Chapter 7: The First Battle
The fighters stood still, watching the Outcasts run quickly toward them.
"They're close enough..." said Master Link. "It's time we destroyed them!"
"A few more seconds..." replied Anthony...
In a single moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity, the Outcasts' deafening footsteps grew louder and louder. They were almost at the walls. Some, who had guns, took aim at the towers and fired.
"Shit, they got guns now!" shouted Master Link.
"FIRE!" shouted Anthony, and everybody let loose their first wave of attack. He then concentrated, closing his eyes freezing in place, trying to gather as much psionic energy as possible. Master Link and Deadly Warrior fired a combined ball of ki energy at the masses underneath them, turning them into dust within nanoseconds. Anthony opened his eyes and looked down, "You will not take this world as your own! Guys, cover me!" he teleported down in the middle of the clearing Deadly Warrior and Master Link created.
Immediately the Mobian soldiers started shooting arrows and firing their guns at their Gamemaster's attackers.
Anthony turned around and saw a tall humanoid standing behind him, his sword above his head. Before he could bring it down, he stiffened and blew up. Behind him Master Link stood, his hand where the creature was.
Anthony used his psionic power to throw a group of Outcasts who tried to attack Master Link from behind.
Master Link turned around and sliced the handle of an axe that was coming down on him. "Anthony, get back to the village!"
Anthony used his teleporting powers to move around the Outcasts, never wasting a second to cut them open. "Get back here!" shouted a warrior from the village.
"Check that out!" Master Link said, amazed. "He's like the Nightcrawler!"
--------------------------------------------------
From the village a scream came, and a warrior fell to his knees with a hole in his chest.
"What's going on?!" shouted Bra, looking around.
A hovercraft appeared from the canyon behind the village, and made a quick landing. Immediately a couple dozen robots jumped out, lead by Packbell.
The village chief attacked Packbell, but was shot by the roboticizer, quickly turning into a robot.
"Now, destroy the Outcasts!" Packbell shouted.
"What interest do you have in destroying the Outcasts?!" shouted a warrior.
"Foolish Mobians." Said Packbell. "I'd have the undefeatable armies of the Outcasts under my command! Arcadia will perish!"
The robots spread across the village, noticing the villagers hiding in the flying ship, the Omnirus. "Take them away!" Packbell said, turning to the lines of fighters, his weapon armed and ready. He started shooting at them randomly, transforming the unaware warriors into robots.
Bra gasped as a robot grabbed her collar and pulled her off the Omnirus, which was taking off. She struggled, but was knocked out cold.
Goku dodged Packbell's rays, which hit a Mobian warrior, and fired a ki blast at him, destroying his robotic body.
Packbell laughed as he looked down to his destroyed shell. "I shall return!" he said before the batteries ran out. Instantly, the robots activated their hover boots and took off with their hostages.
Goku and Raditz gave chase. "You'll never take them!"
Raditz sped ahead, intercepting the fleeing robots. "Going somewhere?" his jaw dropped as he saw the robot he was talking to...
"Vegeta?!"
"Move aside, human!" said Vegeta in a robotic voice.
"Human?!" shouted Raditz. "Oh, you've asked for it!"
Bra gasped. "No!"
He clenched his fists, light radiating from them, and punched Vegeta's metallic body, easily piercing it and blowing the robot up.
Bra screamed, her ki increasing as well as her temper. She broke away from the robot's grip, moved away, and zoomed back through the robot, blowing it up.
"It's all your fault!" she charged at Raditz, who stood dumbstruck at the sight of this little girl attacking him.
The Outcasts pushed Anthony, Deadly Warrior and Master Link back against the outer walls of the village, where they pinned them.
The Outcast lines moved apart, as if making way for someone.
A huge demonic figure walked toward them. From the distance the vampire Master Link stared in surprise. "It can't be!"
The demon stopped a couple of feet before the village walls, and eyed all three of them, one at a time.
"You fight bravely, yet you shouldn't exist all at once!"
"Wha-what?!" Anthony spits out. The Outcast that was holding him against the wall tightened his grip around his throat.
