In The Eyes of a Hunter
Written by Jennifer and Mandy
Chapter 18- The Stage Is Set
Author's Note: SORRY for the delay everybody. I know we've been slacking on the updates lately, but here's a good long chapter to make up for it. ^_^ Plus, I think Jen and I have come up with a new system for writing the chapters so they'll start coming out faster. Also, we know that Gohan and Videl's house is right next to Goku and Chi-Chi's in the show, but in our story, it's not. Gohan's house is. well it's somewhere far away from Goku's. ^_^; Okay, with that all cleared up, move on to the chapter! Enjoy! (review review review!!! ^^)
Disclaimer - We do not own any of the DBZ characters. Yet, any new characters that we have made to fit the story are ours, and part of In the Eyes of a Hunter. Thank you!
After a while, Bra had finally drifted off into a restless sleep in the corner of the room. She had curled up into a ball to try to stay warm, yet still shivered slightly in her sleep.
A moment later, Altair came in the room, shutting the door behind him, then turned around and glanced about the room, finding Bra in the far corner. He walked across the room and stopped next to her, staring down at her for a second. "Get up and come here!" he demanded suddenly, then turned and began walking away, assuming she was following him. After another second without hearing her walking behind him, he stopped and looked back. With a sigh of annoyance, he turned around and went back over to the girl, seeing that she hadn't moved or even woke up. He got back to her and kicked her impatiently in the side. "I said get up! Follow me!" he ordered, and stood there to make sure she got up this time.
Bra's eyes shot open and she gasped in shock, coughing slightly as her body instinctively curled up tighter. She looked up and saw Altair standing just a few inches in front of her with an irritated expression. With a slight grunt of effort, she used all her strength to scramble up into a standing position, the familiar fear for what he would do to her next, or worse, to her family, returning to her. The sleep that he had just ripped her out of hadn't been a peaceful one. Nightmares swarmed in her subconscious, but she preferred that to being awake. At least the nightmares didn't hurt.
With a faint nod, Altair turned back around and headed towards the door with Bra slowly following behind. He made his way down the corridor outside the room that Bra had been in to the main control room. As he entered, he gestured to a chair and said very plainly, "Sit."
Bra looked nervously around her. Since she had never seen much of the ship besides her room, she wasn't very familiar with where she was. As directed, she slowly walked over to the chair and sat down. After a slight hesitation, she asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "What are you going to do now?"
Altair's eyes flickered over to her and he smirked. "Anyone with a power level high enough to fight is going to be able to see me in their mind. I will appear to them and simply tell them when and where the final battle will commence for the possession of the Jilkion Stone. From there, whoever cares about seeing you alive again at all will be there to fight me." He explained, having turned around to face her so he could get her reaction.
Bra's eyes widened in fear as she listened to him, staring down at the floor in front of her. She clutched the seat under her with her hands, turning her knuckles white. This is what she had been fearing would happen. After watching what this monster had done to her brother, she just couldn't bear to see it happen again to him, or anyone else.
Altair smirked again with a cruel chuckle and continued. "You will be of no more use to me after this battle, and unless I end up with the Stone, I don't see any reason to even let you live... or for that matter, why anyone else of your family or friends should live either." He stepped closer to her and crouched down, tilting her head up to him with a finger, and grinned, staring straight into her eyes. "That includes your father... your brother... and your precious, precious mother." He said slowly in a tone of voice that made Bra sit rigid in her seat as a chill ran from her neck to the end of her spine. "Do you understand now?" He straightened up and stepped back a little, still holding a strong gaze with her. "Nobody can defeat me. We saw how pathetic your brother was, and I bet Vegeta won't be much better. Anyone else that shows up will share the same fate as them. I will get what I want. It is inevitable, and if any of them are smart, they'll just give me the Stone. It's either my way, or no one will live to see tomorrow."
Bra had broken the stare between them and lowered her eyes slightly. Her body trembled with hate, fear, and helplessness. She tried to control herself and remain strong, but she could feel the hot tears roll down her cheeks against her will. Her thoughts broke off as a great sob escapes her, causing her body to slump forward. I could have done something to prevent all this! But now, everyone is in danger. Trunks, Daddy... and even Mommy. Thoughts of her family and all her friends being hurt or killed by Altair flashed throughout her mind. She suddenly felt hot with anger as all the bottled up rage within her began rising to the surface. She stared ahead of her as her eyes turned cold and empty of feeling. Suddenly, her eyes flashed teal, but only for a few brief seconds before returning to their original blue, then again as her hair also lined with gold.
Altair stood in place, his arms folded lightly over his chest, never moving. The only evidence that he was surprised was the slight rising of an eyebrow as he watched her.
As quickly as it had come, the power Bra felt coursing through her vanished, leaving her completely exhausted. She fought desperately to remain conscious, but having exerted all the energy that she had left, which hadn't been very much anyway, left her drained, and she could feel it slipping away. After weaving back and forth for a few seconds, she fell forward out of the chair, landing on the floor in a heap.
Altair followed her with his eyes and now stared down at her by his feet. "Hmph. Pathetic."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmm..." Vegeta groaned quietly as he began to wake up. He irritably muttered something about how it couldn't possibly be morning yet. His eyes slowly opened and he pushed himself up into a half-raised position, propped on his elbow. "No sleep..." he grumbled as he got out of bed, being careful not to wake Bulma. As he rubbed his eyes, he stumbled sleepily into the bathroom and closed the door. The sound of the shower running could be heard a few moments later. Vegeta loved hot showers. They were one way to help him relax a little and think more clearly. He rotated his shoulders a little as the hot spray rained down all over his body and tried to think of how he was possibly going to be able to defeat his old childhood friend. He growled slightly as he thought about it all. "The bastard was able to go to different planets during all these years and learn all sorts of new techniques. It's no wonder why he was able to reach a level this high. All this time he's been training for this one purpose, waiting for this day to come, planning every rotten detail while I didn't suspect a thing! He thought of everything. He even hid his power level until he wanted to be known. All this planning that he's done. Years! He has the advantage..." he trailed off as he turned and pushed the knob down forcefully to shut the water off, causing a fairly loud 'bang'. "...and that pisses me off."
