The outline of a figure jumped off the ladder into the dark doorway. Lavender stepped out, emerging from the darkness. She looked at her rivals.
"Mokoto..." she said. "I knew you'd be here."
"I don't think we've had the pleasure," Tamzin began. "My name is Tamzin."
"And I'm sure you know mine." Lavender challenged. "Did Mokoto hire you to help him?"
Tamzin started laughing.
"Of course not, what makes you think that?" she replied. "I cam here by myself. I didn't even know Mokoto until recently."
"Hey, Lavender!" Trunks called. "Did you come alone?"
"Trunks!" Lavender gasped. She glared at Tamzin and Mokoto. "What have you done to him?!" "Nothing. Honest." Mokoto said innocently.
"He's come to no harm, if that's what you mean." Tamzin told her. "Now then..." she made a quick gesture with her hand, and the two leopard stood up. Noticing them, Lavender backed away a little. The leopard walked towards her. Lavender continued to back away, out of their path. They sat in front of the doorway and settled there, blocking the exit.
Tamzin gave an evil smile.
"Shall we start?"
"Not until I can get some answers." Lavender replied stubbornly. "Just what is it you guys are after?"
"I just wanna kill you. That's all." Mokoto shrugged.
"But why?!" Lavender demanded. "Is this something to do with my father?! What did my father do?!"
"Well, for a start, he killed my family." Mokoto told her. "And then he got your mother pregnant with The Black Hope."
"What the heck is that?!" Lavender became impatient. "You're not making any sense!"
"Really?" Mokoto looked at her. "Actually, you're the one who isn't making any sense. You don't even know what you are."
"..." Lavender sighed, and shook her head. "Are you gonna tell me what I am, then?"
"If I do that, I might be in even more danger. I'm not gonna tell you how to kill me." Mokoto refused.
"Whatever." Lavender looked at Tamzin. She folded her arms. "And are you after me because of this hope thing?" she asked.
"Me?" Tamzin seemed amused at the idea. She chuckled. "Of course not. I'm not so gullible." she shrugged. "My motives are simple. Good old fashioned revenge. It's still very popular."
"Revenge for what, exactly?"
"Your father killed my family, too. That's all. It was about five years before you were born. I was a child at the time and couldn't stand up against him. So I just hid away, waiting for the day I'd be strong enough to have my revenge." Tamzin pointed at Lavender. "By killing you, I will avenge my family."
"... I guess my father killed a lot of people..." Lavender mumbled , looking away guiltily.
"You don't even know that?" Mokoto frowned. "She's told you nothing at all! He killed for a living." he shook his head. "No. He hired people to kill. To purge planets for other races. They paid him to have his men do it. He purged them to sell them, too. To the highest bidder." Mokoto explained. "I was one of the survivors after my planet was sold. Only five of us escaped in time."
"What...?" Trunks mumbled. "Her father..."
"... That's awful." Lavender said sympathetically. "Really." she shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was such a tyrant. But... be that as it may, don't blame me. I'm not like him!" she protested. "Don't punish me - and whatever you do, don't punish my friends!"
"We're not punishing you." Tamzin said. "We're punishing your father by killing you." she motioned towards Mokoto. "Well, he's just doing it to save his own skin, now."
"..." Mokoto glared at her.
"Save himself from what?!" Lavender demanded. "Why do you two keep coming back to this?! Just tell me what you're afraid of!"
"Ah, find out yourself!" Mokoto launched at her, knocking her down. Lavender gasped as he pulled out his knife. She tried desperately to push him off, but he was so strong.
"Lavender!" Trunks cried.
Lavender growled at Mokoto, and grabbed his shoulders. Mokoto screamed as an electric current ran through his body. Lavender pushed him away and stood up, only to be attacked by Tamzin. She slashed at Lavender with her claws, and in split seconds blood spilled from Lavender's face.
"Get me out of here, I'll help you!" Trunks instructed.
"How?!" Lavender dodged another one of Tamzin's attacks. Mokoto, burnt but alive, snarled as he ran towards Lavender. Lavender screamed and ducked, causing the knife to cut into Tamzin's breast.
"Moko!!" Tamzin cried angrily.
"Sorry." Mokoto pulled the knife away. Tamzin hissed at him, and slashed at him.
"Hey, it was an accident!" Mokoto protested, glaring at her. Lavender smirked, and set both of them ablaze. Mokoto tried desperately to put out the flames while Tamzin smirked at Lavender as her injury healed.
"Thanks."
"Shit!" Lavender frowned. Mokoto shook his head.
