The young female walked silently between rows of waiting spacecraft. Most
were small transports, intended for only one or two passengers. A few were
large spaceliners, and nearly all of those belonged to species visiting from
offworld. She crouched low as she heard someone nearing, her black,
form-fitting uniform allowing her to blend into the shadows. The tip of her
tail twitched impatiently, and she immediately curled it around her waist.
A voice echoed through the hangar.
"Ryuuko! I know you're in here! I can smell you."
She recognized the voice and growled softly. Growing up, he had been her
friend and her favorite sparring partner. Now, however, his allegiance
belonged to the current regime: a contingent of outlaw aliens that had found
New Vegeta a convenient place to make their home. Their ascent to power was
slow, but now it was total. There weren't very many who were completely
loyal to them, and those who were kept it a secret. No one knew who to
trust. Without being able to organize themselves into a marginally cohesive
group, the Saiyans would never regain their freedom. Ryuuko was going to
change that.
"Come on, Ryuuko. Give yourself up, and I won't hurt you -- much."
Another voice joined the first.
"Hurry it up, Yuroki. I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry, Senna," Yuroki shot back. "Perhaps you'd like to do
the job yourself."
"Hey, no way. The boss told you to do it. I'm just supposed to monitor
the situation."
Yuroki mumbled something Ryuuko couldn't quite hear, though she guessed
what the gist was. She ducked behind the landing gear of another ship as
they passed, watching carefully. Yuroki was a tall male Saiyan with black
hair and a quick temper. He sniffed the air tentatively as they walked by,
and paused. Senna, a grossly overweight alien with greyish-purple skin and
black eyes that rose on stalks above his head, stopped too. He glanced
questioningly at the Saiyan, who nodded. Deciding to take the fight on her
own terms, Ryuuko stepped out of the shadows and stood there defiantly. She
ignored the way Yuroki's eyes traveled over her body appreciatively before
he dropped into a fighting stance. Senna stepped back, grinning, eager to
watch the fight.
"Two against one, is it, Yuroki? I always knew you were a coward," she
said, voice full of derision.
The male Saiyan smirked and scratched at his goatee, giving the appearance
of being totally relaxed. Ryuuko knew better. She had bested him in
numerous sparring matches when they were younger, and she was an even better
fighter now. With a low growl, she launched herself at him, bowling him
over and taking him to the floor. He grinned and swung a right hook at her
face. She rolled off of him, taking only a glancing blow.
Yuroki got to his feet and, clenching his fists at his sides, began to
power up, straining with the effort. Ryuuko watched, unimpressed. She
didn't need a scouter like the one he wore to tell her that his fighting
power was still lower than her own. He stopped and looked at her, something
peculiar in his grin.
"Is that it?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out, sweetie."
Ryuuko shrugged and attacked him again, her fist crashing into his jaw a
split second before a powerful kick caught him in the midsection. He backed
up, doubled over, momentarily winded. Catching his breath, he leapt back
into the fray. The fight continued, Ryuuko dominating, until he backed off
again. And again, he started to power up. She watched, willing to let him
finish. It had been quite some time since she'd had a real challenge. She
felt his power level rising, nearly equal to her own, then exceeding it.
Still, the thought of failure never crossed her mind. Her own mission was
too important. Failure was not an option.
An energy blast caught her and sent her skidding across the hangar floor.
Grinning madly, Yuroki followed it up with several more, pelting her with
balls of energy until she disappeared in the light and smoke. Then he
stopped and waited for the haze to clear.
Ryuuko stood, clothing torn and smoking, her skin and hair singed slightly.
She was breathing heavily. Yuroki smirked.
"Ready to give up now? I can promise you a swift and honorable death."
"You wouldn't know honor if it walked up and bit you on the ass," she
growled. "There is no honor in giving up."
"Have it your way, baby."
With that, he fired another volley of energy attacks at her. Ryuuko,
however, moved out of the way so fast, it appeared that she had vanished.
She reappeared behind him and brought both hands down in a double axehandle
on his back. He staggered slightly, then turned to face her. His hand shot
out and grabbed her tail, which had come unfurled in the fight. Her eyes
widened and she winced as he yanked hard. A triumphant look on his face,
Yuroki pulled her closer to him.
"Let this be a lesson to you, Ryuuko, even if it is your last," he
whispered. "Honor will never prevail over absolute power. I've got you by
the tail, and now I can do whatever I wish."
He paused, his eyes lingering where her clothing had torn, letting his
words sink in. The young woman growled savagely and pried at his hands,
succeeding only in making him tighten his grip. Senna rolled his eyes.
"Enough! If I wanted drama, I'd watch daytime television. Let's get this
over with," he said, pulling a laser pistol from the holster at his hip.
Yuroki glared at the portly alien, but stepped back, still clinging to
Ryuuko's tail. Senna took aim, his fat finger resting lightly on the
trigger. Steeling herself for the inevitable, Ryuuko felt her power level
rise in response, climbing steadily higher. Yuroki's scouter beeped as it
ticked off numbers. Even Senna paused, glancing through his own scouter as
it registered her power. Just as Senna pulled the trigger, Ryuuko wrenched
her tail free and dove out of the way. The laser blasted a smoking hole in
the floor. Ryuuko took to the air and rained down ki shots on the two of
them.
Senna, nowhere near as resilient a Saiyan, took cover behind the hull of
one of the smaller ships, ducking out again to fire at random. Yuroki, on
the other hand, followed her into the air and hurled his own attack at her.
For several long moments, the fighting was a confusion of laser bolts and ki
balls flying through the hangar. Then, a stray shot caught Ryuuko's
shoulder as one of Yuroki's ki blasts hit her in the midsection. She went
down, hitting the hangar floor hard enough to crack it.
Standing shakily, blood trickling from a split lip, Ryuuko glared at her
opponents. Her anger rose, not just at them for hindering her, but at the
aliens who had taken over New Vegeta and caused her people to turn against
each other. A bright aura started to flicker around her, tinged with gold.
Her hair rose, defying gravity, and for a brief moment, turned a
golden-blonde in color. Her power level jumped dramatically. Senna and
Yuroki stared at her, eyes wide.
"Impossible," Yuroki hissed.
But Ryuuko wasn't finished. With a primal yell, she hurled a massive ki
blast at the two of them. The golden light burst over them, knocking them
clear back into the wall, and through it, taking a chunk of wall with them.
Shocked, Ryuuko paused, leaning against a ship and breathing heavily. She
looked speculatively at her hands, wondering at the power she felt,
frustrated that it had been so brief. She had tried to hold it, but it
exploded from her. It was all she could do to direct it in an attack at her
opponents. Still shaking, she climbed aboard the nearest single-passenger
transport, and engaged the engines.
Yuroki got to his feet first, dusting himself off, and glanced disgustedly
at the fat alien, who was still lying on the ground. Senna roused himself a
moment later and stood unsteadily.
"I thought you said you could handle her," he said, his tone accusing.
The Saiyan grabbed the alien by the front of his uniform and pulled him
close until they were nose-to-nose.
"I could have handled her," he growled, "if you hadn't interfered. You
caused me to fail."
"Hmph. If you weren't such a lousy fighter--"
Yuroki drove his fist into the fat alien's face. He wasn't going to take
that from a creature who could consume twice his own body weight in food and
never manage to get off his lazy ass to do anything but whine. If his greed
hadn't long ago won out over his pride, he'd be in the boat Ryuuko was in
now, and he knew it. But that didn't mean he had to let these aliens insult
him. Senna lay on the ground, unconscious once again. Yuroki looked up to
the night sky, momentarily cursing the lack of a moon orbiting this planet,
and made a solemn vow.
I will have you, Ryuuko. I will not rest, will not return here, until I
have your head as a trophy.
The tiny pod sailed through space. Ryuuko tried to make herself as
comfortable as possible in the cramped cockpit. She gazed out at the stars
thoughtfully, reflecting on the day's events and her immediate plans. It
all seemed so silly, now that she was alone in space, and already thousands
of light-years from home. How could she hope to change things? She was
only one saiyan, and still very young, though technically an adult.
Moreover, she was trying to do the near-impossible, questing to find the one
being in the entire universe who might be able to help, who would even care
what had become of her people. It was rumored that he might be dead, but
she had it on good authority that the last Prince of the Saiyans, Vegeta,
had been seen on a little backwater planet called Earth. It was as good a
place to start as any. Still, to Ryuuko, it felt more like running away
just now, than any movement in a positive direction.
Shortly thereafter, Ryuuko fell asleep. She had set a course for the ship
to follow, and she had little else to do for the next several days. The
proximity alert would wake her, when the time came. For now, she simply let
herself slip into troubled dreams.
A loud, irritating buzzer kept going off repeatedly, waking the young
saiyan woman. She slapped a button on the dashboard and peered out the
viewport. A green and blue planet loomed ahead. Ryuuko had slept on and
off during the trip here. Now she was alert and ready for anything. She
fired the landing rockets, letting the tiny pod's guidance systems take her
into the atmosphere as she slowed the ship. Before long, the ship's landing
gear touched down in a field of tall grass. Ryuuko stepped out almost
immediately and stretched, relieved to finally be out of the little ship.
After taking a moment to adjust to her new surroundings, and a slightly
less dense gravity, Ryuuko pulled out a scouter and slipped it over her
head. Turning it on, she glanced around, looking for any unusual power
readings, though what would be unusual for Earthlings, she wasn't sure. She
had heard they were weak, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.
At last, somewhere west of where she was, she picked up a very distinctive
power reading. It was high, even by her standards, but distant. She
decided to start walking.
An hour or so later, she found herself in a bustling city. Cars raced
along roadways while people crowded the sidewalks. Some, like Ryuuko, were
in a hurry and had somewhere to be. She followed their example and started
to elbow people out of the way as they gathered around window displays in
various shops. This drew a lot of attention to her, as most of the people
she nudged gently went flying across the street. She kept checking her
scouter at regular intervals to make sure she was headed in the right
direction. The power level she had picked up before was still there,
closer, and surrounded by other fairly high readings.
The Saiyan woman found her way blocked by a number of humans in dark
uniforms, carrying clear plastic shields. The crowds of pedestrians
retreated to a safe distance to watch. Ryuuko eyed them with amusement.
One of the uniformed men ordered her to halt, and she advanced instead.