Bulma jumped slightly at the sudden sound coming from the bathroom and sat up in the bed, opening her eyes. "Hm? Vegeta?" She mumbled groggily and blinked a few times, looking around. She stifled a yawn and brushed the few strands of hair that hung in her face back to the side. After fixing the covers a little, she got up and walked over to the dresser, brushing her hair and tying it back with a hair bow. Then, she knelt down and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a pair of khaki shorts and light blue shirt. She quickly got dressed and pushed the drawer closed with her foot. After another quick glance at herself in the mirror, she turned and headed downstairs to the kitchen to start making breakfast.
Vegeta came out of the bathroom a few minutes later with a towel tied around his waist and another hanging from around his neck. He paused for a minute just outside the bathroom doorway and let out a long, slow sigh, enjoying the sudden change in temperature from the hot, damp bathroom to the cool, open bedroom. He glanced at the empty bed and walked over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of dark denim jeans, a red tank top, and a black button-up shirt, tossing them all behind him onto the bed. He closed the drawer and got dressed, leaving the black shirt open and tossed the two damp towels in the basket in the corner of the room. Then, he turned and went out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and headed down the hallway slowly.
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"Ah!" Trunks fell to the ground, landing on one knee. He stabbed his sword into the ground beside him and fell back in a sitting position, breathing hard, as sweat ran down his face and dripped off his chin. He had been training outside since the first gray light of morning began to show in the dark sky and hadn't taken a break any longer than it took to drink a few sips of water. The last encounter he had with Altair left him so absolutely enraged that he was not able to keep himself from training as hard as he possibly could. He glanced over at his sword and thought for a minute about getting up again. "No..." he muttered between exhausted breaths. Instead, he fell back onto the ground and stretched out in the grass under a tree in the backyard, closing his eyes and resting within the sanctuary of the shade. He had gone to bed early the night before so he would be able to get up at dawn to train. He didn't want his mother to know he had been outside doing that for so long because he knew she'd get worried. A huge sigh escaped him, and he could feel his muscles loosening up as his body really began to relax. Of course, he planned on returning to his training after a while, but for now, he just tried to enjoy the pleasure of the soft breeze that blew around him as he stared up at the clear blue sky through the leaves of the tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piccolo stood on the edge of a high cliff with his eyes closed, listening intently on all the sounds around him. The wind blew forcefully against the Namekian, sending his long, white cape whipping sharply out behind him. After a few minutes of still silence, his eyes shot open. In one lightning-quick motion, he threw his arms out forward and fired off a huge beam of energy into the distance at his invisible target. He stood there, with his arms still stretched out forward and stared with narrowed eyes as the top of a far-off mountain shifted suddenly, and slid off its base, crumbling to the ground in a massive pile of rubble. He watched for a moment longer before lowering his arms back to his sides. Then, lifting his legs from the ground, he hovered, taking on his well-known meditative position. He crossed his legs and folded his arms, tilting his head down slightly and closing his eyes, remaining only a couple of feet above the cliff's surface. After letting out a long, slow breath, he fell into a state of deep concentration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goku sat on top of a large rock, staring down into the river a few feet below him. As he watched the tiny waterfall next to him and the few little fish that swam by, drifting along with the slow currents, he couldn't help but think back to all the good times he had spent there with his friends. He used to come here all the time with them and go fishing. A faint smile showed at the corner of Goku's mouth as he thought back even further and remembered that it was this same river that he was walking home from as a little kid when he first met Bulma. He laughed quietly and smiled more, remembering how he had tried to 'save' her from the 'monster', which was actually just her car. Now, he sat here as a grown man and was able to think clearly of everything that had been happening. As the distant memories faded away, so did Goku's smile. He stared down at the water with a serious expression and reflected on Trunks' last visit and what they had talked about. He lowered his eyes slightly as Trunks' words echoed in his mind and guilt washed over him.
**Flashback**
"He needs your help and he knows it! He's just too stubborn to ask you for it. As much as he wants to do this alone, we need your help to get Bra back. It's going to take more than just me and my father to bring Altair down, whether Dad wants to believe that or not."
**End Flashback**
Goku's eyes twitched as he remembered the look of surprise and pain on the young Saiyan's face when he said that he couldn't help him. Now, he wondered if it really was such a great idea to leave this battle up to Vegeta and Trunks alone. He knew he had good reasons for his decision before, but now he couldn't think of any of them. It *was* rather unlike him to abandon a fight when his help was needed, and he knew that, but for some reason, he had just felt that he should stay out of it. "What's the matter with me?? What was I thinking..." Goku spoke quietly to himself in a tone of disbelief. He lifted his head and stared up at the sky, watching the few clouds float by in the breeze of the day. A look of determination came over him and he nodded slightly to himself. His friends needed his help, and there was no way that he could stand back and watch them get killed without ever lifting a finger to help them. Goku knew that Altair possessed a power stronger than anything they had ever imagined they would come up against, and there was a chance they might not make it. Even so, he would do everything within his power to help defeat this new enemy, even if it meant he might die in the process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Finally..." Gohan muttered tiredly to himself as he lay down the book he was reading, taking his glasses off at the same time, and raised a hand slowly to rub his head and eyes. He had stayed up all night working on a huge assignment that needed to be done as soon as possible. Dropping his hand back down to his lap, Gohan couldn't help but smile proudly at his success as he looked down at the finished project on the table. It had been very difficult, and he had spent a long time working on it. Carefully, he lifted the thick stack of papers from the table and straightened them, then placed them inside his open briefcase and closed it, making sure to lock the small latches on either side of the handle. After placing the book on top of his briefcase, he fell back into the chair and let out a loud sigh of exhaustion and satisfaction. He stifled a yawn and looked at the clock hanging on the wall across the room, which said that it was 10:17 A.M. "Ugh..." He wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and collapse into bed, but he remembered that he had promised Pan that he would take her for a walk in the nearby forest and go down to the river for a little while after he finished his work. He sighed quietly and cast a longing glance up the stairs to where his bedroom awaited him, then got up to go find his daughter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goten landed on the ground, but not even long enough for his image to fully become visible before he sprung back into the air, throwing rapid punches and lightning-fast kicks at his invisible opponents. He had been training outside for