Chapter 19 – Familiar Faces
"I see something!" yelled Pan. Piccolo snapped his head in her direction.

"An important rule is not to yell when you see a potential threat," he said sternly.

"Sorry," said Pan nonchalantly. "But it's not like he can--"

The ki ball came so fast that Pan was caught completely off guard. Before she could even scream, Piccolo knocked it away with his arm. "Another important rule," he chided, "is to be on the watch for sneak attacks."

"Brilliant advice, Piccolo," came a shrill voice coming toward them. "Always the sage, aren't you?"

"The third rule," said Piccolo, turning his head in surprise, "is to know your enemy." The shadow dragon stopped in front of them. "Who are you?"

The dragon grinned malevolently. No ears or wings interrupted its smooth, purple body, which blended naturally with the cracked purple five-star Dragonball in its chest. A long tail curved elegantly into its spine, and its head ended in a teardrop-like point. "Oh, you can't guess? Foolish Namekian, it shouldn't be that difficult."

Piccolo's eyes widened as recognition seized him. "Frieza!" he blurted.

A high-pitched laugh emanated from the being. "Close! My name is Rage Shenron. It may interest you to know that I was created by the wish to revive the fools killed by Frieza."

Pan turned to the Namekian. "Piccolo!" she cried. "I've heard stories about Frieza! That's where this dragon guy comes from!"

Piccolo's answer was interrupted by a yell of anger. "GUY!" screamed Rage Shenron. "GUY! I am a female, you insipid Saiyan!" As she raged, her ki steadily rose. Piccolo stared, horror-struck.

"You'll pay for insulting me! Your power will never compare to mine!"

"Aaah!" cried Pan as she dodged a flying kick.

"That was just a taster, impudent girl!" roared Rage Shenron. Pan steadied herself and charged two balls of ki in her hands.

"Yeah, right."

"It's not lying, Pan!" yelled Piccolo, rushing over to the dragon. As she punched, Piccolo caught her fist in both hands. They struggled for a few seconds before Piccolo forced his opponent to back down. He was breathing hard.

"You get your power from rage," he said matter-of-factly.

"Heh," panted Rage Shenron. "Not as sure of your own abilities anymore, are you, Namekian?"

"This will be a more difficult battle than I thought, yes," said Piccolo, raising his power level. "But it is nice," he threw off his cape and turban, "to feel useful again..."
Goten and Trunks flew side-by-side at a relatively leisurely pace, considering how close their target was. As they drew closer, Goten cast a sidelong glance at Trunks.

"He sees us coming, you know," he said.

"Yeah," said Trunks, smiling. He drew his sword. "And we see him. This could be a pretty straightforward fight. I'm excited."

Goten raised one eyebrow. "Why did you make that sword, anyway?"

Trunks shook his head and turned back to the shadow dragon ahead of them. "It's...my mom likes to talk about the teenage version of me that came to this world a long time ago. She's been doing it for years. I get the feeling she wants me to be more like him." He gave a hollow laugh. "So I built this sword. A bit more high-tech than the one the other Trunks had, but I like it. Here we are, Goten."

They stopped abruptly in midair. A tall, muscular dragon floated before them. He was almost entirely black, with white cuffs on his wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, and waist. A pair of bright red eyes leered at the half-Saiyans, and a row of white spikes lined the center of the dragon's forehead. The seven-star Dragonball shimmered in his chest.

"Hey," he said in a deep, clear voice. "I thought I'd be able to rope a couple of you in. The name's Nightros Shenron."

"Thanks," said Goten coolly. "I'm Son Goten, and this--"

"I know who you are," interrupted Nightros Shenron. "Baby did, after all."

"Baby?" asked Goten, surprised. "That's where you come from?"

"Mm-hm," nodded the dragon. "I was born when you all wished back the people Baby killed. And don't look so excited," he added, as Goten's face lightened. "It may not have been a lot of people, but it was the most recent wish made. I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you."

Trunks levelled his sword at Nightros Shenron. "I'm ready when you are," he said.

The dragon grinned. There was a blur of movement, and Trunks' sword was knocked out of his hand. Trunks became a Super Saiyan and dove after it, but Nightros Shenron intercepted him and delivered a hard uppercut. Before Goten could take in what he had seen, Nightros Shenron had returned for him. Goten threw his upper body backward just in time, evading a long kick. He pulled his head back up; his hair had turned golden. He was a Super Saiyan.

"All right," he said. "Let's try this again."

Piccolo and Rage Shenron fought furiously. They were deadlocked, neither gaining an edge. Pan watched, horrified, from below. All the training that Gohan had given her had not prepared her for the real thing: a ruthless villain who would not let up when her opponent became tired.

Piccolo was indeed tired physically, but his mind remained clearer than ever before. Years of spiritual training had taught him to stay calm in the most brutal situations. Calm, collected, he chose his moments carefully, striking a vulnerable spot when he saw an opening. Rage Shenron shrieked in anger, which only served to make her more powerful. She thrust her head forward, bashing Piccolo's skull.

Pan flew upward. She threw her fist at Rage Shenron's exposed head, and it connected. But the dragon was far too powerful. She winced for a moment, then smacked Pan aside and dove after Piccolo again.

Piccolo had hit the ground with his feet. He sprang back at his enemy, crackling with energy. Reaching Rage Shenron, he placed his hands on her head and pushed himself over her. He kickd with both feet from behind the dragon, sending her crashing headlong into the ground.

Pan immediately joined Piccolo. With a yell of exhilaration, she began firing dozens of ki blasts at the spot where Rage Shenron lay. After a few moments of this, a large beam shot upward from the spot, damaging Pan.

"Damn!" yelled Piccolo as Rage Shenron flew back up, teeth bared. They began exchanging punches and kicks again. This time, Piccolo was having a much harder job keeping on top.

"Ha!" crowed the dragon, sweat dropping down her face. "This is excellent! Too bad you don't get stronger as you get angrier! Who but me can claim that?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Piccolo could see Pan. Her clothing was torn, her hands bloodied, her face scratched in several places. She was steaming, her teeth and fists clenched. She seemed to be almost shaking with rage. Her eyes flashed once, and she crossed her palms above her head.

"STOP IT!" she screamed. "MASENKO HA!"

Goku, sitting on the couch in his son's living room, saw the TV turn on with a new danger report. There had been another attack. Goku's eyes widened.

"No..." he said to himself. "Chi-chi's not going to like this. Gohan! Can you come here?"

Gohan ran into the room. "What is it, Dad?" His eyes fell upon the TV. "Oh, no!" he cried.

Goku sighed. "East District 439," he muttered. "Another shadow dragon, probably. I'll take care of it, I guess."

Gohan nodded and closed his eyes. An instant later, he opeed them in shock. "What!" he wondered. "Is this right!"

Goku cast around for the ki signal as well. "Whoa!" he cried. "You're right! This one's powerful!"

"Too powerful," said Gohan seriously. "Dad, I think I'd better come with you."

"All right!" said Goku excitedly. "This'll be a good opportunity for some father-son bonding!"

"If we don't get killed in the process," said Gohan grimly. They each took a senzu bean from the pouch on the table, left a note for the others, and flew off toward Goku's house.