The Last Warrior

Chapter 16: The Challenge

By: Daniel Graffio

April 26, 2005

The incident with the Android's had made Slade completely unapproachable. He would spend most of his time either in his room or out by the lake, snapping at anyone who tried to console him. No one held it against him, but still they didn't like the behavior.

"Slade, you have to snap out of this." said Aiden.

"Leave me alone." Slade snarled back at him.

"You can't be mad at yourself for what happened," said Nax, "You saved all of our lives."

"I nearly ended them too!" he snapped.

"Slade please, don't do this to yourself." pleaded Eve.

"I'll be fine." he said quickly. He knew they were all concerned, and that none of them blamed him for what happened. He still couldn't excuse what he had done. He had nearly killed them all, and he wouldn't have been able to stop it. In that form, he knew, he would have enjoyed it. He felt lucky that they had cut his tail off in time. After he had finished with them, who knows how many more people he would have killed. The young Saiyan half-breed went outside to his rock near the lake. He stood there for awhile, just looking at the sky. In his head he went over the day's events over and over, agonizing over every detail, trying to think of something he could have done differently. Eve and the others could only quietly watch and hope he would come to his senses soon. When he was in this position, he would ignore them completely if they tried to talk to him.

"Can you sense all that anger he's feeling?" said Eve.

"I could feel it even if I couldn't sense it." said Alex. "What I feel more is sadness. He can't stop blaming himself for what happened."

"He has a lot of issues like this with himself." said Aiden.

"I just wish he'd let us help him," said Eve, her look of worry matching everyone else's. The sky above them began to turn black at that moment. They all turned to Slade, who was clenching his fists and his ki flaring a bright blue all around him. He began to yell to the sky, an angry frustrated yell that froze them all in their places. His power continued to grow and grow; tiny bolts of lighting seemed to branch off his body. The rock below him began to crack and break, but Slade stood in the air floating. The wind howled from the sheer force of the power that Slade was putting out. The ground around them was shaking violently. Eve stared at Slade and thought for a second...but that was impossible, but then again, she knew she had seen it. Had Slade's hair changed color, for just a second? Slade stopped yelling and powered down, his hair as normal as it had ever been. The sky returned to normal too, the earth also quieted. Slade turned around and saw them all staring at him with looks of mixed fear and surprise at this sudden outburst of his. The sight of their wide eyes and open mouths made him laugh. A warm laugh that made them all feel instantly better. He walked over to them.

"Sorry guys. I've been making you worry again. I just wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if anything bad had happened to any of you."

"Well, you weren't exactly yourself buddy." said Nax.

"Maybe not, but it would still have been me who killed you. It was partially my fault." said Slade, then continuing, "But then I thought, Why was I forced to use that technique? What caused me to have to put my friend's lives in danger? I thought for a long time, and found the answer. Kane. It's always been him. If that bastard hadn't sent those androids after me, those people in the city would never have been hurt, and would never have had to transform. I swear I'm gonna kill him if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"Slade, be calm." said Aiden, trying to avoid another outburst.

"Calm!" yelled Slade, "I'll show you calm. I'll go to Kane's palace, walk right up to him, and calmly RIP OUT HIS SPINE!"

"Slade, get a hold of yourself!" said Eve.

Slade looked at her for a second, her worried eyes softening him. His anger remained, but he was now under control of his emotions again.

"You're right. I'm not quite ready yet." He conceded.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Everyone!" Page's voice rang from the intercom, "Come straight to the comm. room right away! This is an emergency!" From the sheer tone of Page's voice, they rushed quickly to the comm. room. They found him looking as nervous as his voice had been, staring at a screen.

"What's wrong?" said Slade.

"Kane's making an announcement, look!" he said, putting what was on his small screen on the bigger one they used to plan raids. Kane's smirking face appeared there, causing Slade to clench his fists again. The dictator began to speak.

"This is a message for the Saiyan known as Slade. Or more precisely," he smirked, "A challenge."

"A what?" said Aiden, Slade shushed him as Kane continued.

"I've grown tired of these antics between us. The time has come for us to end this little game. Come to my palace today at 6:00 and not a minute less. And I warn you, if you don't show up, I will destroy one city a minute for every minute you are late. You have about..." he looked at the clock on his scouter, "Three hours, I suggest you hurry" The screen then went blank.

Everyone turned to look at Slade. He was still staring at the blank screen, his half-smile prominently on his face. They all knew that smile could only mean one thing. He turned and left the room in a flash. He was in his room in almost an instant. He opened his small bag and pulled out one of the few things he kept there. The rest of his Saiyan battle suit. He had on the jumpsuit and was slipping on his boots when Eve walked through the door. He didn't turn to look at her.

"Don't try to stop me."

"Slade, come on," she begged, "We'll make up a plan, you can't go!"

"He hasn't given me much of a choice, has he?" he slipped on his breastplate.

"You said yourself you weren't ready."

"Well," he slipped on his right glove, "I was guessing."

"Please, you can't go."

"I have to." He slipped his left glove on.

"Not alone."

"You're not coming." He put on his trench coat.

"Slade! Be reasonable!"

"I am." he fastened his sword in place.

"You can't go! What if you die?"

"If I don't go he's gonna kill innocent people. That wasn't a bluff Eve; their lives don't mean a damn thing to him." He turned to leave, but Eve caught him at door. She held him around the waist again, holding him hard. It hurt him to see her like this.

"Slade please!" she was sobbing into his chest this time, "I thought I lost you once. I can't bear that again. Don't you know what would happen to me if you died?"

"Eve, I have to go." he said, his voice pained, "I made a promise to my family. And I can't stand around and watch Kane slaughter more people and makes their loved one's go through what I had to." He put his hand on her head gently.

"What about me though?" she cried, "Don't I amount to anything?"

"You amount to the most. I have to kill Kane so that..." he almost choked on these words, "So that one day he doesn't kill you. That's the reason I joined your group, That's the reason I became your leader, and it's the reason I have to go now."

"Slade!" she screamed into his chest, pounding against his armor with her fist. "You're family's dead! They're gone! But if you die, I'll still be here."

"I told you Eve," he grabbed her hand, "I promised them."

"Fine then," she said, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, but an oddly triumphant smile on her face, "If you're so good with promises, make one to me."

"What?"

"Promise me, that you'll come back to me alive." she said, her expression hard and unmoving.

"Eve, I..."

"PROMISE ME!" she said, burying her head in his chest again and sobbing harder. He lifted her chin with his hand and looked deep into her eyes. Her eyes had always made him feel things the way no one else's had. He could see everything in them, her concern, and her love. He bent his head down towards hers, and kissed her. The moment seemed to last an eternity for both of them, neither of them wanting it to end. Finally, Slade brought his head back up, and smiled at her.

"I promise," he said. He then gently pushed her aside and ran off to the lake. He flew off towards Kane palace immersed in his blue ki, thinking about Eve. She watched him go from the window in his room. Her hand touched the glass as more tears poured silently down her face.

Kane sat on his throne, his scouter beeping, signaling the arrival of the last Saiyan in the universe. He laughed as he rose from his throne. He spoke to the darkness,

"It's time."