Sorry about all the delays.
The stupid internet worm(thank God I have Windows 98) keeps clogging my
connection and making it impossible to stay online for more than a few
minutes without getting disconnected. Then I got writer's block and
ff.net wouldn't load for me, so more waiting! Argh! I hope everything fixes
itself soon so I don't have to keep you Believers waiting! :)
These Dreams
Part Twenty-Two
A creature of nightmares. Usually you'd think of Freddy Krueger, right?
Well his monster made him look like a puppy.
From the waist down Void looked exactly like a scorpion. Her stinger was now three feet long and sported two serrated edges. Pinchers extended from a pair of arms below her natural ones. They snapped at the air. She had gleaming, twitching mandibles like a stag beetle's jutting from either side of her mouth. Two silver wasp-like wings shimmered under the armored protrusions on her back. The bone structure on her forehead flattened out in a way that reminded me of the aliens from the movie Independence Day. A thin, shining slit of carapace similar to Freeza's armor plates flickered eerily between her eyes and extended over the flat crest atop her head. It swirled with some unknown energy. Silver sunlight-on-water patterns still rippled over her skin. Mercury colored eyes, two gleaming orbs full of malice, flashed with distorted reflections of everyone's horrified expressions as she scuttled closer. She made a strange sound when she moved. Similar to someone scraping their fingernails over rough leather. I'm not sure if it was her joints or her legs scratching the ground, but it made shivers dance down my spine. She was coming closer. I could only stare up at her, my body frozen in place.
She had to be at least eleven feet tall! I mean, her shadow covered me, Piccolo, Freeza and Vegeta all at once!
Her power...I know it's been said a million times on the show and I swore I wouldn't say it...but I never felt a power like that! It created shockwaves inside my skull that reverberated through my body. My head felt like it was pulsating. I thought my bones were going to explode. Everything inside me throbbed from her energy.
Just looking at Void made my blood freeze. Piccolo's bare upper body went tense. Vegeta clenched his teeth angrily. Freeza took a shaky backwards step. Nobody spoke. There was only the scratching sound as Void halted a mere ten feet from our location.
"So, how do you like my new look?" Her guttural voice gained a new echo, almost two voices in one.
I swallowed and, as usual, acted on impulse, "I'd sue my plastic surgeon if I was you!"
Shut up! A voice entered my head. Piccolo slapped a sweaty hand over my mouth before I said anything else. Vegeta and Freeza both gave me a quick glare. A weight lowered into my stomach. That feeling I always get when I'm busted.
Void only smirked at my insolence. She gave her mandibles and pinchers a decisive snap. "Now that I've finished with my make-over, it's time to destroy you all."
"Great," Piccolo muttered under his breath. He scowled my way, "Are you going to keep your mouth shut now?"
"Mmhmm!"
He took his hand away. I wiped my face off. No matter who it is, I get really grossed out if I have to touch or get touched by someone who is slimy from sweating a lot. Don't ask why, I just have this thing with other peoples' bodily fluids.
BAMF!
Okay, what the hell was that noise?
A white energy wave knocked everyone off their feet. Just by beating her wings, Void had us falling all over ourselves.
Then came that scratching noise. Void cruised forward on all eight legs. She slapped Vegeta away with one pincher. Used the other to lift Freeza by the tail and fling him the opposite direction. She pointed to Piccolo. He levitated, struggling against her power. Void only laughed, made a throwing motion and Piccolo went flying. Then she spun around. Her segmented tail smashed into my side. I sailed like a bullet into the mountain she emerged from.
It happened so fast. Nobody expected her to move that quick! Big things aren't fast!
Unforgiving rocks exploded upon my impact. The mountain caved in, leaving me buried alive and in the dusty dark. No clue where Void or the others were.
My heart throbbed between my ears. I choked on bits of dust.
I laid my hands flat against the shade-cooled slab resting on my stomach. No human could move something that heavy on their own. But I wasn't human anymore, at least not in this dimension. I pushed the slab up and slid my legs out from underneath, letting it fall once I got free. Boulders rolled down on top of it. One thin beam of sunlight reached me through a crack above my head. I went to scoot again and fell back. Another rock had pinned my long hair. I worked it free, glad Saiyajin hair didn't break easy.
