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 60 - True Colors

"No, we can't sit here forever brooding about this," Shinjo whispered softly upon learning that the hundreds of attacking Tekkamen were devastating countries worldwide. His mind was torn – on one hand, he could possibly be saving hundreds of lives by going out and fighting Tekkamen. On the other hand, his mind was not into it; all he could do was think about his sister's disappearance.

"Snap out of it, Shinjo! I don't want to sound cruel, but we spent too much time here already. We have to go and destroy as many Tekkamen as possible! We're at full power now, so there's no excuse!"

"But Aki…" Shinjo trailed off, but Vegita cut him off once again.

"Man, pull your head out of your ass!" he barked, facing Shinjo directly. "Find that Saiya-jin pride within yourself, and trust that we'll find her eventually. But the more time we spend here looking for one person, the more time those Radam freaks get for murdering thousands! …That's it, I'm going!"

"I got it!" Noal's voice interrupted, and they all turned their heads. The blond man raced out of the hallway and into the Mission room; he popped a CD-like disc into a player nearby. Moments later, a clear, full color video recording appeared on the giant view-screen.

"This is a recording from a surveillance camera that monitored the Mission Room during the attack," Noal said. On the screen, the video showed Aki arming herself with a laser rifle and turning around. Within seconds, a black Tekkaman emerged and approached her. It smacked her on the head, and Aki fell unconscious. The black Tekkaman then wrapped her arm around the woman and took her away.

"So, I guess nobody noticed this other Tekkaman prowling around the complex," said Noal.

"That black Tekkaman…" Shinjo mumbled, glazing his eyes on it. "… looks so familiar."

"Of course!" Saki blurted, startling everybody. "That's Mieko – Tekkaman Shuriken!"

"Shuriken?" Shinjo asked in surprise. "Why in the world would she go after Aki?"

"I guess you weren't there, but Blade destroyed Tekkaman Spear, the man she apparently loved," Noal explained. "And Aki and Blade have a… special… friendship."

"So, she's trying to take revenge on Blade by kidnapping Aki," Goku suggested.

"It could be," the blond Space Knight responded. "But there's no way to know for sure unless…"

"Unless we find Shuriken ourselves," Shinjo answered, a trace of a smile forming on his face. "We'll have to do this detective style, although with a little twist… Each of us split up into groups of two."

"You just want us to go exploring around for miles and miles?" Goku asked incredulously.

"No, we won't have to," Shinjo answered. "All we have to do is search for any Tekkamen flying around. If Shuriken is among them, then that would be perfect – we would have our answer right there. If she's not there, we'll show the Tekkamen a photograph of Aki and demand them to tell us where she is."

"And what if they don't know?" Goku posed. "What if they don't understand our language?"

"Then we'll just kill them, which is what we should be doing anyway," Vegita answered, liking the idea immediately. "We'll kill two missions with one stone. We have two objectives – to find Aki and to destroy as many Tekkamen as possible. When we encounter one, we'll ask it for information. If it refuses to tell us anything, we'll beat the lights out of it until it decides to talk. If it still refuses to help us after five strong punches, we'll just blow it straight to hell without any second thoughts."

"That just makes us murderers," Goku protested, only to receive a sharp glare from Vegita.

"They are the murderers!" Vegita shook his fist. "They're killing the people and Primary Bodies!"

"But can't we save them?" Goku asked, his voice uncertain. "Just like how Kenshin saved—"

"Look… Alena was a special case," an exasperated Vegita explained. "Hundreds of them weren't ravaging Earth that time. Now they are. Spending extra time to save a Tekkaman, rather than executing it quickly, will buy more time for the other Tekkamen to wreak havoc. So, by rapidly killing them, we'll be able to move on to more Tekkamen more quickly and thus save many, many more civilians. Got it?"

"I agree with you," Saki said, causing Vegita to redden. "Let's decide how we should split up."

"Here's how we should do it," Shinjo suggested. "I will go with Goku. Saki will go with Vegita."

"Hey, what about me?" asked Noal, feeling slightly offended. "She's my friend too you know."

