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 III: The Vengeance Saga)

Chapter 31 – Alena's Quest Begins

"Saber, why did you tell them the secret about the spore plants? Now they know their weakness," Omega growled at the injured Radam warrior lying before him. Saber's action was completely unexpected and considered traitorous in Omega's eyes. All Radam activities were to be kept secret for the purpose that the enemy could never be able to build a proper defense.

"You better answer quickly," the Warlord warned. "I don't have—"

"I told him to do so," interrupted Bezel as his holograph appeared in the main chamber.

"Lord Plague," replied Omega. "This was your bidding?"

"Yes, I thought it would be a fun idea – to see how they'd squirm," Bezel said jovially, but his expression soon turned serious. "But I did not expect for such a strong Tekkaman to get beaten so easily."

"I'm sorry, Lord Plague," Saber managed to apologize. "I need… I need to get stronger…"

"You need to get stronger?" Bezel's holograph asked quizzically. "And you expect us to oblige?"

"I beg you, Lord Plague… Blade has always beaten me in everything… just this time, I must win…" begged Saber as Spear knelt beside his younger brother. "Please… I want to kill them for you…"

"Or is it that you wish to be as strong as Blood so she'll respect you?" Bezel jeered. "She thinks you're pitifully weak, and you want to get stronger for two reasons – to defeat Blade and impress her."

"Please… Lord Plague…" Saber beseeched.

"Very well," answered Plague. "You will be strengthened, but it will stress your body to its limits once again. I had invented a method long ago in which more energy could be pumped into a Tekkaman's body, evolving it to a form called Tekkaman Blastor. But with you, Saber, I'll give you an added bonus. I will pump Goku's energy into you, thereby evolving you to a level no other normal Radam warrior has ever reached – Tekkaman Blastor II. As a human, you'll have the ordinary strength of a man, but when you transform, you'll possess the strength of a Super Saiya-jin."

Levin, along with Takaya, continued to hear the entire conversation over the intercom in the lab as he examined the device that had been implanted in the human form of the Tekkaman sitting before him.

"… So, unless we figure out a way to stop those spore plants, this planet won't have a chance at survival," again explained Miyuki, noticing the expressions of shock on the people who did not already know about the purpose of the plants. "Apparently, attacking the plants physically before they attack is ineffective; the only way to truly kill a plant is to…"

"I understand, so we have to murder the thousands of people who are captured by the plants in order to save the millions that may die otherwise," said Kenshin, clenching his own fists hard. He couldn't believe this was the best plan available. It certainly made sense, but it was so extreme, bloody, and sinful.

"Question is… will we have the strength to actually do it?" he whispered.

"Do we have another choice?" replied Noal, still annoyed with Saber.

"What if the Radam are trying to trick us? Perhaps there is another way to destroy those plants; perhaps what Saber told us is a ruse only to get us to kill our fellow humans," suggested Kenshin.

"I don't think he was kidding; what would he get out of doing that?" asked Milly.

"Other than seeing we humans kill one another, we would be occupying ourselves with that 'activity,' thereby allowing them to muster something together when we're not looking," Aki suggested.

"Perhaps," Shinjo suddenly cut into the conversation. "But if Saber did lie, we'd find out rather quickly and be able to return our focus on Radam and anything grand they'd be cooking up. Make sense?"

"Yes, it does; good point," Aki nodded. "But who has the guts to go and kill those people?"

Aki trembled at her words. It was such a gruesome and cruel idea; would they be sinning by carrying out this plan? Yet, wouldn't they save humanity by doing it? The ones ultimately doing the evil deeds were Radam, after all, and they were the root reason for carrying out such a plan in the first place.

"I cannot ask people to do it without volunteering first," Aki said softly. Takaya, still in the lab, closed his eyes upon hearing this; he couldn't imagine her going through with the cold-blooded idea.

"I'm in," declared Aki. "Will anybody else help me?"

Everyone else lowered his or her eyes, and nobody raised a hand. Milly rubbed her palms tightly, unable to volunteer, and Noal frowned, silently refusing to help out. Even Takaya had remained silent.