Rumbling noises just outside.
I froze.
Deathly silence.
The little beam of light disappeared, leaving me in complete darkness.
My chest heaved rapidly. Void was obviously right on top of the rock pile - sitting directly above me!
BAM!
I felt rather than saw her serrated stinger jam through the rocks above me.
BAM!
From the side this time! Barely missing my kidneys!
By now I was gasping for air. Panicked. Void knew she had me cornered and I couldn't escape. Not unless I used my power. But did I have enough energy for a good blast?
I had to try!
Bam. Bam. Bam. BAM!
Her tail kept digging into the rocks.
I tried not to notice it. Let go of myself and allowed my energy to collect. I imagined it as a wave of light starting in my center and spreading out through my body. I raised my hands above my head and waited. Void probably sensed my ki rising...I didn't care anymore. I wanted out!
The ki congealed on my palms. Burning delightfully as it reached its climax.
"Masenko-HAAAAAAAAAA!" I blasted the rocks above me away. Void scooted aside just in time. But I had my opening. I jumped back into the harsh daylight and took off. If Void followed me, she did it from a distance. I didn't see her anywhere.
And I didn't give a shit.
All I cared about was finding the others.
Piccolo found me before I located anyone else. I was so panicked that I didn't sense him until he nearly ran me down to get my attention. Had the situation not been so dire, I'm sure he would've laughed at the terrified look on my face. "Can you sense the others?"
"No, I lost track when Void swiped me. We have to move, she's chasing me!"
That made him glance back over his shoulder. Sensing Void's power didn't require much concentration. Her energy levels were obnoxiously high.
I heard Piccolo curse under his breath. He inhaled slowly and said, "Okay, I've located Freeza's ki. He's alive. Vegeta probably has his power suppressed and that's why I can't pick him up."
"Great, needle in a haystack. That's just what we need right now."
"Quit complaining!" Snarled Piccolo, "Void's almost on us. We can't keep running forever...so we're standing our ground against her. No backing off now. I'm sure Vegeta will sense our powers going up and seek us out. Same for Freeza, if he can still sense powers."
Piccolo's words nearly made me choke on my own spit. Us fight Void? That huge ugly thing she turned into? "So this is it then, huh? The big fight?"
"Yeah, kid. This is it."
I shivered inwardly. It made me want to fly over, hug him and say that I loved him just in case we didn't get out of this alive. The other part of me knew Piccolo wouldn't stand for romance right now.
"Anything we can use to our advantage?"
He glanced down at me. His brow knit. "She's big, that means she won't be quite as fast...I hope. Now, you're not ridiculously powerful but you have a speed advantage over all of us. I'll increase my size to even the odds a little bit. If you can keep her off balance and distracted, I can score the heavy blows and hopefully bring her down. Vegeta and Freeza will catch on once they find us."
Great. And here I hoped I wouldn't have to get involved any more than I had to!
I pushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. God, my makeup was probably still smeared all over my face. How hellish I must've looked! "I still think we should find the others first."
"Cyndi," Piccolo stopped me, "they may both be hurt. We don't want to lead Void to them before they're ready."
"True..."
Piccolo turned and stood rigid in mid-air. He curled his arms as if stretching after a good night's sleep and proceeded to grow four feet in height. Just like that he became eleven feet tall. Over twice my height! The top of my head barely reached his crotch! His legs were bigger around than the tree in front of my house!
Ooh, yum, a giant Piccolo without his shirt on! That made me imagine if something else would've grown if he'd been in my Reality. I should think so. But he'd never fit it into my -
"Pick your jaw up and focus!" The Namek glared waaaaaaay down at me.
I winced. "Sorry. Man, you put the Incredible Hulk to shame! All you need to do is rip your pants when you grow and you'd have the whole change perfect!"
"What are you babbling about now?!"
"Nevermind."
Intense energy crackled on the horizon. I saw the sunlight glinting off Void's armor before I saw her actual body. How the hell do things that big with that many legs fly? Doesn't ki have its limits? Argh. I clenched my jaw so my molars quit buzzing and concentrated on the power pulsating inside my body.