"Enough of this crap!" he sent a series of ki attacks at Lavender. Lavender tried to dodge them all, but got his twice. She gasped in pain.
"Argh!" Mokoto slashed at her, but she dodged, and punched him. Tamzin knocked her over.
"Mokoto!" she urged.
"Get OFF!!" Lavender kicked Tamzin away. She scrambled to her feet, and was greeted by another one of Mokoto's ki attacks. This time, she dodged - but just barely.
"Lavender! Attack the cage!" Trunks cried.
"Okay..." Lavender ran towards the cage and kicked it. She hardly did any damage. Tamzin and Mokoto both changed at her. Lavender gasped, and jumped up, above and over their heads. Tamzin managed to do a back flip away from the cage before he shit it, while Mokoto wasn't as quick on his feet and charged into the cage with all his might.
"Shit!" he broke through the cage bars. Trunks laughed at him, and ran out of the cage.
"No!" Tamzin shrieked. She gasped as Trunks turned super saiyan, and sent a series of ki attacks at her. Tamzin flipped, jumped and bent over backwards to dodge them all. When she was done, she raised her hands, and jerked them forward, towards Trunks and Lavender.
Instantly, the two leopards charged at their mistress' opponents.
"Oh, great!" Trunks mumbled. He sighed, and in one attack he blew them up. Tamzin screamed.
"No!!" she cried. "My leopards..." she glared at Trunks. "You'll pay!" she leapt at him.
"Hey!" Lavender was about to attack her when something wrapped around her throat.
"Let go!" she snapped.
"I don't think so." Mokoto snarled as he held her up against him, his arm around her neck and the tip of the knife touching the side of her head.
"I said..." Lavender growled. "GET OFF!!" she shot up her hands to grab his arm, and sent another current through him. Mokoto screamed in pain and let go of her. Trunks threw a punch at Tamzin. The two of them were fighting each other now. Lavender realized it was her against Mokoto. She looked at the torches on the wall, and made five of them rise up. She made hand movement to control them. She pulled them over to Mokoto, and spread out her arms so that they floated in a circle above his head. Mokoto looked up at them.
"Oh fuck." he threw himself to the ground as the torches down at him. Two hit him, burning him. The others shattered onto the floor, letting the flames loose. Lavender froze them.
"Moko..." Tamzin gasped as Trunks kicked her, knocking her to the floor. She was exhausted. Trunks was stronger than her in his super saiyan form. If only she'd known about that...
Still, she was a fighter. Tamzin got up slowly and painfully. She panted as she stood to face her opponent. Trunks just stood there, expressionless.
"Surrender?" he smirked.
"Never." Tamzin leapt at him, and started slashing with all her might. Considering how weak she'd become, Trunks was surprised at her speed. So surprised that he could barely block. Tamzin started to slow down, becoming more exhausted. Finally, she gasped for breath, and fell forward. Unable to support her own body weight any more. She flung her arms out, and grabbed hold of Trunks' shoulders. She leaned on him, trying to stand by herself. Lavender and Mokoto stopped fighting, and looked at her.
Tamzin was breathing heavily, gasping for breath. She was bleeding a lot. Her arms... her legs... her shoulders... her face... blood was scattered everywhere. The pain she felt was reflected in her eyes. But not just physical pain. She'd failed. The blood that leaked from her head ran down her face. She closed her eyes and it ran down her eyelids. She opened them as it went down her cheek. It looked like she was crying blood. But she couldn't be, because normal tears were slowly appearing.
"N - No..." she said angrily, and raised her voice. "NO!!" she ran at Lavender, and slashed at her one last time. Lavender made a choking noise as Tamzin's claw cut through the skin on her throat. Tamzin's hand slid down Lavender's shoulder with little grip and resistance as she fell slowly to the ground. Tears in her eyes and a small smile on her face, Tamzin said
"Mother... father... Tabby, my sister..." she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I failed...but I will see you all again..." with that, she fell to the ground. And the smile grew a little.
"Tamzin?" Mokoto crouched down beside her. Her eyes were still open. He checked her pulse. "... I'll do the rest." he stood up, and looked at Lavender. Lavender stared at Tamzin as she grabbed her throat. It was still bleeding, but she felt alright. Tamzin hadn't cut deep enough. Or maybe she'd just hit the wrong spot. Still, the scar wouldn't go.
Trunks looked at Lavender.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Fine." Lavender smiled at him.
Mokoto looked at the two of them. He shrugged.
"Well, now that she's gone, I guess I'll need some help." he said. Mokoto smirked.
"You two aren't the only ones who can transform, though." he put away the knife. "Now I'll show you my true form."