They fell back slightly as a group with every step she took. She grinned at
their repeated orders to stop, until one of them lobbed a smoking cannister
at her. It hit the ground and spewed a thick, noxious cloud that burned her
eyes and nose, and made her cough. Quick as lightning, she darted forward
and grabbed the man who had thrown the cannister by the front of his kevlar
vest. With a low growl, she threw him with all her strength, sending him
sailing behind her, across the road, where he crashed through a plate glass
window.
The uniformed men backed off slightly and pulled their weapons, aiming them
at her. Ignoring their threats to shoot if she didn't cease and desist, she
fired a mild blast of energy at them, knocking several of them off their
feet and injuring two or three people. Snatching the riot shield away from
the nearest man, she lifted him up with one hand, preparing to strike him
with the other.
Suddenly, her scouter gave a series of shrill, frantic beeps, flashing an
unreasonably high number across the eyepiece. Quickly, she removed it and
tossed it aside as it exploded, sending bits of plastic and metal
everywhere. She turned to find herself face-to-face with a young man with
lavender hair. His arms were crossed and he gazed at her hard, in an
instant taking in her light brown hair and eyes, as well as the tail curled
around her waist.
"Put him down!" the youth ordered.
"Stay out of this!" Ryuuko said. "This is none of your concern."
The young man rushed toward her, moving so fast he appeared to vanish, then
to reappear right beside her. A fast strike to her wrist loosened her grip
on the policeman, who fell to the ground and scrambled out of the way. She
glared.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "What are you doing here?"
"What business is it of yours, Earthling?" she retorted.
"When you're threatening my world, it's plenty of my business," he replied
calmly.
"I'm not threatening your pathetic planet. It's hardly worth the time.
But if you must know," she added, "I'm looking for Prince Vegeta."
The youth's eyes widened slightly, his surprise registering for only a
moment.
"What do you want with my father?" he asked after a moment.
"I have come seeking his help."
"My father isn't given to helping strangers. If you've no interest in this
planet, then go home. You're wasting my time. And yours."
"I will not leave. I'll tear this place apart if I have to."
With that, Ryuuko charged a ball of energy in one hand and held it aloft,
ready to throw it. The young man formed his own and gazed at her
challengingly.
"Tell you what. If you can beat me, I'll take you to him."
At that, Ryuuko and the lavender-haired man both released their attacks
simultaneously. His energy ball overpowered hers easily, and she only
barely managed to get out of the way. The combined attacks smashed
harmlessly into the ground, leaving a large, smoking crater where she had
been standing. Ryuuko smirked and rushed at the youth, leading with her
right hand. He dodged effortlessly and caught her fist. She blinked,
mildly surprised.
Pulling herself from his grip, Ryuuko glared and swung at the youth again.
Again he blocked, this time countering with a punch of his own. They went
back and forth like that for a time, each punching and kicking, only to be
blocked by the other. But while both of them had trained incessantly from
almost the day they were born, the youth was slightly older than Ryuuko, and
had been trained personally by his father. The young man with the lavender
hair was gradually gaining the upper hand.
Their battle took them into the air, moving steadily further from the small
town. They peppered each other with ki shots, but Ryuuko definitely came
off worst. For the second time in less than a week, she found herself
facing an opponent who was far stronger than she was. She felt a positive
sense of deja-vu as she floated there, hundreds of feet from the ground, her
clothing ripped and burnt. The fact that this man, who claimed to be the
son of the Saiyan Prince, had no intention to actually kill her didn't help
much.
Ryuuko was reminded suddenly, and very forcefully, of her home planet, a
last refuge after Frieza had destroyed Vegeta-sei. She was reminded of her
people, once renowned the universe over as great warriors, now living on the
verge of starvation, all but enslaved to a motley collection of outlaw
aliens too powerful for the depleted population of Saiyans to fight
successfully. She felt first sorrow, then anger, at this turn of events.
With a savage growl, she launched herself at the youth who stood in her way,
her power level jumping dramatically.
Even the young man was momentarily taken by surprise, but he raised his own
power level to match hers. It was almost entirely unthinkable that she
could beat him. She was already fatigued, he could tell. This increase in
power wouldn't help her now. He launched himself at her, no longer waiting
for her attack. Ryuuko defended herself impressively, but after a few ki
blasts, she hit the ground and lay still, half-covered with dirt. She tried
to get up once, but slumped back to the ground, unconscious.
The youth shook his head and turned to leave, but something stopped him.
He glanced back at the young woman, thinking. She had evidently gone to a
lot of trouble to get here, and it might be best to hear what she had to
say. She seemed like she was in a lot of trouble, and it wasn't in his
nature to leave her stranded if she was. So, against his better judgement,
he scooped the unconscious Saiyan up in his arms and took to the air, flying
back to Capsule Corp at a leisurely pace.
Wiping a dish dry, Bulma emerged from the kitchen in her spacious apartment
high in the upper levels of the Capsule Corp building, looking at her son
and his odd burden curiously.
"Trunks, what's going on?" she queried, eyeing the woman in his arms
suspiciously.
"Long story, Mom. Where's Dad?"
"Where else? He's out back, training."
"We'll wait, then," he said, fishing a sensu bean out of his pocket. He
knew his father's temper, and didn't dare interupt him while he was
training.
"Who's that, Trunks?" Bulma demanded.
"A Saiyan, by the looks of her," he replied calmly, slipping the small bean
into the young woman's mouth.
The Saiyan woman swallowed the bean, and roused almost instantaneously with
a groan. She blinked in surprise, finding herself inside what she assumed
to be an Earth dwelling. Trunks had eased her onto the sofa, and she sat
up, looking around curiously. Spotting the lavender-haired youth, she stood
abruptly.
"Where am I? What's the meaning of this?"
"Calm down," Trunks said. "I've brought you home to meet my father."
Ryuuko frowned, puzzled. "But you--"
"I know," the young man interrupted, glancing briefly at his mother. He
didn't want her to know he'd been fighting. She tended to worry about him
unnecessarily. "But, I figured if you were this determined, the least we
could do was hear you out. So for now, make yourself at home."
"I'll set another place for dinner, then," Bulma sighed, unsatisfied with
her son's lack of explanation regarding what had happened. With that, she
disappeared back into the kitchen.
Ryuuko sat back down, looking distinctly uncomfortable. This was an
awkward situation for her. Saiyans were not known for their hospitality,
and this put her on her guard. It wasn't long before people started
filtering in, drawn by the smell of Bulma's cooking. First among them was
Krillin. He took one look at the Saiyan girl, and, remembering other
Saiyans who weren't either Goku or Vegeta, proceeded right into the kitchen
on the pretense of lending Trunks' mother a hand.
Yamcha followed not long after, and seated himself in front of the
television. Master Roshi did likewise. Gohan and Goku arrived shortly,
and, being assured that the young woman wasn't at all interested in the
destruction of the Earth, Goku took an almost fatherly interest in her.
Ryuuko, still unsure what to think of all this, answered him succinctly when
he asked a direct question, but maintained a distant and gruff attitude. By
evening, when dinner was ready, everyone but Vegeta had straggled in.
Ryuuko was starting to regard this whole thing as a waste of her time, and
made no effort to hide this opinion.
"Come, dear," Bulma said, being as nice as she possibly could, despite the
girl's typical Saiyan rudeness. "Sit down, have dinner, and then you can
speak with Vegeta. Which reminds me.... Trunks?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"Go find your father and tell him supper is ready. I'm sure he'll be
hungry by now."
Reluctantly, Trunks got up from his place at the long table and left the
room. He returned several moments later, Vegeta right behind him, his
expression as unreadable as ever. He took in the presence of the Saiyan
girl, and was very surprised, but he pretended to take no notice whatsoever
as he seated himself. Dinner was a confused and noisy affair. Dishes were
passed hand to hand, people chatted animatedly. Ryuuko found her plate
piled with several tempting and savory-smelling things, and was reminded of
how hungry she was. Except for that weird bean, she hadn't eaten in about 3
or 4 days. Following the examples of the other Saiyans at the table, she
picked up her chopsticks and started shoveling food into her mouth at top
speed.
By the time she had polished off her third plateful of food, Ryuuko was
feeling full and considerably more relaxed. She pushed her chair back from
the table slightly and listened to the conversations going on around her.
The young woman wondered if any of her ancestors had been anywhere near this
gregarious. They had been warriors, but there also must have been a time,
long ago, when they had been carefree. A time before their servitude to
Frieza and his subsequent destruction of their planet. If only more of
them had listened to Bardock. If only someone had been able to stop Frieza
before he'd destroyed them all. Pushing aside her brief melancholy, Ryuuko
noticed that everyone else seemed to be done now. Trunks whispered
something to Vegeta, who rose from the table and beckoned to her before
leaving the room. Ryuuko followed, her heart pounding. Now was her chance.
Vegeta was sitting in the living room, in an armchair that matched the
sofa. Even in these surroundings, he looked regal and imposing. Ryuuko
knelt before him and bowed her head. The Saiyan Prince nodded approvingly.
There was a lot he wanted to ask her, but now was not the time. She had
requested an audience with him, and he had granted it. He would find out
only what she wanted, and if she stuck around long enough, he could persuade
her to reveal more about herself and her past. Perhaps the information
would prove useful.
"You may rise," he told her. Slowly, she stood, but she didn't meet his
eye. It would have been disrespectful, a challenge.
"Thank you, my Prince," she replied solemnly.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice stern and commanding.
"I am Ryuuko, of the planet New Vegeta, my Prince."
The Saiyan Prince cocked an eyebrow. "New Vegeta?"
"Yes, Sire. You see, when that piece of excrement, Frieza, destroyed
Vegeta-sei, there were, in fact, a few survivors. Some were off-planet, and
lucky enough to escape detection by Frieza's forces. Others had listened to
Bardock, and left the planet. They established a colony on a new world, far
from Frieza's territory."
"I see. And you came here to tell me that?" his voice conveyed skepticism,
but his attention was rapt upon her every word.
"No, my Prince. I have come seeking your help."
"Then you're wasting your time. I help no one, unless there's something
that makes it worth my while."
"Sire, forgive my impertinence, but my people-- our people-- need a leader.
A strong, powerful leader."
"Our people are warriors, Ryuuko. They can fend for themselves very well."
"Ordinarily, my Prince, I would agree," she said, feeling impatient. "But
under the circumstances, we need someone to unite us."
