Chapter 10 – The Mastermind

Elsewhere

Vegeta: Damn! Everyone! Create a ring around him and fire your strongest attacks!

Piccolo and Tien follow Vegeta's plan and execute the move.

Tres: It's been fun, but I can't stay here any longer.

Vegeta: NOW!!

Elsewhere

Yamcha: Can we go now? Shi's dead and there's nothing for us here.

Goku: Sure. But I got to hand it to you Krillen. Coming out of nowhere like that. Shi didn't even see you and slipped on that head of yours. That stalled him long enough for us to kill him off. That was brilliant!

Krillen: Yeah…I have to tell you guys something…

Goku, with Yamcha's hand already on one shoulder, grabs Krillen and uses Instant Transmission. They return to the front of the Solstice.

Goku: What were you saying, Krillen?

Krillen: It's…umm…kind of hard to explain. Trunks wanted me to tell you guys about this.

Sections of land start to glow a few meters in front of them.

Goku: Gohan! And Chaozu!

Krillen (cries out): Trunks has wings!!

He looks just past Gohan and Chaozu to see Trunks, surprised, and continues with a hand behind his head and nervously laughing.

Krillen: Umm…heh heh... Hi, Trunks…

Yamcha: I knew it! I didn't think there'd be a chance in Hell that my guess was right! I should've known something was up when you acted all defensive before dropping it altogether.

Goku: But, how did you get them?

Suddenly, Vegeta, Tien, and Piccolo appear at the scene standing in a triangular pattern around the fighters firing his own assault to the center. The beams coming from all directions rapidly gravitate to the center. Everyone, except for Trunks, ducks. The blasts make what appears to be a direct hit for all sides.

Piccolo: That's the last time we follow one of your plans!

Vegeta: How was I to know he'd blow himself up at the last second?!

Tien: We're back here? Chaozu?!

A gust of wind sweeps the dust and sand away, revealing Trunks standing unharmed in a barrier created by his broadened wings. Tien and Piccolo stand wordless. Vegeta, sure of himself, approaches his son with intentions of disproving what others believe.

Vegeta: They can't be real. (grabs a wing, examines it, and continues gravely) They are real…

Unknown to the others, Trunks suddenly feels a overwhelming power encroaching the area fast. Not wanting to be surprised, he assumes a ready position.

Trunks: None of you can sense that? It's so powerful... and dark…

A person Trunks had warned the others about appears from literally nowhere. The figure stands up, rips off her cloak and throws in on the ground. What the garb of fabric had concealed was a young woman, not quite twenty yet, dressed appropriately in black. Large black, silky wings stretched themselves out before retracting to their normal positions. Her dark cobalt hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, revealing her even darker eyes.

PERSON: The spaceship appearing out of nowhere was designed for mass killings. The decoy warehouse functioned as Proving Grounds. And now, the Solstice – where the main events take place.
Awwal, Deux, Tres, Shi. Their only purpose was to bring out your fighting instincts. Fujitsu. For the two who he thought worthy enough were able to engage in combat with him.
Think of me as the Final Challenge. I am Zyxoiar and I will stop at nothing to achieve my goal – universal dominance. And trust me, I have nothing to lose.

Trunks' heart is viciously ripped out and stomped on mercilessly. How could someone who used to be welcoming and sympathetic and who he, in the back of his mind, cared about change so much?

Zyxoiar snaps her fingers. The sclera in Fujitsu's eyes return to their natural white color before he looses consciousness and collapses. Everyone stands there wondering what she's done.

Zyxoiar: If you're all wondering, he was under my control. Fujitsu has no recollection of his past memories and no yearnings for a future other than here in the Solstice. Don't worry, he won't be a threat to anyone after he reverts to his own self.

Goku: Y-you have wings, too?

Zyxoiar: You shouldn't seem so surprised about them. Your friend also has a pair.
Enough talk. Who dares challenge me?

Vegeta: You've got to be kidding! You're the one who's been destroying the planet?! You're just a little girl!

Zyxoiar: Aren't we the prejudice one? You don't even know how much more powerful I am to you.

Vegeta: What?! You don't know who you're messing with, bitch! I am Vege–

Zyxoiar (talking over Vegeta): --you are Vegeta, Prince of the planet Vegeta, and ruler of all Saiyans.

Vegeta stands stunned.

Zyxoiar: You won't believe how much I know about you – your history, fighting experience and level, etcetera. But you're not the center of my world. I know vital information about most of your friends here as well. And I don't even need to research anything.

Vegeta: What do you mean?

Zyxoiar (quietly laughs): I can sense it.

Vegeta: I've had enough of you!

The agitated Vegeta charges at Zyxoiar and delivers various combinations of punches and kicks – all which Zyxoiar avoids – and breaks away.

Vegeta: You're going to keep doing that?! That's no way to fight!

Vegeta charges at Zyxoiar head-on again, but this time vanishes and shows up behind her. As he twists his waist to kick her with his leg already in the air, Zyxoiar turns around to grab his leg, throws it away from her, and punches him in the abdomen. Vegeta cringes over in pain, despite his armor.

Zyxoiar: Heh. Not the great fighter you thought you were, huh? Dammed loser.

