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 V: The Destiny Saga)

Chapter 59 - Fateful Choice

"Shinya," Takaya barked, staying frozen but glaring down at twin, who continued to hold a knife at Miyuki's throat while crouching over her body. "How could you? You're her brother, for God's sake!"

"That was exactly the point I wanted to disprove, Takaya," Saber returned, taking a brief glance at Miyuki's eyes. Tears had stopped running, for she had run out of them after so much weeping from shame.

"You hear me, Blade?" Shinya shouted. "I'm not part of your family! And my actions show it!"

"There are other ways you could have shown that, Saber," came the sharp answer.

"The only alternative I could come up with," Shinya replied, starting to smirk, "was her death."

Takaya and Kenshin continued to glare. Psychos, keeping his distance from Shinya, watched the whole scene with mixed feelings. One on hand, he was Radam, and he shouldn't care about what happens to Earth's inhabitants. On the other hand, the mere concept of a blood brother assaulting his sister in that manner repulsed him. His thoughts were distracted as he sensed someone approach rapidly. They noticed this too, and a purple bolt quickly approached them. Within seconds, the newcomer stopped in mid-flight.

"Tekkaman Plague," muttered Kenshin, staying still. 'As if this wasn't bad enough already.'

"Greetings, Kenshin, Blade," Plague chuckled, keeping his arms hidden behind his back. His black cape wrapped almost all around his body, making it plainly obvious that he was hiding something.

'What a weird guy,' Takaya thought. 'He's not even trying to look like he's not hiding it.'

"Can I ask you why you two are just standing still in the air?" Bezel asked, puzzled.

"If we move, Saber down there will slash my sister's throat," Blade replied, gesturing downwards.

"Hm?" Bezel hummed, looking towards the two on the ground. He bent his head downwards and lowered a little, trying to get a better view. On the ground was Shinya, crouched over a naked girl as he—

"Saber, what the hell are you doing!" Bezel barked loudly. "Are you insane? She's your sister!"

"I… I was just trying to prove that I was Radam and not human any—"

"By raping your sister?" Bezel blurted incredulously. "That's disgusting! Get off of her now!"

"If I do, then they will move and strike me without hesitation," came the reply. Bezel raised his head and looked at Takaya and Kenshin, both scowling. Soon, Kenshin heard a muffled cry from Plague.

"Don't worry," Plague brought his hands before him, revealing his captive. "They won't move."

"NIO!" Kenshin yelled, a wave of shock smashing into his mind.

His sister had a thick layer of ooze covering her mouth like duct tape. Thin ropes of red energy tied her hands and feet together, preventing her movement. Bezel chuckled, grasping her in his left hand, only to pull out a sharp blade and keep it hoisted at her throat. It was déjà vu for Kenshin, for he had seen Plague holding Alena the same way when they had fought in hell.

"If you try to interfere, she dies," Plague said. "You know, you good guys are so easy to beat. It is hard attacking you directly, but you're easier to control once we make hostages out of your loved ones."

"You lousy rat! You never change!" Kenshin yelled, his aura flaring about him once again.

"Why should I?" Bezel replied, smirking. "Saber, transform again. Trust me, they won't move. And when you're finished, why don't you join the rest of us up here and take your sister as your hostage?"

"Oh no, we're too late," Noal whispered. As he approached the mountain base, he could see the smoke erupting from its grounds. It meant that a battle had occurred; the only uncertainty was its outcome. Noal gently lowered the Blue Earth and ran out of the ship, only to freeze upon seeing dozens of bloodied corpses littering the area. Part of the mountain had been blown away; a portion of the base was exposed for direct view. Worse yet, there was a gaping hole in that portion, allowing free entry to anyone malicious.

"Noal!" yelled a male voice, distracting him. Turning in its direction, he saw Levin crouching over a man's body. Goku, Vegita, and Saki emerged from the craft, only to witness the destruction.

"Charles…?" Noal trailed off, kneeling next to the fallen soldier. "I'm so sorry, Levin…"

"Noal," Levin cried, burying his face in his shoulder. "They showed… no mercy…"

"I know," he said softly, gently rubbing his back. Noal always considered Charles to be a good man and soldier. 'Is there no hope in this war? Are we to lose all those for whom we love and care?'

"Be strong, Levin," Noal said. "Be strong. But now, I have to check on Aki… see if she's okay."