She went on to tell Vegeta about the aliens that had taken over their
colony, at which, Vegeta snorted derisively.
"If they're that weak, they deserve what they get," he told her.
"No! You don't understand. We are the last of our people. The Saiyans
were once a great race, and now our numbers are reduced to a handful. I
came here seeking you, the Prince of all Saiyans, only to find that you have
become little better than these....humans! Where is your pride?"
Vegeta got to his feet, glaring at her. "You speak out of turn! I should
destroy you here and now!"
"Vegeta!" Goku came running in. "You're not going to believe this!
There's another ship, and it's on its way here!"
"What?" His attention was focused now on Goku, a man he considered both a
rival and, secretly, a friend.
Ryuuko's eyes grew wide as she sensed the approaching ship, and the entity
within.
"Yuroki," she whispered.
They both looked at her. Vegeta was still angry at her accusations. Goku
relaxed momentarily.
"Friend of yours?" he asked.
"Once," she replied bitterly. "But he has forgotten his noble heritage."
Goku glanced at Vegeta, puzzled. Vegeta simply rolled his eyes and shook
his head.
"Let's go check it out," he said, choosing to ignore the girl for now.
Goku nodded and followed him out. Ryuuko stood there for a moment, angry
at being treated this way, then took off after them. She arrived just as
the craft was setting down in the yard outside the Capsule Corp building.
The hatch hissed open, and a tall, male Saiyan stepped out, dressed in the
armor of a low-level warrior. Wind tugged at his spiky black hair, and he
stroked his goatee thoughtfully as he surveyed the three arrayed before him.
"So, Ryuuko," he said with a smirk, "you thought you could hide from me.
And you sought protection from humans? Silly girl."
He advanced on her. Goku fired a short ki blast, which hit the ground at
the Saiyan's feet.
"Listen, friend, I don't know who you are, but this young lady is a guest
here. Why don't we try to work this out peacefully?"
"Better yet," Vegeta interjected, "why don't you just go back home? If
anyone's going to teach this girl a lesson, it'll be me."
The Saiyan looked at them both skeptically, then burst out laughing. His
laugh was cut short, however, as his scouter started going crazy. With a
thought, Goku and Vegeta had powered up, causing the scouter to go haywire
and short-circuit. Yuroki cast it away as it exploded. He eyed the two
warily, considering. Was it possible these two men were also Saiyans? If
so, why were they here, on Earth, instead of New Vegeta where they belonged?
He glanced at Ryuuko, who was looking rather bored with the proceedings.
"You two have got to be joking," he sneered. "Just hand over the girl, and
stop wasting my time."
Goku settled into a fighting stance, but didn't attack. There was no
reason to. His power level far superceded this Saiyan's. He waited to see
what the other would do. Without a word, Vegeta leaned against a nearby
tree and simply watched from the corner of one eye. The Saiyan wasted no
time, flying at Goku with a flurry of punches. Goku deflected them easily,
then caught his opponent's hands.
"I don't want to fight you," he said calmly.
"Why? Are you some kind of coward?"
"No," Goku replied, releasing his hands. "You're just not quite a
challenge for me."
Yuroki glared and attacked again, this time sending a massive wave of ki
energy at Goku. Goku, however, simply stood there and let it wash over him,
completely unaffected.
"Hey, that wasn't too bad. But try this."
With that, Goku released a controlled wave of energy, which knocked his
opponent flat. Yuroki got back to his feet, looking stunned. But he was
determined. He took to the air and peppered Goku with small ki shots. Goku
caught two and lobbed them back, pushing the Saiyan higher into the air.
Growling, Yuroki tried again, powering up before he sent another wave at
Goku. Goku was caught by surprise this time, and he slid back several
paces.
Yuroki smirked and fired off another volley of ki shots, driving Goku back
a little more. Goku was no longer amused, however, and opted to end the
fight decisively. He cupped his hands at his right hip and settled into a
crouch.
"Ka....me....ha....me....HA!!!!"
Goku thrust his hands forward, sending a powerful wave of energy at Yuroki.
Unprepared and unable to defend against the attack, Yuroki went hurtling
through the air, crashing to the ground several meters away. Ryuuko watched
the entire thing with a look of stunned disbelief. How could anyone be that
powerful? This Kakarot's fighting prowess far outstripped that of the
lavender-haired youth, Trunks, and he had defeated her almost effortlessly.
Ryuuko decided one thing right then: she had to become that strong, if not
stronger. Then, even if she couldn't convince Vegeta to help her, she would
be able to go home and stand at least a fighting chance against the aliens
who had taken her world.
"You've impressed our....guest, Kakarot," Vegeta commented mildly.
"Perhaps now she'll bother you and leave me alone."
As Vegeta stalked away, wrapped up in his own thoughts, Goku turned to
Ryuuko.
"So who was that guy?" he asked, plainly a lot more interested in her
plight than Vegeta seemed to be.
She shrugged. "An old friend. Or he used to be."
"You mentioned that. You wanna tell me what's going on?"
So once again, Ryuuko launched into the tale of her people, and of the
alien conquerors who had come to New Vegeta. When she finished, Goku was
frowning, evidently thinking about something very hard.
"Well, I could have told you not to expect help from Vegeta," he said
thoughtfully. "Although, if you give him a chance, he's not that bad. Just
stubborn. Seems to be a common trait among us Saiyans."
He grinned. Ryuuko smiled tentatively, her first real smile in years.
"If he won't help me, then will you?" she asked hopefully.
"Well..." Goku rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Chi-Chi
won't like it, but it sounds like you really need it. But I don't think
you're ready just yet."
"Ready for what?" She frowned.
"To go back. Even if I go with you, and we can manage to do something
about your problem, who's to say it won't happen again?"
"I find it very hard to believe there are that many races out there more
powerful than Saiyans," she scoffed.
"You'd be surprised, Ryuuko. Why don't you spend the night here, and we'll
talk about it in the morning."
Left with little other choice, Ryuuko nodded and followed him inside. In
the distance, Yuroki watched, scowling. He wasn't hurt, not really, but his
pride was. He was here to get Ryuuko, and that was just what he planned to
do. And if it gave him the opportunity to get back at that warrior, whoever
he was, so much the better.
Ryuuko awoke early the next morning, noise from outside penetrating her
sleep. She went out to find Kakarot, Gohan, and Goten already training.
Vegeta and Trunks were elsewhere, each training alone, but were nowhere to
be seen. Spotting Ryuuko, Goku grinned and waved her over. Before they
really started, Goku explained, he wanted to see how she fought. So he had
her spar with his younger son, at which she protested indignantly. After
the sparring match, however, she was sufficiently humbled to keep her mouth
shut and do exactly what Kakarot said.
Goku took charge, teaching her to focus her energies without letting
emotion get in the way. Emotions were a good motivator, he told her, but
she couldn't let them control her. Ryuuko tried to follow his instructions
precisely, but some of what he was telling her wasn't quite getting through.
By the end of the day, Ryuuko felt that they had made little progress,
despite both Goku and Gohan reassuring her that they had seen definite
improvement in just a few hours.
The next several days passed the same way. Ryuuko was getting used to her
surroundings and the people, most of them very different from her own, in
some ways, but very similar in others. She had to admit to herself that she
may have even enjoyed being around them, though she was still more or less
aloof to anyone but Goku and his sons. Vegeta had been avoiding her, but
that suited her just fine. His lack of concern over the fate of the last
Saiyans in the universe was something of a disasppointment to Ryuuko.
Vegeta, meanwhile, had secreted himself away at Dende's Lookout. The
Namek, now coming into his own as an adult, and as the Guardian of the
Earth, simply let him be. He knew better than to intrude upon the Saiyan
Prince's privacy. Vegeta had been shocked to learn that not all of his
people had died when Frieza destroyed the planet. He had never forgiven
Frieza for this, despite his callous attitude at the time. This had been
quite a bit of his motivation to join with Kakarot and his friends in the
fight against the effeminate alien.
Truth be told, Vegeta carried with him a certain sense of guilt over what
had happened. He felt he should have seen it coming, though he didn't know
that Frieza had been responsible for the destruction of Vegeta-sei until
years later. The fact that he was only a child when it had happened was
little excuse as far as he was concerned. And now this woman, a girl,
really, came from somewhere distant, claiming that a remnant of his people
had survived. That news was shocking enough. To find that they were in
trouble, doing the bidding of aliens more powerful than themselves, with
little choice in the matter, made him angry. History seemed to be repeating
itself.
Vegeta was a loner, and always had been. He relied on no one but himself
for a long time, and it was difficult to change that. Even now, knowing
that he had Kakarot and the others as...friends, he supposed, he felt alone.
He had long believed himself to be one of the last of a nearly extinct
race, and that brought a lonliness he bore with great difficulty. It was in
his nature to be strong, both physically and emotionally, but his habits
over the years had made it nearly impossible for him to connect to anyone.
The only person who seemed to understand and accept this was Bulma, and to a
lesser extent, Trunks and Bra. They were his only family, and he regarded
them with mixed feelings. He supposed that, somewhere deep down, he loved
them. But he resented them somewhat as well. Saiyans, traditionally,
didn't marry. They enjoyed carnal pleasures with one another when the mood
struck them, certainly, and they had children, but their children were born
fighters, and could survive on their own within weeks of birth. They were
not a race of people who really needed each other. And yet...... perhaps on
some level, they did.
Vegeta shook his head. It was all very confusing. He didn't like to have
to sort out his feelings about things, but the last few days had shaken him.
What were his priorities? If he returned with the girl to New Vegeta, he
was certain he could take his rightful place as the ruler of those people,
despite the current governmental upheaval. But that would mean leaving
Earth, and that, he realized, wasn't something he wanted to do. If he was
truly honest with himself, he knew he wanted to see his daughter reach
adulthood, and his son to reach and maybe exceed his own power, if it was
possible. He wanted to stay with Bulma, who managed somehow to ease his
lonliness without making a pest of herself. She was there to talk to if he
felt he had anything to say, and kept him company in silence if he didn't.
She anticipated his needs and provided simple comforts without him ever
having had to ask. To ask for anything would have been a sign of weakness,
and she seemed to understand that inherently. She was the one person who
never seemed to want him to change, to fit some mold she thought would suit
him better. She liked him, maybe even loved him, for who he was. And that,
he thought, was possibly the purest kind of love.