"I will," Kenshin cut the tension, gritting his teeth. "I have seen more than enough death in the past few weeks, and I may have desensitized some. Despite that, I have a duty to protect this planet, and I believe that this method will work. I will act accordingly to what I believe in, even though it is bloody."

"Kenshin…" Miyuki whispered softly, noticing the grave expression on his face.

"It's so strange, you know," he laughed disappointedly, "that I'll have to become a Hitokiri."

"No, Kenshin, you won't be a 'manslayer,'" Shinjo shook his head. "Rather, you'll be a savior."

"I disagree, Shinjo. Killing is ultimately killing, no matter the circumstances," Kenshin replied. "I'll have to take human lives regardless of age or gender, and it may drive me insane. The smell of human blood is one of the most dreaded, but it is the one that I will be covered in when I return. If I snap, then you'll have no choice but to spill my blood with the rest of them…"

"Don't say that, Kenshin," Milly cut him off. "You'll come back to us. I know you will."

The boy only shut his eyes in response, appreciating the faith Milly displayed in him.

Night had begun to fall at the Space Knight Secondary Facility (SKSF), but daylight approached in Japan.

"Rise and shine, Alena!" she mumbled to herself as the alarm clock buzzed. Shutting it off, Alena climbed out of the bed she'd slept in for so many years. She was back at her house in order to get a good night's sleep for the day's upcoming activities. Trudging outside, she brushed her teeth and showered.

"Good, lot's of food here," she said, opening the door to the kitchen fridge. Being a Tekkaman wasn't easy; one usually got very hungry and burnt an enormous number of calories. Alena gathered a whole plate and wolfed it down at the table. Looking around, she noticed large cracks in the wall. Her house had been somewhat damaged during the initial Radam attack, but it was still stable for the most part.

"Unfortunate," she mumbled to herself, "that I'll have to get bloody again today. Maybe I'll go visit Goku after I'm done. I always love seeing my man; he's always so nice to me and cares about me."

With those thoughts, Alena finished eating and exited through her front door. Stretching her arms and welcoming the warm glow from the sun, she jumped high into the air and headed for Goku's residence.

"I found it," Levin said excitedly as he and Takaya returned. "I found out what they were using against you. It's actually a really simple device."

"Then please tell us," replied Kenshin excitedly. "I have to know what they did."

"What Spear did was simply emit high frequency waves at an extremely high amplitude. It's almost like bats; they can emit similar signals that can confuse and distort one's senses. This weapon works the same way; it concentrates high energy and frequency waves towards its subject."

"But how do those waves confuse me?" Kenshin wondered.

"Near your auditory bones exists a fluid that is responsible for maintaining a sense of balance in humans. These high frequency sound waves disturb that fluid, making one feel dizzy and disoriented. In your, Goku's, and Vegita's cases, they pumped up the energy extremely high so the effects were severe."

"Then the way to counter their weapon is to emit waves with destructive interference."

"That's exactly it, Noal," Levin replied. "I'll replicate Blade's particular device, which must be able to analyze the origin and direction of the wave, measure its amplitude and frequency, and counter it."

"Then build it for us, Levin," asked Milly respectfully.

Alena landed on the balcony and held her nose, preventing her from smelling the odor of dried blood from Pan's decomposing corpse. She had forgotten to clean up the mess, and now the entire house reeked. She stared at the old woman's body, observing the motionless eyes that gazed into nothingness.

Feeling nauseous from the smell, she entered the house. Inside, she walked through the hallway and entered Goku's room. Sitting on his bed, Alena remembered how often she had visited him and how they had practically grown up together. Turning her head, she noticed the pictures he had brought back from college that were lying on his desk. One in particular was framed, and she bent over to pick it up.

A small smile spread over Alena's face as she admired the picture. It was when Goku and Pan had gone with her family to the island of Hawaii. They had such a great time then; that was when Goku and she shared their first romantic moment. That day, they both had woken up before everyone else in order to watch the sunrise. Walking towards the edge of the beach, she had held his hand. Both watched the sunrise together and had a fellow tourist take a picture of them. That day had always been one of her favorites.

