--- --- ---
"Krillin," said Tien, looking at him and shaking his head. "You must be joking. You…fight me? Admit it…I've always been stronger than you, and you stand no chance against me!"
Krillin stared a hole in Tien. Something was wrong with his former friend. He seemed to have changed since he arrived in the future. Maybe it had some negative effects on him…
"I've had about enough time talking, Krillin. Let's get this started, eh?"
Before Krillin could move, Tien had arrived in front of him and threw a punch. In almost slow motion, Krillin's entire body tilted back and Tien's fist just barely missed the top of Krillin's white tank top.
Tien flew right past Krillin and landed on his feet. Krillin whirled around to see Tien fire a small white beam at him, knocking him through the air several yards. Before Krillin could land, Tien grabbed him by the hair and slammed his body into the ground. He floated up in the air, chuckling.
"Maybe you should've stayed bald…"
Tien flew down at Krillin, aiming a kick at his prone chest. In a split second, Krillin leaped in the air, but Tien was ready. He landed on his feet and sprang up to Krillin, shoving his elbow into the former monk's chest with incredible force. Krillin made a sickening sound and spit up a mixture of saliva and blood. Tien chuckled loudly, and took Krillin's head between his two hands. He reared back his own head and slammed it into Krillin's, making a sickening crack and almost knocking Krillin unconscious. Tien smiled and repeated the process, producing another sickening crack.
Krillin managed to utter a weak plea for help, but didn't have enough sense in him to realize that there was no help away. Especially when the entire world was cheering for The Tenshinhan, their savior.
--- --- ---
Chi-Chi, Videl, and Pan were sitting on the couch of a living room. This was no ordinary living room. It was the living room of the most important building on Earth, the Capsule Corporation. Across from them, on another identical couch, was Bulma, wife of Vegeta and mother of Trunks. Her hair hung down to her shoulders attractively, and she listened intently to all that Chi-Chi was saying.
But Bulma wasn't really listening. She herself knew that she was a very good faker. She faked in bed with Vegeta quite frequently.
Bulma had the feeling that she had screwed up something, and screwed up pretty bad. She wasn't sure what, though. But one thing she did know was that she would find out…in time.
--- --- ---
Blemeth and Bremeth were in their humanoid forms, and as they advanced on Gohan, they cackled evilly. Gohan looked down. His father lay on the ground, unconscious from one measly throw.
Bremeth flew at Gohan, throwing a barrage of punches that Gohan matched, and threw some of his own. This continued on for a few seconds, then Bremeth finally got an uppercut in on Gohan. Behind him appeared Blemeth who kneed him in the back with incredible force. Bremeth powered up a brown blast behind him, and as Blemeth held Gohan, he fired it into his abdomen. Gohan was rocked back, but because of his hold, he was unable to move.
Unmercifully, Bremeth began to fire multiple blasts at Gohan, all of them hitting him in different spots, the face, arms, legs, and torso. Gohan screamed in pain as each shot pelting him with searing pain. He looked down at his father, who was just recovering from the attack. His tail had regrown.
Blemeth threw Gohan up in the air, and he and Bremeth fired blue and brown blasts all around him. They surrounded him, and then all closed in on him, pelting him from every side and angle. Gohan couldn't even mutter a scream.
--- --- ---
The energy continued to drop. Strangely, as Chibi Trunks was dreaming at the moment, he had dreamed of it raining, and even stranger, it was raining outside. It had reached about noon, and the rain beat down on Mirai Trunks and Dende as they flew through the air for the energy that was dropping.
Their concentration seemed to be unfocused. And there was much on their minds. Like Chibi Trunks going Super Saiya-jin 3. Who would've expected that? And Goten. Poor Goten. Who had killed him? And why? What was the purpose?
Everything seemed unclear to them, and in the rain, thinking so heavily, they did not see the hint of yellow following them from behind.
Dende didn't see it when a yellow blast shot through his chest. Nor was he looking when Yemeth kneed Mirai Trunks in the back and threw him to the ground.
Both Trunkses hit hard. Chibi Trunks landed first, and Mirai right on top of him, causing him to scream in pain on impact, even from his unconscious state. The dry tears still stuck to Chibi Trunks's face, even though the rain had already fallen on it. It seemed that those tears would never wash away.
Dende fell to the ground; smoke slowly poured through the gaping hole in his chest. He looked up at the sky and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. His breathing was heavy and broken.
Mirai Trunks slowly got to his feet and looked up at Yemeth. With a scream, he erupted into Super Saiya-jin 2, and pointed at the yellow fiend.
"You!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "You killed Goku's child. And you have caused all this pain today."
Yemeth laughed and pointed right back at Mirai Trunks.
"And you! You are the next one to die!" screamed Yemeth, who put two hands over his head and quickly charged an enormous yellow blast in seconds, one that could probably take the Earth with one hit.
But before Yemeth fired, he saw a cape fly in front of him. And as Yemeth looked confusedly at the cape, a hole appeared in it. And coming right through the hole was a spiraling orange blast around a straight energy shaft in the middle. Yemeth screamed as the blast hit him directly in the head, putting a hole right through it.