"You only talk when I tell you to!" shouted the demon. "For I am Caleb, Great leader of the Outcasts!"
"Sorry...never heard of you..." Master Link spat out. "Not that I'd remember if I have."
Caleb narrowed his eyes, then opened his mouth and shouted in front of Master Link's face, making him wince. "Talk about bad breath!"
"ML, for once could you shut up!" Anthony shouted.
Caleb pushed the Outcast pinning Master Link away, and grabbed him by the throat. Master Link choked.
"You should not have come here, outsider..." Caleb straightened, and spread his wings. "Kill them..."
The Outcasts raised their weapons and aimed at the three.
"Stop!" came a shout on the village walls. Looking up, Caleb saw a person he would never have thought he would. The Outcasts lowered their weapons slightly, looking up.
"It's you...and Mazada! He's supposed to be dead!"
Vampire Master Link flew down in front of Caleb. "I don't mean to interfere with your business, nor do I wish to go against the Outcasts..." he said. "All I want is to watch those pathetic humans die!" he pointed at Master Link.
Caleb's frown turned into a smile. "Very well..." he said. "Who do you wish to see go first?"
At that moment Caleb didn't notice the small cloud hovering behind him, nor the Buffy gang taking aim in the towers of the village, nor the two Saiyans hovering overhead.
"How about..." Vampire Master Link pondered, starting to transform. "YOU!"
Master Link's ears turned Elven, his eyes turned red, his nails grew larger and so did his hair. At the end a pair of dragon wings appeared on his back.
He pointed his hand at Caleb, who was all too ready for a move like that. He grabbed his attacker and lifted him up, then grabbed both of his dragon wings and tore them clean off. "Foolish!" he said, disgusted. The vampire Master Link shouted in pain. Caleb threw him on the ground.
Immediately Buffy fired a bolt that struck Caleb through the heart and protruded from his chest, where his heart is supposed to be. "The Vampire Slayer?!" he seemed amused. "Who else have you recruited to die at my hands?" he pondered.
Immediately the rest of the Scooby Gang showed up from the towers, and fired fiery arrows down at Caleb, who swatted them away with his hand. "I'm beyond you, foolish Slayer!" he screamed at Buffy and her gang.
Goku and Raditz swept down and blasted Caleb off the ground, then Raditz followed him and attacked from underneath, shooting a Kamehameha at a very close range, covering Caleb in energy. However, Caleb stormed out of the blast and punched Raditz square on the jaw, knocking him out cold with a single hit. Goku attacked him, throwing punches and kicks like crazy. Caleb managed to block them all with ease, finally getting annoyed and punching Goku hard in the stomach, causing him to spit blood.
Caleb grabbed Goku by the legs, and hoisted him up into the air. Caleb threw him up and charged up for two seconds, then let go a single beam of energy ascended after Goku. Raditz looked in shock as the beam hit Goku, ripping through his body and making bloody chunks fall off. He then turned around and shot another blast at the tower the Scooby Gang was in, which lit it aflame. Anthony suddenly kneed the Outcast pinning him, and both Deadly Warrior and Master Link broke out of the Outcasts' grip, charging together at Caleb.
Anthony teleported on top of the tower, and away.
Master Link and Deadly Warrior hit Caleb at the exact same moment, catching him off-guard. He fell back and knocked many Outcasts down. Master Link picked up his vampire counterpart. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The Outcasts helped Caleb back on his feet and attacked. An Outcast raised his mace above his head, but was intercepted and cut into two before he could lower it. Kazashi raised her sword and swing it at the attacking Outcasts, slicing them with ease. The remaining warriors in the village started firing their weapons again. Beside her Oz appeared, jumping on an Outcast and eating it.
Anthony teleported into the village, gathering the few remaining living beings and teleporting out.
Caleb got back on his feet. "You...All of you shall die! Outcasts, ATTACK!"
Anthony showed up again, gathering up the remaining Mobian warriors and teleporting out again.
The Outcasts gave a single shout of battle and ran at them. They all prepared themselves for battle. Kazashi closed her eyes. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Master Link shouted, knowing they can't hold much longer. Suddenly there was a bright flash, and everything was gone.
