"I guess I could vouch for that. I should have killed you all when I had the chance."
17 and Terra's eyes turned distraught as Alexial hovered above them. Her face was filled with hatred as her chains whipped in the air around her body. Piccolo and the others hurried over, there eyes filled with terror as Alexial slowly began to laugh. It became increasingly menacing, the drawing of a sense of fear into her oppositions heart. Bra looked up at the 10 year old child of Krillin and 18, she began clutching tight to Bra's hand. Marion didn't hesitate to run behind her mothers leg holding the 5 year old to the best of her abilities. Bra squirmed loose displaying the awesome stubbornness of her genetic code, hurrying to her mother. Which wasn't too far behind 18 any how. Bulma was no fool. 18 was one of the stronger fighters out there, and Buu and the others were too close to the front line to hide behind regardless. Terra sneered hard at her former master, tail wavering in the wind. She could feel her energy rising slowly with each passing moment, the anger she felt, the pain of Alexia, all swimming inside her. Terra held her hand out clutching it tightly.
"COME FORTH ZYPHON!!!"
The mythical blade brandished in golden light before taking shape in her hands. Terra wasted not one second leaping into the air to avenger her fallen leader with several harsh, wild swipes at Alexial. She ducked and dodged as the atmosphere seemed to sing with each lash. Alexial tossed her hand out muttering a slight barrier spell, halting Terra's attack. Electricity seemed to pop and fizzle at the point of impact as Terra pressed harder.
"Really now..."
Alexial smashed her across the face brutally knocking her back towards the others. She laughed as 17 hopped into the air catching her.
"Get down kitty cat!"
Buu took to the attack almost instantly charging with a barrage of wild punches of his own.
"Buu...make...dead!!!"
Buu smacked both his hands together only to hit nothing. He turned receiving a boot to the jaw sending him flying into the ground as well.
"No!"
Goku appeared behind Alexial scooping her up into a full nelson. Alexial squirmed struggling to get loose from the Sayain's heavy grip. Alexial gave a smile firing several powerful blast from her hands down towards the more helpless members of this Alliance. Goku released his grip disappearing and then reappearing before his wife and Bulma, batting the blasts away in rapid succession, before returning one of his own. Goku fell to a knee exhaling deeply reverting back to his Super Sayain form. Chi-Chi and Bulma quickly rushed to him as he took in deep breathes hoping his blast would connect. He would be disappointed for she disappeared, avoiding the blast before landing in front of Krillin. Krillin backed up slightly as she glared down at him hard. His eyes narrowed shortly after taking to the attack swinging and missing badly. 18's eyes lit up in despair along with the others as she snaked a chain around his neck immobilizing him.
"KRILLIN!?!"
He pulled hard in an attempt to escape, his attempts were extremely futile. So much so that Yamcha and Tein soon jumped in but felt the similar effects. All three hanging high off the ground from the dark mistress's chains. She laughed in a taunting fashion, waving for 18 to attack her. She took to the assault, landing one clean shot to the demon's jaw driving her backwards before she too was placed under a hellacious shot, cracking her through the planet. She stood up and wisely held her ground along with everyone else. She had more than a fair share of chains she could produce and none of them truly had the power to rival hers. Terra jumped in quickly once more, throwing shot after shot at Alexial.
"YOU DIE WITCH!!!"
Terra cocked back with Zyphon bringing it forward in an attempt at a deathblow. She halted inches away from Krillin's forehead. Alexial laughed again at her entourage of human shields. With every swing at a different angle, a different Z soldier was there, and with that a boot to the chops shot her back slightly. Goku pounded his fist to the ground hard.
"I saw this coming!"
"The stone of wisdom diagnosed you for me Sayain! You wouldn't dare do anything to harm your family and friends now would you!?"
Goku's grimace burned into him deeper with every shiver of his soul. The others knew this was getting bad.
"It's all right though..."
She dropped the three warriors from her grips causing them to crash into the soft river banked grass in the limpest of fashions.
"I'll fight like this if it's too hard..."
How quickly the tables had turned. No one there was truly a match for her except Goku, and only in Super Sayain 3 form could he say that he was good enough. No! My energy....I need more power! I stayed in Super Sayain 3 too long in the last fight and now my power is sapped. I need time to recover, Not to mention that I hope somebody notices my condition. Alexial smirked motioning for the warriors to battle her.
"Come on!"