Love. There was a time he would have simply dismissed the entire concept
out of hand. He didn't need anyone. But he also realized that the concept
of love was a choice, and not necessarily an indication of weakness. After
all, as powerful as he was, he was still capable of such an emotion.
But how did that relate to the fact that at least some of his people were
still alive and more or less well? Perhaps because he was considering the
girl's request. Since he was being honest with himself, he also had to
admit that he felt a certain desire to go with her and to help, but he
couldn't just abandon his family. Even if he didn't necessarily need them,
he knew that they needed him. Vegeta might have been many things, but
irresponsible was not one of them. Honor was his highest priority, when it
came right down to it. So, after a long internal debate, he came to the
conclusion that the most honorable thing to do would be to help the girl,
get it over and done with, and return to his relatively peaceful existance
here. It was boring, certainly, but sometimes, boring was acceptable.
Dende noticed that Vegeta seemed more at peace when he left hours later,
and smiled to himself. He didn't know what it was that the Saiyan Prince
had needed to sort out, but it seemed that he was, at least, satisfied.
Vegeta found Ryuuko training in earnest under Kakarot's watchful eye. He
watched for a moment without appearing to, silently approving of some
things, though he thought Kakarot was being a bit easy on her. He walked
by, pausing briefly when he was within her range of hearing.
"I've decided I'll help you, in spite of your earlier insolence," he told
her, then walked away.
Ryukko was caught off guard, and she stopped, staring after him. Goku
shook his head, a wry smile on his face. He, too, had noticed that Vegeta
had finally found some inner peace. It had certainly taken long enough. He
called out to Ryuuko to keep training, fully aware that she needed to stay
at it if they were to have her in any kind of decent fighting condition
before making the trip to New Vegeta. Their departure was planned
tentatively for about a week from then. Judging from what she had told him
of her last encounter with Yuroki, he hoped to have taught her to ascend to
Super Saiyan by the time they were ready to leave.
The week had passed quickly, Ryuuko training harder than she ever had
before. Vegeta hadn't said more than a few words to her, or really anyone,
since making his decision to go along. Goku had pushed Ryuuko to her
limits, reminding her why she was training, what she'd be fighting for. And
still she hadn't managed to achieve the level of Super Saiyan, though she
had come very close several times.
Now they were preparing to leave, against Goku's better judgement.
Surprisingly, Vegeta had taken it upon himself to organize things, and now
the Capsule Corp ship, a clumsy-looking sphere with four oblong boosters,
stood ready in the yard behind the massive complex. Along with the Saiyans
and their sons, Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo, and Tien piled into the ship,
carrying a few personal belongings for the journey. Yajarobi had elected to
stay home, to, as he put it, keep an eye on things. Oolong and Master Roshi
were staying behind, as well as Goten, at his mother's behest. She had
sceduled him an interview with a prestigious college, and it wouldn't do to
have him cavorting around in space when his academic career was on the line.
Puar, however, kept close to Yamcha, her loyalty to him unswerving,
despite the danger they all faced. The little blue cat floated near his
shoulder, making exclamations of worry now and then.
Bulma, Chi-Chi, and the others stood there, concerned, but resolute. Last
to board the ship, Vegeta stopped and gave Bulma a quick kiss on the cheek
before climbing in the hatch and shutting it without so much as a backward
glance. Everyone stared, shocked at the uncharacteristic display of
tenderness from the Saiyan Prince, however brief. He ignored them, taking
his seat as Trunks engaged the engines and took the ship out of the
atmosphere.
No one noticed as a smaller ship, a Saiyan space pod, left the ground and
tailed them at a distance.
The Capsule Corp ship moved slower than the small, one-person pod Ryuuko
had arrived in. It would take them yet another week to reach New Vegeta, if
not longer. Goku took the opportunity to further his own training, sparring
with holographic versions of opponents he'd faced over the years on a level
of the ship where gravity could be adjusted up to ten times that of the
Earth's. Ryuuko, Gohan, and Trunks followed his lead and spent time
training as well. Well aware of Kakarot's goals for Ryuuko, Vegeta kept an
eye on the young woman serruptitiously.
When he chanced to catch her alone, he approached her. Ryuuko wondered
what he wanted, still unsure precisely what to think of the Saiyan Prince.
"You'll never become a Super Saiyan," he told her quietly, "if you continue
training the way you have been." He paused and looked at her appraisingly.
"I don't know if you even really have it in you."
Ryuuko bristled, but didn't say anything. Vegeta could sense her anger,
boiling beneath the surface. She just needed the right motivation to bring
it out.
"I'll give you a hint," he continued, a touch of condescention in his
voice. "It's not how hard you train, but your inent when you train. Keep
that in mind, and you might survive this."
The Saiyan girl glared at his back as he walked away once more, smiling to
himself. Ryuuko knew he was pushing her buttons, but to what end, she
wasn't sure. Even so, he made sense, no matter how arrogant he was, and she
decided to take his advice. She thought for a long time, reflecting on the
events that had brought her here, what had caused her to seek out the Saiyan
Prince's help in the first place. Images flashed into her mind: her people
toiling for the aliens and reaping no benefit from it; her people suffering
and starving at the hands of these enemies; the expression on Yuroki's face
as he swore to her that he'd do whatever it took to help eradicate the alien
threat.
Ryuuko growled, all her anger rising to the surface. Clenching her fists,
she began to power up, feeling her ki energy rise in response. She managed
to surpass her highest power level; she could feel the change coming. It
was as if every cell in her body were charged with electricity. Her hair
rose as though blown upward by wind, and her fighting aura was tinged with a
golden light. Gritting her teeth, the Saiyan woman willed her power level
to keep rising. She was almost there. The deckplates beneath her feet
rattled, dangerously close to being yanked right from underneath her by the
power she was generating. And then......she lost it. The power left her
body in a rush and she dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Why? Why couldn't she manage it? She had sufficient motivation. Gohan
had explained the theory behind becoming a Super Saiyan, and she thought she
understood it. Yet there was a barrier there that she was unable to cross.
The Capsule Corp ship set down atop a small rise overlooking the main
settlement on New Vegeta. They were far enough from the city that it would
be some time before anyone noticed them. The party stepped out of the ship
and surveyed the area. Even at this distance, they could tell that the city
was grimy and not well kept. Large buildings, interspersed with tall
smokestacks emitting clouds of noxious vapor, dotted the landscape. As they
moved closer, they saw people bustling about, most of them in varying states
of disarray. None of the Saiyan population seemed to take any notice of one
another, let alone converse. Goku and Vegeta found this unnatural and
disturbing.
Vegeta led the way into the city, his eyes narrowed in disgust. The cities
on his planet would never have been allowed to fall into such disrepair. A
fat alien, whom Ryuuko recognized as Senna, spotted the group and stared at
them for several minutes before waddling off as fast as his chubby legs
would take him. She was certain he was running off to warn his superiors
about the newcomers, but she wasn't too concerned. They continued through
the dirty streets. As they proceeded, the large buildings gave way to long,
low structures, which the Saiyan girl pointed out as barracks that housed
the majority of the population. Instead of warriors, as they were meant to
be, the Saiyans living in those squalid dwellings were workers in the
numerous factories. Their wages, she told them, were almost nonexistant,
and if anyone dared complain, they were taken away and never seen again.
"Why don't they just wait for a full moon?" Vegeta demanded.
"This planet has no moon," Ryuuko replied. "When we found it, it had been
destoyed. There's a large asteroid field on the other side of the planet,
and we assumed that's what used to be the moon here."
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "No wonder these Saiyans are so weak. If there
was a moon, those aliens you keep talking about wouldn't have stood a
chance."
Ryuuko shrugged. She knew the effects of a full moon from hearing older
Saiyans talk about it, but she herself had never experienced it. All at
once, laser fire erupted around them. Krillin and Yamcha hit the ground,
not prepared to risk getting hit by a stray shot, though they fired ki
blasts back at the origin of the lasers. Piccolo and Tien looked around,
alert, seeking out the source of the laser fire before returning ki attacks
of their own. Goku stood protectively in front of Ryuuko, while Vegeta just
started blasting everything in sight. Gohan and Trunks powered up,
deflecting the laser shots harmlessly away from themselves, protected by
their fighting auras.
Finding themselves at an impasse, several aliens and a few Saiyans emerged
from cover, their laser pistols aimed at the group. Everyone else took
their cue from Vegeta, who had stopped blasting things, and simply stood,
looking stonily at the approaching attackers. Among the armed group was
Senna, evidently the highest ranking member, as he stepped forward slightly.
"Who are you?" he asked, glaring at Vegeta.
"I am the Prince of all Saiyans," he said simply. "And if you want to
live, I suggest you get out of our way."
Senna laughed derisively. "The Prince is dead. And look at you. You're
no Saiyan. You don't even have a tail."
"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Senna," Ryuuko told him calmly.
"You keep out of this. Your head's worth a lot of money, so if you intend
to keep it, it'll be you who needs to watch your mouth."
"Enough!"
Vegeta stood there, his arms folded across his chest, impatient.
"You will take me to whoever's in charge of all of...this." He waved a
hand, indicating the city around them.
Senna looked as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh at this creature's
stupidity, or try to think of a witty retort. He settled instead for a
halfhearted shrug.
"Hold it."
A new voice, this time. Ryuuko looked back. Behind the group of armed
aliens stood Yuroki. Senna was only mildly surprised.
"I don't care what you do with the rest of these cretins," he said, "but
Ryuuko's mine, and so's the bounty."
"You're too late, Yuroki. You had your shot. Now we're doing things my
way."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," the tall Saiyan retorted. In his
hand glowed a bright blue ball of energy.
"Oh, really, you two are just pathetic," Vegeta growled. "And you're
wasting our time."
The Saiyan Prince clenched his fists and started to power up. The badly
paved roadway trembled beneath their feet, and long cracks appeared,
originating from where he stood. A wave of pure energy exploded all around
him, knocking the armed aliens off their feet and sending them flying in all
directions. He turned and walked away, muttering something under his breath
about being unable to comprehend how his people could have been overcome by
such weaklings. Ryuuko followed, but Goku hesitated.
"I dunno," Goku began, "it might be easier to just let these guys lead.
They seem willing to help."
Vegeta turned, hoping that his longtime rival was joking. Unable to really
tell what was going through his head, he frowned slighlty.
"You're a moron, Kakarot."
Goku shrugged. "Have it your way."