Like always, powering up gave me an intense rush. I relaxed everything but my stomach muscles and WHOOSH! It shot out like a geyser from my belly button, surrounding me with a blue-white aura.
Piccolo tightened his huge fists. He took on a mid-air stance. "Here she comes. I'll attack her head on. You sneak in and nail her when I have her attention. Go for any opening you see when I engage her. No hesitations."
No hesitations...and no chickening out. "Right."
"Good, now get ready."
Void reminded me of a floating fortress because of her size. She flew with her eight legs curled up under her body. From what I could see they didn't have a super long reach. Maybe I can do some damage if I go for her underbelly. Yeah, underbelly it is.
The huge black nightmare creature halted a few feet away. Her legs opened up and acted like balancing weights to keep her bulky form upright. "So, I see you two decided to quit running."
"Who says we were running?" Piccolo taunted. He flashed his trademark smirk, "You don't scare me, Void."
Speak for yourself. I muttered mentally, not saying anything else. I just wanted this fight to get going...and get it over with. Come on, Piccolo, let's do this before I lose my nerve!
He glanced at me and nodded. Next thing I knew was Piccolo shooting towards Void like a bullet from a gun. The size increase did mess up his speed a the same way going Super Saiyajin two screwed Vegeta over when he battled Cell. But his power made up for it.
Void's eyes widened. She spread all four arms in some weird stance. Her pinchers clicked expectantly. Piccolo slammed into her chest full-force. Same sound as a car accident on the freeway. Void instantly battered him with her pinchers. He blocked what she threw. They must've gone at it for a minute straight.
I sailed around Piccolo and Void, searching for the opening I needed. Just as I thought - Void didn't guard her lower half! I circled around once more and dove. Pulled a sharp hairpin turn and slammed both fists into her underbelly. It wasn't armored! I felt skin!
Void buckled in mid air. She wailed in pain. Piccolo smashed his forearm into her face and nailed her with three hard jabs. He backed off when her arms flailed. Suddenly I had four sharp legs digging against my sides. They moved like pinball pins, trying to knock me away. I squirmed sideways and drove my elbow up against her soft spot again. Void nailed me back with a hard kick in the kidney. The pain made me groan.
Energy crackled around Void's body. I smelled ozone. Then a white-hot beam slammed me away. I hit the ground with a crash. Singed around the edges, but otherwise okay.
I sensed rather than saw Piccolo coming down right after me. I rolled aside just in time. His impact produced a huge crater and almost turned me into a pancake.
"Piccolo! Are you okay?"
Piccolo pushed himself up to his towering height. He cracked his neck a few times and smirked at me. "Never better."
Void's power level shot through the roof. Then a tiny, bright sphere of light fluttered down between Piccolo and I. Piccolo stared at it with narrowed eyes. But I remembered this little trick.
"Piccolo...MOVE!!!!"
We both scattered. Seconds later the little sphere swelled up and created a bigger explosion than the first one. Void laughed her ass off. A string of ki energy wrapped around my waist, trapping me. Piccolo snarled, also caught. This time the energy flickered between purple and red, and appeared tethered to her pinchers.
"Here's another one I've been working on. I call it.....Armageddon Chain..." She smiled and crossed her upper arms across her armored chest, "you'll see where it got its name in just a second."
I screamed, "BITCH!"
Piccolo just glared at her.
Void giggled with glee. Her pinchers glowed. Then two electrical balls of light emerged, each about as big as Vegeta's gravity room. It reminded me of the big ball in Times Square that drops on New Year's. Only these wouldn't be lighting up a new year. "When the balls reach you....KABOOM!"
Then she let them go. The twin spheres came forward slowly. I'm no expert at judging speed, but I guessed Piccolo and I had about one minute before all hell broke loose.
Great, now what?
I squirmed. Piccolo wrenched himself from side to side. Nothing we did broke the "chain".
Piccolo, I can't get free! I thought.
Me either...keep trying! Don't panic, just keep trying. Piccolo 'sounded' pretty calm, but he sure didn't look it.
And Void just kept LAUGHING. I wanted to smack her!