"I will visit you soon. But first, I have to gather the Dragonballs," she whispered to the boy in the photograph before putting it back onto the table. She closed his door and headed for the basement. There, she rummaged through a corner before she found what she had been looking for – the four-star Dragonball.

'I found you,' she thought with glee as she held the gleaming ball. Turning, she found the bowl-like object resting next to the place where the Dragonball had lain. She picked it up and examined it thoroughly, noticing a red button on its backside. Pressing it, she waited, but nothing seemed to happen.

"Giru! Giru! Giru!" a voice chirped, startling the girl as she dropped it onto the floor.

"Ow… not nice!" the voice continued as the bowl-like object transformed itself into a tiny robot. "Oh, who are you? My name… Giru! My name… Giru!"

"My name is Alena, Goku's girlfriend," she gave it a cold smile. "And you're going to help me find the rest of the Dragonballs, do you understand?"

"I understand; I understand," it continued to say, quickly annoying Alena. She allowed it to jump and sit on her shoulder as she walked back up the stairs with the four-star ball in her pouch. "I will help you; I will help you; I will help you…"

'What was Bezel-sama thinking? This thing is so annoying!' she screamed in her mind.

"Giru!" she yelled at it, flashing it her deadly red irises.

"Yes, Alena?" the robot replied cheerfully.

"If you don't shut up and talk only when I tell you to, I'll kill you," she threatened in a steely tone. It stayed silent but gasped as she showed it Pan's bloody corpse. "I'll kill you just like I killed her, got it?"

"Bad! Bad!" it shrieked as it jumped off her shoulder and tried to escape. "You're bad!"

She grabbed it with ease and began to crush it in her hand, causing it to scream.

"Look, Giru, if you try to run away again, I'll just rip the Dragon Radar out from inside of you and kill you. If you talk again without my permission, I will kill you then too. And if you annoy me in any way, shape, or form, I will make you explode faster than you'll be able to say another irritating word."

Giru stayed silent and quickly opened the flap on his back, revealing the Dragon Radar. Alena smiled as she admired the design of the device. It was quite a machine, showing the relative location of a Dragonball from her current position. It correctly read that the four-star ball was right with her. Alena searched the Earth with the Radar and noticed two balls located adjacently on the North African coast.

'My next destination has been decided,' she thought, taking off towards her target.

Everybody else had temporarily left the room, leaving Miyuki and Kenshin together. Both sat cross-legged on the floor next to each other, looking down at the carpet. This was the first time they had been able to privately talk since she had arrived, and even Takaya had given them time alone.

"Kenshin, you had been my best and most trusted friend for a long while," she said softly.

"Yes, Miyuki," he replied gently. "You can confide in me; I'm ready to listen."

"I haven't even told my brother about this yet. He may not be able to take it…"

"What is on your mind, Miyuki?" he answered. "You can tell me."

"Kenshin…" her voice trailed, then firmed. "Kenshin, I don't have much time left… to live…"

"What!" he blurted, facing her directly. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to die soon, very soon," she cried. "I don't know when it'll happen, but I know that my time is running out. I'm so happy I got a chance to see you and my brother one more time before I—"

"Don't talk like that!" he whispered, holding her hand.

"I wish I had your strength – your powers, Kenshin. The Radam have given me a sickness for which there is no cure. I am going to die, and there is nothing anybody will be able to do about it…"

"You must tell them, Miyuki… they'll be able to help you… they must be able to help you…"

"No, Kenshin, there really is no cure," she continued. "But promise me one thing."

"Anything," he said, feeling the lump in his throat. "I'll do anything."

"Don't tell anybody about my sickness just yet. I'll let them know when I want to…"

"What? Miyuki…"

"Please promise me, Kenshin… I kept your promise from long ago… I never told anybody about your secret powers, not even my family," she whispered sadly. "I want you to keep this promise for me…"

"This is different, Miyuki…"

"Promise me…"

After several painful moments, the boy nodded and secured his promise to his friend.