The group started out again, Vegeta at the lead, leaving the armed party
staring at them in shocked disbelief. Ryuuko pointed out the way as they
walked. The aliens hastened to follow them, knowing it would look bad if
this group charged into their headquarters ahead of them.
It wasn't long before they found what they were looking for. It was easily
the largest building in the city, and it wasn't as painfully dirty as the
rest of them. Guards tried to stop them as they approached, but Vegeta
simply shoved them away, unconcerned. Yuroki had passed the group of armed
aliens and was catching up with the party from Earth. He was determined to
get to Ryuuko, no matter what. He fired a light ki blast into their midst,
causing Krillin, Yamcha, and Puar to dive for cover. Piccolo immediately
turned and lobbed a ball of energy back at him. Yuroki dodged and a section
of the wall collapsed. Puar emerged from hiding long enough to shake a tiny
fist at the Saiyan, but quickly hid again as he took a shot at her.
The powerfully built Namekian stepped away from the group.
"I'll handle this," he said to Goku.
Goku nodded, and they moved on, Yamcha and Krillin hurrying to keep up.
Piccolo settled into a fighting stance. Yuroki glared. He didn't have time
for this. Without another word, the Namekian fired off another ki shot.
The Saiyan dodged and returned one of his own, but Piccolo deflected it with
a wave of his hand. Angered now, Yuroki launched himself at his opponent,
attacking with a flurry of punches. Piccolo blocked every one, then sent
Yuroki flying with a well-placed uppercut. The Saiyan hit the hard cement
of the floor several meters away, cracking it like an eggshell.
Piccolo shook his head and turned to walk away and rejoin the group.
Slowly, Yuroki stood up. His head pounded, but he charged another ball of
energy, this one more powerful than the last, and launched it at the
Namekian. It hit Piccolo full in the back, making him stumble. He wheeled
on his opponent, staring at him coldly. Yuroki returned the stare and
prepared to attack again. Piccolo, however, had other ideas.
Concentrating, he extended the length of his arms, driving them down into
the pavement below. Yuroki regarded him oddly, not sure what he was doing.
All at once, Piccolo's arms broke through the floor just behind the Saiyan
and wrapped around him several times, then pulled him off-balance.
Yuroki struggled against this new threat, taking pot shots at the Namekian,
disconcerted by his strange ability. Piccolo lengthened his arms even more,
intent on finishing this fight quickly. The Saiyan sped upward, unable to
break free of Piccolo's grip, and was driven through the ceiling above. The
Namekian released his grip, then, and Yuroki dropped like a stone. This
time, he didn't get back up. With a grim smile, Piccolo hastened in the
direction the others had gone.
Meanwhile, Vegeta led the party through the halls, striding boldly deeper
into enemy territory. He kept a watchful eye ahead of them, though he was
certain they wouldn't run into anything even remotely challenging. Puar,
curled up on Yamcha's shoulder, kept watch at the back, while the two humans
glanced around, looking for any signs of movement. Corridors intersected at
regular intervals, but no one came to challenge their progress. Everything
was still, and far too quiet.
Piccolo caught up with them shortly, sporting minor bruises, but otherwise
looking no worse for the wear. Ryuuko glanced at him questioningly, but he
gave no indication of what had happened. In spite of everything, some part
of her was concerned for Yuroki.
At last, after what seemed like hours of walking around, the group emerged
into a cavernous chamber. The room was roughly circular, and tiers of seats
lined the walls. At the far end was a raised dais with a large, plain
looking-throne, lacking any decoration except a large sheet of gold cloth
draped haphazardly over it.
"It looks like...some kind of arena," Krillin commented.
Vegeta gave him a scathing look. "Brilliant observation."
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed throughout the room.
"Excellent. I have been expecting you."
The nine of them looked around, each seeking the source of that voice.
Puar, however, hid in Yamcha's shirt. A figure emerged from the shadows and
stepped out onto the dais. He was tall, maybe eight or nine feet in height.
Though humanoid in appearance, his skin was milky-white, shot through with
streaks of grey. He wore a sleeveless shirt, exposing bulging muscles in
his arms and chest, long pants, and high boots, all black. A sapphire-blue
cape rested on his shoulders, long enough to drag on the ground. He folded
his arms and regarded the party imperiously, red eyes glinting with
malicious pleasure.
"This shall be a most entertaining event," he concluded.
Vegeta shot a glance at Goku, who shrugged non-committally. Ryuuko glared.
She knew this creature well. The others simply stared stonily at the
alien.
"Permit me to introduce myself," the being said, after several long moments
of silence. "My name is Shirudo. And you," he paused, gesturing at the
group, "shall all have the honor of competing in my tournament. Only the
worthiest among you shall face me personally."
The alien smiled smugly. Vegeta snorted derisively and stepped forward.
"This competetion of yours is not necessary. I will challenge you!"
Laughter echoed through the arena. "You? Arrogant fool! And what makes
you so special, hmm?"
The Saiyan bristled inwardly but gave no outward sign of it. "I am
Vegeta," he said simply.
Shirudo laughed again, then signalled toward the only egress from the
arena. Dozens of creatures, each a replica of Shirudo, save that they stood
a few feet shorter, poured in, surrounding the fighters. Puar was snatched
from Yamcha's arms and thrown roughly into a small cage. Yamcha retaliated,
aiming a powerful punch at the head of the creature who had taken the little
shapeshifter. There was a sharp crunch of bone, and Yamcha looked stunned
for a moment before pulling his hand away. His hand throbbed with pain, and
it was all he could do not to give voice to it. He had definitely broken
his knuckles that time.
"Gentlemen, allow my personal cadre of androids to see to your comfort,"
Shirudo said amiably.
The androids moved in, two of them taking hold of each of the fighters,
then dragging them off to the sides to await further orders. Shirudo smiled
coldly and pointed at Krillin.
"The two humans, first, I think."
Krillin and Yamcha were shoved forward, and they reluctantly moved to the
center of the arena.
"The rules," Shirudo said loudly, "are simple. No weapons. Your bare
hands and energy attacks will more than suffice. And, you fight to the
death."
The two humans stared at the marble-skinned enemy in disbelief.
"What?" Yamcha said.
"No way!" Krillin responded simultaneously.
"You will fight, or you will both be destroyed."
The androids who had held them moved in menacingly. Krillin smiled and
shifted into a fighting stance.
"I like these odds a lot better."
As one, the androids converged on the two fighters. The humans were fast,
but the androids were much faster. Krillin quickly gave up on trying to
fight from the ground and took to the air, raining ki blasts down on the
androids. Yamcha followed his example, using his ki to push himself from
the ground. Within seconds, however, the androids were after them, hovering
silently, expending little energy. As a group, the androids raised their
right hands, aiming at the two humans, and a blinding flash of light erupted
from their palms. When the light cleared, Krillin and Yamcha were still in
the air, but their energy levels had dropped dramatically. The other
fighters watched, unable to aid them.
Krillin broke away from the attackers and gathered his energy, forming a
glowing golden disk above his head. Seeing his intent, Yamcha dove out of
the way as his friend hurled the attack at the androids. The Destructo Disk
bounced off the solid skin of the first android and richocheted into the
wall, reducing a large section of seats to rubble. The androids turned on
him as a collective. Together they vanished from sight, reappearing in a
ring around the short human, and they rained blows on him with a speed he
hadn't seen since Cell reached his perfect form.
Yamcha launched into a series of inexplicable motions, focusing his energy.
His eyes flicked up to the androids attacking his friend.
"Wolf Fang Fist!!!!" he shouted as he threw a savage punch.
A ghostly blue wolf's head flew directly at the androids. It hit the
group, serving to distract them from Krillin. They flew at Yamcha. Krillin
dropped to the dirt floor of the arena and didn't move. The androids
proceeded to beat him as unmercifully as they had his friend. Within
moments, he was lying on the arena floor as well, barely breathing. Puar
cried out in dismay, watching from the tiny cage.
Watching the fight, Ryuuko struggled violently against her captors. She
glanced helplessly between Vegeta and Goku.
"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you helping them?" she demanded
angrily.
"Settle down, Ryuuko," Vegeta told her.
Goku fixed her with a compelling gaze. "They'll be all right. They know
their limits."
"They're all right?"
She was confused. Both humans looked dead, or nearly so.
"They will be," Goku whispered. "Don't worry."
The discussion was interrupted. Shirudo stood, applauding.
"Bravo," he said. "Wonderful. I do hope the rest of you will last a bit
longer."
He turned his gaze to the other fighters. They glared back at him. Two
androids dragged the unconscious humans out of the arena. Shirudo looked
the fighters over, sizing them up individually. He started to point to
Piccolo when his attention was distracted by another arrival. The tall
Saiyan stood at the arena's entrance, battered and bruised, surveying the
scene imperiously.
"Ah, Yuroki. What a pleasant surprise," Shirudo said.
"Can it, Shirudo. You know what I'm here for."
"What?" The alien feigned surprise. "If you're after the bounty, I'm
afraid you're a bit late."
"The girl wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me," he snarled.
"On the contrary, Yuroki. She came quite willingly. And you have failed
in your mission."
"What's the difference? I did what you said. I followed her, I made sure
she got here, just like you told me. You never said she had to be in my
custody."
"You have outlived your usefulness to me, Yuroki," the alien said, sounding
bored. "Good bye."
Shirudo fired a massive blast of energy at the Saiyan, knocking him flat.
This was followed up by a series of ki blasts that left the Saiyan unmoving
in the dirt. Ryuuko grit her teeth, rage surging through her as she sensed
Yuroki's energy drop down to nothing. Yuroki was no longer her friend, but
she still cared for him at some level, and that came to the fore now. The
androids tightened their grip on her as her power level jumped dramatically.
Vegeta sensed it and glanced at her, a slight smirk on his face. Finally,
he thought.
The alien had noticed, also. He motioned her forward and the androids
released her. She strode to the center of the arena, glaring at Shirudo.
Ryuuko wanted revenge, he could tell, even for her enemy. As Yuroki's body,
too, was dragged away, he stepped down from the dais.
"You want to kill me, Ryuuko," he stated. "But you wouldn't have a chance.
It is admirable that you still have feelings for him. However, he's dead
and nothing you do can bring him back."
"Maybe not, Shirudo, but you will pay for what you've done."