a few hours now and had worked up quite an adrenaline rush. "Hyaaa!!" He screamed out as he fired a huge beam of energy into the distance. He clenched his fists and pulled them back in close to his sides, suddenly spinning around with a double kick to another "enemy" and completing it with several repeated punches. He then flew backwards several feet and went higher, crossing his forearms over his face as he powered up. His aura flared greatly as he then shot his arms out to his sides and released a gigantic wave of energy around him in all directions. Goten continued like this for a few more minutes before back flipping out of the air and landing on his feet. After standing unsteadily for a few seconds, he let himself fall backwards onto the ground into a sitting position, breathing heavily as beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his forehead and down the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he let out a great sigh of exhaustion and fell back against the ground, stretching his arms back over his head. The wind blew softly around him, sending a ripple through the grass that tickled the side of his arm. His body was sprawled in the lush, green grass and he smiled faintly at the comfort of it. He opened his eyes and stared up at the clear, blue sky, losing himself in thought as he watched the birds fly overhead and the trees around him blow in the wind, and listened to the distant sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altair sat back down into his chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and lightly tapping his fingertips together in front of his face. His eyes glinted evilly as they narrowed with cruel determination. "It's time." He said slowly, an eager smirk played on his lips. He folded his hands and closed his eyes in concentration, reaching out with his mind to find any warrior whose power was strong enough to sense. Then, after finding six distinct signals, his eyes shot open as he sent a wave of telekinetic energy out around him. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he leaned back in his chair, knowing that now, everyone whose energy signal he sensed was able to see him in their mind. He chuckled deep in his throat and set his icy blue eyes ahead of him, speaking in a low, steady voice. "I bet you were wondering if you'd seen the last of me." He smirked with a slight laugh. "I don't think so. This is all very far from being over, and it will only get worse until you do as I say." His voice grew more serious and the smile faded from his face, the humor leaving his eyes. "You have refused to yield to my demands, and because of that, you have left that pathetic little girl here to suffer!" Altair's anger was rising as his impatience grew. He continued on in a dark, threatening tone. "I will tell you one... last... time. Give me the Jilkion Stone or this girl will die before sunset!!" As this was shouted, Altair waved his left arm sharply out to his side, which then brought forth the image of Bra, lying unconscious on the floor, covered in bruises and blood. Still facing forward to his 'audience', he continued in a less angered voice. "Now, as you can see, she hasn't been cooperating quite as well as I had hoped she would." He paused, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly with another smirk. "If she had just told me where the Stone was in the first place, then she would have been released a long time ago." He shrugged his shoulders slightly and leaned over on the armrest of the chair, propping up on his elbow and resting his chin in his hand to show how little he actually cared about her. "Since the situation is becoming more complicated, I'm being forced to take far more drastic measures that I originally intended." Altair straightened up again, leaning forward a little. "I will be in the East Desert in two hours with the girl, but don't get your hopes up. She will be completely under my control, and will not be able to be touched or contacted in any other way by any of you. Anyone that cares about seeing this worthless child alive again will be there to challenge me. Of course, if you would like to settle this all... peacefully," he grinned in amusement, "and just hand over the Jilkion Stone, then everything would go by so much faster, and I would be more than happy to rid myself of you AND the girl," he paused, glancing back at her unconscious body for a brief moment before looking forward again and continuing with cruel humor in his voice, "provided she lives that long." He stopped and leaned forward a little, seeming to focus more. "Vegeta, you could have made this so much easier for yourself, your son, and especially, for your little daughter. You could have prevented their pain, but it looks like your PRIDE is still more important to you than the people you care about, isn't it? I suppose some things just never change." It seemed like Altair was looking straight at Vegeta as he spoke. Then, he suddenly stood up. "The battle has been set." He said as he turned abruptly to the side, sending his long cape-like jacket flying out around him, and walked over to Bra. In one quick, rough motion, he grabbed her from the floor and held her up at arms length so that everyone could see her clearly. He then continued in a harsh and mocking voice. "I'll be waiting for you." With that, the telepathic connection dissolved, and Altair's heartless laughter could be heard, echoing in the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!" Vegeta fell to his knees, letting out a sickening scream, and pounded his fists into the floor. His ki flared uncontrollably until the entire Capsule Corp. foundation began to shake. "How dare he!!!!" He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, bringing his fists in close to him and tensing until blood dribbled out through his fingers from the force of his fingernails driving into his palms.
"Whoa!!" Bulma fought to keep her balance as the entire house suddenly rocked and jolted. She was in the kitchen and had been frying potatoes, which were now all over the counter and the floor, along with the hot grease they had been cooking in. She had scarcely been able to avoid it as it all sloshed out of the pan on the stove, splattering all around her feet. After steadying herself, Bulma frowned at the huge, sizzling mess, then turned and ran out of the kitchen to find the source of all the commotion, deciding to clean the kitchen up afterwards. "Vegeta?" she called as she went up the stairs. She found him in the hallway, covered with sweat, blood dripping from his hands onto the carpet, and an expression of absolute rage on his face. She stopped abruptly, startled, and gasped. "Ve... Vegeta?" she asked slowly, and walked over to him. "What's the matter?? Are you all right?"
He wasn't going to lie to her. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't all right, and he wasn't going to keep everything a secret now. There was a dark feeling in the back of his mind that they may indeed never see their daughter again, though he forced the thought back into his subconscious, not wanting to even think about it. Vegeta sighed and slowly stood up, keeping his bloodied fists clenched. After a moment of staying silent, he began in a gruff voice. "Altair is still holding Bra, and has made it known where the final battle to get her back will take place."
Bulma gasped quietly. "The final..." she whispered to herself. "Vegeta, what does he want? Why has he taken Bra? What does he have to gain from all the suffering he's caused??" Tears started in her eyes as she thought of what all he could have done to her daughter, and what she possibly could have been through. After all, she is still only a child.
Vegeta closed his eyes for a long moment, wondering if he should tell her the truth behind the stone that he had given to her on their anniversary. After a short sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Altair is after the Jilkion Stone. It holds great power and getting it would mean supreme control over anything he wants."
Bulma's eyes widened as she looked down at the ring on her finger, the stone shining in all its wonder. She remembered what Vegeta had told her on the night he gave her this precious gift.