The village disappeared, and so have the Outcasts. Master Link looked around, and saw Bra sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs. "What just happened?"
Anthony looked pale. "I used up my teleporting abilities..." he said, putting his hand on his head and wincing, then suddenly falling back. Buffy stopped him from falling down, then slowly lowered him to a sitting position.
Master Link sat down next to Bra. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting his hand behind her back.
"Grandfather is dead..." she sobbed, looking at him with teary eyes.
"My God! Vegeta..."
She nodded. "Packbell and his robots came into the village while you were fighting outside, and turned everyone into robots...it was terrible!"
"Packbell?" Master Link mused. "That guy's really asking for it!"
"Raditz killed him!" she said between sobs. Master Link started comforting her.
Figuring out what happened, Master Link frowned. "We should save them!"
"Save who?" asked the vampire Master Link. "Where's Leona?"
"She's been roboticized..."
Oz gasped. "What?!"
"And you're planning on saving her alone?" Anthony spoke up weakly, taking a sip from his bottle of amino water.
Master Link nodded.
"This won't work. Now, you may need some extra help..." said Anthony. "Packbell's defenses can see you coming from a mile away! You don't have a chance!"
"Yes, I do..." replied Vampire Master Link.
"It's too risky...You don't know Packbell like I do."
"Fine..." Master Link sighed. "Why don't you teach me this technique?"
"It's a psionic skill...It requires a lot of time and practice..."
Master Link looked at him, "I'm a quick learner...Try me!"
Anthony rolled his eyes. "You're overconfident..."
"You believe that only your bloodline is endowed with psionic powers." He looked at Anthony, and silently, he talked to his mind. "You're wrong..."
Anthony looked astonished. "How..."
"Always had it..." he replied. "Still, I prefer some old fashion ki instead of mind tricks..."
Master Link's vampire counterpart growled, a silver aura surrounding him. "Look, it you don't help us get Leona back, we'll do it on our own, Arcadia be damned!"
Anthony narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"You heard me, Gamemaster!" said Vampire Master Link. "Arcadia is the least of my concerns. I would see that it goes up in flames if it serves my purpose!"
"Hey, HEY!" shouted Deadly Warrior, stepping in between them. "What you're planning to do, Master Link, is extremely difficult."
Anthony nodded. "it's impossible..."
Master Link drew a deep breath. "I'll take my chances..."
The vampire counterpart stepped up to Master Link. "I'm coming with you..." he said.
"What?" everybody gasped.
Vampire Master Link sighed. "You heard me..." he said. "I've come back to help her!"
--------------------------------------------------
Caleb looked at the Outcasts. "Don't fret, my brethren!" he boomed. "The humans may have escaped, but we've destroyed this village! They got on their weak ships, and they fled. Don't fret! This is merely another step toward our glorious conquest!"
--------------------------------------------------
Packbell's arm mobbed slightly as his power-up process was completed. He sat up from his charging capsule and looked at his slaves, then at the Mobians they captured. "Be proud..." he said. "Soon you'll be defending Mobius more effectively, under my command!"
The robots cheered. "Long live the new Hero of Arcadia; Packbell!"
Packbell stood up, showing off his cape, which was similar to the Gamemaster's. He raised his hand to silence the robots. "I have heard about the prophecies about the Gamemaster, and I looked them up." He looked around the robot lines. "I found that they are false! Why would they be true, if he can't even stand up against the Outcasts? He can't not with any army that exists in all of Arcadia! No. I am the Hero. I am the Chosen One. I am the one who shall unite all of Arcadia together. Mr. Anthony Bault has some freak powers, but he is not the Gamemaster! Who, then, is the Gamemaster? I'll tell you who!" he raised his hands in the air, his cape flowing behind him. "I am the one you have been waiting for! I am your one savior! Join me willingly, or join me unwillingly!"
The captured Mobians looked at one another. "We join you willingly..." they said.
"Long live Packbell, the new Gamemaster of Arcadia!"
(A/N: Can things get any worse? Find out in the next chapter.)