This elicited a hearty laugh from the large alien. "Stupid monkey," he
said. "You're no better than Yuroki was, and you're weaker."
Shirudo signalled to the androids, and six of them now converged on the
Saiyan woman. Ryuuko dropped into a defensive crouch, steeling herself for
the inevitable. Her power level fluctuated, spiking, then dropping off as
she mentally assessed her opponents. The androids wasted no time in
attacking, their fists moving faster than the eye could see. Ryuuko
responded instinctively, blocking as quickly as possible, but against six
opponents, it wasn't enough. A kick to her midsection got through, knocking
her clear back into the far wall. Rubble cascaded down, carrying her into
an upper tier of seats.
Ryuuko was on her feet again in an instant, her power level increasing once
more. The androids disappeared as a group, then reappeared in a circle
around her. Each of them seized her, purplish lightning crackling around
them as they powered up. As one, the androids unleashed a stream of
electricity into the young Saiyan. Ryuuko's body twitched involuntarily.
This was it, she knew. She was going to die, just like Yuroki, just like so
many others she had known. The thought of it, far from spurring her into a
depression, fed her rage. Even as her muscles jerked convulsively, her
power level rose steadily.
It isn't fair, she thought. Yuroki went and got himself killed serving
this bastard. And I couldn't do a damned thing about it!
"Foolish girl," Shirudo said. "Did you really think you ever had a chance?
You're not the first, Ryuuko, and you won't be the last. All your people
will die."
Ryuuko had heard enough. Shirudo's words did what she alone could not.
The dam that had held back her potential broke. Energy exploded from the
Saiyan woman in all directions, throwing the androids off. With a primal
yell of fury, Ryuuko's power level spiked even higher. Her fighting aura
shifted into an almost blinding gold color, and her hair stood on end,
turning blonde as her eyes took on a blue-green hue. She hovered in midair,
glaring down at Shirudo balefully, who regarded her with mild surprise.
"Interesting. I've never seen this kind of power from a mere Saiyan
before. But it's still not enough."
Shirudo nodded to the androids, who had regrouped now. Again, they sped
toward Ryuuko. She was prepared this time, and sent a powerful wave of
energy at them, pushing them back. She flew higher, her back almost
touching the domed ceiling of the arena, and peppered the androids with ki
shots. The androids fired energy blasts of their own at her, but she
vanished suddenly, moving so fast they couldn't even detect her presence.
She stopped behind the group and dove at one with a kick, knocking the
android from the sky. It hit the ground and sparks flew from a chest plate
that had popped open. The androids turned on her as a group, hesitant now,
trying to assess her energy and find a way to compensate for it.
That hesitation was fatal for two more of the androids as Ryuuko blasted
them out of the air as well. Three down, three to go. She could handle
this. The remaining androids flew at her, attacking with a flurry of
punches and kicks. Ryuuko blocked them all with ease, then drove her fist
through the face of another, damaging it beyond repair. The two that were
left rushed at the Saiyan woman and grabbed her by the arms. Ryuuko was
amused, bordering on overconfident. She allowed the robotic beings to carry
her higher, until they were near the ceiling once more. The androids
tightened their grip and Ryuuko could feel their power levels rising as
their mechanical bodies started to glow. Their cold metal skin turned
white-hot, and Ryuuko shifted uncomfortably. The white light around the
Saiyan became blinding, and, in an instant, there was a brilliant flash that
expanded the width of the chamber. The fighters averted their eyes from the
flash, all of them sensing a sudden spike in power, and then....nothing.
Goku looked up first, searching for Ryuuko. The androids had
self-destructed in an effort to destroy the girl. It was an old trick, one
most of them were familiar with. Even Vegeta glanced to the top of the
arena, but where the ceiling had been whole, now there was a gap opening to
the sky above. There was no sign of the androids or Ryuuko, just dirt and
stone cascading from the new hole in the roof. It would be a shame, in his
opinion, for her to be destroyed so easily after attaining such power,
particularly considering that those androids weren't nearly as strong as she
was, even attacking in unison.
Shirudo chuckled lightly.
"Well, so much for that. Saiyans are such entertaining creatures. Not
good for much else, though."
The big alien's glee was cut short, however. The fighters, no longer
feigning fear or awe, had turned on the androids restraining them.
Overpowering the androids was a simple feat for all of them but Tien and
Piccolo. Both of them found themselves struggling just to hold their own
until a series of ki balls rained down from above, littering the ground
below with robotic ruins. Tien looked up, surprised to see Ryuuko standing
at the edge of the gaping hole in the ceiling. He waved, but she didn't
seem to see him. All at once, her hair returned to its light brown color
and her energy dropped to well below normal. Piccolo took to the air and
caught her as she toppled over the edge. He and Tien retreated to the side
of the arena to look after her while the rest of the fighters arrayed
themselves in front of the dais.
Shirudo seemed even more amused. All four of those remaining, Vegeta,
Goku, Gohan, and Trunks, had gone Super Saiyan in order to dispose of the
androids. Now they stood before the alien, silent challenge in their faces.
It was Goku who spoke first.
"It's over, Shirudo. Your time on this planet has come to an end," he said
firmly.
"As impressive as the four of you are, I find that a rather absurd notion,"
the alien replied mildly.
"You're all talk," Vegeta opined, plainly disgusted with the whole
situation. "If you were a real warrior, you'd have faced one of us by now."
"Impudent little Saiyan."
Shirudo stepped down from the dais, towering over the companions. A swift
backhand sent Vegeta sliding across the floor, digging a furrow in the loose
dirt. Vegeta was on his feet in an instant, flying at Shirudo with a hard
punch. His fist met the alien's jaw, but the strike had seemingly no
effect. It was as if the alien was made of stone, but a stone harder than
any the Saiyan Prince had ever encountered.
Piccolo watched the proceedings with narrowed eyes. Tien glanced at him.
"They're going to need all the help they can get," the triclops commented.
"Yeah," the Namekian agreed gruffly. "They are."
He reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a sensu bean, then
handed the pouch to Tien.
"I'll take care of her. Go find what's happened to the others."
Tien accepted the pouch with a silent nod, then took off at a dead run back
the way they had come. Piccolo pushed the tiny bean into Ryuuko's mouth and
tilted her head, forcing her to swallow, but his eyes were on the fight
unfolding before him the whole time.
Vegeta attacked relentlessly, his hands moving lightning fast. No matter
where he struck, however, the blows had seemingly no effect on the alien.
Shirudo didn't even bother to block. He hit Vegeta hard in the chest with
his palm and sent him to the ground again. The Saiyan was resilient,
however, and shook it off quickly. It was time to change tactics. He took
aim with the first two fingers of his right hand, supporting his wrist with
his left, and fired off a beam of energy. The beam bounced harmlessly off
Shirudo's marble-like skin and blew a hole in the arena wall.
Ryuuko roused in time to see Shirudo open his mouth. She had seen him do
this before, and she knew what was coming.
"Vegeta, look out!" she cried.
The Saiyan sprang out of the way just as a beam of light hit where he'd
been standing. Where the beam struck, a sticky bluish-white substance
bubbled and steamed before melting through several feet of the floor
beneath. Shirudo launched another beam from his mouth, and Vegeta took to
the air. He peppered the alien with ki shots, to no avail. The alien
returned fire, the power behind his enegy attacks catching the Saiyan by
surprise.
Tien roamed the corridors, glancing around, searching for his friends. He
could feel Krillin's energy, but only faintly. Following his instincts led
him deeper and deeper through the maze of hallways in the oddly deserted
fortress. At last, he took another turning, and he began to feel Yamcha's
energy, too. An overpowering smell wafted through an open door. He headed
for it and peered inside. Garbage was piled up everywhere. As Tien's eyes
adjusted to the dimmer light, he could see where his friends and the Saiyan
had been dumped unceremoniously on top of a pile of broken electronics. Two
androids were piling trash onto a conveyor belt that led to an industrial
incinerator. Tien knew he had to work fast.
He crept into the room, purposely keeping his power level low enough not to
attract any unwanted attention. Gently, he moved his friends away from the
garbage, then fed them each a sensu bean. Yamcha and Krillin were
disoriented for a few moments. Yamcha was about to ask how the others were
faring against the alien, but Tien held a finger to his lips and gestured at
the androids, still working at loading trash onto the conveyor belt. One of
them started walking toward them, evidently ready to start disposing of the
pile of trash nearest them, and the small group moved away. The Saiyan,
still lying amid the broken electronics, groaned softly and shifted, but
didn't regain consciousness.
Tien looked at his companions, both of whom shrugged noncommittally. He
turned his attention back to the Saiyan. Part of him wanted to leave him
there. He had been in service to the enemy they were fighting, and he'd
certainly shown no sign of having any sort of conscience. On the other
hand, he remembered when Vegeta had been much younger, and very similar to
Yuroki. He'd turned out all right, Tien supposed. Goku was constantly
telling them all that everyone deserved a chance, that there was some good
in every living being, and in most cases, he was right. It might've been a
foolish thing to do, but Tien pulled the Saiyan aside, as well, and popped a
sensu bean in his mouth. Then the three of them moved on, concentrating on
finding their way back to the arena.
Shirudo closed the distance between himself and Vegeta in a single leap
that carried him clear across the length of the arena. He grabbed the Super
Saiyan by his shirt and lifted him up. The alien's fist crashed into
Vegeta's face with a sickening crunch. Blood flowed freely from Vegeta's
broken nose. Recovering quickly, Vegeta started to power up even more, his
energy rising steadily. There was a flash of light, and a surprised Shirudo
loosened his grip. Blue lightning crackled around and through Vegeta's
battle aura. He pushed away from the alien as his energy increase carried
him to Super Saiyan level two. With a sneer, he launched himself at the
alien, lashing out with his fists.
Shirudo was momentarily caught unawares. Vegeta's fury drove him back down
the length of the arena. Then the alien brought up both arms to block and
he maneuvered away from the Saiyan.
"So, you've been hiding your real strength. Very smart. However, if you
think this is all I'm capable of, you are sadly mistaken."
"Less talk," Vegeta retorted. "Let's see what you've got."
The alien made a mock bow. "As you wish."