"It makes me so happy to see you with your sister again, Takaya," Aki said as they spoke privately in the hall. They had broken off from the rest of the group for him to ask her a "very important question."

"Thanks, Aki," he replied awkwardly, his eyes staring at the ground. Aki observed this.

"Takaya," she said, seeing him raise his eyes. "What is it that you wanted to ask me?"

She smiled warmly at him, and he quickly looked back down to the shiny floor and rubbed his sweaty hands together. Aki wasn't going to like this – he just knew it. He had to put it in the right way.

"Well… um," he started. "Please don't take this the wrong way…"

"Yes?" her eyes started to sparkle. Her heartbeat began to quicken, and she could feel her blood rush into her face. Her own palms became slightly sweaty in anticipation. 'I'm blushing too fast…'

"But… back there… when Saber… was… was kissing you… um… ah… did you—"

"No, Takaya," Aki frowned. 'He should talk about his own feelings… Why bring up Shinya?'

"Huh?" Takaya looked up, his eyes showing glints of relief.

"I did not enjoy it at all," Aki replied, looking directly at his eyes. "I did not want it for a second."

"Really?" Takaya tried to control his awkward smile. His entire face now looked relieved.

'Yes, you baka! Of course I hated it!' Aki screamed in her mind as she rubbed her palms, vexed. Was this guy an idiot? Aki tried to keep herself calm and collected while observing happiness radiate from him. His look of rapture melted her instantly, and she decided to forgive him quickly.

"Takaya…" she whispered.

"Huh?" he asked as he looked into her eyes, not too far away. In fact, their faces were very close together for people who considered themselves as friends… too close. Aki took a small step forwards and deliberately brought her face closer to his. Takaya held his breath and felt his heart race as he ever so slowly brought his mouth down towards hers. Only two inches now separated their eager lips.

"Takaya…" Aki whispered. "I really wanted to share that kiss with…"

"Aki! Takaya!" Levin yelled as he blindly ran around the corner and into the hallway. "We have to go now! I was looking for you two all over the… the… oops… oh no."

Aki quickly backed away, and Takaya looked down at the floor again. Levin's eyes were ballooned, and he covered his mouth at having realized that he'd ruined a perfectly romantic moment.

Kenshin and Miyuki wiped their eyes as people returned to the room. Takaya nervously smiled at the two, hoping they had a good chance to chat privately. Aki, her face still red, entered from the other side. She decided to avoid looking at Takaya and Levin for the time being. Levin pulled at his short hair for having been so clumsy. Shinjo entered the room, after having checked on Saki, and they all sat down.

Milly propped down and took out a paper from her thick file folder.

"Aiba Tayaka," she said, taking a deep breath thereafter. "Aiba Takaya, Aiba Shinya, Aiba Miyuki, Aiba Kengo, and Aiba Kouzou, leader of the Argos deep space expedition."

"What?" asked Kenshin. "What are you talking about? A deep space expedition?"

"It's the reason why we left so suddenly, Kenshin," Miyuki confessed. "Two years ago, our father made us gather around the fireplace one night and told us that we had to leave the very next day. He made us promise that we wouldn't notify anybody about our departure, even our closest friends."

"Your father made you leave like that?" Kenshin raised his eyebrows. Miyuki nodded.

"Yes. The next night, agents escorted us to our new home, the Japan Space-Navy base. It was a top-secret research organization that had been planning to send out a deep space exploration probe ship. My father, Aiba Kouzou, was selected to head the mission. He had wanted my brothers and I to be among his crew. That's why I left two years ago – to train for being a crew member aboard the Argos spacecraft."

"But over ten weeks ago, the Argos craft disappeared suddenly while exploring space," Milly interrupted, looking at her report. "The officials at Japan Space-Navy covered up the incident as best as they could and refused to release data regarding the disappearance itself. But you two were on that mission… so please, tell us what happened."