These Dreams
Part Nineteen
"Where'd she go?!" I gasped.
"Looking for me?"
I heard a pop and spun around. A massive ki blast was heading straight for me.
Logic would suggest that I dodge. But my mind went blank. I froze.
Suddenly a huge force slammed into me from behind. Powerful hands yanked me backwards. I toppled onto a large body, my sunglasses flying off. Void's boiling-hot ki beam tore through the air less than an inch from my nose, incinerating my shades before they could fall! The air smelled like ozone. More explosions and choking smoke. Confusion! At that moment my mind snapped into a new understanding. The danger was real, not contained behind a TV screen. I might DIE here!
The rescuer's smooth hands shoved me back upright. I twisted my head around and stared up at Piccolo's handsome green face. His eyes were fixed on Void, a growl rumbling in his throat. "Don't let her overwhelm you, Cyndi."
"Easier said than done."
"Yes..." Void's silver eyes shimmered eerily. She smiled. Then she blurred from view. Freeza and Vegeta both cursed. I could hear the sounds of battle behind me. Did I dare turn around? I was afraid that if I did, Void would be coming at me next. If she was going to kill me, I didn't want to see it coming.
I didn't have to turn, Piccolo grabbed my arm and did it for me. I saw...nothing but air! Sometimes I spotted flashes of light or bits of dust flying up. Hearing was no problem. Shit, how was I supposed to keep up with that?
Oh yeah...
"Hey Piccolo, does letting my eyes go out of focus still work if I want to watch them fight?"
Piccolo's dark eyes were following something. "Yes." He answered without moving his lips much. "Just remember, you're looking for the light their energy gives off. Your brain will fill in the rest. It's an optical illusion."
"Right."
But I've never been good at staring at optical illusions. Like those weird patterns that are supposed to have a three-dimensional picture hidden inside - I can never see the hidden picture! It must be another autism thing.
It was still worth a shot. I let my vision blur and go double. The world around me went out of focus and I tried not to blink. For a long time I didn't see anything.
Wait! A flicker! I jerked my eyeballs towards the flash. Another glimmer, up higher! Right, left, no right! Piccolo was right, my brain did fill in the forms of Void, Vegeta and Freeza. They were locked in a fierce hit-and-block routine. Sometimes I saw little streaks of blood go flying. I couldn't tell who was winning.
All at once the noise stopped. Vegeta and Freeza slammed into the ground, toppling the rocky arch they hid behind earlier. Void landed gracefully with her back to Piccolo and I. She wasn't even breathing hard!
"If that's the best you can do, you're wasting my time," she cackled at them while they were down.
Ooh, that made my blood boil! Laughing at people while they're hurt, that's just messed up!
My aura flared, making Piccolo step away from me. The way I perceived everything changed...time slowed down. Smoke seemed to stand still. Piccolo's eyelids took forever to close and open. I saw the world like Zero-zero-nine on that Cyborg show when he uses "acceleration mode". Now I would be moving fast like the previous scuffle - untrained eyes wouldn't spot me.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" I launched myself at Void's unprotected back. To me, it was no different than any other time I ran. Weird how hyper-ki-souped-speed works.
Void expected such a dumb move. She did a roundhouse kick that nailed me square in the jaw. I spun in mid-air. A large, black hand wrapped around my ankle. I was then slammed twice into the ground.
CRUNCH!
Ever hear your own skull impacting solid rock? It's a sickening sound. My ears rang. I saw stars. The world swam. I was too dazed to feel actual pain.
A massive fist smashed into my gut, making me gag on my own blood. Then I was kicked aside like trash, where I crashed onto the rocks burying Vegeta and Freeza. Had I been a normal human, I'd be dead. I wished that were true - the pain sank in. Dull aching in my head, a knot in my gut and stinging from where I scraped the rocks.
I didn't think it was possible
to lose consciousness in a dream, but it happened. Darkness engulfed me.
Blinding light stabbed against my eyeballs. Harsh wind blasted my ear. I tried to turn away from it. To shut it out. Pain returned tenfold and with such sudden intensity that I actually started to cry. I haven't cried because of pain for years. Screw being some tough fighter, I HURT!
"Owwww..." I whimpered, squirming against whatever held me. The strong arms tightened and held me fast.
Piccolo whispered, "Quiet, we're on the run. Void hasn't found us again yet."
I made another attempt to sit up or do SOMETHING helpful. Piccolo's grip on me tightened further. Almost painfully, I hissed at him until he stopped digging his nails into my arm.