Shirudo clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he focused his internal
energy. The four watching could feel the spike in power as the alien's
appearance changed subtly. The grey streaks in his skin became darker, more
pronounced, and his muscles grew bulkier. He stopped and nodded to Vegeta,
indicating that he was ready. Wasting no time, the Saiyan Prince rushed at
his opponent, but was met with greater opposing force. Shirudo shoved him
back almost effortlessly, then fired a blast of energy at him. Vegeta
responded with his own blast of ki, but it still had no effect on the
monstrous alien. The entire arena shook each time one opponent hit the
other. The sheer power they were giving off loosened the already badly
cracked ceiling, and now and then, great slabs of concrete came crashing to
the ground.
The alien, now stronger than Vegeta, grabbed him and pulled him into a
bone-crushing bear hug. The Saiyan struggled violently, fighting now to
simply draw a breath. Goku was prepared to step in, but before he could
make a move, Trunks darted forward and started pelting the alien with
concentrated energy shots. Shirudo, distracted, let Vegeta drop to the
ground, and turned on Trunks. He opened his mouth, a bright glow coming
from deep within. Vegeta watched as he regained his ability to breathe,
helpless to do much else for the moment. He tensed, seeing the beam of
energy speeding toward his son, then relaxed as the young man vanished
completely. Trunks reappeared in the air behind Shirudo.
"Looking for me?" he queried innocently. Then he fired a ki blast at the
alien and disappeared once more.
Shirudo looked around for the young man, frustrated. "Come on out, you
little coward!"
Vegeta took advantage of Shirudo's distraction to pump up his own power a
little higher. He rushed at the alien and rammed a fist right into his gut.
The alien sailed backwards and landed squarely on his rump. Vegeta
regarded him imperiously.
"You have no right to speak to my son that way."
Goku and Gohan blinked and gazed at Vegeta. Had they really heard that?
The two exchanged glances. Goku shrugged and smiled slightly. Gohan shook
his head. This was definitely shaping up to be the strangest day he'd ever
had. Shirudo, however, grinned maliciously.
"Your son, huh? It figures. Both weak."
Shirudo spotted Trunks hovering nearby from the corner of his eye. With a
startling suddenness, he turned and fired another beam from his mouth.
Trunks dodged, but he wasn't fast enough, and within seconds, he was covered
in the odd, sticky substance. He struggled against it as it clung to his
arms and legs and seemed to grow heavier, dragging him back to the ground.
The substance was hot, bubbling, and it seemed to expand as if trying to
cover his entire body. The alien's fighting aura took on an odd whitish
glow. All at once, Trunks' hair and eyes returned to their normal color and
he dropped to the ground. As this happened, the alien's power level jumped
again.
"No," Vegeta whispered.
Shirudo turned. "Oh, yes," he said, smiling wickedly
The alien reached out and grabbed Vegeta by the throat, lifting him off his
feet. The Saiyan fired blast after blast of energy, but only succeeded in
making Shirudo tighten his grip.
"Now, it's your turn," he said, and opened his mouth once more.
Vegeta pried at the alien's fingers, seeing the glow coming from within the
creature. He wasn't about to let Shirudo pull the same trick on him. The
alien would pay; Vegeta would see to that personally. Disgracing his people
and harming his son were unforgiveable. With a primal yell, Vegeta's power
level jumped again, and lightning surrounded him, flashing wildly. His
hair, already a golden-blonde, grew even longer, and his eyebrows
disappeared as his muscles expanded in girth. Still, the alien did not drop
him. This was precisely what Shirudo wanted: more power.
All at once, something bowled the both of them over. Vegeta took advantage
of Shirudo's distraction to break away from him. Goku stood a short
distance away, having transformed, also, nearly matching the Saiyan Prince
in power. The alien glared at both of them, realizing that it was Goku who
had kept him from unleashing his beam and absorbing Vegeta's energy, too.
He aimed a punch at Goku's head.
Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha arrived back at the arena just in time to see
Shirudo's fist slam into the side of Goku's head. The Saiyan stumbled
backward, but shook it off with ease. They edged their way to where Piccolo
and Ryuuko sat, watching the fight. Puar, forgotten in all the excitement,
let out a squeal of joy upon seeing Yamcha safe. She pried at the bars of
the cramped cage for what must've been the hundredth time, but it was no
use.
Together, they watched as the two combatants moved back and forth along the
length of the arena, sometimes taking to the air, but neither gaining the
upper hand. Shirudo's stamina, however, seemed limitless. While Vegeta was
certainly beginning to tire, and Goku even started to show signs of wear,
Shirudo wasn't even breathing hard. Even so, Goku traded punches with the
alien, determined to find some way to make every hit count. He never struck
the same place twice, choosing, instead, to seek a vulnerable point. The
problem was, Shirudo didn't seem to have any. His skin was solid, and
evidently impervious to energy attacks.
No one seemed to notice as Yuroki walked in. Taking in the scene at a
glance, he moved off to a side away from the fighters. His eyes narrowed as
he watched Shirudo fight. He was toying with his opponent, Yuroki knew.
Shirudo wasn't quite at his maximum power yet, and with that added ability
to absorb the fighting energy of any other living being, his power was
potentially without bounds. Goku dodged a hard, but clumsy hook, only to be
met with a kick to the midsection. He disappeared, reappearing directly
behind the alien, and drove his knee into Shirudo's back. Yuroki shook his
head. When Shirudo had nearly killed him, it had been a real eye opener,
and it had given him something to think about. Yuroki also was aware,
however vaguely, that the three eyed man had given him something to revive
him, and this, too, bore consideration. Yuroki was not a great thinker, but
he was, at least, well in touch with his emotions, and he realized that his
sense of morality had been terribly askew recently. What he did now would
not excuse his actions, but it would determine the course of his future. He
knew this instinctively, and, as Shirudo grabbed Goku in a full nelson, he
made his decision.
Shirudo's fighting aura began to glow a reddish color as his power level
rose, topping even Goku's maximum strength. He was charging his ki, and the
Saiyan was fairly certain he didn't want to see what it was the alien was
preparing for. Vegeta spotted Yuroki striding across the arena floor, and
wondered briefly how the Saiyan had recovered so quickly. It wasn't
important just now, however. It was up to Vegeta to help Kakarot before the
alien destroyed him. And he had an idea.
Smiling smugly, pleased with his plan, Vegeta formed a small ball of energy
in his hand. He tossed it high into the air, where it hovered for just a
moment, before expanding both in size and in brightness, until it simulated
the light of a full moon.
"Yuroki!" Vegeta called, and he pointed at the pseudo-moon hanging in the
air.
The Saiyan looked up, his eyes traveling to where the Saiyan Prince
pointed. Immediately, he became entranced, gazing at the orb of light.
Even Shirudo had been distracted momentarily. Passing it off as
unimportant, he turned his attention back to destroying his opponent.
Yuroki's eyes turned white as he continued to stare, transfixed, at the
energy ball. In almost the blink of an eye, the Saiyan grew to enormous
proportions, sprouted brown fur all over his body, and his face elongated
into that of an ape. Yuroki let out a mighty roar that shook the entire
building to its foundations. Shirudo glanced up, shocked. He hadn't known
Saiyans could do that. Dropping Goku, he turned to face the giant monkey.
Goku gave Vegeta a look that clearly indicated that he believed he was
insane. Vegeta walked over to join him.
"I know what I'm doing," he assured him calmly, watching Shirudo lob an
energy blast at Yuroki.
The Oozaru roared again, enraged at the pain the small man had caused. He
opened his mouth and unleashed a red beam of ki at the alien. Shirudo took
the full force of it directly to the chest, and was knocked backward. Goku
paused to consider their situation while their enemy was distracted.
Neither of them could defeat the alien alone, he had already determined that
much. He was fairly certain that Shirudo was still holding back, that there
was some reserve of power yet untapped. And while Yuroki, in his Oozaru
form, was providing a challenge, and a much-needed break, the alien would
overcome him in time, and possibly absorb his energy as he had Trunks'.
That would more than likely put an end to the fight right then and there.
There seemed to be only one solution.
"Vegeta," Goku began, "there's only one way out of this."
"Is that so, Kakarot? And just what is your brilliant solution?"
"Fusion."
Vegeta looked at him in surprise, half horrified at the thought. "No way."
"I'm not happy about it either," Goku told him bluntly. "But it's that, or
go home right now. And our people need us."
Vegeta frowned. He had never heard Kakarot speak about Saiyans in quite
this way before. The Saiyan Prince glanced at the arena. Shirudo was
backing Yuroki up now, and the others had retreated to the arena's entrance
in an effort to stay out of the way. Gohan was occupied with trying to
safely remove the sticky substance from Trunks and get him out of there.
Vegeta could see where the substance had burned his son's skin, raising red
welts. His gaze narrowed with determination.
"Fine," he said at last. "Let's get this over with."
As the battle between the monstrous Oozaru and the marble-skinned alien
raged on, Goku began a series of bizarre movements. He shifted into stances
and odd positions that looked to be somewhere between martial arts and
dance. Vegeta, ignoring the self-consciousness associated with this
particular technique, mirrored him exactly, both of them concentrating on
making everything go just right. At last, the strange and complicated
ritual was nearly finished. The two of them touched their forefingers
together, and disappeared in a flash of light. When it cleared, one man
stood where two had been: Gogeta.
Shirudo glanced over at the fused form, momentarily confused. This
presumably new arrival looked a little like both of the Saiyan warriors, but
not entirely like one or the other. He had the same blond hair reaching
down to the small of his back, and he lacked eyebrows as well. He carried
himself with a haughty confidence, bordering on arrogant, and he had the
resonance of both of the warriors. Yuroki, still in his beast form, lay on
the ground, barely conscious. Gogeta advanced on the alien.
"Your time is up, Shirudo," he said, his voice echoing eerily.
"We'll see about that," the alien returned, settling into a fighting
stance.
Gogeta smirked. "First off, why don't you stop hiding your true power? I
was hoping for a challenge."
"All right."
With that, Shirudo clenched his fists as he powered up again. His power
level jumped dramatically, nearly matching that of Gogeta's, but not quite.
It was as far as he could go, and the alien reckoned that a slight
difference in energy wouldn't necessarily determine the outcome of the
fight. His skin became harder as he reached this new stage, and the grey
streaks turned a bright silver. This, then, would be the final battle.