She kicks Vegeta, sending him flying toward the other fighters. Just as he's about to get up, he bends over and vomits blood.

Zyxoiar: I'll choose the next victim. (points to Trunks) You. You're stronger than your father. Why don't you come and fight me?

Trunks: What?

Zyxoiar: Fine. I'll come to you.

Zyxoiar, unseen by the fighters, glides her way to Trunks and kicks him, aiming for his head. Trunks, sensing what she is doing, parries the attack and jumps into the air.

Trunks: Why are you fighting me?

Zyxoiar: You seem to be the only one who hasn't been beat up badly.

Zyxoiar punches him in the jaw. He blocks this and separates himself from the combat. She charges back at him and tries to faze him with a series of ki blasts. The energy spheres scatter around their target before shooting him. Trunks dodges most of them, except for one. This one stops him long enough for Zyxoiar to make her move and kick him in the ribs, sending him sailing across the sky. His wings spread out in effort to slow him down. Zyxoiar charges once again and the two continue the pattern.

Goku: Something's wrong…I can't sense either of them!

Piccolo: They're moving so fast – It's like they're not even there!

Vegeta (to himself): How's that boy doing this?!

As the battle between Trunks and Zyxoiar begins to intensify, Fujitsu beings to regain consciousness.

Gohan (only one that notices): Hey! He's getting up.

Gohan walks over with intentions of aiding the fallen warrior. Fujitsu is only at a kneeling position when he notices an energy beam hitting part of the Solstice and evaporating that sector. He looks overhead in hopes to find out who had done this, only to find himself staring in awe at the clash of the two extreme-opposing forces.

Fujitsu (quietly): Quidam…?

Gohan: Huh?

The others look toward Fujitsu and Gohan. Fujitsu stands up.

Goku: Qui--?

Fujitsu turns around and looks at the warriors as if he'd never seen any of them before in his life.

Fujitsu: Who…who are all of you?

Goku: You mean you don't remember any of us?

Fujitsu: Remember? I have not seen any of you before.

Yamcha: And why are you speaking like that?

Fujitsu: This is how I always speak. Never mind that now. Why is Quidam fighting with that boy?

Fujitsu looks closer at the fight, perceiving a specific characteristic of both combatants. His face takes on a frozen, pale appearance expressing both astonishment and panic.

Yamcha: Who's this Qui--?

Fujitsu (cutting Yamcha off): Did you not see what is on each of their backs?! It follows part of the legend!

Goku: You mean there's a whole legend about what's going on right now?!

Fujitsu: Yes.

Vegeta: How can you possibly know that?! I would have realized that a while ago.

Tien: Vegeta? You know the legend too?

Vegeta (a little off guard): Yes, I do. (redeeming himself) There's a little story that tells about two opposing forces, much like your basic good-versus-evil conflicts. It was undetermined of what race the side of evil descended from, but the side of good surprising possesses blood of a great race of fighters – what better than the Saiyan race. I didn't think that the pathetic child's story could ever be real.

Fujitsu (scornfully to Vegeta): Do NOT EVER refer to the legend as a child's story! (normally) What you have said was only partially correct.

Vegeta: What!?!

Fujitsu (in a hard and serious tone): This legend, called a prophecy by some, may very well indicate the end to the universe. No matter how intense this fight gets, she has to kill him slowly and he must kill her fast and in a controlled manner.

Gohan: Why do they need to kill a specific way?

Fujitsu: If they do not, something unmentionable – something unconceivable to the mind – will happen to not only the earth, but the entire universe as well.

Vegeta: We're all damned. If he transforms into a Super Saiyan, there's no telling what he would think of doing.

Fujitsu: What do you mean?

Vegeta (crossing his arms): As most of you know, all those who are part of the Saiyan race are born natural fighters. We like to see our prey suffer. But, no matter how calm one can stay during a battle, once transformed all that doesn't matter; certain fighting instincts intensify. |
(to Goku and Gohan) You two know what I'm talking about. You've felt that impulse of killing off your enemy slowly, prolonging his death.

Piccolo (to Gohan): Is this true?

Gohan (ashamed and responds solemnly): Y-yes.

Vegeta: I still don't understand something. How would someone as lowly as you know of a legend like this, Fujitsu?

Fujitsu: What? My name is not Fujitsu.

Vegeta: What do you mean your name is not Fujitsu? That hyperactive bitch kept calling you that!

Fujitsu: My name is Ioni.

Vegeta: WHAT?! That's a Saiyan name! You don't remember Zyxoiar –

Ioni: Zyxoiar? How do you know her?

Vegeta: Do you remember nothing? She's the other one fighting!

Ioni: That cannot be the same Zyxoiar. The Zyxoiar I know is no more than a few months old.

Gohan: Fuji…Ioni, you already know the Zyxoiar that's fighting right now. She comes from another place in time. What I'm trying to say is that she and the Zyxoiar you know are one and the same. She's what the Zyxoiar you know grows up to be. She's also Quidam.

Ioni (watches Zyxoiar battle): …God no…

Goku: I now it's hard for you. But how'd you know of Zyxoiar, anyways?

Ioni: I am to be her future protector. If her parents could no longer take care of her, I would.