Chapter IX: A Deadly Foe; A Powerful Ally
Boxer anticipated that Therese would make the first move; indeed she did. She threw a punch directly towards Boxer's face. He titled his head away at the last second, making his opponent punch air.
Therese drew her hand back, frowning. She had not expected someone with as broad and solid a build as Boxer to be quite so nimble. Drawing her fist back again, she tried to punch Boxer again, but at the last second, thrust her other fist out as well.
Boxer turned his head to the side to avoid the first punch, and instantaneously bent his head all the way backwards to avoid the second. He grinned; he was just playing with Therese. This was far too easy.
"My turn," Boxer said cheerily and punched Therese in the stomach. She went flying back a long distance, relatively unharmed, but very perplexed.
"How," she thought, "Could someone that nimble also pack such a punch? It's unheard of! And he's so calm on the battlefield… this is like a game to him."
She picked herself up and flew towards the blue-haired warrior, and did a flying roundhouse kick in midair. Boxer leaned to one side, then ducked, leapt upwards, and grabbed Therese by the waist. He then threw her down hard into the floor, proceeding to make a graceful landing where he had just stood.
Therese stood, rubbed her bruised cheek, and turned to face boxer. She let out a war cry, and let out a fury of punches and kicks directly towards Boxer. However, he merely blocked or dodged everything she threw at him, no matter how fast or hard she tried.
Eventually, he grew tired of blocking, and he back flipped, landing on his hands, and flipping around again, instantaneously flew towards Therese, kneeing her in the chest and sending her flying again.
Therese, while flying back, flipped around and landed back on her feet, then walked back towards Boxer and looked him in the eyes (downward, of course, because of their height difference).
"You…" she began, not quite sure what to make of him. "You're just fooling around, aren't you? You're not really fighting at all. You haven't even showed me a fraction of your true power."
Boxer shrugged. "Why would I need to? If I were to unleash my true power on you in your current state, you wouldn't stand a chance of even surviving. You haven't shown your true power either."
"True, true," she admitted. "You catch on quickly, Boxer, but I think our little practice round is over. Let's power up; just a little bit, so we can really fight instead of just play around. We don't have time to waste, all right?"
"You want me to unleash my true power now?" he asked, a little disappointed. "I wanted a good battle."
"No, not necessarily," she told him, "Unless that's what it takes to stand up to me. But let's at least power up enough to have a real fight. All right?"
"Sure, all right," Boxer agreed. He didn't power up right away; he wanted to sense how far Therese would go and then adjust his power accordingly.
"All right then!" Therese cast off her cloak, to reveal her leather bustier and shorts. She was already surrounded by a shimmering orange aura and letting out a powering-up war cry. A little stub of metal went flying into her hand from a holder on her shorts, and extended into a full length quarter staff.
At last, she thought she had powered up sufficiently, and stood straight once again and brushed her hair back. Therese the prophet was a deadly beauty when decked out in her battle garb.
"And you, Boxer?" she inquired. "Are you that cocky?"
"We'll see," he said, wishing to hide his true power to see how far he needed to power up to hold his own against Therese.
"Well then," she shouted while flying towards him, "Try this on for size!" With a deft blow that was almost too fast to track, she struck Boxer across the chest with her staff, and he went flying back, crashing into the metal airlock (thankfully not breaking it).
"Jeez," he said to himself while rubbing his head, "She sure packs a punch. I'm not gonna fool around."
"All right, Therese!" he called to her, from the other side of the room. "Now we'll see who's gonna win this fight!"
***
Piccolo's eyes narrowed a little bit as he turned to the Fighter Kai. "He's going Super Saiyan. Are you sure that's necessary to win this fight, Kai? Isn't that overkill?"
The Fighter Kai stared at his protégé. "Maybe," he confessed. "We'll see."
***
Boxer's now-long blue hair stood on end as his gi flustered about. A red aura engulfed him, and Therese could feel immense waves of power coming from him.
"What's this?" she thought. "How could someone concentrate so much power around himself? He's only a human who never came in contact with the crystal… by all laws of physics, he should be imploding by concentrating that much power into himself. What is he trying to prove?"