**Flashback**
"It's called the Jilkion Stone. It was the most rare of all jewels on Planet Vegeta. Only one exists. The royal family has passed it down for generations. This one stone is more valuable than anything on this planet."
**End Flashback**
Bulma looked up from the ring to her husband, tears falling to the floor from the motion. "But... Vegeta..." she began. "Why don't you just give him what he wants?? Give him the stone and save our daughter!" she cried in desperate exasperation. She wasn't able to think straight, seeing the jewel now as just a ticket to get Bra back. Of course, she cherished the gift Vegeta had given her, but she loved her daughter far more.
Vegeta shook his head and reached out to her, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "No, Bulma, you don't understand. As much as I want to do that, it is impossible. If Altair gets the Jilkion Stone, he would be able to eventually gain control over the entire universe, with no one to stop him. I want Bra back as much as you do, but if we hand over that stone, there will only be much greater suffering to come, for us, as well as the rest of the world. We must find a way to stop him here and now. We can *not* risk waiting until after he gets the stone to fight him. Believe me, I will make him pay for what he has done to her. I promise you that." He slowly removed his hands from Bulma's shoulders, letting them hang at his sides again, fists clenched slightly. Vegeta was grateful, at least, that she had not been able to see the image of their daughter in her present condition. He didn't know if she would have been able to handle that. "Altair has set a time for the battle. I am to meet him in the East Desert in two hours, and when I come back, it will be with our daughter." An underlying growl of fury and determination presented itself in Vegeta's voice. Then, without so much as another word, he turned and made his way down the hall, turning at the top of the staircase and going downstairs.
Bulma turned around and watched him walk away, her hands clasped together at her chest. Only now did she realize that she had been holding her breath through most of what Vegeta had said. She stared down the hall as if Vegeta were still down there, and let out a long, shaky breath. A tear slid down her cheek as she looked down at her ring again, which she slowly removed from her finger and clutched in the palm of her hand, whispering, "Hold on, Bra."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trunks was in the air now, swinging his sword violently in front of him, and screaming the whole time out of insane rage as the images in his mind faded away. He hurled his sword down at the ground with vicious ferocity, driving it deep within the earth as it hit. He fell back to the ground, landing hard on his feet. Trunks stood with his legs apart and his arms out from his body and continued to unleash all the rest of the anger that he had bottled up inside of himself, transforming into Super Saiyan 2 as he did so. After a few minutes, he collapsed to the ground, falling to his knees, and then to a sitting position, reverting back to his base form as he landed. He sat there, breathing heavily, his hair hanging loosely in front of his face and dripping with sweat. He had to prepare for the upcoming battle, and he knew that he must fight with everything he had. Trunks looked up slightly and stared ahead of him with cold eyes through the strands of his sweat-dampened bangs, narrowing them with determination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piccolo now stood in the place that he had been meditating in a few minutes ago. An angry scowl spread itself across his face, a growl escaping from deep within his throat. His long, white claws dug into the green flesh of his palms as he clenched his fists tightly in rage at seeing the horrible things that had been done to such a young girl. "He won't get away with this." Piccolo spat angrily, his voice rough. "You can count me in on this one." He turned slightly, looking in the direction of the indicated future battlefield, his cape blowing violently out behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh no!!" Goku shouted as the vision faded from his mind. He sprang to his feet in a nearly frantic motion, jumping down from the rock he sat on and landing next to it. He gritted his teeth and looked down at his hands. "This has gone too far!" he exclaimed. "No one should have to be the pawn of such a selfish and evil plan! Especially not someone as young and helpless as Bra." He knew that Altair had taken her, of course, but he had no idea that her condition was so bad. With an angry growl, he jerked his head up, staring ahead of him, his eyes narrowed dangerously and brows drawn close together. "I'll make you pay for this, Altair!!" With that, he turned and punched his right fist into the large boulder that he had been sitting on, disintegrating it instantly. He lowered his arm and turned, looking up at the sky with a lethal glare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gohan let out a breath and leaned against the side of the house. "Man..." he whispered in disbelief. "Is this guy for real?" There was a hint of panic in his eyes, but overall he was enraged to learn that Bra had been so violently abused by this man. "I just hope I still have what it takes. This guy isn't gonna be easy to take down, I can tell." He paused for a moment, trailing off in his thoughts, before tightening his fist and pushing himself off the wall. He sighed slightly in regret, for he would not be able to keep his promise to Pan this time, but she could not know the reason. He turned around and flew off in the other direction towards his father's house with a determined look in his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aaahhh!!" Goten let out a scream of rage as he fell to his knees, pounding his fists into the ground, leaving two large holes in the yard. "I can't believe this jerk!! He's not gonna get away with tormenting my best friend like this and then try to leave, smiling about it, in the end! I don't think so!!" He yelled, staring down at the ground, trying very hard to control his rage. Goten didn't lose his temper very often, but he'd seen Trunks' in too much pain the past couple of weeks, and now this. He could only imagine what his friend was feeling right now after that vision. There was no way Goten could just wave this off. He raised his head, his eyes narrowed into slits, a venomous glint in them. "No one messes with my friend that way." He hissed maliciously. "You don't know what you're asking for, Altair."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altair now stood in the room Bra had been kept in, the girl laying at his feet. He closed his eyes and chuckled softly to himself. "Feels like they're getting pretty riled up. Wonderful." He then opened his eyes and looked down at Bra, who was slowly waking up again. "I suggest you get your senses back together pretty quick. I've arranged for a little gathering, and all your friends have been invited to join us." He smirked, chuckling again.
Bra pushed herself into a sitting position, looking up at him with wide eyes. "No... you can't." She whispered, then cried out, "Please! Please don't hurt them!!"
Altair just stared back down at her, grinning slightly at the pleasure of her fear. "So sorry, but I'm afraid I can't grant you that little favor. You see, anyone that shows up in the place that I have indicated will already know the conditions for this battle. I will not hold back for any of them! I will *not* stop now when my mission is so near its completion! I will not fail now." He tilted his head down slightly, staring hard at her. "You and your friends don't stand a chance." He said slowly in a dark voice.
Bra stared up at him, instinctively leaning back a little as if his eyes were piercing through her, his intense stare nearly overwhelming her with its pressure. She trembled slightly and shut her eyes, lowering her head, and whispered to herself in a sense of hopelessness and loss. "No..."