"Stop moving or I'll drop you!" The Namek snarled angrily. He gave me a poisonous glare through smoldering black eyes. That scared me into being still. "You were unconscious for a long time and your body needs time to regulate itself. Just rest for a bit, will you? I can't think if you're squirming around like a worm."
Well damn, what was I supposed to do? I could tilt my head back, so I checked behind and ahead of us. We were flying through a steep brown valley. Freeza flew slightly ahead while Vegeta brought up the rear. Everybody flew slowly...or at least slow compared to flying while powered up. Nobody showed an obvious aura. So we really were on the run again.
Piccolo darted sideways and barrel-rolled through a tight tunnel. Barely turning in time to avoid smashing us into a thick stalagmite. I clung tighter to his neck, shutting my eyes. I was on a roller coaster from Hell and I wanted off!
Then again, being carried felt safer. I don't think I could maneuver like Piccolo did. I would've slowed everyone down each time they had to make a sharp, sudden turn.
Where was Void?
"She's coming up from the south!" Freeza shouted. The wind almost ripped his voice out of hearing range. "I don't think she can spot us in here yet. That bald human used this place to draw me away from the others a long time ago." He sneered, "Void loves games of cat and mouse."
Vegeta snarled a word I won't repeat. I got tense. Piccolo gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and banked gently around another curve.
"Let me fly on my own."
Piccolo's frown deepened. "No, Void probably thinks you're more seriously injured than you really are. We can use that to our advantage and spring a surprise on her."
"Oh right, the last one worked really well. I nearly got my ass kicked!"
"Will you two shut up! All your whimpering is going to draw her attention!" Vegeta growled from behind, "There's a crack in the wall here, we should hide out and regroup."
"Good idea, I think she's still smarting after that blast Piccolo nailed her with. What do you call that beam again?" Freeza came up to glide alongside Piccolo and I.
"You mean my mankankosappo? That was just a lucky shot. She wasn't watching her back."
"She won't make that mistake again." I mumbled. Right then we all zipped into a tiny crack in the wall. Even smaller than the first. Everybody got squished together.
Piccolo didn't seem very fond of the small space at all. This time the opening was really a squeeze for him and almost no light came inside. The poor Namek wound up scrunched on his side in almost fetal position with one leg up against the wall and the other folded underneath him. I was smashed up against his chest, my legs had nowhere to go except around his waist. Freeza and Vegeta were both smashed together, a tangle of limbs against Piccolo's legs. I didn't know this, but Freeza is a contortionist. He didn't seem at all uncomfortable with his knees up to his chest and his feet almost level with his head. His tail did take up a lot of room though(it's as long as he is tall!). Vegeta, on the other hand, looked pretty uncomfortable all squeezed into a sitting position while the low ceiling forced his chin down to his chest. This must be how quadruplets feel before they're born.
Needless to say, four sources of body-heat and heavy breathing made the air get stuffy pretty quick.
Not enough air in here... I heard Piccolo thinking to himself. He sounded...afraid. I never imagined Piccolo being scared. Startled maybe, but never scared. He breathed shallower. His heart thudded harder. He was trembling and sweating more heavily than normal.
My mind went back to the conversation I had with Vegeta. We talked about smelling fear. He said someone's scent changes when they're afraid.
He was right. Piccolo's salty, dusty desert scent gained a new, almost tangy edge. Is that the smell of adrenalin leaking out in his sweat?
It just so happens that Piccolo is claustrophobic. Which is why he prefers large, open spaces. An elevator is no problem, but a space so small he can't stretch out seems to bother him. I'm guessing this fear of enclosed spaces stemmed from coming to consciousness inside a cramped little egg.
Freeza and Vegeta didn't say anything to each other, or to us for that matter. One of those long, awkward silences.
I turned my attention to Piccolo. He kept breathing faster and faster.
There's plenty of air here. I told him, brushing a hand against his sweaty cheek. Stop breathing so fast or you're gonna hyperventilate.
Piccolo shifted uncomfortably against hard the rock wall. Bits of dust and pebbles crackled against his clothes and shoes. His antennae brushed against my forehead. Need air...
No, you're okay. Just breathe with me, okay? I demonstrated slow, calm and natural breaths, and felt his chest respond in the same rhythm. See? You're doing fine...
A thump sounded above. The whole ceiling of the small crevice shuddered. Everybody stared straight up. I could sense a dark, pulsing ki. Only one person felt like that. Void was standing right on top of the cave we were hiding in!
Okay, NOW I began to get a little nervous. The opening to this place wasn't visible from in the air. But on the ground? It might as well have a huge neon sign pointing down and blinking 'HERE WE ARE' in huge red letters. All Void needed to do was walk about six feet and look down.