Piccolo clutched his fist screaming out taking to the attack first. She countered every blow he tossed at her even as the burning blue light of his Super Namek technique began to kick in. She flung a chain at him narrowly missing, while he darted an energy blast to her face sending her back slightly. The group was impressed with the Namek's assail. Every one except a certain halo sporting warrior. Pikkon picked up on the unusual amount of energy he was burning off in his attack. He cupped his hands to his mouth screaming to him.
"Piccolo you can't keep fighting like that you'll burn out your power!!"
Piccolo's gaze was focused hard on Alexial as he continued to battle with all he was worth. Valiantly putting up a tremendous effort...Goku's eyes twitched as he continued to breathe heavy.
"No Piccolo what are you doing!?!"
Alexial gained the upper hand grabbing his fist drawing a knee into Piccolo's stomach. She held him in that position looking over at him.
"...How noble of you Namek. But I don't think your friends have realized the essence of your suicidal plan..."
Piccolo could only chuckle as he knew she keyed into his plan before the others did.
"O..oh...well...can you...blame me for trying?"
"...Not really, you are smarter than the others, it's a shame that you have to die..."
"..s..so...be IT!"
With a hard and gallant jab he nailed her, only to receive a counter to his chest. The blast ripped through him causing him to fall to the planet hard with bounce. Gohan made it to him first fuming with anger at his former mentor.
"Now why did you do a dumb thing like that Piccolo...?!"
"G...Gohan...I implore you....protect Goku with everything you....got..."
"Protect Dad...?"
"Don't you see...he's the last hope we have...keep the fight going kid."
"But Piccolo?"
"GOHAN DO IT! ALL OF YOU HAVE TO PROTECT HIM UNTIL HE'S BETTER...."
Piccolo winced in pain as Gohan gave a nod.
"Right!"
Gohan took off himself changing into a Super Sayain level 2 in the process. Staging an all out assault on Alexial. She deflected blow after blow easily before defending an attack on all sides as Goten and Trunks joined in in a similar status. Alexial grunted as the battle grew heavier and heavier. Dammit! I should have used a stronger blast, now I don't have time to grab one of the weaker warriors as a shield, then again! She drilled Trunks in the gut grabbing him by the throat with a lose chain while still maintaining the fight. Periodically she would hold him in front of Gohan or Goten, halting the assault. It was during this time that Gohan got smacked hard to the planet just short of 18. She looked up as her brother and Pikkon hopped back into the mix. She looked over at her husband whom was slowly setting back up from Dende's healing methods.
"Dende stop healing him and help Goku!!"
"I tried but Goku told me to help them first. It's like he's waiting for something!!"
18 looked over at Goku. His breathes were deeper and heavier, it was almost as if he wanted to be in this state. What the hell is he waiting on!! How does he expect to get more power if...more power! That's it! 18 knelt down in front of her daughter kissing her on the cheek.
"Sweetie you stay far away from that lady, mommy will be right back..."
"No don't leave me mom!!"
"It'll be okay...now you wait here."
18 hastily took to the air with blinding speed pressing hard she didn't have any time to waste.
******
Trunks fell hard to the turf skidding across the lot next to Master Roshi whom also feebly tried his hard at an attack. Everyone was fighting but Goku this time, and everyone was failing. Despite Dende revitalizing Piccolo and the others, Alexial had more than enough time to use her magic, and that more than evened the odds. 17 and Goten seemed to be in the best shape. Gohan had been burned out protecting Videl. In the end that was a futile cause, she too pushed up off the ground weakly spitting blood from her mouth. Goten's black ghee had been stained with blood, as he went on the attack again, hoping to free Trunks from her grip. He took one big swing missing before catching a solid back hand, sending him to a screeching arrest in front of his father. He weakly opened his eyes, adjusting them to Goku's image. The thundering sounds of battle erupted again as 17 engaged once more with Alexial along side Terra. Goku shuttered at the image of his son broken and battered. He hated to see the pain.
"Dad...?"
"Goten...."
"W...why are you letting this happen again?"
"Goten my hands are tied son..."
"No they aren't! Yo...you're deserting us like you did so long ago!"
"Goten this isn't the..."
Goten grabbed his fathers pant leg etching a dark look on his face.
"No...no! You won't run from me this time...we're fighting for you! I was fighting for you!"
Goku's expression softened as his son's face began to sour. His tears washing away the blood on his face as his hair finally reverted back to normal as he continued.
"I was always fighting for you, how come you can't return the favor...?"