The fighters stood still, watching the Outcasts run quickly toward them.
"They're close enough..." said Master Link. "It's time we destroyed them!"
"A few more seconds..." replied Anthony...
In a single moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity, the Outcasts' deafening footsteps grew louder and louder. They were almost at the walls. Some, who had guns, took aim at the towers and fired.
"Shit, they got guns now!" shouted Master Link.
"FIRE!" shouted Anthony, and everybody let loose their first wave of attack. He then concentrated, closing his eyes freezing in place, trying to gather as much psionic energy as possible. Master Link and Deadly Warrior fired a combined ball of ki energy at the masses underneath them, turning them into dust within nanoseconds. Anthony opened his eyes and looked down, "You will not take this world as your own! Guys, cover me!" he teleported down in the middle of the clearing Deadly Warrior and Master Link created.
Immediately the Mobian soldiers started shooting arrows and firing their guns at their Gamemaster's attackers.
Anthony turned around and saw a tall humanoid standing behind him, his sword above his head. Before he could bring it down, he stiffened and blew up. Behind him Master Link stood, his hand where the creature was.
Anthony used his psionic power to throw a group of Outcasts who tried to attack Master Link from behind.
Master Link turned around and sliced the handle of an axe that was coming down on him. "Anthony, get back to the village!"
Anthony used his teleporting powers to move around the Outcasts, never wasting a second to cut them open. "Get back here!" shouted a warrior from the village.
"Check that out!" Master Link said, amazed. "He's like the Nightcrawler!"
--------------------------------------------------
From the village a scream came, and a warrior fell to his knees with a hole in his chest.
"What's going on?!" shouted Bra, looking around.
A hovercraft appeared from the canyon behind the village, and made a quick landing. Immediately a couple dozen robots jumped out, lead by Packbell.
The village chief attacked Packbell, but was shot by the roboticizer, quickly turning into a robot.
"Now, destroy the Outcasts!" Packbell shouted.
"What interest do you have in destroying the Outcasts?!" shouted a warrior.
"Foolish Mobians." Said Packbell. "I'd have the undefeatable armies of the Outcasts under my command! Arcadia will perish!"
The robots spread across the village, noticing the villagers hiding in the flying ship, the Omnirus. "Take them away!" Packbell said, turning to the lines of fighters, his weapon armed and ready. He started shooting at them randomly, transforming the unaware warriors into robots.
Bra gasped as a robot grabbed her collar and pulled her off the Omnirus, which was taking off. She struggled, but was knocked out cold.
Goku dodged Packbell's rays, which hit a Mobian warrior, and fired a ki blast at him, destroying his robotic body.
Packbell laughed as he looked down to his destroyed shell. "I shall return!" he said before the batteries ran out. Instantly, the robots activated their hover boots and took off with their hostages.
Goku and Raditz gave chase. "You'll never take them!"
Raditz sped ahead, intercepting the fleeing robots. "Going somewhere?" his jaw dropped as he saw the robot he was talking to...
"Vegeta?!"
"Move aside, human!" said Vegeta in a robotic voice.
"Human?!" shouted Raditz. "Oh, you've asked for it!"
Bra gasped. "No!"
He clenched his fists, light radiating from them, and punched Vegeta's metallic body, easily piercing it and blowing the robot up.
Bra screamed, her ki increasing as well as her temper. She broke away from the robot's grip, moved away, and zoomed back through the robot, blowing it up.
"It's all your fault!" she charged at Raditz, who stood dumbstruck at the sight of this little girl attacking him.
The Outcasts pushed Anthony, Deadly Warrior and Master Link back against the outer walls of the village, where they pinned them.
The Outcast lines moved apart, as if making way for someone.
A huge demonic figure walked toward them. From the distance the vampire Master Link stared in surprise. "It can't be!"
The demon stopped a couple of feet before the village walls, and eyed all three of them, one at a time.
"You fight bravely, yet you shouldn't exist all at once!"
"Wha-what?!" Anthony spits out. The Outcast that was holding him against the wall tightened his grip around his throat.