Written by Jennifer and Mandy
Chapter 18- The Stage Is Set
Author's Note: SORRY for the delay everybody. I know we've been slacking on the updates lately, but here's a good long chapter to make up for it. ^_^ Plus, I think Jen and I have come up with a new system for writing the chapters so they'll start coming out faster. Also, we know that Gohan and Videl's house is right next to Goku and Chi-Chi's in the show, but in our story, it's not. Gohan's house is. well it's somewhere far away from Goku's. ^_^; Okay, with that all cleared up, move on to the chapter! Enjoy! (review review review!!! ^^)
Disclaimer - We do not own any of the DBZ characters. Yet, any new characters that we have made to fit the story are ours, and part of In the Eyes of a Hunter. Thank you!
After a while, Bra had finally drifted off into a restless sleep in the corner of the room. She had curled up into a ball to try to stay warm, yet still shivered slightly in her sleep.
A moment later, Altair came in the room, shutting the door behind him, then turned around and glanced about the room, finding Bra in the far corner. He walked across the room and stopped next to her, staring down at her for a second. "Get up and come here!" he demanded suddenly, then turned and began walking away, assuming she was following him. After another second without hearing her walking behind him, he stopped and looked back. With a sigh of annoyance, he turned around and went back over to the girl, seeing that she hadn't moved or even woke up. He got back to her and kicked her impatiently in the side. "I said get up! Follow me!" he ordered, and stood there to make sure she got up this time.
Bra's eyes shot open and she gasped in shock, coughing slightly as her body instinctively curled up tighter. She looked up and saw Altair standing just a few inches in front of her with an irritated expression. With a slight grunt of effort, she used all her strength to scramble up into a standing position, the familiar fear for what he would do to her next, or worse, to her family, returning to her. The sleep that he had just ripped her out of hadn't been a peaceful one. Nightmares swarmed in her subconscious, but she preferred that to being awake. At least the nightmares didn't hurt.
With a faint nod, Altair turned back around and headed towards the door with Bra slowly following behind. He made his way down the corridor outside the room that Bra had been in to the main control room. As he entered, he gestured to a chair and said very plainly, "Sit."
Bra looked nervously around her. Since she had never seen much of the ship besides her room, she wasn't very familiar with where she was. As directed, she slowly walked over to the chair and sat down. After a slight hesitation, she asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "What are you going to do now?"
Altair's eyes flickered over to her and he smirked. "Anyone with a power level high enough to fight is going to be able to see me in their mind. I will appear to them and simply tell them when and where the final battle will commence for the possession of the Jilkion Stone. From there, whoever cares about seeing you alive again at all will be there to fight me." He explained, having turned around to face her so he could get her reaction.
Bra's eyes widened in fear as she listened to him, staring down at the floor in front of her. She clutched the seat under her with her hands, turning her knuckles white. This is what she had been fearing would happen. After watching what this monster had done to her brother, she just couldn't bear to see it happen again to him, or anyone else.
Altair smirked again with a cruel chuckle and continued. "You will be of no more use to me after this battle, and unless I end up with the Stone, I don't see any reason to even let you live... or for that matter, why anyone else of your family or friends should live either." He stepped closer to her and crouched down, tilting her head up to him with a finger, and grinned, staring straight into her eyes. "That includes your father... your brother... and your precious, precious mother." He said slowly in a tone of voice that made Bra sit rigid in her seat as a chill ran from her neck to the end of her spine. "Do you understand now?" He straightened up and stepped back a little, still holding a strong gaze with her. "Nobody can defeat me. We saw how pathetic your brother was, and I bet Vegeta won't be much better. Anyone else that shows up will share the same fate as them. I will get what I want. It is inevitable, and if any of them are smart, they'll just give me the Stone. It's either my way, or no one will live to see tomorrow."
Bra had broken the stare between them and lowered her eyes slightly. Her body trembled with hate, fear, and helplessness. She tried to control herself and remain strong, but she could feel the hot tears roll down her cheeks against her will. Her thoughts broke off as a great sob escapes her, causing her body to slump forward. I could have done something to prevent all this! But now, everyone is in danger. Trunks, Daddy... and even Mommy. Thoughts of her family and all her friends being hurt or killed by Altair flashed throughout her mind. She suddenly felt hot with anger as all the bottled up rage within her began rising to the surface. She stared ahead of her as her eyes turned cold and empty of feeling. Suddenly, her eyes flashed teal, but only for a few brief seconds before returning to their original blue, then again as her hair also lined with gold.
Altair stood in place, his arms folded lightly over his chest, never moving. The only evidence that he was surprised was the slight rising of an eyebrow as he watched her.
As quickly as it had come, the power Bra felt coursing through her vanished, leaving her completely exhausted. She fought desperately to remain conscious, but having exerted all the energy that she had left, which hadn't been very much anyway, left her drained, and she could feel it slipping away. After weaving back and forth for a few seconds, she fell forward out of the chair, landing on the floor in a heap.
Altair followed her with his eyes and now stared down at her by his feet. "Hmph. Pathetic."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmm..." Vegeta groaned quietly as he began to wake up. He irritably muttered something about how it couldn't possibly be morning yet. His eyes slowly opened and he pushed himself up into a half-raised position, propped on his elbow. "No sleep..." he grumbled as he got out of bed, being careful not to wake Bulma. As he rubbed his eyes, he stumbled sleepily into the bathroom and closed the door. The sound of the shower running could be heard a few moments later. Vegeta loved hot showers. They were one way to help him relax a little and think more clearly. He rotated his shoulders a little as the hot spray rained down all over his body and tried to think of how he was possibly going to be able to defeat his old childhood friend. He growled slightly as he thought about it all. "The bastard was able to go to different planets during all these years and learn all sorts of new techniques. It's no wonder why he was able to reach a level this high. All this time he's been training for this one purpose, waiting for this day to come, planning every rotten detail while I didn't suspect a thing! He thought of everything. He even hid his power level until he wanted to be known. All this planning that he's done. Years! He has the advantage..." he trailed off as he turned and pushed the knob down forcefully to shut the water off, causing a fairly loud 'bang'. "...and that pisses me off."