In seconds, Yemeth dropped to the ground, victim of the Makansappo. The cape dropped to the ground to reveal a warrior clothed in navy blue. But he was unlike the Saiya-jins, for he was green with pink patches on his body. And his face was of pure wisdom and strength. Piccolo had arrived.
"There's no time to talk. Where's Dende?" asked Piccolo quickly. Mirai Trunks slowly pointed to the point where Dende had fallen, without saying a word. Piccolo quickly reached him and placed two hands on his body.
"Dende, listen. It's me, Piccolo. You have a choice. You can die and lose all of our dragon balls, or you can transfer the dragon balls to me, and then fuse with me, so I can control the dragon balls and have healing powers as well. What is your choice?"
Dende looked up at Piccolo slowly. His head seemed to not work with his body, for it could not move at all. He nodded his head.
"Yes. We shall fuse."
Piccolo nodded and took Dende's hand. A green light illuminated up between them, and Piccolo nodded as the power of the dragon balls entered him. Piccolo then placed his hands on Dende's body, and let out a scream as a white light erupted from Dende's body.
--- --- ---
Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.
It was driving him crazy. Vegeta could not stand the sound of the rain hammering down on the treetops of the forest. It was bad enough that he was searching through the forest. But he had to listen to the damn rain…
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Vegeta screamed in anger and listened to many animals scurry away from his power. This was a place where Vegeta could be appreciated. These stupid little creatures, they would realize his true power. To everyone else, he would never be number one. It would always be Kakarotto.
"KAKAROTTO!!!!!!!" screamed Vegeta, causing the animals to run even farther away. His power sent shockwaves through the jungle, causing the trees to bend and shake, and some small animals fly through the air. His power was unmatched here. It was so strong that--
A glint.
Vegeta saw a glint of orange. Maybe his power had knocked it out of his hiding place. Vegeta grinned and picked up the last dragon ball. He looked at it and smiled. Then it turned to stone.
--- --- ---
Tien threw Krillin up in the air, just to smash him down again with an elbow. As Tien rushed him, Krillin jumped and landed a kick to Tien's jaw. Tien stumbled back and Krillin attempted a punch. Tien stepped back and grabbed Krillin's fist, which was much smaller than his.
"Give it up Krillin. If you stop now, I may find a place for you in my empire, the empire of The Tenshinhan."
Krillin scoffed and spit in Tien's face. Tien screamed in anger and clubbed the back of his elbow to Krillin's neck. Krillin fell to the ground, grabbing his neck in pain. Tien stood over him, laughing, with his boot shoved into Krillin's head. He slowly twisted it left and right, grinding Krillin's face into the ground with agony.
Tien was enjoying it. Every second of it he laughed with happiness, like he had wanted to do this his whole life. And maybe he had.
Tien got off of Krillin and floated up into the air.
"I've had enough of you. You were nothing, a weak opponent with no strength. It's time to end this, Krillin."
Tien smiled as he brought two hands up in front of him to form a triangle. He floated down to the ground once again, charging a blast, but noticing he had landed right next to the fallen Yamcha. He looked down and stepped on Yamcha's head. And that's when Krillin lost it.
--- --- ---
Vegeta stared at the stone for a second. He was confused. But then it turned back into a dragon ball. All two stars were there, as they had been before. Maybe he was tired from searching so long. He needed some rest. Vegeta tossed the ball into the bag and saw an eerie glow from inside. He powered up and shot off into the trees.
--- --- ---
Piccolo stood up from the ground. It was done. He dusted himself off and looked at his new body. Not much of a change, but he knew most of it took place inside of him. He put his hands to Chibi Trunks, who lay on the ground, wounded from his crash landing. A light emanated from them, healing the young lavender-haired boy, who finally stood up, holding his head. The dry tears remained.
Piccolo knew it had worked. He also knew that the power of the dragon balls was now invested in him. He had new responsibility. He also knew that his goal was accomplished. He was now stronger and more helpful than any of the Z-Senshi could ever be. Piccolo was content.
"Piccolo, we have bad news," said Mirai Trunks, walking over, feeling a bit shaken from the previous encounter. "Goten, the second son of Goku. He is…he's dead."
Chibi Trunks turned away, not trying to show his sadness. A look of surprise appeared on Piccolo's face, then one of remorse. He had come to like that child. How could he have just died?
"These aliens, the Muk-jin, they are ruthless. And when they are together, they have the power to torture and destroy. They must be stopped at all costs," explained Mirai Trunks. Piccolo looked in deep concentration. He called upon Dende's knowledge to find out about what he knew of the Muk-jin.
Before Piccolo could finish, Chibi Trunks screamed, seeing a yellow flash before his eyes. A kick sent Chibi Trunks flying across the ground, and he skidded to a stop before Piccolo. Piccolo and Mirai Trunks looked up to see Yemeth standing there, chuckling. There was not a scratch on him.
--- --- ---
HE raised three fingers.
Three down.
And it smiled.
Many more to go…