Author: Nadz
Email: vegitto02 at yahoo dot com

Disclaimer:
The title "DragonTek" is owned by the author.
Any characters owned by the producers of Tekkaman, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, or Rurouni Kenshin are, of course, the property of those respective individuals or companies. Any original characters are strictly owned by the author of this fan fiction.
The story line of the entire DragonTek series is also owned strictly by me.
This story may not be distributed to anybody without the author's permission. However, the author does encourage you to welcome your friends to read DragonTek on FanFiction dot net. Much thanks...

DragonTek (Part II: The Blood Saga)

Chapter 17 – A New Battle

"General!" the lieutenant yelped. "There's a Tekkaman loose in the building! We tried to stop it outside but it destroyed everything… and everyone. Should we evacuate now, General?"

"Evacuate? Are you mad? Those soldiers up there are dependent on our command," replied Galt, who was on the verge of breaking. Everything was going wrong. Blade was cornered, King team was virtually defenseless if more buggers were to arrive, and Ace Team was barely making it. Ace Team still had to plant the explosives in the Ring. The last thing he needed was an invasion from inside the building.

"No, we must stay! We can't pull out," ordered Galt. "Tekkaman Blade, or those two boys, come down and help us. We have another Tekkaman wreaking havoc down here at Military Headquarters!"

"Negative, Allied Command," radioed Goku. "The ships are starting to split up and head for their respective corners of the Ring. Vegita and I have to each accompany one and make sure it stays safe. That still leaves two ships unguarded, but at least two will be safe. If we pull away, all four will be vulnerable."

"Why didn't the military plan to provide protection for each ship?" Vegita muttered in frustration.

"They're not supposed to have much protection; it's supposed to be a covert operation, remember? If they show up with a huge force, they would be too conspicuous. At least that was the original plan."

"You're right, but somehow the enemy seemed to know the real threat was Ace Team. But how could that have leaked?" Vegita wondered. "Anyway, it's time to split up. I'll go with Diamond Fighter."

"Yeah, and I'll go with Spade Fighter," replied Goku, nodding. The two Saiya-jin split up and headed towards their respective planes. The four Ace Team craft continued to their respective destinations.

"Takaya, you don't look so thrilled to see me," sneered Saber. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Shinya, you can still snap out of it! Don't give in to the enemy!" Blade pleaded, searching for a way out. He was outnumbered, and if he lost, Spear and Saber would swiftly execute King Team's men.

"Enemy? Funny you should say that word. Even as twin brothers, we were always rivals. We always competed together, so why should it change now?" Saber taunted, tightening the grip on his lance.

"You know this is a lot different, Saber! We're talking about the fate of humanity here. You're helping Radam destroy your own people!" Blade yelled. "And you, Kengo, you've betrayed your planet."

"Younger brother," said Spear. "Fool. You used to think you could do better than me… be better than me, didn't you? The time has come for you to realize that you will never be able to beat our power!"

"Yes, and those two friends of yours won't be able to help you much either. You see, we are a bit stronger now… much stronger than you think," Saber snickered as he dove for Blade. He thrust his lance towards Blade's midsection, but his twin brother blocked with his own weapon and jumped out of the way.

Blade raised his lance, ready to strike Saber from overhead, but Spear jabbed him with his spear, drawing a small amount of blood from Blade's side; Takaya grunted in pain. Saber attacked from above, grabbing Blade in a headlock, but Takaya managed to turn around and knock Saber into Spear.

"Takaya-niisan," Saber chuckled. "You've become so weak – we've just been toying with you."

"What have you two become?" grated Blade, eyeing his vicious siblings.

"Something stronger than what you could ever be," chuckled Saber, motioning to his elder brother. "Spear, I can handle him on my own. You can eliminate those Ace Team fighters."

"No!" Blade yelled as he lunged for Kengo, but Saber blocked his path, allowing Spear to fly away. Blade cursed, knowing that if Spear got to Ace Team, the entire operation would end in disaster.

Three guards fired their lasers at her, but their weapons had no effect whatsoever on her armor.

'Why do you foolishly waste your lives?' Alena thought, dispatching the men and others around.

"Child's play," she shrugged. Bezel had ordered her to take out the military base, and she was doing just that. By destroying the place, she would be able to thwart the military's operation and save the buggers' food source, namely the energy produced by the Orbital Ring power generators. Although the job was hardly a challenge, it gave her armed opponents to slaughter nonetheless. She soon approached a door.

"No! Please don't go there," a soldier to her left pleaded. "That's the medical facility!"

Without a response, she batted him away and thrust her lance, knocking down the door to the medical room and peering inside. Frenzied nurses and doctors were moving about, treating any survivors.