Boxer's eyes went blank for a moment, and there was a flash. When Therese could see clearly again, Boxer was now no longer Boxer somehow. His hair was golden and stood on end, and his eyes, formerly blue, were pale green.
He strode back confidently to greet Therese. "You're no human, are you?" she asked. "I thought you were, but I was wrong. What are you, Boxer? What kind of alien are you?"
"I am human," he protested. "Mostly. But a very long time ago, my ancestors were the house of Vegeta: prince of the Saiyans."
"The Saiyans!?" the prophet exclaimed, absolutely astonished. "Then you must be…"
Boxer nodded. "I am a Super Saiyan, as was Goku who defeated Frieza long ago."
"I must admit that I am impressed," she declared. "I truly didn't believe that Goku turned into a Super Saiyan and defeated Frieza, but…" she paused.
"But what?" Boxer asked.
"But I still don't!" she taunted. "It's impossible that one such man could defeat Frieza, and it is impossible that one such man could defeat me, especially one of such diluted blood. You'll need more than golden hair and green eyes to beat me, Boxer."
"Your skepticalness will be your downfall," he warned her. "But don't take my word for it… I'll show you!" Quicker than Therese could blink, Boxer lunged at her. Relying on instinct alone, Therese thrust her staff downward. Not even needing to think about it, Boxer dodged easily and head butted her in the thigh. Now the true battle had begun.
Therese knelt down to nurse her wound, but Boxer was already above her, ready for another blow. She held her staff up in defense, but Boxer swiveled around it. Before he could land a blow, Therese jumped back, but she couldn't seem to shake Boxer from her tail; he quickly adjusted his course right before he hit the floor and flew towards her.
She flipped over Boxer, and caught his head in-between her knees. Now, she was standing on her hands, her knees bent to hold Boxer's neck, who was on his knees facing the opposite direction.
"All too easy," he thought, and at once took off. Therese didn't expect this tactic, of course, and being somewhat light, when Boxer stopped short, she went flying into the ceiling, still facing downwards, and saw Boxer coming right for her with outstretched fist.
Sensing his attack, she grabbed his fist in her left hand, and struck him with all her might across the face with her staff. As he went flying to the floor, Boxer realized the problem with his strategy; Therese utilized a weapon; she was one with her staff, and having an extra appendage certainly gave her an advantage. It didn't matter if Boxer was more powerful, which he very well may have been; he needed a way to surprise her; give her something she couldn't counter with her staff.
Suddenly, Boxer had an idea, but he needed to execute it very quickly. He slowed his falling pace, but not quite enough to make it noticeable to Therese who was still watching him and recovering. Still with a look of pain on his face, he cupped his hands and whispered: "Ka-me…"
A little energy ball appeared in his hand. He concentrated a sizeable portion of his energy into this attack; if this diversion worked, he would have time to re-energize anyway.
"Hah-me…" he continued, the ball of energy gradually growing larger. Therese still suspected nothing, but looked on with some surprise; she simply did not expect that Boxer could be as powerful as he was.
At last the energy attack was great enough to create a perfect diversion. A split second before he hit the floor, he finished his attack. "Ha!" The attack grew exponentially in size, and rocketed towards Therese with amazing speed."
At the last second, Boxer landed on his hands, and flipped over onto his feet to watch the ensuing chaos. Therese simply did not sense this attack in time and was hit by its full force.
"NO!!!" she gave out a huge cry of pain as the energy coursed around and through her body; not a single particle of energy hit anything except Therese. "Augh!" she screamed, and fell lifeless to the ground. Boxer knew he couldn't give up yet; she would be back on her feet in moments.
With all his might, Boxer charged towards Therese. Just as she raised her head, Boxer kicked it back down, back flipping and then rocketing in the air to throw another energy attack.
***
18 watched this portion of the battle with some sense of disgust. She turned to the Fighter Kai. "Don't you think he's overdoing it?" she asked worriedly. "She's down! What if he seriously hurts her?"