"I think you should stay here as a central point of contact," Shinjo replied, "just in case Alena, Kenshin, Takaya, or Miyuki come back here. You'll be here to fill them in on what's going on."

"Sounds good to me," the blond Space Knight answered, satisfied with his position. "This color picture of her in this surveillance camera recording will do just fine. I'll print several copies and give them to you, and then you can be on your way. And take com-links so that we can keep in contact."

"Excellent," replied Shinjo, thanking Noal. Within minutes, they printed her picture, equipped themselves with the appropriate devices, and split up in different directions, ready to begin their missions.

"Kid, my patience is running out," Bezel said, his arm tight around Nio. "And so is their time."

"Kenshin…" Miyuki whispered weakly. 'I can only imagine his dilemma, but his little sister is on the line. Why is he having such a hard time deciding? No, I won't accept him choosing me over her…'

"Kenshin," she said, louder this time. The Saiya-jin broke his stare and focused on her. "Kenshin, don't you remember my secret I told you at the base? The one I didn't want you to mention to anybody?"

"Miyuki," he said softly, looking directly into her tired eyes.

"I told you that I was going to die soon anyway," she said sadly, startling Takaya.

"Miyuki…?" Takaya stammered, unable to wipe the tears underneath his facemask.

"Nobody can stop it from happening," she asserted sadly. "So Kenshin, the choice is clear…"

"No…" he whispered, refusing to listen to what she was suggesting.

"Yes, Kenshin," she smiled softly. "Choose her. She has her whole life ahead of her… please…"

"Even she decided before you, you pitiful Saiya-jin," Bezel rasped. "Should I follow her advice?"

"No!" Kenshin yelled, glaring at the purple Tekkaman.

"Then does that mean your sister's life is the expendable one?" Plague asked, making a gesture of slicing the terrified little girl's throat. Kenshin's eyes widened in terror, and Bezel chuckled at the reaction.

"Have you had enough yet, boy? How 'bout I offer an alternative solution to this predicament?"

"Yes…" Kenshin whispered, his eyes desperate. Even his hands were trembling.

"Very well then, Kenshin," Plague said, revealing his true intentions. "I will allow both of these young females to live… at the cost of one of your lives. You and Blade are to fight each other, with your best ability, to the death. Once one of you two is killed, I shall release them."

"I don't believe you," Blade seethed. "What kind of alternative is that?"

"Blade," Kenshin muttered. "You and I pose a much greater threat to the Radam than they do. So he used them as hostages so I would be pushed to desperation and accept whatever alternative he offered."

"You are quite a perceptive young man," Bezel chortled, basking in dark glee. "And so?"

"And so… I must accept it," Kenshin hung his head. "Sorry, Blade, but this is our only chance."

"I understand, Kenshin," Takaya responded, his voice grave. "It's the best deal we can get."

'Those stupid fools,' Bezel thought. 'This certainly is the perfect deal… for me. Those two will be battling each other to their limits until one of them dies. It won't matter who wins since the victor will still be deathly tired from the fight. At that point, Saber or I will easily slaughter the survivor. How excellent!'

"Remember," Bezel said. "You have to fight your hardest, or these girls die here. And I know you'll do that, for you wouldn't want them to perish knowing that you had a chance to save them both."

"You're such a dirty bastard," Kenshin growled at Plague's gleeful attitude.

"I know I am," Plague replied, smiling beneath his mask. "And that's why I always win."

Kenshin and Blade slowly backed away and reluctantly turned towards each other; the Saiya-jin gripped the hilt of Akoutari and drew the sword from its sheath. Blade firmed his grip on his lance and crouched into a tense stance. Bezel gave the holler, and the two warriors charged each other, their minds full of both uncertainty and dread. Nio wailed, and Miyuki's heart sunk as she began to watch.

Saki and Vegita carefully viewed the landscape pass beneath them sixty feet below. They were heading for the city closest to the mountain facility. However, they flew slowly so that they could scan the ground and look for clues. Both had stayed silent for the majority of their short trip, and Vegita strongly desired to start up a conversation. Their first meeting was not the best of introductions, and he hadn't exactly created a good impression. Turning his head, he saw her look straight ahead, focused on her task.

