar asked very suddenly. He looked at Killian eagerly.
"No, they are not Saiyans. One is called the Dragon Child, the other simply called The
Namek. I mentioned that I saw the sign of the coming of the Ten. That sign was the crash
landing of the Namek on Earth."
"Let me guess," Jah'nee said, "The Namek crashed in the Aranian desert?" Killian
nodded. "Well, you may as well forget about him then. He's probably been taken to the
Desert Base. There's no escaping from there on his own."
"Well, that is where you all come in." Killian replied flatly. He waited while
comprehension set in.
"No. Hell No!" Jah'nee said, echoing the sentiments of most of the others. "That place
is a fortress in a fortress. Not to mention that the largest concentration of Heavies in Aran
is based there. It's the friggin' Heavy research and training headquarters!"
"I don't know much about the place, but that sounds like a death trap." Haratake said.
"I think you all underestimate yourselves. Each of you are, at the least, slightly less
powerful than a True Heavy." Killian said. "Besides, we may be able to foment an
uprising among the trainees that have been forced into Heavy training. Then, there's
always the Namek."
"That may be true, but we can't count on it." Rei retorted. "I know I'm not alone when
I say that even I have trouble taking on three fully powered Heavies."
Killian shook his head. "I'm not asking you to charge in there with guns blazing. We
simply need to extract The Namek. I have a plan that will reduce the chance for failure. I
know all of your abilities. We can pull this off. Otherwise, without The Namek, the world
is lost."
He still saw uncertainty in half of their faces. "I see you are not all convinced. Well I
ask you, are you not tired of running, hiding, and fearing for your lives. The governments
of this world are treating you like animals to be used or destroyed. By doing this, we
strike a blow at the powers that have been hounding you and other like you. Maybe we
will be able to save others from their clutches. If you still feel you cannot join me, I will
understand. The play we are staging is a dangerous one."
"Well, I want to do what's right." Engar said. "Count me in."
"Well mate, you can count me and Saucony in." Sebago said.
"Count me in too." Gwen said. "It's about time I paid the Aranian government back
anyway."
Others began adding their support, till the only undecided were Jah'nee and Rei.
Jah'nee looked around the group, who were looking at him and Rei expectantly. His eyes
moved to Gwen's. He knew what he had to do.
"Ah, what the hell?" he finally said. "I don't have any love for the Aranian
government either. Besides, I broke out of there before. You'll need someone to guide
you guys through there." The others cheered at his decision, slapping him on the back
and shaking his hand, much to his discomfiture.
"What about you, Rei?" Jah'nee said to Rei. Everyone quieted down and looked at
Rei. He glared back at the group.
"Look," he said gruffly, "I didn't come here to sign myself up for any crusades. I
haven't spent the last five years fighting to stay ahead of the governments just to walk in
and give myself right to them. You," he pointed at Killian, "are asking us to commit
suicide."
"No, Rei, I am asking you to put your lives on the line for Earth. The fate of this
planet, your planet, is at stake. Are you so self-centered that you would allow this planet
to die?"
"Don't give me that shit! There are a roomful of people here who are plenty strong, as
you said. If you guys can't get the job done without me, the Earth needs to die. So don't
try to peg anything on me. I don't buy this whole fate crap. I'm the only one who
determines what happens in my life."
If Killian was disappointed, he didn't let it show. "Very well, you are free to leave
whenever you choose. As promised, I will disclose the information you are seeking." The
last sentence he projected directly into Rei's mind.
Rei nodded, then turned and strode away from the group towards an exit. He stopped
and turned around before stepping through the exit, as if conflicted
"I hope for your sakes, that you are killed." He said. "God help you if the Aranian
army scientists gets a hold of you alive." Then he turned and stole away into the night.
----

Killian allowed silence to reign after Rei's departure. His refusal was unfortunate but not
unexpected. The group that had, until then, looked enthusiastic, were now looking
thoroughly disappointed and doubtful. He considered "adjusting" their attitudes, but
thought better of it. It was not his place to make there decisions.
"If anyone else is unsure of their decision, they should go also. There is no room for
hesitation." He looked over the group. No one made a move to leave. He felt relieved and
smiled at the group. "Excellent. We have before us a major undertaking. Only a handful
of people have ever broken out of the Desert Base. No one has ever broken in, despite
many attempts. The downfall of the infiltrators has always been their motivation and their
tactics. The other governments all seek Aran's advanced Heavy technology and seek to
destroy it. They attempt to do so through infiltration, which always ends up in failure.
They never outright attack the installation for fear of nuclear conflict. The Desert Base
has never realistically expected to come under attack. This is a major weakness, which
we must exploit."
"So, what, a full frontal assault?" Golaf asked.
"That'll never work." said Jah'nee. "They have enough ordinance to blanket the
surrounding airspace for miles."
"And they have an energy dome." Gwen added. "We can't fly in or out of there."
Killian nodded. "This is all true. But we will not be attacking with the intent to enter.
We will be attacking to misdirect. From what I know, the defenses you mentioned are
only used when certain proximities are breached. However, if we keep the battle outside a
certain radius, the worst we'll face is a squad of Heavies. Unfortunately, this will be the
largest squad you have ever seen."
Everyone groaned in unison.
"Don't worry, for once you guys will have the opportunity to fight at full strength.
That will make a difference. Also, while of this is happening, I will be creating another
disturbance to divide the Heavies, and the attention of the base. That will allow a small
three or four person team to get in, find the Namek, and escape."
"Oh, I get it." said Surudoi. "Double misdirection. But that doesn't explain how the
small team will sneak in undetected."
"That is a question we will have to reserve for later. Sweepers are on their way at this
moment. I suggest we continue this conversation at a safer location."
They all jumped to their feet, looking around like caged animals. The made moves to
head towards exits.
"I suggest you follow me. I left some unpleasant surprises that are motion activated."
He swept his robe back over himself. "This goes without saying, but no ki usage. Follow
me please."
He leapt up three stories onto an iron walkway, followed closely by the group. They
headed quickly down a dark hallway. After a few turns and a few flights of stairs, they
found themselves in front of a gaping hole in the ground.
"Ok, jump down." Killian instructed, pointing at the hole. "Move in the direction of
the water flow and keep running. Let's go, quickly! The sweepers are almost in the
warehouse."
They nodded grimly and started jumping down the hole. By the time the sixth person
had jumped, an explosion rocked the warehouse, shaking the room they were in.
"Shit! Faster, the explosives are chained. We have thirty seconds at the most." Killian
said quickly. "The remaining people jumped in as the explosions became louder and
closer. Killian looked around once, then stepped into the hole as an explosion ripped
through the room. He fought the urge fought the urge to look up at the fire that was
chasing him down the tube-like hole. He smiled to himself.
"It's been far too long since I've had any excitement." He thought. He hit the ground
and leapt forward twenty feet. Half a second later, the fire followed him. By then,
however, he had doubled the distance and was not looking back.