The Fighter Kai didn't turn his head to turn away from battle as he responded to her. "Boxer knows what he's doing. Therese is far from down, and now she will adapt to his change in tactics. If Boxer lets himself fall to a break in the action, Therese may gain the upper hand. It's not about overkill, 18; it's about winning. Boxer will not kill her, but he will also not let her win. Such is the way I have taught him."
"That seems familiar…" she mumbled, and turned back to watch as Boxer fired another energy attack down upon the unsuspecting prophet.
***
However, this time Therese did sense the attack in time, and rolled out of the way, having only her arm somewhat charred from the blast. She was now covered in dust, and had her share of cuts and bruises. Boxer's previous energy attack had seriously damaged her. Now she couldn't let Boxer get the upper hand.
However, the young warrior, possessed by his own love of fighting and desire to win propelled himself towards Therese as soon as he landed and knocked her to the floor, flying right past her as soon as she stood.
"I've got to think of something quick or else I'm down," she considered. Suddenly, it occurred to him. Boxer had tried the same attack twice before changing tactics; if he held to his pattern, she could take advantage of the situation.
She got up again, and saw Boxer flying madly towards her again. This time, at the last second, she dropped and flipped, her legs catching Boxer's neck. However, before Boxer had the opportunity to fly again, Therese flipped upwards and locked her arms through Boxer's armpits and around his shoulders. He couldn't move his arms, and Therese's skinny legs seemed to easily evade his kicks.
"You fought well, Boxer," she commented, "But I won't let you win this one. You are strong, but maybe not strong enough to defeat Alexander. If this is the best you can do, I bet I can take him on by myself. Besides…" she smiled, "I haven't even reached my full power yet!"
With that, the orange aura engulfed her again, and her muscles bulged, but Therese seemed to retain the same, sleek figure. Her wounds were healed at once, and the dust cleansed from all over her body. Out of the corner of his eye, Boxer saw her staff change as well; it became a fiery red color and covered with an energy shield.
As Therese powered up, the ships in the hangar rattled violently, Gemini fell down at once, and even Boxer's companions struggled to remain standing. At last, the heated vibrations ceased, and Gemini and her staff were surrounded with a humming orange energy shield.
"This is my full power, at least as well I can tell," Therese whispered in Boxer's ear, as he struggled even further to get free, but his attempts were met with even more futility. "I have undergone nonstop mental training for days to achieve this level of power. I would like to see you try it, you who have never been in contact with the crystal."
She let Boxer go, but before Boxer could even begin to comprehend what was happening, she struck him hard across the back with all the might of her staff. He went flying in a spiral straight into the wall, and got his head stuck in the metal he indented.
When he pulled himself out of the wall and turned around, Therese was coming at him at a speed beyond belief. By striking her staff, she knocked Boxer's legs out from under him and then thrust her staff upwards, making the young warrior fly into the ceiling at great speeds, again leaving his indented image.
***
Garuda's mouth hung open as he bore witness to Therese's frightening display of power. "That's really amazing!" he declared. "But Fighter Kai, don't you think it's too much for the kid? Yeah, you or me, we could take that kind of punishment, but what about him? He doesn't look like he's doing so hot!"
The Fighter Kai still did not turn; presumably didn't even blink. "Boxer is doing fine. He will trust his feelings; they will lead him to victory. Therese's display of power is merely a minor setback. But really, Garuda, how long do you think she can hold up for?"
Garuda shrugged. "For the kid's sake, I sure hope it's not very long."
The Fighter Kai shook his head. "It doesn't matter either way. Boxer will find a way. I trained him to make the most of any situation, and I have faith that he will do just that."
"If only he could get rid of that staff…" Garuda mused.
***
Luckily, Boxer was already a step ahead of Garuda. He knew that he needed to get rid of Therese's staff if he wanted time to plan out a strategy. He would once again employ his "play dead" tactic; it was his only shot.
Opening his eye just slightly, he saw Therese come at him while he was still stuck to the dent he made in the ceiling. Summoning as much power as he possibly could, he blocked out all other images, all other feelings, except for the sight of the staff. He predicted its movements; he saw its intentions. He sensed its existence and its connection to Therese.