"So, I guess we're about there," Vegita started in a slightly higher-than-normal pitch.

"Yep, I suppose we are," Saki replied, her voice sharp. 'Is he trying to hit on me again?'

'Wow, she's so fine,' he thought. 'After this war, I'm definitely asking her to a date.'

"You have really good eye-sight," Vegita made a pathetic attempt at a compliment.

"Thanks," she replied, continuing to scan the ground below. 'What an idiot he is. There is so much at stake here, and all he can think of doing is flatter me? Jeez, all guys are the same.'

"Have you found anything yet? You know, you have really nice eyes," he blurted, hoping to get more from her than just one-line answers. 'She must be so awed by my power that she's scared to speak to me. I have to keep my strength under check so it doesn't intimidate her.'

"Nothing interesting, and thank you," came the annoyed, terse reply. 'Yes, please, Vegita… please continue to make an ass of yourself in front of me. I bet you've never had a girlfriend before, you baka.'

"Hey, so since you're not Shinjo's real sister," he started, trying to start up another line of dialogue. However, he made an extremely poor choice. "Then that means we're not blood related."

'Oh my god, this is getting too much,' she sighed to herself. "No, Vegita, we are not. Don't make it public knowledge, though. Even my boyfriend back on Io doesn't know the truth."

"B… Boyfriend?" he stammered, startled. 'She already has one?'

'Hehe… he's so gullible,' Saki silently chuckled to herself. 'But at least it got him to shut up.'

Within minutes, they approached the city, only to see being attacked by six Tekkamen. The Radam warriors continued their destruction of citizens, Primary Bodies, and buildings with enjoyment. Turning on his serious mode, Vegita swooped down towards one Radam, who adorned three dots on its chest. The Tekkaman was about to stab through another Primary Body when Vegita grabbed its lance and tossed it away. The Tekkaman snapped his head around to face the Saiya-jin, who narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me where she is," Vegita demanded forcefully, pointing at a big picture of Aki he held in his hand. The Tekkaman refused to answer, and Vegita repeated the question, getting the same response. The Saiya-jin socked it hard in the stomach, causing it to sink to the ground. He again demanded information, and it offered him none. Without wasting anymore time, Vegita picked up its lance and drove it straight through its skull, killing it instantly. He chose against using chi blasts in order to conserve his energy.

"Very merciful, Vegita," Saki said flatly. "I thought you said you'd give them five punches first."

"Oh, that… well, people should only have to be told once," he said sheepishly, scratching his head. "Besides, time is short, and I don't think he knew anything anyway."

Saki responded with a smirk, and the two continued on to the remaining Tekkamen in the area.

"If you were controlled, wouldn't your irises be red?" Aki said calmly. Mieko froze, for she felt confused. Aki stretched her hand through the bars for Mieko's arm, but the other lady retracted it quickly.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit," Aki smiled softly. "I want to see if they're controlling you."

Mieko nodded slowly, and she offered her arm to Aki, who gently wrapped her fingers around the lady's wrist. Aki closed her eyes, and Mieko gasped slightly as a soft white glow surround Shiori's hand. She felt a buzzing feeling on her wrist, but it caused no pain. Mieko began to tremble slightly, unsure as to what Aki was. Soon, the glow disappeared, and Aki opened her eyes. Mieko looked at her anxiously.

"You're free," Aki smiled, looking gently into her eyes. "You're no longer under their control."

"How… how could you tell?" Mieko responded, her heart pounding.

"Your conscience and sub-conscience are clear," she explained, keeping her voice no higher than a whisper. "Hindrances are present in those that are being controlled, but in your case, there aren't any."

"Then you mean," Mieko's face paled. "I'm human again, and I've been betraying my people…"

Aki nodded in response, and Mieko backed away several steps in disbelief, wondering how and when she had been liberated from Radam bondage. It didn't make sense to her; she should have been able to feel a substantial difference in her mind. What had caused the change?

