Warning : The content of this fiction includes extreme violence, foul language, sexual situations, and non consensual situations.

Disclaimer : All characters here in are property of Toei animation and Akira Toriyama, save the characters Vavage, Phobe, Coma, Jaxom, and Wani; which by the way, means crocodile in Japanese.

Notes : This is an AU fan fiction, beginning at the Buu Saga. Whoo, in May, I'll be graduating High School, so updates will really be in full grow when school's over. And gomen if this chapter is rather lame, I was expecting it to be. So anyway, updates may come about once a month or so, thanks for the reviews, I am very pleased with this story!

Shadows Within

Part 8

by Reppa

Normally, when someone is dragged under water without enough warning or time to take a real lungful of air, the person usually drowned. Even Saiyjins. But liquid wasn't flooding into his system as he touched the underwater bed. Raditz blinked in confusion. Though his movements were pretty lethargic in the dense water, he was able to breathe as if there was oxygen around him, so he knew something strange was going on. It wasn't exactly hard to say what it was, but he was grateful as he trudged forward. There was indeed a lack of life in here, at least anything normal. Alien looking plants were protruding from the soil and odd fish slithered on the floor.

I think I know what's the cause…he reasoned, putting the idea it was the Dragonball at the top of the possibility list. But no one said it did weird things like this, at least, from what he was told and he figured it would be something important he would have to know. Tapping his chin thoughtfully, he paused in his steps to think this over. He didn't like the feel of things.

While he was thinking, some pressure pushed him forward, forcing him to whirl around with an angry scowl. Then he paused, frowning. The long-haired Saiyjin was nearly face to face with a peculiar creature. Relatively humanoid, green of skin and fin tailed lower body. If Raditz didn't know any better he could have sworn he could have been related to Zarbon. Quite a scary idea when he thought over it again. "Who the hell are you?" The Saiyjin growled, dark eyes narrowed dangerously, but all the alien did was giggle with mirth. Pretty scary sound as well.

"Who…me?" He had a creepy, slow voice going as he swished about, looking to move a great deal easier than Raditz could, "I'm Wani. Why did you decide to grace us with your presence? I know this can't be a casual dip in my lakey-poo!"

Raditz really didn't want to know this 'us' Wani was speaking of, which probably referred to the chorus of twittering laughter about them. Creepy ass things…the sooner I get out of here, the better…he noted to himself, "Some acquaintances and I came looking for the Dragonball around this area."

"Oh, well that's too bad…"

That doesn't sound good, the Saiyjin noted with another frown, "And…why's that?"

"Because Vavage doesn't want you to get the Dragonballs, that's why."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Vegeta had thought things were going to take a turn for the better. But instead, they took a very hazardous turn for the worse. Judging from the smug and confident smirk on the demon's façade, he was starting to get worried. The prince cursed his idiocy in believing four fully powered Saiyjins were going to do anything to a demon. A demon, he really should have known better.

Without another word, Gohan swung the Z blade at their demon foe. Little good it did as it passed through and the teen was kicked hard in the chest. A funny, little thing they got to learn of Vavage, he could regenerate. The blade had practically cut him in half, in Vegeta's opinion, that should have been that. But it didn't bode well as they saw the mortal wound piece itself together. No blood had spattered and it didn't look like there was anything to the fiend then darkness, inside in so many ways and outside.

Gohan winced as he bent to one knee, holding a hand over his heart. The Z blade was laying off to the side, discarded since he could see what little use it would be now. He grunted as Phobe grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to his feet, while Gokou was lunging at Vavage. Vegeta groaned audibly, black eyes narrowing as he watched the larger Saiyjin get knocked back with little effort.

Gokou shook his head as he slowed himself to hover next to the Saiyjin prince, "Ah…this already isn't looking too good Vegeta, just like last time, think there's anything we can do that we haven't thought of yet??"

"I doubt that unless whatever happened last time happens again. It's kind of hard to think when things are just a little out of hand!" Vegeta snapped, jerking his head up just in time to see Trunks thrown at him for him to catch. The boy looked up at his dad and chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. Vegeta huffed in agitation as his son straightened himself and left his arms, though he stayed close along with Goten, "Just what exactly do you want, you over-grown freak?"

"Other than you so I can fuck your brains out and take over the universe, nothing else of much importance." Vavage sneered demonically, smirking broadly at them. The Saiyjin prince made a face at the idea of being screwed by him and it was obvious Gokou didn't like the idea any better.

"You're not touching my dad at all, jerk!" The young Briefs barked, making to launch himself at the demon but he was halted when his father grabbed his foot, "Aw, dad!! I'm gonna teach him a lesson!"

Vegeta scowled, not relenting as the other larger Saiyjin shot past him to let loose another attack at their enemy, Gohan doing the same. It didn't help to see Vavage spin around and kick Gokou aside while grabbing the teen's arm to flip him over and throw him against Snake Way. The android watched Gohan crash back down and looked back up from his spot, he wasn't attacking for some reason, Phobe usually did when Trunks was attacked. Which just assured Vegeta's thoughts that this was an impossible task in beating him.

"How did he get here?" A voice suddenly demanded, bringing Vegeta's attention up as Shin and Kabito joined them, both looking quite grim.

"He broke in," was all the explanation the short Saiyjin could give, still holding onto his son's leg despite all his wriggling.

Shin shook his head, looking blanched. "That can't be…as of late…the defenses of Other World were strengthened, they should have prevented this…"

Vegeta suddenly turned to him, brows furrowed angrily, "Are you telling me you expected this?!" The startled look on the Supreme Kai's face wasn't exactly the most assuring and in agitation, the Saiyjin gripped him by the collar of his jacket, "Why you little troll!! What is going on exactly and what the hell were you talking about when you referred to me being like you?! I demand some answers!!"