Everybody tensed up. I felt adrenalin escape into my bloodstream in the form of a knot in my stomach. Then my heart beat faster. The sweat on my skin grew clammy. I breathed shallowly like Piccolo was earlier. I'd probably pee on myself if I had a full bladder.
Personally, I think Void was just toying with us. Like Freeza said, she seemed fond of cat-and-mouse games.
Freeza's sugary-smelling sweat increased. His hand was resting against my leg, inadvertently allowing me to feel his fingers shake. I could only imagine the horrid thoughts going through his head. Of his death at Void's hands, the terrible things she made him do and a million other cruel punishments she might inflict on him when she finds us.
Vegeta seemed calm enough, although he was sweating quite a bit too. Yuck, someone needs to teach him why deodorant is a good thing! Blame him if Void sniffs us out. Him and his stinky pits.
Actually, I'm exaggerating. It wasn't too bad, I doubt a normal human nose would pick it up. I felt sorry for Freeza since he was the one smashed against Vegeta's left side.
It didn't help that Void's footsteps made that same metallic noise that Cell's did. Everybody heard every step she took above us. She seemed to be pacing back and forth. Pondering what she should do next. Who to hurt first. Who to kill. Who to torture.
All of a sudden...
PLUNK!
A sharp two-foot-long stinger smashed through the roof of the cave. Imagine a hypodermic needle. Now imagine it being the same diameter as a broomstick. Scared yet?
The Flu Shot From Hell, excuse me, Void's stinger, stopped just above Piccolo's left ankle. Right next to the sliver of exposed skin between his leggings and his shoe. Crap, and he had nowhere else to move his foot except up against the wall!
Then I started hearing this weird noise. Like water dripping on skin. The drip became a steady stream. But when was the last time water had a sour, metallic scent?
Piccolo gasped in obvious pain. His leg shook, but he couldn't move away from the onslaught. He clenched his teeth until they nearly broke. I glanced up and saw the skin around his ankle turning purple as the acid poured over it, coating the exposed flesh completely. The skin became a sizzling, steamy mess with bubbling bits dropping off. Bone, soft tissue and muscle stood exposed to the stream, yet Piccolo somehow remained utterly silent by gripping my shoulder hard. The dissolving tissue created a horrible smell in the small crevice.
Finally Piccolo's foot just fell off, landing with a soft plop in a puddle of bubbling organic material. He groaned and buried his face against my neck. With room to move his leg now, Piccolo pulled it forward and clutched the melted stump. Oddly, it didn't bleed much, but I saw enough leg-gore to make me lose my appetite for a few hours.
The acid was so strong it reduced the severed foot to sludge and started eating through the solid rock below. No more acid flowed after that. Freeza and Vegeta noticed Piccolo's leg and met it with equally grossed-out expressions.
Everybody remained utterly still. Void's stinger finally pulled out of the cave ceiling. Sunlight filtered in through the hole. She hadn't flushed us out, or she felt satisfied that she killed everyone. Now maybe she'll go away.
There was a swish. Void took off.
"She's coming back," Piccolo whispered dazedly. "Get out of here, I'll join you after I've regenerated my foot."
I grabbed the front of his baggy gi shirt, "I'm not leaving you here, Piccolo!"
"No, he has a good plan." Freeza nearly elbowed Vegeta in the gut to grab my arm, "If Void thinks he's dead and you're still hurt, we can catch her by surprise. I'll carry you out. Pretend you're still out cold."
Vegeta snickered at Piccolo's condition, his dirty face eerie in the dim light. "I'll go attack her head on. She may not expect someone to sneak up on her while she's in the heat of battle. Her arrogance will be her downfall. Get your pathetic hides out when you hear the fighting start."
"Wait - "
The Saiyajin prince was already scrambling for freedom. He straightened out, exploded into Super Saiyajin and jumped out of sight. I felt his ki signature heading straight for Void's.
I swear...that man is too bullheaded for his own good!
Freeza uncurled from his pretzel position and tugged on my arm. "C'mon, let's go while we can."
"I won't leave Piccolo!"
"Cyndi," Piccolo's voice echoed strangely in the small space. Though he wasn't bleeding visibly, he still had a little puddle of blood collecting around his mutilated ankle. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore. Or just stopped showing it so I'd leave him. "Go with Freeza. I'll be okay."
Torn between staying and leaving, I held a finger up to Piccolo's green face, "You better be okay. Otherwise I'll shoot myself and come kick your butt all over Otherworld."
He smiled crookedly, "That gives me some reason to avoid dying, doesn't it, kid?"