Bulma jumped slightly at the sudden sound coming from the bathroom and sat up in the bed, opening her eyes. "Hm? Vegeta?" She mumbled groggily and blinked a few times, looking around. She stifled a yawn and brushed the few strands of hair that hung in her face back to the side. After fixing the covers a little, she got up and walked over to the dresser, brushing her hair and tying it back with a hair bow. Then, she knelt down and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a pair of khaki shorts and light blue shirt. She quickly got dressed and pushed the drawer closed with her foot. After another quick glance at herself in the mirror, she turned and headed downstairs to the kitchen to start making breakfast.
Vegeta came out of the bathroom a few minutes later with a towel tied around his waist and another hanging from around his neck. He paused for a minute just outside the bathroom doorway and let out a long, slow sigh, enjoying the sudden change in temperature from the hot, damp bathroom to the cool, open bedroom. He glanced at the empty bed and walked over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of dark denim jeans, a red tank top, and a black button-up shirt, tossing them all behind him onto the bed. He closed the drawer and got dressed, leaving the black shirt open and tossed the two damp towels in the basket in the corner of the room. Then, he turned and went out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and headed down the hallway slowly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah!" Trunks fell to the ground, landing on one knee. He stabbed his sword into the ground beside him and fell back in a sitting position, breathing hard, as sweat ran down his face and dripped off his chin. He had been training outside since the first gray light of morning began to show in the dark sky and hadn't taken a break any longer than it took to drink a few sips of water. The last encounter he had with Altair left him so absolutely enraged that he was not able to keep himself from training as hard as he possibly could. He glanced over at his sword and thought for a minute about getting up again. "No..." he muttered between exhausted breaths. Instead, he fell back onto the ground and stretched out in the grass under a tree in the backyard, closing his eyes and resting within the sanctuary of the shade. He had gone to bed early the night before so he would be able to get up at dawn to train. He didn't want his mother to know he had been outside doing that for so long because he knew she'd get worried. A huge sigh escaped him, and he could feel his muscles loosening up as his body really began to relax. Of course, he planned on returning to his training after a while, but for now, he just tried to enjoy the pleasure of the soft breeze that blew around him as he stared up at the clear blue sky through the leaves of the tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piccolo stood on the edge of a high cliff with his eyes closed, listening intently on all the sounds around him. The wind blew forcefully against the Namekian, sending his long, white cape whipping sharply out behind him. After a few minutes of still silence, his eyes shot open. In one lightning-quick motion, he threw his arms out forward and fired off a huge beam of energy into the distance at his invisible target. He stood there, with his arms still stretched out forward and stared with narrowed eyes as the top of a far-off mountain shifted suddenly, and slid off its base, crumbling to the ground in a massive pile of rubble. He watched for a moment longer before lowering his arms back to his sides. Then, lifting his legs from the ground, he hovered, taking on his well-known meditative position. He crossed his legs and folded his arms, tilting his head down slightly and closing his eyes, remaining only a couple of feet above the cliff's surface. After letting out a long, slow breath, he fell into a state of deep concentration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goku sat on top of a large rock, staring down into the river a few feet below him. As he watched the tiny waterfall next to him and the few little fish that swam by, drifting along with the slow currents, he couldn't help but think back to all the good times he had spent there with his friends. He used to come here all the time with them and go fishing. A faint smile showed at the corner of Goku's mouth as he thought back even further and remembered that it was this same river that he was walking home from as a little kid when he first met Bulma. He laughed quietly and smiled more, remembering how he had tried to 'save' her from the 'monster', which was actually just her car. Now, he sat here as a grown man and was able to think clearly of everything that had been happening. As the distant memories faded away, so did Goku's smile. He stared down at the water with a serious expression and reflected on Trunks' last visit and what they had talked about. He lowered his eyes slightly as Trunks' words echoed in his mind and guilt washed over him.
**Flashback**
"He needs your help and he knows it! He's just too stubborn to ask you for it. As much as he wants to do this alone, we need your help to get Bra back. It's going to take more than just me and my father to bring Altair down, whether Dad wants to believe that or not."
**End Flashback**
Goku's eyes twitched as he remembered the look of surprise and pain on the young Saiyan's face when he said that he couldn't help him. Now, he wondered if it really was such a great idea to leave this battle up to Vegeta and Trunks alone. He knew he had good reasons for his decision before, but now he couldn't think of any of them. It *was* rather unlike him to abandon a fight when his help was needed, and he knew that, but for some reason, he had just felt that he should stay out of it. "What's the matter with me?? What was I thinking..." Goku spoke quietly to himself in a tone of disbelief. He lifted his head and stared up at the sky, watching the few clouds float by in the breeze of the day. A look of determination came over him and he nodded slightly to himself. His friends needed his help, and there was no way that he could stand back and watch them get killed without ever lifting a finger to help them. Goku knew that Altair possessed a power stronger than anything they had ever imagined they would come up against, and there was a chance they might not make it. Even so, he would do everything within his power to help defeat this new enemy, even if it meant he might die in the process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Finally..." Gohan muttered tiredly to himself as he lay down the book he was reading, taking his glasses off at the same time, and raised a hand slowly to rub his head and eyes. He had stayed up all night working on a huge assignment that needed to be done as soon as possible. Dropping his hand back down to his lap, Gohan couldn't help but smile proudly at his success as he looked down at the finished project on the table. It had been very difficult, and he had spent a long time working on it. Carefully, he lifted the thick stack of papers from the table and straightened them, then placed them inside his open briefcase and closed it, making sure to lock the small latches on either side of the handle. After placing the book on top of his briefcase, he fell back into the chair and let out a loud sigh of exhaustion and satisfaction. He stifled a yawn and looked at the clock hanging on the wall across the room, which said that it was 10:17 A.M. "Ugh..." He wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and collapse into bed, but he remembered that he had promised Pan that he would take her for a walk in the nearby forest and go down to the river for a little while after he finished his work. He sighed quietly and cast a longing glance up the stairs to where his bedroom awaited him, then got up to go find his daughter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goten landed on the ground, but not even long enough for his image to fully become visible before he sprung back into the air, throwing rapid punches and lightning-fast kicks at his invisible opponents. He had been training outside for a few hours now and had worked up quite an adrenaline rush. "Hyaaa!!" He screamed out as he fired a huge beam of energy