The Last Warrior

Chapter 14: The Life Stealer

By: Daniel Graffio

April 25, 2005

Slade stared down the Android with a piercing look, which the Android returned with his cold metallic blue eyes. For awhile, it seemed as though nothing moved in the canyon, even the Z warriors' breath seemed to catch in their throats. B smiled wide, flicked the tiny silver earring on his ear, and fired twin eye beams at Slade. Slade dodged these and zanzokend behind the android, landing a kick to the back of his neck. B flew a bit before rightening himself and chasing after Slade, trying to grab at him. Slade dodged these grabs and countered with one of his own, grabbing the androids arm and kneeing him right in the gut. As it doubled over in pain, which surprised Slade that it could feel such a thing, he landed a hard punch right in the center of its face. This time though, the android just reeled a bit, then resumed trying to grab at Slade. Slade was able to dodge these attacks, but was unable to land any of his own. Nax looked from the fight over at Android A, who just watched the fight with a large smile on his face.

"I don't like that look." he thought, then he tapped Aiden on the shoulder.

"We better watch that guy, never know when he might decide to help his friend out." he said.

"Yeah." replied Aiden.

A looked directly at them and smiled, apparently having heard their conversation.

"Oh, don't worry about me kiddies." he said with a smug smile. "I'll stay out of this fight as long as you do."

Nax shot him an ugly look, and went back to looking at the fight. His gaze only shifted temporarily to look at Eve, who was watching the fight as though her eyes were pulled their like a magnet.

"C'mon Slade, beat that ugly freak." she thought.

Slade managed to duck under B's latest attempt and grabbing him and land a series of lighting fast punches to the mechanized warrior's abdomen, finishing it up with a dropkick that caused the android to slide along the ground and fall back a bit. Slade took this opportunity to finish him for good.

"KAME-HAME-HAAAAA!" Slade screamed, putting his hands to his sides, charging his ki, and firing it at his enemy. Be looked up at the attack, and to the surprise of everyone, just stood his ground and smiled. The fat android put his hands out in front of him, as if meaning to catch the blast. When the attack reached the android, it seemed he had done just that, as the blast stopped right at his hands. Then the gathered fighters noticed that the energy wasn't just staying where it was, it was being sucked into the smiling machine's hands, until finally the last of it went into the small pink globes in each of the android's palms. B stood their laughing at Slade's shocked expression.

"Damn," he thought, "He absorbed it; I guess blasting him won't work. I'll just have to smash him the old fashioned way."

B flew straight towards Slade, moving much faster now. Slade barely managed to jump into the air, but the next second B had followed him up and kneed him right in the jaw. Slade aimed a kick at B's head, but it missed, and B countered with a storm of punches and kicks. Slade was able to block most of them, but many were still getting through his defenses. B finally stopped long enough to smack Slade back down to the ground with both fists. Slade was able to land without crashing, but his opponent landed a short distance away and flew straight at him. B readied a strong punch, but Slade caught his fist, and attacked with his own fist, which was met with the android's other fist. Both fighters opened their hands and began grappling with each other. Slade knew within an instant something was wrong. He was feeling his power growing weaker by the second. B noticed his troubled expression.

"Something wrong?" he said mockingly in his mechanical voice.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" Slade said.

"I'm just taking you're energy. Soon you won't even have enough to live." B said, beginning to laugh, a sickening sound.

"Damn you!" said Slade, then he thought, "Idiot, I should have known if he could absorb my blast he could absorb power from the source." Slade thought quickly for an answer, and then it hit him. He quickly forced his remaining ki into his legs. He then jumped up partly, and kicked the android right in the chest. The super-powered kick did the trick, ripping off the android's arms as Slade sailed away. Slade landed on the ground, picked up his sword quickly and ran on his ki-powered legs faster than he had ever run in his life. B had no chance to counter as Slade flipped over him, unsheathed his sword and...SLASH! sliced his head off. The head bounced on the ground and landed, still wearing the mixture of pain and astonishment that B had been feeling before the end of his short life. Slade pointed his hand at the head and blasted it to pieces before the body hit the ground.

"YEAH! WAY TO GO!" yelled Eve.

"Nice job Slade." said Aiden.

Android A stared blankly at the remains of his fallen comrade, then back to Slade. He applauded lightly, then said,

"Not bad. But do you think you can manage the same with me, with all the power you've lost?"

"All the more you can't steal then isn't it." said Slade, panting through the words. "I still have some left though."

"Well, you will certainly need it boy." said A smugly, "But you don't need to worry about me stealing any energy. I don't ever run out." He showed the palms of his hands, where there were no small pink globes like B had had. Slade was stunned, as were the others.

"That-that's impossible!"

"Is it?" said A, flying at Slade faster than B had been at his best and punching Slade in the face. Slade tried to punch back, but missed. A's roundhouse kick hit Slade in the temple, causing him to stagger backwards. A then put his hand on Slade's chest and blasted him into the canyon wall.

"Well that probably finished him," A laughed, "But let's just make sure." He charged up a huge blast and sent it right into the cliff Slade had disappeared into, demolishing it.

Eve screamed, everyone else just looked on in horror.

"I-I can't feel him anymore." said Nax.

"Well, that looks like the end of the Saiyan." said A, he then looked at the remaining fighters.

"Master Kane didn't say anything about you, guess that makes you fair game."

Before he even made to attack, Eve flew straight at him in a blind rage. A merely lifted his hand and knocked her away with the force of his energy.

"None of you have a chance of beating me, but you're welcome to try.