Trunks blinked as his father let him go to yell at the Kai. Shin gasped in alarm as he was shaken, "You did overhear us!"

"Of course, you moron! Did you not look twice at these ears?! The Namek isn't the only who can hear from a good distance!" Vegeta snarled, letting the Kai go with a light shove before he pulled out the one star ball, "And what the hell am I to do with this? Hear, let me do you a favor…" He drew his arm back and threw the orb into the air, getting a shout of alarm from Kabito. Gokou chanced a glance over his shoulder to watch the Dragonball sail off and he gaped, "Vegeta!"

The only person who didn't take any real notice in what the prince did was Vavage as he swung his rapier at the tall Saiyjin, slicing a few hairs as the man ducked. Gokou caught the fist aimed at his jaw before he caught hold of the second. The two pushed their hands together forcefully at the same time, both leaning forward to growl threateningly at the other. In the meantime, Phobe made off after the Dragonball, Trunks and Goten following suit much to Vegeta's annoyance. "Get back here, you two!" He shouted before he touched down onto some of the lengthy remnants of the road.

Gohan was sitting up, rubbing his sore head with a groan, taken aback by how fast the demon was. On a glance, he saw Trunks and his younger brother were gone. That wasn't good. As he looked up, he was shocked as he watched his father and Vavage in their little stand off, and he was hopeful that he'd win, however unlikely. The teen jumped in slight surprise as someone pulled him up and he wondered if it was the android until he got a look at the full-blooded Saiyjin's face, "Vegeta! Where's my little bro?"

"He and Trunks went after that stupid contraption while we deal with that bastard." The prince grunted. Suddenly Gokou crashed into Gohan, forcing him backwards as the two tumbled off Snake Way and down below. That wasn't good at all, Vegeta realized, not taking any notice as the black two star ball fell onto concrete with barely a sound.

"Now that those two are out of the way…seeing as breaking into this…" Vavage paused and looked about with a great deal of disdain, fingers folded together before him as he turned back to the Saiyjin prince with his devilish smirk back in place, "…place isn't exactly easy for an omnipotent being such as myself, it certainly won't be for a couple of weak little mortals." Stepping down from the air, he casually sauntered towards him, causing Vegeta to step back slowly. His gaze then left his target to drift downwards and settle on the Dragonball laying at his feet. With a inquisitively perked brow, Vavage knelt down and plucked the dark sphere up to look it over.

"And what's this? Another one of the Sovereign's enhanced Dragonballs? Well, at least I have a few choice friends keeping tabs on the others." This was rewarded with a confused frown and he continued, "These little babies will prove to be some obstacles, but as long as your friends don't get them, I'll be a satisfied little demon."

As he spoke, he continued towards him, twirling the sphere in his gloved hand until he paused, Shin now standing in his way to Vegeta. The Supreme Kai glared at him, arms held out, ignoring Kabito's horrified expression, "I won't let you destroy everything. Your plans end here."

"Do they?" Vavage inquired, his other brow slowly raised as the corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk. There was no time for another word as, swifter than anything any of them had seen, his lance-like rapier was brandished and plunged into the Kai's chest. Shin gasped, blinking in shock and gradually looking back over his shoulder to Vegeta, who looked quite freaked out. Kabito was livid as he hurled himself at the demon only to be knocked away as effortlessly as Gokou and Gohan had been.

Vegeta didn't move, there wasn't any point as he watched the blade retract and Shin slumped to the ground, blood pooling over Snake Way. Color was soon drained from his face while Vavage kicked the Kai aside before advancing towards him again, stopping just a foot away, his tone dark, "No one, gets in my way."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He was really rusty when it came to fighting, he realized as he fell back hard against the ground. Raditz shook his head as he pushed up on his elbows. Wani was more than creepy, he was some freak beast. What sat in the alien's place was a large crocodilian fish-like beast, as large as a good sized dinosaur. Fighting monsters had not been on the Saiyjin's list as he jumped out of the way of ice shards shot from the beast's mouth. He was already bleeding from several small cuts on his arms, legs, and a reasonable sized one on his shoulder.

It was obvious that he couldn't quite beat the thing to death, so a good, powerful ki blast seemed the only way of stopping it. The air, or whatever was there at the moment since he was underwater, was knocked out of his system as the scaly tail bowled him over. He couldn't go on like this, he had to do something or become fish bait which was a big no-no for him.

Jumping to his feet, Raditz brandished the weapon he'd brought with him. A whip didn't seem like it would do much good, he bloody well couldn't choke the damned thing and he was sure it'd beat on him more than he could beat on it. Using the density of the water and his own size against him seemed the best option. Turning, the Saiyjin bolted with Wani in chase. The alien was not too bogged by the water, but the changed and jutting rock didn't seem to appeal to him as he crashed through them with howls of annoyance.

He rubbed his shoulder, back to a stone as he hid. His head was pounding insanely, fighting something more than ten times his size was not his idea of fun. But Raditz was relieved to see Wani wasn't fairing any better now, battered and bruised from running head long into the rock formations. Now seemed to be the perfect time as he maneuvered behind the beast, holstering the whip and holding his hands out to either side of himself.

"Saturday Crush!" Wani had only that as warning while Raditz threw his hands forward to blow a gaping hole into the beast with bright energy. Blood clouded the waters up and the Saiyjin grunted before falling over when something small, yet hard hit his forehead. Though he couldn't see clearly, he managed to paw a hand around before he grasped a small circular object. Groggily, Raditz stood up and shook his head until he gasped. His mouth was full of the saltiest liquid he'd ever tasted. That wasn't a good thing.

End of Chapter 8