Wow, Piccolo made a joke on purpose! I didn't think he had it in him.
"I hope so." I leaned up to kiss him, then "fainted" with a hand over my forehead. "Oh dear me, I'm going unconscious."
Freeza caught me and shook his head at my dramatics. "Give her an Oscar."
Next thing I knew, sunlight blasted my face and eyeballs. I resisted the urge to wrap both arms around Freeza's neck for a more secure hold during flight. Unconscious people don't hang on when they're being carried.
Off to my left came noises from the battle. Lots of skin on metal/skin/bone with swearing, name-calling and general snarling mixed in. It sounded pretty heated. Void and Vegeta were going everywhere. Up, down, sideways, smashing into the ground and cliffsides. Trees went down. Large cracks split the ground open, I knew this because I heard the rocky soil crumble. Flashes of ki went off, brilliant against my closed lids.
Being unable to see a fight is almost as unnerving as sitting in a cave, waiting to be found!
"How much further?!"
"Not far," Freeza answered me cautiously. The poor guy was probably scared shitless, and I don't blame him one bit! I knew exactly how he felt. "Get ready, I'm going to touch down behind a bush. I'm going to put you down and power up to fifty percent of my maximum. Wait until I leave before you 'come to' and join in. You don't have to act injured after this."
"Okay."
We descended rapidly into the cool shade of the said foliage. I opened my eyes and wondered if this bush was an Ajisa plant left to grow in the wild. Hard to tell. I twisted my head sideways, watching Freeza gather his energy.
Freeza's face remained utterly calm. He placed one foot behind the other and held both hands out. His energy just swirled forth. Nothing tattle-tale like a huge aura or earthquakes. Just small bursts of static electricity that struck against his metallic armor plates. I watched it ooze out of nowhere like he was pulling it in from the air around him. Oddly, being closer to Freeza didn't change how I perceived his power, it only got stronger when he pulled up more ki.
Please excuse the pun, but Freeza literally gave me a buzz. In my skull, anyway.
He finished calling up his energy and opened his clear red eyes. Nothing physical changed, but I felt the ki swirling around inside him. "I'll see you soon."
"Good luck, Freeza."
Freeza gave me a thumbs-up, flashed a quick smile and took off. He flew smoothly through the air like a crocodile swimming in water.
And Void went flying. She smashed into the ground a good distance away and I lost sight of her in the rising dust.
I started thinking about how Void hurt my friends. What she just did to Piccolo, especially. It stirred a well of energy in the pit of my stomach. I relaxed and let it all flow out. Warmth flooded my arms and legs, making my extremities tingle. Then came all the other cool effects - rocks, dirt and leaves flying up in the air, earthquakes...and of course my blue-white aura. I must be getting stronger, my old aura was plain white until I messed up in Vegeta's gravity room. Maybe I can actually do damage!
I had to try.
Taking off felt like someone strapping rocket engines to my shoes. No effort at all, but the ground didn't fare so well from my energy burst.
Void was just rising from the where she fell. She saw me coming and made a beeline for me. And boy was she PISSED! Her aura hissed furiously like an angry cobra, now almost black in color. We were playing chicken, it seems. I didn't plan on losing.
Her fist caught my cheek. I spat out blood. The pain made me mad!
I spun around and, "Batter up!" smashed her square in the chest with both clasped fists. The blow sent Void slamming through three cliffsides and created a ditch in the hard ground. "HOME RUN!" I pumped my arms in the air and wiggled my legs in a victory dance, "And the Angels win the game!"
Ka-BOOM! POW!
While I was celebrating like an idiot, Void exploded up from underground. That nasty sound was her fist hitting my cheek. The next crashes were me smashing through four mountains and creating a huge ditch in the dirt.
Damn, I only slammed her through three! That Barry Bonds wannabe!
Don't worry, the Angels beat the Giants for the championship... I told myself sullenly.
Vegeta immediately pounced on Void from behind. She grabbed his hair. Smashed his nose on her knee. Flung him into Freeza. Freeza tried to stop Vegeta's descent, but failed. Both fell out of sight.
Now she headed straight for me!
Void's tail was inches from my face when...
"RAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"
Piccolo exploded furiously through the rock wall, sending bits of stone flying like shrapnel. He dug his elbow deep into Void's belly. It shoved the evil creature off course with her spitting silver blood up the entire way. Piccolo continued pushing. They both veered away and dug a huge trench into the nearest mountainside. Void phased out. Piccolo blurred away. Sounds of their fight echoed all around. I felt so useless just standing there.