"She… should be in the Mission Room," Levin stammered. "And Shinjo… over near that bush."

"Thank you, Levin," Noal nodded, getting up. He and the three warriors headed for the bush where the naked Shinjo lay. Saki shut her eyes, and Noal darted into the Blue Earth to fetch extra clothes.

'Why the hell is he lying naked here like this?' Vegita thought. 'Is he a pervert or something?'

Soon, Noal returned and tossed the clothes on top of the sleeping man's private region, preventing them all from any unwelcome sights. Goku shook the man awake, and seconds later, he groggily opened his eyes, trying to remember how he'd gotten there. He recalled transforming into his secret form… but nothing else. Suddenly, his face reddened, and he dressed himself. Yet, he noticed something was amiss.

"My tail!" Shinjo blurted, noticing it was completely gone. "Where… How'd it disappear?"

"What?" Saki snapped her eyes open, wondering how it could have vanished.

"A tail?" Goku asked puzzled. "You can't have a tail unless you are a… no way…"

"Unless he's a Saiya-jin like us," Vegita finished. "But how can that be true? We're the only descendants. Are you telling me that there were other survivors from when Planet Vegita exploded?"

"No, I'm like you," Shinjo replied, sitting upright but feeling drained from his battle. "I'm a hybrid of human and Saiya-jin, just like yourselves. In fact, Vegita, I'm more closely related to you."

"I know my lineage, and there's no way you can be a part of it unless…" Vegita trailed off, soon gasping in realization. "… Unless you're a descendent of my great-grandfather's little sister, Briefs Bra."

"You're very perceptive, Vegita," Shinjo nodded. "To be precise, I am her grandson."

"And I have another thing to tell you, Goku," Shinjo started. "Remember that story I told you about my sister who had fallen down a waterfall? My sister Shiori? Well, we found her. And she's Aki."

"WHAT!" Goku blurted. 'That's right… she wasn't in the room when he told me the story.'

"Speaking of Aki," Noal said worriedly. "I think we should go make sure she's alright."

They nodded and entered the facility, searching thoroughly for her – in corridors, elevators, locked rooms, and even under desks, but to their dread, they found no trace of her. Shinjo cursed himself, for he had promised to protect her and never leave her side. Yet, he had failed, and soon they all regrouped again.

"Nothing… I've found nothing," Saki said dejectedly, and everybody else answered the same.

'Sister, I won't lose you again… after fifteen years, I won't lose you to them…' Shinjo whispered in his mind, moistness welling in his eyes. 'Why does she have to be taken from me? Why again?'

"Wherever she is, we'll find her," Saki said gently, comforting her crestfallen brother.

'Where… where am I?' she thought, awakening from her slumber. Her vision was blurry, but it soon focused within seconds. The young woman examined her surroundings – everything was completely dark except for the soft pink light that shimmered meters away. Looking at the source of the soft light, Aki gasped in realization – the last time she had seen something like that was when she was on the Radam Outpost on the Orbital Ring. She tried to remember how she got there, but the only memory that came to her mind was seeing a dreadful black Tekkaman figure. Yet, she couldn't remember much else after that.

"Are we awake yet, Kisaragi Aki?" Mieko, in her human form, chuckled, stepping in front of the bars of the jail cell that housed its Space Knight prisoner. "How do you feel after your little nap?"

"Who… are you?" Aki said, wincing from the bump on her head. "Where have you brought me?"

"My name is Murakami Mieko," the young woman replied, her blue irises boring into the darkness of the small cell. "But you probably know me better by my alter-ego, Tekkaman Shuriken."

"So…" Aki said softly, using her strength to stand. "So, you're the black Tekkaman I saw there."

"You're so sharp, Aki!" Mieko smirked, watching her strut towards the bars and clutch them.

"Mieko," she started, her head still throbbing. "What is this place?"

"A special place," Shuriken responded. "Only a select few have the honor to board this vessel."

"This vessel?" Aki asked, feeling drained, memories of the deaths of her personnel passing through her mind. She had wanted to fight, but Mieko had stopped her and knocked her senseless.

"Yes. This is Omega's flagship, which houses those thousand warriors wreaking havoc on Earth."

"And you, as a human, allow this to continue?" Aki scowled. Mieko averted her eyes, recalling how Kengo had regained his humanity just before death. She had debated about her true nature ever since.

"I can only serve the Radam," Mieko answered, her voice not firm. "I must do what they say."