Gogeta rushed at the alien with a strong straight punch. Shirudo
simultaneously ran at his opponent. The two became a tangled, confused blur
as they kicked and punched at one another, each blocking and countering,
only to be blocked again. It seemed to be a nearly even match. Gogeta
surmised this, and backed off. He charged a ball of energy and threw it at
the alien, knocking him to the ground. Shirudo was back on his feet in an
instant, hurling an energy attack of his own. Gogeta smacked it out of the
way, sending the energy flying through the hole in the roof to dissipate
harmlessly in the atmosphere.
The fight continued, ki blasts racing through the air, the warriors
clashing again and again. They took to the air. Shirudo launched his
energy leeching beam, but Gogeta dodged effortlessly.
Meanwhile, Gohan was scooping up Trunks' inert form in his arms. He had
worked at the power draining substance with small, controlled blasts of ki
until he had managed to remove it entirely from the younger man's skin and
clothing. But this had an unexpected effect; it edged Shirudo's own power
up a little higher, and he became more powerful than Gogeta, if only by a
few degrees. Gogeta sensed the slight change, and he backed off, trying to
buy himself enough time to come up with a strategy. He had just under
thirty minutes to defeat the alien. But Shirudo was unrelenting, and he
attacked again, not giving the Saiyan a chance to think.
Gogeta flew up higher, mustering his energy. Then he took aim with both
hands.
"Final Flash!!!" he shouted as a blue-white wave of energy erupted from
his palms.
The energy wave hit Shirudo full on, driving him into the ground, and
pushing him back, rending a large trench in the ground as he slid. The
alien lay still for a moment, then pulled himself to his feet. His
stone-like skin was discolored in some places, the first sign of injury
he'd yet shown. He cracked his neck and ignored the soreness starting to
build in his shoulders. He would have to end this quickly. Taking to the
air again, Shirudo fired a multitude of blasts in quick succession at his
opponent, intending this to be his last attack.
Gogeta blocked as many of the shots as he could, but they were coming too
fast even for himself to handle. One shot struck his shoulder, another his
midsection, and many more pelted him in other places, knocking him to the
floor. When the smoke and light cleared, he was standing once more, a smug
look on his face. He had one trick left. Reaching deep within himself, he
concentrated on raising his own energy. He could go a little higher yet,
but would it be enough?
Having finally gotten Trunks safely out of harm's way, Gohan stood on the
sidelines, watching the fight, and wishing there was something he could do
to help. But this was beyond him. The others looked on in awed silence.
Shirudo waited, letting Gogeta reach his maximum potential. Then, when he
sensed the other could go no higher, he unleashed another beam of energy
from his mouth, intent on both ending the battle and gaining the energy this
being generated. Gogeta, however, was prepared, and he vanished just as the
beam went sailing through the space he had previously occupied. He
reappeared just slightly above Shirudo, and brought both hands crashing down
in a double axehandle strike. The alien dropped to one knee under the force
of the blow. Hastily, he fired a ki blast at his opponent.
Gogeta disappeared again, but Shirudo was onto him this time. He turned as
he sensed the other's approach and blocked a kick aimed at the small of his
back. He caught Gogeta's leg and held him there while he slammed his fist
into his jaw. Gogeta's head whipped roughly to the side, but he ignored the
pain. A savage backhand loosened Shirudo's grip and sent him flying into a
row of seats midway up the side of the arena. Gogeta phased out, using
Instant Transmission, then phased back in right where Shirudo was about to
land. A well-placed kick dropped the alien to the ground.
Shirudo was finally beginning to wear down. Even he had limits.
Unfortunately for Gogeta, he was already tiring when the fight had begun.
The alien got to his feet, a slight trace of blood trickling from a split
lip. With a savage snarl, the alien leapt into the air, but Gogeta had
already vanished again. He reappeared just long enough to swing a punch at
Shirudo, then was gone again. Gogeta continued, moving so fast he became
invisible until he slowed down to unleash a strike, then disappearing in the
blink of an eye once more. Shirudo couldn't hope to keep up, but his senses
warned him when Gogeta neared. He was prepared for most of the attacks,
blocking a number of them successfully. Yet still more got through, and
Gogeta could tell the alien's stamina was giving out.
Even so, this tactic wasn't working quickly enough. Time was running
short. Gogeta opted to go for the most basic technique in his repertoire.
He hovered, gathering energy. Shirudo waited as the Saiyan cupped his hands
at his hip.
"Ka....."
A small blue ball of concentrated energy formed in Gogeta's hands.
"Me....."
Shirudo frowned, and began gathering energy of his own.
"Ha....."
The energy ball pulsed with bright light, growing steadily larger.
"Me....."
The alien opened his mouth, knowing it was his last opportunity to steal
his opponent's power.
"HA!!!!!!!!!"
The swirling energy ball expanded into a powerful wave as Gogeta thrust his
hands forward. Shirudo's beam shot from his open mouth at the same time.
The energy wave pushed it back, overpowering the considerably weaker beam.
Shirudo's eyes widened in disbelief, watching the energy wave coming
straight at him. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The attack broke
over the alien's body, knocking him through one of the arena walls, and
further. He sailed through the air, finally coming to rest when the beam
had carried him as far as it could. He hit the side of another building,
somewhere in the distance, then dropped to the ground, creating a small
crater.
Gogeta, relying again on Instant Transmission, followed. He wanted to make
sure this opponent was down for good. Jaw set with a grim determination, he
appeared just above the place where Shirudo fell and launched blast after
blast of energy until he could sense nothing from the alien. Certain that
Shirudo's reign of oppression was over, the Saiyan Instant Transmissioned
back to the arena. As he set down on the dirt floor, a blinding flash
erupted from his body, leaving two separate entities standing there.
The other fighters rushed to greet their companions. Ryuuko was the first
to reach them, and she threw her arms around Goku's neck in a spontaneous
display of affection. Everyone began talking all at once, their attention
mainly focused on Goku. Vegeta moved slightly away from the group and
simply watched. Ryuuko spotted him and approached, kneeling before him.
"My Prince," she began without preamble, "a thousand apologies for what I
said about you earlier. You are truly the rightful ruler of our people."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "I didn't need you to tell me that."
Ryuuko hid a smile. "No, Sire, you didn't. Just know that from this day
forward, you have my undying loyalty."
"Good. I have plans for you yet, Ryuuko."
"Your Highness?"
"You'll find out in good time."
With that, he walked away, out the arena's entrance, disappearing from
sight. The others followed shortly, Ryuuko straggling behind, lost in
thought. She didn't notice Yuroki's approach until he grabbed her by the
arm. The young Saiyan woman spun, ready to strike, but stopped short,
looking up at her former friend. Something in his demeanor had changed. He
was still strong, still full of determination, but it was as if he had
regained his senses after a long bout of mild insanity. Even so, Ryuuko
couldn't quite forget the things that he had done, and she pulled away from
him, hurrying to rejoin her companions.
Yuroki took to the air, angry that she wouldn't even talk to him. Granted,
he had tried to kill her on a couple of occasions, but that shouldn't matter
now. He would make her talk to him, but his priority right this minute was
clothes. Not only was it somewhat unnerving to turn into a giant monkey,
but it also rendered what he'd been wearing entirely useless.
Word of what had been going on inside Shirudo's fortress had traveled
quickly. It was nearly dark outside now, but a large crowd of Saiyans had
gathered at the entrance, waiting for the fighters. When the ten companions
emerged, battered and weary, a loud cheer went up from the crowd. Puar,
having been freed from the cage by Yamcha, stared at the Saiyans in awe,
then ducked into Yamcha's shirt. Ryuuko rushed into the mass of people, and
started talking animatedly with someone, glancing back and pointing at
Vegeta.
The group of fighters pushed their way through the mob, wanting nothing
more than a chance to rest. A few of the elder Saiyans, those who had been
among the first to colonize this planet, recognized Vegeta and bowed
respectfully as he passed. Slowly, and with many hinderances, they made
their way back to the ship that had brought them. Wearily, they collapsed
inside and took a well-deserved rest. Even Ryuuko came to join them, later
in the evening. The sounds of a massive celebration surrounded them long
into the night.
Epilogue:
The next day, the fighters prepared to leave. Ryuuko was watching
silently. She supposed she should have just been satisfied that her problem
was over with, but she knew she would miss the others, despite knowing them
only briefly. However, it was up to her, now, to help rebuild her people's
civilization, and to make sure that they would be united against another
threat like this, if one ever came again. She glanced up, sensing Yuroki's
approach. He walked over to where she was standing, feeling rather awkward.
He simply stood there for a while, thinking. Words didn't usually come
easily to him, unless he was taunting an opponent. Before he could speak,
however, a small party of Saiyans walked in their direction, heading for the
ship, and obviously very intent on something. Ryuuko and Yuroki looked on
as one of the Saiyans said something to Trunks, who nodded and disappeared
into the ship. Vegeta emerged a moment later, looking at them curiously.
They conversed for several long minutes, during which time, Vegeta gestured
at both Ryuuko and Yuroki a number of times. The Saiyans asked him
something, at which he shook his head. Then he approached the two of them,
and told them what he had decided. Yuroki, he felt, was worthiest among the
Saiyan population to serve as regent in his stead. Ryuuko, on the other
hand, would be Yuroki's advisor. Together, he admonished them, it was their
responsibility to get the cities cleaned up, run off the rest of the aliens,
and generally make the planet fit for habitation by Saiyans. They both
protested, neither really wanting to work with the other in light of the
recent past. Vegeta offered them an alternative which involved them being
blasted into the next dimension. Naturally, Ryuuko and Yuroki took the
first option.
By the time the ship was ready to leave, a large gathering had come to see
them off. Ryuuko had thanked Kakarot and Gohan profusely for their
training, and everyone that had come with her for their help. Vegeta didn't
say anything for a moment when she spoke to him, and when he did, it was
only to warn her that he would return at random intervals unannounced, and
that the next time he came back, the world needed to be in a lot better
shape. Again in charge of piloting, Trunks engaged the engines. Krillin
waved as he closed the hatch, and the ship lifted off from the ground.
Ryuuko watched until it was out of sight.
Yuroki, who had stayed with her, turned to her now. "So... what do you
think? Can we make this work?"
"Yuroki," she replied, "I think we don't have a lot of choice. As long as
you don't have another lapse in judgement, I won't have to hurt you."
The tall Saiyan opened his mouth to say something in his own defense, but
he stopped short, noticing a difference in the way she carried herself, as
well as her base energy reading. Now was probably not a good time to argue.
Instead, he followed after as Ryuuko walked away from the clearing and
back toward the city.