So I broke off to find Freeza and Vegeta. Both were a bit bruised and bloody, but otherwise okay. Vegeta didn't speak to me at all, he was in a battle frenzy. He took off to help Piccolo with Void.
Freeza looked a bit woozy. He sat up and puked all over the dirt. Yum, just what I needed to see after Piccolo's mutilated ankle.
"Some plan," He grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder. The shiny carapace was cracked, giving it a faceted look.
"Don't worry about it, I think Piccolo and Vegeta are holding their own for the moment." I examined Freeza's wounded shoulder. "I feel like I just get in the way when I try to do anything. But if I sit here and they get killed, it's still my fault for not helping. So what should I do?"
The Icejin tightened his delicate lips. "Try anyway. Sitting out isn't an option here. That's why I fought against Void when she killed me. I knew I was going to die, but at the time I was dying anyway."
I smiled sadly at him, "Well, don't go doing it again, okay? At least not until you're a wrinkled old man with false teeth and kids to call you grandpa."
"I don't plan on it," He winked one eye, also smiling.
Piccolo shouted, "...LOOK OUT!"
Suddenly Freeza and I were grabbed by the head. Void shoved us both into the dirt and flung us into Vegeta and Piccolo. All four of our bodies landed in an unceremonious heap. The massive impact opened a new crater in the Namekian dirt.
Ow...I think I'm going to
need a chiropractor after this is all over with.
This battle is still going on, has been for hours. Every time someone beats Void down, she just comes back worse. We were running out of ideas, energy and patience. Void refused to stay down. She would dodge us when we came at her as a whole. One on one fighting was out. Void made everyone her bitch, simple as that.
We all had blood coming from some part of our body. Bruises took up the places where the blood hadn't gotten to yet. Clothes were torn and dirty. Everybody hurt all over. Nobody had a plan, Void gave us no time to think.
What do we do now?
Piccolo(now sporting two feet, but only one shoe) rallied us for another quick retreat so we could regroup. Running. Always running!
And I was tired of running away.
"Wait! Hold up here!" I halted everybody in mid-air. They stared at me like I went insane. I didn't care, I continued, "I'm sick to death of running away like a little pussy! Instead of saving them for emergencies...we should whip out our dream catchers and kick the shit out of Void! She's already gone off to steal more dreams...I hate to say this but we should use the time to, you know...plan something with the dream catchers rather than running around, trying to figure out how to beat her up."
They all looked like I just threw a steel chair at them. Especially Piccolo, since he was the one mostly in charge of planning everything. For a second the only sound I heard was wind and heavy breathing. Then Vegeta's face twisted into the most irate expression I've ever seen him display.
"You STUPID GIRL! A foolish little trinket will only work for so long! The only way to beat Void is to destroy her!"
I snapped at him, "Void can't be destroyed, you idiot! She's HATE, Vegeta. You can't kill hatred!"
"Bullshit!" The Saiyajin prince turned his nose up at me, "Anything can be beaten if you have half a brain and power."
"Then I obviously have more brains than you do." I growled, "Look, we can pound into Void all day and she'll just come back at us even worse! Or we can try the dream catchers and see what happens." I looked from face to face. Piccolo and Freeza were nodding their heads, but Vegeta still wouldn't relent.
"Humph!"
"And here I thought you were a smart fighter." I got in Vegeta's face, "You're just in this to beat something up, aren't you? Well I'm sorry, but this is a team deal."
He snorted, turning his head and crossing his arms, "This would be all over right now if Kakarott was here."
"Well he isn't! We can't expect Goku to save our asses all the time. Now shut the hell up and let's see if this works! If not, you can have your stupid fun! Do I have to explain it any clearer for you? Or should I draw pictures and point?"
"Don't boss me around, female!" Vegeta jabbed an accusing finger in my face, "I make my own rules!"
"Cyndi, Vegeta..." Piccolo grabbed my arm and yanked me backwards against his chest, "That's enough! You're both acting like a couple of toddlers! Fighting over battle plans won't solve our more important problems."
I stuck my tongue out at Vegeta. Real mature of me, eh?
Vegeta dropped out of Super Saiyajin form, but his hair remained oddly bristled. "Feh, fine. I'll go with your pathetic little plan. But don't be too surprised if it fails."
"Don't be so sure of yourself," Freeza finally took a dig at the arrogant Saiyajin.
Vegeta shot Freeza a poisonous look. "Stay out of this, freak."
"Vegeta," Piccolo hedged. He and Freeza were the only two mature ones here at the moment. "Okay Cyndi, you've got the floor. What's your plan?"
I took a deep breath and began, "Here's what we can do..."