The words pierced Goku hard. They didn't seem like much to a normal person, but to Goku, it was Goten's way of expressing a deep hatred inside. He was right. Goten, was always fighting for him, he never had a chance to fight for himself, he didn't know how. He never wanted anything but his father to teach him and guide him through life, instead he fought so he could see things through his fathers eyes. Walk in his shoes, see what he saw. But all the young Sayain saw was hatred, and Goku for the first time really saw the resentment in his eyes. Chi-Chi simply brought her son up in the most polite of manners...and for once Goku was happy for that. He didn't want to hear what Goten really felt. So he nodded to his son as he shut his eyes passing out cold. Goku couldn't wait any more, he had to put it on the line once more for Goten's sake.
******
The city streets were jammed up with people trying to run for their lives. Why they were running boggled 18, there was no where to hide in the midst of all the rumbling and destruction. She flew over head cutting through the dark clouds as the planet seemed to shake again from one more attack, her feet touched down on the plush green lawn charging inside stopping in the door way, cut off from a voice.
"You ran..."
His eyes wandered over to her as he took another swig of brew, slapping the bottle on the table.
"I didn't run..."
"You're here aren't you...?"
"Yes that's because..."
She gave herself a hard nod before rushing over to him, grabbing his hand.
"Get up Vegeta! You're the only one left who can beat her now..."
He looked at the scarred 18, her out fit mangled from the long hard fight with Alexial's apocalyptic form. Vegeta simply looked at her. She sighed again.
"Goku has failed! Gohan failed! If you don't do something were all finished!"
"How can I succeed where Kakarot and Gohan have fallen?"
18 looked around. His logic was dead on. It didn't seem like there was a chance, however...
"But you have to try!"
"I don't have to do anything but die...and if my end is near than so be it. It was nice knowing you."
18 wound up slapping Vegeta hard releasing his loose hand. He turned his face back to meet hers.
"You know I can't believe this is what you've become! Out of everyone, I use to respect you the most...because you were always true to yourself. You had more confidence then the entire group combined...and your will was unrelenting! Even if Goku was a Super Sayain...thousand!, you believed you were the strongest fighter in the Universe. And when I looked in your eyes...I could believe it. We all could believe it Vegeta! Because you did...now look at you, you're pathetic...I'm not going to waste my time anymore. Cause if I'm going to die...I'm going to die with those I care about and believe in."
She turned preparing to walk out. Vegeta stood causing her to pause, sensing his movement.
"I'm only a man 18...what do you want from me?"
"I don't want anything from Vegeta the man. I want help from Vegeta...the Prince of Sayains."
She turned leaving out the front door taking to the dark skies. Vegeta sat back down on the couch gazing into his bottle of beer. He swung in fury knocking it over, before leaning back fully on the couch placing his hands on his face.
"Vegeta...Prince of Sayains...."
******
Goku turned on his power once more as Dende stayed back with the humans. He went into full assault in an attempt to finish what he started countering blow after blow, with a grand punch to the jaw, he jarred Trunks loose from her hold as he continued to attack with all he had. The fight was furious, shot after shot being landed to the best of his abilities. He was the last man truly standing.
*******
Vegeta pulled the spandex shirt over his head. He chose the color Bulma like best, the navy. It's color shimmered in the light as he flexed his arm muscles. He looked down at the armor. His companion for so many battles. The thin shoulder straps had been broken so many times. Vegeta looked hard at the breastplate before tossing it back on the rack. Vegeta pulled at the neck area. He remembered when Bra called it a turtle neck. "It's not a turtle neck child. It's only extended." Bulma told their daughter. Vegeta released his finger from within placing his hands on the seam between the shoulder and arm, ripping the sleeves clean off. He picked up the gloves of Alexia pulling them on. His triceps up to his shoulders exposed on bother arms. He flexed his hands as he turned from inside his armor holds, out the door and too the air. Every so slowly picking up speed heading towards the dark point in the horizon with determination written on his face....
*announcer *
Alright! Vegeta looks like he's pumped up and ready for combat! But as the Sayain Prince emerges to battle the others are holding on by a thread! Can Vegeta get there in time to shut down Alexial's assault? Hang on Goku help is on the way!! Next time...on Dragonball Z...
END OF PART XXVII
As if you can't tell I'm not giving any more previews for the rest of the fic! Why? Because I am evil and I want you all to sweat till the next chapter comes out! BWAHAHA! Anyway I'm being silly, Keep reading peoples!!
Into the Distance Against Time