into the distance. He clenched his fists and pulled them back in close to his sides, suddenly spinning around with a double kick to another "enemy" and completing it with several repeated punches. He then flew backwards several feet and went higher, crossing his forearms over his face as he powered up. His aura flared greatly as he then shot his arms out to his sides and released a gigantic wave of energy around him in all directions. Goten continued like this for a few more minutes before back flipping out of the air and landing on his feet. After standing unsteadily for a few seconds, he let himself fall backwards onto the ground into a sitting position, breathing heavily as beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his forehead and down the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he let out a great sigh of exhaustion and fell back against the ground, stretching his arms back over his head. The wind blew softly around him, sending a ripple through the grass that tickled the side of his arm. His body was sprawled in the lush, green grass and he smiled faintly at the comfort of it. He opened his eyes and stared up at the clear, blue sky, losing himself in thought as he watched the birds fly overhead and the trees around him blow in the wind, and listened to the distant sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altair sat back down into his chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and lightly tapping his fingertips together in front of his face. His eyes glinted evilly as they narrowed with cruel determination. "It's time." He said slowly, an eager smirk played on his lips. He folded his hands and closed his eyes in concentration, reaching out with his mind to find any warrior whose power was strong enough to sense. Then, after finding six distinct signals, his eyes shot open as he sent a wave of telekinetic energy out around him. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he leaned back in his chair, knowing that now, everyone whose energy signal he sensed was able to see him in their mind. He chuckled deep in his throat and set his icy blue eyes ahead of him, speaking in a low, steady voice. "I bet you were wondering if you'd seen the last of me." He smirked with a slight laugh. "I don't think so. This is all very far from being over, and it will only get worse until you do as I say." His voice grew more serious and the smile faded from his face, the humor leaving his eyes. "You have refused to yield to my demands, and because of that, you have left that pathetic little girl here to suffer!" Altair's anger was rising as his impatience grew. He continued on in a dark, threatening tone. "I will tell you one... last... time. Give me the Jilkion Stone or this girl will die before sunset!!" As this was shouted, Altair waved his left arm sharply out to his side, which then brought forth the image of Bra, lying unconscious on the floor, covered in bruises and blood. Still facing forward to his 'audience', he continued in a less angered voice. "Now, as you can see, she hasn't been cooperating quite as well as I had hoped she would." He paused, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly with another smirk. "If she had just told me where the Stone was in the first place, then she would have been released a long time ago." He shrugged his shoulders slightly and leaned over on the armrest of the chair, propping up on his elbow and resting his chin in his hand to show how little he actually cared about her. "Since the situation is becoming more complicated, I'm being forced to take far more drastic measures that I originally intended." Altair straightened up again, leaning forward a little. "I will be in the East Desert in two hours with the girl, but don't get your hopes up. She will be completely under my control, and will not be able to be touched or contacted in any other way by any of you. Anyone that cares about seeing this worthless child alive again will be there to challenge me. Of course, if you would like to settle this all... peacefully," he grinned in amusement, "and just hand over the Jilkion Stone, then everything would go by so much faster, and I would be more than happy to rid myself of you AND the girl," he paused, glancing back at her unconscious body for a brief moment before looking forward again and continuing with cruel humor in his voice, "provided she lives that long." He stopped and leaned forward a little, seeming to focus more. "Vegeta, you could have made this so much easier for yourself, your son, and especially, for your little daughter. You could have prevented their pain, but it looks like your PRIDE is still more important to you than the people you care about, isn't it? I suppose some things just never change." It seemed like Altair was looking straight at Vegeta as he spoke. Then, he suddenly stood up. "The battle has been set." He said as he turned abruptly to the side, sending his long cape-like jacket flying out around him, and walked over to Bra. In one quick, rough motion, he grabbed her from the floor and held her up at arms length so that everyone could see her clearly. He then continued in a harsh and mocking voice. "I'll be waiting for you." With that, the telepathic connection dissolved, and Altair's heartless laughter could be heard, echoing in the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!" Vegeta fell to his knees, letting out a sickening scream, and pounded his fists into the floor. His ki flared uncontrollably until the entire Capsule Corp. foundation began to shake. "How dare he!!!!" He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, bringing his fists in close to him and tensing until blood dribbled out through his fingers from the force of his fingernails driving into his palms.
"Whoa!!" Bulma fought to keep her balance as the entire house suddenly rocked and jolted. She was in the kitchen and had been frying potatoes, which were now all over the counter and the floor, along with the hot grease they had been cooking in. She had scarcely been able to avoid it as it all sloshed out of the pan on the stove, splattering all around her feet. After steadying herself, Bulma frowned at the huge, sizzling mess, then turned and ran out of the kitchen to find the source of all the commotion, deciding to clean the kitchen up afterwards. "Vegeta?" she called as she went up the stairs. She found him in the hallway, covered with sweat, blood dripping from his hands onto the carpet, and an expression of absolute rage on his face. She stopped abruptly, startled, and gasped. "Ve... Vegeta?" she asked slowly, and walked over to him. "What's the matter?? Are you all right?"
He wasn't going to lie to her. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't all right, and he wasn't going to keep everything a secret now. There was a dark feeling in the back of his mind that they may indeed never see their daughter again, though he forced the thought back into his subconscious, not wanting to even think about it. Vegeta sighed and slowly stood up, keeping his bloodied fists clenched. After a moment of staying silent, he began in a gruff voice. "Altair is still holding Bra, and has made it known where the final battle to get her back will take place."
Bulma gasped quietly. "The final..." she whispered to herself. "Vegeta, what does he want? Why has he taken Bra? What does he have to gain from all the suffering he's caused??" Tears started in her eyes as she thought of what all he could have done to her daughter, and what she possibly could have been through. After all, she is still only a child.
Vegeta closed his eyes for a long moment, wondering if he should tell her the truth behind the stone that he had given to her on their anniversary. After a short sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Altair is after the Jilkion Stone. It holds great power and getting it would mean supreme control over anything he wants."
Bulma's eyes widened as she looked down at the ring on her finger, the stone shining in all its wonder. She remembered what Vegeta had told her on the night he gave her this precious gift.
**Flashback**
"It's called the Jilkion Stone. It was the most rare of all jewels on Planet Vegeta. Only one exists. The royal family has passed it down for generations. This one stone is more valuable than anything on this planet."