Thirty desperate seconds went by and nothing. Neither Piccolo or I had any success. We both had an energy sphere less than ten feet from us. We were going to die!
Movement in my peripheral vision. Something red zoomed up between my feet. I felt a breeze and heard a screeching noise. Suddenly I was free! The same red object swooped past Piccolo. He wasted no time - he lunged at me. His massive body shoved me away less than a second after the energy balls finished their journey.
Armageddon indeed!
The explosions lit up half the freaking sky with a blinding blue-white light. As big and bright as a Spirit Bomb. That's all I saw before Piccolo and I hit the ground. Not the most pleasant landing I've ever made, but I'd survive.
I came to my senses again and squirmed around for a better view. Looked up in the sky and saw Void fighting with...someone. Her opponent looked tiny and white. I saw gleams of purple.
Freeza! That was Freeza! He was POUNDING her real good!
Or at least he pounded her until she swiped him away with her wings. Freeza came smashing into the ground right next to Piccolo and I, creating another crater in the dirt. He sat up slowly, clutching his shoulder. Blood oozed from under his hand and created rivulets down his bicep. His face scrunched up in obvious pain.
"Nice of you to drop in," Piccolo muttered, "Any idea where Vegeta is?"
Freeza snorted, made a hacking noise and spat bloody phlegm onto the ground. I made a face and looked away. Ugh, what is it with MEN and SPITTING? It's disgusting!
"No. Don't know where he's at. He was pretty messed up when Void smacked him. I bet he's just coming to and madder than a hornet."
I crossed my arms, imitating Piccolo. "Perfect. I don't think we can beat Void on our own. We need - "
Void cut in, "Are you going to talk for the rest of your pathetic lives, or are we going to fight? I have better things to do than squash worthless insects like you all day."
"Go eat a dick!" I shouted back. God, I haven't used that one in a long time.
"Oh, you should talk." Void looked pointedly from Piccolo to me. "Oh, I forgot...he doesn't have one."
Piccolo didn't get it, but I turned bright red and gave Void a one-finger salute. She laughed and sailed down to land a short distance from us. The earth below us trembled when she touched down and scooted forward a few steps. There was that weird scratching noise again! It must be her feet scraping the ground.
She was just starting to charge us when -
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A meteor hit the ground behind Void, knocking her onto her side. The deafening explosion lit up like a gold fireball brighter than the sun. Debris blasted skyward and exploded. I almost went with it! Piccolo grabbed my ankle and anchored me with his massive arm. Everyone shielded their eyes until the light became tolerable.
Dust, dirt and smoke swirled like debris around a black hole. Blue lightning tore at it every second. Suddenly the smoke abated, only the glow remained.
There stood Vegeta, his mouth drawn into a tight line and wrinkles forming across his brow. A dangerous gleam passed through his clear turquoise eyes. He turned his head and clenched one fist, making his muscles bulge. His aura flared like the wings of a phoenix rising from its ashes.
They don't call him the Saiyajin Prince for nothing.
Void rolled to her feet. She took on her weird arms-all-spread stance. Her body gleamed in the light from Vegeta's aura.
"Void," Vegeta pronounced each word like acid dripping off his tongue, "You've humiliated me for the last time. The girl over there knows what happens to people humiliate me."
She laughed at him, "Bring it on, big boy."
Vegeta smirked and held both arms out sideways. His swirling ki gained intensity and gave off more wind. His power was incredible! "NOW DIIIIEEEEEE!"
Freeza, Piccolo and myself scrambled into the sky. Just in time...the ground literally fell apart below us. Gravity reversed, dragging everything towards the angry Saiyajin. Piccolo had to grab Freeza and me so we wouldn't get pulled in. Massive energy converged on a single point. We all heard Vegeta screaming.
The entire world seemed to vanish in a single, titanic blast.
Vegeta came shooting out of the smoke. More explosions illuminated him. The fireball was right on his heels!
"GO! NOW!"
We didn't need to be told twice! Everyone shot off in the same direction. The giant shockwaves reached us even though we'd relocated several miles away. Smoke covered the entire continent we were standing on, turning the sky dark grayish-brown.
There's no way Void could've survived that. No freaking way.