Unknown to anyone, it was Alena's wish that had been the catalyst. When the Saiya-jin girl had declared her wish, Shenron had generalized it enough to mean that all mind parasites on Earth were to be destroyed. When the wish had been granted, Shuriken was the only Radam Tekkaman who was on Earth.

After Kengo had died, Saber had left for the moon to report his death to Omega. Shuriken had escaped shortly thereafter but had remained hidden nearby. Surely, there was Bezel, but being the creator of the Tekkamen, he never once possessed a mind parasite. Shenron had destroyed Shuriken's mind critter along with the rest of those on Earth. Yet, the girl never realized it since it happened so subtly, and she still felt as if she should be serving the Radam people to some extent. This was, however, purely psychological. Aki was correct; there was absolutely nothing controlling her mind.

'But then why didn't I notice the difference?' the stunned girl considered in her mind. Turning towards Aki, she gasped, "Then … I shouldn't have brought you here. I need to get you out… us out…"

"Please do so, Mieko…"

"But don't forget, Aki, I haven't forgiven Blade for what he has done," Mieko continued, her voice hardening. "I will try to get you out of here, but you will still be my prisoner, and I will continue to keep you two separated until I feel you've suffered enough. But… I can't believe I brought you here…"

"Should I pretend I didn't hear that?" a new voice called, startling the two women. Mieko nervously turned towards the direction of the voice, and she gasped upon seeing its owner walk towards them. He was a human like they were, and he possessed scars on his face. He had a strong build, and his scarlet irises looked menacing as he stared them down.

"Why would you bring a prisoner here only to remove her half an hour later?" the man questioned.

"With all due respect, please state your name and rank," Mieko said, her facial features becoming stern as she attempted to return the man's cold stare. Bezel had allowed for Omega's new Tekkamen – Spear, Saber, Shuriken, Scimitar, and Masamune – to enjoy special access privileges on the vessel, and he had also given them the privilege of requesting any individual's name and rank.

"My name is Yamucha," the man answered, narrowing his eyes. "Level G7 Radam."

"Yes, Yamucha, I request that this prisoner be freed and placed under my…"

"I reject your request, Tekkaman Shuriken," he replied with a steely look. "The prisoner will not be moved under any circumstances. Any attempts to remove her without permission will result in an immediate termination of both your lives. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes," Mieko replied humbly, lowering her eyes. Yamucha continued to glare at her.

"Is there something you are hiding from me, G5 equivalent Tekkaman Shuriken?" he asked.

"No, that is all," she replied, tightening her features. "I withdraw my request for her transfer."

"Good," Yamucha stated, turning around. "I will give a warning, however. Don't try to pull any smart moves around me, or else you will be punished severely."

Mieko and Aki watched the chilling man walk away and enter a nearby stairwell.

"I would get you out, Aki," Mieko whispered. "But he said that he would kill you too."

"I don't care what that ugly guy says," Aki replied. "If I don't try to escape, they'll probably keep me locked up until I die anyway. That's not how I want my future to be. Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Yes. It was my mistake that got you here in the first place," Mieko frowned. "So it's my responsibility to get you out. But I have to warn you… this is going to be very dangerous, Aki."

"In these times," came the chuckling response, "what isn't?"

Author Notes:

DynastyDrummer: I've been so busy I haven't gotten a chance to write Third Saga for Nightmare. But no worries, I'm still jotting some ideas down :)

To those of you who don't know what Nightmare is, it is my current ongoing fanfic that serves as a sequel to the Tekkaman Blade 2 anime (which takes place roughly 8 years after the end of the Tekkaman Blade I anime). It is a very dark Tekkaman story, and I consider it superior to DragonTek.

SPECIAL!

To all of you who've been reading this story and have been wondering what the characters from Tekkaman Blade look like, here's your answer :) By the way, this site wouldn't let me post a regular URL, so just copy and paste the link below, and remove the spaces around the two periods:

www . geocities . com/vegitto02/Tekkaman/

That should be a pretty comprehensive listing. Do they look like how you thought they looked? Let me know!