"That devil!" a wounded soldier screamed, pointing at the Radam. "It was her that did it!"

"You're right; it was," she chuckled, extending her lance. "And if you don't tell me where the main commanding room is, this too will become a slaughterhouse very, very quickly."

"No, please don't hurt us!" a doctor begged. "These soldiers are sick and defenseless!"

"You forgot to mention… dead," Blood sneered as she pointed her lance at the physician, who dropped to his knees and began to pray with sweat on his forehead. Everyone around had terrified faces as well. To Alena, they were humans, and thus the enemy. It doesn't matter to her that they were defenseless.

Without another word, Blood swung her lance down towards the man's head. The doctor closed his eyes, fearing the worst. A split-second later, he heard a clanging noise and opened his eyes in shock – there in front of him was a young boy with spiky reddish hair, holding a sword. Blood noticed that this boy had blocked her strike; his katana blade stopped her lance an inch short of the man's head.

"Kenshin!" a voice roared from the doorway. "This is my battle!"

Blood turned around to see Ichiro standing in the doorway. There he stood in his white gi, his arms expanding and gathering more power. Observing the white aura collecting and flaring around his person, she laughed. She laughed hard at this old man who thought that he had a chance of winning.

"You fool, do you think that you and your feeble fighting power will make a difference?" she said.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes, realizing that the Radam's voice was that of a female.

"Not in here," Ichiro demanded as he continued to power up. "We will fight outside."

"Although it would be more amusing to battle in here," she sighed, "outside will do."

Ichiro, Blood, and Kenshin flew outside of the building and stopped in the area where Blood had wreaked havoc. Kenshin once again witnessed the carcasses and felt sick from the stench of human blood.

"Enjoying my handiwork?" smirked Blood, looking at the fuming, young Saiya-jin.

"You beast," Kenshin glared with fury. "You knew these people didn't have a chance, but you still butchered them. I've never taken a life before, but today, yours will be my first!"

"Kenshin! I told you to stay out of it. I will finish this thing off," barked Ichiro, lunging for Blood. He threw a punch, but Blood easily dodged. She swung her fist at him, but he blocked, only to have his arm bleed due to the small jagged edges in her armor. With his free hand, he released a chi blast point-blank at her chest plate. Blood flew backwards, a small section of her armor charred from the attack.

"I think I felt something," she taunted, dropping her lance to the dirt. "Care to fight fist to fist?"

"Gladly," Ichiro responded as he delivered a kick to her midsection. She caught his foot and was about to strike it, but he blasted her hand. She grunted and released his foot. Kenshin watched the entire time; he wanted to help but was strictly told not to interfere. And of course, he couldn't disobey his father.

"General, the Tekkaman's attack on the base has halted for the time being," reported the lieutenant. "Two unidentified individuals, probably civilians, have engaged in combat with it outside."

"Two civilians? That Tekkaman tore a whole regiment to bits. How can two people stand up against it?" Galt wondered. 'What's going on? Who are these people? Well, at least we don't have to evacuate now. The men up there in the Ring are facing a tough battle as it is, and they need our constant guidance. King Team's men will have to fend for themselves until Blade shakes off those two Tekkamen.'

Saber hurled his lance toward Blade, who flew up out of the way and released small blades at his twin. Saber retrieved his lance and knocked away the little nuisances. He flew towards Blade and took a swipe at his legs, but Blade dodged and swung his lance down onto Saber's back, hitting the man's armor without making a scratch. Blade soon realized that he was weakening quickly – and it meant one thing…

He was approaching his time limit. He had first realized this limit when he had fought Spear two weeks ago in their Voltekker match. The symptoms back then were just a warning, but now, the effects of overrunning the time limit took hard effect. Soon, the pentagonal light on his forehead began to flash, and pain spread through his body. Saber watched curiously as Blade backed away and began to scream.

"No! It can't be happening again! Not now!" Blade roared, holding his head. His lance drifted into space while Saber halted. He observed the light on Blade's head and savored his cries. Shinya quickly realized that one of the fail-safe mechanisms of the Tekka-transformation system had begun to take effect.

"So, this is it – your key weak point," Saber smirked. "Do you know what's happening to you?"

"Argh!" Blade continued to scream. "Pegas, come here, quickly!"

"How pathetic, calling for your little toy," Saber laughed. "By having escaped Omega back then, you also escaped the Tekka-transformation system prematurely. Thus, you have a strong limitation. If you remain a Tekkaman for over thirty minutes, you begin to lose control – and feel your humanity slip away."

Blade continued to hold his head, begging for the throbbing in his skull to end.