"You only talk when I tell you to!" shouted the demon. "For I am Caleb, Great leader of the Outcasts!"
"Sorry...never heard of you..." Master Link spat out. "Not that I'd remember if I have."
Caleb narrowed his eyes, then opened his mouth and shouted in front of Master Link's face, making him wince. "Talk about bad breath!"
"ML, for once could you shut up!" Anthony shouted.
Caleb pushed the Outcast pinning Master Link away, and grabbed him by the throat. Master Link choked.
"You should not have come here, outsider..." Caleb straightened, and spread his wings. "Kill them..."
The Outcasts raised their weapons and aimed at the three.
"Stop!" came a shout on the village walls. Looking up, Caleb saw a person he would never have thought he would. The Outcasts lowered their weapons slightly, looking up.
"It's you...and Mazada! He's supposed to be dead!"
Vampire Master Link flew down in front of Caleb. "I don't mean to interfere with your business, nor do I wish to go against the Outcasts..." he said. "All I want is to watch those pathetic humans die!" he pointed at Master Link.
Caleb's frown turned into a smile. "Very well..." he said. "Who do you wish to see go first?"
At that moment Caleb didn't notice the small cloud hovering behind him, nor the Buffy gang taking aim in the towers of the village, nor the two Saiyans hovering overhead.
"How about..." Vampire Master Link pondered, starting to transform. "YOU!"
Master Link's ears turned Elven, his eyes turned red, his nails grew larger and so did his hair. At the end a pair of dragon wings appeared on his back.
He pointed his hand at Caleb, who was all too ready for a move like that. He grabbed his attacker and lifted him up, then grabbed both of his dragon wings and tore them clean off. "Foolish!" he said, disgusted. The vampire Master Link shouted in pain. Caleb threw him on the ground.
Immediately Buffy fired a bolt that struck Caleb through the heart and protruded from his chest, where his heart is supposed to be. "The Vampire Slayer?!" he seemed amused. "Who else have you recruited to die at my hands?" he pondered.
Immediately the rest of the Scooby Gang showed up from the towers, and fired fiery arrows down at Caleb, who swatted them away with his hand. "I'm beyond you, foolish Slayer!" he screamed at Buffy and her gang.
Goku and Raditz swept down and blasted Caleb off the ground, then Raditz followed him and attacked from underneath, shooting a Kamehameha at a very close range, covering Caleb in energy. However, Caleb stormed out of the blast and punched Raditz square on the jaw, knocking him out cold with a single hit. Goku attacked him, throwing punches and kicks like crazy. Caleb managed to block them all with ease, finally getting annoyed and punching Goku hard in the stomach, causing him to spit blood.
Caleb grabbed Goku by the legs, and hoisted him up into the air. Caleb threw him up and charged up for two seconds, then let go a single beam of energy ascended after Goku. Raditz looked in shock as the beam hit Goku, ripping through his body and making bloody chunks fall off. He then turned around and shot another blast at the tower the Scooby Gang was in, which lit it aflame. Anthony suddenly kneed the Outcast pinning him, and both Deadly Warrior and Master Link broke out of the Outcasts' grip, charging together at Caleb.
Anthony teleported on top of the tower, and away.
Master Link and Deadly Warrior hit Caleb at the exact same moment, catching him off-guard. He fell back and knocked many Outcasts down. Master Link picked up his vampire counterpart. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The Outcasts helped Caleb back on his feet and attacked. An Outcast raised his mace above his head, but was intercepted and cut into two before he could lower it. Kazashi raised her sword and swing it at the attacking Outcasts, slicing them with ease. The remaining warriors in the village started firing their weapons again. Beside her Oz appeared, jumping on an Outcast and eating it.
Anthony teleported into the village, gathering the few remaining living beings and teleporting out.
Caleb got back on his feet. "You...All of you shall die! Outcasts, ATTACK!"
Anthony showed up again, gathering up the remaining Mobian warriors and teleporting out again.
The Outcasts gave a single shout of battle and ran at them. They all prepared themselves for battle. Kazashi closed her eyes. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Master Link shouted, knowing they can't hold much longer. Suddenly there was a bright flash, and everything was gone.