**End Flashback**
Bulma looked up from the ring to her husband, tears falling to the floor from the motion. "But... Vegeta..." she began. "Why don't you just give him what he wants?? Give him the stone and save our daughter!" she cried in desperate exasperation. She wasn't able to think straight, seeing the jewel now as just a ticket to get Bra back. Of course, she cherished the gift Vegeta had given her, but she loved her daughter far more.
Vegeta shook his head and reached out to her, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "No, Bulma, you don't understand. As much as I want to do that, it is impossible. If Altair gets the Jilkion Stone, he would be able to eventually gain control over the entire universe, with no one to stop him. I want Bra back as much as you do, but if we hand over that stone, there will only be much greater suffering to come, for us, as well as the rest of the world. We must find a way to stop him here and now. We can *not* risk waiting until after he gets the stone to fight him. Believe me, I will make him pay for what he has done to her. I promise you that." He slowly removed his hands from Bulma's shoulders, letting them hang at his sides again, fists clenched slightly. Vegeta was grateful, at least, that she had not been able to see the image of their daughter in her present condition. He didn't know if she would have been able to handle that. "Altair has set a time for the battle. I am to meet him in the East Desert in two hours, and when I come back, it will be with our daughter." An underlying growl of fury and determination presented itself in Vegeta's voice. Then, without so much as another word, he turned and made his way down the hall, turning at the top of the staircase and going downstairs.
Bulma turned around and watched him walk away, her hands clasped together at her chest. Only now did she realize that she had been holding her breath through most of what Vegeta had said. She stared down the hall as if Vegeta were still down there, and let out a long, shaky breath. A tear slid down her cheek as she looked down at her ring again, which she slowly removed from her finger and clutched in the palm of her hand, whispering, "Hold on, Bra."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trunks was in the air now, swinging his sword violently in front of him, and screaming the whole time out of insane rage as the images in his mind faded away. He hurled his sword down at the ground with vicious ferocity, driving it deep within the earth as it hit. He fell back to the ground, landing hard on his feet. Trunks stood with his legs apart and his arms out from his body and continued to unleash all the rest of the anger that he had bottled up inside of himself, transforming into Super Saiyan 2 as he did so. After a few minutes, he collapsed to the ground, falling to his knees, and then to a sitting position, reverting back to his base form as he landed. He sat there, breathing heavily, his hair hanging loosely in front of his face and dripping with sweat. He had to prepare for the upcoming battle, and he knew that he must fight with everything he had. Trunks looked up slightly and stared ahead of him with cold eyes through the strands of his sweat-dampened bangs, narrowing them with determination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piccolo now stood in the place that he had been meditating in a few minutes ago. An angry scowl spread itself across his face, a growl escaping from deep within his throat. His long, white claws dug into the green flesh of his palms as he clenched his fists tightly in rage at seeing the horrible things that had been done to such a young girl. "He won't get away with this." Piccolo spat angrily, his voice rough. "You can count me in on this one." He turned slightly, looking in the direction of the indicated future battlefield, his cape blowing violently out behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh no!!" Goku shouted as the vision faded from his mind. He sprang to his feet in a nearly frantic motion, jumping down from the rock he sat on and landing next to it. He gritted his teeth and looked down at his hands. "This has gone too far!" he exclaimed. "No one should have to be the pawn of such a selfish and evil plan! Especially not someone as young and helpless as Bra." He knew that Altair had taken her, of course, but he had no idea that her condition was so bad. With an angry growl, he jerked his head up, staring ahead of him, his eyes narrowed dangerously and brows drawn close together. "I'll make you pay for this, Altair!!" With that, he turned and punched his right fist into the large boulder that he had been sitting on, disintegrating it instantly. He lowered his arm and turned, looking up at the sky with a lethal glare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gohan let out a breath and leaned against the side of the house. "Man..." he whispered in disbelief. "Is this guy for real?" There was a hint of panic in his eyes, but overall he was enraged to learn that Bra had been so violently abused by this man. "I just hope I still have what it takes. This guy isn't gonna be easy to take down, I can tell." He paused for a moment, trailing off in his thoughts, before tightening his fist and pushing himself off the wall. He sighed slightly in regret, for he would not be able to keep his promise to Pan this time, but she could not know the reason. He turned around and flew off in the other direction towards his father's house with a determined look in his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aaahhh!!" Goten let out a scream of rage as he fell to his knees, pounding his fists into the ground, leaving two large holes in the yard. "I can't believe this jerk!! He's not gonna get away with tormenting my best friend like this and then try to leave, smiling about it, in the end! I don't think so!!" He yelled, staring down at the ground, trying very hard to control his rage. Goten didn't lose his temper very often, but he'd seen Trunks' in too much pain the past couple of weeks, and now this. He could only imagine what his friend was feeling right now after that vision. There was no way Goten could just wave this off. He raised his head, his eyes narrowed into slits, a venomous glint in them. "No one messes with my friend that way." He hissed maliciously. "You don't know what you're asking for, Altair."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altair now stood in the room Bra had been kept in, the girl laying at his feet. He closed his eyes and chuckled softly to himself. "Feels like they're getting pretty riled up. Wonderful." He then opened his eyes and looked down at Bra, who was slowly waking up again. "I suggest you get your senses back together pretty quick. I've arranged for a little gathering, and all your friends have been invited to join us." He smirked, chuckling again.
Bra pushed herself into a sitting position, looking up at him with wide eyes. "No... you can't." She whispered, then cried out, "Please! Please don't hurt them!!"
Altair just stared back down at her, grinning slightly at the pleasure of her fear. "So sorry, but I'm afraid I can't grant you that little favor. You see, anyone that shows up in the place that I have indicated will already know the conditions for this battle. I will not hold back for any of them! I will *not* stop now when my mission is so near its completion! I will not fail now." He tilted his head down slightly, staring hard at her. "You and your friends don't stand a chance." He said slowly in a dark voice.
Bra stared up at him, instinctively leaning back a little as if his eyes were piercing through her, his intense stare nearly overwhelming her with its pressure. She trembled slightly and shut her eyes, lowering her head, and whispered to herself in a sense of hopelessness and loss. "No..."