"With each passing moment, the Radam side of your nature is taking control… Accept it, Blade!"

"No!" Blade yelled as Pegas approached, but Saber got in the way and locked Takaya in a hold. Blade desperately tried to escape, but his waning strength failed him. A final shot of pain seared through his body, and moments later, his energy zeroed. The light on his forehead ceased its flashing, and his Tekkaman system shut down. Saber released his grip on his brother and witnessed him float motionlessly.

"Takaya," whispered Saber, moving towards him. "It is time to awaken. You are now one of us."

Moments later, the red and white Tekkaman stirred, only to approach Saber and flash his red eyes.

Shinya laughed with delight, for Blade's transformation was now truly complete – as a servant.

"My brother, we must destroy those fighters now," rasped Blade. "Come, I will lead the way."

Noal slammed his fist onto the console. Recalling the time limit Blade had informed them about after the fight with Dagger, he realized that his comrade had overrun it… and was now one with the enemy.

"Chief Freeman," Noal reported, a lump in his throat. "This is my fault… we've lost him… I…"

"Noal, hold yourself together," transmitted Freeman. "I am equally responsible for his loss."

"But Chief…"

"We'll figure something out. We always have," consoled Freeman over the radio. "But we are still in the middle of a critical mission, and while I feel the loss, there is much to be done. Radam knows that King and Queen teams are diversions and have thus directed their strength towards the Ace Team jets. Yet, King Team is not yet in the clear. General, I want Queen to pick up King and head back to base."

"Pick up King," replied a depressed Galt over the radio. "The enemy knows everything anyway."

Spear sped towards the unguarded Club Fighter, which was in the middle of its landing sequence on the Orbital Ring. Just as its wheels were about to touch down, he drilled his weapon through it, tearing it into halves. The fuel from the craft ignited, and the ship exploded, along with the explosives on board.

Before leaving for his next target, he heard the screams of the soldiers being fatally baked within.

Saber and Blade both ripped through the bowels of Heart Fighter with their lances. The craft soon burst into flames, and the screams from within were silence as the jet exploded. Blade smirked, and Saber chuckled. Their small celebration was soon interrupted as they saw Spear approaching from the distance.

"That was too easy," Saber gloated. "Not even an ounce of a challenge."

"You'll have your challenge… The two fighters left are being protected by two powerful beings."

"Well, Blade. If we plan it correctly," Spear smiled, "we can pick them off individually…"

"General, Club and Heart Fighters have been annihilated before they could plant their explosives," the lieutenant reported. The room fell silent as they watched the destruction on the large view screen. Half of Ace Team was demolished. It was up to those two strange boys to salvage what was left of the mission.

Freeman watched the proceedings as well at the Space Knight Command Center. Milly and Levin stood by his side, fully feeling the loss of Blade. Milly cried, and Levin felt weak in his knees, losing hope.

"How is the mission?" Aki asked as she slowly entered the room. The dead silence tipped her off that something was wrong. Having recently been released by the medical staff, she again lined with worry.

"Aki, you shouldn't be here!" Honda said concernedly as he walked towards her.

"No, I'm fine," she replied. "How is the mission going? How is Blade?"

Milly winced, and Aki looked up to the view screen, seeing Blade hovering near two Tekkamen.

"What's he doing?" she asked, confused. "Why isn't he attacking them?"

"Aki, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," Freeman said softly, "but Blade is no longer with us."

"What?" she replied, stunned. Freeman proceeded to describe the time limit.

"There is nothing we can do at the moment," he said firmly. "He's one of them now."

'No, Blade,' cried Aki to herself, her throat too tight to speak. 'You can't do this to us…'

Author Notes: The concept of this thirty limit time limit was present in the Tekkaman Blade series, although it doesn't happen this particular military operation (this operation is also from the series).

Man, Alena's vicious, isn't she? Also, isn't it strange that Blade remembers the names of his family, especially when he told the Space Knights in Part I that he had no memory of his past? In truth, Blade remembers everything -- he lied about his amnesia to throw away his past in order to fight Radam... (the details will be fleshed out later on).

So, I want to also restate the human and Tekkaman names of the relevant characters, since it might get confusing:

Tekkaman Name: Blood... True name: Briefs Alena

Tekkaman Name: Blade... True name: Aiba Takaya (the elder twin, which is why Shinya calls him "niisan")

Tekkaman Name: Saber... True name: Aiba Shinya (the younger twin)

Tekkaman Name: Spear... True name: Aiba Kengo (elder brother to the twins)

Tekkaman Name: Dagger... True name: Fritz von Braun... Status: Deceased