He concentrated all of his power into his legs and waited until just the right moment, and then it happened. He felt something click in his head, and he shot his legs out with all of his might, straight into the staff. His normal sight returned, and he saw the staff go flying straight to the far end of the hangar and Therese directly to the floor.
This was his chance; his one and only shot at victory. Speeding his way to the floor, he made his intentions known to Therese. "Skeptic!" he called to her as she raced after her staff, which was still bouncing around quite a bit. "You could not believe that such a thing as Super Saiyan existed, but I have proved you wrong. Now, I will prove you wrong again! You believed that a Super Saiyan without the help of his comrades could not defeat you. And, you never stated this, but I'm sure you must think so; Super Saiyans are the highest level of power a Saiyan can achieve!"
He concentrated power into every pore of his body, focusing on the memories of Nappa and Raditz coming at him. "You…"
Boxer thought of Vegeta, and his great power and pride; how that Saiyan had given rise to his current state of power. "… Were…"
Finally, the memory of his parents hit him, and the dark figure crouched in the window when they had been slain. Somehow, this creature weakened him; somehow, it gave him strength. Boxer felt a new power stir within him; a power he had achieved only once before. "… WRONG!!!"
In an explosive burst of energy, Boxer stood still, as the shockwave of energy he sent out made ships collapse where they stood and bring even the most powerful of warriors who were standing to their knees. His hair now stood taller and more rigid; his muscles wider.
"I am a Super Saiyan 2, Therese!" he called, as she finally grasped her staff and turned around. "Face me, and discover why I will defeat Alexander!"
***
"Sir!" one of the captains called out to Alexander high up on the bridge. "There seems to be a massive power surge coming from the hangar bay!"
"What?" he asked confounded. "It couldn't be those life forms that were just on their way here, could it have been?"
"It appears that they are, sir, but I can't quite explain it," the captain spoke quickly, alarmed. "Four out of the five life forms are still at the same power levels as when they were on the ship, but one has skyrocketed past any measurable level… and the other great power seems to be the Mistress Therese herself."
"What!?" he exclaimed, startled and amazed. "Captain, I want a power level readout right now on both of them!"
"Yes, sir" the captain acknowledged, but as soon as he sat back down to the reader, it exploded right in his face. "Sir! Their power levels have gone past anything we have ever recorded, and it's clear blown the system out of order!"
"Impossible!" the tyrant exclaimed. "Captain, stay where you are! I'm going to investigate this myself!" he exclaimed as he threw his brandy glass to the floor, where it shattered. With that, he left in a hurry on his way to the hangar bay as the crew watched in wonder and horror.
***
Still reluctant to believe that she could lose to such a warrior, Therese sped towards Boxer with all of her might. He instantly concentrated his power into speed, and Therese went flying right past him, having lost all sense of tracking.
He appeared right behind her, his image still lasting where it once stood, and concentrated his energy into physical power. He kicked Therese hard in the back, and she went skidding across the floor, landing upside down, still grasping her staff, against the wall.
Shifting his focus again, he concentrated his strengths this time on an energy attack. "Kamehameha!" he shouted, and the energy at once sprang forth from his cupped hands, and before Therese could even see the enormous energy blast, it struck her.
Therese now lay face down on the floor, but she sensed Boxer coming at her. Leaping to her feet just as Boxer was about to reach her, she focused her full force into her staff and struck with all of her available energy.
Boxer was quick to sense it, and refocused his energies again into defense. When Therese's staff hit him against the chest, it split in two; the halves went flying straight across the room to the opposite end of the hangar.
Therese, now obviously frightened and lost, found herself being hoisted up by Boxer's hand grasping her side. Despite the fact he had not grown in size and was still a rather short man, he seemed ten feet tall at that moment.
Boxer wound his fist back, and concentrated all of his energy into one tentative final punch. A throbbing golden aura surrounded his fist as he readied to strike Therese. At last, the prophet's eyes went wide, and she cried out.
"Stop! I surrender!"
The words echoed about the hangar, and all else seemed to go silent for a moment, save for the low hum of Boxer's golden aura.
Exhausted, Boxer dropped her and powered down to his normal state, breathing heavily. "It…" he gasped, "It was a good fight, Therese." Boxer smiled. He had won.