The village disappeared, and so have the Outcasts. Master Link looked around, and saw Bra sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs. "What just happened?"
Anthony looked pale. "I used up my teleporting abilities..." he said, putting his hand on his head and wincing, then suddenly falling back. Buffy stopped him from falling down, then slowly lowered him to a sitting position.
Master Link sat down next to Bra. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting his hand behind her back.
"Grandfather is dead..." she sobbed, looking at him with teary eyes.
"My God! Vegeta..."
She nodded. "Packbell and his robots came into the village while you were fighting outside, and turned everyone into robots...it was terrible!"
"Packbell?" Master Link mused. "That guy's really asking for it!"
"Raditz killed him!" she said between sobs. Master Link started comforting her.
Figuring out what happened, Master Link frowned. "We should save them!"
"Save who?" asked the vampire Master Link. "Where's Leona?"
"She's been roboticized..."
Oz gasped. "What?!"
"And you're planning on saving her alone?" Anthony spoke up weakly, taking a sip from his bottle of amino water.
Master Link nodded.
"This won't work. Now, you may need some extra help..." said Anthony. "Packbell's defenses can see you coming from a mile away! You don't have a chance!"
"Yes, I do..." replied Vampire Master Link.
"It's too risky...You don't know Packbell like I do."
"Fine..." Master Link sighed. "Why don't you teach me this technique?"
"It's a psionic skill...It requires a lot of time and practice..."
Master Link looked at him, "I'm a quick learner...Try me!"
Anthony rolled his eyes. "You're overconfident..."
"You believe that only your bloodline is endowed with psionic powers." He looked at Anthony, and silently, he talked to his mind. "You're wrong..."
Anthony looked astonished. "How..."
"Always had it..." he replied. "Still, I prefer some old fashion ki instead of mind tricks..."
Master Link's vampire counterpart growled, a silver aura surrounding him. "Look, it you don't help us get Leona back, we'll do it on our own, Arcadia be damned!"
Anthony narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"You heard me, Gamemaster!" said Vampire Master Link. "Arcadia is the least of my concerns. I would see that it goes up in flames if it serves my purpose!"
"Hey, HEY!" shouted Deadly Warrior, stepping in between them. "What you're planning to do, Master Link, is extremely difficult."
Anthony nodded. "it's impossible..."
Master Link drew a deep breath. "I'll take my chances..."
The vampire counterpart stepped up to Master Link. "I'm coming with you..." he said.
"What?" everybody gasped.
Vampire Master Link sighed. "You heard me..." he said. "I've come back to help her!"
--------------------------------------------------
Caleb looked at the Outcasts. "Don't fret, my brethren!" he boomed. "The humans may have escaped, but we've destroyed this village! They got on their weak ships, and they fled. Don't fret! This is merely another step toward our glorious conquest!"
--------------------------------------------------
Packbell's arm mobbed slightly as his power-up process was completed. He sat up from his charging capsule and looked at his slaves, then at the Mobians they captured. "Be proud..." he said. "Soon you'll be defending Mobius more effectively, under my command!"
The robots cheered. "Long live the new Hero of Arcadia; Packbell!"
Packbell stood up, showing off his cape, which was similar to the Gamemaster's. He raised his hand to silence the robots. "I have heard about the prophecies about the Gamemaster, and I looked them up." He looked around the robot lines. "I found that they are false! Why would they be true, if he can't even stand up against the Outcasts? He can't not with any army that exists in all of Arcadia! No. I am the Hero. I am the Chosen One. I am the one who shall unite all of Arcadia together. Mr. Anthony Bault has some freak powers, but he is not the Gamemaster! Who, then, is the Gamemaster? I'll tell you who!" he raised his hands in the air, his cape flowing behind him. "I am the one you have been waiting for! I am your one savior! Join me willingly, or join me unwillingly!"
The captured Mobians looked at one another. "We join you willingly..." they said.
"Long live Packbell, the new Gamemaster of Arcadia!"
(A/N: Can things get any worse? Find out in the next chapter.)