"If you feel that's your destiny…" Aki trailed off. "But tell me, why did you bring me here?"

"That's easy," Mieko spat. "The man you're involved with, Blade, killed my fiancé, Kengo."

"I have nothing to do with Blade," Aki lied with a nonchalant voice.

"Then you're just partners on the same team?" Mieko asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Of course," Aki responded, slowly nodding. "And nothing more."

"I don't believe you," Mieko replied, and a small smile spread across Aki's face. "I knew it."

"You found me out," Aki responded. Mieko blinked; she found it strange that the girl was acting so mellow. She had expected her to be hysterical, but Aki was anything but. Mieko respected her poise.

"Blade took Kengo from you," Aki started. "And so, you want to take me away from Blade."

"Again, you're very sharp, Aki," the young woman responded, shrugging. "Can you blame me?"

"Is that all?" Aki asked, her voice stable. "Is that your only reason?"

"What other reason would you expect?" Mieko said, leaning on the cell bars.

"You have not captured me in order to destroy Blade's morale? To convert me to a Tekkaman?"

"No. Kengo's last wishes were for Blade to defeat the Radam, and I'll honor that. I'm detaining you strictly because Kengo was taken from me. Besides, you wouldn't make a good Tekkaman anyway."

"Then… you're not truly being controlled by the Radam, are you?" Aki asked curiously.

Mieko paused, taken aback by the question. Yet, it was true, her mind had felt clearer recently.

Transforming, Saber reached down and wrapped his left arm around his sister's frail body. She just winced, unable to move by herself, and she was at his mercy. Shinya picked her up and held the edge of his lance at her throat. Kenshin's heart sank, for this had become too much – both his sister and his best friend were being held hostage, and he and Blade could do nothing about it. They could only watch as Saber flew upwards and hovered adjacent to Bezel. Psychos also floated next to Saber and observed it all.

"Now, Kenshin, how long have we known each other?" Plague asked, smiling beneath his mask.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Kenshin shot back. "For a while, you bastard."

"Now, now," Bezel purred, looking down at the terrified little girl wrapped in his arm. "You don't want to be teaching her innocent mind those kinds of words, do you?"

"What do you want from us, you monster?" Blade rasped.

"Like you've said, Kenshin, we've known each other for a while now, haven't we?" Bezel chuckled, his visor flashing red for a second. "You know me to be a very reasonable fellow, don't you?"

"Don't play games with us, Plague," Kenshin said angrily.

"Come on, just answer the fucking question," smirked Bezel, making sure that Nio heard him.

"Yes, O Mighty Bezel," Kenshin shot back sarcastically. "You are the epitome of reasonability."

"That's better," Plague said, bringing his blade several millimeters closer to Nio's throat. Kenshin tightened his jaw. "Since I am such a reasonable individual, I will present you with a choice. In my hands is your sister, Nio. In Saber's hands is Miyuki, your special friend and Blade's sister. And so, both of their fates will lie on your hands."

Kenshin only returned a blank look, trying to figure out what Bezel was suggesting.

"One of these two females will die, and the other will live. Yet, I do not know them well enough to make the decision," Bezel said, quivering with excitement. "That's where you come in, Kenshin. You must choose who is more important to you, for that person will enjoy life, while the other one will receive an immediate execution. The choice is yours… and yours alone. Only you can determine their destinies."

"You bastard!" Kenshin yelled. "How can you expect me to make such a decision?"

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Bezel retorted. "Choosing between your sister and this girl you… like."

"How could you go so low as to suggest harming a young child?" Kenshin seethed.

"How could your Saiya-jin ancestors of a thousand years ago go so low as to kill my entire family?" Plague shot back, his voice starting to fill with anger. "How could they stoop to such a low level as to murder my young daughter and my infant son? WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER THAT, BOY?"

Bezel's words hit Kenshin hard, and the boy was completely taken aback. He could only stare at the two girls held captive by his enemies. It was up to him to seal their fates – as Bezel said, it was his decision alone.

"I can't wait forever boy," Bezel sneered, flashing his eye. "You better tell me a name…"

'I can't… no… I can't decide… I won't decide…' Kenshin protested desperately in his mind.

"… Or else," Bezel continued, "Both of their throats will be slit open before your very eyes."

'How… how can I decide?' Kenshin wondered, the blood leaving his face. 'How…?'